Architecture

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Eliza Ballantyne, Maria Lizio, Anshuman Chaturvedi. Mentors: Dustin Shipp. Insitution: Utah Valley University. We evaluate techniques for enhancing performance of Raman based classifiers of lung cancer and compare them to results from immunohistochemistry and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for fixed samples. In the United States, more patients die from lung cancer than from any other type, although it ranks as the third most common cancer. For patients with lung cancer, preserving the healthy bronchioles where cancer usually forms is vital to continued lung function. Raman spectroscopy is already a valuable asset in distinguishing between healthy tissue and many types of cancer and decreases discrepancies between diagnosis, saving medical resources and improving patient outcome. Lung cancer is especially challenging for Raman spectroscopy, in part because tar fluorescence often overpowers critical chemical features. We introduce measurement and classification approaches as the first step to overcome this challenge and create reliable Raman based classifiers for lung cancer. By working with fixed tissue sections, we avoid tar fluorescence and demonstrate the ability to detect tumors and premalignant abnormalities in lung tissue. These samples allow collaboration between adjacent sections in both H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, additional measurements of fixed sections can be acquired at any time. These advantages provide flexibility to acquire more detailed training sets, include more detail of any borderline cases, and compare Raman spectroscopy to more specialized histopathological techniques.

Authors: Caroline Torgersen, Tyler O'Loughlin, Ellie Evans, Vern Hart, Clint Flinders. Mentors: Vern Hart. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Stage-IV cancers are commonly identified by tumors having metastasized to other parts of the body. However, studies have shown that cancerous tissues often release “seeds” of circulating tumor clusters (CTCs) into the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems long before metastasized sections of the tumor are identifiable. These CTCs can circulate or remain dormant for long periods of time, even after the lesion is excised. In addition, these structures exist on scales that are not currently identifiable using conventional imaging modalities and are only detectable after being isolated. To address this issue, we demonstrate a simple optical diffraction system utilizing visible laser light and a beam profiler to collect speckle images from polystyrene microbeads (mimicking CTCs) flowing through an IV tube (mimicking a vein or artery). These scattering images were used to train a convolutional neural network, which was able to distinguish bead sizes ranging from 30 to 120 microns (comparable to the diameter of CTCs). A Softmax classifier was included with multiple target categories corresponding to different clusters sizes. As blood cells are significantly smaller (5-20 microns), this system could be used to non-invasively identify the presence of larger scatterers in a blood stream in situ, indicating the presence of CTCs, and providing a potential diagnostic biomarker for early-stage cancer.If a oral presentation is not available we would still love to present a poster.

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: Peter Seely, Joseph Henderson, Benjamin Webb. Mentors: Benjamin Webb. Insitution: Brigham Young University. A longstanding result in spectral graph theory is that some of the eigenvalues of a network can be obtained by identifying equitable partitions within the graph's structure. We have discovered that the remaining eigenvalues can be recovered using theoretical constructs which we call Local Equitable Partitions (LEPs). We have developed a procedure to find LEPs in a way that allows us to efficiently compute a graph's spectrum using this theory. Our procedure finds LEPs by identifying patterns in the coarsest equitable partition of a graph. We utilize these LEPs in a novel algorithm for computing the spectrum of a graph. Under certain mild assumptions on the equitable partition, we can find eigenvalues of a graph faster using this method when compared to the standard method. This is potentially useful as many real-world data sets have nontrivial equitable partitions.

Authors: Benjamin D Kearsley, Jacob H Norby, Micah R Shepherd, R Ryley Parrish. Mentors: Micah R Shepherd. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Status epilepticus (SE) is a seizure which lasts more than five minutes and requires time sensitive treatment to prevent brain damage and even death. Thus, it is crucial to understand and predict the brain signal patterns preempting SE. Previous research into seizure monitoring techniques in humans suggests that seizure occurrence follows non-random patterns, and that big data and machine learning may be key in discovering detection and prediction models for SE events. This provides a promising foundation for our investigation into a prediction algorithm for SE using data-driven methods.Using a state-of-the-art Multiple Electrode Array (MEA) recording device, high-resolution signals have been recorded that demonstrate the voltage that occurs within mice brain cells during SE. In this study, voltage traces from these brain cells are being examined to identify predictors and indicators of SE events in the brain. Signal processing techniques, such as digital filtering, spectral analysis via spectrograms, and wavelet transforms, are being investigated to analyze these signals and compare them to brain signals exhibiting normal activity. Statistical methods surrounding the first through fourth moments, as well as clustering algorithms may also be used to classify and study the signals.

