Fine Arts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Authors: 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: 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: Alexa Bailey, Sophie Daines, Joshua Bennett, Carlos Moreno, Scott Weber. Mentors: Scott Weber. Insitution: Brigham Young University. As the understanding of cancer pathophysiology continues to increase, there is an increased focus on the role of T cells in targeting cancerous cells and tumor sites. Recently, it was demonstrated that CD5, a transmembrane glycoprotein found on T cells, plays a key role in negatively regulating T cell activity. CD5 also significantly impacts T cell metabolic profiles by increasing oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and extracellular acidification rates (ECAR). We are now investigating the role of CD6, a related membrane protein found on T cells, and its effect on regulating T cell proliferation and metabolism by measuring the proliferation rates and metabolic profile of T cells from a CD5/CD6 double knockout murine model. Because tumor microenvironments are vitally important in determining the immune system’s response to cancer, differences in metabolism may yield new insights for developing immunotherapy techniques.

Authors: Benjamin VanDreew. Mentors: Kal Munis. Insitution: Utah Valley University. America as we know it today is politically very polarizing, divided, and full of misinformation. In this climate, buzzwords have become as prominent as ever either being spouted by politicians or news outlets or even trickling out to the public. In 2023 the word “woke” became a popular buzzword and is used in all sorts of contexts. So much so that in a lot of ways “woke” has lost any of its original meaning that was trying to be conveyed. In this study, I am out to discover what “woke” really means to Americans from all different walks of life. We have set up a conjoint list experiment that will be sent out in the form of a survey featuring randomized options. We will be able to get a better look at what aspects of American life people feel are the most “woke” and help define what the buzzword really means. This research will give us a deeper look into modern American culture and help provide clarity to this polarizing subject.

Authors: Travis Christensen, Geoff Zahn, Alma Laney. Mentors: Alma Laney. Insitution: Utah Valley University. In July 2022, green cabbage plants (Brassica oleracea) were observed with severe viral symptoms in a local community garden in Utah County. These plants were observed to be covered with cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae). Symptoms observed on the cabbage plants included yellowing, necrotic lesions, and brittle necrosis of the leaves. These symptoms have been found to be transmissible by the cabbage aphid to broccoli, cabbage, and kale, although symptoms are delayed in kale. Work is being done to find other transmissible plants within the brassica family. Sequencing of RNA yielded no results, however, amplification of viral DNA via rolling circle amplification (RCA) has yielded positive results. A sample obtained through maintenance of the virus and cabbage aphid is currently being subjected to RNAseq using the NovaSeq Illumina platform. Through several virological methods we are able to conclude the presence of a putative geminivirus transmissible through cabbage aphid in our affected plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an aphid-transmissible DNA virus of brassicas in Utah. Further work is being done to further identify, classify, and build the genome of this specific virus using Illumina sequencing.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Arahi Perdomo, Brooklyn Moore, Erin Kerr, Hula Santiago, Kylie Kay, Sarahi Joyner. Mentors: Krista Ruggles. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This research initiative centers on the experiences and learning outcomes of preservice teachers (PSTs) from Utah Valley University who volunteer to teach in the San Juan School District (SJSD) and the Navajo Nation. Our primary aim is to understand how this cross-cultural teaching experience shapes their future teaching practices, perspectives on diversity, and inclusion in education.Preservice teachers play a critical role in the future of education This study examines how their participation in a unique cultural context can enhance their preparedness as educators. By engaging in volunteer teaching assignments within the Navajo Nation, these students gain exposure to diverse cultural backgrounds; fostering cultural awareness and sensitivity.We seek to show the transformative impact of this experience on their personal and professional growth. Through interviews and observations, we will explore the challenges and opportunities faced by preservice teachers and how this experience influences their teaching philosophies and aspirations.Our ultimate goal is to determine how such immersive experiences can contribute to the development of culturally responsive pedagogy. We believe that these preservice teachers, with their enriched perspectives, can become advocates for diversity and inclusion not only within their classrooms but also within the broader educational landscape and society.This research holds the potential to inform teacher education programs and policy discussions regarding the value of cross-cultural experiences in teacher preparation. By shedding light on the impact of volunteer teaching in the Navajo Nation, we hope to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on fostering more inclusive and culturally aware educators, ultimately benefiting students and society as a whole.

