Architecture

Authors: Libby Brooks. Mentors: Natasha Pavlova. Insitution: University of Utah. About 90% of cancer deaths are from the development of secondary tumor growths from a process called metastasis. As cancer cells divide uncontrollably nutrients from nearby tissue – specifically the amino acid glutamine – are depleted. Glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the bloodstream, and most cells cannot live without it. Tumors have poor vasculature which further contributes to the depletion of nutrients. Even in nutrient-depleted environments, tumors have found ways to grow.Tumors are comprised of cancer cells as well as non-cancerous stromal cells. Studies have shown stromal cells can synthesize glutamine which they release into the tumor microenvironment feeding cancer cells and allowing them to grow. However, the signaling pathway used between the cancer and stromal cells in this relationship remains unclear.To study the signaling pathway by which stromal cells are synthesizing glutamine I treated cells with a common anti-inflammatory drug, dexamethasone. Mice receiving dexamethasone over a long period of time had increased lung metastases when injected with cancer cells. Dexamethasone binds to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) which activates the expression of glutamine synthetase (GLUL) enzyme mRNA. The expression of GLUL causes the cell to synthesize glutamine. However, the role of GR, in regulating GLUL expression in tumors, remains insufficiently studied.The experiments done for this project show that dexamethasone induces GLUL expression in stromal cells such that they start releasing glutamine. This may promote growth of cancer cells even when there is a deficit of nutrients around. It is hypothesized that due to this property, dexamethasone increases risk of metastasis. This project will aid in the development of cancer therapeutics to treat metastatic cancers.

Authors: Daniel Barrera. Mentors: Anna Beaudin. Insitution: University of Utah. Tissue-resident macrophages play critical roles in tissue homeostasis and immunity, and many of them have a distinct fetal origin and developmental trajectory as compared to their adult bone marrow-derived counterparts. However, the specific mechanisms underlying their developmental signaling pathways have not been as thoroughly examined as in the adult. Our lab recently demonstrated that fetal-derived macrophage development is regulated by expression of the lymphoid-associated interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) in mice, but the fetal source of the cognate cytokine ligand, interleukin-7 (IL-7), has yet to be determined. This project investigated fetal macrophage cells as a potential source of IL-7 production, with the aim of providing further insight into these signaling pathways during prenatal development. A transgenic mouse model was used that expresses IL-7 attached to green fluorescent protein (GFP) in order to measure GFP expression as a proxy for IL-7 expression in developing tissues. Embryonic tissues were extracted from mouse fetuses at 17.5 days post-conception and cells were isolated and stained with antibodies to identify blood, endothelial, and stromal cells as putative sources of IL-7 production. Samples were also intracellularly stained for GFP in order to quantify the IL-7 production across different cell types within different tissues in the embryo. The resulting data preliminarily identifies fetal macrophages as the primary producers of IL-7 across common tissues in the developing embryo. A better understanding of the developmental signaling pathways that regulate fetal immune development can expand comprehension of the origins of early immune dysfunction and help mitigate disease susceptibility from early life.

Authors: Amber Brooks. Mentors: Michelle Schober. Insitution: University of Utah. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause death or result in long-term disabilities. TBIs are the leading cause of death and disability due to trauma and the leading cause of acquired neurological disability in children. At present, medical treatment using supportive and specific therapies to optimize recovery are lacking. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a component of fish oil and a natural constituent of brain cell membranes, is a potential candidate therapy to improve neurologic recovery after severe TBI. The objective of our project is to test the hypothesis that DHA improves cognitive outcome and brain imaging in a male rat model of pediatric TBI, controlled cortical impact (CCI) in male rat pups. Seventeen-day-old male rat pups received CCI or a minimally invasive (SHAM) surgery. Half of the CCI and SHAM rats were fed a DHA diet for 60 days before experiments began. Learning was tested using a Morris Water Maze (MWM) experiment and memory was tested using a Novel Object Recognition (NOR) experiment. Brain injury assessment was accomplished using T2 and DTI magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The T2 MRI scans were used to measure the volume of the hippocampus, the center for learning and memory, and to lesion volume, to assess loss of hemisphere volume. The DTI MRI scans were used to observe the injury to the white matter of the brain. Based on preliminary findings, we anticipate that the results of the study will not support our hypothesis and that DHA will have no beneficial effects on improving cognitive outcomes and brain imaging.

