Fine Arts

Authors: Brittney Weiland. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The cyanotype process is a slow time-based method that uses a chemical mixture, water, and UV light to capture instances of spacetime. Cyanotype translations of the body, whether by directly laying a body down on fabric or through the use of translated photographs inherently capture slices of spatiotemporal continuity by nature of its time-based development. Directly placing one's body on chemically treated fabric undergoes only one translation of form: body to image. However, this direct method fails to capture figural resemblance, but rather captures movement through time, leaving traces of 4th dimensional worms. This method draws a closer comparison to temporal continuity but not to recognizable figure. Photographs, long past captured, undergo a process of camera translation, digital translation, printed negative translation, and then finally cyanotype translation but more directly relates to figural recognizability than a direct capture method. However, this photographic process fails to capture more than a few spatiotemporal moments, less in tune with temporal imagery. Through a series of works, Brittney Weiland explores identity through a perdurantist view by capturing moments of body degeneration and drastic physical form changes over the last year as she has battled nearly life-ending illness through the use of cyanotype and photography.

Authors: Kimberly Lewin. Mentors: Anne Francis Bayless. Insitution: Utah State University. I have been exploring the relationship between connection, disconnection, and control, and I presented my research on these topics to three composers who wrote a piece based off of their interpretation. At URCO, I will perform one of these compositions.

Authors: Brianna Bastian. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. My understanding of language as a whole began to broaden when I took my first of many ASL classes almost a decade ago. It continued to deepen and grow when I spent a year and a half in an immersive Spanish-speaking program. Now as a university student studying both Speech Pathology and Art, I have found myself recognizing the validity of art as a language. Thus, my research and presentation explores the linguistics of the visual arts.

Authors: George Wells. Mentors: Timothy Francis. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Cast in the form of a first-movement, 17th century Sonata, this is an original composition that explores different chord progressions out of dissonance to resolution. This solo piece for piano is structured similar to works typical of the classical time period. Piano repertoire from the classical era feature repeated patterns, simple melodies, and contrasting moods. Atypical of piano repertoire from the classical era are characteristics such as chromaticism, common-tone and augmented chords, polyrhythms, and hemiolas. From a framework of the sonata form with simple patterns and melodies, I explored the mood and color each method of resolution brings to music composition, classical and contemporary. From this work we can come away with a better understanding of the abstract emotion and character naturally found in musical resolutions that have been codified through music theory.

Authors: Annalicia Loveridge, Maren Daynes, Noah Guzman. Mentors: Donna Fairbanks. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This project includes the planning and execution of a Carnegie Hall performance featuring the Wolverine Piano Trio. Annalicia Loveridge, Noah Guzman, and Maren Daynes were the first-place winners of the 2023 American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition in the College Students and Professional Musicians category. The performance will showcase the first movement of the Brahms Piano Trio No. 3.We will rehearse extensively leading up to the performance to ensure flawless execution of the selected piece. We aim to create an immersive musical experience for the audience, transporting them to a world of melody and harmony. The performance will be held in the Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, known for its remarkable acoustics and grandeur. Performers such as Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, and Joshua Bell have all started their careers at Carnegie Hall. The Carnegie Hall performance is a milestone achievement for us as students and an opportunity to showcase our exceptional talent and passion for classical music to a global audience. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that promises to leave a lasting impression on us and bolster our professional goals.

Authors: Maddalena Willis. Mentors: Alexandra Giannell. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Water is the most essential ingredient for life. In the desert, it is much more valuable. As Utah’s population rises, its high desert climate that provides beautiful scenery and fun recreational activities is running on a limited amount of water. Therefore it is vital that our reservoirs, lakes, streams and groundwater supply are in good condition, but this is impossible without our own efforts to help. As such, it is imperative that we avoid water contamination and negligent overconsumption. Displayed are the two paintings titled Churned and Drought. They are commentaries on the observable effects humans have had on the water condition in Wasatch and Utah County. The painting titled Churned uses the imagery of a boat prop agitating the picture plane of the painting. The serene blues and greens have been mangled and torn apart. The painting titled Drought uses the imagery of abstracted storm drains, pipes and fishing lures to illustrate the alterations humans have made on the waterways. It is very grid-like and inorganic. Combined, these two paintings are a reflection on the current state of our marine desert ecosystem.

Authors: Ty Wilson. Mentors: Amita Kaundal. Insitution: Utah State University. Climate-induced environmental stresses and the increased use of fertilizers to meet the increasing demand for food significantly threaten food production and soil health. In natural environments, microbes are vital to the growth and development of plants. Their presence in the soil allows for enormous flexibility and nutritional availability for plants, particularly those living in harsh conditions. A plant’s microbiome, especially the underground, plays a significant role in its growth and development and mitigates environmental stresses. Idaho and Utah are particularly challenging environments due to extreme temperatures and arid soil. However, despite these difficult environmental factors, the native plants of Utah and Idaho can thrive. Here, we are exploring the rhizosphere microbiome of Shepherdia x utahensis ‘Torrey,’ a hybrid of two highly drought-tolerant buffaloberry species, S. argentea and S. rotundifolia native to the Intermountain West region of the US to isolate plant growth promoting bacteria. In this study, we isolated drought-resistant plant growth-promoting microbes from the rhizosphere of hybrid buffaloberry. Root samples of hybrid buffaloberry were collected from three locations in Utah: the USU campus, Greenville Farm USU, and the USU botanical garden, Kaysville. The rhizosphere was removed from these root samples and pooled together. The bacteria were isolated on five different bacterial growth media twice. The isolated microbes were then purified using the streak plate method. Forty-six unique isolates were selected based on morphological characteristics and tested for four plant growth-promoting traits. Fourteen bacteria could show the ability to fix nitrogen fix, 18 produced a siderophore, 17 could solubilize phosphate, and 11 produced catalases. IAA production, ACC deaminase, and protease activity assays are in progress. All isolates will be identified by 16S rRNA Sanger sequencing.

