Fine Arts

Authors: Maddy Howard, Brooke Dension, Shanna Groesbeck. Mentors: Sandy Wilson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. AbstractThere are many systemic diseases that are linked to oral health. This literature review specifically examines different studies and academic journals that have studied the relationship between oral health, obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Obesity is linked to the patient's oral health in many ways. When patients are consuming large quantities of food more often than normal, this results in a more acidic environment along with energy for bacteria to grow. One study found a correlation between obesity and risk factors such as “frequency of brushing teeth, smoking, tooth loss, gingivitis, and dental caries (Yilmax & Somay, 2021). This article discusses the strong correlation between oral health and heart disease. Several studies emphasize the importance of dental hygienists educating their patients about the link between their oral and cardiovascular health. The articles conclude that treating periodontal disease more effectively and aggressively could lead to a marked reduction in coronary heart disease rates and vice versa.Diabetes and periodontal disease is also examined at length in this literature review. Diabetes and periodontitis is described as a ‘two-way relationship’. Evidence shows that individuals with diabetes, type 1 or type 2, are 34% more likely to develop periodontal disease. On the other hand, individuals experiencing periodontal disease are 53% more likely to develop diabetes (Wu, et al., 2020). This literature review will explore the importance of oral health in keeping your entire body healthy.ReferencesArora, A., Rana, K., Manohar, N., Li, L., Bhole, S., & Chimoriya, R. (2022). Perceptions and practices of oral health care professionals in preventing and managing childhood obesity. Nutrients, 14(9), 1809. 10.3390/nu14091809.Batty, G. D., Jung, K. J., Mok, Y., Lee, S. J., Back, J. H., Lee, S., & Jee, S. H. (2018). Oral health and later coronary heart disease: Cohort study of one million people. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 25(6), 598-605. 10.1177/2047487318759112Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Defining adult overweight & obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Deraz, O., Rangé, H., Boutouyrie, P., Chatzopoulou, E., Asselin, A., Guibout, C., Van Sloten, T., Bougouin, W., Andrieu, M., Vedie, B., Thomas, F., Danchin, N., Jouven, X., Bouchard, P., & Empana, J. P. (2022). Oral condition and incident coronary heart disease: A clustering analysis. Journal of Dental Research, 101(5), 526-533. 10.1177/00220345211052507Sanchez, P., Everett, B., Salamonson, Y., Ajwani, S., Bhole, S., Bishop, J., Lintern, K., Nolan, S., Rajaratnam, R., Redfern, J., Sheehan, M., Skarligos, F., Spencer, L., Srinivas, R., & George, A. (2017). Perceptions of cardiac care providers towards oral health promotion in Australia. Collegian, 25(5), 471-478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2017.11.006Preshaw, P. M., Alba, A. L., Herrera, D., Jepsen, S., Konstantinidis, A., Makrilakis, K., & Taylor, R. (2012). Periodontitis and diabetes: A two-way relationship. Diabetologia, 55(1), 21-31. 10.1007/s00125-011-2342-yWu, C.-Z., Yuan, Y.-H., Liu, H.-H., Li, S.-S., Zhang, B.-W., Chen, W., An, Z.-J., Chen, S.-Y., Wu, Y.-Z., Han, B., Li, C.-J., & Li, L.-J. (2020). Epidemiologic relationship between periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMC oral health, 20, 204. 10.1186/s12903-020-01180-wYilmax, Busra. & Somay, Efsun. (2021). Is obesity a problem that threatens oral health in adults? Cukurova Medical Journal, 46(3), 1215-1221. DOI: 10.17826/cumj.950243

Authors: Marie Gibb. Mentors: Francine Jensen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Maternal mortality, also known as maternal death, is defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. (MacDorman et al., 2021; Spelke & Werner, 2018). The United States is the only developed nation where the rates of maternal mortality are rising, and they have been rising for twenty years (Simpson, 2019; Spelke & Werner, 2018). This incidence represents a maternal health crisis in the United States. On average, 700 women in the United States die each year from pregnancy-related complications. This equates to 17.2 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births (Simpson, 2019). Currently, the maternal mortality rate for Utah is higher than the national average at 21.