CURO SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM & ABSTRACTS CLASSIC CENTER • ATHENS, GEORGIA MARCH 31 – APRIL 1 the University of Georgia Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities

THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities

2014 CURO SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM & ABSTRACTS CLASSIC CENTER • ATHENS, GEORGIA MARCH 31 – APRIL 1 The University of Georgia Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities

2014

Symposium

Program and Abstracts

CURO Office 203 Moore College The University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 (706) 542-5871

curo.uga.edu

Symposium chair: Dr. Martin Rogers, Associate Director of CURO and Honors

Book of abstracts: Eleana Whyte, Program Coordinator, CURO

Cover design: William Reeves, UGA Printing

Edited and proofread by: Eleana Whyte, Elizabeth Sears, Maria de Rocher, Bill McDowell

Published by: Honors Program, the University of Georgia

Printed by: Central Duplicating, the University of Georgia 2014 CURO and the Honors Program

Table of Contents

Welcome from Director and Associate Director ...... 1

Acknowledgements ...... 2

2014 CURO Symposium Schedule ...... 3

2014 CURO Research Mentoring Awards ...... 4

2014 CURO Symposium Best Paper Awards ...... 7

2014 CURO Symposium Program, Monday, March 31 ...... 8

2014 CURO Symposium Program, Tuesday, April 1 ...... 19

2014 CURO Symposium Abstracts...... 26

Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors ...... 143

iii

March 31, 2014

Dear Students, Faculty, and Guests,

Welcome to the 14th annual CURO Symposium, UGA’s celebration of undergraduate research across the disciplines. Many individuals—administrators, faculty members, staff, graduate students, and, of course, undergraduate students—have collaborated to make the CURO Symposium the premier undergraduate academic event at UGA.

Each year, the Symposium has grown larger, and the 2014 Symposium is the largest to date, with 258 undergraduate researchers communicating their substantial accomplishments to their peers, mentors, and the public at large.

From its inception, the CURO Symposium has showcased research and scholarship in all disciplines. The 2014 Symposium continues that commitment, featuring presenters from 50 departments in 13 colleges/schools. Thus, this two-day event displays UGA’s broad and substantial support of research and the invaluable commitment of UGA’s administration and faculty to mentoring and providing exceptional learning opportunities for our undergraduates.

Thank you for your continued support of undergraduate research and CURO.

Sincerely,

Dr. David S. Williams, ’79, ’82 Dr. Martin P. Rogers, ’01, ’11 Associate Provost and Director Associate Director

Acknowledgements

Special Assistance for 2014 CURO Symposium

Ms. Jami Gilstrap Administrative Associate, CURO Mr. Steven Honea Academic Advisor, Honors Program Ms. Dorothé Otemann Coordinator of External Affairs, Honors Program Ms. Amanda Pruitt Assistant to the Director, Honors Program Ms. Chelsea Smith Administrative Associate, External Affairs, Honors Program

Technology Equipment and Support for 2014 CURO Symposium

Center for Teaching & Learning Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program Odum School of Ecology Terry College of Business

Reviewers for 2014 CURO Research Mentoring Awards

Dr. Martin Rogers Associate Director of CURO and Honors Dr. David S. Williams Associate Provost and Director of Honors and CURO

Reviewers for 2014 CURO Symposium Best Paper Awards

Mr. Ethan Boldt Presidential Graduate Fellow, Department of Political Science Mr. Benjamin Campbell Presidential Graduate Fellow, College of Education Dr. Sean Ingham Department of Political Science Mr. Douglas Merchant Presidential Graduate Fellow, Department of Linguistics Dr. Martin Rogers Associate Director of CURO and Honors Mr. Jerrett Warshaw Presidential Graduate Fellow, Institute of Higher Education

Oral Session Conveners for 2014 CURO Symposium

Ms. Jessica Chappell Odum School of Ecology Ms. Laura Fletcher Presidential Graduate Fellow, Department of Psychology Ms. Sayonita Ghosh Hajra Department of Mathematics Ms. Arlana Henry Department of Sociology Ms. Linnea Ionno Department of Public Administration and Policy Ms. Michele Johnson Academic Advisor, Honors Program Mr. Adrian Klemme Institute of Higher Education Mr. Bill McDowell Odum School of Ecology Ms. Emily Myers Administrative Associate, Foundation Fellowship Office, Honors Program Ms. Kathleen Pieper Presidential Graduate Fellow, Department of Genetics Mr. Greg Rountree Administrative Associate, Office of Recruitment, Honors Program Ms. Elizabeth Sassler Department of Public Administration and Policy

