Architecture

Authors: Arawyn Walter. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. “Breaking Boundaries” is an abstract self portrait that describes the duality of distancing myself from relationships, juxtaposed to being entangled in the complex connections I have with family and friends. Boundaries, in my sense of the word, are barriers/rules that are set to make an individual feel comfortable, however these barriers can be complicated and are different from person to person. This piece explores my own personal struggle when it comes to setting boundaries for myself and being able to understand the boundaries of others. The two figures resting in the center of the piece expressing two versions of myself, one in action and one in rest revealing two mental states that portray the emotions showing two extremes of what relationships feel like to me. Parts of the work physically emerges from the canvas from my hands that are tangled up in string. The distance of the tangled and strained strings from the canvas comments on my state now and the physical distance I have put between myself and past relationships in order to feel a sense of freedom from the pressures they put on me and I put on myself.

Authors: Samuel Weisler. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Contemporary architecture and design increasingly prioritize sustainable, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing indoor environments, acknowledging the fact that we spend most of our lives inside buildings. However, this research brings up a critical question: are we undervaluing the inherent beauty of the outdoors within our built environment? While the concept of beauty is a subject of heavy debate, the universal beauty of nature remains a constant. This study aims to substantiate the superiority of outdoor spaces over their indoor counterparts by comparing the visual appeal of AI-generated images. Specifically, it will create image pairs for five different activity categories: contemplation, recreation, social interaction, education, and creativity. Each image in the pair must embody essential elements: sunlight, biophilic components, and privacy. For each activity category, AI will be instructed to generate an outdoor space image and an indoor equivalent. Next, visual eye-tracking software will analyze these images, enabling us to quantitatively gauge their visual appeal. The analysis will provide insight into whether outdoor spaces surpass their indoor counterparts in aesthetics. Anticipating that outdoor spaces will exhibit greater visual appeal, this research carries valuable implications for the architectural and design industries. In a world increasingly focused on enhancing the human experience, these findings will advocate for the greater incorporation and prioritization of outdoor spaces in built environments. Increasing our access to outdoor living spaces will undoubtedly improve the quality of human experiences.

Authors: Lais Oliveira, Corinne Jackson. Mentors: Spencer Magleby. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Space applications, such as LiDAR telescopes and reflectarray antennas, often need large arrays that deploy to meet specific mission requirements. These deployable arrays transform from a compact stowed volume to a large deployed surface area, and it is crucial for them to be light and compact with a high functional area. In this project we are improving the ratio with research in deployment by investigating the deployment of various array designs developed by the Compliant Mechanisms Research lab, intended for space applications. We obtain relative metrics, including the deployment energy curves for each design, so designs can be compared for specific applications. Specifically, we aim to assess each design’s compatibility with the aim to minimize volume and maximize surface area. This research will allow us to determine which deployment techniques can be combined, or design for external structures to aid in deployment, if needed, to create an efficient deployable array.

Authors: Gabe Snow, Joseph Ward. Mentors: Cammy Peterson. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Unmanned aerial system (UAS) research is fast becoming an important area of development in commercial and military applications. As UAS become more prevalent commercially and recreationally, there is a growing need to accurately track large numbers of these aircraft. This is particularly important in compact urban environments where potential flight paths are limited. Our research team at BYU is developing the Local Air Traffic Information System (LATIS), allowing multiple radar ground stations to communicate and track UAS across multiple fields of view. One major component of this system is Recursive Random Sample Consensus (R-RANSAC)---an algorithm used to correlate and combine the data from multiple sources. The process a ground station uses for calibration is to collect Real-Time Kinematic Global Positioning System (RTK GPS) coordinates of a friendly UAS as it passes through the field of view of a station's radar. R-RANSAC is then used to a) filter noise from the raw radar data, and b) identify "tracks," or paths which UAS have followed, using temporal and spatial proximity. The Orthogonal Procrustes Problem then provides a method to rotate data from the local radar frame to the global frame. These steps can be done live or with recorded data. Following this, the calibrated radar uses R-RANSAC to filter data and identify passing UAS with high accuracy. Our contributions to the project are developing communication software, refining R-RANSAC, and helping to implement the whole system in flight experiments. We are continuing to work on analyzing the data taken from flight tests and publish the improvements of this system compared to existing methods.