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (Utah Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). According to More than 60% of these deaths are preventable (MacDorman et al., 2021; Simpson, 2019).The leading causes of maternal death in the United States are hemorrhage, preeclampsia, eclampsia, hypertension, embolisms, and cardiomyopathy, which often lead to cardiovascular disorders (MacDorman et al., 2021; Simpson, 2019). The Utah Health and Human Services (2023) reported that increases in heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, mental health disorders, and other chronic conditions complicate pregnancies and are contributing to maternal mortality in Utah. The American Heart Association has cautioned that pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm delivery are linked to maternal heart disease later in life (Parikh et al., 2021). Research suggests that each episode has a cumulative effect (Marill, 2021), meaning, the more pregnancies women have, and the more complications women have during pregnancy, the more elevated their risks are in general for cardiovascular disorders as they age. A qualitative survey was sent out using snowball sampling to women over the age of 18 in Utah asking about their understanding of cardiovascular risk factors and current health conditions. Findings showed that women were unaware of their potential cardiovascular risks associated with pregnancy. Raising awareness regarding these cardiovascular risks may be the number one preventative strategy, as women are the ones who bear the personal and physical risks. If pregnant women are aware of their cardiovascular risk factors, they can be empowered to raise concerns when necessary. Future interventions may include educating all women of childbearing years about cardiovascular risks prior to pregnancy, as well as more frequent screening of women during and after delivery (Marill, 2021). ReferencesMacDorman, M. F., Thoma, M., Declcerq, E., & Howell, E. A. (2021). Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality in the United States using enhanced vital records, 2016‒2017. American Journal of Public Health, 111(9), 1673–1681. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2021.306375Marill, M. C. (2021). Getting to the heart of America's maternal mortality crisis. Health Affairs, 40(12), 1824-1829. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01702Parikh, N. I., Gonzalez, J. M., Anderson, C. A. M., Judd, S. E., Rexrode, K. M., Hlatky, M. A., Gunderson, E. P., Stuart, J. J., & Vaidya, D. (2021, May 4). Adverse pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular disease risk: Unique opportunities for cardiovascular disease prevention in women: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 143(18), e902-e916. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000961Simpson, K. (2019). Maternal mortality in the United States. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 44 (5), 249-249. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000560.Spelke, B., & Werner, E. (2018). The fourth trimester of pregnancy: Committing to maternal health and well-being postpartum. Rhode Island Medical Journal (2013), 101(8), 30–33.Utah Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, March 16). Complete health indicator report of maternal mortality. Retrieved Sat, 09 September 2023 from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health website: http://ibis.health.utah.gov. https://ibis.health.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/complete_profile/MatMort.html

Authors: Aljexi Olsen, Hali Lukacs. Mentors: Eddy Cadet. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Utah Lake is the third-largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi River and serves as a vital resource for just over 600,000 Utah Valley residents through agriculture, residential and recreational purposes. In addition to its utility, Utah Lake provides a haven for biodiversity for numerous species within its wetlands. Despite its utility and importance, the lake faces two significant challenges in the form of Trace Metal (TM) pollution and the encroachment of invasive plant species known as Phragmites australis (P. australis). Despite considerable investments of time, money, and resources by various state agencies to address these concerns, their success has been limited