Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Alcohol-Induced Secondary Structure Changes Of Snap-25a, Samuel W. Shumway, Mark T. Parsons, Robert E. Coffman, Dixon J. Woodbury

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Alcohol has been consumed by humans for thousands of years and has a known inhibitory effect on neurotransmission. Here we explore the effect of ethanol on the folding of SNARE proteins known to drive neurotransmitter release (exocytosis) in neurons. The SNARE proteins SNAP‐25, syntaxin, and VAMP provide the four helical regions (SNARE domains) that form a coiled-coil complex required for exocytosis. This complex is continually formed and unwound as exocytotic vesicles fuse and are recycled.

Circular Dichroism was used to measure secondary structure of SNAP-25’s first SNARE domain SN1. We observed an increase in α-helical structure followed by precipitation as …

Hold Your Horses: Tracking Spatial Patterns Of Feral Horse Movement Across Seasons And Months In Northwestern Nevada, Logan Kalai Ellis

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Free roaming horses are found on allcontinents worldwide. These horsesinfluence a range of biotic and abioticfactors but managing these horses hasfaced many challenges, one of which isunderstanding the spatial movementpatterns of these horses. The Sheldonwildlife refuge area is home to wildhorses that are free roaming in thenorthwest corner of Nevada. Managingthese horses is important as theyimpact other wildlife and affect landuse of people living around the wildliferefuge area. Feral horses do notrecognize management areas in thesame way that humans acknowledgeand follow them so understanding theirspatial movement patterns will assist indecision making about managementareas for these animals.

New Evidence For Alternative Mating Strategies In Alfaro Cultratus, Kaeli Mueller, Kaitlyn Golden, Jerry Johnson Phd

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Poster 2nd Place Award Winner

Poeciliids, such as the species Alfaro cultratus, have a unique reproductive system in which males internally fertilize females, which facilitates competition between males. This takes the form of two strategies:

Large Males

• Court females
• Chase away small males
• Have a higher number of successful mating attempts
• Allocate less energy to reproductive organs, i.e. gonads and gonopodium

Small Males

• Can’t mate with as many females
• Attempt sneak copulations, often unsuccessful
• Allocate more energy to reproductive organs, i.e. gonads and gonopodium

These alternative mating strategies can be seen with regressions between gonad and body mass, or …

Utah Lake's Cyanobacteria Proliferation And Toxin Production In Response To Nitrogen And Phosphorous Additions, Gabriella Lawson, Jonathan Daniels, Erin Fleming Jones, Rachel Buck, Michelle Baker, Benjamin Abbott, Zachary Aanderud

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Understanding cyanobacterial nutrient requirements and toxin production will help the Utah Department of Environmental Quality control toxic algal blooms on Utah Lake. Cyanobacteria’s primary nutrient needs include phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N). Despite the fact that some cyanobacteria species can fix their own N, many still prefer utilizing easily accessible nitrogen sources (Dolman et al., 2012). Thus, explaining why both P and N can limit or accelerate cyanobacterial proliferation (Dolman et al., 2012). As it turns out, cyanobacteria nutrient needs are particularly complex. One purpose of this study is to detail the multifaceted N and P nutrient requirements of the …

Floral Traits Underlying Evolution In Gilia Yorkii, Joseph Detemple, Veronica Mosquera, Clinton Whipple

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Gilia yorkii and Gilia capitata are two closely related species that have remarkably different inflorescence and floral structures. In this project we are seeking to find specific floral traits that differentiate the different species. These two species are ideal for this study because they produce a fertile hybrid in which elements of the two different phenotypes can be observed.

Ramp Sequences Change Across Tissues: How Ramps Correlate With Differing Tissue-Specific Expression Levels, Taylor Meurs, Justin Miller, Ben Song

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Poster People's Choice Award Winner

Our bodies are made of proteins. They help our cells function, give them structure, and cause some diseases. Different amounts of proteins are required for different functions, which makes regulation of protein production a scientific concern. Genes produce quantities of proteins dependent on many factors. Rare regions at the beginning of genes have recently been attributed to variation in protein expression. These regions, called ramp sequences, correlate with higher production. Protein expression differs across tissue types, but it has yet to be explored if ramp sequences correlate with these differences.