Authors: Ryan Kunkler, Marcus Lawrence, Anna Edler, Casey Webb, Jacob Manning. Mentors: Marcus Lawrence. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Climbing is now an Olympic sport and thus the demand for understanding performance predictors to train with evidence has grown enormously. Previous climbing research has highlighted that finger strength and shoulder strength are important predictors of performance between lower level and higher level climbers. However, no study has examined the rate of force development in the upper body, and lower body strength also has not be assessed in climbing literature. PURPOSE: To determine if relationships exist between dominant and non-dominant finger RFD compared to dominant and non-dominant finger and shoulder strength as well as lower body strength. METHODS: Twenty subjects (n=8 female and n=12 male; age: 24.7±7.5 yrs; height: 177.6±7.8 cm; mass: 76.0±14.9 kg; IRCRA Sport Grade: 14.1±6.7; n=11 beginner/intermediate, n=9 advanced) completed this study. During a single session, following a standardized 3-5 min. warm-up all participants dominant and non-dominant finger strength and RFD (using a Tindeq dynamometer load cell attached via static rope to a 20mm edge) as well as shoulder strength (using the same Tindeq load cell with a static rope and olympic ring), and lower-body compound strength (isometric mid-thigh pull using G-strength dynamometer load cell attached to a straight bar with a static rope) were assessed. Three trials were done on each measurement with 1 min. between trials and 3-5 min. between tests. Pearson correlational analyses were done to determine correlation coefficients (r), with significance set at p<0.05. RESULTS: Both dominant and non-dominant RFD resulted in significant (p<0.05) large to very large positive relationships with dominant finger strength (r = 0.897 and 0.721, respectively), non-dominant finger strength (r = 0.913 and 0.757), dominant shoulder strength (r = 0.670 and 0.709), on-dominant shoulder strength (r = 0.724 and 0.744), and lower body compound strength (r = 0.645 and 0.653). CONCLUSION: Dominant and non-dominant RFD is positively related to upper and lower body strength in recreational to advanced climbers. Therefore, training finger RFD and lower body strength should be consider as important as developing finger and shoulder strength in recreational to advanced climbers.

Authors: Addison Hedges, Kevin Sattler. Mentors: Moriel Zelikowsky. Insitution: University of Utah. Trauma has been reported to affect over 70% of all adults worldwide. This includes, but is not limited to, physical and sexual violence, injury, threat of death, and natural disasters. Experiencing one or more traumatic events can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. These symptoms and disorders can negatively affect interpersonal relationships, confidence, aggression, and other aspects of daily behavior. Exactly how these traumatic events are encoded in the brain is poorly understood. Extensive research has been done on the hippocampus with regard to its central role in learning and memory, but only recently has research been done to uncover its role in emotional responses. This research has found distinct functional differences between the dorsal and ventral subregions of the hippocampus. Recent studies suggest that the ventral hippocampus (VH) plays an important role in emotional response. The VH projects to other emotional processing areas of the brain that modulate fear, aggression, and social processing. This project aims to test the hypothesis that distinct populations of neurons in the VH encode individual behavioral effects of trauma as well as discover the extent of overlap between neuronal cells activated by trauma-induced aggression (TIA) vs. trauma-altered sociability (TAS). To test this hypothesis, both male and female mice were injected with an hM4D inhibitory DREADD virus to chemogenetically silence VH. Later the mice underwent either no trauma or a foot shock trauma consisting of 10 1mA foot-shocks randomly applied over 60 minutes. They were then tested for aggression and social response using two distinct behavioral assays known as Resident Intruder and 3-Chamber. Half the mice received DCZ, a ligand used to activate DREADDs, while the other half received a control vehicle prior to each behavioral assay. Our findings show that silencing of the VH led to attenuated TIA and TAS when compared to control groups. Next, using retrograde viral tracing, activity-dependent neuronal tagging, and immunohistochemistry, we examined the existence and extent of overlapping neuron populations in the VH. These findings suggest the VH plays an important role in encoding and responding to trauma. They also highlight the importance of continued research into how behavioral changes are manifested in the brain and how these experiences are studied.

