Architecture

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: 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: 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: 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: 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.