Questions

• Do different tissues use …

Comparative Study Of Humectants Used To Preserve Epithelial Tissue, Tanner Nelson, Zak Webber, Aaron Peatross, Alex Pittard, Andrew Sykes, Ayden Olsen, Brandon Meeves, Chris Baeza, Christian Nilsen, Craig Reeves, David West, Dexter Tan, Elijah Lindstrom, Emma Holdaway, Gregg Davis, Iliana Madsen, Niko Jones, Olivia Grinnell, Sawyer Colvin, Tyler Humpherys, Jason Adams

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Video Presentation People's Choice Award Winner

• Preserving human tissue is widely important in many different fields including the burial of the deceased, forensics, and education. Most cadaveric preserving solutions contain a humectant chemical which keeps the tissue moist and well-preserved.
• We believe that in a comparative study a wet/dry tissue analysis can be used to analyze which humectants are most effective at preventing water loss from the tissue.
• Through further comparative analysis using our methods, we hope to determine the most effective humectant for the preservation of tissue.

Does Negative Frequency-Dependent Selection Maintain Gonopodial Asymmetry In Xenophallus Umbratilis?, Mary-Elise Johnson, Erik S. Johnson, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

How does negative frequency-dependent selection emerge in populations?

The idea of negative frequency-dependent selection is elegant and simple: Traits are evolutionarily favored when they are rare but disfavored when they become common. This can theoretically lead to oscillations in the ratios of morphs within populations. Unfortunately, there is still little evidence that this process occurs in the wild. The live bearing fish Xenophallus umbratilis exhibits uniquely asymetrical morphology in the male mating structure, called a gonopodium. In this species, the gonopodium terminates with either a dextral (right-handed) or sinistral (left handed) twist, suggesting that mating within this species could be …

Chemokine Receptor Ccrl2-V180m And Its Role In Inflammation And Alzheimer's Disease, Lucie Dearden, Josue D. Gonzalez Murcia, John S. K. Kauwe Phd, K. Scott Weber Phd

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative condition that is the leading cause of dementia among elderly patients. It is commonly associated with neuroinflammation and its progression is evident in higher levels of serum chemokines and activated microglia. We have identified a receptor and its mutant, CCRL2-V180M, associated with lower levels of the pro-inflammatory chemokine ligand, CCL4. We have previously identified ligand binding behaviorof one isoform of CCRL2, CRAM-A and propose to compare its behaviour to the more commonly expressed isoform, CRAM-B. We hypothesize that CCRL2-V180M binds with a higher affinity than WT to CCL4, decreasing levels of CCL4 in …

Do Gender And Age Affect How College Students Address Their Stem Instructors?, Ashley Hale, J. Greenall, J. Kilmer, E. G. Bailey

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

• No matter their level of education or preferred title, many university-level STEM instructors experience variability in how their students address them, with younger female professors having been addressed by their first name more than male professors in the past (Rubin, 1981).
• Titles hold certain implications and perceptions. For instance, a study found that female professors who were addressed as “Dr.” were perceived to be less accessible than their male colleagues were (Takiff, 2001).
• Rate My Professors is an anonymous platform allowing students to refer to their professors in whatever way is most comfortable for them
• A recent …

Zika And Dengue Virus Live Vaccines: Experiments To Improve The Thermostability Of A Vaccine Candidate Through Lyophilization, Marshall S. Butler

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

With the recent outbreak of Zika virus in Central and South America, there has been an increased demand for vaccines around the world for both zika and dengue virus. Due to a combination of high environmental temperatures and poor cold-storage capabilities in developing countries, it is often difficult for a live-attenuated vaccine to be shipped and maintained. In order to preserve and stabilize vaccines at refrigerated temperatures so that they can be easily shipped and stored, lyophilization (freeze-drying) can be explored as a possible solution. A successful lyophilization process will ensure an extended product shelf life, improve virus stability, and …