Authors: Karen Hoggan, Adia Migliori, Jonathan Harr, David Aguilar Alvarez. Mentors: David Aguilar Alvarez. Insitution: Weber State University. BackgroundElevated blood pressure (BP) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The effects of high sodium (Na) intake on blood pressure are widely recognized. Of late, potassium (K) intake has gained recognition as a factor in hypertension. Recent studies have shown that the Na/K ratio consumed may be more predictive of hypertension than solely sodium intake. This study examines the association between the Na/K ratio and BP in males and females.MethodsWe utilized a cross-sectional design to evaluate self-reported two-day diet records for 73 male and 183 female students. Sodium and potassium intake were calculated using Diet and Wellness Plus. BP measurements were taken from each participant. Partial correlations were conducted between systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and the following variables: Na, K, and Na/K. SBP means were compared between high sodium consumers and low sodium consumers with the same Na/K ratio using independent samples t-test.ResultsNeither male nor female participants’ SBP or DBP were associated with Na or K intake (p>0.05). However, an increased Na/K ratio was associated with higher DBP in males (r=0.254, p=0.29), but not in females (r=0.04 p=0.79). When the Na/K ratio was paired, participants who consumed over 3000 mg of sodium had a significantly higher SBP (121.1 ± 12.9) than those who consumed less than 3000 mg (115.9 ± 10.7, p=.004).ConclusionsConsumption of Na and K may affect male and female BP differently. In males, the Na/K ratio was predictive of increases in blood pressure. Although Na/K ratio seems to be more predictive of this parameter, within the same Na/K ratio, having lower sodium consumption was associated with lower SBP. This illustrates the complex interaction between BP regulation and nutrition, emphasizing the significance of both lowering sodium intake and maintaining a balanced Na/K ratio for optimal heart health.

Authors: Sophia Kramer, Violeta Vasilevska. Mentors: Violeta Vasilevska. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Preliminary literature review showed that studies have been conducted following either elementary or middle/high school students’ after-school math programs. However, this preliminary lit review did not provide any relevant comparison of the data collected from these students’ groups. In this study, we will conduct two after-school meetings with elementary and high school students in the spring semester. During the meetings, students will be working collaboratively on hands-on, discovery math activities. This hands-on learning experience will be adjusted for different grade levels. Both student groups will be given a pre-survey consisting of attitude questions. They will assess perceptions about learning that occurs in after-school (out-of-classroom) learning environments that encourage mathematical thinking and collaboration. At the end of each after-school meeting, students will be given a post-survey (that will contain some questions matching the pre-survey ones). The collected survey data will be compared to examine the different responses resulting from the two different age groups, maturity levels, gender, etc. Survey results will be used to obtain observations about the effect of such after-school programs on student attitude toward math.In this presentation, we present the preliminary data collected during the first after school meeting held at the beginning of the spring semester and provide a comparison of the collected data. Additional meetings and surveys will be conducted later in the semester.