due to the agency’s isolated efforts for these large multifaceted issues. TM, though naturally occurring in the environment, has been found to be toxic to both people and the ecosystem when at elevated levels. P. australis, is a robust and fast-growing macrophyte, possessing remarkable adaptability to and tolerance for poor soils, enabling it to rapidly outcompete native species. Due to P. australis resilience and aggressive nature, many colonies have grown around the lake regardless of soil conditions. Studies have shown that P. australis has been utilized for remediation purposes around water bodies by extracting TMs from sediment. While P. australis must be addressed, can it be used as part of the solution by identifying TM polluted areas? This study aims to discern the variety in TM absorption by P. australis in both unpolluted and polluted sites in the wetlands surrounding the hyper-eutrophic Utah Lake. We selected nine sites around Utah Lake, considering their land use and proximity to pollution sources. At each site, three replicate samples encompassing P. australis, soil, and water were collected. These samples underwent a meticulous process, including washing, weighing, grounding, sieving, acid digesting using a CEM MARS 6, and analysis for TM content within an ICP-MS. Our preliminary findings reveal that in both unpolluted and polluted sites, soil concentrations of As and Cd exceeded background levels (11.73, 1.53 in unpolluted sites, and 27.47, 6.63 in polluted sites, respectively). Notably, in select polluted sites, such as UVU, P. australis displayed a remarkable capacity to hyper-accumulate As, with a transfer factor of 167.14% compared to the lowest unpolluted sites, like Lindon, which showed a rate of about 10%. Across all sites, the accumulation of Cr was relatively consistent (ranging from 17.13 to 19.7 ppm), irrespective of biomass. The examination of TM concentrations, transfer factor rates, and TM accumulation based on biomass suggests that P. australis may serve as a valuable biomarker for identifying TM-polluted sites. This research holds significant relevance, as it could offer state agencies a swift and effective means to pinpoint TM-polluted areas. Moreover, the areas where P. australis is thriving may be leveraged for phytoremediation efforts in TM-contaminated sites, providing an environmentally friendly solution to address this pressing concern.

Authors: Isaac Gillins, Zoe Thompson. Mentors: . Insitution: Utah Valley University. The pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene is expressed in the hypothalamus and pituitary and is cleaved into several peptide hormones. One of these is melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), which is involved in food intake and energy expenditure. A mutation in the POMC gene can result in a rare condition in which the subject displays early-onset obesity characterized by severe hyperphagia (i.e. excess hunger). Affected subjects may also show a lack of pubertal development. In this experiment, we will study mice with a mutation in the POMC gene. They show some of the same symptoms as humans with a POMC mutation, including hyperphagia, obesity & infertility. Specifically, we will investigate the estrous cycle in female mice to determine if they are cycling normally. The estrous cycle, similar to the menstrual cycle in humans, is characterized by changes in reproductive hormones, and can be divided into four stages: proestrus, estrus, metestrus, and diestrus. Cells lining the surface of the vagina have been previously collected using a pipette smear technique. Each stage can be characterized by the proportion of three cell types: epithelial cells, cornified cells, and leukocytes. These cells correspond to the fluctuating hormone levels during the estrous cycle. Images of these samples will be assessed for the composition of cells to determine the stage of the estrus cycle, and whether or not the cycle displays normal patterning. Because POMC-deficient mice are infertile, we hypothesize their estrous cycles may be atypical. For example, the estrous cycle of the POMC-deficient mice may appear in irregular order or with one stage being predominant over the rest. If the estrous cycle is atypical, then we will measure the hormones directly to confirm that the infertility is caused by changes in hormonal regulation. This will help us to understand more about how the POMC gene affects reproductive function.

