Fine Arts

Authors: Syrus Miner, Ryland Day, Justin LeClair, Adam Dimaio. Mentors: Randy Klabacka. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Accurate measurement of the knee joint angle is important for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. With the advancement of wearable technology the measurement of range of motion can now be measured dynamically during exercises. The primary purpose of this research project is to provide a mechanism by which physical therapy outcomes can be improved after knee replacement surgery. This will be accomplished by creating a knee brace attachment that will employ motion detecting sensors to chart the post-op and/or post-injury progression of the movement of the knee joint. It is estimated that approximately 5% of the population over the age of 50 in the United States are currently living with a knee replacement. It has been shown that knee pain has been coupled with depression, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and an overall lower satisfaction in life. Improved knee function has reduced the dissatisfaction experienced in life as daily activities are able to be retained. While physical therapy helps recovery of range of motion for patients, the incentive for patients to complete tasks at home and the lack of standardized data collection may impede patient recovery times. The desired outcome of this research is to create a device that reports the effectiveness of a patient's treatment by using off-the-shelf electronics to accurately measure knee joint range of motion and communicate it to physicians.

Authors: Caroline Nielson, Connor Baird. Mentors: Robert Kagabo. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Opioid Use Disorders Treatment Related Disparities in Patients with Psychiatric IllnessAuthors: Caroline Nielson, Connor Baird, Robert Kagabo, PhD, MSW, MPHAbstractBackgroundThis study is a review of peer-reviewed articles of Opioid Use Disorders (OUD) treatment among individuals with psychiatric illness. OUD is a subset of substance use disorders (SUD) that is chronic and a growing public health concern. There were 47,000 opioid-related deaths in 2018 in the US; OUD is responsible globally for 68% of the drug-related deaths. OUD can result from either prescribed or non-prescribed opioid use. Some populations such as individuals with psychiatric illness have high rates of prescription opioids yet face opioid use treatment and research-related disparities. This review study examines OUD treatment and research-related disparities among patients with psychiatric illness with the goal to improve treatment among this vulnerable population.MethodsUsing PubMed and PsycINFO databases, we performed a search of journal articles regarding OUD treatment which were published between 2010 and 2023. We then completed a review of the journal articles using narrative overview guidelines. All articles reviewed were from randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. Examples of search terms used include OUD treatment and mental health; OUD and psychiatric illness RCT studies; and opioid use treatment and mental health. Studies included were those of OUD treatment among individuals with psychiatric illness and or with a DSM5 or DSM4 diagnosis. Any studies that did not include OUD treatment and, or a DSM diagnosis, or RCT design were excluded. To avoid duplication, only one journal article from a study was included. ResultsThere were 18 journal articles reviewed that met the inclusion criteria. Treatment periods ranged from 8-24 weeks. Generally, studies excluded individuals with diagnoses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, or other serious mental health diagnoses. Several studies included participants with a DSM5 or DSM4 diagnosis of OUD, while excluding individuals with other psychiatric or substance use disorders. Most of the studies used pharmacological treatments and only a few studies had combined pharmacological and behavioral treatments. The common medicines in pharmacological treatments were methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.ConclusionOUD treatment and research related disparities exist among individuals with psychiatric illness, yet this is the population who suffer most from OUD. Additional studies regarding OUD treatment among individuals with psychiatric illness are needed to improve OUD treatments and reduce OUD-related morbidity and mortality rates.

Authors: Anna Norman, Chloe Houghton, Macall Walker, Audrey Saunders. Mentors: Tyson Harmon. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Face it! How reliable is emotional facial expression coding within and across raters? Background Emotion, described as “physiological forces, located within individuals, that bolster our sense of uniqueness....” (Katriel, 2015, p. 57) is a critical aspect of day-to-day communication. For people with acquired language disorders post-stroke (i.e., aphasia), this interaction is particularly important due to relatively spared emotional processing, which has the potential to either facilitate or interfere with language processing (see e.g., Harmon et al., 2022; Ramsberger, 1996). The present study is part of a larger project, which seeks to determine whether people with aphasia exhibit more emotional facial expressions during personal narrative discourse than adults who do not have aphasia and whether these expressions are more emotionally arousing. The present study specifically seeks to investigate the reliability of facial coding by comparing average frequency and intensity of emotional facial expressions both within and across undergraduate student coders. Methods In order to quantify emotional facial expression frequency and intensity, undergraduate research assistants are trained to code facial expressions using a modified FACES protocol (Kring and Sloan, 2007). The modified protocol will be used to code emotional facial expressions of video footage that was obtained from participants while they told personal narratives (e.g., talking about an illness they experienced or an important life event). First, research assistants identify the baseline facial expression for each participant. Next, research assistants code transitions from a neutral expression to an emotional facial expression for valence (positive/negative) and intensity. Intensity ratings are scaled from 1 to 4 depending on how many units of the face are involved within the corresponding facial expression. Using this protocol, research assistants will begin facial coding after they are trained and demonstrate mastery by attaining 80% agreement with a master code. Upon completing initial data coding, research assistants will be assigned to recode 10% of previously completed video samples as well as 10% of samples that were previously coded by other coders. This secondary coding will be used to measure intra- and inter-rater reliability across dependent variables: frequency of emotional facial expressions, intensity of positive facial expressions, and intensity of negative facial expressions. Average frequency of emotional facial expressions will be calculated as the number of facial expressions produced per minute within a given sample. Intensity of positive and negative facial expressions will be calculated as the mean intensity within each valence respectively. The average frequency and intensity of initial and reliability codes will then be compared using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Anticipated Results We anticipate that intra- and inter-rater reliability will be above 0.8. Through a strict training process, research assistants will calibrate their coding to achieve 80% agreement with the master code. We anticipate this training process to produce effective intra- and inter-rater reliability. Findings will be important for determining the reliability of facial coding procedures and trustworthiness of data for answering questions related to the longer-term project. References Harmon, T.G., Jacks, A., Haley, K. L., & Bailliard, A. (2020). How responsiveness from a communication partner affects story retell in aphasia: Quantitative and qualitative findings. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(1), 142-156. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-0091 Harmon, T.G., Nielsen, C., Loveridge, C., Williams, C. (2022). Effects of positive and negative emotion on picture naming for people with mild to moderate aphasia: A prelimariny investigation. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(3), 1025-1043. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00190 Katriel, T. (2015). Exploring emotion discourse. In H. Flam & J. Kleres (eds.), Methods of exploring emotions (1st ed., pp.57-66). Taylor & Francis Group. Kring, A.M., & Sloan, D.M. (2007). The facial expression coding system (FACES): Development, validation, and utility. Psychological Assessment, 19(2), 210-224. https://doi.org/10/1037/1040-3590/19.2.120

Authors: Harlan Stevens, Arwen Oakley. Mentors: Stephen Piccolo. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The number of scientific journal articles published per year now exceeds one million. To help maximize the impact of these articles, researchers must ensure that images in the articles are accessible to people with color-vision deficiencies (CVD). Up to 8% of males and 0.5% of females experience at least one form of color-vision deficiency, thus making it difficult for these individuals to discern patterns in images that use particular color combinations. We sought to shed light on this problem by estimating how often published images use color combinations that are unfriendly to people with a CVD. Examining 6,000 images published in biology-oriented research articles published in the eLife journal between 2012 and 2022, we identified images with potentially problematic color combinations. Using quantitative metrics and manual review, we estimate that 13% of these articles would be difficult for people with moderate-to-severe deuteranopia to interpret. We used a convolutional neural network to automate the ability to label images as being problematic for people with moderate-to-severe deuteranopia. The machine learning model successfully classified images in a testing dataset with an auROC of 91.3%. Based on these results, we created a web application that allows users to upload images and view estimates about whether the images are CVD-friendly. Such efforts are critical to ensuring that papers published in the biology literature are interpretable to diverse audiences.

Authors: Macaulay Gould, Chelsea Romney, Andrew Moss. Mentors: Chelsea Romney. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Attorneys play an important role in protecting the rights of the defendant and maintaining fair courtroom outcomes. This project compared self-reported fairness between court customers with and without an attorney representing their case. 372 Provo City Justice Court customers reported their perceived fairness in a 10-item survey, validated by national court assessment tools. Statistical analysis was performed, and a linear regression model revealed no association between legal representation and fairness. This indicates that both groups reported the same level of fairness, regardless of attorney representation. While evidence suggests that court customers with an attorney may receive better outcomes and less jail time, this was not reflected in court customers’ perceived fairness. We suggest a court navigator be available to court customers, so they can better understand how fairly they are being treated.