Authors: Eden Backman, Britt Wyatt, Kandace Flanary, Jessica Cusick, T Heath Ogden, Joshua Premo. Mentors: Joshua Premo. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Utah Valley University serves a unique student population where ~70% of students are Latter-Day Saints (LDS) and ~30% are non-traditional (over the age of 24) (UVU IR, 2023). Compared to the overall 1.6% of LDS individuals in the United States (Pew Research Center, 2023), the identities of UVU students are vastly underrepresented in education research that has been conducted at other institutions. This is especially important as the LDS religion has been related to one of the most conservative religious groups concerning gender roles (Heaton, Bahr, and Jacobson 2004). Additionally, recent preliminary analysis of public institutional data from Utah universities indicates that UVU is graduating more men than women in biology, drastically contrasting other Utah university and national trends. In Utah, the STEM workforce has seen a significant 20% increase since 2016 (UWLP, 2022). However, it's important to note that during this period of expansion, men have disproportionately reaped the benefits in terms of STEM career opportunities. According to IWPR (2019), men in Utah are 2.5 times more likely to secure a STEM career compared to women. Furthermore, in 2020, STEM careers in Utah boasted median annual wages that were over twice as high as those in other occupations, which has direct implications for individuals' lifetime earnings and social capital. Given this information, we questioned why women were not choosing educational paths that will promote a career in STEM? If they are choosing STEM majors, then what are the factors that promote women to leave STEM during their undergraduate careers? This research project focuses on trying to answer these questions specifically at Utah Valley University (UVU). UVU’s biology program reflects similar patterns that are seen in the STEM workforce in Utah. UVU’s biology program was graduating twice as many men compared to women during the most recent academic year (2022-23)(UVU IR). This was the lowest percentage of women earning a four-year biology degree when compared to all other Utah institutions (USHE, 2023). The following research questions were addressed to help inform our understanding of why inequities in degree attainment by gender are being seen at UVU: 1) Are women less accepting of biological ideas (evolution, vaccines, climate change, etc.) that may be impacting women’s pursuits of biology? 2) Are there differences in how women are relating to science (motivation, immersion, or integration) that may be impacting their pursuit of biology? 3) Are there differences in political orientation or religious affiliation that may be impacting women’s pursuits of biology? To answer these questions, we collected data from 1,455 students (22% were biology majors) enrolled in biology classes at UVU in Fall 2023. Comparisons were made using independent samples t-test (with Bonferroni adjustments) to see the extent to which factors varied between men and women both within and outside of the biology major. In contrast to expectations, results for research question #1 show that women biology majors did not agree with science less than men. In fact, women strongly agreed with several science ideas at a higher rate than did men. These ideas included environmental concern and climate change (women = 66% vs. Men = 41%) and vaccination (women = 63% vs. Men = 48%). This result suggests that differences in acceptance of science ideas may not be driving the differences in degree attainment in biology. If anything, these results suggest that women should be more likely to continue in the biology major compared to men. In addition, when students’ immersion (sense of belonging and science identity) in science was assessed by gender women were slightly higher than men with about 8% more strongly agreeing to being immersed in science. This finding suggested that women are not experiencing lower immersion as a potential factor impacting degree attainment. Further examination of additional factors is underway. This study highlights that there are specific factors that may be contributing to gender disparities in biology bachelor's degree attainment at UVU. We recommend specific interventions targeting areas of differences in the biology program to provide additional scaffolds and supports to promote more equitable career trajectory and lifetime earnings for women pursuing Biology at UVU.

Authors: Tessa Sabin, Derek Bagley, Kylie Olsen, Alexis Klein, Haven Broadhurst. Mentors: Sandi Gillam. Insitution: Utah State University. The purpose of this project was to create systematic, reliable rubrics for using the Frog Story series in language sample analysis for the diagnosis and treatment of children with developmental language disorders (DLD).Language sample analysis is a critical part of the assessment process by speech language pathologists (SLPs) for determining whether a child has a developmental language disorder. This is accomplished by analyzing a child’s use of vocabulary, sentence structures, and grammatical markers (i.e., past tense) and comparing it to their typically developing peers. Once diagnosed, language sampling is used as part of progress monitoring efforts to ensure the child is making reasonable progress toward their language goals in one (or all) of these areas.Elicitation of language from a child is often achieved by asking them to tell a story. One popular way that SLPs have obtained samples is to ask them to retell one of four popular wordless picture books from the Frog Story series by Mercer Mayer. This series involves the antics of a frog and his boy as they encounter different adventures. There is no rubric or “analysis key” associated with the stories leaving the SLP to decide how to use the information obtained from the story independently. This makes it hard to obtain reliable results over multiple time points for use in progress monitoring.In this project, a team analyzed all four Frog stories for their inclusion of specific story elements (i.e., character, setting, episode), vocabulary and sentence structures; and separate rubrics were created. The methodology for identifying the language parameters of interest, reliability in coding, and uses for the rubrics will be described. The rubrics will be automated using a web application so clinicians can upload their child’s story and have them instantly scored, making their use in analysis more reliable and consistent.