Schedule

Monday, March 31, 2014

Oral Session I 1:25-2:15 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D

Oral Session II 2:30-3:20 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D,

Awards and Keynote Session 4:00-5:00 p.m. Athena Room E

Poster Session and Reception 5:00-6:00 p.m. Grand Hall South (downstairs – use escalator in lobby)

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Oral Session III 9:30-10:45 a.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J

Oral Session IV 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D

Oral Session V 12:30-1:45 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G

Oral Session VI 2:00-3:15 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J

Oral Session VII 3:30-4:45 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J

CURO Research Mentoring Awards

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Honors Program established the CURO Research Mentoring Awards, formerly the EURM awards, in 2001.

These awards recognize outstanding faculty who consistently engage undergraduate researchers through CURO Programming (courses, the symposium, summer fellows, JURO, theses, et al.) and enhance the learning experience of undergraduate researchers at the University of Georgia. Award recipients have provided superior research opportunities and mentoring and have collaborated with undergraduate researchers on publications and presentations at professional conferences.

Before 2014, awards were designated as “Early Career” and “Master Level” and were granted to corresponding faculty ranks.

2014 Dr. Carl Bergmann, Associate Vice President for Research-Facilities; Associate Director, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center; Executive Director, Animal Health Research Center; Senior Research Scientist

Dr. Andrew Owsiak, Department of International Affairs, School of Public & International Affairs

2013 Master Level Faculty Award Dr. Jennifer McDowell, Department of Psychology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Early Career Faculty Award Dr. Katalin Medvedev, Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family & Consumer Sciences

2012 Master Level Faculty Award Dr. Lawrence Shimkets, Department of Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Early Career Faculty Award Dr. Michael Yabsley, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources

2011 Master Level Faculty Award Dr. Eric Stabb, Department of Microbiology Early Career Faculty Award Dr. John Drake, Odum School of Ecology Program Award Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Dr. Kenneth McLeod, Interim Director

2010 Early Career Faculty Award Dr. John C. Maerz, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources

CURO Research Mentoring Awards

2009 Early Career Faculty Award Dr. Brian S. Cummings, Department of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences Dr. Anna C. Karls, Department of Microbiology Dr. Dawn T. Robinson, Department of Sociology

2008 Master Level Faculty Award Dr. John J. Maurer, College of Veterinary Medicine

Early Career Faculty Award Dr. Walter K. Schmidt, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Program Award Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute Dr. Harry S. Dailey, Director

2007 Master Level Faculty Award Dr. Timothy Hoover, Department of Microbiology Early Career Faculty Award Dr. Steven Stice, Department of Animal & Dairy Science

2006 Master Level Faculty Award Dr. Patricia Hunt-Hurst, Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors Early Career Faculty Award Dr. Rodney Mauricio, Department of Genetics Graduate Student Award Christopher Anderson, PhD candidate in Ecology Graduate Student Recognition Dawn Holligan, PhD candidate in Plant Biology

2005 Faculty Award Dr. Gary Barrett, Odum School of Ecology Dr. Sidney Kushner, Department of Genetics Department Award Department of Cellular Biology

2004 Faculty Award Dr. William S. Kisaalita, Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering

CURO Research Mentoring Awards

2003 Faculty Award Dr. Jody Clay-Warner, Department of Sociology Department Award Department of Microbiology Dr. Duncan Krause, Department Head Dr. Timothy Hoover, Undergraduate Coordinator Program Award The Pratt Laboratory of Plant Genomics and Bioinformatics Dr. Lee H. Pratt, Department of Plant Biology Dr. Marie-Michèle Cordonnier-Pratt, Department of Plant Biology

