Fine Arts

Authors: Austen Miller, Josh Leon, Geoffrey Zahn. Mentors: Geoffrey Zahn. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Pando aspen grove in Central Utah is a remarkable organism comprising a clonal colony of Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) in Fishlake National Forest. While Pando has garnered plenty of attention, the role of the fungal microbiome within this clonal system remains relatively uncharted. This research project delves into the endophytic and epiphytic fungal communities inhabiting the leaves of this giant single organism. The clonal nature of Pando means that plant genotype is consistent across a broad area, allowing us to test hypotheses about how plant-associated fungi disperse and associate with their hosts. In particular, we are testing whether proximity to a forest edge affects foliar fungal community structure. This research will enhance our understanding of how forest patch size and location contribute to plant-fungus community formation. These findings may also have implications with the potential to affect the health and resilience of this aspen clonal colony, which could in turn inform conservation strategies and forest management in the face of environmental challenges and the shifting ranges of aspens and fungal symbionts.

Authors: Noah Christensen, Matt Olson. Mentors: Matt Olson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Geologic maps serve as a valuable tool with diverse applications, one of which is resource exploration. Understanding available resources in America is beneficial for enhancing energy security, environmental sustainability, and economic growth. As political discourse rises, it is crucial to address national security concerns and head towards short- and long-term goals of energy independence. Traditional geologic mapping is characterized by time-intensive and high-cost fieldwork, but through multispectral and hyperspectral remotely sensed imagery it is possible to instantly map extensive areas using unique absorption patterns of minerals in the reflected spectral signature of the electromagnetic spectrum. This study explores an intercomparison of mineral mapping using Hyperion (EO-1), ASTER, and AVIRIS imagery in the Marysvale Volcanic Field, Utah. The satellites and high-altitude aircraft were chosen due to their varying number of spectral channels, spectral ranges, and spatial resolutions, allowing for a cross-analysis of their strengths, weaknesses, and overall capabilities. While previous studies have utilized AVIRIS and ASTER imagery within the Marysvale Volcanic Field, no prior research has explored a comparison of mineralogical maps using these sensors at a specific location. All analysis will be conducted through open-source applications to promote accessibility in future research and reproducibility of image generation through the sharing of R code. This research will enhance our comprehension of the necessary spectral and spatial resolutions for generating accurate mineral identification. Published geologic maps and in-situ field samples were used to validate the generated maps. We expect to find one of two outcomes: a strong contrast in classified mineralogy depending on the image source used, pointing towards a need for higher spatial and spectral resolutions to achieve accurate mapping, or minimal variation in classification, indicative of an unnecessary number of spectral bands. Developing accurate and accessible mineral mapping tools may be the next step in strengthening our knowledge of resource availability, without the need for rigorous traditional mapping methods.

Authors: Olivia Frary, Carl Hjelmen. Mentors: Carl Hjelmen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Previous work has shown that there are significant differences in lifespan between sexes of the same species. Whether it is an XY or ZW system, the heterogametic sex dies earlier. There are thought to be many factors that contribute to the difference in lifespan between the sexes. This research aims to investigate this relationship further by digging deeper into the degree of differences between the heteromorphic sex chromosomes. We want to determine whether the degree of differentiation correlates with the lifespan differences in species. The comparison of total genome size between the sexes of multiple species are used to find the difference in the size of their sex chromosomes, which is then compared to longevity data on the species to determine a relationship. This genome size data comes from publicly available databases and literature. These comparisons are made using comparative phylogenetic methods in order to account for evolutionary relatedness utilizing a newly constructed phylogenetic tree. All analyses are completed in R and include PGLS (Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares) and measures of phylogenetic signal (Pagel’s lambda, Blomberg’s K). We will discuss the results of the comparative phylogenetic analyses and any patterns seen regarding longevity.

Authors: Brayden Roberts, Joshua Lothringer, Denise Stephens. Mentors: Joshua Lothringer. Insitution: Utah Valley University. We present theoretical model fits to the spectra of two complex cloudy L-type brown dwarfs, VHS 1256b (L8) and J0624 (L5). Using the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), we get the complete spectra from 0.6-28 microns. We first fit the data using two forward model grids from the Sonora group to estimate the temperature and cloud properties of our object. Then, we apply a modified retrieval fitting code called PICASO, to make more complex fits to our observations. We conclude that forward models struggle to accurately fit our objects, while PICASO’s complex modeling can help us better understand what physics and chemistry could be lacking from our forward models.

Authors: Kayla Knaperek, Megan Frisby, Geoffery Zahn, Alma Laney. Mentors: Alma Laney. Insitution: Utah Valley University. In February 2021, mycelial growth was found on blueberries, leading to the obtention of a fungal isolate using potato dextrose agar (PDA) after surface sterilization of the blueberries. The rapid growth of white mycelium and sclerotia was observed on the medium. Inoculation of basil plants with spores from surface-sterilized sclerotia in potato-dextrose broth resulted in necrosis and spreading in terminal buds, ultimately leading to plant death. Further isolation of the identical fungus from the diseased basil tissue confirmed its pathogenicity. Analysis of the isolate's ITS region sequencing revealed a 90% nucleotide identity to the closest relative, Botrytis cinerea. A project was initiated to further characterize the fungus, pathogenicity, life cycle, and morphological traits. The growth and development of the fungus were observed on V8, cornmeal, blueberry, and potato dextrose agars to characterize its nutritional requirements and growth patterns. Host range testing involved the systematic inoculation of various plant species (which were used as growth media), followed by careful symptom monitoring and photographed documentation. Additionally, Koch’s Postulates will be conducted to establish the causal relationship between fungal infection and the observed disease symptoms in the host plants. Seven days after inoculation, necrosis, wilting, and leaf discoloration were observed on select leaves of Lavender var. Oregano, suggesting possible infection by the blueberry fungus. Considering potential host plant immaturity during the initial inoculation, a re-inoculation is planned to ensure successful infection and to obtain conclusive results. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the pathogenic impact of the fungus on host plants.

Authors: Cori Bailie, Arlene Majers, Katherine Judge. Mentors: Olga Kopp. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Ever since antibiotics have been in use, bacteria have been evolving to develop resistance against them. Each year, the number of people who die from previously treatable infections increases, showcasing the seriousness of this global issue. According to the CDC, facilities were overwhelmed during the 2020 pandemic, decreasing antibiotic production. By refocusing on discovering and producing new antibiotics, resistance can once again begin to be combatted. Bacteria found in soil samples were used to test for antibiotic production, using safe relatives to the ESKAPE pathogens. Starting with three master plates on Tryptic Soy Agar, 39 total bacterial colonies were studied. Colonies of interest were then PCR tested for DNA sequencing, and will be run through multiple different chemical tests for classification. Results showed that three different colonies displayed antibiotic activity. Colony 7 on master plate A produced antibiotics against Bacillus subtilis. Colonies 6 and 13 on master plate B, both produced antibiotics against Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The results suggest that there are more soil bacteria to be discovered that may be able to produce antibiotics for common infections that are getting harder to treat. Further testing needs to be done to determine whether these colonies are safe for human therapy.

Authors: Allison Weston, Summer Snow, Sophia James. Mentors: Sarah Coyne. Insitution: Brigham Young University. As childrens’ minds develop, so does their language, however, the effect of media on language has yet to be firmly established. Our study searched for the effect of screen time on language development, and whether problematic media use (PMU) was a factor in normal or late development of language. Data was gathered from a sample (n=265) of 4 year old children using simple regression for problematic media use predicting language development while controlling for screen time. Although the correlation between screen time and language development has been studied, there is a gap in the literature regarding how PMU may relate to language development.

Authors: Joseph Price, Britton Davis, Alexander Jenks. Mentors: Joseph Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Modern data show a strong positive relationship between community-level average income and life expectancy in the United States. We compile a dataset including place of residence, lifespan, and a proxy for income for 27 million unique individuals from the 1900-1940 censuses. In contrast to the pattern in modern data, we actually find that individuals living in an enumeration district with the top quartile of our proxy for income experienced shorter lifespans than those living in the bottom quartile. We show that this negative relationship was largest in the 1900 census and slowly shrank over the next four decades showing how this negative relationship evolved to the positive relationship we see today.

