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  The Role of a Mutated Receptor, CCRL2 and its Correlation with a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease

  Colby J. Hendrix, Christopher J. Haynie, Hunter G. Lindsay, Josue D. Gonzalez, and Scott Weber

  Alzheimer’s Disease ( is the most common cause of dementia, which is the 5 th leading cause of death While the exact cause of AD is unknown, many suggest that inflammation could be a culprit 1 Inflammation is driven by our immune system A key component of inflammation is chemokine signaling These signaling molecules help guide immune cells to areas of infection and damage Cells use chemokine receptors to interact with secreted chemokines (Fig 1 Left) Some chemokine receptors are identified as atypical chemokine receptors ( because they have different functions than conventional chemokine receptors in the immune system (Fig 1 One of these ACKRs, CCRL 2 is the focus of our work

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  Exploration of the Mechanisms Underlying Cortical Spreading Depolarizations Associated with Familial Hemiplegic Migraines

  Brit Hepworth and Ryley Parrish

  Cortical Spreading Depolarization (CSD) - wave of cellular depolarization followed by wave of depression/inhibition • Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM3) - monogenic subtype of migraine with aura; caused by Scn1A mutation, leading to gain-of-function of Nav1.1 (voltage gated sodium channel) • Hm1a - compound which potentiates the persistent current in Nav1.1; mimics the Scn1A gain-of-function mutation observed in patients with FHM3 • It is commonly hypothesized that CSDs are triggered via raised extracellular potassium, threshold for induction ~12mM • Modifications of Hm1a compound in development for treatment of Dravet Syndrome, but has been shown in a few cases to induce CSDs.

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  Is there a link between male gonopodium size and mating strategies amongst fish in the family Poeciliidae?

  Ryen Hunsaker and Jerald B. Johnson

  Have different male mating strategies led to evolutionary changes in male gonopodium size?

  Natural selection should act strongly on any traits that affect successful reproduction. Fish species in the family Poeciliidae (livebearers) have a unique form of reproduction.

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  Claudin interaction changes during saltwater acclimation in Salmo-salar

  Joshua Hutchins, Kevin Wong, Thomas Lundquist, and Dario Mizrachi

  3rd Place Video

  Claudins, a protein family found in tight junctions that contribute to membrane permeability, are proven to be expressed at varying levels in Salmo Salar (Atlantic Salmon) depending on the concentration of salt in the water. It has been proven that there is an increase in expression of claudin 3 and 10 in the kidneys, liver, heart, intestine, and brain as the salmon acclimate to ocean water. We proposed that this upregulation of claudins 3 and ten is due to the need for stronger claudin interactions for decreased membrane permeability in the salt saturated water, and that the methods used in this experiment are valid to test the strength of claudin—claudin interactions.

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  Genetic Stop Signs: Nontraditional Sequences that Terminate RNA Production

  Christina Iverson and Samuel Scott

  3rd place open house

  Gene expression can change everything about the identity of a bacterial cell. This process begins when the protein RNA polymerase reads a DNA strand and produces, or transcribes, a matching messenger RNA sequence. This RNA sequence will then be read by a protein-building complex which builds a protein encoded by the RNA. When RNA polymerase finishes producing the RNA sequence, the RNA polymerase will fall off the DNA strand, known as transcription termination. Currently, there are two known mechanisms for transcription termination. We believe that there may be more unknown mechanisms for termination.

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  Salty Genes: Rapid Discovery of Salt Tolerance Genes in the Bacteria Kushneria

  Andrew Jenkins, Brent Nielson, and Jonathon T. Hill

  1st place poster design

  Global rising levels of soil salinity have led researchers to seek microbial solutions to increase agricultural plant viability in high salt soils.

  Kushneria increases growth of inoculated alfalfa in high salt soils, but little is known about how Kushneria survives in these environments1 or how it can be used to reduce the economic burden of salted soil.