Authors: Liberty Rausch. Mentors: Kenneth L Alford. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The Hyrum Smith Papers project, patterned after the Joseph Smith Papers, is a scholarly initiative at Brigham Young University aimed at collecting, transcribing, analyzing, and publishing selected extant documents associated with Hyrum Smith, the older brother of Joseph Smith, Jr.—key figures in the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With a focus on illuminating the often underappreciated contributions of Hyrum Smith, this project examines a wide range of historical documents. These include, but are not limited to, personal correspondence, journals, sermons, certificates, legal documents, land records, ecclesiastical and administrative documents, and others. The purpose is to contribute to a deeper understanding of Hyrum’s role, leadership, and influence within the context of the American religious, social, and political climate of the early 19th century. The goal of this research is to publish a volume with transcriptions, narratives, photographs, and illustrations associated with Hyrum Smith’s life. This UCUR oral presentation will provide an overview of how relevant documents are identified and incorporated into our corpus.

Authors: Allen Otterstrom. Mentors: Joe Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Data quality is a key input in efforts to link individuals across census records. We examine the extreme version of low data quality by identifying census US enumerators in the US who fabricated entire families. We provide clear evidence of fake people included in the census in Homestead, Pennsylvania. We use the features of this case study to identify other places where there seem to be fake people. Our automated approach identifies census sheets that have much lower match rates to other census records that would be expected, given the characteristics of the people recorded on each sheet.

Authors: Hyrum Veach. Mentors: Amy Harris. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The agricultural laborers’ riots that occurred in England from 1830 to 1831, commonly called the Swing Riots, have been well-studied over the past fifty years. In recent years, historians have sought to better understand individual protests were rooted in local causes and social networks, however, there are still gaps in historians’ understanding of how these events related to urban protests going on around the same time. Through an in-depth exploration into the Norwich weavers’ riots in 1829 and the fires in Swanton Abbott, Norfolk in January 1831 this research attempts to show how the changing relationship between urban and rural communities could link urban and rural protest movements in multifaceted ways. Special attention is paid to the lives of some of these protests’ key participants (Richard Knockolds and the Davison brothers), including their backgrounds, motivations, and the ways their actions were memorialized both in the city and the country. When these two protests are situated in the context of urban-rural relations, it becomes clear that they were part of an active renegotiation of the relationship between city and country brought on because the pressures of industrialization were pushing the two together in ways that many found threatening. Each of the people involved had a different vision for what this relationship should look like, as well as a vested interest in ensuring this vision prevailed. By foregrounding how these participants approached the boundaries between urban and rural worlds, this research emphasizes the ways this boundary was a crucial point of contention in early industrial Britain.

Authors: Elisabeth Morris. Mentors: Desirée Oliveira. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The purpose of this study is to better understand what it means to be an American by examining perceptions of national identity through the lens of Brazilian Americans living in Northern Utah. With this purpose in mind, we hope to add to the discussion of national identity during a time when the United States' title as a “melting pot of nations'' is called into question. The study focuses on the question: How do Brazilian Americans living in Northern Utah perceive their own national identity? Additionally, it seeks to answer the following subquestions: Does a pluralistic national identity exist among Brazilian Americans in Northern Utah?; If a pluralistic national identity exists among Brazilian Americans in Northern Utah, do the two identities coexist, or is there a synthesis of the identities and what does that look like?; How do they perceive American national identity?; How is American National identity influenced by Brazilian Americans in the United States? Working with local Brazilian businesses, cultural groups, families, and individuals, we collected data through a variety of ethnographic methods including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, mapping, sonic recordings, oral histories, photo, video, and media usage. We then used thematic qualitative data analysis methods, finding that Brazilian Americans in Northern Utah see their identities as pluralistic as well as that Brazilian and American identities coexist, operating in different spaces. The results show how American national identity is fluid and complex, existing as a companion to other identities, demonstrating how “Brazilianess” contributes to “Americanness” by creating more empathy, understanding, and union in the United States.

Authors: Brenda Payan Medina. Mentors: Andy Eisen. Insitution: University of Utah. Between the years of 1988 and 2016, there has been a staggering figure of individuals, in the hundreds of thousands, that have been incarcerated in what has been recognized as a mass incarceration phenomenon intended to make our nation safer using a “tough-on-crime” approach. As of 2020, the number of people incarcerated is slated to be around two million, and the prison population continues to grow. Along with this stunning growth in our carceral systems has also come the realization that without investment into incarcerated individuals, prison systems will continue to grow without serving any meaningful purpose to both incarcerated people and their communities once incarcerated individuals have served their terms. As a result, educational programming has been implemented in multiple prisons across the country, and following suit is the implementation of visual, theater, and writing-based arts programs. While the original intention of many arts education programs in carceral environments is to serve as a form of rehabilitation, therapy, and assimilation back into society for those that are incarcerated, many incarcerated or formerly-incarcerated artists perceive the arts opportunities offered to be much more valuable and fulfilling than a means of emotional regulation and personal growth; some see it as a way of connection or re-connection with their families, friends, and communities, others see it as a potential career path and redirection of the trajectory of their lives, and some see it as a reclamation of their identities and voices beyond their criminal history.

Authors: Calista Greenwood, Ciera Sanders, Pacen Williams, Kaleb Gardner, Caylor Hafen, Hillary Wadsworth. Mentors: Jordan Yorgason. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Dopamine circuit function in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) is implicated in the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse including opioids. Opioid receptor desensitization occurs during acute and prolonged exposure to opioids such as morphine, which may have long lasting effects on dopamine circuit function. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) was performed in mice that have undergone morphine behavioral conditioning. In NAc brain slices, morphine has no apparent direct effects on dopamine release. In contrast, morphine bath application increases VTA dopamine release, which is reversed by naloxone. Interestingly, morphine induced increases in VTA dopamine release were greater in morphine vs saline conditioned mice, supporting a model of circuit sensitization. Surprisingly, blocking voltage gated potassium channels resulted in a switch in morphine effects, where morphine reduced VTA dopamine release. Morphine treated mice had reduced sensitivity to morphine effects on dopamine release in the presence of potassium channel blockers, suggesting that potassium channels are underlying the increases in sensitivity observed in morphine conditioned mice. Experimental protocols were approved by the Brigham Young University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee according to the National Institutes of Health Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals. Research was funded by Brigham Young University. There are no conflicts of interests to disclose.

Authors: Sven Wilson, Joseph Price, Hannah Hammond, Katharine Wilson. Mentors: Joe Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Research suggests that environmental and behavioral risk factors often shared by spouses will result in similar spousal lifespans. This is seen most powerfully in the well-documented tendency for the hazard of mortality to rise immediately after spousal loss, thereby causing a greater concordance in spousal lifespans. This is sometimes referred to as "broken heart syndrome," and a widowhood effect on mortality has been observed in multiple large population studies in many countries. We employ a new dataset from the United States containing over 2.8 million couples drawn from the 1940 census who were born between 1880 and 1920 who are linked to US Census Schedules through 1940 and to the wiki-like genealogical data source Family Search. To account for the presence of assortative mating, we employ a strategy where the lifespan of the spouse's siblings is used as an instrumental variable for spousal lifespan. We find only a small amount of assortative mating on the basis of lifespan, but considerable sorting based on education and income. Our simple IV model finds a statistically significant causal relationship between the death of both husbands and wives on the lifespan of their respective spouses, and those effects are roughly twice as big as the OLS estimates. An additional year of life for the spouse adds .11 years to the husband’s lifespan; and .157 years to the wife. The larger effect on women’s lifespan is in opposition to most of the literature on the widowhood effect.

Authors: Lizzie Stewart, Hayden Underwood, Dallas Goolsby, Spencer Sears. Mentors: Camilla Hodge. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Social connection is critical to understanding how individuals interact with one another and form social bonds in groups. Our research evaluates the effects on social connection based on the Ecology of Family Experiences framework, which considers the interplay between three domains: family, activity, and time. We believe that the EFE is a transferable framework that will have important social implications for understanding interpersonal relationships and designing experiences intended to increase social connection. In this study, we examine the relationship between social connection and two variables: 1) social interaction, or the behavior between two or more people crossing paths. Social interaction considers joint or parallel interaction styles between people; 2) self-disclosure, or interaction where one intends to willfully and deliberately divulge something personal to another. We hypothesize that social interaction and self-disclosure influence social connections outside the family context. We seek to shed light on the mechanisms that shape and alter the quality and depth of interpersonal connection. In our experiment, we used a 2x2 quasi-experimental design. Participants were assigned to one of four conditions varying in self-disclosure (high vs. low) and social interaction (joint vs. parallel). Self-disclosure questions asked participants to answer prescribed questions, including highly personalized questions (high disclosure) and non-personalized information (low disclosure). Participants either interacted with a partner (joint) or wrote responses next to a partner without verbal communication (parallel). Social connection was measured using the Inclusion of Others and Self Scale. The sample consisted of 148 university students. The average participant was a white, unmarried, 20-year-old from a middle- to high-class economic background. Data analysis was conducted using mixed model techniques that took into account the unique dyadic relationship of each pairing. Results suggested a significant interaction between self-disclosure and social interaction (t = 2.354, p < 0.05). With high self-disclosure and joint activity having a mean of 4.54, high self-disclosure and parallel activity having a mean of 2.33, low self-disclosure and joint activity having a mean of 3.47, and low disclosure parallel activity having a mean of 2.01. These findings highlight the importance of self-disclosure and social interaction styles in influencing social connection, extending the applicability of the EFE framework beyond the family unit.

