2020 Abstracts

McFarlane, Amanda (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Haug, Jordan (Brigham Young University, Anthropology); Thompson, Greg (Brigham Young University, Anthropology)

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church) have been partners for over hundred years, with the Church chartering Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops in each of its American congregations for their boys ages 8-11 and 12-18 respectively. Within the Utah National Parks Council (UNPC) of the BSA, the high concentration of members of the Church has led to the BSA being thought of synonymously with the Church and its involvement. In May of 2018, however, the Church announced that, starting January 1, 2020, they would no longer be chartering troops through the BSA for their male youth, leading to confusion about the role of Scouting in Utah and how it would change or if it would continue. The analysis of this ethnographic data, gathered at BSA events across Utah County and Camp Maple Dell in Payson, seeks to address the ways that Scouting has been influenced by its close relationship with the Church in the UNPC, the benefits and challenges it has presented, and how those that are highly involved in Scouting (employed by the UNPC) have been dealing with the impending transition and their optimism about having a better environment for Scouting without the direct influence of the Church.

Anderson, Taylor; Lancaster, Alex; Rezaei Shrireen; Goepper, Bradee (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Lancaster, Alex (Weber State University, Communication)

The Weber Morgan Health Department reports that there is a noticeably high rate of opioid overdoses occurring in the respective counties. Current research shows that opioid addiction and opioid related deaths are increasing across the nation. "Between 2013-2015 Utah ranked 7th in the nation for drug chemical related deaths" (CDC, 2017). The purpose of this study is to assess the influence mental health and religiosity have on opioid use and abuse in the Ogden Community. In conjunction with Ogden Civic Action Network (CAN) the Weber State University Community Research Team circulated a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire. Findings will be utilized to better determine the needs of the Weber State University students and the members of the surrounding communities. The expected outcome of this study is findings that indicate significantly higher rates of abuse and misuse of prescription and street opioids among those who self-identify as having one or more mental disorders.

WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)|Injury Center|CDC. (2019, September 18).

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.

Palmer, Ali; Raby, K. Lee (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Raby, Lee (College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Developmental Psychology)

This study explores the relationship between maternal sensitivity and physiological reactivity in children across time. Maternal sensitivity is the appropriate response of a caregiver to their child's needs, while physiological reactivity describes the body's response to stressors. Physiological reactivity in this case is measured by Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. Previous studies show a relationship between parental sensitivity and RSA during the same procedure; however, this relationship across time has yet to be explored. It was expected that maternal sensitivity would be associated with lower physiological reactivity to stress, or a lower RSA value. This relationship is plausible based on research about sensitive caregiving predicting attachment behavior later on.

Women were recruited during pregnancy for this study beginning in October 2018 through University of Utah associated clinics, flyers, brochures, and social media posts (Lin, et al., 2019). They then have the opportunity to continue through the study with visits at successive time points: a prenatal visit, a birth visit, a visit when the child is 7 months old, and a visit when the child is 18 months old. Data coded for maternal sensitivity was collected at 7 months during the Still Face Paradigm, a commonly used procedure for assessing infant reactivity. RSA data showing physiological reactivity was collected at 18 months during the Strange Situation Procedure, widely accepted as a measure of attachment security in infants.

Establishing the existence of the relationship between these two variables is an important first step toward helping children in less than ideal situations. This could lead to a greater knowledge of how to develop interventions, for example, with children or adolescents struggling with issues related to heightened physiological activity. Understanding these biological patterns could help them handle high levels of physiological reactivity in a productive way.

Alvord, Margaret; Dinehart, Claire; Holdeman, Alexis (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Kamimua, Akiko (College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sociology)

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the factors that affect levels of patient perspectives of autonomy in clinical decision making among uninsured patients utilizing a free clinic. Patient autonomy in clinical settings is important because it can lead to more successful outcomes as well as an overall increase in patient satisfaction with their health care. Uninsured primary care patients tend to experience barriers to autonomy in clinical decision making due to limited choices of health care facilities and low health literacy. However, patient autonomy among underserved populations is an under-studied topic because ensuring access to care is usually the top priority for the populations. This proposed study will fill the gap and contribute to reducing disparities in health care. Data has been collected from patients of the Maliheh Free Clinic in Salt Lake City using a self-administered survey in fall 2019. Patients who are aged 18 or older and speak English or Spanish are eligible to participate in this study. As of October 29, 2019, 254 patients participated in the survey. Preliminary results suggest that older patients and non-US born patients were more likely to believe that providers should decide (less patient autonomy). Older patients were more likely to believe that they should be informed of potential risks in treatment. These results have potential applications for free-clinics to increase patient satisfaction and informed health care decision making. Informing patients of their right to autonomy can also lead to more trusting physician-patient relationships and therefore better health care.