Authors: Brock Sheehan, Bryson Edwards, Ivanna Soto, Justice Vance, Tyler Haywood, Jefferey Goddard, Logan Seegmiller, Mohammed A. El Saidi, Wissam R Zaidan , Asmahan El-Ezzi , Dr. Ruhul Kuddus. Mentors: Dr. Ruhul Kuddus. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Association of Cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) rs4648298 and Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) rs20417 Polymorphisms and Prostatic diseases Among Lebanese MalesBrock J Sheehan1*, Bryson Edwards1, Ivanna Soto Medrano1, Justin Vance1, Tyler Haywood1, Jeffrey Goddard1, Logan Seegmiller1, Mohammed A. El Saidi2, Wissam R. Zaidan3, Asmahan A. El-Ezzi3, 4, Ruhul Kuddus11Department of Biology, 2Department of Strategic Management and Operations, Utah Valley University, Orem UT; 3Radioimmunoassay Laboratory, Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, Beirut Lebanon; 4Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon. *- presenting author.Background: COX-1 and COX-2 genes encode prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthases (PTGS) isoenzymes, involved in inflammation and possibly neoplasms. The genes are expressed in the prostate gland. Both genes have several polymorphisms. Here we examine the association of rs4648298 (A-G transition) and rs20417 (G-C transversion) polymorphisms and prostatic diseases. This research was approved by the Utah Valley University IRB.Materials and Methods: DNA was extracted from a blood sample of 56 healthy volunteers, 51 volunteers with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and 61 volunteers with clinical prostate cancer (PCa). Genotyping was conducted through PCR-RFLP analyses. The restriction enzymes used were BaeGI (for rs4648298) and AciI (rs20417), respectively. Alleles with the restriction site were considered recessive. The association was inferred through statistical analyses of the distribution of the genotypes (BB, Bb, and bb or AA, Aa and aa), and allele frequencies among the controls and the affected groups. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant.Results: The distribution of the genotypes is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for all three groups. The b allele of the COX-1 gene is extremely rare (less than 3%), and no significant association between the B or b allele or BB, Bb, and bb genotypes and prostatic disease was observed. The a allele of the COX-2 gene is more common in the BPH group (p=0.011), but not the PCa group (p= 0.472) or the combined affected group (p=0.068) compared to the control group.Conclusions: There is no association between the rs4648298 polymorphisms of the COX-1 gene and prostatic diseases. The a allele of the rs20417 polymorphisms of the COX-2 gene is associated with higher risks of BPH and possibly PCa. The small sample size, sampling from one ethnic group, and the low distribution of the b allele in the Lebanese population are limitations of this study.

Authors: Quinn Gerber, Lucas Carpenter, Jacob Clemons, Cindy Kin. Mentors: Cindy Kin. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Introduction: It is vital that patients are adequately prepared for surgical intervention. To meet this need, many medical centers have adopted prehabilitation protocols. The aim of this study was to establish an in-depth comprehension of the attitudes towards surgery and barriersand preferences to prehabilitation for patients identifying as Latino, in order to develop a preliminary framework for adapting prehab programs to best meet the needs of this specific patient population.Methods: We conducted qualitative semi-structured in-person one-on-one interviews with Latino patients who had recently undergone major abdominal surgery. The interviews, conducted at an academic medical center, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated into English (as needed), iteratively coded, and discussed by four researchers to reach consensus. We used thematic analysis to identify shared attitudes held by patients and common barriers to the adoption of prehabilitation programs. Analysis of these attitudes and barriers, along with stated patient preferences, led to the development of several ideas that physicians can implement to increase prehab adoption among Latino patients.Results: We interviewed 16 patients, at which point we reached thematic saturation. The patients were on average 52 years old (range 20 to 79) and 50% were women. Our pooled kappa score was .92, indicating a very high degree of concordance among the coding researchers. We identified five common attitudes held by Latino patients regarding surgery: anxiety associated with hospitalizations and surgical procedures, deep trust in physicians, reliance on positivity, tight-knit families/communities, and prominent religious and cultural beliefs. A lack of understanding, physical limitations, a reactive/delayed approach to healthcare, dietary barriers, and mental barriers emerged as obstacles to prehabilitation adoption. These attitudes and barriers, along with direct patient feedback, led us to identify several programmatic priorities that may increase adherence to prehab. These components consist of face-to-face interaction, increased communication, patient and physician collaboration in program development, and family/support group engagement in surgical preparation.Conclusion: Our study provides physicians preliminary insight into customizing prehabilitation programs to best meet the needs and customs of the Latino community, including anxiety associated with hospitalizations, strong social support, and a dominant role of religious faith in coping with illness. We identified several critical components that may make prehab more culturally competent and thus more likely to be adopted by patients. These include in-person coaching, increased information about the upcoming operation and recovery, and engagement of family members. We recommend that healthcare teams committed to prehabilitation consider these needs to make their programs more attractive and accessible to their Latino patients.

