Digital Commons Network^™

Those Dam Fish: Morphological Response In Two Riverine Fish Species Following Dam Construction, Leah Stimpson, Austin Rejcek, Mark C. Belk

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Flow regime is a known predictor of fish shape¹. Conspecific populations living in distinct flow environments often exhibit different morphologies.

Dams present a unique opportunity to observe a dramatically transformed flow regime. Fish populations that once occupied a fast-flowing habitat suddenly live in an artificial reservoir.

The Parana Basin in southern Brazil boasts some of the greatest fish diversity in the world. The biological implications of hydroelectric dam construction along its major rivers must be studied.

Previous literature has been limited to a single species or ecological niche².

➢ Our objective was to describe what morphological …

Shorter Semitendinosus And Biceps Femoris Tendon Lengths Linked To Greater Eccentric Strength In College Football Players, Garett Lesa, Malorie Wiland, A. Wayne Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

All American football players depend on hamstring muscle strength and tendon resilience to perform. If we can better understand the relationship between hamstring strength and tendon length, we would be able to tailor training strategies such as stretching to enhance performance and/or reduce injuries. This study investigates the relationship between semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris in accordance to eccentric hamstring strength (EHS).

Relationship Between The Gut Microbiome And Immune Responses In Drosophila Melanogaster, Killian Bynum, John M. Chaston

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Flies possess several immune pathways, including the Toll pathway for defending against Gram-positive bacteria (which have thick cell walls) and the IMD pathway for targeting Gram-negative bacteria (which have thinner cell walls).

Previous studies have shown that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) interact with these immune pathways and play a role in modulating the gut microbiome.

Rehydration Of Cadaveric Tissue: A Comparative Analysis, Zach Leonard, Emma Anderson, Jason Adams Phd

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Rehydration solutions contain a variety of different chemicals which help keep cadaveric tissue moist and well preserved. Previously, we have identified that ethylene glycol, glycerol, and propylene glycol are all effective humectants that allow cadaveric specimens to retain moisture. Additionally, a mixture of sodium carbonate, ethanol, and formalin, had favorable results in limited study. With this knowledge, we tested and compared the effectiveness of these solutions at rehydrating dried human tissues. In doing this, we have created a tissue library, providing an evidence-based standard for rehydrating solutions to allow for the rehydration of dried specimens in anatomy labs.

Neuroimmune Effects Of Methamphetamine And Ethanol In The Nucleus Accumbens, Brayden Parker, Derek Langford, Channing Syme, Chris Galbraith, Savannah Evans, Matthew Burris, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• Microglia are the innate immune cells of the brain and change morphology with activation, with increased ameoboid morphology with increased immune activation.
• Microglia release and clear reactive oxygen species (ROS)
• ATP is a known chemoattractant to microglia and is released at dopamine terminals in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is a reward center of the brain
• Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychostimulant drug that decreases dopamine clearance and increases ROS

Muscle Volume Analysis: The Relationship Between Muscle Volume And Sprint Performance In Ncaa Football Athletes, Isaiah Guymon, Malorie Wilwand, Steven P. Allen, B. Brett Mortensen, A. Wayne Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• Considering the swing to stance phase, the hip flexors (HF) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles may impact football player's sprint speed.
• Purpose: Determine the relationship between collegiate football athlete's speed and the muscle volume (MV) of HF and TA muscles.

Methamphetamine And Ros Effects On Dopamine And Atp Release, Tyler Love, Jordan T. Yorgason, Taylor Rose, Hillary Wadsworth, Lydia Hawley, Lauren Ford, Sara Linderman, Nathan Sheets

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The Nucleus Accumbens is a reward center of the brain that receives dopamine projections from the Ventral Tegmental Area

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychostimulant drug that decreases dopamine clearance and increases Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Meth is known to increase dopamine release in-vivo through ROS

Glucose Oxidase increases ROS

Mechanism Of Copper-Coated Cicnt Inhibition Of Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Formation, Emilia Gregory, Lucy Bowden, Bradford Berges

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, particularly through biofilm formation on medical devices, leading to severe and recurrent complications¹. The resistance of S. aureus biofilms to traditional antibiotics requires new strategies to mitigate these infections. Our previous findings indicate that the anti-biofilm properties of carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotubes (CICNT) significantly inhibit the growth of S. aureus biofilms². We will further explore if copper, an innately antimicrobial material, will enhance this effect.