Optimal Chemotherapeutic Combination Of 9 Natural Compounds In Treating Pc-3 Prostate Cancer Cells, Ian Berlin, Jason Kenealy Phd

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

• Cell viability assays to determine the concentration at which half the PC-3 cells died (IC50)
• Mixture design Surface methodology (MDRSM) with cell viability to determine most effective combination

Macrophage Toll-Like Receptor Chimeric Antigen Receptor: Moto-Car™ Shows Potent Activation And Killing Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Michelle H. Townsend, Jonathan R. Skidmore, Kelsey A. Bennion, Guoying Wang, Zachary D. Ewell, David Lum, Michael Boyer, Kim L. O'Neill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a mesothelin targeting engineered Macrophage Toll-like Receptor Chimeric Antigen Receptor (MOTO-CAR™). Recently, immunotherapies have emerged as a new horizon for treating cancer. The development of T-cell chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and their success in treating liquid malignancies transformed the field of cancer treatment, but their effectiveness in treating solid malignancies has been limited due to their inability to traffic to the tumor site. Macrophages, however, are known to be actively recruited by tumors. Due to their association with tumors we chose to explore the use of MOTO-CARS™ as an …

Why Longer Exams Are Better For Learning: Extended Exams Increase Information Retention By Creating Stronger Connections In The Brain, Haley Mickelsen Moe, Jacob Sowards, Tana Sowards, Jamie L. Jensen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Poster 1st Place Award Winner

Although it’s been shown that extended exams significantly improve long-term conceptual understanding, researchers are still unsure which learning pathway contributes to this phenomenon. In order to determine which learning pathway is responsible for increasedconceptual understanding, we administered and analyzed biology exams of various lengths and levels in 3 different treatments.

Designing And Assessing New Educational Pedagogies In Biology And Health Promotion, Kristian Ciarah Cook

Theses and Dissertations

Recent developments in educational research raise important questions about the design of learning environments—questions that suggest the value of rethinking what is taught, how it is taught, and how is it assessed. During the past few decades, STEM disciplines began formally recognizing and integrating discipline-based education research (DBER) into their research programs to improve STEM education. One of the less literature-affluent areas of DBER addresses curriculum order and design appertaining to concept types and the order in which we teach those concepts. As educational researchers, we pose the question: does content order matter? In this project we designed, implemented and …

Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Focusing For Integrated Optofluidic Detection Enhancement, Erik Scott Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of superbugs, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and virus outbreaks, such as the recent coronavirus scare, illustrate the need for rapid detection of disease pathogens. Widespread availability of rapid disease identification would facilitate outbreak prevention and specific treatment. The ARROW biosensor microchip can directly detect single molecules through fluorescence-based optofluidic interrogation. The nature of the microfluidic channels found on optofluidic sensor platforms sets some of the ultimate sensitivity and accuracy limits and can result in false negative test results. Yet higher sensitivity and specificity is desired through hydrodynamic focusing. Novel 3D hydrodynamic focusing designs were developed and implemented on the …

Understanding The Changes In Gene Expression Between Stages Of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Rachel Skabelund, Stephen Piccolo, Kim O'Neill

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

In order to understand how cancer progresses from one stage to the next, researchers have been analyzing the changes in gene expression between stages of various cancers. However, very little of this type of research has been done on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that affects 18,000 new patients each year. Using gene set omics analysis (GSOA), we analyzed B-cell specific gene expression pathways in consecutive stages of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma to understand if there were specific pathways that changed their expression from one stage to the next.

Does The Morphologically Constrained Species Alfaro Cultratus Display Sexual Dimorphism?, Kelsie Bonnett, Kaitlyn Golden, Jerald B. Johnson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Is there a difference between male and female anal fin length in relation to body length in Alfaro cultratus?