Authors: Grant Hendrickson, Christian Moody, Nellie Bowman, Nick Jeffery, Cairo Ziebarth, Joel Davis, Melissa Reeves, Heather Wilson Ashworth. Mentors: Heather Wilson Ashworth. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Self-competence and effort belief may impact student motivation and success in introductory chemistry courses. Self-competence is the need to feel efficacious and capable3. Effort belief is the concept that working harder at a task produces better results4. Mastery-Based Grading (MBG), a nonconventional grading method, provides multiple opportunities for students to show mastery of the course learning objectives5. This research examines the effect of Mastery-Based Grading (MBG) in an active learning classroom on student's self-competence and effort belief compared to that of a conventional grading (CG) approach in a traditional lecture-based classroom. Hypothesis: MBG leads to increased student self-competence and effort belief compared to CG courses. Self-determination1 and expectancy-value theories2 provide the context for understanding the self-competence and effort belief data. At a private midwestern college, general chemistry students in an active learning, MBG course (53 students) and a lecture course (48 students) with a conventional grading policy were studied using a mixed methods approach. Surveys containing Likert and reflection questions were given during week 3 and 14 of the semester. A coding scheme was developed, and reflection questions were coded to consensus. Coded data had a Pearsons coefficient greater than 0.76. Results: Notably, students with initially low self-competency Likert scores showed significant improvement (p=0.01) in the MBG-active course, but not in the conventional course. No significant improvement was observed in students' effort-belief scores as the scores were high at the beginning and stayed high at the end of the semester. In response to the reflection question, “Do you believe you have the ability to be successful in this course?”, there was a 15.35 percent increase in responses that reflected effort-belief in the MBG active learning course. This theme was absent in CG courses throughout the semester. It is noteworthy that MBG students recognized (14.29% compared to pre-reflections) the specific components of the course structure that helped students succeed. This early explorative data suggests that students in active learning MBG courses may experience an increase in self-competence and perceived effort belief compared to their counterparts in traditional classes. 1Deci, E. L., Vallerand, R.J., Pelletier, L.G. & Ryan, R.M. (1991). Motivation and education: The self-determination perspective. Educational Psychologist, 26, 325-346. 2Eccles (Parsons), J. (1983). Expectancies, values, and academic behavior. in J.T. Spence (Ed.) Achievement and Achievement Motivation. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. 3Ferrell, Brent and Jack Barbera. (2017). Analysis of students’ self-efficacy, interest, and effort beliefs in chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16; 31-337. 4Skinner, E., Saxton, E., Currie, C., & Shusterman, G. (2017). A motivational account of the undergraduate experience in science: brief measures of students’ self-system appraisals, engagement in coursework, and identity as a scientist. International Journal of Science Education, 39(17), 2433-2459. 5Toledo, S., & Dubas, J. M. (2017). A learner-centered grading method focused on reaching proficiency with course learning outcomes. Journal of Chemical Education, 94(8), 1043-1050.