Authors: Kylie Hansen. Mentors: Janis Boettinger. Insitution: Utah State University. Cache Valley, Utah, has unique soils due to environmental events such as Pleistocene pluvial Lake Bonneville. This lake extended about 20,000 square miles in Northern Utah, and its depletion left numerous shorelines, the most relevant being the Bonneville and Provo shorelines. These various water levels influence the geological formations in Cache Valley and the different characteristics of soil formation. An important soil-forming factor used to characterize varying soils is the parent material. Parent material is the original sediments the soil formed on and can be various things such as sediments deposited by gravity, streams, lake sediments, or wind. These different materials depend on the location and alter the soil properties. A dominant soil parent material in the Lake Bonneville area is sediment deposited by this lake. This type of parent material is identifiable by coarser-sized sediments, such as cobbles, gravel, and sand. This pattern is evident on terraces in Cache Valley’s lower soil layers, but the near-surface layers have fewer rock fragments and more fine sand, silt, and clay. This distinct difference in particle size leads to the question of what is the parent material source in the surface horizons of soil formed in Lake Bonneville deposits in Cache Valley. There is not much literature on this question and little documentation compares the soil profiles for different Lake Bonneville terrace levels (Bonneville shoreline compared to Provo shoreline). We hypothesize that the different particle sizes of parent material in the surface of soils formed dominantly in Lake Bonneville deposits is eolian sediment transported and deposited by wind. To determine this, we will sample soils across Cache Valley and analyze the fine and very fine sand sediments in plane-polarized and cross-polarized light. This process will identify various minerals within each soil horizon, showing possible differences in the upper and lower horizons. The minerals present in each soil will indicate the parent materials, allowing us to understand what is causing the different textured horizons in these soils and where the sediment originated from.

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

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

Authors: Amy Richards, Caleb Shelton, Jordan Colmenero, Mason Warenski. Mentors: Diana Reese. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Hydrogen gas has potential to be an excellent form of clean energy; unfortunately, hydrogen gas is difficult to store safely in its elemental form. Consequently, this research project investigated cyclic aminoborane complexes in which hydrogen (H2) can be safely stored. Utilizing computational methods, molecular dynamics simulations of four cyclic aminoborane compounds were performed using Q-CHEM 6.0, with a t-HCTHh density functional and cc-pVDZ basis set. Results were visualized using Molden 6.7 and VMD 1.9.3 then plotted using Gnuplot 5.2.8. Molecules selected for the investigation involve two constitutional isomers for both the 3- and 4- membered ring cyclic aminoborane complexes. The four molecules studied were (CH2)2NHBH3, (CH2)2BHNH3, (CH2)3NHBH3, and (CH2)3BHNH3, (hereafter 3N-B, 3B-N, 4N-B, 4B-N). Motions inherent in these molecules exhibited surprising differences. Specifically, in the 3-membered rings, the terminal borane (3N-B) exhibited more motion than the terminal amine (3B-N); however in the 4-membered rings (4N-B and 4B-N) the opposite occurred. Differences in these and other motions were quantified and qualified with respect to each molecule to gather data relevant to hydrogen storage potential.

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

Authors: Ashley Staten. Mentors: Jennifer Meyer. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Pterostilbene, a natural product found in blueberries and nuts, has been shown to be multifunctional. In low doses, it has been shown to be a potent antioxidant, while in higher doses, it has been shown to reduce cell proliferation, induce autophagy, and increase apoptosis. Recent literature has indicated that derivatives of pterostilbene can improve the functionality of pterostilbene in both cancer cell viability (reduction) and antioxidant capacity (increase). Previously, our group has synthesized and characterized the antioxidant capacity of a select group of pterostilbene derivatives, which have been functionalized to contain an additional alcohol and amine group. Most recently, we have synthesized a derivative containing benzylamine as the amine. This amine was chosen as benzylamine and drugs functionalized with benzylamine groups have been shown to have antiapoptotic properties. Currently, we aim to further characterize this novel pterostilbene derivative as we believe it has the potential to be utilized as a therapeutic in various disease states such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Authors: Michael Orr. Mentors: Md Sazib Hasan, Alex Tye. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Every year Landslides claim lives and cause billions in property damage. Zion National Park in Southwestern Utah has been monitoring a precarious rock column contained within the parks borders since 2019. The results of this rockfall will be damage to the land and historical structures located in the fall area. The data are collected by two instruments called vibrating-wire crackmeters that are connected from the cliff face to the pillar—these are electronic and provide a continuous feed of distance measurements. The project will be focused on analyzing a 4-year record of displacement of a precarious rock pillar from the adjacent cliff face from which it will eventually separate and topple onto a slope below. We will also be analyzing the environmental factors causing the movement of the rock column. Results of this modeling will help us better understand the driving forces behind rockfalls, possibly helping to mitigate future damage.

Authors: Taylor Millett, Wendy Schatzberg, Samuel Tobler. Mentors: Wendy Schatzberg. Insitution: Utah Tech University. This study delves into the intriguing world of hollow hair strands in animals, focusing on their role in thermoregulation, and the ability to maintain a stable body temperature in the face of fluctuating external conditions. While the Pronghorn antelope is widely known for having hollow hair strands among hunters and conservationists, little is known about their internal structure. Employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we explored the inner composition of these hollow hair strands and their contribution to thermoregulation. Our investigation centered on several notable North American big game animals, including Mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and Pronghorn antelope, all of which exhibit a unique adaptation: the transition between summer and winter coats. Through SEM analysis, we measured and compared the winter and summer coats of these animals to gain insights into how they effectively regulate their body temperatures during the extremes of hot summers and cold winters. These seasonal changes manifest in alterations in fur and hair thickness and length. Under the microscope, we unveiled the distinct topography of the inner structure of individual hair strands. Notably, our findings revealed that the inner hair structure contains larger hollow pockets in the winter coats of these animals. Our research thus sheds light on the role of these hollow structures in heat transfer and their pivotal contribution to the thermoregulation abilities of these remarkable creatures, expanding our understanding of their unique adaptations.

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

Authors: Bradley Lawson, Lukas Keller, Marshall Burrows, Sam Perkins, Emery Wheeler. Mentors: Ronald Sims. Insitution: Utah State University. Subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) is a developing method of processing organic materials/waste without the use of acids and alkali materials. SWH lyses peptides differently than acid hydrolysis and can produce Maillard products, which have various effects in cell culture. In this study, a batch-mode pressure vessel with a semi-continuous sampling apparatus will be used to optimize temperature and retention time for the hydrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris biomass for the development of serum-free (or low-serum) cell culture media. Hydrolysis will be done at temperatures from 140°C to 300°C and retention times from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. The SWH products will be assessed for their general protein content, lipid content, bioactivity, and carbohydrate content. These efforts will be of use to Upside Foods in its efforts to create sustainable and ethical cultured meat products.