Authors: Alexis Downey, Kylee Navin, Brice Page, Alyssa Franklin, Hannah Cluff, Julie Johnson Pynn. Mentors: Julie Johnson Pynn. Insitution: Southern Utah University. “Gender expression refers to the way a person expresses their gender identity through appearance, behavior, and interests” (Helgenson, 2020). Previous research has shown that clothing has been used as a form of self-expression and that this expression of self-perception is more important for cisgender women (Strubel and Goswami, 2022). Additionally, previous research has found that conservative beliefs predict generalized prejudice toward gender-nonconforming individuals (Prusaczyk and Hodson, 2020). Felt pressure from peers and the self has been found to relate with greater gender typicality (Jackson et al. 2021), which leads us to believe that images of others may influence comfort and conformity with one’s own gender expression. The purpose of our study is to better understand the effects of appearance and political affiliation on comfort and conformity with gender expression. Participants were exposed to one of two visual manipulations: images of gender-conforming individuals, and images of gender-nonconforming individuals. Participants were asked to complete the Comfort and Conformity with Gender Expression Survey before and after being exposed to the images. We predicted that viewing images of gender non-conforming individuals would decrease participants' comfort and conformity with their gender expression, while viewing images of gender-conforming individuals would increase participants' comfort and conformity with their gender expression. Results will be forthcoming. Gender identity and expression are evolving rapidly, and it is important to examine masculinity and femininity in relation to gender non-conforming individuals rather than just gender-conforming individuals.

Authors: Willow Norton, Kaleb Cox, Jaycen Sunderman, Jessalyn Warhurt. Mentors: Kirsten L. Graham. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Positive awe is a feeling of wonder, insignificance, reverence, etc., that is stimulated by man-made or natural events, objects, or circumstances. Monroy & Keltner list the five primary domains of awe as nature, spiritual engagement, music, dance, and psychedelics, but a scale determining the exact origin points of awe has not yet been developed. Upon researching awe more and determining that it is a universally felt emotion, we started looking at where awe may stem from, or what causes it. We have found that there are different types of awe, or that different populations may be able to feel it differently, but we could not find a measure of where it originates. In our study, we attempted to determine the sources from which people experience positive awe by developing the Positive Awe Origin Scale (PA-OS). While developing the PA-OS, we delivered our scale to five peers who tested the face value of our scale about readability and subject matter, and we then edited our scale based on the feedback we received. In the present study, participants will be recruited through social media and MTurk to complete an online survey, via Qualtrics. This survey will include likert scale items rated 1 to 5, with 1 being “strongly disagree” and 5 being “strongly agree.” Psychometric evaluation of results will include a confirmatory factor analysis and an internal consistency measure using Cronbach’s alpha. Discriminant validity will be measured as we correlate our scores with other, unrelated, scales included in the Qualtrics survey, which measure different constructs. Convergent validity will be measured as participants complete an awe subscale of the Dispositional Positive Emotion Scale (DPES). We anticipate that the PA-OS will help further identify the various sources of awe and lead to improvements in the research.

Authors: Kelsey Grimshaw, Julie Pynn, Kirsten Graham. Mentors: Kirsten Graham. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological illness, yet very little is known about it. Studies have found that stigma has created challenges for people with epilepsy in economic and social capacities (Walker, 2018). It is suggested that stigma surrounding epilepsy is due to a lack of awareness (Al-Dossari, 2018). A Qualtrics survey will be administered to a sample of Southern Utah University students to solicit their awareness of epilepsy and their perceptions of stigma regarding people with epilepsy. Additionally, interviews will be conducted with a second sample of people who identify as having epilepsy to discover their perceptions regarding awareness and stigma. The results of the two samples will be compared. It is hypothesized that the stigmas identified in university students will be consistent with experiences described in interviews of people with epilepsy. The findings from this study could aid in the normalization and destigmatization of epilepsy and other chronic illnesses in society.

Authors: Broden Lund, John Jones. Mentors: John Jones. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Pursuing higher education credentials involves a significant investment of money, time, and energy. For many, this investment fails to pay off when students abandon their studies prior to graduation. Identifying factors that influence persistence to graduation has thus been the subject of a good deal of past research. The aim of this ongoing study is to explore the interaction between motivation type, responses to failure, and self-efficacy, on persistence among students at different stages of their academic careers. Participants will be 100 college students currently enrolled at a mid-sized university in the United States. Participants will complete measures of academic motivation, coping strategies in response to failure, and self-efficacy. We predict that the further a student progresses the more intrinsically motivated they will tend to be, and that this shift in motivation will be accompanied by increasing reliance on problem-focused coping and increased self-efficacy. Our results have the potential to provide a more nuanced understanding of the role intrinsic motivation plays in student success. Implications for students, parents, teachers, and administrators will also be considered.

Authors: Joshua Parmley, Acacia Overono. Mentors: Acacia Overono. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Since its founding over a century ago, the American Psychological Association has adopted several distinct roles in its ongoing pursuit of legitimacy, stability, and growth for the field of psychology. Two of its most important roles include the establishment and enforcement of an ethics code and the standardization and development of undergraduate education. These two goals are related; the best way to uphold an ethics code is to ingrain that code into future researchers and practitioners. The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major 3.0, which lists the APA’s ideal learning objectives for undergraduate programs, attempts to do just that. In its section on ethics training, it places a great degree of responsibility on undergraduate programs to prepare students for a world of bad actors, exploitative systems, and ethical grey areas. To achieve this, the document recognizes that students must develop an ethical skill or proficiency, not just a knowledge of the codes and principles. Unfortunately, Guidelines recommendations for achieving that goal quickly become clouded, as the document wrestles with the various concerns about teaching ethics. Primarily, the Guidelines section on ethics seems conflicted about whether instructors should give students historical examples of psychologists and psychology systems engaging in unethical behavior The Guidelines expresses the concern that presenting students with examples of ethical failures by psychologists will distract students from the learning outcomes or lead them to view the field negatively and abandon it altogether. Accordingly, the APA tentatively recommends that negative examples be shared cautiously, alongside examples of the positive achievements of the field and ethical systems in place. Are the APA’s fears that blunt ethics courses could turn students away from the major valid? Or do the Guidelines recommendations put too little faith in their instructors and students? This study seeks to examine the validity of the APA’s concerns and the efficacy of their recommendations. One hundred and fifty Intro to Psychology students will be divided into three groups. Each group will be instructed in the principles of the APA ethics code using a) no historical examples, b) a balance of negative and positive examples, or c) several negative examples. Participants will then take a survey that measures their ethical proficiency, their memory of the material, and their confidence in the field of psychology. Measurement of ethical proficiency will be adapted from APA measurement tools. We predict that the group instructed with several negative examples, without balancing positive examples, will result in greater measurements of ethical proficiency, better recall, and a slightly lowered level of confidence in the field. We predict this based on the idea that reviewing negative examples in the instructional material will provide students with a specific model of ethical decision-making.

Authors: Matthew Stecher, Terungwa Iorkula, Matt A. Peterson. Mentors: Matt A. Peterson. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase (TRK) inhibition has become an effective therapeutic approach for treatment of a variety of cancers including soft tissue sarcoma, pilocytic astrocytoma, non-small cell lung cancers, colorectal cancers, glioblastomas, pediatric gliomas, papillary thyroid cancers, and secretory breast carcinoma. Despite the successful use of first-generation TRK inhibitors Larotrectinib and Entrectinib which have shown significant therapeutic response in patients, acquired resistance to these drugs has emerged and is creating serious barriers to maintaining long-term therapeutic efficacy. A common mechanism for acquired resistance is associated with the emergence of mutations. Hence, mutation-induced drug resistance continues to be a major challenge for both first- and second-generation TRK inhibitors. Here, we present the design of novel macrocyclic 3,5-diaminated pyrazolo[1,5-a] pyrimidine ligands with high potential for combating drug-resistant disease.