To determine the impact that copper would have on bacterial growth, we coated the CICNT with a thin layer of copper and used …

Majority Of Ncaa Div. 1 Football Players At Byu Demonstrate Patellar Tendon Blood Flow Post-Exercise, Bryson T. Schaugaard, Lee J. Hinkle, Gabe Davidson, B. Brett Mortensen, A. Wayne Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Patellar tendinopathy is a frequent overuse injury among collegiate athletes, especially in football players, due to the intense strain on the patellar tendon. Power Doppler Imaging (PDI) is an effective way to analyze blood flow (BF) within the tendon and correlates to patellar tendinopathy and pain. A healthy and normal tendon should have a score of 0 on a modified Oberg scale.

Looking For Manna, Dung, And Craters - Uncovering Hidden Diversity In Circinaria Lichens, Lizzie Perry, Ginny Basset, Steve Leavitt

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

• Lichens, symbiotic partnerships between fungi and photosynthetic organisms, are often overlooked in biodiversity studies due to their cryptic nature. The lichen genus, Circinaria —historically, described as “Manna Lichens”, “crater lichens”, “pigeon dung lichens”, and “excrement of the earth”¹ —remains understudied.
• This genus includes approximately 40 formally described species worldwide, however, only 13 have been documented in North America³.
• To better understand species-level diversity of Circinaria in Western North America, we used an integrated data set – DNA, morphology, and ecology – to characterize diversity and delimit potential candidate species.

Laying Framework For A Novel System To Test Effects Of Histone Modifications, Taryn Evans, Luke Ramirez M.S, Aaron Bohn, Jacob Hunter, Sarah Hodson, Sarah Ricks, David Bates Ph.D, Steven M. Johnson Ph.D.

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Chromatin structure and composition play a significant role in regulating gene expression within eukaryotic cells. The fundamental organizational unit of chromatin is the nucleosome, which is composed of ~147 base pairs of DNA wrapped around a histone protein core. Post-translational modifications (PTM’s) to the protruding tails of histone proteins are known to regulate nucleosome occupancy and positioning, which influence chromatin architecture and thus gene expression. However, relatively little is known about the residual effects of histone PTM’s on transcription rate, especially in nucleosomes along the gene body. Here, we demonstrate a method for measuring transcription rate in real-time with a …

Improving Native Grass Germination With Seed Enhancement Technologies, Ronni Stauffer, Tanner Knapp, April Hulet, Sam Ahler, Nancy Shackelford, Matthew Madsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Faster germination aids invasive weeds’ competitive ability.

Several different seed enhancement technologies can help improve native grass germination so they can be more competitive.

Osmotic priming (OP), solid matrix priming (SMP), and gibberellic acid seed coatings (GA3) are varying techniques that have been shown to increase seedling germination in native plants.

Identifying Potentially Advantageous Genes In Introgressed Regions Of Wild Pitseed Goosefoot Chromosomes Into Quinoa, Kayla Stephensen, Juliana Fuller, Eric N. Jellen, Peter J. Maughan, David E. Jarvis

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Despite increasing in worldwide popularity, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is not well adapted to environments outside its native range of cultivation in the Andean region of South America. To try to improve quinoa’s growth in new environments, particularly in hot tropical and arid climates, we previously crossed quinoa with its wild relative, pitseed goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri), which is naturally adapted to regions where optimal vegetative and reproductive growth is limited due to adverse biotic and abiotic conditions. Over the course of multiple generations, we have selected the best performing progeny based on their ability to survive in warmer environments. Investigating the …

I’M Just Like You: Do Sympatric Lizard Species Exhibit Convergent Morphology? (Genus Sceloporus), Abigail Lamartine, Alison Whiting

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The spiny lizards, genus Sceloporus, are the most speciose genus of reptiles endemic to North America. These lizards are commonly seen doing “push-ups” and head bobs, showing off their bright blue belly and throat patches (figure 5).Sceloporus use these displays to attract mates and defend their territory, and the size and color of patches is the most commonly used character to identify species(see figure 3). Within southwestern Utah, there is a small region where two species, S.occidentalis and S. tristichus, overlap in range (figure 1), and lizards can be found that appear to have patches intermediate between the two …

