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Undergraduate Research Journal 2015


VOLUME 15

Message from the Director

Welcome to the 2015 issue of the University of Utah’s Undergraduate Research Journal. Congratulations to the students who have published their important work here—the Undergraduate Research Journal collects and celebrates the contributions our undergraduate students from all over campus make to scholarship in their fields.

Many of you are familiar with the previous instantiation of this publication, the Undergraduate Research Abstracts Journal. We have made two important changes this year and moving forward: first, as you have seen, the Journal is now published online; second, submissions are no longer limited to abstracts—we now welcome submissions of all shapes and sizes. Our new online format more readily accommodates the work of our undergraduate students from all disciplines on campus, whether they include images of art work, links to performances, traditional research abstracts, artists’ statements, and more.

I would like to express my appreciation for the dedicated project leadership of my Office of Undergraduate Research colleague Janet Opel, who has made our vision for an online journal a reality. This was no small task, and Janet, along with team members Cindy Greaves and Stephanie Shiver, have created an inclusive and widely-accessible outlet for University of Utah students’ scholarship.

The transition to this online format would not have been possible, nor the product of such high quality, without the generous support and expertise of our partners in the Marriott Library. I would like to especially thank Anne Morrow for her commitment to launching the Journal, and for the spirit of collaboration in support of the undergraduate experience that permeates her work. We are proud that the Undergraduate Research Journalis now hosted by the Marriott Library’s e-publication system and look forward to our continued collaboration.

I would finally like to acknowledge the dedication and support of the faculty mentors who are committed to providing high-quality research experiences for undergraduate students at the University of Utah. The work published here represents countless hours of mentoring on the part of my colleagues all over campus—thank you for all that you do.

Happy reading, all!

Sincerely,
Rachel Hayes-Harb
Director, Office of Undergraduate Research
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics

Architecture & Planning

  • PARKS AND CHILDREN: A NATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION AND ACCESS THAT CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY HAVE TO GREEN SPACE IN MID-SIZED URBAN AREAS
  • LIGHT POLLUTION HAZARDS TO NOCTURNAL AVIAN MIGRATION
  • COATS’ DISEASE PATIENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Business

  • CONSUMER PURCHASING BEHAVIOR: A CONSIDERATION OF THE COMBINED INFLUENCE OF CULTURE & CONFORMITY ON CONSUMER DECISIONS
  • MEASURING AN IDEAS BASED ECONOMY: AN ANALYSIS OF TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
  • FASB PROPOSED REVNEUE RECOGNITION AND THE IMPACT UPON UNTIED STATES CORPORATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
  • CURRENT AND FUTURE FINANCIAL WELLBEING OF OLD AGE RUSSIAN PENSIONERS
  • THE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE AT THE UNIVERITY OF UTAH HOSPITALS AND CLINICS IN PERIOD 2011-2014

Education

  • UNDERSTANDING AND EVALUATING EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN THE CLASSROOM
  • PROMOTING HEALTHY BODY IMAGE IN CHILDREN - A PREVENTATIVE RESOURCE FOR EDUCATORS
  • COLLABORATIVE METHODS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

Engineering

  • PERMEABILITY OF ESOPHAGEAL TISSUE
  • SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NEXTGENERATION CALCIUM-SENSITIVE INFRARED FLUORESCENT INDICATORS
  • EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION OF LIGAMENTS USING SPRINGS IN AN OCCIPITOATLANTOAXIAL FEM
  • DETECTING BREAST TUMOR USING MICROWAVE IMAGING