Authors: Davis Wing. Mentors: Larry Howell. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Origami-based mechanisms provide the opportunity for constructing highly compact systems for deployment in space and other applications. One pattern that shows great promise in this field is the flasher pattern, which unfurls a flat, rotationally symmetric arrangement of panels from a cylindrical spiral. The fold pattern is complex, and in attempting to better understand how it can be made from non-zero-thickness materials, and desiring a model which could be easily 3D printed, the following research was developed.As a result of this research, a flasher model was constructed which folds out to a deployed state that has almost triple the projected area of the stowed state. The idealized flasher was designed using Tessellatica, a program developed by Dr. Robert Lang. Turning the two-dimensional output from Tessellatica into a structure suitable for 3D printing required beginning with the stowed form of the flasher and thickening it across all panels. Fold lines were preserved at zero-thickness to ensure correct kinematics, and the bottom face of the model was constrained to be flat. Initial attempts at fulfilling these design requirements made apparent the need for more constraints, such as constraining the thicknesses of different panel sections to be proportional to their distance from the center and ensuring that the final unfolded state involved no overhangs.The final step in designing the model involved the implementation of living hinges. In a 3D printed design, living hinges offer mobility without assembly at the cost of being potential failure points, depending on print line orientations. Any hinge built from paths running in line with that hinge would immediately fail upon bending. The solution to this problem of parallelism was to use two layers with 0.1mm thickness on the bottom of the model, at 90° angles to one another. This allowed for all of the hinges, regardless of orientation, to be able to have the strength necessary to form a workable part.This research advances the manufacturability of zero-thickness origami patterns by providing models capable of being conveniently manufactured by anyone with a 3D printer. Specifically, it demonstrates a method for developing a zero-thickness model into a foldable structure of non-negligible thickness, and how to use default 3D slicer settings to build robust living hinges. The models have been uploaded on two popular file-sharing websites, Thingiverse and Printables, and have been downloaded hundreds of times.

Authors: Benjamin Merrell. Mentors: Preston Manwaring. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Stage 1 and 2 labor is often characterized by manual examination of the maternal pelvis for fetal position and continuous monitoring by fetal cardiotocography. This practice has not changed in decades despite newer technology becoming available. Manual pelvic examinations have wide inter-examiner variability. Newer technology requires education and training. Unfortunately, both the decades old standard of care and newer technologies target Western markets with high reimbursements. Our lab is seeking to develop simple, robust, reliable, and low-cost technologies for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that don’t require the extensive education and training of modern western medical technologies. To facilitate this development, we, in collaboration with obstetric professionals, have created a 3D-printed test jig with a movable carriage that follows the normal path of fetal head delivery to test various stage 1 and 2 labor technologies in both dry and aqueous environments. Device requirements include: 1) delivery path must be representative of normal nulliparous and multiparous fetal head trajectories; 2) device must not utilize electronics or metal that could interfere with various tracking technologies; 3) device must provide a repeatable path for inter-technology evaluations; 4) device should allow for later expansion for higher-fidelity simulations. This presentation represents our early development work and initial outcomes.

Authors: Colton Korpi. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Background: The apparent design shift and style of LDS temples has changed over time moving from a traditional style into a modern era. The ornamentation and architectural style of these sacred spaces play a role in shaping the user's spiritual experience by creating a profound sense of connection to religious tradition. Insights into the evolutionary link between human perception and ornamentation inform this exploration. Architecture, initially rooted in shelter and protection, has evolved into an art form, encompassing subjectivity, creativity, and aesthetics. The effects of architecture on our psychological well-being, makes it an ideal venue to understand its influence on spiritual experiences.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how the presence of ornamentation and architectural style influences the experience of sacred ordinances within LDS temples.Method: A comprehensive study method combining surveys and Visual Attention Software (VAS) to investigate the effects of temple design on user experiences. Surveys will present participants ranging in age, race, and religious beliefs with questions and visual comparisons of diverse temple styles, form, levels of ornamentation, and site design. Complementing this, VAS will offer a technological perspective by analyzing visual attention patterns. The research includes a selection of LDS temples with varying architectural styles distributed geographically to minimize regional biases.Results: The primary hypothesis is that architectural styles and factors of LDS temples impact the emotional and spiritual experiences of visitors. These results could influence and impact the process and overall thought of designing sacred spaces Conclusion: By utilizing both traditional survey methods and VAS technology, this research aims to provide an understanding of how temple architecture shapes the spiritual journey of visitors. The outcomes could have broader implications for architectural design in sacred spaces and offer valuable insights into the evolving role of architecture in spiritual well-being in a contemporary context.