Authors: Danielle Alvarado, Kasidy Weber, Shannon Buckley. Mentors: Shannon Buckley. Insitution: University of Utah. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a critical role in cancer by regulating the degradation of key proteins involved in cell cycle control, DNA repair, apoptosis, and signaling pathways, making it a crucial mechanism for maintaining cellular homeostasis and preventingtumor development and progression. The expression levels of F-box ubiquitin E3 ligase, FBXO21, correlates with patient survival in several types of cancer, suggesting a role in tumorgenesis. We have previously shown silencing FBXO21 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines and patient samples leads to differentiation, slowed tumor progression, increased chemotherapy sensitivity, and altered cytokine signaling. Further, we found that FBXO21 ubiquitinates p85α, a regulatory part of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, for degradation resulting in altered PI3K signaling. Although PI3K inhibitors are used in cancertreatment, issues like off-target effects, dose-limiting toxicities, and resistance necessitate further research and development for optimized efficiency and minimal negative effects in targeting the PI3K pathway. To further understand the role of FBXO21 in cancer, we utilized shRNAs targeting FBXO21 in various cancer cell lines to identify the role of FBXO21 in cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and alteration of the PI3K pathway. The PI3K signaling pathway is initiated through p85α binding to the catalytic subunit, p110, leading to downstream AKT and mTOR activation. We found knockdown of FBXO21 stabilizes p85α, leading to dimerization of free p85 and decreased PI3K pathway activation. Therefore, we hypothesize that FBXO21 may function as a novel regulator of PI3K signaling, offering an alternative approach to PI3K inhibitors. Our findings suggest that FBXO21 may represent a novel therapeutic target acrossvarious cancer subtypes to target the overactive PI3K pathway. Targeting FBXO21 may enhance the efficacy of current therapies and provide potential benefits for improving patient outcomes in the treatment of cancer, including but not limited to AML

Authors: . Mentors: Jared Nielsen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Objective: This study examines the role of positive reframing as a strategy to mitigate suicidality and enhance positive emotions. Background: Emotional regulation difficulties have been identified in numerous psychiatric populations, potentially leading to stress, incarceration, and tragically, suicide. Amidst the rising rates of suicidality among at-risk populations, this study aims to investigate the pivotal behavioral factors influencing suicidal thoughts and actions in autistic and socially anxious populations. Methods: Our investigation employed a longitudinal ecological momentary assessment study to explore the impact of various emotional regulation skills on positive emotion, negative emotion, and suicidality. We recruited 95 participants, 72 of which met criteria for inclusion, to answer daily surveys administered through a smartphone app that tracked emotional regulation use, positive emotions, negative emotions, and suicidal tendencies over time. Results: Our results indicate that for the social anxiety group, enjoying the moment significantly affects positive emotions (E=2.14, p<.05), but this effect is not observed in the autism group. Furthermore, both groups demonstrated that accepting feelings (E=4.40, p<.001; E=2.63, p<.01) and acknowledging that feelings don’t last (E=1.69, p<.05; E=3.13, p<.001) significantly increased daily positive emotions. Conversely, hiding feelings significantly decreased daily positive emotions in the social anxiety group (E=-1.76, p<.05). Self-blame increased negative emotions in both groups by, on average, four points. Regarding the reduction of daily average suicide composite scores, accepting feelings emerged as a significant factor for both groups (E=-1.88, p<.01; E=-2.15, p<.001). On the other hand, using self-blame significantly increased average suicide composite scores for social anxiety, mirroring its effect on negative emotions (E=1.42, p<.01). Conclusion: Positively reframing one's emotions is associated with increased daily positive feelings and reduced daily suicidal tendencies. This research sheds light on the complex interplay between emotional regulation strategies and their impact on mental health and emotions in these at-risk populations.

Authors: Eliya Rodrigues. Mentors: Grant Corser. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Does an Insecure Attachment (Anxious and/or Avoidant) to God and the Contextual Perception of God (Belief that God’s Character is Consistent with what the Bible says about God’s Character) Affect Levels of Distress? People who identify as spiritual/religious that have an attachment to God are associated with having lower levels of depression, while people that have an insecure attachment to God, and a judgmental perception of God have higher rates of depression (Bonhag, R., & Upenieks, L. (2021). The purpose of this research is to investigate if there is a relationship between the style of attachment to God, the contextual perception of God, and levels of distress. The perception element of this research question will be analyzed through the contextual perception of God as defined in appendix D. Data will be collected using Qualtrics and will have three different scales (Attachment to God Inventory, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and Belief of the Character of God Through a Contextual Perspective) consisting of qualitative questions and a few open-ended questions regarding the subject. Data will be analyzed through correlational statistics on SPSS. It is hypothesized that a low score of an insecure attachment to God and regarding scripture in the bible as truth for God's character will decrease levels of distress. This research needs to be conducted because it could be a way for people to evaluate their own attachment to God; the way people view God could lead them to understanding that if part of the distress they experience in their lives is from their own perception and/or attachment to God.

Authors: Erica Webb, Joseph Price. Mentors: Joseph Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Blocking is a strategy used in machine learning to reduce the number of comparisons that need to be considered. In this paper, we develop a blocking strategy based on the characteristics of two people in the same household. We apply this pair blocking approach to link US census records and show that it dramatically reduces the number of possible matches to consider and can directly identify millions of unique matches at the blocking step. We apply our method to linking records for a few groups that have been harder to link using previous methods, including inter-racial couples and German-born Americans. Both of these are groups that have changed how they report aspects of their identity (race of birthplace) over time. Our approach allows us to dramatically increase the match rates for these couples across adjacent census years.

Authors: Leif Ravnsen

Authors: Megan Ritter Martin, Alley Fausett, Kristin Davenport, Malisa Brooks, Kent Hinkson. Mentors: Malisa Brooks, Kent Hinkson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. AbstractBackground: Present-day college students confront record-high levels of anxiety. In 2022, 36.9% of college students reported that anxiety affected their academic performance compared to 21.9% in 2015. This surge in anxiety presents a pressing concern. Prolonged anxiety poses a significant risk, potentially triggering various mental health challenges, including substance abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation and behaviors. Moreover, the adverse impact of anxiety on concentration and learning can result in academic difficulties that can persist throughout one’s life. Despite ongoing research, the correlation between anxiety and its influence on students’ academic performance remains inconclusive, primarily due to conflicting findings in prior studies within this domain.Methods: This study was designed to investigate the connection between academic achievement and anxiety, specifically in college students. A total of 1,359 University students from various US universities participated in this study from 2021 to 2022. Anxiety was measured by the General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) scale, and academic performance was measured by Grade Point Average (GPA) and other markers of academic performance. To investigate potential mediating pathways, zero-order correlations were used to analyze the relationship between variables of interest. Further, t-tests were used to examine differences in key variables among demographic groups (e.g., veteran status, gender, race, ethnicity, etc.).Results: There was no statistically significant relationship found between students' academic achievement and their degree of anxiety. However, several academic performance variables besides GPA had inverse associations with anxiety. Further, several deleterious academic activities (for instance, “turning in a paper or assignment late”) were shown to be moderately associated with anxiety. Considered together, these findings suggest that anxiety has a complicated relationship with the GPA of the student, but multiple pathways connect it to academic performance.Conclusion: The present study contributes to the current literature surrounding the relationship between anxiety and academic performance. While traditionally, research into academic performance often focuses solely on GPA, additional academic performance variables were explored, providing insight into other relationships of potential significance. This creates an opportunity wherein the field may be able to better understand and support students by recognizing the impacts that anxiety has on their academic performance. These results highlight how crucial it is to treat mental health issues to improve university students' academic performance.

Authors: Sage Wettstein, Kaicee Postler, Rachel Arocho, Julie Nelson. Mentors: Kaicee Postler. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Research has shown the efficacy of improving and strengthening family relationships through family life education programs (FLE; Darling, et al., 2019). The Stronger Families Project (SFP) at Utah Valley University (UVU) is a FLE program offered to the community to provide skills regarding communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and general family function (Stronger Families Project, 2023). The current study aims to identify qualitative themes of satisfaction among participants from SFP across three semesters, including Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Fall 2023. Qualitative data has been taken from satisfaction surveys administered in the final session of the program to determine the elements of the SFP program that have the most positive effects on families. Thematic analysis will allow for comprehension of the data in an aggregate form, with specific quotes to support identified themes. Implications for future research and practice will be discussed based on identified themes.