1. Does overall anal fin length (adjusted for body length) differ between sexes?

2. Does the rate at which anal fin length changes as body size increases differ between sexes?

3. Does predation affect these differences?

Sunflower Seedlings Fail To Remove Uranium In The Navajo Nation, Zak Webber, Ben Abbott

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Mining and the natural geology in the Navajo Nation has led to widespread pollution of uranium contaminating the livestock and drinking water of many Navajo. Uranium has been shown to have adverse health effects and be connected withhypertension, renal failure, and cancer.

Recent studies suggested that the common sunflower, helianthus annus, has the ability to remove uranium in a hydroponic (water only) environment. This led us to believe that sunflowers may be effective to remove uranium from the water in soil conditions in the Navajo Nation.

Understanding Drug Addiction Through Optogenetics, D. Bird, Scott Kent Brown Iii, T. Hastings, J. Edwards

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Background

Drug addiction results from neural plasticity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), an area of the brain’s reward system, in which higher levels of dopamine are expressed. Research suggests that decreased activity of inhibitory neurons (specifically, GABAergic neurons) in the VTA could cause the hyperactivity of dopaminergic cells in the VTA and thus mediate opiate addiction. However, little additional research has been performed to evaluate plasticity of VTA GABA neurons and the role they play in addiction.

Hypothesis

Why are VTA GABAergic cells inhibited and how?

• We hypothesize that inhibitory inputs onto GABA neurons in the VTA directly affect …

Invasives And The Native Great Basin Desert Plant Community: Competition Response Under Changing Precipitation And Fire Regimes, Baylie C. Nusink, Tara B.B. Bishop, Samuel B. St. Clair

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2020

Climate change forecasts for cold North American deserts predict drier summers, early fall rain, and less winter precipitation as snow (Abatzoglouand Kolden2011).

In the Great Basin Desert the invasive species cheatgrass (Bromustectorum) has spread, altered fire patterns, and changed competitive interactions with native plants (Germinoet al. 2016b).

The objective was to understand how fall precipitation timing, fire disturbance, and the competition between native and invasive plants may alter the plant community in the Great Basin Desert.

Clinical And Cortical Decline In The Aphasic Variant Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Derin J. Cobia, Emily Joy Rogalski, Jaiashre Sridhar, Adam Martersteck, Benjamin Rader, Anupa K. Arora, Angela J. Fought, Eileen H. Bigio, Sandra Weintraub, Marek-Marsel Mesulam, Alfred Rademaker

Faculty Publications

Introduction—Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) displays variable progression trajectories that require further elucidation.

Methods—Longitudinal quantitation of atrophy and language over 12 months was completed for PPA patients with and without positive amyloid PET (PPAAβ+ and PPAAβ−), an imaging biomarker of underlying Alzheimer’s disease. Results—Over 12 months, both PPA groups showed significantly greater cortical atrophy rates in the left versus right hemisphere, with a more widespread pattern in PPAAβ+. The PPAAβ− group also showed greater decline in performance on most language tasks. There was no obligatory relationship between the logopenic PPA variant and amyloid status. Effect sizes from quantitative MRI data were …

Shrub Size Modulates Resource Heterogeneity In A Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystem, Lin Liu, Kari E. Veblen, Thomas A. Monaco

Western North American Naturalist

Shrubs create heterogeneity in resource availability, yet the influences of shrub age and size on these conditions in semiarid ecosystems is largely unknown. In order to inform restoration and conservation efforts in global shrub-steppe ecosystems that are currently imperiled, we assessed plant age-size relationships within an Artemisia tridentata stand in southern Idaho, USA, and examined the dependence of 2 resources, soil water content (SWC) and light at the soil surface (photosynthetically active radiation [PAR]), on size of individual plants in understory and interspace microsites. Results included a positive relationship between shrub age and size, a median shrub age of 19 …

Evaluating The Classification Of Gender Confirmation Surgery As A Medical Necessity For Inmates, Alexis J. Watson

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

In 2012, Mason Edmo pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of a fifteenyear-

old boy and was sentenced to ten years in prison. While in

prison, Edmo announced that she identified as a female and changed

her name to Adree. Edmo went on to request gender confirmation

surgery (also known as “sex reassignment surgery”) while still in

prison. Initially, Edmo was not granted the surgery by the Idaho

Department of Corrections, and went on to self-harm and attempt

self-castration twice. In 2017, Edmo filed suit against the Idaho State

Department of Corrections (IDOC) and won. The IDOC disagreed

with the …

Full Issue

Brigham Young University Prelaw Review

No abstract provided.