  • MICROFLUORIDE CELL PRINTING TO PRODUCE A HIGHTHROUGHPUT CELL-BASED MICROARRAY
  • DESIGN OF A FABRICATION PROCESS FOR CZTS PHOTOVOLTAICS
  • A COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT TO HELP YOUNG GIRLS DISCOVER ENGINEERING
  • PLASMONICALLY ACTIVE SILVER NANOWIRE STRUCTURES FOR ENERGY STORAGE APPLICATIONS
  • BIOFUEL CELLS FOR PORTABLE AND IMPLANTABLE DEVICES
  • BOOTSTRAPPING FOR SAMPLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
  • TESTING OF A NOVEL SAMPLE COLLECTION DEVICE THAT INCREASES USABILITY OF AN AT-HOME MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC TEST
  • THE EFFECTS OF GENE EXPRESSION NOISE ON ADIPOGENESIS
  • SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEUS DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION REDUCES PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION TRANSMISSION TO THE THALAMUS IN A RAT MODEL OF PARKINSONISM
  • DAMAGE DETECTION USING GUIDED WAVE ULTRASONICS
  • A REVIEW OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ILLUMINATED PAVEMENT MARKERS ON UTAH ROADS
  • HEAT TRANSFER OF AIR BETWEEN PARALLEL PLATES

Fine Arts

  • A TIDE JUST WEST: AN ARTIST BOOK
  • WILD, WILD LOVE: DEVELOPING NEW WORK FOR THE STAGE
  • STOCKHAM: THE FATHER OF DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDING
  • BIFURCATE: INTERSECTIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
  • LOVE, AND 1,138 OTHER REASONS TO MARRY
  • SUBURBAN NARRATIVES: A PAINTING SERIES

Health

  • COMPARING TRADITIONAL FORMAT EMT CLASSES WITH HYBRID FORMAT EMT CLASSES
  • CONTRIBUTIONS OF ARM, TRUNK, AND LEG MUSCULATURE TO UPPER BODY POWER
  • PATELLAR FRACTURE IN A COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL PLAYER: A CASE STUDY
  • PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 2A INHIBITION PRESERVES ARTERIAL FUNCTION IN OBESE MICE
  • BILATERAL OS TRIGONUM IN DIVISION I FEMALE GYMNAST
  • ASSESSING THE NEED OF PHYSICAL THERAPY IN THE SALT LAKE CITY HOMELESS POPULATION

Honors

  • METTE, A NOVEL
  • LET BE: A NOVEL ON FAMILIAL RELATIONS
  • CONSTRUCTION OF TIME, PLACE, AND METHODOLOGY IN NOVEL-WRITING
  • DANDELIONS AMONG THE WHEAT
  • “THE WANDERERS”
  • STORYTELLING AND THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE: NARRATIVES OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS

Humanities

  • “UNDER THE CLOAK OF PENUMBRA”
  • INTERSECTIONS
  • LEFTISTS AS POLITICAL OPPOSITION IN IRAN
  • PROSTITUTION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF FEMALE IDENTITY
  • SOCIOLINGUISTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JAPANESE AND ENGLISH AS SEEN THROUGH ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF MANGA
  • DRESSING THE PART: EARLY CHRISTIAN IDENTITY, NORTH AFRICA 100-200 CE
  • C IS FOR CARROTS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, AND CO-OPS: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE WAYS IN WHICH SESAME STREET APPROACHES NUTRITION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
  • DIGLOSSIA: THE CASE OF QUECHUA LANGUAGES AND SPANISH
  • THE BEST OF BOTH HABITS: JOHN STUART MILL AND WORDSWORTHIAN CULTURING
  • ELEPHANTS AND EMPIRE: THE ASIAN ELEPHANT, FROM ALEXANDER TO AKBAR
  • ARAB SECESSION IN 7TH CENTURY SYRIA-PALESTINE
  • ORIGINS OF A MONOTHEISTIC WORLDVIEW AMONG THE ANCIENT ISRAELITES
  • THE NEGATIVE ASPECT OF CELESTIAL PHENOMENA IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MANDAEAN GNOSTIC WORLDVIEW
  • MODELING SELF-ORGANIZED CATEGORY FORMATION AND SELECTIVE ATTENTION TRAINING FOR FRICATIVE PERCEPTUAL CUES