Authors: My Nha Quyen Tran, Cindy Greaves. Mentors: Martin Horvath, Cindy Greaves. Insitution: University of Utah. I have been studying the DNA repair enzyme MutY found at the Lost City thermal field 3000 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean with conditions similar to those that may have shaped the origin of life. With no sunlight and very little oxygen, life at the Lost City is driven by chemical transformations in rocks at extremely high levels of pH and temperature. DNA in all organisms strictly follows base pairing rules in which A pairs with T and G pairs with C. We all think of oxygen as beneficial, but it can cause damage to DNA. Oxidized guanine (OG) violates the base pairing rules and pairs with A. This causes mutations, which can lead to changes in the genetic information. The mutagenic potential of OG was a challenge that had to be solved early in the emergence of DNA-encoded life. The enzyme MutY functions in suppressing mutations and therefore protects us from developing cancer by finding and removing A from OG:A mispairs. In my effort to replicate conditions at the Lost City so as to explore how the DNA repair enzyme MutY evolved to function in this strange environment I need to purify the enzyme. I used DNA cloning to attach the MutY-encoding genes to a soluble bacterial protein called GST that hopefully will make it easier to purify the MutY proteins. Encouragingly, these fusion proteins expressed well in bacteria and appeared to be soluble. I am now exploring different conditions looking for optimal enzyme activity, which I predict to be different from what familiar bacteria can tolerate. Basic science research on how DNA repair enzymes adapted to the strange environment at the Lost City may inform future translational applications to treat and cure cancer and thus ensure a healthy society in Utah.

Authors: William Lee, Rishab Nayak, Cecilia Knapp, Camila Soderholm. Mentors: Ryan Stolley. Insitution: University of Utah. Recent publications have shown pyridine carboxylate functionalized aza-crown ethers coordinate strongly to a number of rare earth elements. Considering their strong coordination, we have modified these crown-ethers with a number of hydrophobic moieties to allow for adsorption to non-polar substrates to enable packed bed isolation of these elements to address the broad use and limited availability of these elements.

Authors: Nathan Jackson, Ryan James, James Crutchfield. Mentors: Mikhael Semaan. Insitution: University of Utah. Symbolic dynamics allows for modeling---and designing for---the effects of imperfectly measuring a time series of data, by partitioning into a finite number of possibilities. The resulting time series of discrete symbols is then made especially amenable to information-theoretic methods for understanding its temporal structure and correlation. In particular, as long as the partitioning scheme is generating, the resulting estimations for entropy rate---the rate at which the process creates information---converge to a measure of chaos in the underlying system, a dynamical invariant.However, the entropy rate is not sensitive to what kind of generating partition: colloquially, an instrument must be at least accurate enough, but can be more fine-grained as desired. In contrast, its breakdown into a piece which affects future measurements (“bound”) and a piece which does not (“ephemeral”) depends quite dramatically on the choice of generating partition. We ask, then: is there a canonical partitioning scheme for which the full suite of information measures relate to dynamical invariants?To tackle this, we simulate the well-known tent and logistic maps, sweeping over all two-boundary partitions, calculating the full information anatomies for each. We find that ephemeral and bound information are extremized by the single-boundary coarsest generating partition, suggesting a canonical role for the simplest “good enough” instrument. The remaining multivariate measures, meanwhile, reveal hitherto-unseen structure in the process of imperfect measurement.

Authors: Michal Hansen, Nathan Werner. Mentors: Nathan Werner. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The preparation of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals requires chemical reactions that make carbon-carbon bonds. Carbon atoms of three different hybridazations are known: sp3, sp2 and sp. Most reactions are specific to the hybridization of the carbon atom. We will study a reaction to bond an sp2-hybridized carbon to an sp3-hybridized carbon. This reaction could then be used to make interesting molecules that contain similar bonds. Specifically, the synthesis of 1,3-diphenylpropene will begin with a hydroboration reaction of phenylacetylene with pinacolborane. These two starting materials are combined with a 9-BBN-catalyst and heated to reflux in tetrahydrofuran at 65 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. The hydroboration product is then purified by aqueous extraction and silica gel flash chromatography. The product from the hydroboration reaction contains an sp2-hydridized carbon-boron bond and is then combined with benzyl bromide that contains a sp3-carbon-bromine bond. This is the reaction that we are studying. They are heated in DMF solvent with a palladium catalyst, ligand and base at 90 degrees Celsius for 1.5 hours. Once the reaction is complete, the cross-coupling product is purified by aqueous extraction and silica gel flash chromatography.

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

Authors: Cate Bateman, Jose Aurelio De La Rocha Tapia, Ethan Fulwood, Arianna Harrington. Mentors: Arianna Harrington. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The Eocene-Oligocene boundary in North America was marked by climatic cooling and drying. This transition is a key time in mammalian evolution, and studying fossils spanning this boundary could yield important information about how fauna responded to the climatic change. McCarty’s Mountain, a fossil rich geological feature located in Madison County, Montana, has long intrigued scientists due to the many insights it holds into the terrestrial fauna of the region. The sites from McCarty’s Mountain date from the Chadronian North American Land Mammal Age, which corresponds to the late Eocene epoch. The geological strata to produce these fossils were thought to have been deposited in a floodplain, yielding remarkably preserved fossils which have been collected and studied since the early 1900’s. However, the microfossils from this locality have been understudied despite the insights it could provide to the terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene transition in North America. In this study, we aim to close this gap by analyzing microfossils picked from matrix collected from McCarty’s Mountain localities in summer 2023. Preliminarily, we have processed about ⅛ of the collected sediments, and have found several identifiable elements including mammalian teeth, vertebrae, and long bones. We will continue this work by washing and soaking the remaining matrix and quantifying the microfossils retrieved. The fossils recovered may provide future insight to changes in microfauna across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.

