Fine Arts

Authors: Kaycie A Melville, Ashley N Egan, Yu Ya Liang. Mentors: Ashley N. Egan. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) and P. lunatus (lima bean) provide protein and nutrition for millions of people across the globe. Native to the New World, these cultivated species present unique histories of multiple and independent domestications in Mesoamerica and the Andes. Brazil is the leading producer globally of these beans. With both wild and cultivated landraces present, Brazil may act as a secondary center of domestication for these two economically significant leguminous crops. Brazil's indigenous populations’ cultivation efforts may include both wild and cultivated germplasm, potentially contributing to the continued domestication of these crops to create novel shapes, sizes, and colors that are grown and hand-selected by the natives in these regions. To investigate Brazil as a secondary domestication center of beans, this research addresses several key questions: Are signals of past and current domestication processes discernible in current Brazilian cultivars of these species? Can we unravel the relationships between these Brazilian crops and their primary centers of domestication? What genetic differences are underpinning domestication? How diverse are Brazilian cultivars? How do they relate to wild and related material and species? This work focuses on 48 accessions of P. lunatus and P. vulgaris from Brazil, including wild material and two accessions from two related species, P. polystachios and P. filiformis from North America. Whole genomes were resequenced using Illumina sequencing and compared against the published genome of Phaseolus vulgaris to identify SNPs in each accession. Whole chloroplast genomes were also assembled and compared. Phylogenetic analyses, network analyses, population structure, and tests for neutral and positively selected mutations were conducted, revealing distinct clades for both P. vulgaris and P. lunatus with clear links to their Andean and Mesoamerican origins. Genetic diversity was assessed both within (cultivated vs wild) and between P. vulgaris and P. lunatus, demonstrating significant variations, not only between species but also within each species, suggesting the influence of diverse selection pressures and local adaptation during the domestication process. McDonald-Kreitman tests analyze and locate possible domestication genes from the library of SNP’s between outgroups (Phaseolus filiformis and Phaseolus polystachios) and between species. Overall, this research advances our understanding of the intricate process of domestication in P. vulgaris and P. lunatus, highlighting potential ongoing domestication in Brazilian cultivars, unraveling their genetic relationships, and shedding light on the complex interplay of genes that underpin domestication and diversity. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of crop evolution and have practical implications for crop improvement and conservation.

Authors: Joshua Stubbs, Annette Lewis, Kendall Holcomb, Barbara Suassuna Schincariol. Mentors: Geoffery Zhan. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Does Greater Phylogenetic Distance Affect Competition Outcomes in Fungal Communities?Annette Lewis, Kendall Holcomb, Bárbara Suassuna Schincariol, Josh Stubbs, Geoffery Zahn PhDFungi play a critical role in decomposition, affecting nutrient cycling at a global scale. Saprotrophic fungi competitively decompose dead organic matter. However, the role of phylogenetic relatedness on interspecific competition in fungal communities has not received much attention. The theory of phylogenetic over-dispersion suggests that species within a community tend to be less related than expected by chance, therefore limiting competition due to functional redundancy. Similarly, Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis suggests that taxonomically distinct invaders might experience reduced competition and resistance. In this study, we chose three different saprotrophic fungal species with varying relatedness: Aspergillus niger and Fusarium keratoplasticum (from the same family), and Pleurotus ostreatus (from a different phylum). These species were chosen based on decomposition abilities and phylogenetic distances. These species were cultured and placed in seven combinations to assess their ability to decompose and compete as individual fungal populations and as combined communities (e.g., A, B, A+B, B+C, and A+B+C). Each species was placed near a sterilized piece of paper such that competition was evaluated by analyzing the paper coverage in Petri dishes over three weeks. Each Petri dish was analyzed individually based on the average percentage of paper covered and, within combined communities, the percentage of paper each species covered. Interactions between each species and the percentage of the paper covered was recorded for further analysis. Assessing paper coverage allows for the observation of any potential competitive inhibition of decomposition. We hypothesize that decomposing and competitive abilities would be the strongest with A. niger. Despite the fast growth rate of A. niger individually, preliminary results suggest that it was outcompeted when paired with other species. This research highlights the potential nuances in fungal community interactions influenced by phylogenetic relationships, shedding light on the principles of phylogenetic overdispersion and Darwin’s naturalization hypothesis.