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  The Effects of Initiating a Fast with a High Fat or a High Carbohydrate Shake on MCP-1, TNFa and IL-6 levels

  Gage Jensen, Landon S. Deru, and Bruce Bailey

  Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, heart disease and diabetes all rank among the leading causes of death in the United States, particularly among the elderly. While many behavioral and pharmacological strategies have been employed to reduce the incidence of these conditions, increasing evidence indicates that entering a mild to moderate state of ketosis through fasting or a very low carbohydrate diet can improve the prognosis for these conditions.1-4 Our aim is to see the extent that carbohydrate composition in an initiatory meal has on inflammatory marker proteins in our participants. This study assessed the impact that pre-fast meals have on Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa) and interleukin 6 (IL-6).

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  Do Cross Sectional Area and Muscle Stiffness of the Gastrocnemius Muscle of Senior Athletes Correlate with Each Other?

  Aunika M. John, MAtthew Nelson, Braxton Felix, Joshua Sponbeck, and J. Brent Feland

  Shear wave elastography (SWE) provides a way to objectively measure the stiffness of tissue. Traditionally used to assess stiffness of the liver or kidney for diseases, it is a relatively new area of research for muscle. Muscles atrophy (get smaller) and decrease in stiffness with age due to fatty deposition and disuse. Senior athletes are highly active, but no studies have reported on the relationship between muscle size and stiffness in this population.

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  Heart Breaking: Rapid Discovery of Novel Heart Development Genes in Zebrafish

  Bryce Johnson, Andrew Jenkins, Ryan Halls, Cayden Bro, and Jonathon T. Hill

  Congenital heart defects (CHD) impact approximately 1% with BioRender.com of the U.S. population. Identifying the genes and pathways involved in embryonic heart development is essential to better diagnose and treat CHD. Previous genetic screens were nonspecific and inefficient at finding novel genes To find genes associated with CHD, we ran a novel rapid genetic screening method on zebrafish, an established model for studying human heart development.

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  Urban Ecology of Birds in Mexico City

  E. Elias Johnson, Byron J. Adams, Jerald B. Johnson, and J. Jaime Zuniga-Vega

  How organisms persist under extreme conditions has received a lot attention in ecology. Some extreme environments are natural and pristine (e.g., Antarctica or the Atacama Desert), while others are highly impacted by humans (e.g., large cities). Unfortunately, we know little about the ecology of species that live in urban environments relative to those in pristine environments.

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  Sperm DNA Damage Shown To Correlate With DNA Alterations

  Hailey E. Johnson, Chad Pollard, and Timothy Jenkins

  DNA methylation is a biological process where methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule, changing the physical structure

  Sperm DNA methylation has shown to predict pregnancy outcomes for those with infertility

  DNA damage can happen through single and double stranded breaks. The Comet and TUNEL assay are two different and common ways to quantify levels of sperm DNA damage.

  It is suggested DNA damage might relate with global DNA methylation patterns in sperm genome, however regional differences have been overlooked.

  We wanted to assess the relationship between sperm DNA damage and regional DNA methylation, and compare the outcomes of the two different DNA damage assays.

  Methylation is described by beta values, which range 0 1 and describe the intensity of methylation at a region in the genome.

  DNA Damage was measured by the Comet and TUNEL assay. TUNEL produces a “DFI” score.

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  Staphylococcus aureus readily shares antibiotic resistance genes via transformation in co cultured biofilms

  Brooklyn Jones, Ashley Ball, Emillee Augenstein, Thompson Jared, Austin Wright, and Brad Berges

  Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a pathogenic bacterium which affects both humans and livestock, primarily affecting the blood, lungs, and soft tissues The CDC estimates 700 000 current deaths per year in the USA that are associated with antibiotic resistance (AR) infections, rising to 10 million/year by 2050 if no action is taken. SA can gain AR by obtaining a resistance gene from another organism, however, the process of such is not well understood The purpose of this project is to elucidate the process of gaining AR genes in SA strains SA strains can form biofilms an exterior, structural film, which protects the cell from foreign substances, such as antibiotics Many biofilms also contain extracellular DNA ( which provide an optimal environment for genetic material exchange between cells.

