Fine Arts

Authors: Sara Peel, Addisyn Bushman, Adam Rice. Mentors: Xinru Page. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Social media has become a tool used in everyday life by individuals worldwide. While this tool can help individuals build new social connections and strengthen relationships, it can be a lose-lose situation for certain populations. Recent work has found that autistic users are one of these populations that experience greater harm and negative experiences using social media. These additional harms stem from differences in how autistic individuals perceive social media norms and interpret online interactions. We have developed 16-week’s worth of digital educational material based on this research to teach autistic young adults social media literacy for Facebook and Instagram, to mitigate some of these social media challenges. With input from a multi-disciplinary team of autism researchers and a panel of autistic students at our university, we created these educational materials to be taught in 1-hour weekly sessions to individuals with autism in a classroom environment. The materials consist of topic-based slides and associated practice exercises that employ a decision-based learning approach that breaks down complicated decisions into several simpler choices. To determine whether participants have learned safer online behaviors, we administer scenario-based assessments at the beginning and end of each session, conduct daily diary-based check-ins, and weekly one-on-one interviews, and analyze behavioral data collected from their personal social media accounts such as posted comments and responses to connection requests.We are currently deploying the 16-week educational course at a local day program to autistic young adults who have no intellectual disability and have had negative experiences using social media. Initial results indicate that the educational materials are helping mitigate the harms of social media. Participants have shared that the educational sessions taught them to disconnect from potentially unsafe users, learn social tags and interaction norms, and change safety settings within each app that they weren’t aware they had control over. In addition to the current longitudinal study, we have several other field deployments planned in the coming months which will allow us to refine the digital assets for this educational intervention in preparation for making them available to the public.

Authors: Rachel Bi, Chong Meng. Mentors: Rachel Bi. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The full proposal is available upon request. This research project is sponsored by the Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill Endowed Fellowship, which provides $10,000 in funding.Abstract:Over the past decade, the financial technology (FinTech) industry has experienced remarkable growth and innovation, with new products and services designed to meet the evolving needs of consumers. This rapidly expanding force is challenging and disrupting traditional financial industries in terms of product innovation, customer satisfaction, and employer demand in the labor market. In fact, global FinTech investments have soared from less than $2 billion to an impressive $142 billion in 2021, and this upward trend is expected to continue (Balyuk, Berger, and Hackney, 2020). While previous studies have focused on the impact of FinTech on income inequality, little is known about the potential of this digital technology to address gender inequality (Loko and Yang, 2022).This proposal seeks to address a specific aspect of gender inequality: the gender pay gap in finance. This term refers to the wage disparity between male and female executives in the industry. Our objective is to analyze women's compensation within the FinTech sector, identify factors contributing to the gender pay gap, and develop recommendations to address this issue. Specifically, we have the following hypotheses:H1: Gender pay gaps among executives should shrink in the FinTech industry.Public FinTech firms are typically younger and smaller than other publicly traded companies. Because managers in smaller firms are generally less risk-averse and have a stronger preference for taking risks, we hypothesize that the gender pay gap between female and male executives could widen due to differences in risk-aversion.H1a: Gender pay gaps among executives should enlarge in the FinTech industry.Our second hypothesis centers on comparing gender pay gaps in the pre- and post-initial public offering (IPO) stages of the same company. The public market is widely recognized as crucial in overseeing and limiting managers' pursuit of risk (Asker, Farre-Mensa, and Ljungqvist, 2015). If executives' risk aversion changes with access to the public market, we anticipate that gender pay gaps will decrease following IPOs. Therefore, H2: Gender pay gaps among executives should shrink in FinTech firms after their initial public offerings. Institutional investors in the public market can shape the internal corporate governance structure (Dasgupta, Fos, and Sautner, 2021). We anticipate that board diversity, measured by the percentage of female executives on the board, will increase after IPOs. Consequently, we predict that the changes in gender pay gaps between the pre-IPO and post-IPO periods will be more noticeable when the board is less diverse prior to IPOs. H2a: The decrease in gender pay gaps should be more pronounced when the board of a Fintech firm is less diversified before IPOs.