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: Joseph Henderson, Peter Seely, Benjamin Webb. Insitution: Brigham Young University. A classical result in spectral graph theory states that if a graph has an equitable partition then the eigenvalues of the associated divisor graph are a subset of the original graph’s eigenvalues. A natural question is whether it is possible to recover the remaining eigenvalues of the graph using this method of creating divisor graphs. We show that any weighted undirected graph can be decomposed into a number of subgraphs each with a nontrivial equitable partition whose collective spectra contain the remaining eigenvalues. We call these constructs Local Equitable Partitions (LEPs). We have developed an algorithm that leverages this result to compute LEPs and calculate the remaining eigenvalues of the original graph from them. This is potentially useful as many real-world data sets have a nontrivial equitable partition. To show the potential performance advantage of our algorithm over traditional methods, we present an ideal graph for which our algorithm performs optimally. Using a speed test, we demonstrate the improved temporal complexity of our method on the ideal graph.

Authors: Aullora Fekete. Mentors: Karen Jensen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Implementation of culturally relevant teaching in universities and public schools has increased, but private studios, outnumbering both higher education and public school dance programs, are not keeping pace. Business owners are caught between competing demands making it difficult to invest in professional development programs for their instructors(Risner 2010). This perpetuates implicit bias teaching as instructors fall back on how they were taught in studios based in eurocentered evaluation and ideals furthering the divide for who has accessibility to dance and which dance forms are taught.The following research addresses possible ways private studios can have more access to and receive training for more culturally relevant teaching. Conversation explores how studio vision and clientele demands can be taken into account to create a more inclusive dance culture and the types of training resources already offered along with how they might be implemented. By having an inclusive approach, studio dancers also continue the culturally relevant teaching they received as future dance educators to contribute to a greater dance culture of uplifting and including the marginalized. Citation:Doug Risner Ph.D. M. F. A. (2010) Dance Education Matters: Rebuilding Postsecondary DanceEducation for Twenty-First Century Relevance and Resonance, Journal of Dance Education, 10:4, 95-110, DOI:10.1080/15290824.2010.529761

Authors: Mallory Hinton, Matthew Madsen, Raechel Hunsaker, April Hulet. Mentors: April Hulet. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Seeding plants post disturbance on rangelands is a challenge due to unique ecological and environmental conditions such as limited water availability, invasive species, soil health, and native seed supply. One of the key factors to address these challenges and have a successful seedings is understanding the relationships between soil characteristics and the plants that grow within them. Our research evaluated plant growth for seventeen grass species in two degraded rangeland soils (a mine tailings impoundment and Santaquin Wildlife Management Area) in Utah. Grasses (10 PLS/5cm 2 pot) were grown in self-watering growth trays in a complete, randomized block design with four replicates per soil type. After 21 days in the greenhouse, plant densities and aboveground biomass were collected and analyzed. Soils differed in mineral content. Iron and nitrogen were 5- and 4-fold greater in Tailings than Santaquin soil; phosphorus, magnesium, and organic matter were 5.5-, 4-, and 18-folds lower in Tailings than Santaquin soil. The average density of plants was significantly different (p < 0.0001) between the two soil types; in the Santaquin soil plant density was 5.73 plants/pot, in Tailings soil plant density was 2.20 plants/pot. No individual grass species were significantly different from each other in the Tailings soil (p = 0.51). However, individual grass species were significantly different from one another in the Santaquin soil (p = 0.05). Both Tailings and Santaquin soil types had the highest densities of slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus; 4.75 plants/pot and 8.25 plants/pot, respectively) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum; 4.75 plants/pot and 10.25 plants/pot, respectively). Sandbergs bluegrass (Poa secunda) had the lowest density in both soil types (zero plants in Tailings soil and 2.50 plants/pot in Santaquin soil). To make informed decisions when selecting plant species for seed mixes, soil characteristics should be considered.

Authors: Allison Gabbitas, Kaitlyn Allen, Gene Ahlborn, Shintaro Pang. Mentors: Shintaro Pang. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Mycotoxin contamination on food and feed can have deleterious effect on human and animal health. Agricultural crops may contain one or more mycotoxin compounds; therefore, a good multiplex detection method is desirable to ensure food safety. In this study, we developed a rapid method using label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to simultaneously detect three common types of mycotoxins found on corn, namely aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA). The intrinsic chemical fingerprint from each mycotoxin was characterized by their unique Raman spectra, enabling clear discrimination between them. The limit of detection (LOD) of AFB1, ZEN, and OTA on corn were 10 ppb (32 nM), 20 ppb (64 nM), and 100 ppb (248 nM), respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to predict concentrations of AFB1, ZEN, and OTA up to 1.5 ppm (4.8 µM) based on the SERS spectra of known concentrations, resulting in a correlation coefficient of 0.74, 0.89, and 0.72, respectively. The sampling time was less than 30 min per sample. The application of label-free SERS and multivariate analysis is a promising method for rapid and simultaneous detection of mycotoxins in corn and may be extended to other types of mycotoxins and crops.