Authors: Ramon Zabriskie, Erica Miller, Felicia Korth, Anna Taylor. Mentors: Ramon Zabriskie. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Implicit bias occurs automatically and unintentionally based on a person’s lifetime experience and cultural history (National Institutes of Health, 2022; Handelsman & Sakraney, 2015). In this study, implicit bias is evaluated through the lens of a transformative diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging business course. DEIB originated in the 1960s in response to equal employment and affirmative action laws (Sarrett, 2022). Studies show that Millennials and Gen Z generations are the most diverse populations ever in the United States (Stamps & Foley, 2023). Benefits of DEIB include the creation of a more unified, diverse, and successful workplace, less biases in hiring, team development, promotions, and who companies do business with (El-Amin, 2022). This study’s theoretical framework is based on the transformative learning theory which seeks to understand and promote human development through learning. Transformation is more than "knowing more" through time; when a learner is transformed by education they undergo a shift in perspective, and after that shift, they cannot go back to see the world the way they once did, at least in some small way (Wichita State University). The class was designed with experiential learning approaches and introduces a variety of DEIB concepts such as privilege, unconscious bias, assumptions, and intersectionality. Students interacted with a variety of experiential components such as DEIB events, panels, and interviews which addressed various minority groups. At the beginning of the DEIB course, students completed an IAT test focused on racial bias. The IAT test is known as the Implicit Association Test that uses positive and negative connotative words in association with pictures of minority groups to measure automatic reactions targeting an individual's level of implicit bias towards one minority group versus another. After students completed the racial IAT test, scores were recorded representing the level of implicit racial bias students held towards white people vs. black people. At the conclusion of the 14-week-long course, students completed the same IAT test on racial bias. Scores were recorded once again, comparative with previous IAT scores, to evaluate whether the amount of racial implicit bias had changed as a result of participating in the DEIB course and its curriculum. Data was then analyzed visually comparing the means from the pre to post test results. The data was analyzed using this method because the sample size was not large enough to return what the researchers considered to be reliable results. More data is available for this study, but has not been cleaned and matched, this process is currently taking place. Once the data is available, the researchers will use paired sample T-tests to conduct a full analysis. Additionally, descriptive analysis will be represented in the form of histograms of pre and post test scores observing the progression towards less implicit bias. The mean for the pre-test was .78 (sdv=1.34, n=171) and the post-test was .63 (std=1.38, n=144). Our sample size was 181 participants with 25 that chose not to answer. Demographics of participants consisted of 66% Caucasian, 3% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Native Hawaiian, 1% other, and 26% who chose not to respond. The average age of participants was 21. Gender of participants consisted of 121 females and 34 males. Visual examinations of the means suggest there was migration toward 0, which would represent little to no bias and the class was making a difference in participants’ implicit bias scores. This study underscores the utility of DEIB instruction in promoting changes in bias. The impact of changes in implicit bias through this learning coupled with DEIB principles in a transformative way will greatly influence the workforce for generations to come.

Authors: Changxi Xing, Kirsten Chapman. Mentors: Xinru Page. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Prior work from our lab has demonstrated that social media usage can be highly beneficial for autistic young adults. Simultaneously though, it can lead to physical or social harms. In order to better support the autistic community on social media, it is important to provide educational content on social media safety. As such, the BYU Social Technology and Privacy Lab has developed, and is currently validating, educational slides, quizzes, and practices modules.My work focuses on creating a gamified education app that will host these materials. This app will utilize effective gameplay strategies in order to motivate autistic users to meaningfully consume the materials. This app will be designed to cater to the needs of individuals in this community.The project started with a thorough literature search in September. I reviewed prior work on gameplay design and educational psychology of both neurodiverse and non-neurodiverse populations (n=12). We will be engaging in participatory design sessions that allow participants to contribute their own ideas and designs. These designs will be pieced together to form a preliminary prototype of the app. Based on these findings, a mobile application will be built and deployed in the autistic community. Statistics on user performance and the amounts of time they spend on the materials will be collected. These statistics will be analyzed and compared with the non-gamified version of the app. We will also collect qualitative data on participant attitudes towards the app.

Authors: Amanda Carlson. Mentors: Bradford Berges. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes AIDS and is one of the most studied viruses in history. HIV is a retrovirus that has two copies of a single stranded RNA genome. While there is in-depth understanding of the virus and its pathogenesis, no completely effective treatment or vaccine exists. One potential target for therapeutic treatment of HIV is Viral Protein R (Vpr). Vpr is a multi-functional accessory protein encoded by the HIV genome. While HIV is a quickly mutating virus, the vpr gene remains relatively conserved. Mutations in this protein dramatically impact the rate of AIDS progression compared to the wild type (WT) version of Vpr. The Vpr polymorphism R77Q is associated with the Long Term Non Progressor (LTNP) phenotype. Regular AIDS onset is 5-7 years for WT virus and 10 or more years for R77Q. These differences in AIDS progression have been observed in vivo by following people with HIV over time. We have successfully shown that R77Q activates G2 cell cycle arrest more efficiently than WT followed by apoptosis, a death mechanism with less inflammation compared to necrosis. While the molecular mechanism of Vpr-induced apoptosis is known, it is not yet determined why point mutations in Vpr are changing levels of apoptosis. With further experimentation, we have shown that R77Q has decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines compared to WT virus, which may explain why it is associated with the LTNP phenotype. The functions of Vpr come from binding and modifying cellular proteins and enzymes. The focus of our research is to determine what molecular interactions change between Vpr mutants to better understand the shifts in apoptotic levels. Vpr can be found intracellularly in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and mitochondria and extracellularly in secreted proteins and within virions. We will determine Vpr concentration in these various locations for both WT Vpr and the R77Q mutant, starting by measuring extracellular Vpr. To quantify virion-associated Vpr, we have designed a research plan. We will use WT-Vpr plasmids tagged by GFP to create GFP-tagged plasmids with either WT, R77Q or null mutations using site-directed mutagenesis. We will use Sanger sequencing for confirmation of the proper Vpr mutations tagged by GFP. We will then digest the plasmid DNA, leaving only the Vpr-GFP component and use PCR to amplify the sequences. We will transfect null virus plasmid (NL4-3) and Vpr-GFP plasmids into HEK cells to package the null virus and Vpr-GFP plasmids together to create active HIV particles. Using these virus particles, we will infect Hut-78 cells for a short time to allow the virion to enter the cells. We will then measure GFP fluorescence via flow cytometry, allowing us to quantify virion Vpr. This will be run alongside a mock infection as a control. We hypothesize that differences in virion Vpr concentrations exist among Vpr mutants. Through these experiments, we aim to discover more about the role Vpr plays in cell death by apoptosis and contribute to the existing literature exploring the importance of Vpr in HIV-1.

Authors: Hunter Morrill, Ryley Parrish. Mentors: Ryley Parrish. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Spreading depolarizations (SDs) are slow propagating waves of depolarization that move through the brain and have been associated with a wide variety of neuropathologies including the termination of seizures, the cellular correlate of aura in migraines, traumatic brain injury, and ischemic stroke. Though first characterized by Aristides Leão in the 1940s, only a very limited understanding of the mechanisms of SD induction has been achieved. SDs have been induced in mouse models using a variety of techniques, however regardless of the method of induction, high extracellular potassium and/or a strong cellular depolarization have been largely hypothesized as necessary conditions for SD induction. Interestingly, we have recently demonstrated that using a light-induced chloride pump (Halorhodopsin) to drive chloride ions into the neurons can reliably induce SDs even in the absence of high extracellular potassium levels (Parrish, 2023). It was also demonstrated that the triggering of archaerhodopsin, which removes protons from the cell and therefore hyperpolarizes the neuronal membrane without affecting chloride levels, did not induce SDs, suggesting the implication of chloride loading as a primary mechanism in SD induction. This challenges the prevalent hypothesis regarding the induction of SDs and results in a novel method of induction that allows for more characterization of the mechanisms involved. The use of genetically expressed light-gated ion channels or pumps is referred to as optogenetics. Using zebrafish, a common model for electrophysiology recordings that is also cost-effective to genetically manipulate, we have established an optogenetically induced model of SD induction. We are currently characterizing mechanisms that result in optogenetically induced SDs with pharmacology to further our understanding of SD initiation and propagation.Parrish, R. R.-G.-T. (2023). Indirect Effects of Halorhodopsin Activation: Potassium Redistribution, Nonspecific Inhibition, and Spreading Depolarization. The Journal of neuroscience: the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 43(5), 685-692.