Authors: Logan Walker, Kate Coneys, Nick Tops, Russ Bailey. Mentors: Russ Bailey. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Background: Cultural humility is an influential concept in Multicultural Orientation therapeutic research (Owen et al, 2011). Cultural humility is defined as “a lifelong process of self-reflection and self-critique whereby the individual comes to value and respect cultural diversity, recognizes his or her own biases, and is open to learning from others" (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998, p. 117). Cultural humility practices attempt to address cultural differences in therapy. Therapy absent of cultural humility can run the risk of failing the needs of culturally diverse clients. Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to experience premature termination (Owen et al., 2015). Premature termination is defined as when a client begins an intervention but discontinues prior to recovering from the problem that he or she sought treatment for against provider recommendations (Swift & Greenberg, 2012). Premature termination is a significant concern as those who do not complete an intervention are less likely to experience symptom relief or meet their treatment goals (Steinberg et al., 2019). hope to better understand the link between cultural humility and premature termination/treatment deterioration in therapy in college students. We hypothesize that lower therapist’s cultural humility will be associated with an increased likelihood to unilaterally terminate therapy prematurely or show treatment deterioration. Methods: Data was collected from students who participated in therapy at the Utah Valley University Student Health Services from 2021-2023. The sample size for this dataset is approximately 560 participants. We will use two different operationalizations of premature termination/treatment deterioration: 1. Clients who reported have attended therapy for at least 3 sessions, has at least 1 cultural humility datapoint, and reported feeling “worse than at intake” on an item of subjective progress during at the last attended session with no future sessions scheduled for at least 90 days. 2. Clients who scored worse or the same on well-being indictors (PHQ-9 and GAD-7) and reported feeling “the same as intake” or “worse as intake” on an item of subjective progress during the last attended session with no future sessions scheduled for at least 90 days.. Clients completed the Cultural Humility Scale (Hook, 2013) and microaggression items at the beginning of their 3rd session and then every 4 sessions (e.g., session 7, 11, etc.). Clients completed the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and subjective progress items at the beginning of every session. We will use logistic regression to see how cultural humility scores and microaggression frequency/impact predict premature termination/treatment deterioration. Results: Results from the analyses will be presented during the poster presentation Discussion: The results of the study will help us determine if therapist's cultural humility is related to client premature termination. If we find support for our hypothesis, this means that cultural humility is an important factor in therapeutic processes that has direct impact on the effectiveness for therapy interventions. However, rejecting our hypothesis may suggest that cultural humility is not an important aspect of premature termination. Limitations of this study include potential ceiling effects due to therapists striving to be cultural humble and thus limiting the variability in our sample.

Authors: Ellery White. Mentors: Yi Yin. Insitution: Utah Valley University. This study will examine the influence that parental political beliefs may have on students’ academic performance. Decades of research have formed empirical links between social- contextual factors and student academic achievement, and this paper will seek to identify whether parental political values play a role in the academic achievement of their children (Lee and Shute 2010; Yamamoto and Holloway 2010). Parental attitudes, behavior, and stylistic approaches to their child’s rearing and education have been extensively studied for how they impact educational outcomes (Pandey and Thapa 2017). This study fulfills the gap in research on the association between parental political beliefs and children’s academic performance. This adds to the academic discourse on the impact parents can have on their children in an academic setting by answering the following questions: How can the political beliefs of parents impact a students’ way of thinking and therefore ability to perform in school? Does the extremity of the parents’ political beliefs make a difference in the outcome of the child’s academic performance? A survey was distributed to a random sample of UVU students which measured their academic performance and the political beliefs of their parents. The statistical program SPSS will be used to conduct a multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between the independent variable (parents’ political beliefs) and dependent variable (students’ academic performance) to see if there is an association between the two. I hypothesize that students with parents who have strong political beliefs are more likely to be impacted in their academic performance than students with parents who do not have strong political beliefs. Discovering the impact of parental political belief will open several important avenues of inquiry related to educational outcomes of students.