A Mindfulness And Contemplative Inquiry Coursefor Pre-Service Art Educators, Rebecca Sue Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

This research project incorporates a series of mindfulness and contemplative workshops withinthe established curriculum of an advanced art studio methods course for pre-service arteducators. Educational research studies suggest that individuals who complete a mindfulnesscourse of study experience increased mental and physical stamina; enhanced memory retention;and decreased irritability, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Research also indicates thatindividuals who practice mindfulness have improved relationships and bolstered immunesystems (Williams & Penman, 2012. These studies suggest that mindfulness training can makepositive contributions to teaching and learning, enabling teachers and students to perform at theirbest capacity in their respective roles. Many studies hypothesized that mindfulness …

Seasonal Abundance And Nutritional Concentration Of Grassland Arthropods, Ben R. Skipper, Daniel Kim, Cheryl Morris

Western North American Naturalist

A comprehensive understanding of foraging choices within an optimal framework requires a basic understanding of the differential nutritive concentrations and availability of prey items. Herein we present both nutritional data (e.g., the macronutrient, gross energy, and mineral concentrations) and temporal abundance of wild-caught arthropods from Nebraska prairies. Additionally, we report the size-mediated nutritional concentrations of 2 Orthoptera families: Acrididae and Tettigoniidae. Crude fat concentrations were 56%, 63%, and 53% higher in small, medium, and large Tettigoniidae than in Acrididae, respectively. Crude protein concentration varied minimally among arthropod groups (range 60.32%–76.00%), while caloric densities (gross energy) were similar among the majority …

Using Herbicide And Planting Techniques To Restore A Native Bunchgrass To Cheatgrass Invaded Systems, Tyson Jeffrey Terry

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores potential seeding techiniques to limit harmful effects of preemergent herbicide on a seeded species while simultaneously reducing abudance of annual invasive grasses. The first chapter examines the use of activated carbon seed coatings and furrows to limit herbicide effect on seeds of a perrenial bunchgrass. We found that both carbon coatings and furrows mitigated some of the herbicide effects, but that only when the two techniques were combined did we observe unaffected seedling emergence, plant density, and aboveground growth. Therefore, we suggest to management that use of carbon coatings and furrows after herbicide application can likely be …

Novel Techniques To Improve Restoration Of Native Rangeland Species, Rhett Michael Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The sagebrush steppe is a particularly sensitive ecosystem that is easily disturbed by fires, oil and gas extraction, woody-plant encroachment, and overgrazing. The natural regeneration of native species following a disturbance within this system is typically slow and sporadic, which allows invasive grasses to occupy the landscape. Attempts to assist the recovery of these landscapes through direct seeding is commonly met with poor success rates, particularly in lower elevation, drier sites. Novel seed enhancement technologies and planting techniques that mitigate limiting factors impairing restoration efforts may improve the likelihood of restoring these degraded areas. For chapter 1, we evaluated a …

Wildfire In The West: How Megafires And Storm Events Affect Stream Chemistry And Nutrient Dynamics In Semi-Arid Watersheds, Trevor William Crandall

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is causing larger wildfires and more extreme precipitation events throughout the world. As these ecological disturbances increasingly coincide, they are altering lateral fluxes of sediment, organic matter, and nutrients. Increased lateral flux of nutrients could exacerbate eutrophication and associated harmful algal blooms, and increased sediment and organic matter flux could degrade the water supply. Here, we report the immediate stream chemistry response of watersheds in central Utah (USA) that were affected by a megafire followed by an extreme precipitation event in 2018. The wildfires burned throughout the summer of 2018 until the remnants of Hurricane Rosa released torrential …