Authors: Gregory Skinner. Mentors: Yi Yin. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Materialism and consumerism have been linked to higher levels of loneliness, an increased focus on extrinsic goals, various social challenges, and lower overall well-being of individuals (Fumagalli et al., 2022; Pieters, 2013). Previous research has linked people with higher levels of consumeristic/materialistic values to a lower frequency of intrinsic and pro-social pursuits (Nurhajayanti, 2019; Sheldon & Kasser, 2018). The area of discussion has primarily often looked at relationships and societal-level challenges separately and has a limited assessment of platonic personal relationships. This study adds to this discussion by addressing the gap in more friendship-oriented relationships, looking at how the same set of individuals are affected in both personal and societal connections, as well as seeing how various individual factors, such as religious affiliation and socio-economic class may impact these effects. This research will use mixed research methods, including surveys and in-depth interviews, to see how individual attitudes toward consumerism relate to their behavior and values toward their immediate social circle and larger communities. The samples were gathered from among the United States population and were collected at random through the use of online collection methods. The participants were contacted through the use of snowball sampling as well as the use of online platforms which include SurveySwap and SurveyCircle to acquire representative samples. The survey data will be examined through the use of multiple regression analysis. The interview data will be reviewed through thematic analysis. The addition of this study will increase our understanding of not only how consumerism and materialism affect the individual’s well-being but also their capacity to meaningfully connect with their various communities.

Authors: Garrett Johnson, Tyler Free, Brad Bundy. Mentors: Brad Bundy. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer. Asparaginase treatment has greatly improved survival rates to 80%. Survival rates increase by an additional 10% when diagnostic treatment monitoring is used to guide treatment administration. Cell-free protein synthesis is a technology capable of detecting Asparaginase in human serum. However, RNases from human samples destroy CFPS activity. RNase inhibitor can be produced at a low cost by the CFPS system to rescue in-vitro protein synthesis activity to enable biosensing. This work reports our work toward developing an at home Asparaginase diagnostic that would enable personalized dosing of Asparaginase and further improve survival rates of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Authors: Emily Cherrington, Sam S Ingram, Chloe E Loveland, Ryanne Welch. Mentors: Olga Kopp. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Ocimum basilicum, commonly known as Genovese basil, is a frequently grown herb in the Lamiaceae family. It is used in food cuisines around the globe and is easily grown as a fresh-market herb for restaurants, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores. Basil has many antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties, but it is most commonly used as a culinary ingredient to add flavor to various dishes. Basil is very sensitive to cold, requiring well-draining soil with temperatures of 18°C to 27°C for germination. Consistent soil moisture is also necessary for optimum growth, and it prefers to stay moist to keep from drying out. In the face of global climate change, it becomes imperative to determine the adaptability of crucial agricultural crops -like basil- to varying nutrient levels in different substrate types across diverse environmental conditions. A plant's capacity to thrive in distinct substrates is intrinsically linked to the unique requirements of its seeds. The choice of substrate serves as the foundational element for cultivating healthy plants. This study centers on examining three pivotal aspects related to substrates: moisture retention, nutrient accessibility, and fungal growth. This led us to question whether the germination success of Ocimum basilicum differs depending on the substrate type. To test this question, we will plant Genovese basil seeds in four distinct substrate types: standard germination mix, 80/20 peat-perlite blend, compost-enriched soil, and an agar medium. Following their placement in the respective substrates, all seeds will be grown in a controlled growth chamber, subject to identical lighting conditions and a consistent temperature of 22°C to ensure uniformity across all treatments. At intervals of 1-2 days, diligent observations will be made to detect signs of germination. Once germination becomes apparent, we will meticulously document the results. Subsequently, this collected data will undergo analysis using the R Language. We anticipate that substrates rich in nutrients (specifically agar and standard germination mix) will exhibit heightened germination success. Investigating how substrate type affects the germination success of Genovese basil offers valuable insights with broad applications in horticulture and agriculture. It can enhance agricultural practices by pinpointing optimal soil choices for specific crops, increasing substrate efficiency to minimize resource wastage, and promoting sustainable and economical cultivation methods. Furthermore, this research contributes to a deeper comprehension of the environmental ramifications of crops and the diversity of crops in both controlled laboratory settings and natural environments.

Authors: Riley B. Jackson, Iris Cepeda. Mentors: Michael C Rotter, Kiara Whitley. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Roses (Rosa spp.) are beloved ornamental plants known for their flowers and for their formidable prickles, often referred to as thorns. These prickles are an important part of herbivore resistance in these plants. These mechanical defense structures can vary in shape and abundance and are found along the length of the stems and even the underside of leaves. Although the mere presence of these prickles can cause damage to potential herbivores they also may act as vectors for infectious microbes. Previous studies have shown that other piercing physical defense structures can harbor infectious bacteria, sometimes resulting in conditions such as gangrene, anthrax poisoning, or septic arthritis. This raises the question about their potential implications for human safety particularly when these plants grow in areas of high human use. While roses have similar sharp structures, it is currently unknown if they harbor any pathogenic or defensive bacteria. Our study explores and whether local roses (both native and non-native) have similar or distinct microbiomes and if they possess pathogenic microbes. Understanding these differences would enable us to shed light on ecological relationships between microbes and native versus non-native plants and health risks associated with rose prickle injuries.

Authors: Emmaline M Saunders, Michael A Stearns, Ami Ward. Mentors: Michael Stearns. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Tuolumne Intrusive Suite (TIS), Sierra Nevada, California, accumulated magmatic rock from 95 to 85 Ma. Ar-Ar biotite dates require that temperatures within the TIS remained above ~300°C until ~79 million years ago. The protracted thermal history resulted in five texturally and chemically distinct units that young towards the center and was recorded by chemical and isotopic re-equilibration of the minerals. Challener and Glazner (2017) demonstrated that amphibole phenocrysts from the Half Dome Granodiorite (Khd) experienced greenschist-facies metamorphism. Amphibole phenocrysts host abundant inclusions of biotite, chlorite, feldspar, titanite, epidote, and apatite, which are interpreted to have crystallized via breakdown of magnesiohornblende. Additionally, Al zoning suggests fracturing and subsequent healing of the amphibole crystals occurred at near- or subsolidus temperatures. New EPMA and LASS-ICP-MS analyses of texturally related amphibole, titanite, feldspar, and biotite from the equigranular Khd place limits on the timing of amphibole breakdown and contextualize the low-temperature re-equilibration of many of the major minerals in the rock. Most of the amphiboles analyzed contain 0.5–6 wt. % Al2O3 corresponding to actinolite compositions, while feldspar pairs record ~475 ºC apparent temperatures. Titanite grains (re)crystallized between 91–80 Ma and contain 25–825 ppm Zr, which correspond to apparent temperatures between 550–710 ºC (150 ± 50 MPa, aTiO2 = 0.5 ± 0.1). The distribution of Zr in titanites is bimodal with the majority having <200 ppm Zr. Titanites younger than 87 Ma have decreasing Zr content and titanites included within actinolite amphibole contain the lowest Zr content (25–50 ppm) and youngest dates (85–80 Ma). Melt-present crystallization of titanite began at ~91–90 Ma, followed by both near and subsolidus (re)crystallization from ~88–86, concluding with titanite growth via hornblende breakdown from 82–80 Ma. These data taken together with previous investigations provide a continuous record of the rock’s chemical evolution driven by incremental emplacement and subsequent episodic autometamorphism of the equigranular Khd, and critically, any inferences regarding magmatic processes in the TIS must first account for the metamorphic re-equilibration of the rock.

Authors: Ezra Wylie, Merrill Halling. Mentors: Merrill Halling. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Various parts of Cercocarpus ledifolius, or curled leaf mountain mahogany, was used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans for a wide variety of uses including tuberculosis, syphilitic sores, and venereal diseases. Symbiotic microorganisms, called endophytes, often produce these compounds for defense of the tree. Novel compounds have been found in plants which have demonstrated antibiotic, antifungal, or other biological activities. Endophytes were grown from various parts of the tree, including roots, stems, branches, and leaves. The bioactive compounds were isolated and identified using chromatographic and spectroscopic methods.