Authors: Claudia Wiese, Josh Steffen, Heather Briggs, Rodolfo Probst. Mentors: Josh Steffen. Insitution: University of Utah. Evaluating effect of formic acid treatment on foraging behaviors of Apis mellifera through pollen DNA metabarcoding using the MinION deviceBees play a vital role in maintaining the health and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems by providing pollination to many of the world’s plants. In recent decades, many bee species, including Apis mellifera (European honeybee), have experienced worldwide population declines.Varroa destructor, an external parasite, is one of the leading causes of honeybee population declines, as they are the primary cause of colony collapse disorder.Various methods exist to control the impact of V. destructor, including Formic Acid (FA) treatment, a well-documented solution to reducing V. destructor numbers. Yet, despite clearly established evidence that A. mellifera behaviors are very sensitive to changes in their hive environment, very few studies have looked at the effect of FA on honeybee foraging behavior. DNA metabarcoding is a powerful tool allowing ecologists to quantitatively assess differences in diet within species without the need for extensive knowledge of pollen taxonomy or complicated fieldwork experiments.In this study, A. mellifera hives (n=7) were split into control (n=3) and treatment groups (n=4). Pollen samples were collected from all hives before, during, and after FA treatment to compare if FA application impacted the foraging patterns of the bees in the treated colonies as compared to the control group. To compare foraging patterns between the treatments, we performed metabarcoding using the trnL (UAA) chloroplast intronic region, commonly used to barcode plant species. Amplicons were subsequently sequenced with a portable sequencer (ONT MinION Mk1C). Basecalling, quality check, demultiplexing, and filtering of the data were conducted with Guppy and Medaka. Obtained sequences (n=120 reads) were compared to a reference database with BLAST to determine the sequence identity of visited plants. With this information, we plan to compare absolute foraging numbers, species, and related ratios between control and experimental hives. Most sequences were assigned with a high percentage identity to a sample database (>89%), Although certain species (e.g., Malus sylvestris [European crab apple] and Prunus avium [wild cherry]) were probably visited by all hives, our preliminary findings show that pollen loads differ between control and experimental conditions, indicating a variation in floral visitation.These results suggest that FA treatment, while effective at controlling V. destructor, may impact honeybee foraging patterns. Further research is needed to understand if this behavioral change is detrimental to the health of the colony, and the consequences of variation in floral visitation to pollination networks.

Authors: Em Hart. Mentors: Nicole Dib. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The legend of King Arthur has withstood the test of time unlike any other work of literature. Not only is a tale originating from a post-Roman Britain still known today, it is influential and pervasive, impacting the building blocks, themes, and motifs of contemporary stories in genres ranging from fantasy to superheroes to propaganda pieces. Given the legend’s undeniable influence, it sparks the question of what characteristics have allowed this tale to transcend the standard literary lifetime. One theory attributes the legend’s universality to the romantic narrative structure that it gained during the French Vulgate Cycle in the thirteenth century. Though undoubtedly a contributing factor given the structure’s popularity at the time, this theory neglects to consider more common and proven factors of audience appeal, particularly the appeal that similarly transcends temporary trends and tastes. When considering Arthurian legend’s universality, it is important to acknowledge what elements remain consistent over the centuries as opposed to what has more freedom to change with the shifting tastes of the cultures it touches. Arthurian legend, despite the massive changes it has undergone, maintains elements that allow audiences across time to accurately identify it as Arthurian legend. Though stories can carry elements popularized or introduced by Arthuriana in the modern day, those elements do not necessarily make that story Arthurian in the perception of the reader. However, there are stories that change narrative structure, medium, time, place, and even popular plot points, that are still recognized as Arthurian. A similar phenomenon can be seen outside of Arthuriana in more contemporary stories that outlast their expected literary lifetimes. With this in mind, this presentation will consider the ways that Fan Studies explore the communities, individuals, and passions that have replicated this phenomenon. When engaging with this area of study and the elements that source it, a pattern emerges, showing a characteristic that commonly fuels the burgeoning universality of these celebrated stories. In fan works, things like narrative structure, medium, time, and plot all change freely, allowing for the consistencies to become clear. The characters, their bonds, their flaws, and their dramatic needs remain consistent across ever-changing landscapes, be it in fandom circles or the centuries and cultures touched by Arthurian legend. With this guide from other stories and their early universality, my paper will make it clear that an audience appeal substantial enough to transcend centuries is ultimately accessed through characterization, an essential element of the Arthurian legend.