How Does Alcohol Affect Neurotransmission? — An Exploration Of Snap-25, Thomas Weed, Tanner M. Blocker, Jonah R. Beck, Jason T. Carlson, Christopher E. Hunt Jr., Mike Sumsion, Dixon J. Woodbury

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

SNAP-25 helps drive fusion of synaptic vesicles with the neuronal membrane. This process of exocytosis is fundamental for any form of neuro-communication. Prior to vesicle fusion, SNAP-25 comes together with two other SNARE proteins, syntaxin and synaptobrevin, to form the SNARE complex. As the SNARE complex tightens, vesicle fusion occurs, leading to neurotransmitter release. SNAP-25 is expressed in two isoforms, SNAP-25A and SNAP-25B, and are expressed at different stages of development. Previous literature has shown that alcohol and oxidative stress directly affect neurotransmission. We sought to determine if the method of action was through altering the secondary structure of SNAP-25. …

Geofinder, Amanda Warren, Abigail Muir, Stephen Piccolo

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

AI-driven search tools make gene expression data easier to find, which could revolutionize research.

Gcsf Involvement In Ethanol Dopamine Adaptations, Zachary Valentine, Chase Seiter, Rachel Campbell, Camryn Holt, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Objective: Investigate the role of Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) in ethanol-induced dopamine adaptations using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Hypothesis: Prolonged alcohol exposure will weaken GCSF release, resulting in diminished effects on dopamine terminals.

Dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays a crucial role in learning stimuli associated with reward

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) is a known neuromodulator for for DA release

Ethanol has been demonstrated to increase the firing rate of dopamine neurons in the (VTA)

The effects of ethanol on GCSF neuromodulation remains unknown

Frog Barcodes: Scanning The Secret Species Of Pelodryadinae, Kennedy Hunter, Taylor Probst, Alison Whiting

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Tree frogs (Hylidae) have unique adaptations such as toe pads for life in the trees (figure 1).

The subfamily Pelodryadinae is poorly known and primarily found in the Australopapuan region.

Papua New Guinea is the island with the greatest frog diversity but many species remain undescribed.

DNA barcoding has been shown to be an effective tool in species delimitation and for examining species diversity in poorly understood groups.

Frequency-Specific Training Of Vor Generalization In Mice, Natalie Dietrich, J, Mckeon, I. Phillips, Trace Stay

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) is a critical neural mechanism allowing the eye to stabilize vision during head movements by generating compensatory eye movements. The VOR can be adapted to make larger or smaller eye movements for the same amount of head movement by associating head movement with rotation of a visual field at a specific frequency The change in Serial = Sum of Sines Serial ≠ Sum of Sines Training frequencies change but no generalization occurs eye movement at one frequency of head rotation also induces smaller magnitude changes in eye movement at closely-related frequencies, a process termed generalization. It …

Forb Species Selection For Improved Mine Reclamation, Joanna Pincock, Matt Madsen, Mallory Hinton, April Hulet

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Forbs play a crucial role in restoration efforts in the Intermountain West due to their benefits to pollinators and wildlife, and their contribution to ecosystem resilience. Their inclusion in restoration projects enhances biodiversity, improves habitat quality, and supports overall ecosystem stability.

However, forbs are difficult to establish, especially in degraded rangeland soils, due to several challenges:

• Poor soil conditions
• Seed dormancy requirements
• Limitations with seeding methods
• Competition from invasive species

Our research objectives were to:

1. Evaluate the effectiveness of various methods to break seed dormancy and improve germination rates of 15 forb species (Fig. 1)
2. Assess plant emergence and growth …

Fishing For Neurocircuitry: Identifying Multi-Sensory Integrating Neurons In The Optic Tectum Of Zebrafish, Logan Carson, Arminda Suli, Adeline Hamilton, Logan Carson, Karianne Jex, Erika C. Marks, Jordan T. Yorgason, Tracianne B. Neilsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The superior colliculus (SC) is a mammalian midbrain structure involved in multimodal sensory integration and is implicated to have a role in neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the presence of multisensory integrating neurons (MINs) in the SC has been well documented by electrophysiology techniques, little is known about their morphological or molecular characterization. To identify and study MINs, we utilized SC’s non-mammalian homologous structure–the optic tectum (OT)–in the genetically tractable model organism zebrafish. In this process, we generated transgenic lines that allowed for fluorescent detection of neuronal activity by expressing the genetically engineered calcium indicators: cytoRGECO and H2B-jRGECO1a, respectively in mechanosensory hair …

