Determination of Nicotine content in experimental lettuce
CORBIN BALLAM, TYLER HACK, SEAN NATOLI, KIM WEAVER
Nicotine, the major addictive agent in cigarettes, is an agonist for the nicotinic receptors in the
sympathetic neurological response. In large amounts it causes for an extreme sympathetic
response that excites the circulatory system to the point of tachycardia, hypertension, and
possibly death. This reaction makes nicotine a possible insecticide, as plants do not have a
cardiovascular system, so they would be theoretically unharmed by its presence. Tobacco plants
naturally use nicotine as an insecticide against piercing sucking insects increasing their
biological fitness. Our research was in the development of a method of measuring the amounts of
nicotine in lettuce for a possible insecticide.
Using a nicotine insecticide, we determined the linear range of detection using a GC/MS along
with the detection limit of our instrument in order to have a clear depiction of the limits of our
analysis. This process was repeated on different days to verify that the proposed method was
robust.
The lettuce was prepared by grinding it up with liquid nitrogen. The powdered frozen lettuce was
then dissolved in a saturated potassium carbonate solution to free the nicotine from the lettuce.
The aqueous solution of nicotine was then filtered from the solid particulates. The basic solution
was then neutralized with ascorbic acid to a neutral pH. The water was evaporated off and the
concentrated nicotine solution was then diluted to 200 µL of acetone, which was compared to
standards for accuracy.
Predator-Prey Equation with Limited Resources
DANE BARTLETT, Department of Mathematics
We study a model for a predator-prey relationship with limited resources. We discuss the
stability of equilibrium solutions to this system. We also develop a stable numerical scheme to
verify theoretical results of the system.
Survival in the Mathematics Department, Part I
RACHEL BECKHAM LAMA and SHALA EDWARDS, Mathematics Department
The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that have the greatest impact on students deciding
whether to switch majors to departments other than the Math Department. Gender, GPA, financial aid,
residency, marital status and other social and academic factors were taken into account. We used the Cox
Proportional Hazard Model.
Evaluation of SMART-BREEZE X-ray diffraction instrument for analysis of protein
crystals
CODY A. BLACK, GUIZELLA A. ROCABADO, BRUCE R. HOWARD, Department of
Physical Science
We have performed an evaluation of a new single-crystal x-ray diffraction instrument recently
acquired by the college of science and engineering. This SMART-BREEZE system is designed
for optimal data collection on single crystals of small organic and inorganic compounds and
includes software for automated structure solution in these cases. It is equipped with a copper
anode, a CCD x-ray detector, and a cryostream which can maintain samples at 100 K during data
collection. Although it is optimized for crystals of small molecules including peptides, the
possibility remains that it may be useful for collection of data from small proteins or even larger
macromolecular complexes. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate our new
system to determine its utility and limitations. Here we report the results of our investigations
using crystals of HEW lysozyme, which demonstrate that this system is capable of collecting
high-quality diffraction data from protein crystals.
Student Attitudes on the Cedar City Dog Park
JERICKA CHRISTENSEN, HAILEY COTTLE, BRANDI HILLOCK, SARAH SCOTT, AND
KAITLYNN WIGHT, Department of Psychology
SUU students’ attitudes were assessed in regards to the possibility of getting a dog park in Cedar
City. We surveyed students to ask questions like: What are your feelings toward dogs on a scale
of -5 to 5 where -5 is despise, 0 is neutral, and 5 is adore, and on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is a
great desire for a dog park, how much would you want a dog park? Results will be presented at
the conference.
Migration Of Lipids in a Supported Lipid Bilayer
RULON J. CORRY
Supported lipid bilayers have been shown to have potential in the study of membrane proteins, if
better understood. This study has a twofold purpose in looking at the forces that effect the
migration of lipids with a supported bilayer through electrophoresis. A mix of labeled and
unlabeled lipids were put together in a bilayer and separated by electrophoresis demonstrating
electrophoretic forces and also repulsion forces within the bilayer. The second part of the study is
creating a computer simulation using these same forces to model the migration of particles. By
using a simple program a model has been made that can show the separation of particles by
diffusion, an electrophoretic force and repulsive force. This simulation will be made more
accurate by using the results of the first part of this study.
Visual and Auditory Effects of High Altitude Jets on Landscape Evaluation
JAKE DENISON, BRITT MACE, AND GRANT CORSER, Department of Psychology
The visual and auditory effects of high altitude jets on natural landscapes were compared in a
laboratory simulation. Two hundred and thirteen students served in one of four conditions and
evaluated scenes and sounds on six dependent variables. Results show the presence of jets in
natural environments cause negative evaluations.
