Digital Commons Network^™

Horizon Heights Refugee Housing, Isabella Smith

Student Research Symposium

Nestled gracefully along the tranquil banks of the Boise River lies Horizon Heights Apartments, a sanctuary for refugees seeking temporary housing. Upon their arrival in Boise, refugees have the opportunity to transition seamlessly into these welcoming apartments, offering respite for up to a month as they embark on their journey to find more permanent accommodations. Traditionally, refugees often find themselves housed in hotels upon their initial arrival, a costly arrangement that can quickly deplete their limited resources. However, Horizon Heights offers a practical alternative, providing a comfortable haven at a mere fraction of the expense, equivalent to just one-quarter the …

Community-Level Food Sovereignty And Wellbeing In The Upper Yakima River Basin: Framing Lived Experiences Within Multiscalar Food Systems Discourse, Alex Theophilus

Student Research Symposium

Broader Project Context

• Characterizing wellbeing in the Intermountain West
• Key themes include
• Individual and community wellbeing
• Population and demographic change
• Environmental change
• Rural-urban regional connectivity
• Food
• Community-identified salient issues

Hpipy: Decoding Host-Microbe Crosstalk With Computational Homology Models For Protein Interaction Prediction, Raghav Kataria

Student Research Symposium

Various pathogens affect plants

Fungi, bacteria, virus — Disease infection Loss to global agriculture economy

Molecular interactions regulate biological processes

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) crucial for understanding disease infection mechanisms

Enhances study of protein function and cellular behavior

Assessing Wma Stakeholders And Wildlife, Lane Arthur

Student Research Symposium

• Utah's Wildlife Management Areas are areas where people can hunt and fish, where wildlife can find healthy habitat, and more.
• Follow Administrative Rule R657-28-3
• Are experiencing an increase in recreational use not outlined by management objectives.

Farmers' Adoption Of Nutrient Management Plans In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Cbw), Edem Avemegah

Student Research Symposium

Farming and the Environment

• Some agricultural practices lead to environmental problems.

Mechanical Property Variability In Lpbf Ss316l Due To Defects Formation And Process Interruption, Tasrif Ul Anwar

Student Research Symposium

This project aims to understand the correlation between the manufacturing process, defect formation, process interruptions, and the resulting properties of components made with laser powder bed fusion techniques.

Designing For Wellness: Enhancing First Responder Well-Being Through Fire Station Interior Architecture, Caimbre Bunton

Student Research Symposium

Firefighters face numerous health risks from physical and psychological stressors inherent in their profession. Occupational hazards include exposure to toxins, respiratory issues, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases and heightened cancer risk. They are also at risk for mental health challenges like PTSD, anxiety, depression and sleep deprivation. Interior design interventions focusing on acoustics, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, health amenities, and containing and elimnating contaminants within the station are essential for mitigating these risks. These design strategies create a supportive and health focused environment for first responders so they can continue to support our communities. Station 45 is a model for …

The Effect Of Medical Interpreters On Patient Outcomes Through Overcoming Linguistic Barriers, Klaire Dilworth, Annie Heaton, Allison Orton

Student Research Symposium

Many patients feel overwhelmed by the excess of information and emotional stress of the health problems they are experiencing. This can be especially stressful in situations where there is a language barrier. This can cause a substantial discrepancy in the healthcare that different ethnic populations receive. It can be difficult for patients to communicate what they are feeling, understand what the providers are telling them. It can also be a disadvantage to medical providers, as they might be unable to understand the experiences and needs of the patient. Medical interpreters hold the responsibility to help patients navigate these stressful times, …

Design With Intent: Designing Rooms For Mental Wellness, Alisson Lissette Flores Cabrera

Student Research Symposium

In the US, millions of people are affected by mental health issues every year. It was reported by the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality that in 2022, 23.1% of adults ages 18 or older had any mental illness. It is reported that anxiety disorders are some of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions affecting 42.5 million adults in the US. As the stigma of mental health illness and receiving treatment has decreased, the number of individuals seeking professional help has increased. From 2019 to 2021 the percentage of adults ages 18 and up seeking help went from …

Characterization Of Functionally Graded Regolith-Metal Powder Mixtures For Additive Manufacturing In Space, Ian Jones

Student Research Symposium

Additive manufacturing (AM), colloquially known as 3D Printing, is a manufacturing process in which a component is fabricated layer-by-layer. For metallic materials, the most common AM methods use powders as feedstock materials. To print in space, one abundantly available material is the loose powder covering the moon, i.e., lunar regolith. However, past research has shown that regolith does not have ideal properties for AM.