Authors: Jacob Armstrong, Tyler Standifird. Mentors: Tyler Standifird. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Lower Limb Asymmetries in Unilateral Jump Mechanics as Possible Risk Factor for Injury in Collegiate WrestlersJacob Armstrong and Tyler Standifird 1Utah Valley University, Orem, Ut. Injuries impose a multi-faceted burden on athletes, coaches, and sporting organizations, encompassing physical, financial, and psychological ramifications. Determining risk factors and identifying them in athletes has been a widespread goal amongst researchers and practitioners in attempts to reduce injuries. Investigating Limb asymmetries, or limb imbalances, has been a common approach in identifying such factors but has shown inconsistent correlations with injuries (Melony, 2018). Moreover, much of the current research investigates asymmetries of outward limb performance (i.e., Strength, flexibility, jump performance etc.) and not asymmetries of internal joint mechanics. Identifying relationships between internal joint asymmetries and lower limb injuries can further aid coaches, practitioners and sporting organizations in effectively identifying injury risks. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate internal joint asymmetries of the lower limbs during unilateral jump testing and their association with injuries in collegiate wrestlers. Methods: 23 healthy Division 1 NCAA collegiate wrestlers performed single leg depth jumps from a 12-inch platform unto force plates (Bertec Inc 1000 hz). Additionally, markerless motion capture technology was used to collect video data using Qualisys Mocap cameras (Qualisys North America, Inc. Buffalo Grove, Ill). Imagery was then processed in Theia (Theia Markerless, Inc. Kingston, Ontario) to produce 3d joint locations for all the joints of the lower extremity. Each wrestler performed 3 jumps with the left leg and then 3 with the right leg for a total of 6 jump attempts. 7 total variables were calculated and recorded in Visual 3D software (Dolomite Enterprises, LLC. Tallahassee, FL) for each wrestler and leg: drop max vertical force, vertical loading rate on drop, peak knee adduction angle, peak knee abduction moment, peak knee adduction moment, peak knee flexion angle, peak knee extension moment. Averages, standard deviations and percent differences were also calculated and compared between limbs. Injury history data was also collected from each participant from the year 2021 - present day.Results: Averaging found asymmetries in peak knee adduction angle with the left knee being greater than the right by 4.9 degrees (p=0.001), peak knee abduction moment with the right knee being greater than the left by .95 newton meters (p=0.001), and peak knee adduction moment with the left knee being greater than the right by .44 newton meters (p=0.001). All significant asymmetries were found in the frontal plane. No significant asymmetries were found in the sagittal plane. Injury history report found a total of 24 seperate lower limb injuries within the described timeframe. 16 associated with the right limb and 8 associated with the left. A total of 5 ACL injuries, 8 MCL injuries, 5 LCL Injuries, 3 meniscus injuries, and 3 ankle injuries. Conclusion: Asymmetry trends in collegiate wrestlers potentially indicate that internal joint asymmetry is specific to sport or activity. Also, internal joint asymmetry could be a potential indicator for training protocols for overall better movement and health within the studied population. Asymmetrical values of the peak knee adduction angle, peak knee abduction moment, and peak knee adduction moment combined with the frequency of knee injuries of the participants indicate possible positive correlations between the magnitude of asymmetry discovered and injury risk.