Authors: Daniel Luke Isemonger, Jacob Cecil, Noah Moffat, Nathaniel Horne, Jordan Yorgason. Mentors: Jordan Yorgason. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Anxiety disorders are increasingly prevalent, and can be exacerbated by drug use, which can contribute to further drug seeking behavior. The underlying neural mechanisms of this relationship are not fully understood, but dopamine transmission is thought to play a key role. The goal of this project is to develop innovative tools to elucidate the role of dopamine and drugs of abuse on anxiety-like behavior and its relation to drug seeking in mice. Specifically, dopamine sensors and 2-photon microscopy via implanted endoscopic lenses, will be used to image dopamine dynamics in the NAcc of behaving mice while they are engaging in a virtual environment (VR) mimicking drug exposure and stress conditions. Using the simulation, mice are exposed to fearful stimuli, which will be related to behavioral responses (movement distance, speed, direction) and extracellular release events. By combining these techniques, we will be able to gain a deeper understanding of how dopamine terminal signaling contributes to drug seeking. This research has the potential to shed new light on the neural relationship between drugs of abuse and anxiety. This could help to inform the development of novel drugs and treatments for this disorder.

Authors: Andrew Call. Mentors: John Chaston. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The main goal for this project is to confirm previous predictions of specific genes that may influence flies’ dietary preference to consume lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The preference of LAB is a normal phenotype that flies have, because the bacteria is essential for their gut microbiota. A previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) by another student in my mentor’s lab predicted genes that lead flies to prefer to consume diets that have live LAB. This genetically determined fly phenotype was measured by calculating the frequency and number of times the flies would choose the LAB inoculated diet over a control diet. My role will be to test if 7 genes have the influence predicted by this previous analysis. The experiment will follow close with the one previously performed by the student who predicted the genes I’m testing. I’ll be using a flyPAD which has a small arena (cage) that will hold one fly. Inside that arena are 2 wells that contain food. These wells have sensors attached to them, so each time the fly takes a sip of food, an electronic signal will be sent to a computer that keeps track of the number of sips from each well, the duration of each sip taken and time in between each sip and graph all the results taken for comparison between a control group and the test groups. I will starve 48 female mutant drosophila melanogaster for 3 hours prior to the experiment and then place them inside the flyPAD where I have previously placed 1 μl of 1:1 yeast-glucose diets in each well, however I will inoculate 0.05 μl of LAB in one of the diets. I will track each sip the flies take from each of the two foods for 1 hour. To measure accurately, there will be 2 controls also being tested. I will use flies that do not contain the genetic mutation and I will also have control arenas where both food wells do not contain LAB.I expect that any mutant that has a reduced preference for LAB-inoculated diet relative to the control diet represents a validated prediction of the previous study. In some cases, there may be no variation in preference for the control or LAB-inoculated diet, indicating a gene that does not contribute to fly preference for LAB in the diet. If none of the mutants tested validate the genome-wide association predictions, I will go back to the gene list and select one additional subset of genes to test if these influence the genetic prediction. We previously focused on genes that had multiple hits in the previous experiment, regardless of how significant the predictions were. In this second round, I will simply select the ten most significant remaining genes. Overall, this project will help confirm the previously selected genes with their association with a diet preference of lactic acid bacteria, improving the gut microbiota of Drosophila melanogaster.

Authors: Brandon Ascione. Mentors: Katie Paxman. Insitution: Brigham Young University. T 1.4.1 contains what appears to be a skeptical regressive argument that ultimately leads to a complete loss of belief. Yet, Hume claims that neither he nor anyone else is compelled by this argument because like breathing, it is the nature of humans to form beliefs. Thus, it becomes challenging to understand why anyone would engage in such a skeptical thought process from the start. Drawing on Peter Millican’s critique of this iterating skepticism and Donald Ainslie’s interpretive work on T 1.4.1, it becomes clear that there is disagreement over what Hume’s intended purposes for T 1.4.1 might be. This paper argues that T 1.4.1 is an account of the psychology of a particular kind of skeptical disposition. Hume’s work on the passions can account and explain the psychology of the skeptic with this skeptical disposition. By taking a more holistic analysis of passages from Books 1 and 2 of the Treatise and citing Margaret Watkins’ conception of delicacy of passion, a compelling case is made that Hume’s own skeptical crisis from T 1.4.7 was motivated by such a skeptical disposition that was driven by the passion of fear.