Authors: Zach Moore, Owen Benzley, Austin Flitton, Frederic Schaper, Jared Nielsen. Mentors: Jared Nielsen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Objective: Identify neural networks that are associated with panic disorder symptoms through lesion network mapping.Background: Panic Disorder is a neurological disorder in which one experiences unexpected and reoccurring panic attacks. Panic attacks can be characterized by the following symptoms: trembling, racing heart, excessive fear and worry, weakness, tingly hands, chest pain, or a feeling of unreality. A proposed circuit for panic disorder includes the amygdalofugal pathway, which deals primarily with the amygdala. The lesion network mapping method uses functional connectivity to identify neural networks associated with symptoms arising from brain lesions. This is a benefit compared to previous studies done on panic disorder because it relates brain circuits to symptoms rather than individual regions.Methods: 21 lesions causing Panic Disorder were found in the literature, traced on a standard template, and analyzed using lesion network mapping. Specifically, lesion networks for each lesion were calculated using a large cohort of healthy control resting state scans (N = 1000). In our sensitivity analysis, overlap between lesion networks was observed. Results: Of the 21 lesion networks, 14 (67%) positively overlap on the parahippocampal gyrus in the sensitivity map; 13 (62%) positively overlap at the ventral tegmental area in the sensitivity map.Discussion: Symptoms of panic disorder may be associated with the parahippocampal gyrus and ventral tegmental area of the brain. These results found are unique compared to previous studies, but do have general connections.

Authors: James Blood, Nathan Sheets, Chase Seiter, Lydia Hawley, Erin Taylor, Eliza White, Hillary Wadsworth, Jason Hansen, Jordan Yorgason. Mentors: Jordan Yorgason. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are activated by many drugs of abuse. One drug of abuse of interest is methamphetamine, which is known to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS). Microglia are sensitive to ROS. Methamphetamine changes microglia morphology. To determine if the effects of methamphetamine on microglia are through ROS, glucose oxidase, which reacts with glucose to form hydrogen peroxide, was applied. Glucose oxidase increased ROS production and decreased dopamine release but had little-to-no effect on ATP release. Glucose oxidase has similar effects on microglia morphology compared to methamphetamine. This suggests that methamphetamine effects on microglia are due to ROS production. Methamphetamine locomotor sensitization behavioral experiments were run to mimic repeated methamphetamine exposure. Along with voltammetry experiments to measure dopamine and ATP release, methamphetamine treated animals were used to detect microglial morphology changes using confocal microscopy. Our methamphetamine treatment was able to change microglial morphology compared to saline treated controls. Methamphetamine injected animals also had attenuated glucose oxidase effects on dopamine release. By understanding how neuronal outputs affect microglia activity in the context of psychostimulant use we can better parse out how the mechanisms of addiction are connected to immune system function.

Authors: Joshua Evans, Allison Voyles, McKenzie Bellon, Julianne Grose. Mentors: Julianne Grose. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Alpha-crystallin B (CryAB) is a small heat shock protein that acts as a molecular chaperone and plays an essential role in cytoskeletal organization and myofibril function. Human mutations in CryAB have been associated with various diseases, such as cardiomyopathy and cataracts. However, the precise molecular pathways and protein substrates of CryAB are not yet fully understood and require further investigation. This project aims to increase understanding of CryAB by determining proteins that bind wild-type versus disease-causing variants using yeast two-hybrid screens. It also involves testing for binding specificity of variant-binding partners. A series of these Y2H screens gives valuable information regarding the binding patterns of CryAB, showing distinct binding partners for different alleles of CryAB. Overall, the project provides greater insight into the molecular functions of CryAB as well as a better understanding of the dysfunctional pathways of its disease-causing variants—a factor which may, in the future, have potential applications to the treatment of related diseases in a clinical setting

Authors: Noah Bezzant, Mikayla Kimball, Ashley Allan. Mentors: Brent Feland. Insitution: Brigham Young University. BACKGROUND: General knee pain is a common complaint among both athletes and older adults. Osteoarthritis is a common etiology for knee pain that can interfere with function during aging and can be assessed by validated questionnaires. It remains unclear whether there exists a dose–response relationship between cartilage loss and pain worsening. Articular cartilage thickness of the femoral condyles can be measured by ultrasound imaging and few studies utilizing this form of measurement exist. It is currently unknown if articular cartilage thickness measured ultrasonographically correlates with pain related ratings in aging athletes. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess whether articular cartilage thickness at the femoral condyles as measured by ultrasound imaging has any relationship to knee pain as rated by the modified KOOS (Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) survey in senior athletes over the age of 50.METHODS: Data was collected from 35 volunteers (participants in the Huntsman World Senior Games) in St. George, Utah, 2023. All subjects (22 females: mean age = 64.9 ± 6.6 yrs, Ht = 158.7 ± 35.6 cm, Wt= 66.3 ± 10.0 kg; 13 males: mean age = 67.3 ± 8.3 yrs, Ht = 179.3 ± 10.7 cm, Wt= 84.3 ± 13.4 kg) signed an approved consent and completed a modified KOOS survey before being seated on a table, with their back flattened against the wall directly behind them. They were then asked to bring either knee as deeply into flexion against their torso as possible; approximating 120°-140° of knee flexion, depending on the range of motion the subject was capable of. In flexion, the patella was shifted inferiorly enough to expose the femoral condyles so that a short axis image of the articular cartilage was obtained and the thickness of the cartilage was assessed at 3 points.ANALYSIS: All data were analyzed using JMP ver16.2 with a Pearson product pairwise correlations to determine if a relationship between average cartilage thickness correlates with pain subscale scoring from the KOOS in males and females. Correlation between age and thickness was also examined.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There were no significant correlations between the pain subscale score and cartilage thickness in males (p=.6998, r=0.1316), females (p=.8733, r=0.0392), or combined (p=.7308, r=0.0655) in this group of senior athletes. Age and thickness was not significantly correlated (p=.1232, r= -0.2877), but did show a trend of decreasing cartilage thickness with age. The addition of more subjects should show age and thickness to be negatively correlated with each other.

Authors: Dean Peterson. Mentors: John Chaston. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The microbiota of Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies can be observed to study their effects on fly phenotypes. This paper will focus on the microbiota’s effects on fruit fly dietary preference for yeast (DPY), to determine if specific nutritional molecules produced by the microbiota control DPY. Previous studies have unsuccessfully sought to identify such small molecules by testing for roles of essential amino acids (Leitao-Goncalves 2017). A study completed in our lab suggested that bacterial thiamine biosynthesis/metabolism genes influence fly DPY because mutations shifted the preference from a diet with less yeast to a diet with more yeast (Call 2022). In our first efforts we found that raising flies on thiamine supplemented diet influenced their DPY. I want to determine if supplementing thiamine specifically causes this shift, and if the shift observed in the mutants is seen due to a lack of dietary thiamine. Here, I will perform the same tests with flies given diet supplemented with other B vitamins to test specificity. I will then confirm the role of bacterial thiamine on these phenotypes by rearing flies colonized with bacterial thiamine biosynthesis/metabolism mutants on thiamine supplemented diets. If these flies raised with increased dietary thiamine prefer a diet with less yeast, and the experiment with other B vitamins does not show a similar shift as thiamine, then the specificity of thiamine as the small molecule involved in yeast preference is confirmed.

Authors: Jakob Lenker, Trevor Kendrick. Mentors: Jeff Tessem. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Diabetes is characterized by a loss in beta cell function within the pancreas and the subsequent inability to produce sufficient insulin to regulate blood glucose. While current diabetes treatments focus on delivering pharmaceutical insulin to diabetic individuals, such treatments are temporary solutions and do not address the root of the issue. Instead, our research focuses on potential mechanisms for inducing greater insulin secretion within the pancreas of the individual. NK6 Homeobox 1 (Nkx6.1) is a major transcription factor in beta cells and its overexpression in beta cells is associated with higher insulin secretion. We have shown that Syntaxin 1A (Stx1A) interacts with Nkx6.1; Stx1A is of particular interest due to its role in mediating insulin granule fusion at the beta cell plasma membrane, directly impacting insulin secretion. We hypothesize that the interaction between Nkx6.1 and Stx1A may play an important yet understudied role in insulin secretion. Here, we present the results of Stx1A overexpression on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion within pancreatic beta cells, as well as the effect on the Nkx6.1 interaction. Understanding more about the role of Stx1A in beta cells could provide therapeutic targets to induce greater insulin secretion, which could aid in the effort toward finding a cure to diabetes.