Authors: Jared K Bradshaw. Mentors: Brandon Ro. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This research seeks to analyze if there exists an understanding of structural design principles among untrained humans. Building forms and styles have evolved since the earliest structures. For thousands of years buildings were limited by naturally occurring materials. Designs of those periods reflected the structural principles of those materials. In the last few hundred years technological advances have provided structural methods which radically altered how buildings can be designed. An example is the difference in column spacing between historic and modern buildings, where the former has much tighter spacing due to natural material’s spanning limitations. To analyze the understanding of untrained humans an eye-tracking study was conducted using A.I.-3M-VAS eye-tracking software. This technology utilizes artificial intelligence to graphically display eye gaze sequences, patterns, and durations of focus. The software reflects the first few seconds of eye-tracking, providing insights into subconscious reactions before a logical response is formed. Images of structural elements were designed digitally to reflect a variety of forms, maintain cohesiveness, and remove visual variables. Each image was individually processed through the software providing isolated results. The results of the study show consistent patterns of focus on locations of structural significance, such as bearing points, connections, and material loads. The consistency by which these concepts received focus concludes that there is an innate human ability to locate structural methods of building. Of note the structural forms which adhered to the limits of natural materials registered different eye tracking patterns than the modern manipulated material forms. The historic methods displayed even tracking throughout the structure, whereas the modern methods created hot spots at the points of greatest structural significance. The differences further emphasizes that untrained people are not limited to just understanding familiar structural forms. This will allow for further research on the physiological effects between form types.

Authors: Megan DuVal, John Longino, Rodolfo da Silva Probst. Mentors: John Longino. Insitution: University of Utah. Army ants (Formicidae: Dorylinae) are top predators throughout most tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Their nomadic colonies and cooperative social hunting make them behaviorally and ecologically unique keystone species that are of conservation concern. Their status as nomadic top predators makes army ants vulnerable in areas affected by habitat fragmentation. An obstacle to conservation efforts is the outdated army ant species-level taxonomy, which hasn’t been updated since the 1950s for many genera. For Labidus, a widespread and ecologically important army ant genus in the Americas, there are currently seven valid species recognized solely based on morphology of workers and/or males. Three species are only based on males, which need to be associated with their respective workers, and within the four primarily worker-based species, there are likely cryptic species. To address these issues, we applied cutting-edge phylogenetics and phylogenomics to update the species-level taxonomy. To construct our phylogenetic tree, we used ultraconserved elements (UCEs, which use thousands of regions across the genome and can accurately infer evolutionary relationships across broad timescales) from 17 specimens, 66 COI barcodes from the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD), and 35 new COI barcodes obtained through in-house Nanopore sequencing. Through our analyses, we found that the genus Labidus contains at least 11 species and that all of the previously recognized wide-ranging species are made up of multiple cryptic species with more restricted ranges. We were able to associate all three previously identified male-based species with their respective workers. We have also found patterns of parallel and overlapping biogeography across multiple Labidus clades. Our UCE+Nanopore approach allows for an updated taxonomy of Labidus, leading to a better understanding of its evolutionary history and a better ability to promote its conservation.