Authors: Ashley Hartwig, Dr. Weeg. Mentors: Matthew Weeg. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The physiological benefits of petting pet cats, dogs, and horses have been thoroughly investigated for decades. Studies suggest that the act of handling and being around pets can offer direct cardiovascular benefits, such as lower blood pressure and heart rate as well as indirect benefits such as lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels. However, the ability of pet reptiles to offer similar benefits has not been explored. In this work, we investigated the effects of reptile handling on the handler, expressed by cardiovascular variables. An automated blood pressure device was used to obtain the blood pressure and heart rate of participants every five minutes over a 20-minute time period. Three different conditions were tested for each participant: one where they handled a snake (Python regius), one where they handled a lizard (Pogona vitticeps), and one where they handled a stuffed animal , which served as the control. Overall, we saw a significant decrease in the systolic blood pressure in subjects during both reptile conditions compared to the control , though there was no change in diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), or heart rate. A decrease in systolic blood pressure has also been documented in studies involving mammalian companion animals. Therefore, our results provide evidence that handling snakes and lizards might provide some of the same cardiovascular benefits as handling cats, dogs, or horses. If so, this lends support to the argument that lizards and snakes can also be considered companion animals. These conclusions can be used to advocate for proper reptile husbandry and conservation efforts to protect native species in the fight against stigmas surrounding reptiles.

Authors: Clista Galecki. Mentors: William Anderegg. Insitution: University of Utah. This project will determine whether exposure to wildfire impacts a plant's ability to acclimate to summer drought. This is important because with rising temperatures and droughts there is an increase of wildfires (Diffenbaugh et al., 2015). This question will be address by comparing drought physiological traits of a native tree species, Utah juniper, in burned versus unburned sites in central Utah. The goal of the project is to determine whether plants that survive wildfires are more or less drought resilient. This research may provide insight into whether various tree species are better adapted to survive droughts and wildfires which will help in future ecology predictions of the future landscapes.There are multiple factors in why forests respond differently to drought. The factors include elevation, prior exposure to fire, prior exposure to drought, clade, and species (Anderegg et al., 2020). Severe drought or heat from a fire can result in hydraulic failure (McDowell et al., 2008). This means that the plant has loses its ability to sufficiently move water from the roots to the leaves. Which could indicate that trees burned in wildfires will not be better adapted to summer drought. Whereas there is a possibility that if the tree has had sufficient amount of time to recover from a stressing event that it could be better adapted for future droughts (Anderegg et al, 2020). My project will focus specifically on the effects of prior exposure to fire on Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) drought acclimation ability.

Authors: Logan Whitney, Jaren Wilson, Elley Colledge, Jamie Thygerson. Mentors: Jessica Pullan. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Exosomes are nanosized (40-150 nm) extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted from cells that play a vital role in the human body's intracellular communication.1 The use of bovine-derived exosomes as a drug delivery vehicle provides an innovative approach to targeted drug delivery4 due to their stability, nontoxicity, non-immunogenic properties, and cost efficiency.5,6,7,8,9 The purpose of our research is to establish and refine a raw bovine milk exosome isolation protocol to determine the quality of exosomes. Current standards for small EV identification are currently being established and regulated by the International Society of Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) but center around three main categories: proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids.2 To refer to EVs as exosomes, they must be of endosome origin, otherwise they are referred to as ectosomes, and must be appropriately referred to by their size.13 Upon isolation, we verified the morphology of the small EV’s using Scanning Electron Microscopy, allowing visualization of the size and shape of the small EVs. Our research methods for the quantification of surface proteins include Rose Bengal Assay12 and Bradford Assay. Examination using exosome-specific cell surface markers, such as CD63, demonstrates protein functionality of the small EVs. Quantification of lipids allows for comparison of lipid concentration to surface protein concentration for further evidence of exosome identification. Lastly, RNA quantification ensured the small EVs met the concentration threshold to be defined as exosomes. The combination of these methods will further the work in bovine milk extracellular vesicles by yielding a low-cost, high-yield protocol for the isolation and characterization of EVs that can be further used as biomarkers, drug carriers, and a variety of platforms of delivery to physiological targets. [1] Rayamajhi, S., Nguyen T., Marasini R., Aryal S. Macrophage-derived exosome-mimetic hybrid [2] Théry, C., Witwer, K.W., Aikawa, E., Alcaraz, M.J., Anderson, J.D., Andriantsitohaina, R., et al. Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018): a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines.  Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2018; 7:1. [3] Pullan, J. E., Confeld, M. I., Osborn, J. K., Kim, J., Sarkar, K., and Mallik, S. Exosomes as drug carriers for cancer therapy. Molecular Pharmaceutics 2019; 16:1789–1798. vesicles for tumor targeted drug delivery. Acta Biomaterialia 2019; 94:482-494.  [4] He J, Ren W, Wang W, et al. Exosomal targeting and its potential clinical application. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2022;12(10):2385-2402. [5] Munagala R, Aqil F, Jeyabalan J, Gupta RC. Bovine milk-derived exosomes for drug delivery. Cancer Lett. 2016; 371(1):48-61. [6] Rashidi M, Bijari S, Khazaei AH, Shojaei-Ghahrizjani F, Rezakhani L. The role of milk-derived exosomes in the treatment of diseases. Front Genet 2022;13:1009338.  [7]García-Martínez J, Pérez-Castillo ÍM, Salto R, López-Pedrosa JM, Rueda R, Girón MD. Beneficial Effects of Bovine Milk Exosomes in Metabolic Interorgan Cross-Talk. Nutrients 2022;14(7):1442.  [8] Mashouri, L., Yousefi, H., Aref, A.R. et al. Exosomes: composition, biogenesis, and mechanisms in cancer metastasis and drug resistance. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:75.  [9] Radha Munagala, Hina Kausar, Charu Munjal, Ramesh C. Gupta, Withaferin A induces p53-dependent apoptosis by repression of HPV oncogenes and upregulation of tumor suppressor proteins in human cervical cancer cells, Carcinogenesis 2011; 11:1697–1705. [10] Wijenayake S., Eisha S., Tawhidi Z., Pitino M.A., Steele M.A., Fleming A.S., et al. Comparison of methods for pre-processing, exosome isolation, and RNA extraction in unpasteurized bovine and human milk. PLoS ONE 2021;16:e0257633. [11] Osteikoetxea X., Balogh A., Szabó-Taylor K., Németh A., Szabó T.G., Pálóczi K., et al. Improved Characterization of EV Preparations Based on Protein to Lipid Ratio and Lipid Properties. PLOS ONE 2015;10:e0121184. [12] Kishore, S.; Maruthamuthu, M. Binding of Rose Bengal onto Bovine Serum Albumin. Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences 1993, 105 (4–5), 279–285. DOI:10.1007/bf02866917. [13] Théry, C., Witwer, K. W., Aikawa, E. et al. (2018). Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018): A position statement of the International Society for extracellular vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20013078.2018.1535750z