Authors: Chance Witt, Devan Hill. Mentors: Jianlong Han, Seth Armstrong, Sarah Duffin. Insitution: Southern Utah University. We study the steady state solutions of a Lotka-Volterra model with crowing effects when delta=2. A nonstandard numerical scheme is proposed, and numerical experiments predict the long term behavior of the numerical solution.

Authors: Webster Madison, Oldroyd Kristina, Shubert Jennifer. Mentors: Shubert Jennifer. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Recent societal events have become benchmarks for understanding how young people interpret and engage with broader social issues. For example, the 2016 election revealed a heightened awareness of systemic racism, inequity, and oppression among youth disapproving of Trump’s presidency, with Latinx groups in particular demonstrating awareness of racism and discrimination across marginalized groups.Furthermore, the Supreme Court’s historic decision to overturn Roe v. Wade ignited nationwide discourse on social issues such as women’s reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, with some interpreting the ruling as perpetuating systemic oppression, a form of cultural imperialism and power imbalance, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups’ access to safe and legal abortions. This study utilizes Young’s (1990) multifaceted oppression framework to investigate how emerging adults demonstrate awareness of oppression in interpreting and responding to societal events.Data came from 104 undergraduate students (Mage= 21.74; 72% Female; 91% White) identifying as conservative, moderate, or liberal. This study collected data from a longitudinal sample through a Qualtrics survey distributed within hours of the Supreme Court decision. Participants responded to open-ended questions regarding their feelings, views, and potential changes in attitudes and behaviors due to the overturn. By applying a coding scheme based on Young’s framework to the narrative responses, evidence of all five dimensions of oppression emerged. Intriguingly, marginalization (i.e., limiting full participation in society) constituted the most prevalent theme, appearing in 52 responses opposing the overturn and 10 supporting the overturn, followed by powerlessness (i.e., inability to make decisions regarding oneself), arising in 40 opposing and 22 supporting narratives. Next, 37 opposing and 33 supporting responses highlighted cultural imperialism (i.e., valuing and enforcing dominant cultural norms). Then, 38 opposing and 8 supporting responses expressed violence (i.e., intentional harm or threat). Finally, only 22 opposing and 8 supporting responses illustrated exploitation (i.e., systemic transfer of resources). These findings suggest that participants across the political spectrum expressed complex reactions to the decision’s ramifications. Evidence of all five facets of oppression in participants’ narratives may shed light on the potential for heightened critical consciousness among individuals navigating the complexities of a post-decision landscape. Further theory building is necessary to understand how young people develop a critical awareness of significant social events and their impact on critical consciousness. Moreover, these findings establish a foundation for advancing critical consciousness theory, particularly concerning period effects and the development of awareness regarding structural privilege, oppression, and inequity.

Authors: Ian Macapagal. Mentors: Joshua Price. Insitution: Southern Utah University. The issue of suicide in the United States constitutes an increasingly concerning economic and public health issue, given the observed rise in suicide rates in recent years and the societal costs incurred by suicides. This paper focuses on the incidence of suicides by firearm, given firearms’ comparatively high usage and lethality in suicides, and investigates the effects of mandatory waiting periods for firearm purchases on the incidence of suicide. Such purchase delays theoretically provide a “cooling off” period, temporarily denying impulsively suicidal individuals the means to commit suicide. This study employs multivariate regression analysis to isolate the effects of having state-level mandatory waiting periods for firearms purchases, as well as the length of such periods, on state-level suicide mortality rates. This analysis is conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of these policies in reducing firearms-related and total suicides, in addition to the extent to which suicidal individuals respond by substituting firearms for other methods.