2002 Faculty Award Professor William D. Paul, Jr., Lamar Dodd School of Art Dr. Katherine Kipp, Department of Psychology Faculty Recognition Dr. Susan Sanchez, College of Veterinary Medicine Department Award Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Dr. J. David Puett, Department Head Program Award “Physics Beyond the Boundaries”: National Science Foundation, REU Program Dr. Loris Magnani, Principal Investigator, Department of Physics & Astronomy Dr. Heinz-Bernd Schuttler, Department Head, Department of Physics & Astronomy Dr. Jonathan Arnold, Department of Genetics Dr. Susmita Datta, Georgia State University Dr. David Logan, Clark Atlanta University Dr. William Steffans, Clark Atlanta University

2001 Faculty Award Dr. Marcus Fechheimer, Department of Cellular Biology Faculty Recognition Dr. David MacIntosh, Department of Environmental Health Sciences Dr. Dean Rojek, Department of Sociology Department Award Department of Genetics Dr. John MacDonald, Department Head Program Award Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Dr. Paul Bertsch, Director

CURO Symposium Best Paper Awards

Since 2001, CURO Symposium Best Paper Awards have recognized excellence in papers developed from work being presented at that year’s Symposium.

Applicants may submit in one or more of the following categories: Arts, Humanities and Media; Business; Life Sciences; Physical and Environmental Sciences; Public and International Affairs; Social Sciences; and Technology, Engineering and Math.

Each recipient is recognized at the Symposium’s Award and Keynote Session, and each award carries $100 in financial support, generously provided by the UGA Alumni Association. Winners from the 2014 CURO Symposium are listed below.

Arts, Humanities and Media:

Greyson Clark Power Dynamics in Georgia's Poultry Industry, 1950-1965

Life Sciences:

Katherine Hsieh The Effect of a Patellar Tendon Strap on Knee Power during a Drop-Jump

Physical and Environmental Sciences:

Carmen Kraus Density Dependent Regulation of Survival and Reproduction in Dogbane Beetles and Underlying Host-Plant Interactions

Public and International Affairs:

Anne Chen Sex-Ratio Imbalances and Risky Behavior in College

Social Sciences:

Lindsay DeFrancesco Students’ Perceptions of the Police – An Analysis of Greek and Non-Greek Affiliated Students

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Oral Session I: 1:25-2:15 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D

Room A Julia Carpenter A Storyworld with Incalculable Authors: Defining, Finding and Committing Narrative in the World of Social Media

Connor Hamm The Digital Future – Investing and Investigating Noah Boswell Marketing an Online Based Education Platform Room B Stephanie Wilding The Expression of the Bile Acid Receptor TGR5 in Prostate Cancer Cells and its Role in Bile Acid-Induced Cell Death Anjali Kumar Glycoproteomic Approaches for Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Discovery Taylor Chishom Polyadenylation in Stationary Phase Escherichia coli: Analysis of the Role of RNA Polymerase Room C Carmen Kraus Density Dependent Regulation of Survival and Reproduction in Dogbane Beetles and Underlying Host-Plant Interactions Lara Mengak Why is There an Alligator in My Pool? Assessing Potential Range Shifts with Sea Level Rise Chelsea Sexton Parasite Selective-Pressure Alters Reproductive Strategy in Littorina saxatilis, an Intertidal Snail Room D Leslie Stapley The Influence of Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness on Executive Functioning in Older Adults Kirstie Chu Predicting Functional Independence with Impulsivity Savannah Boyd What Predicts Willingness to Support a Partner's Smoking Cessation Attempt?

Oral Session II: 2:30-3:20 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D

Room A Brian Underwood Against All Reason: Rousseau and the Counter-Enlightenment Ryan Slauer The Lines are Drawn: Christian Apologies in Late Antiquity Joseph Hopkins Norse Mythology in Modern Popular Culture: Sixty Interviews Conducted in Athens, Georgia and Copenhagen, Denmark during the Summer of 2013