Authors: Maddie Reese, Meg Boren, Emma Sellers, Sheri Tesseyman. Mentors: Sheri Tesseyman. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Maddie Reese, Meg Boren, Emma Sellers, Sheri Tesseyman “Utah Women in Medicine,” pioneering physicians Introduction Utah leaders made efforts to promote female physicians early in its establishment. In a newly flourishing territory, men needed to work the land, hence the push for women to become physicians. The purpose of this research was to understand the significance of Utah women in medicine and their role in shaping the development of nursing practice. Methods This study draws on secondary material about women physicians in early Utah, American medical and nursing education, Utah history, and nursing and healthcare among Latter-Day Saint women. The results of the study are based on historical analysis of primary materials including 19th-century periodicals published in Utah including the Women’s Exponent and the Relief Society Magazine, personal papers, and memoirs. Outcomes and implications The pioneering contributions of early Utah women in medicine, including Romania B. Pratt Penrose and Ellis Reynolds Shipp, had profound implications. They established medical practices and educational programs, training numerous women in nursing and midwifery. Their work contributed to elevating the status of medicine and midwifery in Utah. Moreover, their collaboration resulted in the creation of the groundbreaking "Deseret Hospital" in 1882, accommodating patients and serving as a training center for midwives and nurses. Their enduring legacy lies in their commitment to education, innovation, and compassionate care, shaping the healthcare landscape in Utah.

Authors: Gaby Sutton Clark, Emily Santillán, Katreena Merrill. Mentors: Katreena Merrill. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Background: In the United States, an estimated 1 in 36 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While public knowledge of people with ASD has been increasing, many areas of society still need to improve to accommodate people with ASD. People with ASD have high healthcare utilization rates but often experience challenges receiving adequate care, leading to gaps in patient care, increased emergency room visits, and hospital admissions. Adjustments to primary care for patients with ASD are essential to decreasing these concerning trends. Thus, ambulatory care providers have a key role in these improvements. This project will, therefore, focus on improving the self-efficacy of ambulatory care nurse practitioners in the state of Utah in caring for patients with ASD. The purpose of this project is to develop an evidence-based educational video on how to identify and make accommodations to facilitate the care of patients with ASD and evaluate the effectiveness of the video.Methods: The project team includes graduate student Emily Santillan, faculty chair Dr. Katreena Merrill, committee members Dr. Terisa Gabrielson and Dr. Petr Ruda, and undergraduate student Gabby Sutton. The team consulted together and developed an evidence-based script for an educational video. Based on the script and working with the team, the video will be produced by BYU Media Services. Once the video is produced, the team will embed it into a Qualtrics survey that includes pre- and post-intervention surveys. The pre-survey will include basic demographic questions and the “AASPIRE Adult Autism Provider Self-Efficacy Scale” to measure provider self-efficacy in caring for patients with Autism. The post-survey will include the same self-efficacy scale to measure any changes, as well as feedback questions on the video itself. The results and feedback will be used in a future project to disseminate the video further.Results: This project is still in process, and no results have been obtained.Implications for Nursing: Nurses in every specialty will encounter Autistic patients. Being familiar with strategies to improve their nurse-patient interactions will help nurses deliver excellent care to potentially vulnerable patients.Conclusion: While the project has not been completed, we plan on using the results to improve the educational video and pursue more widespread implementation.