Authors: Cate Miller, Tyler Free, Brad Bundy. Mentors: Brad Bundy. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Diagnostics are an essential tool in the treatment path for many different types of cancer. They are used to determine the progression of cancer treatment and are critical to increase survival rates. The most common diagnostics are often too expensive or sophisticated to be used on a widespread scale. Using a cell-free protein synthesis system to create a biosensor as a diagnostic can drastically decrease costs, increase convenience, and increase survival rates. We previously engineered low-cost CFPS systems to detect glutamine which would be useful for low-cost biosensing of clinically relevant glutamine concentrations. This work reports our progress in optimizing the CFPS glutamine biosensor for improved performance.

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: 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: 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: Alexandra Osmond, Samantha Stabler, Sara Knowlton, Sam Chipman, Brock Kirwan. Mentors: Brock Kirwan. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Memory discrimination refers to the ability to distinguish between different memories or experiences based on their unique characteristics or details. The Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST) is a variant of a recognition memory task that assesses memory discrimination by asking participants to encode a series of objects in long-term memory and later discriminate between targets (repeated items), lures (similar but not exactly the same as previously seen items), and foils (novel items). The similarity of targets and lures is systematically varied resulting in five similarity levels (L1-L5). The goal of our research was to determine if individuals retain memory discrimination abilities after different periods of time exceeding 12 hours. Study recruitment was done on Brigham Young University campus for 18-25 year olds with no known neurological conditions (ADHD, major depression etc.). Thirty participants were tested in each group and they were asked to complete an immediate test. They were then asked to return to the lab for a second test after a 1-day, 3-day, or 1-week delay.Our results showed that the 1-week delay of the MST eradicated an individual's ability to discriminate between the lures of varying similarity. At a 1-day delay, individuals did lose some memory discrimination ability, but were still able to recognize the more distinct lures.

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: Mikel Cressman, Jackie Richey, Dantzel Petersen Hancey, Bianka Geraldo, Kayden Barlow, Ainsley Lumsden, Olivia Hubble. Mentors: Patrick Steffen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Heart rate variability or HRV is a measure of the amount of time between a person’s heartbeats and is related to their physiological response to stress. Social support is an important component of positive health outcomes and plays a part in mediating distress. More research is needed to better understand the connection between HRV, social support and distress. We hypothesize that those with low baseline HRV will have higher distress scores and lower social support than those with high baseline HRV. We also hypothesized that someone with high distress and high social support will have higher HRV than those with high distress and low social support. In this study, social support was measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), distress was measured using the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS), and baseline HRV was measured using a NEXUS biofeedback device using ECG leads on the collarbones and left rib. Our sample consisted of 236 college students (17-28 years old; 57.6% female; 85.9% white) drawn from an online recruiting software and student development classes. For the first hypothesis, we will use a MANOVA to compare both low and high HRV baseline with mean MSPSS and CCAPS scores. We will use an ANOVA to compare differences in HRV between those with high MSPSS and high CCAPS scores to those with low MSPSS and high CCAPS for the second hypothesis. We expect to find that those in the lower HRV group will have higher CCAPS scores and lower MSPSS scores when compared to the high HRV group. We also expect to find that participants in the high CCAPS and high MSPSS group will have a higher HRV when compared to the high CCAPS and low MSPSS group.