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Room B Lucas Wachsmuth Ectopic Endodermal Expression of Foxn1 in a Murine Model Francine Katz The Role of tRNA Nucleotidyl Transferase in tRNA Processing in Escherichia coli Aparna Philip Transferrin-Crosslinked Liposomes for Targeted Drug Delivery to Trypanosoma brucei Room C Minhnguyen Cao Parenting Stress, Emotion Dysregulation, and Emotion Coaching as Predictors of Child Behavior Problems in the Context of SES and Race Charlotte Goldman, Parent and Child Perceptions of Health-Related Quality of Life Amy Davis, and Psychological Functioning in Children with Tourette Kelsie Flanigan Syndrome Hania Bisat Embodiment and Altruism Room D Patrick Wheat The Justification for Ethnic War Anne Pellegrino, New Aid for Africa Jonah Driggers, Elijah Scott, Meili Swanson, Luke Thompson, Patrick Wheat Melanie Kent Nationalism vs. Global Jihad: Al-Qaeda and Precursors in Algeria, Somalia and Yemen

Awards and Keynote Session: 4:00-5:00 p.m. Athena Room E

Welcome and Introductions Dr. David S. Williams, Associate Provost and Director of Honors and CURO

Remarks UGA President Jere W. Morehead

Introduction to Awards Dr. Martin Rogers, Associate Director of CURO and Honors

CURO Research Mentoring Awards Dr. David C. Lee, Vice President for Research

2014 Symposium Best Paper Awards Dr. Laura Jolly, Vice President for Instruction

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

UGA Libraries’ Research Awards Ms. Elizabeth White, Librarian, UGA Libraries

Introduction of Keynote Speaker Ms. Smitha Ganeshan, Foundation Fellow ’14, Biology

Keynote Address Dr. Phaedra Corso, Professor of Health Policy and Management, “Health Policy and the Promise of Research”

Closing Comments Dr. David S. Williams, Associate Provost and Director of Honors and CURO

Poster Session: 5:00-6:00pm Sponsored by the Office of the President Grand Hall South (downstairs – use the escalator in the lobby)

Poster #1 Justin Bridging the Gap: The History of British Science Dumrongkulraksa Examined through Literature

Poster #2 Moriah Jackson Mycoplasma gallisepticum Infection and Shed in Commercial and Wild Turkeys

Poster #3 Rachel Jude The Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma gallopavonis in Wild and Commercial Turkeys

Poster #4 George Grant Impacts of Organic Soil Amendments on Micro-Nutrient and Carbon Sequestration under Natural Rainfall Conditions, 2010-2013

Poster #5 Keelan Lawrence Wavefront Sensorless Adaptive Optics with Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Poster #6 Billie Hardigree Viscosity-Dependent Behavior of Cyclopenta[b]naphthalene Fluorophores

Poster #7 Victoria DeLeo Intron Loss in the ABCB1 Gene

Poster #8 Rachel Rotz An Integrated Approach for Verification of Rapid Focused Recharge Zones in the Arabian Peninsula Using Thermal and VNIR Remote Sensing

Poster #9 Adam Jones Stable Isotope and Crystallinity Variations in Kaolin Deposits of Georgia in Up Dip to Down Dip Occurrences

Poster #10 Philippe Bauchau Clinoptilolite Formation in the Lower Floridan Aquifer

Poster #11 Hayden Field Hemlock Embryo Rescue Project

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #12 Carmen Kraus Density Dependent Regulation of Survival and Reproduction in Dogbane Beetles and Underlying Host- Plant Interactions

Poster #13 Kyungmin Ko The Trade-Off between Mating and Fighting in Nicrophorus vespilloides

Poster #14 Lara Mengak Why is There an Alligator in My Pool? Assessing Potential Range Shifts with Sea Level Rise

Poster #15 Timothy Montgomery Balancing Carbon and Phosphorus for Consumers: Does Nutrient Enrichment Tip the Scale?

Poster #16 Blake Edwards Enzymatic Assay of DHPS Degradation in Abundant Marine Alphaproteobacteria

Poster #17 Jasmin Melara Carbon Flux in the Amundsen Sea Polynya

Poster #18 Dylan Goetz Data Analysis of Seawater Samples Collected Off the Coast of Barrow, Alaska

Poster #19 Shannon Burns Riverwater and Seawater Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Endmembers for the Amazon River Plume

Poster #20 Laurence Black Response of Microbial Nitrification and Denitrification to Redox Shifts in Beach Sand

Poster #21 Amala Malladi Development of an In-Frame Deletion System for Ruegeria pomeroyi