Authors: Anya Weglarz. Mentors: Melissa Watt. Insitution: University of Utah. AbstractBackgroundWomen living with HIV (WLHIV) commonly experience internalized HIV stigma, which refers to how they feel about themselves as a person living with HIV. Internalized stigma interferes with HIV care seeking behavior and may be particularly heightened during the pregnancy and postpartum periods. This thesis aimed to describe internalized HIV stigma among WLHIV giving birth, identify factors associated with internalized HIV stigma, and examine qualitatively the impacts of internalized HIV stigma on the childbirth experience.MethodsPostpartum WLHIV (n=103) were enrolled in the study between March and July 2022 at six clinics in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. Participants completed a survey within 48 hours after birth, prior to being discharged. The survey included a 13-item measure of HIV-related shame, which assessed levels of internalized HIV stigma (Range: 0-52). Univariable and multivariable regression models examined factors associated with internalized HIV stigma. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with pregnant WLHIV (n=12) and postpartum WLHIV (n=12). Thematic analysis, including memo writing, coding, and synthesis, was employed to analyze the qualitative data.ResultsThe survey sample had a mean age of 29.1 (SD = 5.7), and 52% were diagnosed with HIV during the current pregnancy. Nearly all participants (98%) endorsed at least one item reflecting internalized HIV stigma, with an average endorsement of 9 items (IQR = 6). The most commonly endorsed items were: “I hide my HIV status from others” (87%), “When others find out I have HIV, I expect them to reject me” (78%), and “When I tell others I have HIV, I expect them to think less of me” (75%). In the univariable model, internalized stigma was associated with two demographic characteristics: being Muslim vs. Christian (ß = 7.123; 95%CI: 1.435, 12.811), and being in the poorest/middle national wealth quintiles (ß = 5.266; 95%CI: -0.437, 10.969). Internalized stigma was associated with two birth characteristics: having first birth vs. having had previous births (ß = 4.742; 95%CI: -0.609, 10.093), and attending less than four antenatal care appointments (ß = 5.113; 95%CI: -0.573, 10.798). Internalized stigma was associated with two HIV experiences: being diagnosed with HIV during the current pregnancy vs. diagnosis in a prior pregnancy (ß = 5.969; 95%CI: -1.196, 10.742), and reporting experiences of HIV stigma in the health system (ß = 0.582; 95%CI: 0.134, 1.030). In the final multivariable model, internalized stigma was significantly associated with being Muslim vs. Christian (ß = 6.80; 95%CI: 1.51, 12.09), attending less than four antenatal care appointments (ß = 5.30; 95%CI: 0.04, 10.55), and reporting experiences of HIV stigma in the health system (ß = 0.69; 95%CI: 0.27, 1.12). Qualitative discussions revealed three key themes regarding the impact of internalized HIV stigma on the childbirth experience: reluctance to disclose HIV status, suboptimal adherence to care, and the influence on social support networks.ConclusionWLHIV giving birth in this sample experience high rates of internalized HIV stigma. This stigma was significantly associated with being Muslim, as opposed to being Christian, attending less than four ANC appointments, and reporting experiences of HIV stigma in the healthcare setting. Other factors that were correlated to higher levels of internalized stigma were socioeconomic status, parity, and timing of HIV diagnosis, all of which can impact access to and engagement in healthcare services during the intrapartum and postpartum periods. Internalized HIV stigma impacts the childbirth experience for WLHIV, making the labor and delivery setting an important site for intervention and support.

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: Michaela Lovejoy, Rylee Udom, Lindsey Fry, Hailey Roubidoux, Makayla Dunbar, Kali Hunt, Mandy Gibbs, Lisa Welch. Mentors: Lisa Welch. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Traditional dental radiography education necessitates the exposure of both clinician and patients to radiation to build clinician skill. Virtual reality (VR) may enable practitioners to learn valuable hands on skills without the use of expensive equipment and without patient or operator exposure to radiation. The purpose of the research is to determine if access to practice in virtual reality (VR) using a specifically designed application, builds skill competency in dental radiology compared with traditional practice methods. A convenience sample of 24 first year dental hygiene students at Utah Tech University were recruited and randomly assigned to the test and control groups. Test group participants were given access to a VR headset with a dental radiology skill practice application installed. Control group participants were given access to traditional dental radiography skill practice methods. To encourage participation, an incentive of a $10 Amazon gift card upon completion of the study was offered. Data will be collected via skill competency evaluation at two-months, mid-term grade scores and final grade scores from the participants’ dental radiology laboratory course. To increase internal validity and reliability, investigators responsible for skill competency evaluation will be blinded and undergo both intra and inter-rater reliability testing to 95% agreement. Upon completion of the Fall semester 2023, data will be analyzed using ANOVA repeated measures between factors accounting for the two independent variables of traditional practice and practice in VR and the dependent variables of competency assessment scores, mid-term and final clinical course grades. Alpha will be set at 0.05. Should it be determined that practice in VR contributes to student learning, VR may enable students to practice additional health science skills in a safe, low stakes environment; thus, increasing student experiential learning and contributing to increased student and patient safety.