Authors: Kate Coneys, Nick Top, Russ Bailey, Logan Walker, Julia Toomey. Mentors: Russ Bailey. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Background: Past literature has emphasized the importance of practicing culturally competent care and has shown that higher clinician cultural humility, as well as a lower frequency of microaggressions occurring in therapy, have been associated with more desirable therapeutic outcomes in retrospective, cross-sectional studies. However, research has also shown that patient outcomes appear to be unrelated to their therapist's experience level (Erekson et al., 2017), suggesting that more experience may not lead to being a more effective therapist, including more culturally humble. Despite the breadth of research on the significance of cultural competence, less is known about how a therapist's cultural humility changes across treatment with a particular client, or how a therapist’s cultural humility changes over an extended period. The aim of the current study is to examine this concept by analyzing both the relationship between the number of sessions spent working with a given therapist and a client’s rating of the clinician’s cultural humility, as well as the relationship between the average cultural humility rating of the therapist and time. We will also examine how the impact of microaggressions occurring in therapy changes during the course of therapy. Hypotheses: It is hypothesized that the results of this study will show a positive association between the number of sessions with the same therapist and their cultural humility, as rated by the client, as well as a negative association between the number of sessions and the impact of microaggressions reported by the client. Additionally, it is hypothesized that the therapist’s cultural humility rating over the entire course of data collection will not change to a statistically significant degree. Methods: We used archival data collected by Utah Valley University’s Student Health Services Counseling Center from August 2021 – September 2023. This archival dataset consists of 564 clients with at least one cultural humility and microaggression data point. Beginning at the third session, and occurring again every four sessions, clients were asked to rate their clinician’s cultural humility, using The Cultural Humility Scale (Hook et al., 2013), and report the frequency and impact of microaggressions that had occurred during the last four sessions. We will analyze the data using multi-level latent growth modelling. Results: Results will be presented as part of the poster presentation. Discussion: If the results of this study agree with the hypothesis, the implications may be that cultural humility improves over time with specific clients, potentially explained by growth of therapeutic alliance over time. However, it may also imply that a therapist’s cultural humility does not improve over extended time periods, showing that cultural humility appears to be static rather than dynamic. If the results do not agree with the hypothesis, this may imply that a client’s perception of their therapist’s cultural humility is static, but that over extended periods of time a therapist’s cultural humility can improve, implying that it is trainable. Sources: Erekson, D.M., Janis, R., Bailey, R.J., Cattani, K., Pedersen, T.R. (2017). A longitudinal investigation of the impact of psychotherapist training: Does training improve client outcomes? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(5), 514-524. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000252 Hook, J.N., Davis, D.E., Owen, J., Worthington, E.L., Utsey, S.O. (2013). Cultural humility: measuring openness to culturally diverse clients. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60(3), 353-366. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032595