Firing Properties Of Hgvp And Granule Cell Populations In Sensorimotor Pathways, Kate Shepard, M Eyring, Trace Stay

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) functions to keep the eyes stable during head movement. Previous studies have suggested that output from Purkinje cells of the flocculus called HGVP’s modify motor neurons that control the VOR (Kahlon and Lisberger, 2000). (below, Kan, University of Wisconsin)

Evolutionary Stasis In Life History Traits Between Xenophallus Clades Isolated During Pliocene Marine Incursions, Elias Johnson, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Why do some species fail to evolve? The chiral livebearer, Xenophallus umbratilis, is found in Central America. Populations within this species have been isolated from each other for millions of years due to marine incursions, big rivers, and ecological filters downstream, leading to divergent clades (figure below). However, these isolated populations persist under similar ecological conditions, including the absence of predators and in similar headwater habitat types.

Evaluating Osmotic Seed Priming And Scarification Treatments For Improving Germination In Native Shrubs, Mallory Hinton, Matt Madsen, Megan Stevenson, April Hulet

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Evaluate the effectiveness of osmotic priming, scarification, and cold-moist stratification techniques to improve germination and seedling establishment in antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) and Mexican cliffrose (Purshia mexicana) (Fig. 1). These species were selected for their ability to provide vegetative structure in both low-elevation (antelope bitterbrush) and mid-elevation (Mexican cliffrose) rangelands, where they support biodiversity and ecosystem function. While their dormancy is typically broken through winter conditions, we aim to identify effective methods to accelerate breaking seed dormancy.

Erythrocyte Morphological Changes From Isosmotic Glucose Additions, Rees Stenson, Jared Roth, Robert Davis

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

To develop a non-invasive optical method for glucose monitoring, it’s essential to understand the changes in the scattering coefficient of in vitro whole blood due to glucose concentration, but the mechanisms causing these changes remains unclear. The difference in index of refraction between erythrocytes and the surrounding plasma suggests that a change in cell size or shape may lead to a shift in the scattering coefficient of whole blood. Through optical microscopy, erythrocyte morphology as a function of glucose concentration was measured.

Enhancing Rangeland Restoration With Native, Early-Seral Asteraceae Species, Samuel Leigh, Matthew Madsen, April Hulet

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Native early seral forbs play a critical role in rangeland restoration efforts, facilitating site preparation for late seral species while coexisting with invasive annuals.

• However, early seral forbs often exhibit dormancy traits which can complicate their effective use in restoration efforts.
• Seed treatments that circumvent dormancy adaptations may enhance the utility of these species in restoration practices.
• Breaking seed dormancy may improve seed establishment rates and allow restoration practitioners to time germination to coincide with ideal environmental conditions, increasing survival rate.

Epigenetic Reprogramming In Pediatric Tumors Predicts Active Pathways In The Tumor Microenvironments, Noah Moffat, Clark Tolbert, Colin Wessman, Matthew H. Bailey

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Figure 1: We collected samples from five different studies that analyzed and generated spatial transcriptomic data from adult and pediatric brain tumors1-4.

Engineering Chromoprotein Variants With New Colors, Anna Bowman, Joel S. Griffitts, Kyler Fullmer

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

No abstract provided.

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Quidditas

No abstract provided.

Centering Maternal Breastfeeding In The Old English Metrical Charm 6, Kierra E. Burns

Quidditas

This article examines female authority and self-determination in relation to maternal lactation during early medieval England. While breastfeeding has always been essential to infant survival, its cultural significance extends beyond nourishment alone, reflecting broader social values and assumptions about gender and motherhood. Within this context, early English texts reveal that lactating mothers were regarded as natural authorities in the processes of childbearing and nourishing their infants. Through analysis of historical and literary evidence, this article argues that maternal breastfeeding was viewed in inherently positive and empowering terms with maternal self-determination and authority at the heart of that positivity. The article …