Authors: Mackay B Steffensen, AustinRyan A Kirkby, Kieran L Richards. Mentors: Mackay B Steffensen. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Cyanuric chloride, a 1,3,5-trichlorotriazine, serves as a valuable platform for constructing innovative molecules. This project explores the unique reactivity of triazines to synthesize triazine crown ethers—a class of cyclic polyethers with a central cavity capable of selectively binding metal ions and polar molecules. Temperature-controlled nucleophilic aromatic substitution is employed to selectively substitute the triazine ring, providing precise control over the reaction. The first substitution with a primary amine nucleophile occurs rapidly at 0 °C, while subsequent substitutions at room temperature or 70 °C necessitate longer reaction times. This controlled approach enables the incorporation of three different amines.The project aims to synthesize triazine crown ethers through temperature-dependent substitution using two different methods. The first approach employs a diamine with an ether linkage in the presence of a base, facilitating consecutive substitutions to produce the target molecule. Intramolecular reactions are favored, but intermolecular reactions may lead to unexpected yet valuable products. The second method utilizes templated synthesis, taking advantage of the affinity of crown ethers for metal cations to promote cyclization reactions. A traditional route involving post-synthetic cyclization with ethylene glycol is also considered.The successful synthesis of these molecules opens up opportunities for further research, including characterizing their affinity for metals and exploring other unique properties. The acquired knowledge can be applied to construct more complex molecular structures, making this work valuable in materials science, analytical chemistry, and pharmaceuticals.

Authors: Sydney Pruett. Mentors: Roger Gold. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Microbiologically Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) presents an innovative avenue for sustainable construction and environmental remediation. This biogenic process leverages the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea by microorganisms to generate calcium carbonate crystals, offering a green alternative with carbon sequestration potential, enhanced structural durability, and self-healing capabilities. Sporosarcina pasteurii is currently the predominant microorganism employed in biobrick production due to its notable urease activity. This study endeavors to assess the MICP potential of less explored bacterial strains with comparable urease activity levels. The strains under investigation include Sporosarcina ureae, Bacillus sphaericus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus stearothermophilus. Additionally, we aim to shed light on the viability of these alternative microorganisms for MICP applications, contributing to a broader understanding of this promising technology's adaptability and potential implications for sustainable construction practices.

Authors: Spencer Thompson. Mentors: Sayeed Sajal. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The widespread use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in various industries raises critical concerns about user data privacy and security. This research focuses on two key vulnerabilities: prompt attacks and unauthorized retrieval of sensitive training data. We employ a straightforward methodology to craft effective system messages that neutralize malicious queries in real-time, thereby mitigating prompt attacks. To prevent the unauthorized extraction of sensitive information, we build on the concept of strong system messages. We aim to identify a system message that minimizes computational overhead while maximizing effectiveness. Our results demonstrate that a strategically-crafted system message can guide an LLM's output in a manner that enhances data security without compromising computational efficiency.

Authors: Ann Day, Shawn Coon. Mentors: Shawn Coon. Insitution: Westminster College. The decades long movement to discredit, defund, and de-professionalize public education has taken many forms. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have increasingly attempted to undermine public education through state specific programs (Bacher-Hicks et tal., 2023; Peele & Riser-Kositsky, 2020; Friedman & Young, 2022; Perera, 2023; Vasallo, 2023; Walker, 2022). These policies have taken many forms and attempted to address multiple perceived problems. However, the one commonality between all of these policies is that they perpetuate a trend of educational policymaking that tacitly or actively attempts to de-professionalize teachers and teaching (Apple, 2004; Milner, 2013). The state of Utah, and it’s 2023 legislative session, offers a compelling case study into why this legislation continues to emerge, the rationale behind this movement, and the impact these policies have on educators.

Authors: Isaac Wilson, Bree Wilson. Mentors: Arianna Harrington. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Understanding the body size of an organism is crucial for discussing its ecological role, potential trophic impact on its environment, and life history. The sauropod dinosaurs represent the largest land animals known, reaching masses many times that of modern elephants and rivaling the most massive cetaceans in some cases. This study attempts to quantify the body size variation between average and maximum sauropod dinosaurs by using Camarasaurus as a focal genus and comparing appendicular elements from the same quarries. Intraquarry rather than intraspecific variation is chosen due to the difficulty of diagnosing limb elements to the species level, and limb elements are known to scale isometrically in Camarasaurus. In addition to Camarasaurus-centric measurements, extant and extinct ecological analogues with recorded body size ranges are also used to estimate body size variation. While their life histories are not well-known, histological analysis indicates that sauropods were likely tachymetabolic endotherms, and their growth curves were most similar to birds and large herbivorous mammals in terms of extant taxa. This is in contrast to basal sauropodomorphs like Plateosaurus, which is demonstrated to exhibit high developmental plasticity. Minimum intraspecific size variation, collected from the literature and based on birds, nonavian dinosaurs, and large herbivorous mammals suggest that the largest representatives of any given sauropod species could have been between 139% and well over 200% larger than the average. Applying preliminary ratios from the data collected so far to the largest well-preserved sauropod, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, results in a plausible maximal mass of 137-177 tonnes for the genus.