Authors: Elizabeth Smith, Melissa Chavez. Mentors: Jared Neilsen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Suicidality is a growing public health issue, especially in a neurodiverse population. Suicidality rates are higher among a sample of people with ASD (Demirkaya et al., 2016). While the full causes of why people with ASD tend to be more suicidal are unknown, there are people who are trying to address this with different treatments. Some of the treatments that are being used work in neurotypical people. However, there is a lack of treatment use for those of nuerodiverse populations. One of the areas that we know decreases suicidality is talking about it more, which is contrary to the prevalent myth that talking about suicidality increases rates of suicidal tendencies (Dazzi et al. 2014). Knowing that suicidal tendencies are decreased by talking about suicide, we set out to answer the question: Is the same true for neurodiverse populations who are at more risk for suicide? We recruited a total of 72 participatns, 27 from the ASD community, 20 with social anxiety, and 25 neurotypical people (to act as a control group). To answer this question, we sent out nightly surveys that included questions about suicidality as well as having them come in every 6 weeks to administer the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating scale. For the participant’s first visit, we administered the lifetime version, and then at every other visit, we administered the 6 week version. We then compiled the scores and ran them through R. We found that the scores decreased (i.e. participants were less suicidal) across the visits. This indicates that suicidality is lessened through talking about suicide for neurodiverse populations. Further research is needed to confirm this. While the findings from this study are positive, they need to be considered in the light of several limitations such as attrition from the participants and the recency bias on the part of the students.

Authors: Kate Binford, Marissa Roper, Brynn Eyre. Mentors: Sarah Coyne. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between personal feelings about modesty and the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) among Latter-day Saint (LDS) men and women. Participants were recruited through social media and announcements on LDS-specific social media pages. The study has a final sample of n=1,271, 431 of which (33%) had an ED. There is a significant positive correlation between feelings of shame about modesty and the prevalence of EDs (r=0.11, p<.001). This means that, in general, more feelings of shame about modesty are related to a higher prevalence of EDs. Implications of these findings indicate that it may be helpful to reduce any shame-based teachings around modesty in order to protect against EDs.

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: Nadia Mando, Josh Shaeffer, Jared Nielsen. Mentors: Jared Nielsen. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Background: “Feeling the Spirit” is an important experience for many active Latter-Day Saints. Feeling the Spirit is often defined by the presence of positive, even if minor, feelings which are perceived to be interactions with deity. However, some Latter-Day Saints struggle to feel the Spirit which can be distressing to them. Recently, LDS leaders have focused on understanding how depressed individuals might experience “feeling the Spirit” differently.Objective: Our pilot study sought to understand the relationship between depression and the frequency and strength of spiritual experiences.Methods: We used the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS21) to measure depression. We created two separate measures to inquire how frequently and strongly participants felt the Spirit in the last six months. We also created a task asking participants to read multiple scripture passages and report how strongly they felt the Spirit while reading each passage. Responses to each passage were averaged to create a state measure of feeling the Spirit. We hypothesized that higher scores of depression would predict lower scores on feeling the Spirit for all three measures.Results: We found that scores on depression (M=11.388, SD=7.844) significantly correlated to frequency (M=3.683, SD=0.760, r= -0.352, p<.001) and strength (M=4.004,SD=0.628, r=-0.453, p<.001) of the Spirit. However, depression scores were not significantly correlated with our state measure (M=2.384, SD=0.903, r=-0.192, p=0.078). In our regression models we found that depression is a significant predictor of both frequency (R2= 0.091, F(1,83)=8.347, p=.005, =-0.029, p=.005) and strength (R2=0.158, F(1,83)=15.523, p<.001, = -0.032) of feeling the Spirit but, not of feeling the Spirit during the scripture task (R2=0.003, F(1,83)=0.236, p=0.628, = -0.463).Conclusion: These findings suggest that depression may affect how LDS persons experience their relationship with God. Our findings take a step toward explaining why some individuals may experience difficulty in “feeling the Spirit”. Future studies are necessary to elucidate these preliminary findings.