Authors: Annika Wood. Mentors: Michael Rotter. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Asteraceae is the most common plant family in Utah County, Utah. With over 79 genera and 238 species, it is also the most diverse family. Due to this substantial size and diversity, the genera of the Asteraceae have traditionally been placed into tribes. This confusing taxonomic situation has made the Asteraceae a noticeable but difficult group to identify. In particular the beginning botany students and non-technically trained citizens often can recognize the Asteraceae but have trouble distinguishing the many species. To help with this issue, we are creating a guide to the tribes and genera of the Asteraceae of Utah County. This key will provide a general view of which genera are connected and which are not. Knowing these patterns and differences could prove to be useful information for those who wish to know more about the fantastic plants that grow within Utah County. The course of action for creating these keys include research of the specimens in Utah Valley University's herbarium as well as other online herbariums. For the tribes we are specifically researching the distinct taxonomic classifications for each tribe individually as well as what connects them together. When those connections and distinctions are laid out in an understandable key, we will further create keys for each genera in the tribes. The end result we hope will be a useful and informative tool for identifying plants in the Asteraceae family.

Authors: Hayley Karns, Dylan Bryant, Noah Christensen, David Kirby, Sarah Marchant, Sarah Nicholas, Emmaline Saunders, Hannan Thomas, Nathan Smith, Dan Cavan, Daniele Ghiretti. Mentors: Alessandro Zanazzi. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Arthropods play a crucial role within terrestrial ecosystems by virtue of their substantial consumption of plant matter, their status as primary prey for various organisms, their function as key recyclers of organic material and nutrients in ecosystems, and their pivotal role as primary pollinators. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae, or “Carabids”) represent a prominent and highly diverse taxonomic assemblage among arthropods inhabiting temperate forest floors. Despite their significance in these ecosystems, little is known about their trophic structure and level. These knowledge gaps primarily arise from the limitations associated with traditional investigative methods. For instance, the observation of feeding behavior in carabids proves challenging due to their diminutive size and predominantly nocturnal foraging habits. These uncertainties hinder the attainment of an understanding of community structure and trophic interactions both within the arthropod realm and with the vertebrates in their ecosystem. As a result, this research aims to gain a greater knowledge of the trophic structure of carabids using 15N/14N and 13C/12C isotopic analysis. Ground beetles were collected using pitfall traps placed near Big Springs Park (Provo Canyon, northern Utah) in September 2023. The traps were made with two plastic cups: a smaller cup was suspended inside a bigger cup. The smaller cup was partly filled with vinegar to attract the insects whereas the bigger cup was partly filled with monoethylene glycol, a compound that has been shown to preserve the insects without affecting their isotopic composition. Insect samples were collected over a period of four weeks. The beetles were then cleaned with a 2:1 mixture chloroform and methanol, dried, ground in an agate mortar and pestle, and placed in tin capsules for the isotopic analyses. Once the results are obtained, mixing model analysis will allow us to estimate the proportions of different food items based on the stable isotope ratios of consumers and food items and on known fractionations. This knowledge will contribute to a greater understanding of trophic structures and carbon pipelines in local ecosystems of northern Utah, and to a better prediction of ground beetle response to ongoing global warming and the associated changes in forest environments.

Authors: Aaron Brown, Kimball Jardine, Nathan Schill, Courtney Webb, Joanne Guthrie. Mentors: Joseph Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Background: Many school districts consider meeting the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) sodium standards challenging. USDA national survey data indicate that in School Year 2014-15, 28% of lunch menus did not meet the standard. Entrees contributed the largest share of sodium, making their sodium content especially important.Objective: Assess variation in sodium content of popular entrees across a large national sample of school districts.Study Design, Settings, Participants: School menu data including item sodium content were obtained from 1149 school districts using an automated web scraping program.Measurable Outcome/Analysis: Menus were web scraped monthly between August 2022 and January 2023. Variation in sodium content of two popular entrees−pizza and chicken nuggets−was analyzed, with average sodium content compared across different regions in the US and also based on the per-pupil spending of the district.Results: There is statistically significant variation in entree sodium content between regions, with the South having the highest average level of sodium. The average sodium level is also highest in the districts that have the lowest per-pupil spending.Conclusion: Sodium content of popular entrees exhibits significant variation across school districts. This highlights the fact that districts could reduce the amount of sodium in their lunch entrees while still offering the popular entrees they serve.

Authors: Fiona Fox, Catherine Schumann, Cameron Monson. Mentors: Sarah Coyne. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Most often, research has looked at the negative effects of social media on mental health. The purpose of this study is to understand the interactions between social media usage and body image, and if there are any ways that social media has a positive impact on body image. This study surveyed children and youth ages 7-17 to gain insight on their social media use and different aspects of mental health. Social media preoccupation and mindfulness were both significantly correlated with body esteem, and a slightly significant correlation was found between positive social media use and body esteem. These findings suggest that mindfulness around social media usage can help mitigate the negative impact on body esteem that many youth experience. Parents can use these findings to have conversations with their children and teenagers about being mindful with social media use and avoiding preoccupation with it.

Authors: Jacalyn Richey, Hayley Pierce. Mentors: Hayley Pierce. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Good sleep habits and effective self-control are important components of successful functioning. Unfortunately, chronic sleep loss is a common concern in adolescence as both their autonomy and demands on their time increase. This loss of sleep impacts neural and physical development and is connected with increased mental illness, delinquency, and academic difficulties. Self-control may aid in the prioritization of sleep by curbing impulsive desires and improving decision making around adhering to bedtimes. This study drew on data from the Future of Families and Childhood Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) measuring self-control at age 9 and sleep outcomes at age 15 (N = 3,444; 48.7% female; 49% Non-Hispanic Black). Multivariable analyses indicated that self-control showed statistically significant relationships with social jetlag, falling asleep, and having a regular bedtime after controlling for several relational and economic factors. Improving childhood self-control habits and skills through modeling and instruction may lead to increased positive sleep outcomes, which may increase healthy development in adolescence and beyond.

Authors: Jacob Hutchings, Harrison Li. Mentors: Joe Price. Insitution: Brigham Young University. We examine the effectiveness of federal school nutrition policies and regulations; specifically, the recent transitional targets for sodium reduction announced in 2021. We performed web-scraping to gather over 5 million observations representing every U.S. state and over 2000 school districts and then constructed a weekly average of sodium served in school lunches by district. Using this data, we apply OLS regression with district fixed effects and find that the policy caused a significant, one-time reduction in weekly average sodium of approximately 220 mg. We further explore this result by looking at heterogeneous responses to the policy by political partisanship. We find that there is a significant, partisan response to the transitional targets. Lastly, we consider an adverse effect of sodium reduction by looking at potential sodium substitutes in school lunches. Contrary to expectations, our data shows a statistically significant correlation between decreased sodium levels and decreased sugar levels. To conclude, sodium reduction policies reduce sodium and other harmful nutrients but may be less effective across party lines.

Authors: Annabelle Crawford. Mentors: Celeste Beesley. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Women who run for office do not fit societal leadership expectations, which hurts their chances of being elected (Bauer 2020; Eagly and Karau 2002). Women who serve in male-coded positions face backlash for confronting issues that are incongruent with stereotypically feminine attributes (Davidson-Schmich, Jalalzai, and Och 2023). I theorize that social role incongruence is exacerbated for women who serve on male-coded legislative committees. Therefore, I predict that women who serve on male-coded committees are reelected less frequently than women who do not serve on male-coded committees. However, I propose that women with leadership roles on male-coded committees are members of the political elite and therefore will be reelected at rates similar to other legislators. This research will employ a census of female legislators from both houses of the U.S. Congress who began their tenure between 1993 and 2022, using data compiled by the Congressional Research Service. Whether a committee is male-coded or female-coded (or gender-neutral) will be determined based on whether men or women dominate the industry associated with the committee. Social role incongruence will be measured by analyzing public perceptions of female legislators during the time they served on a male-coded committee. I will use regression analysis to determine the effect of serving on a male-coded committee on a woman’s gender role incongruence. I will then compare the proportion of reelection races won by women who served on a male-coded committee to the proportion of races won by women who served on a female-coded or gender-neutral committee using difference in proportions tests. I will also compare the electoral success of women who held leadership roles on male-coded committees to the electoral success of other legislators.