Authors: Dustin Edmonds, Devin Needs, Riley Fisher. Mentors: Brent Feland. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Research questionHow does localized vibration increase blood flow? We know that localized vibrations increase blood flow. We wanted to know if this is done through the release of hormones, specifically histamines. Relevant research contextResearch on blood flow has been done using whole-body vibration but research on the effects of localized vibration on arterial blood flow is scant. To date, there are only a couple of research articles on massage guns despite their prolific use in the sports industry. No research to date has attempted to assess the mechanism behind the increased blood flow that results from localized vibration.MethodsTwenty-one participants completed this study, 11 males and 10 females, mean age of 22.1 +/- 2.0 years. The mean male height 181.3 +/- 9.6 cm and weight 80.7 +/- 19.0 kg. The mean female height is 169.2 +/- 7.5 cm, and the mean weight is 64.5 +/- 9.3 kg. All subjects were “recreationally active” and exercised at least three times a week for thirty minutes a day. Excessive activity or high-level athletes were not allowed to participate. Each subject received localized vibration to the gastrocnemius (vibration of 47 Hz for 10 minutes) with and without an antihistamine drug by reporting to the lab on 2 separate days. The non-antihistamine trial was performed first, followed at least 24 hours later by ingesting an antihistamine (180 mg of fexofenadine) 1 hour before the trial. Blood flow in the popliteal artery was measured using an ultrasound. Measurements (mean and peak blood velocity, volume flow, popliteal diameter, and heart rate) were taken before localized vibration treatment and then taken at intervals for 19 minutes after the treatment.AnalysisWe used a cell-means mixed model to statistically compare the effect of vibration on blood flow with and without antihistamines. This was done by evaluating the blood flow response immediately post vibration and comparing that to baseline values for both control and antihistamine conditions. Results and ConclusionThere was a significant increase in blood flow without antihistamine while administration of antihistamine blunted the blood flow response and resulted in an insignificant increase in blood flow. In the tests with the antihistamine, we saw an insignificant change in blood flow immediately post vibration, resulting from the localized vibration. From this experiment, we hypothesize that increased blood flow from localized vibration is due to activation of mast cells which release histamines and that this cellular activation is force dependent.

Authors: Lauren Heath, John Chaston. Mentors: John Chaston. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Mounting evidence shows that gut microbiota disruption is related to several physiological processes and disease development in mammals; however, the mechanisms by which these processes take place are not fully understood due to the complexity of the mammalian gut microbiome. Studying the fruit fly, Drosophila Melanogaster proves to be a valuable model for understanding the gut microbiome on a smaller scale. Previous research has identified microbiota disruption alters the fly’s ability to cope with thermal stress and causes slower chill coma recovery times. Chill coma recovery is an important survival trait and stress response in Drosophila flies. Microbiota may affect the ability of hosts to tolerate stressful situations. The purpose of this project is to determine the effect of different bacterial strains on the mechanisms of chill coma recovery through a metagenome analysis of different bacterial strains. I hypothesize that certain microbe genes will increase chill coma recovery times. To test this assumption, I will mono-associate by flooding different groups of eggs with a microbe wash and infusing their food with the same bacteria strain. After cultivation, a chill coma will be induced by placing mature adult flies in empty vials on ice for three hours, and then the time for each individual to stand up after their transfer to room temperature will be recorded. Subsequently, I will assess cold tolerance, and evaluate the rates of recovery. With this, we can further identify the mechanisms of the chill coma recovery process by pinpointing specific proteins necessary for this process through a metagenome-wide association approach (MGWA) and gene analysis. If I observe no effect of the bacterial strains on chill coma recovery times, I can test different mixes of microbes to determine if improved recovery rates are a side effect of global metabolic changes caused by decreased biodiversity in the gut of drosophila flies. Studying the metabolic processes of Drosophila allows us to unravel further the mechanisms by which gut microbes affect the fitness and health of their host. My findings may be extrapolated to further understand the human gut microbiome.

Authors: Byron Adams, Elias Johnson, D Alejandro Espinosa-Lucas, R Darío Perez-García, Israel Solano-Zavaleta, J Jaime Zúñiga-Vega, Gonzalo A Ramirez-Cruz. Mentors: Byron Adams. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Urbanization has forced animals to respond to novel environments. One of the challenges of urban ecology is that it is unknown if the ecological processes that take place in wild conditions also occur in urban environments. In natural ecosystems, key predators can limit prey abundance and have a widespread effect on trophic levels. Here, we examine a predator-prey interaction in Mexico City, an urban ecosystem where prey can be evaluated in the presence or absence of apex predators. Nearly all original ecosystems in Mexico City have been converted into man-made structures. Many of the green spaces in the city contain populations of the Mexican gray squirrel. These green spaces are also inhabited by different species of raptors, the most frequent being Harris’s hawk, Cooper’s hawk, and sharp-shinned hawk. Little is known about interactions between raptors and squirrels in terms of demographic parameters. We do know, however, that raptors prey on squirrels. We predicted that in parks where raptors were present, there would be fewer squirrels than in parks where there were no raptors. We studied the relationship between raptors and squirrels using occupancy models to determine the environmental factors that affect the presence of both squirrels and raptors. We then tested if the presence of raptors influenced the occupancy probability of squirrels. Lastly, we estimated the abundance of squirrels in parks, both where raptors are present and where they are absent. Contrary to our predictions, we found no evidence that predators predict squirrel abundance. However, we did find evidence that the presence of raptors can be predicted by the abundance of squirrels. These results suggest that this predator-prey interaction in Mexico City parks could be relatively recent and still not in equilibrium, or that other factors may be affecting the dynamics between these two urban populations.