Authors: Ashley Swensen, Ruth Kerry. Mentors: Ruth Kerry. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The American West has been experiencing severe drought for over 20 years with changes in climate. Also, the population in certain states has greatly increased putting increasing pressure on the limited fresh water supply. While the agricultural sector is the biggest consumer of freshwater, much is also used to irrigate turfgrass lawns in urban residential areas. The EPA has estimated that about 50% of household irrigation water is wasted by temporal and spatial misapplications. Temporal misapplications can be reduced by using smart sprinkler controllers that take into account recent weather when scheduling irrigation timing. This research investigates people’s willingness to implement more efficient watering practices with and without incentives. It also investigates how an average water bill for a quarter acre lot varies between states and between cities within 5 states in the semi-arid west (AZ, CO, ID, NV, UT). Following comparison of average water bills between states and cities, the potential savings from taking advantage of water saving incentives offered by cities is investigated. The research found differences between the genders and aridity zones in terms of the types of incentive that are favored and likelihood of utilizing methods to improve irrigation efficiency. Water bills were the highest in AZ and lowest in ID and UT. The low water bills in ID are likely associated with the greater prevalence of agriculture in that state than the others studied. Most UT cities had incentives for Smart Sprinkler controllers or to xeriscape. However, in other states several cities did not have incentives for installing Smart Sprinkler controllers. We conclude by trying to assess whether incentives or disincentives are more effective at reducing water use by residential customers.

Authors: Abigail Williams, Kelsie Minga, Abby Baker, Ella Sieg, Olivia Harris. Mentors: Wendy Birmingham. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Background: Research has found positive health benefits in the communication of positive events (capitalization) with others who respond with curiosity and enthusiasm. An expectation is that one’s spouse would respond in such a way. And indeed, if one has a highly supportive spouse this is likely the case. However, not all individuals have a highly supportive spouse and may have a spouse whose behavior is more ambivalent. Such ambivalent, or unpredictable behavior may lead to worse physiological outcomes when sharing good news including increased risk for cardiovascular events. Blood pressure should dip 10-15% overnight (“dipping”). A less than 10% dip is associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk. We looked at capitalization and dipping in ambivalent and supportive couples. Interpersonal Theory asserts that positive or negative behaviors from one spouse can elicit similar responses from the other spouse. Thus we looked at capitalization and dipping for spousal ambivalent behavior, and one’s own ambivalent behavior. Ambivalent behavior, whether one own’s or one’s spouse’s can also impact the quality of the relationship.  Methods: 90 couples were recruited from a local university, social media, and the community. Participants completed measures of marital quality. They were fitted with an ambulatory blood pressure monitor for 24 hours. The monitor took a reading every 30 minutes during the daytime and once an hour overnight. Participants completed a daily diary entry each time the monitor took a reading during the daytime which included questions regarding their present activities (e.g., posture, current emotions, food consumption). Participants returned the equipment the following morning and were compensated.  Results:  Ambivalent behavior was associated with worse relationship quality measured as responsiveness, both in terms of one’s own behavior, and one’s spouse’s behavior. We found no association for systolic blood pressure (SBP) dipping for individuals whose spouse’s behavior was viewed as ambivalent, however diastolic blood (DBP) dipping was in the opposite direction showing ambivalent spousal behavior was associated with healthier dipping. Of interest, when one reported their own behavior as ambivalent when their spouse was sharing good news, their SBP dipping was unhealthy.   Conclusions: Spousal ambivalent behavior seems to be less important than one’s own behavior on SBP dipping. This may be because one is generally aware of their own behavior and understands that such behavior is problematic for the relationship. This awareness, however,  may come with a cost for their health as well as their relationship.

Authors: Sara Knowlton, Sam Chipman, Samantha Stabler, Alex Osmond, Brock Kirwan. Mentors: Brock Kirwan. Insitution: Brigham Young University. The hippocampus is a brain structure involved in recognition memory and pattern separation, or the ability to disambiguate potentially interfering or overlapping memory representations. The Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST) has been used to assess memory specificity by asking participants to encode a series of objects and later perform a recognition memory test with repeated items (targets), similar but not exact repeats (lures), and novel items (foils). In a single-subject case study, we utilized the MST in evaluating recognition memory over various delays of a subject with anterograde amnesia. Subject MC is a healthy young adult female who underwent a unilateral amygdalohippocampectomy as a treatment for epilepsy. This procedure included the complete removal of her hippocampus in the right hemisphere, which we verified with magnetic resonance imaging. In addition to the MST, we compiled a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML-3), the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functioning System, and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II) to more holistically assess MC’s memory deficits. Preliminary analyses showed significantly lower lure discrimination when compared with control subjects, indicating deficits in pattern separation. Further analysis of MC’s MST results are being conducted to evaluate her broader ability for recognition memory.