Authors: Jared Wieland, Jacob Herring. Mentors: Jeffery Tessem. Insitution: Brigham Young University. A central attribute of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is beta cell damage. This damage commonly affects beta cell’s ability to secrete insulin and regulate blood glucose levels. Nkx6.1 is a beta cell transcription factor essential for proliferation, differentiation, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Hyperglycemia is detrimental to beta cell function and function. We hypothesize that hyperglycemia may negatively affect the expression and activity of beta cell transcription factors, including Nkx6.1. To provide an understanding of the effects of hyperglycemic conditions on Nkx6.1 expression, INS-1 832/13 beta cells were cultured in hyperglycemic conditions, then primary rat islets were treated for the same durations of time. Here, we present transcriptional, translational, cellular localization, and degradation of states of Nkx6.1 over 48 hours of hyperglycemic culture conditions both in vitro and ex vivo models. Comprehension of the mechanisms involved in hyperglycemic downregulation of Nkx6.1 is imperative to the development of treatments for diabetes.

Authors: Eden Beazer, Aubree Bench, Ethan Jones, Jared Carter. Mentors: Jeffrey Tessem. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Incidence of diabetes worldwide has grown from 108 million people in 1980 to 422 million people in 2014, nearly tripling in just thirty-four years. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by the loss of pancreatic beta cell mass and the failure of the remaining beta cells to provide adequate insulin. Contributing to the development of T2D is glucolipotoxicity (GLT), a condition characterized by the harmful elevation of glucose and fatty acid levels within beta cells. While there are existing treatments for symptoms of diabetes, much remains to be understood about its underlying causes and effective preventative measures. Flavonoids are naturally occurring phenolic compounds found in many fruits and vegetables that have various anti-inflammatory health benefits. Previous studies suggest that epicatechin, a flavonoid present in cocoa, can reduce the effects of diabetes by diminishing insulin desensitization and increasing glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Interestingly, the bioavailability of epicatechin is poor, while its metabolites are more easily absorbed in the small intestine. Further studies demonstrated that under non-stressed conditions in beta-cells, hippuric acid, homovanillic acid, and 5-phenylvaleric acid, metabolites of epicatechin, stimulate insulin secretion at concentrations more realistically found in the body. However, the effects of these metabolites in glucolipotoxic conditions are unknown. Here, we present the effects of epicatechin and its metabolites hippuric acid, homovanillic acid, and 5-phenylvaleric acid on beta cell insulin secretion and mitochondrial respiration under GLT culture conditions. This study aimed to contribute to the limited body of knowledge on the bioactivity of flavonoid metabolites on beta cell function under damaging conditions observed with T2D, offering crucial insights for developing effective strategies to harness the health benefits associated with flavonoids.

Authors: Owen Damitz. Mentors: Jeffrey Tessem. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Type one and two diabetes affect the everyday lives of millions of people worldwide. These diseases are characterized by decreased functional beta cell mass. Functional beta cell mass is defined by the beta cell’s ability to proliferate, secrete insulin, and resist apoptosis. Wehave shown that the orphan nuclear receptor Nr4a3 is sufficient to induce beta cell proliferation. We have sought to define compounds that can interact with and modulate Nr4a3 activity. Using AutoDock Vina we have defined a number of compounds that interact with Nr4a3. Here wepresent data demonstrating the ability of these compounds to modulate Nr4a3 mediated proliferation, survival, and insulin secretion in the beta cell. Furthermore, we demonstrate the effect of these compounds to modulate Nr4a3 transcriptional control. These findings are the basis for developing interventions to increase functional beta cell mass as a treatment for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Authors: Isaac Stubbs, Skyler Russell, Melissa Blotter, Maxwell Holmes. Mentors: Ryley Parrish. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Status Epilepticus (SE) is a severe medical condition marked by continuous seizures lasting over 5 minutes. When SE becomes resistant to anticonvulsant drugs, the condition is known as Refractory Status Epilepticus (RSE), which lacks effective treatments and has a mortality rate of 38%. RSE lacks effective treatments partially due to our limited understanding of the mechanisms that lead to patient drug resistance to commonly used anticonvulsants. This study aims to address this knowledge gap in two pivotal ways.First, we have employed a high-density multi-electrode array (HD-MEA) with acute mouse brain slices to better understand RSE propagation patterns and various seizure states with unparalleled spatial precision. The HD-MEA allows us to record from the entire brain slice with 4096 electrodes sampling electrophysiological activity at every 60 micrometers for many hours at a time. Our data demonstrates that different seizure states, such as phasic seizure-like events, short duration epileptic discharges, or RSE itself, occur within both the same brain region and in different brain regions simultaneously. With our novel data visualization software, we can visualize the unique propagation of this phenomenon. These findings indicate that RSE might be a progressive event, challenging conventional understanding of RSE. Second, we are currently exploring a potential pharmacoresistance mechanism that may contribute to the patient entering RSE, which suggests that changes in the chloride reversal potential may lead to a phenomenon known as depolarizing GABA. Depolarizing GABA may negate the effectiveness of the currently used antiepileptic drugs that rely on standard physiological chloride conductance to effectively limit seizure activity. We are studying this drug resistant mechanism with the HD-MEA by introducing anticonvulsant drugs to acute mouse brain slices during the evolution of RSE to locate a critical point at which the slice becomes resistant to these compounds.We hope this study will illuminate the complexities of RSE by revealing its progressive nature and drug resistant properties.

Authors: Mikayla Kimball, Noah Bezzant, Ashley Allan, Josh Sponbeck. Mentors: Brent Feland. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Ultrasonic analysis of patellar tendon thickness in active older athletesBACKGROUND: Recent research has suggested that patellar tendon loading through exercise and resistance training can help maintain and increase patellar tendon thickness in older adults. Limited research exists that identifies the average thickness of patellar tendons in younger athletes, however, it is unknown if this thickness remains or is maintained in older adult athletes who have maintained a very active lifestyle.PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine how gender correlates to patellar tendon thickness in the proximal and middle patellar tendon of active older athletes participating in sporting events at the Huntsman World Senior Games.METHODS: Data was collected from 59 volunteers (participants in the Huntsman WorldSenior Games) in St. George, Utah, 2022. All subjects (34 females: mean age = 61.09 ± 7.00 yrs, Ht = 162.41 ± 25.73 cm, Wt= 66.29 ±11.38 kg; 25 males: mean age = 68.68 ± 7.03 yrs, Ht = 178.21 ± 8.63 cm, Wt= 84.42±10.90 kg) signed an approved consent form and then sat on a treatment table with their legs relaxed and dangling off. The probe was placed vertically below the kneecap and an ultrasonic image was taken. Each image showed a small section of the patellar for reference. Each ultrasonic measurement showed the middle and proximal thickness of the patellar tendon. ANALYSIS: All data were analyzed using JMP ver16.2 with a stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the effect of age, height, wt and gender on patellar tendon thickness. A sex*location mixed model was used to determine differences in middle and proximal thickness between gender. Data were normally distributed, not requiring transformation.RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: Proximal tendon measurements were thicker than middle tendon measurements on both sides (p=0.0001). There was no significant difference either proximal tendon thickness (p=0.9323) or middle tendon thickness (p= 0.3993) between left and right sides. No significant difference between male and female tendon thickness at either location (p=0.7700). Proximal tendon thickness was greater and this has been found to be greater in younger athletes with a history of patellar tendinopathy. Aging athletes may also have a history of knee pain episodes that could have contributed to this finding. The lack of gender differences in thickness measures was surprising, but may be a result of the level of activity of senior athletes. In the future studies should look to compare active vs non-active aging athletes, more specific age range differences, and how knee replacements and other injuries affect patellar tendon thickness.