Authors: Seunghwan Shin, Sydney Coates. Mentors: Guizella Rocabado. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Organic chemistry is one of the most feared and failed courses in the undergraduate curriculum. Consequently, studying what makes this course “too difficult” as perceived by students is worthwhile because these perceptions result in many students not considering STEM majors because they require chemistry courses. Our research group has investigated perceived costs in general chemistry, and this study expands our understanding of these constructs in organic chemistry. Students’ perceived costs of a chemistry class can be many, such as task effort, loss of valued alternatives, emotional, and others. These costs might be overcome by students’ interests and goals, yet the level of perceived costs might have a lasting impact on the students’ overall perception of chemistry and their desire to pursue chemistry and other STEM careers in the future. In this study we investigated the mentioned subclasses of perceived costs, other salient perceived costs, and mastery or performance goal orientations and the impact these constructs may have on students’ experiences in organic chemistry classrooms. Expanding on a previous study in general chemistry, we present the results of interviews we conducted with students in this class. Our results reveal that students struggle with the content, pace, and overall difficulty of the material. These results are not surprising; however, we also uncovered the students’ deep desire to learn and understand the material, the motivating effect of having a good relationship with their professor, and many other themes that emerged from our conversations.

Authors: Gabriella Proctor, Luke Alder. Mentors: Marcos Corchando Sonera. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is known to cause the disease chytridiomycosis and is notorious for its role in decimating anuran populations worldwide. A highly prevalent invasive species, the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), is understood to play an important role in the transmission of this disease in invaded regions. Notably, American bullfrogs are often largely immune to the effects of Bd, making them important reservoirs of the pathogen. Within southern Utah, this species has successfully invaded the Virgin River watershed, yet this population has not been the subject of prior study regarding its potential as a reservoir for Bd. We hypothesize that the Utah population has also been infected with Bd, potentially endangering native amphibian species. We sampled 46 bullfrog specimens from eight distinct aquatic habitats within the Virgin River basin in southwest Utah. Skin swabs will undergo purification and quantification, followed by PCR and gel electrophoresis to visualize and confirm results. We hope that our findings will be valuable in comprehending the impact of invasive American bullfrogs on amphibians within the Colorado River basin, particularly in relation to the spread and effects of chytridiomycosis.

Authors: Andy Sefcik. Mentors: Jamie Johnson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Utah Valley University's Repertory Ballet Ensemble (RBE) has made it a priority to expose students to contemporary ballet techniques. In the Summer and Fall of 2023, Complexions Contemporary Ballet (CCB) Former Ballet Master, Christina Johnson, and Répétiteur, Jourdan Epstein visited the university to teach NIQUE classes and set repertoire on RBE for the February 2024 concerts. CCB was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson with the intent of reinventing dance by fusing a variety of styles and techniques. Based on phenomenological field research, gathered during the CCB Winter Intensive, I intend to illuminate the hallmarks of the CCB generated “NIQUE” technique in comparison to Vaganova approaches to ballet technique. In this presentation, I will present phrasework in the style of classical Vaganova ballet technique in comparison to NIQUE technique to create a clear visual difference between the two movement styles. This research shares the fundamentals of NIQUE technique to highlight how it is connected to and how it has developed beyond classical ballet technique.

Authors: Harmony Newbrough. Insitution: Utah Valley University. During the time of Ancient Rome, there were many sarcophagi that were created that had faceless portraits, and it could have been for a number of reasons, whether it be financial or personal. These unfinished portrait faces have puzzled archaeologists and historians alike in trying to find a concrete answer as to why there are so many of them,

Authors: Sebastian Partida. Mentors: Jamie Spinney. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Lighting levels have an important role in influencing the ambiance and functionality of various land uses. To achieve specified goals while optimizing energy efficiency and sustainability, lighting intensity must be balanced. The purpose of this study was to compare light intensity for different land uses (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational). This study measured light intensity (i.e., brightness) for a random sample of different land uses using a digital light meter within Cedar City, UT. GPS coordinates were also acquired in order to map the brightness data. As expected, the results revealed that residential land uses were the darkest, whereas commercial and industrial land uses were the brightest. The findings indicate communities have to maintain a balance between creating a warm and pleasant atmosphere and ensuring appropriate illumination for safety and security purposes. Energy-efficient LED fixtures and smart lighting systems, for example, can provide adjustable and programmable illumination settings that meet both aesthetic and safety requirements.

Authors: Kylee Fernandez. Mentors: Gennie L Parkman. Insitution: University of Utah. Evaluating the role of LRRC1 in melanoma growth and metastasisThe development of brain metastases is a critical problem in Utah, regardless of the novel therapies created for melanoma. The melanoma mortality rates in Utah are 31% higher than the national average and the melanoma incidences are 80% higher. To lower these incidences, our research is aimed at investigating targets in melanoma that play a crucial role in brain metastasis and can be identified as therapeutic interventions.LRRC1 is a gene known as Leucine Rich Repeat Containing 1. LRRC1 is involved in early-stage adipocytic differentiation. Altered gene and protein expression of LRRC1 is observed in melanoma potentially due to the vital role LRRC1 plays in adipose stem cells that differentiate by adopting the phenotypic, biochemical, and functional properties of more terminally differentiated cells. To evaluate the effect of LRRC1 on melanoma growth and metastasis, we are using an established autochthonous in vitro and in vivo model of melanoma based on the RCAS/TVA avian retroviral system. The results of this study will have tremendous potential to contribute to the understanding of the genetics of this heterogeneous disease.

Authors: Adriana Bibo, Nicole Losurdo, Nichole Link. Mentors: Nichole Link, Cindy Greaves. Insitution: University of Utah. Microcephaly is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by occipital frontal circumference (OFC) more than two standard deviations below the mean. It can be accompanied by comorbidities including intellectual disabilities, seizures, and other developmental phenotypes. Microcephaly is attributed to malnutrition and exposure to toxins or infection during pregnancy, but genetic mutations are also a leading cause. To investigate the genetic mechanisms behind microcephaly, our lab collaborates with a physician who has completed whole exome sequencing for two hundred microcephaly patients. He identified potentially pathogenic human variants, which we are studying using Drosophila melanogaster as our model organism. We screened for loss of function phenotypes through RNAi knockdown of fly orthologs to determine if these genes are necessary for brain development. In our primary screen, we found that RNAi knockdown of Bx42 in neural stem cells or post-mitotic neurons causes significantly reduced brain lobe volume. In our current study, we are assessing potential causes for reduced brain lobe volume. We seek to determine if RNAi knockdown of Bx42 in neural stem cells or neurons affects cell number, proliferation, or death in developing brains.