Authors: Brooklyn Matthews, Andrew Rowley, Michael Salas, Shaun Kader. Mentors: Michele Culumber, Daniel Clark. Insitution: Weber State University. Paucilactobacillus wasatchensis causes significant product loss in the dairy industry by causing gas build-up in packaging, and slit-crack defects in the cheese. By invitation, we tested a cheese manufacturing plant in northern Utah for Plb. wasatchensis in their creamery based on reports of puffed packages of aged cheese. We were allowed to swab several locations in the production area where contamination with Plb. wasatchensis was possible. Swabbed areas included the areas exposed to milk before and after pasteurization, floor drains, the cheese vat, curd cutters, cheddaring table, and packaging environment. Samples of raw milk, fresh curds, and gassy cheese were also collected. Swabs taken from surface samples were vortexed in 1 mL sterile saline solution. The solution was diluted and plated on deMan, Rogosa, and Sharpe agar with 1% ribose (MRS+R) agar. All agar plates were incubated anaerobically for 1 week. Enrichment cultures for Pbl. wasatchensis were also made by inoculating 0.1 mL of the saline rinse from each swab in MRS+R broth, and incubated for 2 days. After growth, were diluted and plated on MRS+R agar. After 1 week of incubation, we selected small (~1 mm), slow-growing colonies that were morphologically similar to Pbl. wasatchensis. The 16S rRNA gene and N-acetyltrasferase gene were amplified using PCR primers specific for Pbl. wasatchensis. Positive Pbl. wasatchensis isolates were found on the handle of the cheese cutter and in the final cheese product showing a gas defect. Our finding suggests that Pbl. wasatchensis is a potential contaminant in the creamery, and though only found in one location, may exist throughout the facility at unculturable levels. Further studies will use molecular techniques to identify Pbl. wasatchensis throughout the facility to identify bacterial DNA instead of live cells, which may more accurately represent the presence of this fastidious organism.

Authors: Amanda Lee, Alex Phillips, Bonnie Baxter, Amy Schmid. Mentors: Bonnie Baxter. Insitution: Westminster College. The Great Salt Lake is home to a massive variety of microorganisms and insights into these populations will aid in understanding the ecosystem. The Union Pacific Railroad’s causeway has divided the lake into two distinct sections and over time caused the North Arm to increase in salinity over the South Arm and gain its hallmark pink color due to restricted freshwater input. Terminal rivers flow into the South Arm while the North Arm’s water evaporates, leaving behind accumulating salty brine, and the two very different waters have nurtured two accordingly distinctive ecosystems. Breaches periodically opened in the causeway allow the waters to mix and provide opportunity for the microbial communities of the two arms to intermingle. In a collaboration between the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster University and the Schmid Lab at Duke University, this project focuses on procuring a picture of the North Arm’s microbial diversity and the extent that it adapts to new environments over the four seasons, as well as what happens to the microbes and their nutrient exchange at that breach mixing point. Halophilic archaea and algae comprise the majority of biodiversity in the lake, and we hypothesize that those taxonomic compositions of the North Arm are stable over the different seasons, due to their extremophilic nature. Every season, we have collected water samples from the causeway, breach, and Spiral Jetty to grow and isolate bacterial colonies for DNA extraction and imaging. We also collect biofilm on filters to analyze RNA gene expression and metabolite usage as the environment changes. Over nearly two years of sampling, the hypothesis has been supported and we are seeing stability in community compositions in comparison to the less-salty South Arm. We are still interpreting results from the mixed breach samples, but thus far the microbes appear to be similar to those in the North Arm.

Authors: Kennedy Parker. Mentors: Melinda Russell Stamp. Insitution: Weber State University. Role-playing is considered one of the most effective teaching strategies for training undergraduate clinical psychology students because it fosters active learning in a supportive and safe environment (Gibbs, 2019; Osborn & Costas, 2013). The literature is replete with studies that document the benefits of role-playing for clinical training. These benefits include the development of active-listening, perspective-taking, empathy, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and increased enjoyment of course material (Dawood, 2013; Gibbs, 2019; Grose-Fifer, 2017). A challenge associated with classroom role-plays involves student reluctance to participate due to feelings of self-consciousness and anxiety associated with being negatively evaluated (Mallonee, 2018). There is limited research on the effectiveness of different role-play modalities which may include classmates role-playing with one another; as well as actors and virtual avatars role-playing with students. There have been mixed findings in the literature regarding whether students are more comfortable disclosing to virtual avatars or to actors in face-to-face encounters (Rogers et al., 2022; Roster & Chen, 2016). To date, there are no research studies comparing student perceptions of role-plays with virtual avatars to face-to-face interactions with actors in undergraduate psychology classes. For the current study, 60 undergraduate Psychology students were randomly assigned to either role-play with an avatar or an actor. Following the 25-minute role-plays, students completed surveys assessing perceived utility value, self-efficacy, level of anxiety, engagement, and future interest in role-playing. This preliminary study will compare the effectiveness of avatar and actor role-play modalities which will help educators better structure training for undergraduate students in clinical psychology.