Authors: Connor Hough. Mentors: Johnny Chaston. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Many variables can have an effect on the microbiota (microbial community associated with an organism) which can, in turn, affect the health and lifestyle of the microbiota's host organism. One such variable is geographic latitude (distance away from the earth's equator) which was the subject of a portion of a study performed by Walters et al. in 2020 and a similar study performed by Henry et al. in 2022. Walters et al. determined that latitude had a significant effect on the composition of the gut microbiota in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) while Henry et al. determined that latitude did not have a significant effect. To better understand what variables may have caused a difference in the results of these two studies I plan to perform data analysis on the data provided from both Walters et al. and Henry et al. Particularly, Henry et al. provided data about the microbiota of other sample types associated with D. melanogaster across the latitudinal cline such as the fruit fly excrement, the leaves in their environment, and their diet which consisted of apples and grapes. While this data was mentioned in Henry et al.’s paper I feel that a more in depth analysis of these sample types could bring insight about how these microbiota affect one another and how latitude affects each of them separately. I will use QIIME (a bioinformatics data analysis software) data analysis methods, such as alpha and beta diversity metrics, and R to analyze the data provided and create graphs. Because each sample type in the data was recorded with unequal sample sizes I will also need to make a new taxonomic graph of the sample types when measured proportionally to each other. To do this I will use QIIME to group the original feature table metadata from Henry et al. by sample type and return a new table with an equal number of samples for each sample type. With this done I will then be able to make a new bar plot using QIIME. I will then use this new set of adjusted data to analyze the relationships between latitude and each sample type as well as the relationship between each sample type to one another. I will also perform these data analytics methods on the data provided on fruit fly gut microbiota by Walters et al. and compare the results with the fruit fly gut microbiota provided by Henry et al.. I hypothesize that further analyzing the data from these sample types will reveal new correlations between the microbiota of these sample types and with latitude. If no new information is learned through this analysis then it will solidify Henry et al.’s claim that latitude does not significantly affect the microbiota. Alternative outcomes may show that there is not a correlation between the microbiota of sample types which would indicate that the microbiota exhibits a neutral behavior and is not selective. However, if my hypothesis is correct then these correlations would show that the microbiota of separate sample types are related to the microbiota of other sample types and that latitude does have a significant effect on the microbiota of each sample type. The results of this analysis will open up more pathways for study about the reason behind these correlations or the lack thereof.

Authors: Grace Moore. Mentors: Aaron Olsen. Insitution: Utah State University. AbstractAnimal care technicians for research labs have many responsibilities in order to maintain the integrity of a research project. However, it is difficult to determine what tasks will require most of a technician’s time and effort. Thus, it is proposed that tracking what each individual does during a given shift can allow supervisors and technicians to create an efficient schedule of how they will work and provide a standard for individuals to meet every day. This project consists of tracking in detail what an animal care technician does in a given “shift”, including observation hours, handling and restraining, working in different biosafety levels, cleaning and prepping caging, and changing the caging. This data collection, over several months of work, finds relationships between tasks, the frequencies of being completed, and the time they take. The key tasks of an animal care technician are observing, providing nourishment, maintaining clean environments for both the researchers and the subjects, and maintaining supplies and accurate records. Additionally, many hours are dedicated solely to observing the animals to ensure their health and safety. Moreover, cleaning and prepping of caging or supplies are completed more than half of the time during a given shift. Finally, working with a given species may require more time to complete a task (such as cage changing or cage preparation) compared to another species despite the task being the same. If each technician were to track their tasks and create a profile of personal statistics, they would be able to easily determine how long a task should take. Moreover, a supervisor would be able to determine if a technician is working more efficiently or even falling behind during daily tasks. Overall, these findings could be used to incorporate better time management or planning for institutions to know what more time or resources may need to be devoted to in order to maintain a safe environment, provide exceptional care for the subjects, and follow every protocol.