Authors: Nathaniel Call. Mentors: Chelsea Romney. Insitution: Brigham Young University. New college students may experience stressors like difficult academic work, new social environments, and living on their own for the first time. Students of color may experience additional stressors due to minority stress, experiences of racism, and unfamiliar social contexts. We collected self-reported depression, anxiety, and academic self-efficacy measures from 742 first-year college students. We found that students of color reported higher levels of depression, F(1, 733) = 11.04, p < .001, and anxiety F(1, 734) = 14.91, p < .001, compared to white students. Further, we found that white students reported higher academic self-efficacy, F(1, 742) = 9.97, p = .002, compared to students of color. This suggests that lower confidence in academic work is related to higher depression and anxiety in nonwhite students, r(661) = -.32, p < .001. Our study builds on previous research by providing a possible pathway through which students of color develop more depression and anxiety through lower academic self-efficacy compared to white students.

Authors: Nicholas Poll. Mentors: Moriel Zelikowsky. Insitution: University of Utah. Social interaction is one of the chief drivers of evolution and natural selection. Animal interactions shape the ecological world and have shaped the world’s evolutionary timeline. Of the many types of animal interactions, one of the most influential to behavior and development is aggression. Many animals' aggressive behaviors and mechanisms are so distinct that their origins can be traced back to specific selective pressures. These pressures range from reproductive competition to predator-prey interactions and have apparent effects on many species’ developments. There are many stressors that can increase aggressive tendencies found in mammals, yet it’s clear that the neural bases that connect these stressors and their behavioral responses are understudied. The targeted brain region in this project is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The BNST is a neurochemically diverse node of the extended amygdala that has been implicated in mediating stress and sensory information. It anatomically acts as a relay station between a number of different structures including the hypothalamus and amygdala. The BNST has been implicated to have a role in stressor-induced aggressive behaviors; however, the neural mechanisms that connect this region and these behaviors are relatively understudied. Corticotropin-releasing Hormone (CRH) in mammals displays upregulation following the introduction of a stressor and has been found to mediate aggression and anxiety. Similarly, tachykinin-expressing neurons have been shown to have a role in mediating aggression in mammals. While CRH and tachykinin’s link to anxiety and aggression is well supported, it is not clear to what extent it has on BNST. This project aims to provide data to support the role that CRH and Tachykinin 2 (Tac2) in the BNST have in mediating aggression in mice through optogenetic stimulation.

Authors: Dallin Oyler, Ana Alfaro, Kailee Myxter, Ben Brooks, Amanda Brooks. Mentors: Jessica Pullan. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Nausea and vomiting are common complications that occur in 70% of pregnancies. Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is the most severe form of these symptoms and is estimated to be prevalent in 0.3-2% of pregnancies. Due to the fetal and maternal morbidity associated with HG, identifying the cause and treatment options for these women is a critical task in obstetrics. Research regarding the etiology of HG has been fairly recent and is still ongoing, however, evidence had directed to a positive correlation between increased levels of the serum protein GDF15 and HG symptoms. We hypothesize that polymorphisms in both maternal and fetal DNA plays a role in the upregulated GDF-15 seen in mothers experiencing symptoms of HG during pregnancy. The DNA of 2 mothers and their corresponding children were sequenced and analyzed. The DNA was obtained through buccal swabs from the epithelial cells of the inner cheek, and then purified and ran through PCR. We employed 3 distinct primers that correspond to mutations in the genome that account for the elevated levels of circulating GDF-15 in the mother. As of current, the mother-daughter DNA is still under analysis for single-nucleotide polymorphisms, however recently published literature has suggested results similar to our hypothesis. M. Fejzo et al. shows that upregulated serum GDF-15 is primarily of fetal origin, and that maternal sensitivity to GDF15 increases the risk for developing HG. Additionally, the DNA coding variant GDF15 C211G was shown to elevate the risk of HG

Authors: Auriana Dunn. Mentors: Kathryn Sokolowski. Insitution: University of Utah. Reconstructing the diet of extinct animals can help us understand how living species are suited to their environments, which can inform paleoecological and zooarchaeological research as well as modern species conservation. Seasonal variation in animals’ diets can further be used to reconstruct seasonality patterns in the past and understand how animals may vary their diet under future climate change. However, determining the diet of extinct species is challenging, and detecting seasonal changes in diet is even more so. Dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) can be a tool to solve this problem. DMTA analyzes dental microwear by measuring the pits and scratches on teeth to determine what an animal consumed in the days and weeks before it died. This project examines the DMTA of modern African Bovidae species to determine if seasonal dietary changes can be observed. If a difference can be found in the dental microwear of specimens that died during different seasons, seasonal changes in diet can be inferred. Here, I gathered dental microwear data from 407 specimens across five modern studies and matched the data to the museum specimens’ date of death to determine whether it died in a wet or dry season. The analysis found that four of the Bovidae species examined in our study showed evidence of seasonal diet shifts in their DMTA data. Dental microwear can be useful in determining seasonal diets and season of death for specimens. This method can be applied to extinct Bovidae species to understand ancient ecosystems and the evolution of Bovidae dietary strategies.

Authors: Zachary Flynn, Britton Davis, Josh Nicholls, Bryson Mumford. Mentors: Joseph Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The United States has massive amounts of public data and land ownership stretching back to the early homesteading period of the American West. This data has been of limited use for economic research because it only includes the name of the ownership, thus making it impossible to study racial and gender differences in land on ownership. We develop an innovative method for linking individual land records to US census records. Our key innovation is that we start by linking individuals with unique names that we can make from land record to census record based on name and town. We then use the geo-coordinates in the land records and the proximity of households on the census sheets to link other individuals that have more common names. This two-step process allows us to link 36% of a sample of people in the land records in Colorado to a census record between 1880 and 1940. This new linked data will be a valuable resource for individuals doing research on the development of the American economy, and also people doing genealogical research.