Law

  • CLIMATE CHANGE AND NEW YORK CITY’S WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE: A PUPLIC HEALTH CONCERN

Medicine

  • CIS-REGULATORY DOMESTICATION OF TRANSPOSABLE ELEMENTS IN THE MURINE CIRCADIAN CLOCK
  • FTM CHEST MASCULINIZATION
  • THE EFFECTS OF PREGABALIN ON SOMATIC PAIN IN RATS
  • FTM (FEMALE-TO-MALE) CHEST MASCULINIZATION
  • COMPARISON OF PATIENT AND PROVIDER ASSESMENTS OF RESPONSE TO THERAPY FOR PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS
  • NOVEL SET 7/9 METHYLATION SITE ON HISTONE H3
  • PERSONAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SEEKING HEALTH CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN
  • IMPROVING THE DIAGNOSIS OF PEDIATRIC BLOOD STREAM INFECTIONS IN A PATIENT CENTERED MICROBIOLOGY
  • MORPHOLOGY AND MECHANICS OF HIP DYSPLASIA PRE- AND POST-OPERATIVELY
  • FAMILY HISTORY AND THE RISK OF DIAGNOSIS OF ACUTE PULMONARY EMBOLISM IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
  • INVESTIGATION OF TRANSGENDER MEDICAL AND SURGICAL THERAPIES
  • GRADING IN MEDICAL SCHOOL: ARE ALL HONORS CREATED EQUAL?
  • 3D DUAL ECHO STEADY STATE (DESS) MRI ACCURATELY QUANTIFIES ACETABULAR CARTILAGE THICKNESS
  • MAKING MEDICAL IMAGES MEANINGFUL: PATIENT-ORIENTED REPORTING USING STRUCTURED TEXTUAL AND GRAPHICAL IMAGING TOOLS
  • UNIQUE FIRST-IN-CLASS SERIES OF COMPOUNDS DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO DISPERSE AND KILL BACTERIAL BIOFILMS
  • INDUCTION OF NEUTROPHIL EXTRACELLULAR TRAP (NET) FORMATION BY STORED PLATELETS
  • MAPPING SUPPRESSION OF PREMATURE SPERM ACTIVATION IN C. ELEGANS
  • OBLIGATELY LYTIC PHAGE TREATMENT FOR METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS INFECTION
  • IMPROVING THE UPTAKE OF LUTEIN USING TRANSGENIC MICE MODELS
  • AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE SENSORY INNERVATION IN THE MOUSE SKELETAL MUSCLE
  • DETECTION OF DAMAGED COLLAGEN IN UREMIC BLOOD VESSELS USING COLLAGEN MIMETIC PEPTIDES
  • PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OSTEOMYELITIS USING LOCALLY ADMINISTERED VANCOMYCIN IN AN IN-V IVO RAT MODEL
  • EVALUATION OF CARDIAC CARE IN THE STATE OF UTAH
  • ANALYSIS OF APC MUTATION-NEGATIVE PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL ADENOMATOUS POLYPOSIS
  • ANALYZING MECHANISMS BY WHICH RSU1 SUPPRESSES ANCHORAGE INDEPENDENT CELL GROWTH IN TRANSFORMED MAMMALIAN CELLS
  • PMMA FORMULA MODIFICATION THROUGH THE PREINFILTRATION AND INFILTRATION TIMES TO CREATE OPTIMAL PRODUCT FOR IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY STUDIES

Mines & Earth Sciences

  • ANALYZING THE INDIRECT EFFECTS OF VOLCANICALLY INCREASED SO2 ON MARINE BOUNDARY LAYER CLOUDS USING A-TRAIN
  • LIGHT-RAIL BASED URBAN TRACE GAS AND AEROSOL MEASUREMENT
  • PALEOGEOTHERMAL ALTERATION IN GOVERNMENT CANYON, ELBERTA, UTAH