Authors: Kiersten Gardner, Hannah Duffy, Abbey Blair, Nicholas Ashton, Porter Stulce, Dustin Williams. Mentors: Dustin Williams. Insitution: University of Utah. Transdermal antiseptic products as a method to decrease skin bioburden prior to surgeryKiersten Gardner(1,2), Hannah Duffy(1,2), Abbey Blair(2), Nicholas Ashton(2), Porter Stulce1(2), Dustin Williams(1,2,3,4)1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT2 Department of Orthopaedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT3 Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT4 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda MDIntroduction: Preoperative skin preparation (PSP) kits are used before surgery to prevent surgical site infection (SSI). These kits consist of alternating scrubs of alcohol and Chlorohexidine Gluconate (CHG) or Povidone Iodine (PVP-I). Transdermal antiseptic products like Ioban, Tegaderm, and Surgiclear are also used clinically to eradicate skin bacteria by releasing antiseptic over time. Despite these precautions, infections often occur, usually stemming from a patient’s endogenous skin flora. The bacteria causing SSI reside deep in dermal sweat glands and hair follicles, untouched by traditional PSP. To eliminate these bacteria, antiseptics must diffuse deeper into the skin at concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). We screened FDA-approved topical antiseptic products using a modified Kirby Bauer Assay to assess bacterial kill over time. We hypothesized that extended use of topical antiseptic products prior to surgery would kill deep-dwelling skin bacteria. We tested the extended use of these products on pig backs in conjunction with a CHG PSP to evaluate remaining bioburden. Methods:We determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for CHG and PVP-I against three common skin bacterial strains. We then took 6 mm biopsy punches of Tegaderm, Surgiclear, and Ioban and placed them on fresh bacterial lawns daily for 3 days. We measured the zones of inhibition (ZOI). Lastly, we applied the products to the backs of 4 Yorkshire pigs (n=4 products per test). After 48 h, we removed the products, performed a PSP- CHG scrub, and excised skin sections underneath the products. We homogenized the skin and quantified colony forming units (CFU)/g tissue. We analyzed the outcomes statistically using a mixed effects linear regression to determine significance.Results:The average MIC values for CHG and PVP-I were 2 and 2,000 ug/mL for Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The average 24 h ZOIs for S. aureus were 7.9, 22.4, and 10.1 mm for Ioban, Tegaderm, and Surgiclear, respectively. The average log10 reduction for the CHG PSP, Ioban, Tegaderm, and Sugiclear were 1.87 ± 0.232, 1.65 ± 0.192, 1.69 ± 0.222, and 1.77 ± 0.316 CFU/cm2, respectively. The p values between the CHG PSP and Ioban, Tegarderm, and Surgiclear were 0.491, 0.572, and 0.746, respectively. Discussion:The benchtop data indicated adequate antiseptic diffusion and kill. In the porcine model, however; the presence of any of the products resulted in a statistically insignificant log reduction. Extended use of FDA-approved transdermal antiseptic products does not appear to decrease the skin’s bioburden. It appears that the products are not releasing high enough concentrations of the antiseptic to kill bacteria.