Hurley, Jazime; Izampuye, Elizabeth; Trinh, Ha (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Abunuwara, Kim (Utah Valley University, integrated Studies); Dunn, Paul (Utah Valley University, Biology); Oliveira, Andre (Utah Valley University, Economics)

Globally, college students have the highest rates of unintended pregnancies. In Vietnam, the social stigma against pregnancy and against sex education is prevalent enough that college students turn to less reliable sources for information. Women often face scrutiny, criticism, and sometimes violence if they try to talk about contraceptives. In the United States, stigmas show in different forms. Male and female college students are informed as to what contraceptives are. But, when it comes to knowing where to access contraceptives and how to use them, resources are scarce. Paper administered surveys were distributed to college students at the University of Vietnam and the University of Utah. Questions were divided to assess the following: 1) Knowledge of basic contraceptive facts, 2) awareness about the significance of contraceptive use, 3) attitude about contraceptive use, 4) demographic information. These questions varied from "yes" and "no" to "agree" and "disagree." Results suggest that students from each university had knowledge about basic contraceptive information, as 95% of students knew at least one contraceptive method. In general, Vietnamese students were more likely to believe that contraceptive methods are more harmful than beneficial to health, use of contraceptives will increase risk of fertility in the future, and discussion about contraceptives with spouse is embarrassing. Utahan students were more likely to believe that only women take responsibility for using contraceptives, contraceptives can protect the health of family and society, and contraceptive pills do not 100% guarantee avoidance of pregnancy. These results suggest the Vietnamese students were warier of contraceptives due to limited knowledge of side effects. Students in Utah were more aware of the benefits of contraceptive use, but only to an extent. Overall, both males and female students need well-rounded education about contraceptives that I hope to implement with future projects.

Bradee Goepper (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Lancaster, Alexander (Weber State University, Communications)

This study is a collaboration between Ogden Civic Action Network (CAN) and the Weber State University CCEL Community Research Team, investigating opioid addiction within the Weber State community. Weber Morgan Health Department reports an increased rate of opioid overdoses within Weber County. The purpose of this study is to examine religious beliefs, mental health, and the subgroup of women ages 24-44, in terms of reported opioid use and abuse. According to data from the Weber County Health Department, the specific demographic of women ages 24-44, exhibits a higher rate of opioid abuse when compared to other demographic groups. Current research also indicates that the Utah women's opioid death rate is four points higher than the national average (Weber County Opioid Death Statistics). We can expect that the results from this study will support these previously reported trends.

"Weber County Opioid Death Statistics." LiveStories, https://www.livestories.com/statistics/utah/weber-county-opioids-deaths-mortality.

Marston, Clarissa; Garrett, Patrick I.; Barraza, Allyson; Allen, Nicole ; Hillhouse, Todd M.; Honeycutt, Sarah (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Hillhouse, Todd (Weber State University, Psychology)

Over the last decade, electronic-cigarettes use has substantial increased. E-cigarette usage in high school aged Americans has increased 78% from the year 2017 to 2018, with a total of 20.8% of all teenagers reporting regular usage as of 2018. The adolescent population is particularly attracted to the nicotine-free e-liquids that are currently on the market. While current research has focused on examining the behavioural implications of nicotine vapour inhalation but little has been devoted to evaluating the effects of nicotine-free vapour administration. The present sought to examine how nicotine-free vapour inhalation would impact locomotor behaviour. To accomplish this, mice were placed in a vape apparatus and administered the selected puff (1, 3, 6, or 10 seconds) of unflavoured 50/50 oil blend of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine of vaporised e-liquid every 2 minutes during a 10 or 30-minute session. Following administration, mice were placed in open field arenas to measure locomotor activity as well as record time spent in thigmotaxis, a known measure of anxiety. Vapour administration produced significant sex differences on locomotor activity and thigmotaxis time. Specifically, all puff durations significantly decreased locomotor activity and increased thigmotaxis time in female mice. For male mice, the 6 and 10 sec puff decrease locomotor activity and increase thigmotaxis time. Results of this study indicated that there are dissociable behavioural effects following administration of nicotine-free vapour inhalation in mice that are dependent on sex, puff duration, and administration session length.