Nursing

  • SELF-EFFICACY FOR DIABETES DIETARY BEHAVIOR: DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION
  • SELF-EFFICACY SCALE FOR DIABETES DIETARY BEHAVIOR: DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION
  • RECRUITMENT OF ETHNICALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS IN DIABETES RESEARCH

Pharmacy

  • SYNTHESIS OF 2-O-SULFATED HEPARIN-LIKE POLYMER AS NOVEL ANTI-COAGULANT

Science

  • THE CHAOTIC SEA IN CELESTIAL MECHANICS
  • IMPLICATIONS OF ANTIBIOTIC USE FOR CO-INFECTIONS WHEN A FITNESS TRADE-OFF FOR RESISTANCE IS PRESENT
  • IDENTIFYING HYBRID INCOMPATIBILITY GENES IN D. PSEUDOOBSCURA
  • ANALYZING AGREEMENT BETWEEN MASS MODELING TECHNIQUES FOR ELLIPTICAL EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES
  • A PRELIMINARY CAMERA TRAP SURVEY FOR LARGE MAMMALS IN RED BUTTE CANYON RESEARCH NATURAL AREA, UTAH
  • CHILL OUT: BEHAVIOR SHIFTS BY MAMMALIAN HERBIVORES CHALLENGED BY TEMPERATURE AND TOXINS
  • TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF A LEAF LITTER ANT COMMUNITY
  • THE STUDY OF THE INTERACTION OF FLIG AND H-NS IN SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM
  • CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF PLANET-HARBOURING STARS IN M67
  • DNA SPLIT APTAMERS AS A BIOSENSING PLATFORM FOR THE DETECTION OF SMALL DRUG MOLECULES
  • VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND PILOTS
  • DEVELOPING METHODS FOR IN VIVO SUPER RESOLUTION MICROSCOPY
  • THE INFLUENCE OF HOST SEX ON TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS OF THE FRIEND VIRUS COMPLEX
  • PREDICTING ORBITAL PROPERTIES OF HIGH VELOCITY STARS NEAR THE GALACTIC CENTER
  • A SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS OF HOLD’EM ROULETTE
  • CONSTRAINTS ON WIMPS AND DARK STAR REMNANT POPULATIONS USING SYNCHROTRON RADIATION FROM DARK MATTER ANNIHILATIONS
  • QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF VIRUS TRAFFICKING IN A BIOLOGICAL CELL
  • VIRULENCE DYNAMICS OF FRIEND VIRUS COMPLEX IN WILDDERIVED MICE DIFFERS BY SEX
  • ANALYSIS OF THE pH-DEPENDENT EQUILIBRIUM RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GUANINE OXIDATION PRODUCTS 5-GUANIDINOHYDANTOIN AND IMINOALLANTOIN