Authors: Kade Robison, David Britt, Elizabeth Vargis. Mentors: David Britt. Insitution: Utah State University. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss, the most prevalent form of permanent hearing loss, worldwide. CMV treatment requires long term administration of nucleoside analog antivirals such as ganciclovir (GCV). Although ganciclovir effectively inhibits CMV, it also inhibits neutrophils, an essential component of the immune system, reducing optimal treatment duration. Previous studies have demonstrated that ganciclovir toxicity can be reduced while maintaining effective CMV inhibition by combining subtherapeutic doses of ganciclovir with quercetin, an FDA approved hydrophobic flavonoid with antiviral properties, solubilized with a mitochondria-targeting drug delivery vehicle, Poloxamer 188 (P188). Further efforts have been made to optimize the combinatorial ganciclovir with quercetin encapsulated in P188 (GCV-QP188) treatment by exploring the potential benefits of adding antioxidant vitamins to the GCV-QP188 treatment. One of the pathways by which CMV induces hearing loss is the generation of excess reactive oxygen species, specifically in the mitochondria. Current literature suggests that the toxic effects of the reactive oxygen species produced by CMV in the could be reduced via natural vitamin antioxidant treatments. Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, was the first antioxidant vitamin investigated due to its synergistic antiviral properties when paired with quercetin to treat SARS-CoV-2. Yet, the addition of ascorbic acid into the combinatorial treatment was more toxic than the existing GCV-QP188 treatment. Current efforts are concentrated on assessing the effect of selectively delivering hydrophobic antioxidants to the mitochondria of CMV infected mouse fibroblast cells as targeted antioxidant delivery will require lower antioxidant concentrations, reducing associated toxicity. The addition of hydrophobic antioxidants retinol and alpha-tocopherol, vitamins A and E respectively, delivered via mitochondria-targeting P188 to the existing GCV-QP188 treatment is being investigated to determine if it will significantly improve GCV-QP188 treatment efficacy.

Authors: Britt Wyatt, Alyssa Habel, Jess Cusick, Heath Ogden, Josh Premo. Mentors: Dr.Britt Wyatt. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Vaccines are crucial to maintaining healthy communities as they provide immunological protection against a variety of infections (Geoghegan, S. et al. 2020). By providing immunity, vaccines prevent serious illnesses, reduce disease severity, and protect communities. However, in 2019 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared vaccine hesitancy (resistance to getting vaccinated) as one of the top 10 dangers to global health (Dubé, Ève, et al. 2021). Previous studies have shown that certain communities are more vaccine hesitant than others. For example, individuals who are religious, conservative, Black, and women have been found to be more vaccine hesitant than other individuals (Savoia, E. et al., 2021) (Gowda C. & Dempsey, A., 2013). Therefore, we wanted to investigate vaccine hesitancy at an open enrollment institution that serves a unique student population where ~70% of students are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ~30% are non-traditional (over the age of 24) (UVU IR, 2023). Compared to the overall 1.6% of individuals in the United States who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Pew Research Center, 2023), the identities of the students attending the open enrollment institution are vastly underrepresented in education research that has been conducted at other institutions. To investigate vaccine hesitancy, a survey was given to 1,444 students in the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester asking questions around vaccine safety and support. Preliminary results indicate that 70% of non-religious students will choose to be vaccinated against known and new diseases compared to 37% of religious students. 53% of non-religious students think that vaccine mandates are appropriate compared to 25% of religious students. These results indicate more vaccine hesitancy with religious students compared to non-religious students. As religious students make up most of the student population, results can help inform instructors and/or other stakeholders on scientific literacy topics to support in the academic setting. Lastly, further investigation on the intersectionality of identities will be explored such as gender and religion as women make roughly 80% of health-related decisions in their family unit. If religious women are more likely to be vaccine hesitant, development of strategies to support those students in making evidence-based decisions could be a future aim.