Authors: Tage T Burnett, Jakob G Bates, Christopher R Dillon, Matthew R Jones. Mentors: Christopher R Dillon. Insitution: Brigham Young University. In recent years, modeling and simulation have become more prominent in solving heat transfer problems. The accuracy and predictive power of heat transfer simulations is limited by the quality of the thermal properties used within the model. Thus, one method for improving computational accuracy is measuring thermal properties more precisely. Additionally, increased precision of thermal properties benefits other aspects of engineering including design and analysis. This research focuses on quantifying approximation errors in the widely adopted flash method for measuring thermal diffusivity. The flash method leverages several approximations to make it simple and easy to use; however, these approximations do not reflect reality and introduce measurement errors. Understanding these errors is critical for developing high-precision thermal diffusivity measurement techniques.In the flash method, the top surface of a small, cylindrical disc of material is subjected to a short pulse from a laser or flash lamp and the time-dependent temperature at the opposite surface is recorded. The thermal diffusivity is calculated using those temperature measurements in combination with a mathematical model. The accuracy of the flash method depends upon the accuracy of the mathematical model. One common mathematical model is the Parker Model. This model assumes that all of the energy from the pulse is deposited in an infinitesimally thin layer at the surface of the material and negligible heat is lost to the environment. These assumptions simplify the model, making it easy to use, but introduce errors into the measured thermal diffusivity.Computational methods can quantify these inaccuracies. Factors including heat lost to the environment, the temporal profile of the laser pulse, and the spatial distribution of the deposited energy can be incorporated into heat transfer simulations. Higher fidelity mathematical models can also be developed to account for these complexities. This project includes these and other factors to make simulations as realistic as possible. Various mathematical models, such as the Parker Model and higher fidelity models, are then used to calculate the thermal diffusivity from the resulting time-dependent temperature profiles and their measurements are compared to the simulated material’s true thermal diffusivity. Repeating this process for several material types will allow the precision of the models to be analyzed for each case. This analysis will be summarized at the conclusion of this project, providing a framework for developing more precise thermal diffusivity measurement techniques.

Authors: Asmaa Alsharif. Mentors: Sayeed Sajal. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Ransomware is malicious software which restricts users from accessing their computer and personal data through encryption. Ransomware attacks target a variety of victims including individuals, organizations, businesses, and governments. Attackers take control of this sensitive data and hold it hostage until a ransom is paid. Whether or not ransom is paid, the attackers’ damage can be irreparable. It includes but is not limited to exposing personal information, identity theft, blackmail, permanent deletion or corruption of valuable data, and Distributed Denial-of-service (DDos). Moreover, the financial implications of ransomware attacks are substantial. Victims face not only the direct costs of ransom payments, but also the expenses associated with system restoration and the potential fines for data protection violations. Furthermore, an ethical dilemma emerges from the response to extortion, as victims must grapple with the moral implications of potentially supporting criminal activities by paying ransoms to recover their data. This raises questions about the broader responsibility of stakeholders in cybersecurity and their duty to protect data privacy. The first ransomware attack emerged in 1989 and since then, ransomware attackers have persisted as a cybersecurity threat, striking at the core of data privacy. This paper delves into the multifaceted impact of ransomware incidents on data security, current ransomware techniques and strategies, and the ethical dilemmas they raise.Because ransomware attackers are constantly evolving their methods, it is important to routinely review the current literature to fully understand the tactics and techniques used by these cybercriminals. This research paper will review, analyze, and synthesize the existing literature about ransomware. It is crucial for individuals and organizations to be proactive, understand the nature of the threat, and take precautions to protect themselves and their data. This study encourages further research and discourse on the multifaceted impact of ransomware attacks on data privacy and the pursuit for effective countermeasures.