Authors: Sadie Stutz. Mentors: Ben Felix. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Pagoda is a World War I memorial located in Memory Grove Park in Salt Lake City Utah. This structure was designed by Slack Winburn who was a WWI veteran and local architect in Salt Lake City. It was built in 1925 and is placed to the right after the entry gates of this park. The structure is built out of marble and has simple but intricate detail around the top of the entablature. The pedestal and urn placed in the middle of the structure was added in later years. As you walk around this pedestal you are able to read the names of those in Utah who have passed on and have fought for our country. This memorial is a very elegant and peaceful structure to pay tribute to those who have passed on. The purpose of this project was to study and research this structure. I went to the structure and measured the different details, I composed this analytique to show the beauty in this structure. This composition is done with pencil and watercolor. I have shown an enlarged Doric column, entablature, and pedestal. There is a flower motif of a forget-me-not flower that is repeated through the ornamentation on the entablature and on the pedestal. I have shown the floor plan and floor details with the broken pieces of colored marble which focuses your attention on the pedestal in the middle to remember these men who fought. In the center of the composition is an elevation of the entire structure, surrounded by rose bushes. file:///C:/Users/sadst/Downloads/Sadie%20Stutz%20-%20Pagoda%20Analytique.pdf

Authors: Joseph Moore. Mentors: Jeff Hill. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Shape memory alloys are extensively utilized in many industries due to their ability to return to a predefined shape when heated. For medical applications, Nitinol, a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy, holds significant favor due to its biocompatibility and super elasticity. Since its discovery in the early 1960s, Nitinol has been the subject of ongoing research and fresh insights into how this alloy operates are of great importance to the industry.Nitinol wires sourced from manufacturers exhibit substantial uncertainty in their actuation temperature, also known as the austenite finish temperature. This study aims to investigate a heat-treatment method that can reduce these uncertainties, ultimately narrowing down the precise and consistent austenite finish temperature for two types of Nitinol wire: a single wire and a coiled variant.To achieve this, Nitinol samples were subjected to heat treatment in a furnace, with temperature and time parameters ranging from 500 to 650 °C and 5 minutes to 2 hours. Subsequently, the austenite finish temperature was triggered and recorded by immersing the heat-treated samples in degassed and deionized water at a controlled temperature.This research defines a straightforward yet effective approach that produces dependable results under controlled conditions. This method has the potential to streamline the determination of austenite finish temperatures, making future research more efficient. It may also open doors for innovative and efficient methods investigating the impact of heat treatment on Nitinol wires.

Authors: Nathaniel Stucki. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. In the field of architectural design, the invention of artificial Intelligence or (AI) has sparked incredible amounts of curiosity and debate in regard to its potential impact on classical design principles. For this Project I will dive into the relationship between AI and classical Architecture and aim to determine whether AI can Measure up to the educated experts of classical architecture and how we can use AI as a tool for design.The project will unravel in three separate phases (1-3). Phase 1 will explore the interior and exterior images provided by AI when describing a building akin to the Pantheon because it is considered to be the pinnacle of beauty. The incremental process of refining the text prompt is essential to obtain quality images to continue into the subsequent phases.In phase 2, the VAS by 3M, will be used to assess which of the AI images are the most captivating for both the exterior images and the interior images. The winning interior image and the winning exterior image will then move on to phase 3.Phase 3 will take these AI images and compare them to photographs of the Pantheon VAS 3M. This phase will evaluate the extent that AI can pull attention and will offer insights into the potential utility for architects or designers to use in the design process during the conceptual phase.In conclusion, I expect findings will show VAS attention percentages are slightly skewed in favor of human design and, while AI can enhance the efficiency in the design process, it cannot replace years of classical training. Architects would be wise to, instead of resisting change, fully embrace AI as a tool for design enhancement. This study emphasizes the importance of collaboration between “man and machine” in shaping the future for architecture.