Authors: Maggie Smith, Bryan L Koenig. Mentors: Bryan L Koenig. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Nationwide, Utah ranks 14th for suicide rates (CDC, 2021). To help prevent suicide, understanding suicidal ideation differences among certain populations such as sexual, ethnic, and racial minorities is important. One study found that LGBTQ+ individuals are three times more likely than non-LGBTQ+ individuals to attempt suicide at some point in their lives (di Giacomo et al. 2018). Religious background has also been connected to suicidality. Sterling and colleagues (2002) discovered that active LDS males aged 15–34 years have a lower risk of suicide compared with both less active LDS members and non-LDS individuals. Whereas some studies have samples of diverse ages and locations, research on suicidality among college students specifically in Utah is lacking. The purpose of the present research is to assess how demographic variables such as religious identity, biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and racial/ethnic identity are connected to suicidality at a regional university in the Southwestern United States, Southern Utah University. In this study, 1,397 SUU Students took at least one of two surveys that asked about mental health variables and demographics. Suicidal ideation was measured using the Suicidality Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire Revised (Osman et al., 2001). Results indicate that the more minoritized identities students had, the more likely they were to be suicidal. Other findings include that LGBTQ+ students were very likely to be suicidal, cisgender students were less likely to be suicidal, and female students were more likely than male students to be suicidal. Additionally, suicidality was lowest among LDS students and highest among non-religious participants.

Authors: Samantha Denbow, Katie Finlinson, Carley Grube, Joseph Johnson, Tanner Dougherty. Mentors: Kirsten L Graham. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Religious affiliation is rapidly declining (Engelman, 2019). Given that religions often perpetuate an in-group out-group dynamic, bidirectional prejudices can be seen between both people who are a part of and people who are not a part of religion (Jackson & Hunsberger, 1999). One explanation for this phenomena of leaving religion and increased prejudice is that there is a shift in attitudes towards religion. Attitudes affect behavior and may explain why people are leaving religion and becoming more prejudiced towards religious and non-religious groups. Our scale Attitudes Towards Religion (ATR) aims to measure attitudes towards religion to better understand why these cultural shifts are happening. We have defined attitudes as “a mostly enduring organization of thoughts, feelings, and behavioral tendencies directed towards objects, groups, events, or symbols” (Breckler, 1984; Hogg & Vaughan, 2005). Little research has been done to determine attitudes as a three part model (affect, cognition, and behavior) when examining religion. The current measures used to examine attitudes towards religion are less defined and fail to address the tripartite model of attitudes by relying more on affective and cognitive components of attitudes (Breckler, 1984). One such scale is called the Astley–Francis Scale of Attitude Towards Theistic Faith, which measures attitudes through affective items on a Likert scale. As demonstrated through this scale and others, many measures are also limited to attitudes of theistic, western religions, rather than encompassing nontheistic religions (Astley et al., 2012; Szydłowski et al., 2021). Attitudes are important to research because they impact daily choices in every individual’s life. Our study sample will be recruited through the Amazon Mechanical Turk survey platform and researchers’ social media pages. We predict our scale will measure attitudes towards religion to further inform current literature concerning religion and religious exit. We will examine reliability in our scale by testing Cronbach's alpha to ensure internal consistency. A small pilot group of 5 undergraduate peers reviewed the items for clarity, readability, and face validity. We then made changes to the items based on the feedback. Because our measure was developed according to a well-established tripart theory of attitude, a confirmatory factor analysis will be used to assess initial factor structure and how well our model fits the data. In addition, we will examine convergent validity by comparing the Astley–Francis Scale of Attitude Towards Theistic Faith with our scale. Discriminant validity will be examined by comparing other non-related scales that measure different constructs with our scale. With this information, further research can be done to understand the correlation between attitudes towards religion and religious participation/exit. The authors for this project are Samantha Denbow, Katie Finlinson, Joseph Johnson, Tanner Dougherty, and Carley Grube. This information will be presented in a poster format.

Authors: Sophia Dodge. Mentors: Alex Greenwald. Insitution: University of Utah. This project seeks to address the understudied presence of Gambel Oak acorns in the archaeological record of the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Southwest regions. While ethnographic data and historical records suggest that Native peoples in this area consumed some Gambel Oak acorns, their recognition in archaeological contexts has been limited. This study aims to assess the viability of methodologies for identifying macrobotanical acorn remains, shedding light on their utilization across different time scales, especially as fallback crops during resource shortages, such as climate shifts. Through experimental methods like burning, parching, and midden simulation we will determine how these methods impact the identifiability of acorns. The research holds significance for our understanding of past human responses to climate change and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous food sovereignty, providing valuable insights into sustainable food sources for the future.

Authors: Jared Barrot, Mackenzie Burr, Isaac Packer, Peyton Worley, Delaney Anderson, Jack Davis, Jeffrey Okojie, Ken Dixon. Mentors: Jared Barrott. Insitution: Brigham Young University. In cancer diagnosis, drug testing, and treatment, analysis is done almost exclusively on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples, a process known to cause chemical cross-linking, DNA fragmentation, and degradation. With the push for genetic testing and personalized medicine, cryopreservation of tissue samples has started to gain traction in the research community. We utilized FFPE samples and cryopreserved samples, extracted DNA, and compared the samples using three criteria: DNA purity, quality, and yield. DNA yield, measured on nanograms of DNA to milligrams of tissue basis, demonstrated a five times the yield in cryopreserved samples than in FFPE. DNA purity did not show significant differences between a cryopreserved tissue sample versus a FFPE tissue sample, confirming valid use of FFPE storage methods if purity is the only factor; however, DNA quality was significantly better in cryopreserved tissue samples, with nearly twice the DNA quality number (DQN) than FFPE samples demonstrated, with significant portions of longer base pair DNA fragments present, widening the range of molecular applications of the sample. These cryopreserved tissues provide higher DNA quality, a higher percentage of significantly longer DNA fragments, and increased DNA yield from individual samples, confirming that cryopreservation is a better option than FFPE when it comes to choosing tissue preservation and storage methods. More molecular assays and tests can be run, and smaller samples are necessary when utilizing cryopreservation, proving it to be a better option than the “gold standard” of FFPE, particularly in regards to cancer diagnosis, drug testing, and treatment exploration.