Authors: Jane Damstedt, Kasey Cole. Mentors: Kasey Cole. Insitution: University of Utah. In this project, we are analyzing faunal remains recovered from Utah’s House Mountain Range in the Tubafore cave system to create a paleoecological baseline of life in that location over the past 1000 years. All animals have relatively consistent ecological tolerances and preferences, so comparing the data from the information obtained in this study with contemporary accounts of mammalian ecology in the same area will be useful in evaluating the role of anthropogenic climate change in mammalian ecosystems. In this project, I am identifying the animal remains to the lowest level of taxonomic classification possible to determine what kinds of species richness and environment were present at the time in which the animal was alive. Creating an accurate record of the animals found in this cave assemblage is critical because very little is known about the species richness of the Great Basin area. This data will then be stored and compared to modern zoological data, which came from online databases Actos and Vertnet. The information gathered from this project can be used to inform conservation and sustainability efforts aiming at preserving biodiversity in Central Utah’s Mountain Ranges.

Authors: Cooper Bell-Hunley, Ming Yu, Emily Heider. Mentors: Emily Heider. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Green chemistry involves the redesign of chemical processes and products to reduce hazards to the environment and human health. Reconsidering the teaching curriculum with a view to embrace green chemistry can reduce costs in waste disposal and has the potential to improve accessibility. This research involves the redesign of qualitative analysis general chemistry experiment to eliminate the use of teratogenic mercury (Hg) and neurotoxic lead (Pb). Making this change creates a more inclusive laboratory since expectant mothers should not be exposed to mercury and therefore some students did not feel safe completing the previous version of the experiment. With any change in curriculum, it is important to consider the impact on learning outcomes that students can achieve. This research details the assessment of learning outcomes with a quasi-experimental design. Instructors in multiple general chemistry labs selected the qualitative analysis experiment (with or without Hg and Pb) and learning outcomes achieved were assessed following the experiment.

Authors: Ada Cottam Allen, Mikhael T Semaan. Mentors: Mikhael T Semaan. Insitution: University of Utah. Regularly buoyed from thermodynamic equilibrium by complex and fluctuating environments, living systems must continually respond and adapt to external stimuli. Recent tools from stochastic thermodynamics place concrete energetic and entropic bounds on these processes, for systems arbitrarily far from equilibrium both in and out of steady-state conditions, and thus reveal mechanisms by which these systems absorb and dissipate energy to function. Here, we leverage these tools to simulate and calculate the thermodynamic signatures of several models of sodium and potassium ion channels---channels crucial to propagating action potentials in mammalian neurons---as driven by biologically-realistic action potential spiking protocols. Thus uncovering their detailed energetic responses to such complex environmental conditions, these results enable detailed comparison between the thermodynamic functionality of each channel type with driving one would expect in-vivo. When applied to competing models of the same channel, these tools also provide additional criteria for model selection; to this end, we close by calculating expected ionic currents, directly facilitating comparison with dynamically-driven patch-clamp experiments.

Authors: G. Colton Gardner, Lynasi Gapelu, Sohom Mookherjee, Sihem Boudina, J. David Symons. Mentors: J. David Symons. Insitution: University of Utah. With the prevalence of cardiovascular disease increasing world wide and its precise mechanisms remaining elusive, the need for novel treatments is urgent. Autophagy is a conserved process whereby dysregulated intracellular proteins are escorted to the lysosome for recycling. Emerging evidence indicates that autophagy is important in maintaining endothelial cell (EC) proteostasis and function. My laboratory showed that autophagy repression in adult mice ECs produces arterial dysfunction, and indexes of autophagy are repressed in ECs of older mice and humans which display concurrent EC dysfunction. Sequestosome 1 (p62) tethers proteins and enables their entry into the autophagic pathway. The contribution from EC p62 to cardiovascular and metabolic function is unknown and experiments are needed to investigate this. Thus, p62 will be depleted from ECs of adult male and female mice (p62iEC-/-) via tamoxifen regimen, and results will be compared to animals wherein EC p62 is intact (CON). The efficacy and specificity of EC p62 depletion will be evaluated in ECs and vascular smooth muscle by qPCR and immunoblotting. Three adjacent 1 mm thoracic aorta sections will be obtained 14 days after the tamoxifen regimen. The central aorta section will be used to measure intrinsic mechanical stiffness by wire myography, with the other two used to find lumen diameter and intimal medial thickness. These measurements will help create Stress vs. Strain curves and the Elastic Modulus, which will be compared between the groups to show the differences caused by p62 depletion. We expect p62 depletion from ECs to increase intrinsic aortic stiffness.

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

Authors: Cate Bateman, Carson Veazie, . Sydney Sandall. Mentors: Matt Ogburn. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Western Utah is home to two distinct species of oak, Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) and Dixie live oak (Quercus turbinella), which can hybridize to form an intermediate species that has been named Quercus undulata. In spite of previous research on these shrubs, we are still unsure of how the hybrid has survived in small isolated locations well outside of the range of one parent species (Dixie live oak, which is restricted in Utah to Washington, Kane, and San Juan Counties). Our primary objective was to perform an ecological niche modeling assessment of Q. undulata within the Three Peaks Recreation Area. Our approach included collecting plot-level data to determine abiotic and biotic niche factors correlating with the presence/absence of Q. undulata, including slope, aspect, soil type, soil chemistry, vegetation cover, and other associated woody plant species. Our results have shown that Q. undulata populations have higher concentrations in south-facing slopes, potentially reflecting the climatic preferences of its Dixie live oak parent. Results also showed that both focal species, Q. undulata and Q. gambelii, prefer areas with shallow soil and rocky outcrops. We plan to continue data collection and our analysis of soil type and chemistry. These results will help us to better understand the evolutionary history and ecological requirements of this fascinating native Utah plant.

Authors: Kevin Young. Mentors: Gretchen Ellefson. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The concept of competition is not new to humans, nor is it simple. Countless philosophers throughout the years have approached competition in many ways. One of the core subjects that philosophers have used to discuss competition is that of decision theory. Decision theory, in short, discusses the best things to do. Game theory, a subset of decision theory, discusses the same within the context of games, or in other words, strategy. Both of these subjects have been used to evaluate how best to win games of chance, games of choice, and games in between. I work to explore the concept of making moves to gain information, seeking to learn another person’s moves before you make your own. This subset of moves deserves recognition, especially within the modern eras of competition.