Authors: Josh Lythgoe. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Is the average American content with their home? If not, why are they discontent? One study suggests that how one perceives their home has more impact on them than the actual physical makeup of their home. This research will be added to by determining how the average homeowner perceives their home, and whether or not they are content with their current home. This research will be executed via a survey with a target sample size of at least one-hundred individuals. Factors such as race, socioeconomics, gender, and education will be studied to see what correlations exist between these factors and contentment in each category. Participants will be gathered by posting the survey on various forms of social media, as well as distributing flyers in public locations and randomly selected neighborhoods. Homeowners will be directed to rate various aspects of their home in the following areas: aesthetics and beauty, layout and flow, spaciousness and comfort, timelessness and longevity, maintenance and upkeep, and neighborhood and location. An average will be taken from each category to assess homeowners contentment by topic. The expected results are that on average homeowners will be more discontent than content in each of the above mentioned categories. A statistical analysis will be conducted to look for correlations between who designed the home and contentment. There is an expected positive correlation between contentment with one's home if they were involved in the design process. Similarly, there is an anticipated positive correlation with contentment if an architect designed the home. This research will be used to help guide design professionals to know how they can improve owner contentment with homes being newly constructed and renovated. The findings will help raise awareness of whether or not the current method of designing and constructing houses is meeting the homeowner’s needs, and expectations.

Authors: Joshua Lim. Mentors: Nathan Crane. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Metal additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies have evolved in the past decade to produce intricate parts in aerospace, car, and biomedical industries. While previous work has been done on single materials, metal-metal composites can expand performance but hasn’t been thoroughly explored. This work investigates ways of creating composites by molted bronze infiltration. At a certain temperature, bronze is melted and seeps through parts that are made via additive manufacturing. By altering the geometry of the pathways that the molten bronze will travel through or the metal particles themselves, one can create unique parts that control where the bronze infiltrates. Initial results indicate that mechanical properties were measurably strengthened by the addition of molten bronze and hypothetically could be used to create thermally graded parts, optimized for specific applications where heat transfer is a parameter of interest.

Authors: Kasielynn Bussard, Dakota Stringham. Mentors: Matthias Pleil. Insitution: Salt Lake Community College. We are two students from Salt Lake Community College who participated in a summer research workshop in the cleanroom at the University of New Mexico. We were taught the pressure sensor fabrication process, along with the post-production testing methods. For our research project we decided to test how using different biocompatible metals, and different combinations of said metals, for the circuit would affect the pressure sensors functionality. To test this, we prepped five 4” inch wafers and used photolithography to define the Wheatstone bridge pattern, followed by sputter metal deposition. When sputter coating, we coated each wafer in a Venn diagram pattern. This left us with two areas of a single metal on the outside edges, and an area in the middle with both metals present. We then measured the resistance of each section to determine how it changed with different metals.

Authors: Chad Hyer, Bradley Bundy, Tyler Free. Mentors: Bradley Bundy. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Current trends in healthcare suggest a movement towards point of care treatment and diagnosis. This transition towards local or even at-home testing necessitates dramatic decreases in costs of diagnostic methods. Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems prove a potential tool for bringing diagnostic solutions to patients by providing patients with inexpensive, easy to use, and accurate tests that can be stored for long periods of time at ambient temperature. These CFPS diagnostic methods rely on the production of biosensor proteins using isolated molecular machinery from bacterial cell lysates and necessary substrates. When combined with human body fluids, these biosensors can detect the presence of important biomarkers of disease, aiding in diagnosis.CFPS systems, however, can prove difficult to use with human body fluids as CFPS systems rely on mRNA directed production of proteins, and human samples contain significant concentrations of RNAses which inhibit the production of biosensor proteins, preventing proper test results. Traditionally, this issue can be remedied in a CFPS system using commercially sourced RNAse inhibitors, but these inhibitors dramatically increase prices. Here we report on our production of RNAse inhibitors within a CFPS system to decrease costs of CFPS diagnostics by 90%. In our work, we report on the optimization of reaction conditions for producing RNAse inhibitors within a CFPS glutamine biosensor for use as a cancer treatment monitoring diagnostic. Using our methods, we expect to be able to dramatically reduce the cost of CFPS based diagnostic tools, helping empower the shift to affordable point of care healthcare.