Authors: Sylvia Lee, Ainsley Parkins, Rodolfo S Probst. Mentors: Rodolfo S Probst. Insitution: University of Utah. Mutualisms between ants and plants are ubiquitous interactions and have been evolving for over 100 million years. Studies have been done on systems wherein the plants provide nutritional resources for ants, but the dynamics of mutualistic interactions in environments where host plants do not provide obvious nutritional rewards continue to remain elusive, raising questions about their co-evolutionary histories. In these circumstances, associated fauna, such as mealybugs and soft scales (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae and Coccidae), serve as intermediaries of the association, providing honeydew (enhanced plant sap) as a main food source to their host ants. However, the identity of the insects involved in these associations and their co-evolutionary history with ants is poorly understood. By focusing on samples collected in Costa Rica from 33 colonies of the Neotropical plant-ant genus Myrmelachista (Formicinae: Myrmelachistini), we sequenced DNA barcodes (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 [CO1]) using Oxford Nanopore Technology and employed Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) for both the Myrmelachista ants and their associated fauna. We aimed to identify their taxonomy, phylogenetic relationships and identify unique interactions between ants and their associated fauna. We recovered DNA barcodes for eleven Myrmelachista species and seven putative species of mealybugs (n=5) and soft scales (n=2). For the seven putative species of Coccoidea, our DNA barcodes, when compared to available sequences from the NCBI database, recovered an average of 85% match similarity. The closest matches associated our putative species to Old World Coccoidea taxa, reinforcing the need for taxonomic studies of this superfamily for the Neotropical region. Each putative species of soft scales was found uniquely associated with two Myrmelachista species (M. flavoguarea and M. cooperi). For all eleven Myrmelachista species, five were associated with two putative mealybug species. One putative mealybug species was associated with five different Myrmelachista species; one was uniquely associated with M. nigrocotea. Same associations were found between the associated fauna of M. flavocotea and M. lauropacifica; M. haberi and M. RSP027; M. plebecula, M. meganaranja, and M. osa, respectively. These results suggest that there may be unique associations between some Myrmelachista species and their Coccoidea associates, unconstrained by the ant phylogeny. Our findings also provide insights on Coccoidea taxonomy, emphasizing NGS DNA barcoding as a tool to illuminate how ant-plant associations might have evolved.

Authors: Ainsley E Parkins, Sylvia Lee, Elizabeth J Heath, Thomas Petitjean, Kyle Cink, Kyle Kittelberger, Cagan Sekercioglou, Rodolfo S Probst. Mentors: Rodolfo S Probst. Insitution: University of Utah. Biodiversity loss poses a significant threat, requiring accurate species assessment and conservation strategies. Non-invasive and cost-effective techniques should be prioritized, especially when dealing with threatened vertebrate fauna. By focusing on cryptic Eastern European species within the genus Emberiza (Passeriformes: Emberizidae), we designed an affordable molecular pipeline (including DNA primers and bioinformatics) integrating DNA barcoding with Nanopore sequencing to address species boundaries and provide conservation information for avifauna diversity. We conducted non-invasive DNA extractions from individual feathers of 192 specimens collected in the Aras River Riparian Corridor (ARRC), an important ecological hotspot in Turkey. By targeting the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO1) region, our goal was to differentiate Emberiza taxa and identify potential cryptic lineages while using cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) of multiplexed specimens with portable Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Our focal study examined boundaries in Emberiza subspecies (E. shoeniclus shoeniclus and E. shoeniclus caspia) with subtle morphological differences, utilizing DNA barcoding and Nanopore sequencing. We obtained 182 Emberiza DNA barcodes. Clustering analysis recovered a paraphyletic assemblage (n=32) and a clade, the latter recovering majority of the barcodes (n=150), separated by at least 8% genetic difference. In both cases, we observed a mixture of barcodes from the nominal subspecies and Caspian subspecies, suggesting that cryptic morphological characteristics are not reflected in genetic separation. Our results also suggest putative cryptic Emberiza species, highlighting the importance of the ARRC for conserving avian diversity. We demonstrate that our pipeline, integrating real-time Nanopore sequencing with non-invasive DNA barcoding, can be used for conservation initiatives (particularly aiding cryptic species identification). This study expands our knowledge of avian diversity and highlights the potential of NGS DNA barcodes as a powerful tool for aiding conservation efforts amidst biodiversity loss.