Authors: Caroline Cowley, Megan Jewell, Brenda Mendoza, Aubrey Cluff, Ryan Summerhays, Jason Hansen. Mentors: Jason Hansen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Approximately 8 million newborns manifest a birth defect every year worldwide. One of the most common birth defects involve disruptions in musculoskeletal development. Oxidative stress has been found to propagate teratogenesis. Thioredoxin-1 (Trx1), an oxidoreductase, is an important antioxidant regulator required for proper embryonic development. Trx1 knockouts have been found to be embryolethal prior to implantation. A preliminary study to assess osteogenesis was conducted using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) originating from transgenic conditional Trx1 knockout embryos. Upon confluence, MEFs were stimulated to undergo osteogenesis via commercially available media. A subset of cells were treated with doxycycline (DOX) prior to and throughout the culture period. MEFs were maintained over a 21 day period in a reduced oxygen environment. MEFs were then fixed in formalin and stained with Alizarin red to determine the degree of osteogenesis. MEFs treated with DOX were unable to undergo proper osteogenesis. While this would suggest that osteogenesis is regulated through proper functions of Trx1, it is unknown how Trx1 regulates osteogenesis in utero. Because Trx1 deletion is lethal prior to implantation it has been historically difficult to study the role of Trx1 during organogenesis. With the development of the DOX-inducible Trx1 conditional knockout mouse, we can now target specific developmental periods and evaluate post-implantation processes like osteogenesis. Using proper transgenic mice and breeding schemes, DOX-inducible Trx1 conditional knockout embryos were treated in utero with DOX through the dam’s drinking water, starting on gestational day (GD) 8.5. The embryos were collected on GD 16.5, fixed in 95% ethanol, and then skinned. To visualize bone and cartilage, the embryos were placed in ethanol and subsequently stained with Alizarin red and Alcian blue. The staining showed that embryos lacking Trx1 were significantly stunted in their skeletal maturation. With this data, we are the first to show that during organogenesis, the musculoskeletal system is affected by deletions of Trx1 at specific periods of development. Under oxidizing conditions which exceed the capacity of the oxidoreductase pathway of Trx1, Trx1 exists primarily in its oxidized form and can no longer reduce proteins that have been turned off by oxidation. Our Trx1 deletions model a highly oxidized state in which Trx1 is dysfunctional. Because regulatory redox control of protein activity is required for proper embryonic development, exposure to oxidizing environmental conditions specifically affecting Trx1 redox state may target the disruption of the musculoskeletal system.

Authors: Michael Mann, David Bates, Steven Johnson. Mentors: Steven Johnson. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Nucleosome positioning, or the placement of nucleosomes along DNA, is known to be a significant factor in determining gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Further, post-translational modifications (or PTMs) help modulate gene expression by acting as an intermediate to other factors. The extent to which PTMs directly affect nucleosome positioning is poorly understood, however. Since gene expression is known to be affected by several coincident PTMs on each histone, the goal of this research is to evaluate the suitability of a Lys-->Gln mutation as a substitute for histone lysine acetylation. If successful, this research can be used to support future combinatorial studies on PTMs and nucleosome positioning without the difficulty of combining several forms of PTMs simultaneously.

Authors: Zach Fiore. Mentors: Jared Nielsen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Gait apraxia is a type of apraxia that affects lower limb use in walking. It is characterized by difficulty initiating gait, freezing of gait, and other gait disturbances that cannot be attributed to complications affecting sensory, motor, or cerebellar function, psychiatric disease, nor ataxia. Symptoms often present following brain trauma. Previous research has indicated that gait apraxia may be linked to lesions in the frontal lobes, basal ganglia and supplementary motor area. However, the specific cerebral location has been debated with minimal research done on the symptom’s implicated neural circuits. The purpose of this study is to determine the networks in the brain that are involved in the pathophysiology of gait apraxia. To determine this, we used the lesion network mapping method. A systematic literature review was performed, with specific inclusion criteria, to find case studies of patients presenting with gait apraxia stemming from acquired brain injury (n=15). Lesion network mapping analysis (Fox et al., 2018) was performed on 15 cases with a large cohort of healthy control resting-state scans (n=1000). The analysis showed that lesions exhibited functional connectivity to the bilateral medial dorsal and pulvinar nuclei of the thalami (n=15), which supports previous associations of basal ganglia damage contributing to gait apraxia. A novel region, the cingulate cortex (n=15), was also found to be functionally connected to the lesion networks. This region is a part of the cingulo-opercular network, responsible for many functions, including action. This network has recently been found to display strong functional connectivity with the somato-cognitive action network, responsible for coordinating movements with cognitive processes. Further research is necessary to determine the mechanism of how these networks interact in contributing to gait apraxia.

Authors: Grant Rousseau, Kenneth Harrington, Jamie Jensen. Mentors: Jamie Jensen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. We know that evolution acceptance is low in the United States, and a perceived conflict between evolution and religion is a big predictor of whether someone accepts or rejects evolution. Helping undergraduates accept evolution involves multiple teaching strategies, including teaching evolution with a reconciliatory approach, increasing their knowledge of evolution, and introducing role models (scientists who maintain religious beliefs) to the students. However, because some students have higher scientific reasoning abilities than others, they may find certain evolution teaching strategies more beneficial than others. In our study, we assessed scientific reasoning ability, change in evolution acceptance, and teaching strategy rankings with surveys before and after evolution instruction. We predicted that students who possessed more scientific reasoning skills would rank evolution knowledge above role models when asked which strategy was most influential in helping them accept evolution. However, we saw that scientific reasoning did not appear to moderate the effect of evolution knowledge. Role models were more important in increasing evolution acceptance, regardless of scientific reasoning skills. This reinforces the importance of having a role model present when teaching evolution to religious audiences.

Authors: Melissa Wiggins, Aaron Bigelow, Porter Ellis. Mentors: Ronald Sims. Insitution: Utah State University. Ensuring that the hydrophilic coating of Merit Medical’s Prelude IDeal trans-radial catheter is necessary for its biocompatibility and patient safety. The current method for testing the coating involves a test using Congo Red Dye. The Congo Red Dye does work, but the dye is toxic and all tested catheters must be discarded after testing. The Conge Red Dye test results in wasted catheters. A new method for testing the coating uses fluorescent particles. First, fluorescent particles are added to the hydrophilic coating. These fluorescent particles can be easily visualized on the catheter using UV light. Thus, the uncoated portions of the catheter can be visualized as well. The coated catheters are placed into a black box that ensures only the catheter is being seen. A line scan camera is used to take pictures of every side of the catheter as the catheter spins. Photos of the scanned catheter are then linked together, showing the entire circumference in one picture. The catheter is ultimately tested by analyzing the full picture to find any uncoated regions. By using software to analyze the full picture, the size of uncoated regions is determined with greater accuracy. This new method allows for tested catheters to be used after testing and does not involve any toxic chemicals.

Authors: Chase Mortensen, Juhyeong Lee. Mentors: Juhyeong Lee. Insitution: Utah State University. Foldcore sandwich composites (FSCs) are constructed using multi-layered sheets folded in a desired pattern and placed between two thin face sheets. The choice of material geometric folding pattern provides a large design space to optimize the structural performance of FSCs. These composites are typically made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, offering lightweight and high-energy-absorbing properties. This work aims to characterize the size effects of unit-cell foldcores by analyzing the influence of subscale foldcore models subjected to periodic boundary conditions under quasi-static compression. Three Miura-based unit-cell foldcore models were considered: (1) 1×1, (2) 1×2 (two 1×1 unit-cell foldcores connected in parallel), and (3) 2×1 (two 1×1 unit-cell foldcores connected perpendicularly). Through finite element modeling, three key findings were derived: 1) the finite element model closely replicated experimental results; 2) the application of periodic boundary conditions had an insignificant impact on subscale foldcore models. Third, inconsiderable variations in stress and damage were observed primarily along the foldcore creases when unit-cells were placed in parallel.

Authors: Samuel Stearman, Benjamin Crapo, Antonio Trujillo. Mentors: Jeff Hill. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Our goal at BYU SMASH IT lab is to improve patient’s mobility in rehabilitative settings. For this purpose, we’re modeling the human arm to aid in our design of wearable rehabilitative sleeves. We are investigating methods for manipulating elbow flexion and extension using an assistive elbow brace, such as through cable-driven movement and the less used concept of tensegrity. The appeal of these methods is their flexibility, lightweight, and multiple degrees of freedom in movement. In the prototyping stage we’ve created a test stand resembling a human arm that we use to evaluate how our elbow brace would interact with the wearer and measure the forces between the arm and the brace. Measurements from these tests will aid in our design of a future elbow brace. Knowledge gained from this work has the potential to apply to other joints, each with their own rehabilitative and other uses.