Authors: Richard Ji, Emre Dal, Ayana Srivastava, Beverly Chigarira, Chadi Hage Chehade, Arshit Narang, Georges Gebrael, Neeraj Agarwal, Umang Swami, Haoran Li. Mentors: Neeraj Agarwal. Insitution: University of Utah. Comparative effectiveness of ChatGPT 4.0 and medical oncologists in telemedicine-based management of metastatic prostate carcinoma (mPC).Richard Ji1, Emre Dal1, Ayana Srivastava1, Beverly Chigarira1, Chadi Hage Chehade1, Arshit Narang1, Georges Gebrael1, Neeraj Agarwal1, Umang Swami1, Haoran Li21Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;2University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KSBackground: The advent of telemedicine, accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic, offers a prospective modality, especially when synergized with artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT 4.0. In this investigation, we sought to investigate the proficiency of ChatGPT vs. medical oncologists in the telemedicine-centric management of mPC.Methods: This IRB-approved retrospective study compared the competencies of ChatGPT and oncologists in conducting telemedicine consultations for patients with mPC. Out of 975 patients screened between April 1, 2022, and March 30, 2023, 102 met the inclusion criteria of having a diagnosis of mPC, attending at least one telemedicine consultation during the specified period, and having documentation available for two consecutive visits to enable the analysis of treatment decisions and outcomes. ChatGPT was asked to pre-chart and determine if a face-to-face consultation is needed. Its clinical competence was assessed using miniCEX, and medical decision-making (MDM). The Cohen's kappa test was used to measure the level of agreement between ChatGPT and oncologists in treatment decisions, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare miniCEX and MDM.Results: The majority of patients were White (97.06%), with a median age of 75 years (range:53 to 99). Nearly all patients were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma (96.08%), with a median Gleason score of 7 (range: 6 to 10). The prevalent metastatic sites were bone (47.4%) and lymph nodes (44.16%). 26.88% had an ECOG score of 0, 54.84% had a score of 1, and 18.28% had a score greater than 1. Common coexisting conditions included diabetes mellitus (11.11%), hypertension (29.82%), hyperlipidemia (24.56%), and depression (7.6%). The primary outcome measured the concordance between ChatGPT and oncologists on whether to continue or cease the current treatment There was a statistical significance in sensitivity and specificity between clinicians and ChatGPT (Chi-squared=5.1, p=0.02). Cohen's Kappa showed a moderate concordance (Kappa = 0.43, p<0.001). There was no difference in the number of diagnoses made by the two parties (p=0.13 and 0.06, respectively). ChatGPT's median miniCEX score was 8 (SD=0.59), and its median MDM length was 41 words (SD=6.06). The average time saved by ChatGPT in pre-charting was 41 minutes (SD=6).Conclusions: ChatGPT showed moderate concordance with oncologists for the management of mPC in telemedicine. Subsequent investigations are needed to explore its potential in healthcare.