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  The Effect of Menstruation Duration on the Achilles Tendon Cross-Sectional Area in Female Ballet Dancers

  Li Kaitong, Aaron W. Johnson, Steven Allen, Shayla Bott, Chris Dillon, Joshua K. Sponbeck, Camille Nguyen Jones, and Annie Allen

  Females are more likely to suffer Achilles tendon injury that consequently leads to more complications including pain or tendon rupture, and experiencing fewer benefits from therapeutic interventions. There is a lack of knowledge on how estrogen, which may limit collagen synthesis, can affect tendon health and growth. The duration and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Acobjective of this study is to examine the relationship between menstruation hilles tendon over a 5-month period of intensive dance training.

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  Do Regional DNA Barcode Databases Lead to More Efficient Specimen Identification?

  Michael Kerr and Steven D. Leavitt

  DNA barcoding is a method for identifying specimens from specific regions of DNA. 1 Metabarcoding focuses on large, multi specimen scales. 2 These approaches rely on DNA databases for sequence identification, 2 but these databases often lack data from many species, 3 especially from poorly studied groups such as fungi 4 and lichens, which can lead to failure in specimen identification.

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  The Effects of Initiating a 24 hour Fast with a Low Versus a High Carbohydrate Shake on pancreatic hormones in the Elderly: A Randomized Crossover Study

  McKay Knowlton, Bruce Bailey, Landon S. Deru, Benjamin T. Bikman, and James LeCheminant

  The aim of this study is to understand how the macronutrient composition of the fast initiating meal influences glucose glucose regulating hormones during and 24 hours after a 24 hour fast in older, sedentary, and abdominally obese adults. Understanding these outcomes will inform fasting protocols such as time restricted eating and alternate day fasting, which offer potential long term health benefits.

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  Modeling Bunchgrass Mortality during Wildfire in Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystems

  Samuel Knuth, April Hulet, Keegan Hammond, Steven Peterson, and Ryan Jensen

  In low-elevation, big sagebrush communities with significant presence of annual grasses, post-fire efforts to reestablish perennial grasses generally fail.

  Given the risk of wildfire in any given year in these plant communities, preventing annual grass expansion into relatively intact communities is paramount.

  Minimizing annual grass invasion involves managing these communities for increased resilience to fire by maintaining perennial bunchgrasses.

  Shrub fuel loading impacts fire severity, thereby, increasing perennial bunchgrass mortality. But, as the distance from shrub increases, bunchgrass mortality decreases.

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  Plantar Taping: Starting off on the Right Foot

  Tanner Krupp, Davis Waid, Jessica Stringer, Cody Messick, and Dustin A. Bruening

  Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical effects of different taping methods on foot mechanics during gait.

  Hypothesis: We hypothesized that material compliance would influence effectiveness, with longitudinal rigidity reducing arch motion.

  Impact: Mechanical control of the arch may help recovery from plantar fasciitis.

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  Detecting Multiple Paternity in Mule Deer: Variations Among Populations and the Ecological Significance

  Madeline K. Martin, Sydney Lamb, Anna K. Monson, Paul B. Frandsen, and Brock R. McMillan

  We are interested in detecting the absence or rate of multiple paternity within mule deer populations (Odocoileus hemionus) due to 1) their unique breeding system where males mate-guard females from other males[2], and 2) the highly skewed male-biased sex ratios in populations as a result of harvest management. Comparing the rate of multiple paternity to sex ratio will suggest if harvest management is influencing long-term population genetics.