Authors: Ayana Srivastava, Gliceida Galarza Fortuna, Beverly Chigarira, Emre Dal, Chadi Hage Chehade, Georges Gebrael, Arshit Narang, Neeraj Agarwal, Umang Swami, Haoran Li. Mentors: Neeraj Agarwal. Insitution: University of Utah. The utility of ChatGPT in subspecialty consultation for patients (pts) with metastatic genitourinary (GU) cancer.Ayana Srivastava, Gliceida Galarza Fortuna, Beverly Chigarira, Emre Dal, Chadi Hage Chehade, Georges Gebrael, Arshit Narang, Neeraj Agarwal, Umang Swami, Haoran LiHuntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT;University of Kansas Cancer Center, Westwood, KSBackground:Cancer management requires a multidisciplinary approach, often requiring medical consultation from subspecialists. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like ChatGPT, it is hypothesized that these tools may help expedite the consultation process. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of ChatGPT in providing guideline-based sub-specialty recommendations for managing pts with metastatic GU cancer.Methods:In this single-institution, IRB-approved, retrospective, proof-of-concept study, pts with metastatic GU cancer over the past 3 years were screened. Those with at least one consultation referral to subspecialty clinics were randomly selected. ChatGPT 3.5 was given the most recent clinic note that triggered sub-specialty consultation. The AI tool was then asked to provide an assessment and plan. Two physicians independently assessed the accuracy of diagnoses made by ChatGPT and subspecialty physicians. The primary outcome was the consistency of ChatGPT recommendations with those of subspecialty physicians. Secondary Outcomes included potential time saved by using ChatGPT and comparison of medical decision-making (MDM) complexity levels between ChatGPT and subspecialty physicians.Results:A total of 39 pts were included. Their primary diagnoses included prostate cancer (51.3%), bladder cancer (23.1%) and kidney cancer (15.4%). The referred subspecialty clinic included cardiology (33.3%), hematology (17.9%), hepatology (2.6 %), hospice (10.3%), neurology (12.8%), pulmonary (15.4 %), and rheumatology (7.7%). The average waiting time for pts to be seen in subspecialty clinics was 44.9 days (SD = 42.4). Of 39 patient’s charts reviewed by ChatGPT, 30/39 (76.9%) had the same diagnosis with consultant sub-specialties. The average diagnoses made by ChatGPT were 8.2, compared with 3.4 made by sub-specialty physicians (p < 0.0001). The accuracy of diagnoses made by ChatGPT was the same, higher, and lower than human physicians in 10 (33.3%), 3 (10%), and 17 (56.7%) cases, respectively. Consistency of treatment plans between ChatGPT and physicians was found in 18 cases (46.2%). ChatGPT recommended additional workup in 32 cases (85.1%). The average number of words written in consultation notes by ChatGPT was 362.7 (SD = 72.9), which was significantly greater than subspecialty physicians (n = 224.7, p < 0.0001).Conclusions:These hypothesis-generating data suggest the potential utility of ChatGPT to assist medical oncologists in managing increasingly complex pts with metastatic cancer. Further studies are needed to validate our findings.

Authors: Jude Werth. Mentors: Alex Shcheglovitov. Insitution: University of Utah. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest brain tumor that affects more than 10,000 people a year. Unfortunately, our understanding of the mechanisms disrupted by GBM is extremely limited. We are unable to safely manipulate brain cells in live patients, and the complexity of human brain networks are difficult to recapitulate in animals. This study employs brain organoids, derived from induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), to model the impact of GBM on neural activity. Organoid batches, grown under normal conditions and co-cultured with GBM cells, were monitored using microelectrode arrays (MEA) to record power in frequency bands. Over time, drugs influencing neural activity were introduced. Significant behavioral distinctions were observed between control and GBM-cultured organoids. Under Bicuculline and Tetrodotoxin, power in GBM organoids exhibited dramatic changes compared to the minimal difference in control organoids. Conversely, 4-Aminopyridine induced increased high-frequency activity exclusively in control organoids. Correlating power in frequency bands with spike activity, this study provides insight on how brain tumors influence neural networks, furthering disease comprehension to eventually develop effective treatment for patients.

Authors: Amanda Kanno Davis. Mentors: Jerry Petersen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. In December of 1941, following the attack by the nation of Japan on Pearl Harbor, the United States experienced a period of anti-Japanese sentiment which was directed at both Japanese immigrants as well as Japanese-American citizens. The rhetorical theories of Aristotle, Lloyd Bitzer, Kenneth Burke, and Byron Hawke show that the United States government actively participated in the anti-Japanese hysteria of World War II through its use of propaganda, executive orders, and public proclamations. The result of this hysteria was the breach of civil liberties for over 120,000 Japanese people, approximately two-thirds of whom were American citizens. This research demonstrates the rhetorical methods employed by the U.S. government and examines modern-day concerns regarding the possibility of recurrence.

Authors: Joshua Booher. Mentors: Jacob Hickman. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Musicians in Northern Ireland described the space and community that they were actively trying to build in Belfast as “the Third Thing”. In Belfast, music has remained as an alternative third space to the sectarian dualism of Protestant vs Catholics. Since before the Easter Rising in 1916 Catholic Nationalists have fought to obtain sovereignty by establishing a United Ireland while Protestant Unionist fight to retain what they have obtained and defend king and country from Nationalist siege. Their opposition to each other fueled The Troubles in Belfast. Since signing the good Friday agreement in 1998, active tension between these communities still creates further divides and oppositions toward their counterparts. The Good Friday Agreement ostensibly marked the end of the Troubles by providing equal sovereignty to both sides. In Belfast, music has played a significant role in anti-sectarian thirdness. Punk fostered this thirdness within the conflict of the Troubles through its references by way of its anti-sectarian framework. In contemporary Belfast, the residual punk scene now serves as one genre of many in the broader music scene. This music scene has now been self proclaimed as this “third thing” which pushes back on implosive sectarian frameworks between Catholic and Protestant communities.

Authors: Ellie P. Evans, Mmadili Ilozumba, Sheetal Hardikar, Neli Ulrich, Jennifer Ose. Mentors: Mmadili Ilozumba. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Cachexia is a complex syndrome characterized by severe weight loss and muscle wasting. It is also a prevalent complication in various chronic diseases, including cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Recent research has underscored the pivotal role of the gut microbiome in systemic well-being. Furthermore, it has been shown that cancer patients suffering from cachexia have unique bacteria composition in the gut compared to that of non-cachectic patients. In the absence of stool samples, there are a few metabolites in the circulatory system that can be directly linked to gut microbiota. Examples include bile acids, and short chain fatty acids as metabolites produced by specific Phylum. The presence of these gut microbiota derived metabolites (GMDM) in the circulation indicate a compromise in the integrity of tight junctions in the intestines. These results prompted an investigation of GMDM as an indicator of gut permeability. Our hypothesis is that an increased concentration of GMDM in the circulation is linked to gut permeability, leading to the development of cachexia in patients with colorectal cancer.  This literature review provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between gut permeability and cachexia, seeking to identify which GMDMs are the most accurate indicators of specific bacteria linked to gut permeability, and subsequently, are accurate projectors of cachexia.  Acetic acid, a short chain fatty acid (SCFA) is a GMDM detected in the plasma of patients with gut permeability. Acetic acid makes up about 60% of the SCFAs produced by a healthy gut flora and 90% of it is produced by the genus Bifidobacterium. Our literature review will cover how closely a measurement of acetic acid and other GMDMs measured in plasma can be linked to gut permeability and to Bifidobacterium levels in the gut. Similarly, Indole is a GMDM produced by Escherichia coli and other indole-producing bacteria. Indole isn’t produced naturally anywhere else in the body. When it is naturally absorbed into the liver through the portal vein, it’s mostly converted into indoxyl sulfate. The heightened presence indole in plasma in sulfate-free forms could indicate that indole is being absorbed through holes in the tight junctions of the intestines, rather than through the portal vein. This information would allow cohorts that have collected plasma samples in the past to measure gut permeability by proxy, even if they’re unable to investigate the gut microbiota and metabolites present from stool samples. These connections found could further help us to use-already collected samples to find accurate biomarkers for early cachexia development in cancer patients. If an oral presentation is unavailable, a poster presentation would be great.

Authors: Isabella Scalise. Mentors: Conan Kinsey. Insitution: University of Utah.

Authors: Maria Balaceanu, Dannelle Larsen-Rife, Tara Caplin, Peg Bird, Grace Carsey, Tiffanee Suhaka. Mentors: Dannelle Larsen-Rife. Insitution: Utah Tech University. Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding how early experiences with caregivers influence individuals' emotional and relational development throughout their lives. In addition to understanding how an individual interacts with close others, attachment predicts relationship satisfaction (Gardner et al., 2020). Individuals with secure attachments demonstrate greater adaptability in coping and regulating their emotions, leading to improved socio-emotional well-being. In contrast, those with insecure attachment styles tend to encounter difficulties in socio-emotional adjustment (Gardner et al., 2020). This study will examine how insecure attachment is associated with romantic relationship dissatisfaction, specifically those lasting five years or longer. We focus exclusively on romantic relationships lasting five years or more because in adult relationships, each partner serves as an attachment figure for the other (Diamond et al., 2008). Therefore, spouses have the potential to increase each other's attachment security. This means an initially insecure individual can develop earned secure attachment with their spouse's support. Approximately 300 diverse participants over the age of 18 will be recruited for the study. The Relationship Structures Questionnaire (ECR-RS; Fraley et al., 2011) will assess insecure attachment. The Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988) will assess satisfaction. It is expected insecure attachment will be correlated with lower relationship satisfaction with a romantic partner of five years or longer. Results of the analyses will be presented.