Poster #22 Laura Alexander Identification of a Novel O-Antigen and its Role in the Virulence of Aeromonas hydrophila Isolated from Diseased Catfish

Poster #23 Anquilla Deleveaux Determining the Role of FhlA in Transcriptional Activation of Newly Identified RpoN Dependent Promoters

Poster #24 Cameron Story Characterization of the rsr-rtcBA operon in Salmonella typhimurium

Poster #25 Leah Williams Sigma-54 Promoter Activity and Gene Regulation in Salmonella

Poster #26 Alison McWhorter Examination of the Pathogenic Nature of Mycoplasma Anderson pneumoniae

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #27 Babajide Oluwadare Analysis of P1 Function in Mycoplasma pneumoniae Adherence and Gliding

Poster #28 Chetan Hebbale A Targeted and an Unbiased Screen for Genetic Suppressors of the Legionella pneumophila Effector Protein LegC7

Poster #29 Jacob Kumro Mapping of the oriT Region of the Virulence Plasmid of Rhodococcus equi

Poster #30 Breanna Crowell The Evolution and Tradeoffs of Physical and Chemical Leaf Defenses in Helianthus

Poster #31 Chinyere Uzoigwe Nitrogen Resorption in Helianthus Species

Poster #32 Kaleigh Davis Evolution of Flowering Time and Disc Color across the Genus Helianthus

Poster #33 Vanessa Gutierrez Investigating the Role of HAN Transcription Factors during Plant Development

Poster #34 Janefrances The Preliminary Investigation of Whether Switchgrass Egbosiuba SND1 Orthologs Can Activate the Secondary Wall Biosynthesis

Poster #35 Austin Garner The Genetics of Early Hybrid Lethality between Two Species of Mimulus

Poster #36 Shreya Patel Role of Salicylic Acid in Oxidative Stress Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

Poster #37 Ishwarya Soundappan Genetic Analysis of the Role of SMAX7 in Regulating Shoot Architecture

Poster #38 Nikhil Kamath Identifying Interacting Proteins in the Karrikin and Strigolactone Signaling System

Poster #39 John Brunson Sphingolipid Metabolism and the Biological Clock in Neurospora crassa

Poster #40 Sarah Cunningham Modeling the Biological Clock in Neurospora crassa

Poster #41 Solomon Walker The Effect of the Protein Ras2 on the Biological Clock of the Fungus Neurospora crassa

Poster #42 Akshey Walia Cell Cycle Regulation of BMP Signal Transduction

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #43 Philip Grayeski Cell Cycle Gating of the Mammalian Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

Poster #44 Amy Webster Breaking Mendel's Laws: How Abnormal Chromosome 10 Causes Meiotic Drive

Poster #45 Brianna Stadsvold The Effect of Telomere Dysfunction on Non-Allelic Recombination in the Subtelomere of Kluyveromyces lactis

Poster #46 Briana Bennett Differential Expression of Genes Involved in the Insulin Growth Factor Pathway in Breast Cancer

Poster #47 DeJuana Ford Healthcare, Genetics, Society and the Black-White Breast Cancer Survival Disparity

Poster #48 Krupa Merchant Clicking on Platinum: Copper(I)-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Chemistry for Axial Functionalization of Pt(IV) Prodrugs

Poster #49 Trenton Berding The Creation of an Anticancer Prodrug – Combining Aspirin with Cisplatin

Poster #50 Laura McLean Effect of Metformin Treatment on Feline Sarcoma Cancer Cell Cycle and Apoptosis

Poster #51 Sheela Sheth Characterization of Proteoglycans in Prostate Cancer Cell Growth

Poster #52 Christopher Watkins Mimicking the EGFR Dimerization Arm Using Triazolyl- Bridged Peptides: An Alternative Approach to EGFR Inhibition

Poster #53 Anish Narayanan Analysis of Cancer Mutations in Protein Kinases Using Semantic Web Technologies

Poster #54 Caitlin Gilbert The Role of O-Linked β-N-Acetylglucosamine in the Epigenetic Regulation of Colon Cancer Stem Cells