Authors: Lincoln Whitney. Mentors: Jordan Watkins. Insitution: Brigham Young University. This paper delves into the profound theophanic encounter presented in Ether 3 of the Book of Mormon, offering a comprehensive analysis of this divine revelation. Through a rigorous examination of the Hebrew Bible, I draw parallels between Ether 3 and the theophany in Exodus 3, shedding light on the striking similarities and divergences between the two narratives. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, blending textual analysis, historical context, and theological interpretation, to provide a nuanced understanding of these encounters.One of the central arguments put forth in this paper is the proposition of a phenomenological reading of Book of Mormon Christology, particularly as it relates to the theophany in Ether 3. By employing a phenomenological framework, I aim to uncover the lived experiences of those involved in these divine encounters, emphasizing the significance of human subjectivity in the interpretation of such transcendent events. This approach not only enriches our understanding of the theological content in the Book of Mormon but also invites a more profound engagement with the text and its implications for contemporary religious thought.The paper concludes by highlighting the enduring relevance of theophanies in scriptural narratives and underscores the significance of adopting a phenomenological lens when studying religious texts. By examining the theophanies in Ether 3 and Exodus 3 through this unique perspective, I hope to contribute to a deeper appreciation of divine encounters and the development of Christology within the Book of Mormon tradition.

Authors: Luke Beckstrand. Mentors: Tyler Gardner. Insitution: Brigham Young University. (47 word abstract)With their diverse range of writing-related needs and goals, multilingual students in a university writing classroom can benefit from consistent, one-on-one support from a trained peer tutor. In this presentation, I share my experiences as an embedded peer tutor in a first-year composition class for multilingual writers.(214 word abstract)There has been a recent explosion of research surrounding writing centers' relationships with the many multilingual students they serve. This research has led to the development of new resources for multilingual writers within the writing center context, including longitudinal peer-tutoring, that have yielded significant and positive results. However, much less research has taken place surrounding multilingual writers’ experiences within a composition classroom. Throughout a semester embedded as a tutor inside of two first-year multilingual composition courses, I was able to gather research and test possible applications of longitudinal peer-tutoring inside the classroom. Multilingual students need, and desperately want, writing help in all contexts. Many multilingual students flock to writing centers, who are more than happy to help, but the majority of multilingual students’ experiences with university writing continue to take place solely within the classroom. There are also many multilingual students who don’t have access to writing centers, and others that do, but don’t have sufficient time to dedicate to visiting it frequently. My research indicates that a single peer-tutor embedded within the classroom can overcome many of these obstacles and give these students the help that they desire through a similar longitudinal peer-tutoring relationship that has been achieved at some writing centers.Keywords: Writing Center, Multilingual Tutoring, Longitudinal Peer-tutoring, Classroom Applications, One-off Sessions,

Authors: Soren Pearce. Mentors: Jacob Hickman. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Conversations about conspiracy theories have become prevalent in contemporary Western society, reaching through all levels of private, academic, and governmental discourse. Part of this discourse revolves around the question of what exactly conspiracy theories are and how they occur within a population; much of the recent academic treatment of conspiracy theories identifies them as a kind of propaganda whose purpose is to promote particular political agendas, especially those with apocalyptic concerns (Cassam 2019). While conspiracy theories certainly have been and continue to be used to further certain political aims, this understanding of them as totally propaganda provides only a narrow insight that fails to capture the scope of how conspiracy theories occur in the real world and how they are experienced by the people who believe in them. Philosophy and political theory can only be so informative, and they lack an ethnographic perspective to instruct on the lived reality of conspiracy theories (Hickman & Webster 2018). During my fieldwork in Belfast, Northern Ireland, I conducted ethnographic research with a group of people who could easily and accurately be labeled conspiracy theorists; my experiences with them provide insight into how conspiracy theories actually operate in the lives of living people. Contrary to popular claims, conspiracy theories—especially those that deal with the end of the world as we know it—are not experienced as primarily political phenomena. Instead, they are experienced as religious truths, and the millenarian activism that often surrounds them is enacted because of a conviction of personal obligation to the truth. Framing conspiracy theories as mere propaganda or dismissing them as the effects of cognitive dissonance incorrectly discounts the empirical reality of these beliefs for the people who have them.