Identity and Stereotypes: What our Names and the Cars We Drive Say about Us
CHRISTOPHER DIEPEVEEN AND LYNN H. WHITE, Department of Psychology
Identity is an important and yet very illusive part of many lives. This study will survey
participants in regard to their names in connection with character traits, activities, and vehicle
choice. Participants included 253 volunteers, most of whom were from a small university in
Southern Utah, All participants had to have been in the United States for at least 10 years. The
purpose of the current study is to determine whether certain stereotyped traits, activities, and/or
vehicle choices cluster around popular names in North America and in addition compare those
stereotypes to owners of these specific names to find if the stereotypes are true, this would then
suggest that the stereotyped name has an effect on a person’s identity. Notable profiles were
found between names and character traits, names and activities, and names and vehicle choice.
Using Markowitz Portfolio Theory to Optimize TIAA-CREF Retirement Accounts
KAMERON DOCKSTADER, Department of Mathematics
The analysis of portfolio construction from TIAA-CREF assets using data ranging from 2003 to
2011.
Investors all over the world are dissatisfied with their low-return, risky investments. With
Markowitz Portfolio Theory, one can use the expected return and variance of each asset to
construct a portfolio that incurs the lowest variance (risk) subject to a given required rate of
return by assigning different weights to each asset. My model, based on TIAA-CREF data,
constructs optimal portfolios. Using this model, one may invest in an efficient portfolio that
specifically matches his or her required return and risk tolerance.
Is Blokus Solvable?
CHELSEA GIBBS, Department of Mathematics
Blokus® is a board game involving twenty-one distinct shapes. These shapes are then placed on
a twenty-by-twenty grid in such a way that only the corners of like colors touch. The main goal
is to place all twenty-one of your pieces on the board while also preventing the other three
players from doing the same. The goal of this research was to determine if it is possible to place
all of the pieces on the board, while following the game rules. To do this, a Java code was
constructed that will run simulations of the game until all solutions are found. Then, nonisomorphic solutions will be identified.
Measuring and Defining Exaggeration
DALLAS HALL, GARRETT STROSSER, AND STEVE BARNEY, Department of Psychology
Trace elements of exaggeration are found in many aspects of psychology, particularly in
personality theories and counseling psychology. Words like neurosis, histrionic, and extroversion
all involve elements of exaggeration. The objective of this study was to distinguish exaggeration
as a separate and measurable character trait while providing several built-in measures of validity
and reliability. Participants (N = 32) were required to complete the study in small groups of
people (2-4) with whom they were familiar. Upon arrival, participants completed a computerbased exaggeration survey which asked them to evaluate ambiguous photos and scenarios on
emotional and cognitive components. In addition, participants rated the extent to which other
members in their experimental group tended to exaggerate. The reliability and validity of the
exaggeration measures are discussed along with the relation between the various exaggeration
components.
The Effects of Highway 14 Excavation on Coal Creek and Tributaries
HAILEE D. DOWDING, TENILLE S. FRANCISCO, AND LORYN K. KILLPACK
The effect of excavation on Highway 14 was examined by analyzing water samples from Coal
Creek and Right Hand Creek. Effects on ion concentration, pH, turbidity, and total dissolved
solids were tested at both high and low flow rates.
Face Book and its Usage
RUSSELL BEHRMANN, CARRIE BLACKEYE, AMBER GOWER, JENNIFER
LONGMORE, MIKE SHERRATT, Department of Psychology
To what effect does age and gender play a role in the usage of Facebook? Do women or men use
Facebook more often? Do younger or older people use Facebook more often? What do people
use Facebook the most for? How often do people update their status or post on other people’s
walls on Facebook? We surveyed Facebook users to find out. Results will be presented at the
conference.
A study of abiotic factors influencing the absence of biodiversity in Coal Creek and
tributaries
BRET D. MAUGHAN AND DAVID C. DODDS, KIM H. WEAVER, BETSY A. BANCROFT
Department of Chemistry, Biology, Geology
Stream ecosystems are sensitive to many stressors such as climate change, channelization,
sediment loads, and water chemistry. Preliminary observations of Coal Creek have shown that
biodiversity in the creek is minimal and its different tributaries have differences in the organisms
they can sustain. Chemical analysis shows that, while differences between tributaries exist, there
are no significant abnormalities in dissolved chemical species. However, spectrofluorescence
analysis shows that Coal Creek contains little chlorophyll, an indicator for algal biomass and
primary producer concentration, which may explain the lack of macroscopic life. Experimental
analysis showed that tadpoles can survive in water collected from Coal Creek and the
surrounding tributaries but did not survive well when exposed to the fine suspended sediment
loads commonly associated with the creek.