Authors: Rainey Hughes, Avalon Marker, Elizabeth Bouwhuis, Yeshaswini Dudde, Bryan Dopp, Scot Carington, Jared Nelson. Mentors: Daniel Clark. Insitution: Weber State University. Antibiotic resistance is a pressing concern within the medical community as bacteria's resistance to antibiotics is escalating alongside the increased usage of antibiotics. According to the CDC, there are close to 2.8 million antibiotic resistant infections every year, with about 35,000 of them resulting in death. This issue has prompted antibiotic stewardship programs in clinics and hospitals to avoid adding to the list of resistant bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus, including the formidable methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain, poses a grave threat due to its antibiotic resistance. The challenges stemming from this resistance become even more formidable when these infecting bacteria assemble into biofilms. Biofilms are robust, adhesive layers composed of bacteria and their extracellular matrices of polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. In clinical environments like hospitals, biofilms frequently develop on medical devices such as stents, catheters, and IV lines, as well as on metal and plastic surfaces of medical equipment. These biofilms exacerbate antibiotic treatments due to incomplete eradication; the most resilient bacteria persist after exposure. There is evidence indicating that bacteriophages, which are viruses that will a target particular species or strain of bacteria, have the ability to encode depolymerases. These depolymerases can identify biofilms, adhere to them, and subsequently break down extracellular polymeric substances. Furthermore, bacteriophages can produce lysins, which induce bacterial cell death through cellular lysis. These characteristics can potentially render the bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. The use of bacteriophages can also be beneficial when it comes to the concern of opportunistic infections. Due to its selectivity to specific bacteria, it can attack the target hosts and leave the natural flora intact.In our research, we have induced biofilms in our bioreactor. With these biofilms we have been able to test different concentrations of multiple antibiotics, including Vancomycin, Oxacillin, and Carbenicillin in combination with phage K at different concentrations. Our research is aimed at showing a synergistic relationship between phage K and antibiotics, that will allow a subinhibitory concentration of both, in combination, to induce a complete kill and clearance. We have measured this by evaluating bacterial growth via absorbance measurements at 600nm in a Tecan plate reader. We have also measured biofilm clearance using the plate reader and measuring fluorescence at 630nm with a biofilm tablet assay. It was found that a subinhibitory concentration of antibiotic alone did not induce a complete kill and clearing, and that a subinhibitory concentration of phage alone did not induce a complete kill and clearing. However, once these concentrations were used in combination with each other, the complete clearing and killing of MRSA was achieved, and furthermore, was achieved with the antibiotic that the staphylococcus aureus is resistant to. Leading us to believe that we have found a renewed use for a currently ineffective defense mechanism.

Authors: Ellie Martin. Mentors: Mike Searcy. Insitution: Brigham Young University. As part of the 2023 Hinckley Mounds excavation, BYU Field School participants excavated a sizable amount of beam-impressed adobe and burnt wooden beams from the partially excavated pit house. This research proposal will focus on these two types of artifacts and what can be learned about the Fremont people through their study. Specifically, in this research project I will attempt to answer the question of what specific types of wood and adobe were used, and how they were used together to build the Fremont pithouse. To do this, the charcoal will be sent in for wood testing to get dates and tree type. I will also test the beam-impressed adobe to understand the type of clay used to make the hardened adobe. Finally, I will study the beam impressions in the adobe to find the average diameter of the beams used in the pit houses, any outliers in the diameters, and analyze any visible angles on corner pieces to put together a picture of how the beams and adobe came together to form the skeleton of the pit house structure. This research has the potential to reveal much about the Fremont people that lived at Hinckley Mounds, and help us to better understand their living conditions. The research that I conduct will potentially generate data about the age and type of wood used in their living structures, the diameter of the wooden beams they used, and the angles of the corners of the structure. At the conclusion of this research we aim to gain a better understanding of how the Fremont people constructed their dwellings, from the materials to their methodologies. I anticipate finding that the trees they used were locally sourced and date to a similar period of the other dates that we have from the Hinckley Mounds site, between 700–1300 CE. The pithouse will likely prove to be sub-rectangular, similar to Structure 1 at the Hinckley Mounds site, although any angles that can be found in the adobe impressions could give more precise data. All of this new data may serve to provide more insight into how the Fremont lived and chose to operate in their society.