There are two main material properties that affect AM performance: (1) powder flowability, and (2) packing density. Powders must be able to flow over the print bed, otherwise the printer will jam. When powders naturally pack …

Dynamic Angle Of Repose Of Ss316l Powders Fabricated By Gas Atomization For Additive Manufacturing Applications, S. M. Mahid

Student Research Symposium

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, unlike conventional manufacturing methods like turning and milling, construct objects by incrementally adding layers of material. Various processes can be used to 3D print including laser or electron beams to melt or sinter metallic powder particles.

Meta-Analysis: Understanding The Effects Of Assumption Violations, Wyatt Williams

Student Research Symposium

Overview

• Clouds Scenario
• Why Meta-Analysis Matters
• What Assumptions are Being Violated
• Our Current Research
• Conclusion

A Novel Camera Based Measurement Technique For High Temperature Applications, Prasenjit Dewanjee

Student Research Symposium

Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is an optical technique for camera-based measurements.

Uncertainty Quantification In Neural Networks For Cfd, Cody Grogan

Student Research Symposium

Neural Networks have surged to popularity in many fields because of their ability to model complex functions. However, for most scientists, this comes at the cost of interpretability.

The aim of this research is to compile the different methods to uncertainty quantification in Neural Networks and apply them to a CFD problem.

Trip Production Models For Persons With Disabilities, Pouyan Saeidian

Student Research Symposium

People with disabilities constitute nearly 13% of the US population, with their mobility being more restricted compared to other groups. To provide equitable access to transportation facilities, it's crucial to delve deeper into their travel patterns and mobility. Our research examines their mobility patterns by comparing daily trip metrics with those without disabilities and modeling and analyzes factors influencing their travel frequency to inform policy enhancements

Inferring Inertial Navigation Errors From Sar Image Distortions Using A Convolutional Neural Network, Teresa White

Student Research Symposium

Precise navigation data is necessary for autonomous vehicles. In normal circumstances: GPS is typically used.

An In-Depth Investigation Into Factors Influencing Pedestrian Crash Severity: Comparative Analysis Of Generalized Ordered Probit, Stacking Ensemble Model, And Tabnet, Amir Rafe

Student Research Symposium

• Pedestrian Vulnerability: In 2021, there were 7,388 pedestrian deaths in the U.S., with urban settings, intersections, and dark lighting conditions being significant contributing factors.

• Prediction Models in Research: Pedestrian safety research employs a range of statistical, machine learning, and deep learning methods to assess factors affecting crash severity. TabNet, a novel deep learning model, is being used for the first time in the analysis of pedestrian crash severity.

Organizational Response To Social Worker's Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jaylee Cox

Student Research Symposium

This class research project focuses on examining job satisfaction, burnout, and commitment among practicing social workers in North Carolina.

Simulating Low Gravity Particle Dynamics, Ryan Lewis

Student Research Symposium

Lunar and Martian dust can pose a serious risk to astronauts and equipment due to the abrasive nature. A better understanding of how dust particles behave in low gravity is crucial in minimizing risks for future NASA Lunar and Martian missions.

• Existing methods are too expensive for detailed studies.
• We are developing an experimental platform that offers an affordable and robust way to study low gravity particle- laden flow.
• In this novel approach, the total body force on a dust particle is a proxy for gravitational force and can be controlled by imparting a vertical coulomb force on a charged …

Seasonal Shifts And Insights: Updating The Great Salt Lake Halogen Study (2022/24), Himalaya Sapkota

Student Research Symposium

Halogens compounds, particularly chlorine- and bromine-related species, may alter the photochemical reactions influencing local and regional air quality – including particulate formation (PM_2.5) and ozone (O₃) cycling.

High-Throughput: An Approach For Simultaneous Creep Testing Of Nuclear Structural Alloys, Raushan Singh

Student Research Symposium

Creep is a time-dependent deformation at constant load and elevated temperature.

It is widely used in an application that involves high temperature under load for e.g., Nuclear reactors.

Creep tests are notoriously slow, taking weeks/months to complete one experiment.