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  COVID-19 Multicultural Family Resilience

  Annabeth Mathews; Oluwadamilola Obalana,; Tyler Leffler; Ella Gaskin; Cole Hansen; and Gavin Speakman

  The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant hardship for many people living in the United States, with economic and public health effects that continue to adversely impact many To gain a better understanding of the disruptions that resulted from the pandemic, our team sought out to discover the impact of COVID- 19 on Parenting, Family Routines, Cohesion, and Resilience in Multicultural, Interracial, Ethnic, Diverse, Immigrant, or Multigenerational Families/Households.

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  Horizontal Gene Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

  Elisa McRae, Ashley Ball, and Brad Berges

  Staphylococcus aureus is known to acquire much antibiotic resistance (AR), though the mechanisms by which AR is conferred between bacteria is still unknown. Many theories propose that biofilms play a role in the sharing of genetic information between bacteria, or horizontal gene transfer (HGT 1,2 . However, studies have yet to confirm under what conditions HGT is most likely to occur, as well as when it is most efficient. Analyzing HGT will contribute to a fuller understanding of how antibiotic resistance is conferred and how to combat this issue in our society.

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  Habitat Suitability Models for Endangered Hawaiian Flora

  Bronwyn Meldrum and Richard Gill

  Hawaii contains the highest percentage of endangered and threatened flora in the United States. Restoration is expensive and time-consuming, and most replanting failures are mainly due to incorrect habitat. Without understanding the ideal habitat of endangered plants such as ohai (Sesbania tomentosa) and aweoweo papa (Chenopodium oahuense), it is impossible to know what areas the Molokai Land Trust should prioritize in conservation and restoration.

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  Staying Hydrated: A Comparative Analysis of Humectants in Human Tissue

  Joseph Monsen, Rachel Prince, and Jason Adams PhD

  Humectants are an important class of compounds that attract and retain water within a cell. When mixed with water to create wetting solutions, humectants can prevent desiccation of cadaveric specimens. Recognizing a relative scarcity of comparative studies analyzing the effects of various wetting solutions on post-preservation cadaveric maintenance, we utilized wet-dry analysis in order to compare the effects of four common humectants on water retention in human skeletal muscle tissue. We created a concentration gradient for each humectant to identify the optimal concentrations of each compound for water retention, after which we compared water retention in tissue at the optimal concentrations of each humectant under standardized conditions. Through this simple assay, we show that skeletal muscle tissue submerged in glycerol solution retained the most moisture. Through further experimentation, we plan to carry out similar studies using additional human tissues in order to create a tissue library, which will provide an evidence-based standard for wetting and rehydrating solutions used in anatomy labs.

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  Characterization of Potent Antibiotic Compounds Produced by Bacteria Found in the Soil Around BYU Campus

  Michael Moran and Hogan Turner

  Preliminary data suggest that Paenibacillus species found around BYU campus produce novel antibiotic compounds.

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  Recreation or Regression: Assessing the Effect of Human Activities on Desert Carbon Sequestration in Bears Ears National Monument

  Jansen Nipko, Elisabeth Currit, Tessa Cantrell, Shannon Lambson, Alex Long, Heather Phipps, Nathan Thompson, and Ben Abbot

  Map recreation activity both spatially and temporally, using recreation data from the BLM and publicly available sources.

  Collect in situ data at 120 randomly selected sites using the Assessment, Monitoring, and Inventory Strategy.

  Validate Landsat NDVI and SAVI imagery with in situ data

  Utilize field data and NDVI & SAVI GIS analysis to compare vegetation and soil degradation in disturbed and undisturbed areas.

  Extract 10cm soil core samples and run soil carbon analyses to measure carbon sequestration at each site.

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  Striving for the Indiscernible: Color Vision Deficiency and Scientific Figures

  Arwen Oakley, Harlan Stevens, and Stephen Picco

  8% of men and 0.5% of women suffer from color vision deficiency (CVD)

  Through looking at 5000 images from eLife Science, we categorized each image by hand based on how challenging it would be to see for those with CVD

  Finally, through the use of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), we created a computer visual model that would then sort the images as friendly or unfriendly for people with CVD