Hydration Status, Hemoglobin Levels, and Dietary Intake of Female Cross Country
Athletes at Southern Utah University
KRISTEN NIELSON, CHELSEA ATKINSON, EMILEE BARKER, TYSON CLAY, ARTIS P.
GRADY, AND MATTHEW C. SCHMIDT, Department of Agriculture and Nutrition
Studies indicate that proper hydration and nutrition are vital to athletic performance. Athletes
benefit from adequate iron intake, which may result in increased aerobic capacity. The purpose
of this study was to examine athlete hydration status, hemoglobin levels, and caloric intake.
Twenty female cross-country athletes with a mean age of 20.3 years and a mean Body Mass
Index (BMI) of 19.6 were recruited from the Southern Utah University Women’s Cross Country
team. Urine specific gravity (USG) was analyzed pre, post, and six hours after two separate
training sessions. The perceived exertion (PE) of individual athletes was measured post workout
using the OMNI PE scale. The mean USG results for the athletes’ pre and post workouts both
showed minimal dehydration. Six hours post workout subjects were significantly dehydrated.
There was no correlation found between USG and PE. Hemoglobin levels were measured at a
later date. Results indicate that the athlete’s levels were within normal limits. Athletes also
completed a food/beverage intake log over a period of seven days. During this time athletes took
in an average of 98% of calculated caloric intake needs. Looking at the ChooseMyPlate
recommendations, Meat/Bean, Vegetable, and Fruit intake percentages were far below
recommended amounts. Data suggests that this population would benefit from education on
intake of nutrient dense foods and proper hydration.
Management Theory & The Tragedy of the Commons
RYAN OWENS, JAKE DENISON, DR. BRITT MACE, Department of Psychology
As an individual experiences thoughts of his/her own death, they find themselves in a position of
separating themselves from the natural and biological world. This occurs in relation to the
paralytic nature of thoughts of the expiration of life within an individual. Presenting an
individual with such a situation provides the opportunity for them to create a sense of
immortality, which leads to the detachment from said natural and biological aspects of reality.
Also, these individuals are found to experience negative reactions to the physical self. However,
studies have shown that there may be a positive environmental application of making an
individual aware of thoughts of his/her own death. This study is meant to provide further
enlightenment to the factors that elicit pro-environmental attitudes and actions via a commons
dilemma simulation.
When individuals engage in a commons dilemma simulation, self-interest and greed are two of
the common responses that lead to the degeneration and collapse of the commons. This is the
point where the tragedy arises. Individuals are inclined to fulfill their short-term wants and
needs thereby collapsing the resource base, often very quickly, rather than participating in a
collaborative effort to sustain the commons over a prolonged period. We hypothesized that the
commons could be prolonged and/or preserved as the forces of mortality salience were elicited.
This hypothesis infers that the anxiety induced by mortality salience can be dealt with via
participating in an effort to sustain the commons.
Student Perceptions of Overweight & Obese Individuals as Measured on the Fat Phobia
Scale
JACKIE PLATT, BILLIE JEAN REED, NIKKITA ULLOA, ARTIS P. GRADY, MATTHEW
C. SCHMIDT, Department of Agriculture and Nutrition
It is well established that negative stereotypical attitudes exist toward obese and overweight
individuals by not only the general population, but among doctors, nurses, healthcare students,
and dietitians. Such attitudes can create undesirable consequences for adolescents and adults in
areas such as employment opportunities and healthcare treatment. Several studies have been
conducted on fat phobia, but very few have focused on college nutrition students and their
attitudes toward obese and overweight individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if
the perceptions of nutrition students improved with the level of nutrition education. Three
hundred fifty college-age subjects enrolled in nutrition courses at Southern Utah University
(SUU) were studied. Two hundred forty-five of the participants were in an introductory course
and 105 were in courses above the introductory level. Participants were surveyed using a
modified version of the Fat Phobia Scale. A mean score of three on the scale indicates a neutral
attitude towards obese/overweight individuals. The mean score of beginning nutrition students
was 3.89 and the more advanced students was 3.76, indicating that nutrition students enrolled in
nutrition courses at SUU do possess a majority of these negative stereotypes. The following
variables on the fat phobia scale were found to be significantly different, with the basic classes
having a more negative view: unattractive vs. attractive, slow vs. fast, inactive vs. active, and
overeats vs. undereats, suggesting that an increase in education could be a factor in improving
attitudes toward obese and overweight individuals.