• This makes High-Throughput techniques more desirable

Our Goals:

(1) Demonstrate novel High-Throughput methods to perform more creep tests more quickly

(2) Apply those methods to more quickly characterize 3D printed 316L (future work)

Temporal Dynamics In Forage Value: Assessing The Seasonal Shift In Legumes And Non-Legume Forb Quality During The Growing Period, Fnu Surbhi

Student Research Symposium

Project Goal: The establishment of resource islands containing high-protein species to replace costly late-season nutritional supplements for beef cattle, promoting productivity and biodiversity while reducing environmental impact.

A Comprehensive Study: Comparing Machine Learning Techniques For Breast Cancer Prediction, Tonmoy Roy

Student Research Symposium

This study conducts a comparative analysis of feature selection techniques and machine learning models to improve breast cancer risk prediction using the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Dataset. Through evaluating univariate feature selection, recursive feature elimination, and principal component analysis, alongside ten machine learning models, the research aims to identify the most effective combination for accurate diagnosis.

Performance metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score guide the analysis.

The findings suggest that integrating specific feature selection methods with particular machine learning algorithms significantly enhances predictive accuracy, offering insights for developing more effective breast cancer detection tools and improving patient outcomes.

Impact Of Reduced Irrigation Frequency On Landscape Plants, Zirui Wang

Student Research Symposium

Utah is currently facing a historic drought. Last year, 99.3% of the land in Utah was experiencing varying levels of drought (U.S. Drought Monitor, 2024).

Landscape irrigation accounts for 70% of per capita residential water use in the western United States (Hayden et al. 2015).

Evapotranspiration (ET) refers to the water loss resulting from the processes of evaporation and transpiration. Reference ET (ET_o) is calculated using data from local weather stations and is employed to schedule irrigation frequency (Evans et al. 2022).

Seasonal Effects On Bovine Oocyte Quality, Harper Sjostrom

Student Research Symposium

• Bovine oocytes are impacted by the environments they grow in and the climates of those environments.
• Supplementation of melatonin or cytokine (FLI) could aid in oocyte quality and mitochondrial membrane distribution/potential.
• The aim of this study was to evaluate 1) if supplementation of melatonin/cytokine (FLI) during in vitro maturation has an impact on maturation rates in oocytes and 2) if supplementation/temperature affect mitochondrial membrane distribution/potential in bovine oocytes.

Fast Prediction Of The Trajectory And Coverage Of Aerially Delivered Fire-Retardants, Aditya Parik

Student Research Symposium

Motivation & Objectives

• The utilization of aircrafts in fighting wildfires has substantially increased over the last century, as incidences of forest fires increase all over the world.
• A constant effort of various fire control agencies throughout North America (such as USDA Forest Service) has been to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and overall effectiveness of aerial retardant delivery.
• In service of this goal, we develop a model for predicting the general trajectory a retardant plume takes when it is aerially delivered to a target.

Size Variation In Bumble Bees, Mj Cantwell

Student Research Symposium

Typically, a size distinction exists between queens and workers in eusocial bee species¹ (Fig. 1).

Body size of workers varies throughout the season depending on time of emergence and resource availability² (Fig. 2).

Information regarding how time of emergence impacts Bombus fervidus body size is lacking.

Cyp2d6, Autism, And Oxytocin Receptors, Ethan Dayley

Student Research Symposium

Who cares? Differences in oxytocin receptor density have been observed in two brain regions in autism. CNVs of the CYP2D6 gene appear associated with these differences. The CYP2D6 gene has been previously associated with

Repeatability Of Fecal Egg Counts In Wild Horses, Jaron Dixon

Student Research Symposium

- Fecal floats are one of the most commonly used methods of quantifying parasite infections.

- Despite being used for over a century, each variation of the method differs in accuracy and precision.

- In this study, we quantified parasite egg counts in wild horses using a centrifugal technique and Sheather’s sucrose solution.

- Our aim was to confirm the repeatability of the technique so it may be used in additional studies.

Effects Of Nitrogen On The Nodulation Of Ceanothus Velutinus, Prakriti Nepal

Student Research Symposium

• Ceanothus velutinus (snowbrush ceanothus) is a nitrogen-fixing species native to North America.
• It helps improve soil fertility through nodulation, a symbiotic process with bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen.
• It is valued for its drought tolerance, ability to enrich soil with nitrogen, and vibrant flowers (Fig. 1).
• However, limited research has been conducted to develop C. velutinus as a specialty crop for sustainable green industry production and understand its nodulation with native Frankia bacteria.