Authors: Kacey Rowe, Rachel Arocho, Allison Ensign. Mentors: Rachel Arocho, Allison Ensign. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Mental health amongst IBD patients is often overlooked and forgotten when they are dealing with their personal physical symptoms. There is little research on the benefits of social support for IBD patients. In online forums, it appears some IBD patients report feeling depressed and having negative thoughts about living life on a day-to-day basis. Indeed, prior research has found associations between IBD and mental health; for example, one study found that 17.3% of IBD patients had lifetime suicidal ideation, which is much higher than the general population at a 4.0% rate (Xiong et al., 2022). Another study did physical and mental exams and found on average, people with higher depression symptoms were six times more likely to have their disease be more active (Marrie et al., 2021, para. 16). Due to the high rate of depression, it would be beneficial to design a website to track symptoms and create online forums giving people the opportunity to connect with peers who have IBD. IBD can drastically affect a person’s life, even in a mild case. According to the CDC, IBD is estimated to affect 3 million US adults, a little over 1% of all Americans (Xu et al, 2018). Few people in the 1% category who struggle with IBD have connected online with others who are experiencing the same autoimmune disease. Although prior research has identified the association between physical IBD symptoms and mental health, little has been proposed to help these patients. Our goal is to create a form of social support for people who have been diagnosed with IBD. For 30 days, we will take 20 participants and have them record their symptoms and thoughts through quantitative and qualitative data. To do this, the participants will be asked to use a website which we have created from scratch. They will be using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ). The PHQ-9 will be used to check in on mental health, while the SIBDQ will focus on the physical symptoms of IBD. Each week, they will participate in forums on the website, which will allow them to connect online and anonymously with others who share their experiences. At the start of the month, daily throughout the study, and at the end of the month, participants will report on their health symptoms through a combination of the measures named above and short tracker questions. (Note: Project is still under IRB approval, we aim to start participants by the end of the year.)

Authors: Cassandra Nelson, Braden Richards, Grace Van Buren, Fernando Gonzalez, Ian Kirkpatrick, Paul Dunn. Mentors: Paul Dunn. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Many organisms experience a life history pattern called ontogenescence, a high but declining mortality risk during early life. Ontogenescence can have a large effect on a population’s growth by limiting the number of new recruits to the population. Clearly, and yet paradoxically, death before reproductive maturity should be selected against, yet ontogenescence persists across many otherwise dissimilar organisms. Some intriguing hypotheses to explain this pattern have been proposed but have not been thoroughly tested. One of these hypotheses, acquisition of robustness as a function of age, is perhaps the most intuitive. The goal of our current research is to examine the validity of this hypothesis by using brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) as a model organism.Tracking life-history traits like ontogenescence often requires the researcher to be able to follow an individual throughout its lifespan. In aquatic invertebrates, this means culturing animals individually, which can be quite difficult. Here we report on progress we are making with these culturing methods by testing how food availability and variety affect the early life mortality and development rate of brine shrimp in small-volume culture. Our null hypotheses are that neither of these variables will affect mortality or age to maturity in the animals. Our alternative hypotheses are that increased food availability and variety should lower mortality risk and age to maturity. To test our hypotheses, we hatched brine shrimp cysts in artificial seawater and placed individual artemia into wells of 6-well cell-culture plates filled with artificial seawater. We fed the shrimp one of several food treatments to see how diet affects development and mortality. In our first round of trials, we provided our animals with two different food concentrations (high food vs. low food) of the three food types we evaluated: a unicellular alga (Nannochloropsis), a cyanobacterium (Spirulina), and brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). In our second set of trials, we provided the shrimp with less variety in their diet (only two of the three food types). As the artemia developed, we conducted regular water changes and monitored development and mortality. We tracked the fate of the artemia until all individuals had either died during development or reached adulthood. Our food availability trials resulted in no significant difference in either mortality risk during development or age at maturity based on food concentrations. Trials examining the effects of limiting the variety of food types are ongoing.

Authors: Noah James, Rebekah Hakala, Todd Spencer. Mentors: Todd Spencer. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Relationship Among Attachment Styles, Couple Satisfaction, and Perceived StressNoah James, Rebekah Hakala, Todd SpencerIntroductionAttachment styles play a pivotal role in romantic relationships. According to existing research, individuals with fearful, dismissive, or preoccupied attachment styles tend to experience elevated stress levels (Candel & Turliuc, 2021; Waring et al., 2019). Conversely, those with secure or preoccupied attachment styles report greater relationship satisfaction (Candel & Turliuc, 2021). By exploring the relationship between attachment styles, stress, and relationship satisfaction we hope to foster healthier relationships and deepen our understanding of the interaction between attachment orientations and emotional well-being (Candel & Turliuc, 2021; Waring et al., 2019).AnalysisThe purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship among attachment styles and couple satisfaction and stress. Our sample consists of 411 married individuals. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale - short form (PSS-4; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991), and Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI-4; Funk & Rogge, 2000). Results of the one way Anova were significant F (3,407) = 10.48, p=<.001. There was a significant difference in levels of relationship satisfaction among attachment styles. Secure attachment (M=15.66, SD = 2.44), fearful attachment (M=14.09, SD = 3.30), preoccupied (M=15.75, SD = 2.35), and dismissing (M=14.05, SD = 3.54). Results of the Bonferroni Post-hoc analysis indicated a significantly higher levels of couple satisfaction than fearful and dismissing attachment styles (p.<.001). There was no significant difference in level of relationship satisfaction between Secure and preoccupied attachment styles. Additionally, there was a significant difference in levels of perceived stress among attachment styles. Secure attachment (M=11.79, SD = 2.47), fearful attachment (M=13.91, SD = 2.55), preoccupied (M=13.20, SD = 3.35), and dismissing (M=11.81, SD = 3.54). Results of the Bonferroni Post-hoc analysis indicated a significantly lower levels of stress among securely attached compared to fearful and pre-occupied attachment styles (p.<.001). There was no significant difference in level of stress between Secure and dismissing attachment styles. Results provide empirical support that secure attachment styles tend to be beficial for both relationship satisfaction and perceptions of stress. Further, dismissive attachment styles reported similar levels of stress as securely attached participants but had the lowest level of relationship satisfaction.

Authors: Rebecca Burton. Mentors: Doug Tree. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Programmable control of colloidal particles is important in various micro and nanoscale applications, including dynamic materials, targeted drug delivery, and nanorobotics. Current top-down manipulation methods, such as optical tweezers, offer control over a limited number of particles, restricting their applicability. Alternatively, active matter demonstrates self-assembly of numerous particles, exhibiting intriguing phase behavior such as clustering and collective rotation. However, active matter is more difficult to control. In this study, we hypothesize that introducing a controllable and chemically active "herder" particle to an active matter system will enable us to combine the precision of top-down control methods with the natural collective behavior of active matter. Specifically, we employ 2D Brownian Dynamics simulations to model the dynamic interactions among active Brownian particles. The herder emits a chemical gradient, causing a direct effect on the self-propulsion of surrounding particles. Localized alterations in reactivity result in a distinct phase transition near the herder. By focusing on the collective state of the particle system rather than individual particles, we attain a substantial scaling-up of user control over colloid behavior.

Authors: Kathryn Hales. Mentors: Sarah Steimel. Insitution: Weber State University. College students are exposed to a lot of stress, and it can impact their college experience and success. This mixed-methods study helps explain how current Weber State students’ communication with faculty is affected by stressors. Students responded to a survey we created by compiling questions from four existing studies. They answered questions on how they experience and respond to stress and how they communicate in the classroom. Interviews were also conducted to gain a more in-depth understanding of what instructors do, and whether it is helpful or not for relieving stress in the classroom. The results show statistical evidence of a relationship between stress and the type of communication students will engage in with their instructors. Instructors’ preparedness and style of communication also influences a student’s willingness to participate and communicate with their instructor.