Authors: Jessica Crook, Brooke Parker, Michael C Rotter. Mentors: Michael C Rotter. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Fremont cottonwoods are a foundation species throughout the Wasatch front. Cottonwoods face a competitive threat from the invasive tamarisk, which grows very easily in the same habitats. Tamarisk can have a negative impact on cottonwoods, displacing them. The loss of cottonwoods could have negative impacts on ecosystems. This study will examine phytochemical compounds in cottonwoods, and how they are affected by growing in competition with tamarisk. We hypothesize that cottonwoods growing in competition with non-native tamarisk will be stressed and produce higher levels of phytochemical compounds. To test our hypothesis, cottonwoods were grown in pots from cuttings either in competition with a tamarisk cutting, or alone. We then tested total phenolics using a ferric chloride solution, and tannin content using a radial diffusion method. It’s predicted that due to the stress of competition, cottonwoods that grew with tamarisk will have higher overall phenolics and tannins than cottonwoods that were grown on their own. The results of this trial could be important in influencing beaver foraging patterns. Since beavers prefer trees with elevated levels of phenolics and other phytochemicals, this could imply an important mechanism allowing tamarisk to invade an area by stressing cottonwoods and encouraging beaver foraging on these plants.

Authors: Sophia Hessami. Mentors: Elizabeth Vargis. Insitution: Utah State University. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries. During later stages of AMD, immature blood vessels penetrate Bruch’s membrane and release fluid into the subretinal space. This process is referred to as choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Current in vitro models of retinal tissue are limited, so we propose a three-layered microfluidic model of the subretinal tissue, consisting of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), Bruch’s membrane (BrM), and choroid. We have produced models of BrM using hagfish proteins that are more mimetic to the nonporous, proteinaceous BrM that is seen in vivo. Then, we fabricated a three-layered microfluidic device using the BrM models and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Once the devices were assembled, porcine primary RPE were isolated, cultured, and characterized in the upper channel of the microfluidic device. Going forward, HUVECs will be cultured and characterized in the lower channel of the device. Then, primary RPE and HUVECs will be co-cultured and characterized within the device. The result will be a multilayered microfluidic device containing primary porcine RPE, hagfish protein BrM models, and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) choroid. It is expected that RPE protein secretions will diffuse through the BrM models and initiate interconnected vascular network formation in the endothelial cells. In the future, we will induce chemical hypoxia to turn this model into a diseased model of the subretina. We hypothesize that this in vitro model of the subretinal tissue will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of CNV initiation and progression in AMD.

Authors: Porter Bischoff, Kody Garrett, Clayton Rawson. Mentors: Britt Wyatt, Josh Premo. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This research delves into the underexplored territory of medical experiences and their potential impact on undergraduate students' motivation in STEM courses. While prior studies have focused on factors like gender and ethnicity in STEM, little attention has been given to the influence of medical experiences and chronic conditions on STEM students, despite evidence suggesting that students with medical conditions face unique challenges in completing their degrees.Our study specifically investigates the effects of medical experiences and chronic conditions on students enrolled in science classes at an open enrollment institution. We hypothesize that increased academic interruptions due to medical experiences may lead to decreased science motivation, reduced sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and self-determination.Data was collected from 390 students across 14 biology courses, including non-majors, at a teaching-focused institution, both before and after the courses. Surprisingly, 57% of surveyed students reported having a medical experience, and 22% reported having a chronic condition, highlighting the significance of this identity within the student population.As anticipated, students experiencing more medical interruptions exhibited a notable decrease in their sense of belonging and self-efficacy, albeit with a small effect size. Intriguingly, students with medical experiences who engaged more with science demonstrated significantly higher levels of science immersion and motivation. This suggests that medical experiences can influence student engagement with science, both positively and negatively. The impact of these interruptions on a student's academics is closely linked to their sense of belonging and self-efficacy. However, if medical experiences drive increased engagement with science, students may find themselves more motivated to explore these experiences within the context of scientific inquiry.Understanding how medical experiences can shape students' motivation is essential as science instructors adapt their course content and pedagogy to be more inclusive, embracing the diverse identities within their student population.

Authors: Brett Pickett, Lincoln Sutherland, Jacob Lang. Mentors: Brett Pickett. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer present in society today, and is the second leading cause of cancer death for women. Approximately 13% (1 in 8) of women will develop invasive breast cancer, with 3% of women (1 in 39) dying from this type of cancer. Three important classifications used when formulating a treatment plan for breast cancer are the presence or absence of Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), or Hormone Receptor (HR). Treating Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) breast cancer with aromatase inhibitors, such as Letrozole, is the current standard treatment for all postmenopausal women. A prior study by Lee et. al. identified PRR11 as the only gene that was significantly overexpressed in resistant vs non-resistant cancers among the 51 genes in chromosome arm 17q23. The goal of the current study is to perform a secondary analysis of this valuable dataset to identify genes, signaling pathways, and biomarkers across the whole human transcriptome that are significantly associated with treatment resistance in ER+ patients.Methods: We retrieved, preprocessed and analyzed 58 ER+ breast cancer samples from patients who had been treated with Letrozole, which are publicly available in the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The Automated Reproducible MOdular Workflow for Preprocessing and Differential Analysis of RNA-seq Data (ARMOR) was used to process our data downloaded from NCBI. This workflow trimmed low quality reads from the RNA-sequence reads, mapped and quantified our data to generate a DEG list. Gene ontology enrichment with camera was also performed. Next, the genes were mapped to common gene identifiers and input to the signaling pathway impact analysis (SPIA) algorithm to identify intracellular signaling pathways that were enhanced by our DEGs. With that information, Pathway2Target was used to identify known drug targets within our identified pathways. Finally, a decision tree-based machine learning approach was used to predict features/expressed genes that could be used to most accurately classify responders vs nonresponders to Letrozole. Results: Our comparison of 36 responders versus 22 non-responders detected a total of 18,735 genes and identified 105 that were statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) after applying a false-discovery rate (FDR) correction, including SOX11, S100A8/S100A8, and IGLV3-25. We then used the Signaling Pathway Impact Analysis (SPIA) algorithm to determine whether any known intracellular signaling pathways were significantly enriched in DEGs (Bonferroni-adjusted p-value < 0.05). This analysis identified 4 pathways that were statistically significant in Non-Responders to Letrozole Treatment. We then used the pathway results to predict 60 existing therapeutic targets that could be repurposed to treat the resistance phenotype. Notably, the predicted targets for the non-response phenotype included VEGFA, a current target for solid tumors as well as ESR1, an Estrogen Receptor. We next wanted to determine whether we could predict transcriptional biomarkers that could aid with identifying patients that do not respond to treatment. To do so, we used the read counts for all samples as the input for this analysis and identified 278 transcriptional biomarkers. Performance metrics for all biomarkers identified yielded an area under the receiver-operator characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.972 (Figure 2), indicating an exceptional ability to classify Letrozole responders vs non-responders by the transcriptional profile. Sensitivity for all transcriptional biomarkers was measured at 100%, and specificity at 94%. We used the top two biomarkers from our first analysis as input for a second analysis to determine the performance of a smaller subset. Our second analysis determined that PRDX4 and E2F8 together yielded an AUROC of 0.823 and an overall accuracy of 88.2%. Discussion:Our results identify additional DEGs, pathways, targets and biomarkers for further exploration in the treatment and categorization of ER+ breast cancer.

Authors: Ethan Layne, Tareq Hassan. Mentors: Juhyeong Lee. Insitution: Utah State University. A key design criterion for aerospace structural applications is specific mechanical property (i.e., mechanical property divided by the density of a material). Honeycomb sandwich panels which are commonly used in aerospace/aviation structural applications provide lightweight performance, however they have several drawbacks. They include (1) limited alteration of core geometric parameters, (2) few core material selections, and (3) a closed-cell core network. These limitations may be bypassed with 3D-printed lattice-core sandwich panels to provide customizable structural performance. This study investigates impact resistance of architectured sandwich panels designed with various core designs and infill densities. A series of 5~20J low-velocity impact (LVI) tests will be performed on 3D-printed ABS sandwich panels with honeycomb, gyroid, and triangle cores; with infill density varying from 5% to 15%. In this work, the effects of core geometry and corresponding infill density on LVI resistances will be studied to optimize the structural performance of 3D-printed ABS sandwich panels. The primary objective of this study is to characterize these novel sandwich structures with highly customizable 3D-printed complex cores, offering tailorable structure performance.

Authors: Evelyn Fuentes, Thomas Keate, Christian Riordan. Mentors: Aaron Davis. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Studies predict that extreme weather events, due to climate change, are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude. Specifically, the flooding impacts from a hurricane may lead to the loss of necessary infrastructure, such as water treatment plants, leading to the loss of drinkable water. In response we, as a multidisciplinary team, have developed a purification device that is able to effectively filter water to allow communities and families, without available infrastructure, to receive drinkable water. We are testing different processes of filtration to find the most efficient and cheapest method. This process of filtration would be possible due to a foldable solar array that would power a pump to push water through a filtration system. The solar array would supplement other disaster relief options due to its ability to be used without constant supervision, and it would be capable of continuous, reliable use. This device would allow for the production of drinkable water in the event that water purification infrastructure was down, but grey water was available. The solar array and water purification device would be portable for fast deployment, with options of building a larger device, as part of a disaster relief preparedness package. If successful, this device has the potential to increase disaster preparedness and save lives through providing clean water.