Digging for Trapped Pb
NICOLE RAMOS, NOE SORIANO AND SAM MACFARLANE
We wanted to analyze the distribution of Pb at a shotgun firing range for the purpose finding the
optical location and depth to recycle and reuse fired shotgun BB’s. Soil samples were taken at
different distances and depths to find the highest concentrations of Pb in its solid or oxidized
form. Analysis was done using Atomic Absorption.
Assessing Cultural Knowledge and Personal Attitudes
ASHLEY REID AND GARRETT L. STROSSER, Department of Psychology
The accuracy of three different attitude assessment methodologies was assessed in light of
reported cultural knowledge (i.e., awareness of societal attitudes). Participants completed attitude
and cultural knowledge questionnaires and a paper version of the IAT. The accuracy of each
methodology and the relation to cultural knowledge was clarified.
Spectrophotometric Determination of Chlorophyll in Local Water Bodies
BRYAN A. `LONG, GUIZELLA A. ROCABADO, BRET D. MAUGHAN
Chlorophyll is a key indicator in nutrient concentration and water health. Water quality in several
surrounding lakes and streams was analyzed by spectrophotometric determination of chlorophyll.
Relative chlorophyll concentrations facilitated the comparison of overall health of local water
bodies.
How moonlight affects bat activity
TODD SANTOS, Math Department
Bat activity surrounding several caves was recorded using sensors over 4yrs. I analyzed the data
and am now presenting the results.
Knowledge and Practices of Food Safety Among Restaurant Cooks in Cedar City, Utah
RYAN SCHOLES AND ARTIS GRADY
In 2005 restaurants served 170 billion meals in the United States. Four in ten Americans eat in
restaurants on any given day and one in six eats 15 meals per week in restaurants. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is estimated that each year 76 million
illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths are due to foodborne illnesses. The
majority of the reported cases having been traced to public eating establishments. For this
research a three page, 28 question, food safety survey was designed to evaluate the knowledge
and practices of restaurant cooks in Cedar City, Utah. Surveys were distributed and a total of 45,
representing ten restaurants, were returned and analyzed. Potentially dangerous practices were
reported including unsafe ways of defrosting meat (20% of participants), not always washing
hands after handling raw meat (18% of participants), and not always using food thermometers to
ensure that food is cooked to the right temperature (73.3% of participants). Seventy-three
percent of the cooks surveyed had food handler’s permits, yet many missed knowledge questions
that came from the test required to attain the permit. Since there are those who prepare food that
are not practicing safe preparation habits, it appears that something needs to change. In-service
training and on-site inspection/evaluation to reinforce the importance of food safety could
improve food safety practices and help prevent foodborne illnesses.
Attitudes and Effects of Spring Break on Test Scores
MADISEN SMITH, MALORIE MATTHEWS, KODI KUSANO, MICHAEL SAUCEDO AND
JACOB ELIASON, Department of Psychology
Does the week long Spring Break have a negative or positive effect on students at Southern Utah
University? To address this question we have administered 40 surveys to SUU students with
regard to their views on whether Spring Break affects their academic performance in a positive
or negative way and the amount of time they spent over the spring break working on school
work. We also obtained data on test 3 from a statistics class in Fall 2010 & 2011 and Spring
2011 & 2012. Results on the perceived and actual effects of Spring Break on school performance
will be presented at the conference.
Simulation of a Probability Distribution for Yearly Insurance Expenditures
KEVIN W. STEPHENSON, Department of Mathematics
We simulate the expected total yearly expenditures, making assumptions on the probable
distributions of number and severity of claims submitted in a given year.
The Effect of Hours of Sleep on the Cumulative GPA of SUU Students
TESS N. TAMOWSKI, NICOLE SMITH, TREVOR EVERET, MCKAY CONDIE, AND
CHRIS HANING, Department of Psychology
The effect of the average amount of sleep per night on cumulative GPA was calculated by survey
from a sample of approximately 100 SUU students. The survey asked the participants their sex,
age, major, class standing, cumulative GPA, and average hours of sleep per night. The results
will be presented at the conference.
Seeing Birds: A Functional Analysis of 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate Tweets
SAMUEL HARDMAN TAYLOR, Department of Communication
This study adds additional knowledge into the function of political rhetoric by analyzing tweets
during presidential primaries. Previous research on the primaries has not included Twitter
because of the newness of the social networking site. Like with television ads, radio spots, and
webpages, candidate’s publicity teams are able to craft Twitter content to form a message of
acclaim, attack, or defense. 4360 presidential candidate tweets were coded through Functional
Theory to understand the persuasive strategies used by candidates to make them appear favorable
in the eyes of voters.