Social & Behavioral Science

  • CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNINSURED RECEIVING CARE FROM A MENTAL HEALTH FREE CLINIC
  • HEALTH EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG FREE CLINIC PATIENTS
  • SERVICE-LEARNING: INCREASING EMPATHY AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS
  • UNDERSTANDING YOUTH EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL GOALS IN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
  • A 10,000 YEAR EL NIÑO-POCKET GOPHER (THOMOMYS BOTTAE) RESPONSE RECORD FROM NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
  • UTAH’S SEX EDUCATION CONTROVERSY: IS IT RELEVANT TODAY?
  • MINDFULNESS, EMOTION REGULATION, AND RESPIRATORY SINUS ARRHYTHMIA: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS PRACTICE IN A CLINICAL POPULATION
  • SNOW ACCUMULATION OVER THE PAST DECADES: A STUDY OF SOUTHEAST GREENLAND AND WESTERN ANTARCTICA
  • CHANGING DIET AMONG THE CONGOLESE REFUGEE POPULATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL INTEGRATIONS
  • FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION IN UTAH: IDENTIFYING LOW-CONSUMING MARKET SEGMENTS
  • PHYSIOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF STRESS IN COUPLE INTERACTIONS
  • GENDER DIFFERENCES IN RECOLLECTED CONSISTENCY OR CHANGE IN SAME SEX SEXUALITY ACROSS THE LIFESPAN
  • EXPLORING THE HEALTH RELATED BEHAVIOR: HAND WASHING COMPLIANCE AMONG NURSES IN TWO DIFFERENT HEALTH CARE SETTINGS: ORTHOPEDIC SURGICAL UNIT AND THE CANCER AND BLOOD UNITS
  • KALASHNIKOV ENCULTURATION: THE SOVIET CONTRIBUTION TO SMALL ARMS PROLIFERATION AND THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE NON-STATE THRESHOLD
  • WHO TAKES EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING COURSES?
  • SMALL BUSINESS IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY: CAN LOCAL FLORAL SHOPS CONTINUE TO BLOSSOM?
  • THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF KELP NOODLES
  • ELICITING EVENT TYPE: EMOTIONAL COMPLEIXTY AND RUMINATION
  • THE PRICE OF GETTING FIT: HOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AFFECTS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THE STATE OF UTAH
  • DISRUPTIVE POWER: A COMPARISON OF POLITICAL VOICE FOR NON-ELITES AFTER THE GREAT DEPRESSION & THE RECESSION OF 2008
  • A NUCLEAR IRAN: THE ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL IMPETUS BEHIND NEGOTIATIONS
  • ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN UTAH: WHERE AND WHO IS AT GREATEST RISK
  • DRM AND DRIVING: FALSE MEMORIES UNDER COGNITIVE WORKLOAD
  • A WORLD WITHOUT NUKES: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS PERSPECTIVES
  • ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS: UNDERSTANDING MECHANISMS BEHIND THE DISPARITY
  • INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL ALPHA FREQUENCY (IAF), ALPHA POWER, AND THE ALPHA SCALING EXPONENT IN EEG ALPHA WAVES
  • SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN A THIN DEMOCRACY: THE EMERGENCE OF THE CHILEAN STUDENT MOVEMENT
  • REEXAMINING GLOBAL DRUG ERADICATION POLICIES: A SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS OF THEIR ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIETAL EFFECTS IN MEXICO, COLOMBIA, AND AFGHANISTAN
  • PROMOTION VS. EDUCATION IN CHOOSING “REAL FOOD”
  • EEG AND COGNITIVE CORRELATES OF ELEMENTARY TASK PERFORMANCE
  • REASONS FOR COHABITATION ON THE OUTCOME OF RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND SATISFACTION
  • PROVIDING A LONG-TERM CONTEXT FOR THE 2007 MILFORD FLAT FIRE: A 13,000-YEAR SEDIMENTARY CHARCOAL FIRE HISTORY
  • A HIGH-RESOLUTION RECORD OF MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE OUTBREAKS FROM 7500-8500 CAL YR BP AT BAKER LAKE, MONTANA
  • POLITICS WITHOUT CHARACTER: LIBERAL VIRTUES AND THE SITUATIONIST CRITIQUE
  • THE MODERN EVOLUTION OF EXCHANGE REGULATION
  • CHANGING TIMES AND ITS EFFECT ON MARRIAGE FORMATION: GENDER EQUALITY AND MARRIAGE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE
  • EFFECTS OF BULLYING AND GENDER ON SUICIDE

Social Work

  • CROSS-CULTURAL EXAMINATION OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL EXPERICENCES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES USING THE EMERGING ADULTHOOD THEORY
  • CULTURALLY COMPREHENSIVE FAMILY PLANNING CURRICULUM
  • INVISIBLE BODIES: EXAMINING THE INTERSECTIONS OF SEXUALITY, GENDER, AND RACE IN THE JUVENILE LEGAL SYSTEM