Authors: Rob Patterson, Nate Graham. Mentors: Sally Rocks. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The pervasive use of pesticides in agricultural practices has raised environmental concerns due to their potential to contaminate water bodies and affect aquatic ecosystems. This study focuses on the identification and quantification of three common pesticides—atrazine, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in Utah Lake.. Utilizing advanced chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, including Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), we aim to detect the presence and determine the concentration levels of these substances. Water samples were collected from multiple points around the lake to assess the spatial distribution of the pesticides. The method development involves optimization of sample preparation procedures, including solid-phase extraction (SPE) and cleanup, to increase the detection sensitivity and accuracy. This project enhances environmental monitoring and has implications for water quality management, regulatory compliance, and public health in the region. The anticipated results will contribute to a better understanding of pesticide pollution patterns and will aid in formulating strategies to mitigate the contamination of aquatic environments.

Authors: Cassandra DuBose Corry. Mentors: Elizabeth Vargis. Insitution: Utah State University. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is characterized by a blurring of the central vision and is one of the leading causes of vision loss in the United States. As a branch of the disease, exudative AMD is distinguished by retinal angiogenesis, when new blood vessels grow into the retina. Understanding retinal conditions that promote or discourage angiogenesis by using mathematical models can lead to improved understanding of disease progression and treatments. This discrete mathematical model presented here uses the theory of reinforced random walks to simulate the biological behavior of endothelial cells (ECs) as they leave a parent blood vessel and travel through the choroid and Bruch’s membrane towards the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer. Cell behavior such as number of divisions and blood vessel coverage are analyzed for comparison to experimental observations. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is included and examined for its effect on the behavior of the ECs and its ability to prevent angiogenesis. This computational model provides novel insights into exudative AMD with parameters that can be adjusted to meet different needs.

Authors: Aubrey Russell, Ben Paepke, Nathan Goldfarb. Mentors: Nathan Goldfarb. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Tuberculosis (TB) remains an insidious scourge of civilization. The causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is a global health crisis, and TB ranks as the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide after COVID-19. In 2021, there were approximately 1.6 million deaths reported from TB (including 187,000 people with HIV) and an estimated 10.6 million new infections. Additionally, multidrug resistant TB remains a public health crisis. An initiative of “The Global Plan to End TB” is the development of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic assays for the early diagnosis of TB.2 Here we present our initial efforts towards the goal of the development of a rapid, lateral flow assay (LFA) for the detection of Mtb.

Authors: Joshua Hutchins, Kevin Wong. Mentors: Dario Mizrachi. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Tight junctions (TJ’s) are composed of mainly three types of cell-adhesion molecules (CAMs) that regulate paracellular permeability in epithelial and endothelial cells. These are claudins (CLDNs), occludin (OCLN), and junctional adhesion molecules (JAMs).There are, however, several (27) isoforms of the claudin molecule, all of which are suspected to have different strengths and other properties in cell adhesion. Currently, the comparative strength of the interactions between different CAMs are unknown and no easily replicable model of a TJ has been created. To address this question we resourced to bacterial expression of these mammalian proteins. MG1655 E. coli cells (with flagellum) were transformed to express claudins 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 as well as occludin and plated on 0.2% agar plates, allowing them to swim overnight. This allowed for a qualitative spectrum of strengths of the CAMs based on how far the cells were able to spread throughout the plate. Cells that interacted strongly swam less. This technique was applied to the case of the Atlantic Salmon. It swims both in fresh and ocean water. As it transitions, the TJs in its skin changes its composition of claudins. We were able to determine that the set of claudins employed during ocean water swimming are capable of stronger strength. This is consistent with the changes in osmolarity dictated by the amount of solute in the ocean water.

Authors: Lukas Keller, Jixun Zhan, Zhen Zhang. Mentors: Jixun Zhan. Insitution: Utah State University. Curcumin is a common dietary supplement found naturally in the plant turmeric (Curcuma longa). Native to South Asia, the turmeric plant has been an important component in Indian and Chinese folk medicine. Curcumin has long been known to be an effective antioxidant and possesses anti-inflammatory properties. In today’s world, curcumin is a common nutraceutical and plays a part in the billion-dollar supplement industry. However, production and extraction of this compound is difficult and uses vast amounts of resources to cultivate. One solution to produce natural products like curcumin is the use of metabolic engineering to synthesize the product in another organism. The USU Metabolic Engineering Lab has developed a synthetic metabolic pathway to produce curcumin from an amino acid inside genetically transformed E. coli. The use of metabolic engineering techniques can produce larger quantities of the desired compound in greater quantities and purities while using a fraction of the land, water, and energy. To inform the use of these techniques, a predictive computational pathway was developed and is being validated with experimental results. An effective model can help researchers and businesses by allowing them to accurately predict curcumin yield and concentration during production.

Authors: Peyton Jackson. Mentors: John Chaston. Insitution: Brigham Young University. This study explores the relationship between seasonal variations and the development rates of Drosophila Melanogaster. Flies are closely monitored in a controlled laboratory setting after being transferred from outdoor cages across different seasons. In the outdoor cages, the introduction of the bacterial strain A. orientalis DmW_045, commonly referred to as '45,' enhances development rates and ensures consistent data collection. Axenic flies, created by thoroughly sterilizing fly eggs with bleach to eliminate external bacteria, are employed to isolate genetic influences on the relationship between season and development rates. The core methodology involves two groups: axenic flies treated with '45' and a control group unexposed to '45.' This approach guarantees data accuracy and assesses development rates based purely on genetics. Development rates are measured by marking eclosed (hatched) pupae on vials at specific intervals. The research seeks to unveil the correlation between seasonal variations and fly development rates, shedding light on the role of seasonal factors in shaping development. This study explores the interplay between seasonal variations and Drosophila fly development, emphasizing genetics and environmental factors. Its potential significance lies in providing insights beneficial for ecological and genetic studies, potentially offering a clear genetic link between seasons and development rates that can enhance our understanding of the natural world.

Authors: Abigail Cheever, Chloe Kang, Hunter Lindsay, Mackenzie Hansen, Kim O'Neill, K Scott Weber. Mentors: K Scott Weber, Kim O'Neill. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a modern technology that has become a widely accepted treatment for blood cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia. Recent studies have proven the successful application of CAR T cell therapies in autoimmune diseases as well. Graves’ Disease (GD) is an autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1 in 100 Americans and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. GD is mediated by anti-thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) antibodies produced by autoreactive B cells. Our hypothesis is that a curative treatment for GD can be created by designing a CAR T cell that specifically targets the autoreactive B cells in GD, by using TSHR as a binding domain to act as bait for the anti-TSHR B cells. We selected TSHR epitopes for the binding domain of the CAAR T cell, and our anti-TSHR antibodies bound significantly to our engineered CAAR T cells. A target B cell line with anti-TSHR B cell receptors was engineered using the Nalm6 B cell line. Using primary human CAAR T cells, activation and cytotoxicity assays against anti-TSHR B cells shows that CAAR T cell therapy is an effective and promising method to treat antibody mediated autoimmune diseases like GD.

Authors: Ellie Martin. Mentors: Cynthia Finlayson. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Pottery reconstruction allows archaeologists to better understand their artifacts and gain a more complete understanding of ancient ceramic techniques. Reconstruction techniques have evolved over time that strive for both better conservation practices and long-lasting results, as well as the use of bonding materials that are reversible rather than permanent. This poster examines the process of utilizing an acetone-based glue consisting of dissolved polymer beads of differing strength solutions. The entire process with be illustrated by step-by-step photos and directions as well as the quality of the final results. Two layers of different solution consistencies are applied to the pottery in different stages before the pieces are joined together. The first layer of glue is a thin coat made of 5% polymer and 95% acetone, and it is applied to any edges that will be refit. This layer fortifies the sherd and ensures that the glue applied is not stronger than the sherd itself. After the first layer has dried, the second coat of glue, made of 12% polymer and 88% acetone, is added to each piece. The sherds are then joined and placed in a secure location to dry, such as a bin of silica beads. Acetone-based polymer glue is strong and flexible, yet also dissolvable. Any mistakes can be unmade with the careful application of small amounts of acetone, and no restoration action is utilized on the pottery fragments that cannot be undone. This method of reconstruction is safe, secure, long-lasting, and meets modern conservation standards.

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.