Authors: Alex Montgomery, Mason Gordon. Mentors: Eddy Cadet. Insitution: Utah Valley University. TRACE METAL CONCENTRATIONS OF VARIOUS LAND USE TYPES SURROUNDING UTAH LAKEMason Gordon, Alex MontgomeryKeywords: Trace metals, Soil, Land use, Utah LakeUtah Lake has a history of anthropogenic impacts that have resulted in the accumulation of trace metals (TMs) in the sediments of this region. Previous studies have evaluated the water and saturated soils, but have not provided a complete picture of the human impact on upland soils. Some pollutants may be contained in unsaturated soils and never enter the water due to the inherent soil characteristics and chemical properties of the TMs. Elevated concentrations of TMs in the environment pose hazards to the ecosystem and local residents. These impacts can be better understood by evaluating TMs in unsaturated upland soils. In this study a comparison of TMs in saturated wetland and unsaturated upland sediments, as related to anthropogenic sources, was completed. This study analyzed the types and concentrations of TMs to understand their mobility throughout the ecosystem. 52 core samples were collected from the saturated and unsaturated soils in eight sites. These sites represent recently developed areas (New Dev), more established areas (Mid Dev- those that have been developed over five years), recreational areas, mining areas, industrial areas, agricultural areas, and a wastewater treatment plant site. The soil samples were dried, ground, sieved, acid digested, and analyzed in the ICP-OES for TM (As, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Zn) content. Preliminary results show that TM concentrations in upland sediments were higher than those in wetland sediments. Cr levels in industry and Mid Dev are 43.0 ppm and 47 ppm, respectively. Saturated sediments at the same sites revealed Cr levels of 23 ppm and 21 ppm, respectively. This indicates that TMs are contained in unsaturated sediments. Of the observed land use types, Mid Dev is the most impacted, having the highest elevations of TM levels on average. Cd concentrations exceeded background levels in both New Dev (.97 ppm) and Mid Dev (.83 ppm). This is indicative of anthropogenic impact, as developed areas have higher TM content. The statements of this study will provide information to regulatory authorities in order to create policy to improve human health.

Authors: Rebekah Hakala, Moroni Black. Mentors: Todd Spencer. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Over the years countless studies have delved into the theory of attachment due to its influence in the field of child development. Attachment theory is the idea that the sensitivity of parents or caregivers to a child’s bids for attention affect how the child will bond in relationships (Bretherton, 1992; Wilson-Ali et al., 2019). The style of attachment that a child has can affect them long-term and may influence other relational and developmental characteristics (Kurth, 2013). Due to the influence of attachment, our study investigates the relationship it has with cognitive reappraisal. Cognitive reappraisal is the ability to regulate one’s emotional states and the idea that a change in these thoughts is necessary to change negative emotions (Troy et al., 2017; Clark, 2022). With its ability to process and regulate emotion, cognitive reappraisal is another influential characteristic to the human psyche. Our results and analysis of the relationship between attachment theory and cognitive reappraisal come from a quantitative survey.The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship among attachment styles and Cognitive Reappraisal. Our sample consists of 411 married individuals. Participants completed The Relationship Questionnaire (RQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ; Gross & John, 2003). Results of the one way Anova were significant F (3,407) = 3.36, p=<.01. There was a significant difference in levels of cognitive reappraisal among attachment styles. Secure attachment (M=29.95, SD = 6.41), fearful attachment (M=27.27, SD = 5.92), preoccupied (M=27.99, SD = 7.27), and dismissing (M = 28.78, SD = 7.54). Results of the Bonferroni Post-hoc analysis indicated a significantly higher levels of cognitive reappraisal than attachment styles (p.<.001). Results provide empirical support that secure attachment styles tend to be beneficial for cognitive reappraisal.