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

Authors: Megan Sorensen, Lianna Olsen, Maleah Bowen. Mentors: Ryan Kellems, Cade Charlton. Insitution: Brigham Young University. This research explores how virtual reality can help children with autism. It explores the effects of an intervention using virtual reality to assess the usability of virtual reality for children with autism.There are more than 200 studies that show that video modeling is a viable way to teach students with autism various skills. Research has started to explore if virtual reality is also a successful way to teach students with autism similar skills. Different studies have been conducted regarding social skills and cognitive skills and how they can be taught using virtual reality. There is very little research about fine-motor skills and virtual reality for individuals with disabilities. Our research adds to that research, but specifically explores fine-motor skills and the feasibility of using virtual reality with children with autism. The study uses a single subject research design with 5-10 participants with autism. Before starting data collection, the participant completes a brief tutorial for how to use virtual reality. One tutorial is for how to use the controllers and the other is for how to use the hand-tracking feature that allows the participant to use their hands instead of the controllers. The study is an alternating-treatment design. The individual is given a specific task to complete using the playroom items found in the “First Steps” application on the Oculus Quest. For example, they are asked to stack blocks, throw paper airplanes, etc. They either complete the task using the controllers or with the handtracking feature based upon a random schedule and the latency of the trial is measured. The data compares hand-tracking and controllers and measures whether the participant is getting faster with every trial. It was hypothesized that the students will be able to learn how to use the virtual reality interface and that they will be able to generalize the skills learned to other settings and/or skills, and that the interventions will be viewed by the participant and parents as socially valid ways to learn. It was anticipated that the participant will get increasingly faster at completing the tasks for both hand-tracking and with the controllers. It was also anticipated that the rate of completing tasks with controllers will be faster than that of hand-tracking. Preliminary date has shown this relationship to be true. Future research will explore the specific practices of how virtual reality can be best used for children with autism.

Authors: Hannah Smith. Mentors: Jeff Parker. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The Arabic language uses a rich system of patterns called verb forms to create verbs with related meanings from roots made of consonants. For example, the root k-t-b, in form I, kataba, means ‘to write.’ When it appears in form II as kattaba, it means ‘to make someone write.’ In form III, kaataba, it means ‘to exchange letters,’ ‘to correspond’ (Wehr, 2019). There are ten commonly used verb forms, although not every root is used in every form. As Arabic has been exposed to English and speakers borrow verbs from English into their Arabic, they make choices about how and whether to integrate these foreign words into the verb forms. For example, the verb ‘to block (on social media),’ with the derived root b-l-k, is used in form II, ballaka, ‘to block.’ Other borrowed verbs, however, don’t get integrated in this way. Instead, they are used as a noun with a native Arabic verb, usually ‘amila, ‘to do.’ For example, English ‘to delete’ becomes ‘amila daliit, literally ‘to do a delete.’ This study aims to understand what factors influence when and how completely borrowings from English like these are integrated into the verb forms in Jordanian Arabic (JA) by interviewing university students in Amman, Jordan. The interviews are primarily focused on four forms in which borrowings in JA frequently appear (Salem, 2015). Initial data from a group of eight participants shows a general acceptance for the borrowings in their base forms, with much more variation in speakers’ intuitions regarding their usage in other forms. For example, all eight participants perceive ‘to block,’ ballaka, as a completely acceptable word used by most people. However, only two participants felt the same way about its counterpart form, taballaka, ‘to be blocked,’ whereas two other participants perceived it as something no one would ever use. Furthermore, some participants perceive verbs that rely on ‘to do,’ such as ‘to delete,’ to be in the beginning stages of integration, with three of eight interviewees stating that some of these verbs actually are acceptable in verb form II. Thus far, the perceptions of all the borrowings seem to indicate that speakers believe that integration of borrowed verbs is a gradual process. Furthermore, in addition to other factors, the extent to which the verbs are integrated in JA seems to be affected in large part by cultural perceptions of how foreign the verbs are, a factor that has not been noted in previous studies on the subject.