Authors: Alexander Romano, Matthew Hesterman, Rachel Hill, Melodie Weller. Mentors: Melodie Weller. Insitution: University of Utah. Sjogren’s Disease (SjD) is an autoimmune disease diagnosed by symptoms of reduced tear and saliva excretion, accumulation of lymphocyte foci in the salivary glands, and the occurrence of antibodies against Ro (SSA), La (SSB), and nuclear proteins. The cause of SjD is unknown, though previous studies have detected the sequence and antigens of Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) in the minor salivary gland acinar, ductal, and adipose cells of patients with SjD; without the typical presence of a Hepatitis B coinfection. In this study, murine models were transduced with Adeno-associated virus containing expression cassettes for Luciferase (control), small, large, or a combination of both small and large HDV antigens to evaluate the impact of HDV antigen expression on salivary gland function and SjD autoimmune disease development. After a ten- or four-month period, the models were analyzed. Findings included a significant increase of inflammation for samples expressing both small and large HDV antigens, a significant increase of anti-SSA(La) antibodies in samples expressing the short HDV antigen, and a correlation between increased overall inflammation and decreased overall saliva flow. Performing qPCR methods verified the amount of HDV in the submandibular glands and Illumina sequencing portrayed an increase in glycolysis and beta oxidation metabolism in models with detectible HDV sequence. The models showed significantly increased IgM expression in the HDV exposed murine models, without significant change of other antibodies. Future plans include an ELISA diagnostic assay to verify the antibody levels and further sequencing analysis. With this information we can build a better picture of the direct mechanisms of HDV-mediated changes in salivary gland dysfunction and determine the extent that HDV can inducing systemic SjD symptoms.

Authors: Sydney Larsen. Mentors: Joshua Steffen. Insitution: University of Utah. Pollen preserves are crucial to maintaining Apis mellifera’s hive health. This pollen provides bees with a source of protein, amino acids, lipids, and other nutrients that are vital for larvae development (Dharampal et. Al, 2019). In addition to providing these essential nutrients, bee collected pollen also provides the hive with an excellent source of external pollen-borne microorganisms. These microbes provide a variety of benefits including serving as a major dietary requirement for larvae, assisting in biochemical processes such as bee bread fermentation, and assisting in bee resistance to pathogens (Gilliam, 1997). Despite the importance that these organisms play on bee health, there is currently little research on how the microbial composition of bee foraged pollen changes throughout the foraging season in response to abiotic and biotic factors. Rapid advancements in DNA metabarcoding approaches and DNA sequencing technologies have made the assessment of hive level foraging patterns easily accessible. We attempt to leverage the benefits of these new approaches to characterize how microbial composition in pollen provisions changes in relation to shifts in foraging preferences. Here we describe general patterns plant foraging behaviors for two hives across a single foraging season. In addition, we describe the variability of microbial diversity associated with pollen across this same time frame. Our initial description plant and microbial communities present in pollen provisions suggest that pollinator foraging preferences play a significant role in pollen associated microbial communities. This will allow for further research into how the presence of specific beneficial microbes is affected by changes in climate, floral availability, pathogen presence, etc..ReferencesDharampal, P. S., Carlson, C., Currie, C. R., & Steffan, S. A. (2019). Pollen-borne microbes shape bee fitness. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286(1904), 20182894.Gilliam, M. (1997). Identification and roles of non-pathogenic microflora associated with honey bees. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 155(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-1097(97)00337-6