Birmingham, Wendy; Graff, Tyler; Fitzgerald, Joseph; Fuller, Shayla; Seipert, Shelby; Ballard, Emily (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Birmingham, Wendy (Brigham young University, Psychology)

Family roles are increasingly shifting, and more married mothers work outside the home. Indeed, only 19% of married couples reported the husband as the sole wage earner (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Previous research on labor divisions among spouses has examined marital relationship quality in the context of equity theory, which posits husbands and wives are most likely to be satisfied in a marriage where both partners are equally benefited. That is, relationships tend to flourish when both spouses perceive domestic and financial responsibilities are fairly divided, regardless if these responsibilities are evenly split. Under this assumption, dual income households may foster better relationship quality than single income households, as both the husband and wife feel they are contributing equally to the family's economic security. The present study seeks to compare reported relationship quality of wives who are either part of a dual-income household (both husband and wife work) or single-income household (only husband works). 225 female participants were recruited from BYU, the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, and the community via SONA, fliers, social media, and word of mouth. Participants were required to have children living in the home, and the participant's spouse also working outside the home. Analysis is currently being conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Van Kuren, Scott; Dahle, Wendy (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Allison Jim (Family Life Sciences, Anthropology)

I am researching individuality in the design on Pinedale Polychrome Vessels from Fourmile Ruin. Specifically, I will be researching individuality through brushstroke execution based off the research of Scott Van Kuren. According to Van Kuren, variation in the execution of the design can organize pottery style into non-local and local designs, with a specific focus on the individual or specific potter group that created these vessels. Individuality can be seen through choice in variation in design, brushstroke placement and layout. This project is meant to mimic this research on Pinedale Polychrome from Fourmile Ruin to see if this can be applied to a different type of White Mesa vessels. If Van Kuren's theory is correct, then this research should present a variation of individual choices present in this set of Pinedale Polychrome vessels.

Hamilton, Emily; Voss, Maren Wright; Swenson, Kira; Lichfield, Lana (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Voss, Maren (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Kinesiology and Health Science Department)

We interviewed rural individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) to get a better handle on opioid misuse disorders causes and solutions.
To minimize bias in the conducting of interviews, we followed a community engagement model of training community members to interview participants. Two community members were recruited from the recovery community to receive training as a community scholar. Each community scholar completed CITI training which meets National Institutes of Health standards for the Responsible Conduct of Research for human subjects. Each community scholar completed two additional sessions of training on qualitative data collection and interviewing skills. Interviews were scheduled and participants were provided with an Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent form. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, the consent form stressed the option to use a pseudonym and the opportunity to withdraw participation and interview content at any time. The participant was also informed of community resources if at any time during the interview they should become distressed. The community scholar conducted interviews using semi-structured interview prompts, with the freedom to ask clarifying or exploratory questions at will. A member of the IRB approved research team served as the recorder for each interview to ensure sound quality, ethics and safety.

The interviews collected by community scholars provide insight into the unique elements of dealing with an opioid addiction in rural Utah. Themes identified include the tendency toward isolation, the strength of the addiction and fear of withdrawals, and the utility of the criminal justice system as a pathway to recover. Interviews have been extended to an open forum of community conversations, to discuss difficult subject matter in a constructive way. The goal is to reduce stigma and engage community partners to collaborate on bringing in more available resources to help those who struggle.

Jackson, Gregory (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Jackson, Gregory (Humanities and Social Sciences, Integrated Studies)

Samir Saleh Abdullah, known better as Ibn Al-Khattab or Emir Khattab, is one of the most famous foreign fighters of the First and Second Chechen Wars. Between 1995 until his death in 2002, Khattab's jihad in the Northern Caucasus was "comparable, if not more ambitious" than famed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden, recruiting members from nearly everywhere he went. His role in the Chechen insurgency and participation in Islamic extremism would land him on Russia's FSB most wanted list and designated as a terrorist by the United States due to his communication and association with Osama bin-Laden. Khattab's impact on the First and Second Chechen wars was not a military one; his forces' effect on the insurgency itself was negligible. The legacy Khattab left behind instead was an ideological one, based on a unique hybrid of experiences and philosophical stances he used while fighting and participating in the administration of Northern Caucasian religious life. Despite being in contact with Osama bin-Laden and having been inspired to take up jihad by another co-founder of al-Qaeda, Abdallah `Azzam, Khattab's jihad remained exclusively centered on Russia and its oppression of Muslims in the Northern Caucasus, barring Khattab's jihad in the Northern Caucasus to be considered globalist-Salafist. In addition, Khattab was not strictly irredentist, and called on Muslims from around the world to participate in the struggle. Khattab employed the rhetoric much akin to other global jihadist groups like al-Qaeda, all while waging a strictly territorially bounded jihad in the Northern Caucasus, which necessitates an in-depth analysis of his approach to jihad in a modern context.