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: 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: 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: 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: Braden Bringhurst, Michael Ray, Megan Barbier, Ellie Smith. Mentors: Peter Ward. Insitution: Brigham Young University. In travel, the interplay of social connection and novelty profoundly shapes the impact of peoples' experiences. This study examines novelty, positive emotions, social connection, and the impact of the experience on participants through the lens of the Self-Expansion Theory. Novelty is defined as the process of experiencing or encountering something different to the objects regularly encountered in everyday life. Social connection is defined as the affective and cognitive perception of interrelatedness within social groups, encompassing emotional responses like feeling understood and valued. Positive emotion is defined as pleasant multicomponent response tendencies, including joy, interest, contentment, pride, and love. Experience impact is defined using the experience typology. This typology starts with prosaic experiences or ordinary parts of life. The next progression is memorable experiences which introduce felt emotions into the experience. The next stage is meaningful which introduces discovery as well as emotions into the experience. The final stage is transformational which introduces a desire, or actual personal change happening to the experiencer as well as emotions and discovery. To measure the various stages of the experience typology framework, we use the Experience Impact Scale to identify the personal impact of a tourist experience. These various constructs are explored through the perspective of the Self-Expansion Theory which states that people seek to expand their potential efficacy, perspectives, and sense of self through the development of relationships. This study utilizes this theory by looking into novelty’s effect on the impact of an experience through the lens of Self-Expansion Theory with respect to social connection and positive emotions as mediating factors. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in AMOS v 28. Models were gradually expanded on, starting with the initial relationship between subjective novelty and experience impact. Later, a mediating model was considered that incorporated subjective connection and positive emotions as mediating effects on experience impact. The model examining the relationship between subjective novelty and experience impact as mediated by subjective connection and positive emotions had an acceptable model fit. The significant factors that contributed to the model were subjective novelty which had a standardized regression weight of .264, subjective connection which had a standardized regression weight of .222, and positive emotions which had a standardized regression weight of .256. The model explained 16% of the variance within experience impact. This study demonstrates that novelty influences social connection which influences positive emotion which positively impacts the tourist experience. People designing experiences should create a novel experience for the experiencer that evokes positive emotions and facilitates social connection. Future research could explore the relationship between the novelty of location and activities associated with tourist participation and the impact on the experience.

Authors: Michelle Stanley. Mentors: Baktybek Abdrisaev. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, much of Europe has been striving to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. Lithuania, however, began this process 11 years ago when Russia raised the price of Russian gas transported through Gazprom. Lithuanian leadership recognized the potential danger of being dependent on Russia and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, those concerns proved to be well-founded. Through its history, Lithuania has experienced Russian oppression and has fought for its sovereignty. The history of Lithuania’s energy relationship with Russia from its declared independence from the Soviet Union in March 1990, its complete dependence on Russia for gas, and the process of becoming the first European Union country to become independent from Russian gas in May 2022. This is a case study which shows that: independence from Russian energy removes Russia’s coercive power over that country, the current European energy crisis is the culmination of long-standing European dependence on Russian energy, and that eventually European countries will have to reconcile with Russia. The article will outline three significant periods of time in Lithuania’s energy relationship with Russia: the Lithuania-Soviet Union energy relationship immediately before the fall of the Soviet Union, the process whereby Lithuania has pursued its energy independence from Russia since 1991, and Lithuania’s efforts to achieve full energy independence from Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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: 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.