Active versus Passive Involvement: Optimizing Learning and Comprehension among
College Students
JESSICA L. TORO AND GARRETT L. STROSSER, Department of Psychology
College students are often in lecture based classes. These lecture based classes offer students the
maximum amount of information in the shortest amount of time, leaving little time for student
participation. Active learning gives the learner responsibility over his or her own learning and is
defined as more than a mere transfer of knowledge between professor and student (Michel,
Cater, & Varela, 2009). This study targeted a large sample of general psychology students.
Participants (N= 73) learned brain and neuron physiology and functions using either an active or
passive learning approach, followed by an immediate and a delayed test, made up of a multiple
choice and a diagram test on the material covered. Results were analyzed using independent
samples t-tests and a two-way, mixed factors ANOVA. Results suggest that students in the active
learning group scored higher on tests immediately following the learning session but not in the
delayed tests where both groups’ scores were similar. Furthermore, using survey questionnaires
students in the active learning group rated the class overall more positively than students in the
lecture group.
The Effect of Time in a Checkout Line on the Number of Impulse Buys
CORINNA MICHAELIS, KHLOE CLAWSON, MARIAH UNRUH, MCKENZIE UHJLEY,
Department of Psychology
The effect of time in a checkout line on the number of impulses buys was observed and recorded
along with gender of shoppers, total of purchase, group vs. single shoppers, and whether the
impulse buy was food or non-food. The results will be presented at the conference.
Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine on Glucocorticoid Levels and Growth in Tadpoles
JARED WENN AND KEVIN CANNON, Department of Biology
Glucocorticoids are a family of hormones that are released after vertebrates go through stress for
a prolonged period of time. High and prolonged levels of glucocorticoids in the blood may have
negative effects on vertebrates such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, lowered immunity
response, and higher levels of LDL cholesterol. Unfortunately, most research has taken place in
humans. The hypothalamus of tadpoles signals the release of glucocorticoids, just like in
humans. I propose using a controlled experiment that will allow me to measure the effect of
stressors before and after amphibians have gone through metamorphosis. I will use 10 tanks per
treatment. One treatment will be the control group with de-chlorinated water. The second
treatment will contain alcohol in de-chlorinated water. Nicotine will be placed in de-chlorinated
water for the third treatment. For the fourth treatment, I will place alcohol and nicotine in dechlorinated water. At the conclusion of the study, I will be using analysis of variance (ANOVA)
to compare growth, survival, and time to metamorphosis.
Clusters of Ancient Black Holes: Relationships between the Two-Point Correlation
Function and Random Walk Algorithms
BRANDON K. WIGGINS* AND JAMES R. CHISHOLM†, *Department of Mathematics,
†Department of Physical Science
Primordial black holes (PBHs) form from large fluctuations in the radiation density field of the
early universe. The spatial distribution and clustering of PBHs are of special interest to the
cosmological community as PBHs could serve to seed supermassive black holes and intimately
probe cosmology and general relativity. Obtaining a realization of such a distribution directly
from the correlation function for PBHs, however, becomes computationally impractical due to
the extreme rarity of the perturbations which would produce a collapse to singularity in the early
universe. In this paper, we present preliminary results of an alternate, random walk scheme in 3
space and aim to reproduce the spatial distributions of PBHs. Using simulation and applying
two-point correlation function estimators, we investigate the nature of the mapping between the
set of all probability density functions for step length and the set of resulting correlation
functions. We provide discussion on algorithm details and theory and compare our results with
the literature.
Effects of Thyroid Hormone on Tadpole Growth and Development in the Amphibian
Rana pipiens
RACHEL K. WRIGHT AND WHITNEY LEE, Department of Science and Engineering
Thyroid hormones (TH) are tyrosine-based molecules secreted by the thyroid gland upon
detection of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) released by the anterior pituitary gland. In
humans, and, presumably all mammals, excess TH (hyperthyroidism) results in a plethora of
abnormal metabolic functions. In amphibians, mammalian thyroid tissue was found to initiate
larval metamorphosis. Increased TH production could accelerate apoptosis in the tail and
intestines of amphibians. However, the effects of increased TH on morphological characteristics
of amphibians have not been studied. Our data show that TH can also influence morphological
characteristics of anuran larvae. The control tadpoles had wider bodies compared to both low and
high TH treatment groups (p<0.001). The low TH treatment tadpoles were smaller in length than
high TH and the control treatment (p=0.05). Also, treatment groups showed signs of undergoing
metamorphosis while the controls lacked those characteristics. These data can contribute some
insight to the growing concern of the endocrine disruptor chemicals that are present in our water
systems, specifically perchlorates and nitrates. If chemicals like perchlorates and nitrates affect
TH secretion in amphibians, these data can contribute to our understanding of the causes of
amphibian decline.