Nielsen, Kate (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Thompson, Greg (Brigham Young University, Anthropology); Nuckrolls, Janis (Brigham Young University, Linguistics)

Ecuadorian Quichua-speaking people, also known as Runa, are deeply connected to the rainforest. It is their subsistence, culture, caretaker, and responsibility. The intimacy and depth of their connection with the land is reminiscent of familial ties. The language with which they refer to their environment reflects this familial relationship. In traditional beliefs, all things created by God have some element of life force. The ability to speak, think, and choose is given to rocks, trees, the ground itself. These aspects of nature are bestowed with humanlike personalities and motivations. I propose that Runa personify aspects of nature in order to explain the agency ascribed to them. Runa bestow familial ties, such as spousal ties, upon natural objects or animals/plants to emphasize their personal significance. Runa believe that they came from the land. They believe that when they take care of the land, it takes care of them. By ascribing their land with agency, emotion, and thought, Runa strengthen their ties to the land by adopting it as a member of their family.

Alee Washburn, Allie Peery, Hal Svien, Cameron Alldredge, Gary M. Burlingame (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Burlingame, Gary (Brigham Young University, Psychology)

Aims: There has been an increased interest in shame among psychological researchers lately. Furthermore, there is little agreement among the two most common measures of shame in psychology (Eterović et al. 2018). This systematic review will evaluate various psychometric characteristics of identified shame measures used in psychological research. Methods: A literature search of common databases in psychology (e.g., Ovid, Web of Science) pinpointed ~4,000 articles mentioning shame measures. These will be systematically reviewed to identify all self-report and interview-based measures of shame in psychology. Psychometric properties rated will include state versus trait shame, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability, among others.

Results: Preliminary results are still being reviewed. Newer measures of shame identified have identified factor structures related to their theoretical bases, something not necessarily seen in older measures. Shame measures are commonly separated into state and trait measures, which might not be appropriate to different research questions (Ogles, 2013). These and other considerations will be presented to identify promising measures of shame for future research. Discussion: Discussion of results will be framed in relation to current reviews of shame as a construct, particularly how it is measured (Eterović et al. 2018). It is likely that older measures of shame do not have demonstrable psychometrics (e.g., clear theoretically-linked factor structures), making them unlikely choices for use in psychological research. Further, each measure should be considered in relation to its change sensitivity and the research question. Keywords: measurement, psychometrics, shame

Holden, Maliea; Richardson, Spencer; Chilom, Gabriela (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Chilom, Gabriela (Dixie State University, Physical Sciences)

Humic acids are a key component of the terrestrial ecosystem as they are responsible for many physical and chemical properties of soils; buffering capacity, metal-binding capacity, transport and fate of contaminants, stability of aggregates of soil particles and water-holding capacity all depend on the amount and nature of humic substances in a soil.

The current project is looking into the properties and ability of humic acids extracted from leaves, to improve the stability and fertility of a mineral soil. The humic acid was extracted from fresh and aerobically incubated leaves by traditional alkali extraction. Three species of trees commonly grown in St George, Utah were selected: Prunus x Cistena, Pyrus Calleryana Bradford, and Chilopsis Linearis. The extracts were characterized by the amount and nature of their carbon content as determined by IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Their properties showed similarities and differences with humic acid extracted from mineral soil and leonardite.