Authors: Diya Garg, Chadi Hage Chehade, Yeonjung Jo, Georges Gebrael, Nishita Tripathi, Beverly Chigarira, Arshit Narang, Vinay Matthew Thomas, Gliceida Galarza Fortuna, Patrick Campbell, Clara Tandar, Ayana Srivastava, Nicolas Sayegh, Sumati Gupta, Benjamin L. Maughan, Soumyajit Roy, Neeraj Agarwal, Umang Swami. Mentors: Neeraj Agarwal. Insitution: University of Utah. Trends in tumor NGS genomic testing at diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) and urothelial carcinoma (mUC) Diya Garg1, Chadi Hage Chehade1, Yeonjung Jo1, Georges Gebrael1, Nishita Tripathi1, Beverly Chigarira1, Arshit Narang1, Vinay Matthew Thomas1, Gliceida Galarza Fortuna1, Patrick Campbell1, Clara Tandar1, Ayana Srivastava1, Nicolas Sayegh1, Sumati Gupta1, Benjamin L. Maughan1, Soumyajit Roy1, Neeraj Agarwal1, Umang Swami1 1Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Objectives: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can allow receipt of approved targeted therapies and recruitment into clinical trials and aid with prognostication and response to therapy. In mPC, the presence of homologous recombination repair (HRR) alterations can render patients (pts) eligible for PARP inhibitor therapies [PMID: 37442702]. In mUC, genomic alterations in FGFR3 or FGFR2 can make them eligible for erdafitinib [PMID: 31340094]. Multiple agents have tumor agnostic approvals for molecular specific alterations. Herein, we aim to analyze the current trends in NGS testing in both mPC and mUC. Methods: A de-identified nationwide Flatiron Health Electronic Health Record (EHR)-derived database was used to extract pt-level data. Eligibility: pts diagnosed with mPC or mUC and receiving treatment for their disease between March 2015 and December 2022. The NGS test was considered performed at diagnosis if completed within a year of the initial metastatic disease diagnosis. A two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using Clopper and Pearson method. The analysis was done using R version 4.2.3. Results: The study included 11,936 and 6,340 pts in the mPC and mUC cohorts, respectively. For mPC, the rate of NGS testing among men in 2015 was only 1.3% (95% CI 0.7-2.1%). This rate steadily increased, plateauing between 2021 and 2022 at 28% (95% CI 25.8-30.3%) and 27.1% (95% CI 24.5-29.8%), respectively. NGS testing was mainly performed on samples from primary prostate tissue (46.1%), followed by blood (32.8%) and saliva (0.1%) or from any of these 3 sites (2.9%). In the mUC cohort, the rate of testing among pts in 2015 was 6.7% (95% CI 4.8-8.9%). However, by 2021 and 2022, the rates had improved, reaching 46.8% (95% CI 43.5 – 50.2%) and 46.5% (95% CI 42.5-50.5%), respectively. Samples for NGS testing were mainly obtained from primary bladder tissue (72.8%), followed by blood (15.6%), or from both sites (0.2%). The sample source for testing was unknown in 18.1% and 11.4% of cases in mPC and mUC, respectively. Conclusions: In this large real-world analysis, we show that while the rate of NGS testing has improved over time, the majority of pts do not undergo NGS testing in both mPC and mUC cohorts. Addressing barriers to NGS testing remains an unmet need. Incorporating tumor genomic testing into the standard of care management can optimize treatment selection, prognostication, and access to clinical trials.

Authors: Laureana Lazarte, Adam Hales. Mentors: yu ya liang. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Plant Viruses pose a serious threat to the agricultural industry worldwide, infecting members of the brassica genus, including cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. This particular virus is transmitted via the cabbage aphid, which poses a serious problem, as these are extremely common in croplands worldwide (Clafin et al., 2017). The motivation of this project is to expose a variety of Brassica species to a novel DNA virus, which is a putative geminivirus and has recently been discovered in Utah. Then, plants that show signs of disease resistance after being infected with the virus will be identified. Following infection, genetic information from all Brassica species will be obtained and then analyzed to identify possible sources that promote disease resistance. A diverse array of mustard seeds will also be requested from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System. The methods of this study will involve growing a wide variety of plants within the Brassica genus for six to eight weeks in a greenhouse setting, and exposing them to the virus. The plants will then be analyzed on the basis of severity of infection via visible observations using a zero through ten scale that will be developed. DNA from the plants will be extracted and the genomes will then be sequenced. Combining the genome information and disease susceptibility, a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) will be used to look for possible genetic information that could promote disease resistance. The outcomes of this study may also be used for disease resistance breeding.

Authors: Aldo Chipana, Sarah G Sanderson, Joseph Moore, Jeffery R Hill, Christopher R Dillon. Mentors: Chris Dillon. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Nitinol shape memory alloys have shown immense promise in biomedical engineering, with their exceptional biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. Interestingly, most biomedical applications rely on Nitinol’s super elasticity rather than its hysteretic properties. Previous research in this lab has highlighted the challenges and potential of using focused ultrasound to effectively heat Nitinol wire without causing damage to adjacent tissue. Building upon these findings, our current study presents an extension of the initial experiments, incorporating more realistic in-body conditions. This includes simulating blood flow, which influences the heat transfer taking place in our control volume. Furthermore, we utilize artery mimicking materials to recreate the conditions of human arterial walls. Through comprehensive experimentation and accurate temperature measurements using embedded thermocouples, we aim to enhance our understanding of the interactions between Nitinol wires, surrounding tissues, and focused ultrasound heating. An integral part of our investigation is to discern whether the focused ultrasound directly heats the Nitinol wire or if actuation is achieved indirectly by heating the surrounding tissue. These results will offer insights into the applications of shape memory alloys in diverse biomedical settings, potentially paving the way for more effective and safer medical use.