White, Michelle; Koury, Spencer; Phadnis, Nitin (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Phadnis, Nitin (University of Utah, School of Biological Sciences)

Sex-ratio chromosomes in Drosophila pseudoobscura are of particular interest because they violate not one, but all three of Mendel's laws of genetics. These special X chromosomes distort the ratio of X and Y-bearing sperm, which leads to biased sex-ratios within the offspring. Although such transmission ratio distortions have been observed from as early as 1928, very little is known about the systems of genes responsible for sex-ratio chromosomal drive due to several complications with traditional methods. Here, we perform one part of a three-part experimental series that attempt to dissect and identify not only the genes involved but also its mechanism. Specifically, this approach will use saturation chemical mutagenesis to knock out every gene on sex-ratio (SR) chromosomes. In order to accomplish this task as efficiently and timely as possible, several preliminary experiments were conducted. We provide the natural variability in SR chromosomal drive and the best statistical framework to analyze the actual mutagenesis experiment. Our results further provide an EMS dosage response curve for the D. pseudoobscura species which has only previously existed for D. melanogaster. These findings propose a reconsideration of the traditional methods used for studying SR chromosomal drive and suggest the mechanism behind the genes or systems of genes involved in this process.
With its rich biological history, the field of genetics has truly grown and expanded into all that we know today. With special regard to our very own Nobel Laureate, Dr. Mario Capecchi, The University of Utah has a dynamic relationship with the field of genetics. The Phadnis Lab plays an active role in this remarkable community and has answered several ideas in evolutionary conflict and speciation. Thus, as a student from the University of Utah studying genetics, it would be greatly interesting to be able to present my work at UCUR.

Cutler, Alynne; Hagan, Maura; Yuan, Titus (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Hagan, Maura (College of Science, Physics Department); Yuan, Titus (College of Science, Physics Department)

Analyses of sodium resonance lidar temperature measurements made during a three-day period in August 2009 in the mesopause region (ca. 70-120km) above Fort Collins CO, along with analyses of correlative temperature predictions from the Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Mesosphere-Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIME-GCM) reveal diurnal and semidiurnal temperature variations characteristic of solar atmospheric tides. Harmonic analyses via Fourier decomposition of the lidar data reveal a dominant semidiurnal oscillation with amplitudes that are well-represented in TIME-GCM at altitudes below about 92 km. A comparatively weaker diurnal tide was detected in the lidar data. This variation is negligible in the TIME-GCM results below 95km. Downward phase progression associated with upward propagating tides characterizes both tidal model and measurement results. Comparisons between August 2009 mean temperature profiles reveal a cold bias of ~17K in the TIME-GCM mesopause region. Equivalent analyses of temperature during a second three-day period in January 2009 remain in progress.

Dustin, Malia; Holden, Maliea; Peterson, Rob; Chilom, Gabriela (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Chilon, Gabriela (Dixie State University, Chemistry)

Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets suspended in air. Particles vary in terms of origin, chemical composition and size. Particles with diameter of 10 µm and smaller carry an increased risk for human health as they can penetrate deeper into the lungs, even to the alveolar regions. Recent studies suggest that trees can remove particles from the atmosphere through their leaves and their removal capacity depends on the chemistry and morphology of the leaves.

The goal of this project is to analyze the composition of PM for three species of trees commonly grown in St George, Utah: Pyrus Calleryana Bradford, Prunus x Cistena, and Chilopsis Linearis. The amount of PM accumulated on the surface of leaves was determined gravimetrically for two size fractions (2.5-10µm and 10-100µm). Both fractions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP MS) after acid digestion of filters that collected PM. The average concentrations of the following metals: Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ti, V, Cr, As, Zr, Mo, Se, Cd, Sn, Sb, Pt, and Pb is reported.

The accumulation of heavy metals on leaf surfaces can prevent the metals from being airborne, therefore reducing the exposure of residents to PM pollution.

Dearden, Heravi, Shen, Arslanian, Shrestha, Mismash, Tinsley, Pay (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Dearden, David (Brigham Young University, Chemistry)

Using the Spartan and Ion Molecular Spectrometry Suite (IMoS), we use the 3D modeling to predict stability and molecule favorability. Previously in our experimentation we have seen and proper capping of a host molecule with cucurbit[5]uril. This was different than cucurbit[6]uril as the cap in some cases didn't bond to all the upward oxygens because on the molecular symmetry, thus host enclosure was less favorable in cucurbit[6]uril than cucurbit[5]uril. We also observed in our lab the energy differences using the Extensible Computation Chemistry Environment (ECCE) of cucurbit[5]uril host transfer based on cap and host interactions. These studies show that cucurbit[5]uril with methane as a host is more favorable than outside the cavity. It also shows that methane inside cucurbit[5]uril is more favored than in decamethylcucurbit[5]uril. The studies using computational study will be testable using mass spectrometry, and we predict that the same behavior trend will show using other caps and hosts with cucurbit[5]uril and decamethylcucurbit[5]uril.