Poster #55 Joshua Chang Proteomic Identification and Analysis of Potential Biomarkers for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Poster #56 Sindhu Prabakaran Investigating Missense Mutations in O-GlcNAc Transferase that Lead to Human X-Linked Intellectual Disability

Poster #57 Niraj Patel Recombinant Protein Therapy: Generation and Purification of Various Fukutins

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #58 Jill Modi Fiber Isotype Post-Injury in Secondary Dystroglycanopathies

Poster #59 Vedika Rajasekaran Validating In Vitro Cell Culture Models for Molecular Pathogenesis Studies in Fktn-deficient Muscular Dystrophy

Poster #60 Karishma Sriram Bone Fracture Putty: A Combined Stem Cell and Lentiviral Approach

Poster #61 Joshika Money VacSIM, a New Vaccine Delivery Method, Improves Cellular Recruitment to Local Draining Lymph Nodes

Poster #62 Matthew Winn Interactions between Neutrophils and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Flagellum

Poster #63 Chelsea Fitzhugh Examination of the Function of cobU in Vitamin B12 Synthesis in Mycobacteria

Poster #64 Mathew Joseph Immunopathogenesis of Placental Malaria in Mice Lacking Tumor Necrosis Factor and its Receptors

Poster #65 Omar Martinez-Uribe Signaling Through TNF Receptors during Placental Malaria

Poster #66 Tiffany Jenkinson Investigating the Relationship between the Complement and Coagulation Cascades in Placental Malaria

Poster #67 Kristen Bascombe Light-Dependent Protein Degradation in Plasmodium falciparum

Poster #68 Nina Paletta Use of Synthetic AKAP Peptides to Assess the Importance of the Protein Kinase A Signaling in the African Trypanosome

Poster #69 Zachary Whitt The Utilization of Genetic Manipulation to Better Understand Kinative Function of CK1.2 in Trypanosoma brucei

Poster #70 Melissa Jennings Biosynthesis of Base J by JBP1 and JBP2

Poster #71 Allison Becker Plasmonemes: A Novel Cell-Cell Interacting Structure in Trypanosoma brucei

Poster #72 Hayes Patrick The Double Knockout of the Haptoglobin-Hemoglobin Receptor in Bloodstream-Form Trypanasoma brucei brucei Lister 427-Single Marker Clone

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #73 Lauren Dennison Mechanism of Mammalian Resistance to Trypanosome Lytic Factor

Poster #74 Christopher Witt TLF2 Synthesis from Oxidized Lipids in TLF1

Poster #75 Michael Cheng Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model System of Aβ Peptides Using a Copper Resistance Reporter

Poster #76 William Saunders Investigations of a Protease (Ste24p) Associated with Progeroid Disease

Poster #77 Elijah Mehlferber Effect of Differing Larval Diet on Adult Fitness Measured through Body Size, and Novel Methods for Body Size Quantification in Drosophila suzukii

Poster #78 Melissa Masserant The Role of Dopamine in the Perception of Olfactory Inputs in Drosophila Larvae

Poster #79 Caroline Blatcher Pax6 Expression in the Adult Sey and Wildtype Brain

Poster #80 Ojaswa Prasad, A Yeast-Based Screen for Drugs That Can Inhibit Human Dennis Dwan Cdc6

Poster #81 Elizabeth Guarisco Examination of the Link between Glycosaminoglycans and Pectins

Poster #82 Jerin Varghese A Proteomic Study of the Botrytis cinerea-Tomato Interaction

Poster #83 Lucas Wachsmuth Mutations Impacting Copy Number Control and Host Cofactor Involvement in Retrotransposition of Ty1

Poster #84 Stanislav Bushik Purification and Characterization of APAP1-Like Proteoglycans from Rice Suspension Culture Media

Poster #85 Swayamdipto Misra Generation of Transgenic Plants Carrying Promoter: Reporter-Gene Constructs to Investigate Transcriptional Expression of GAUT Genes in Arabidopsis

Poster #86 Lisa Ishii Molecular and Functional Characterization of FUCOSYLTRANSFERASE 10 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Poster #87 Korry Tauber Examining the Function of O-GlcNAc in Regulating Inter- and Intracellular Signaling Pathways during Drosophila Development

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #88 Leah Caplan Pigmentation and Protein Glycosylation in the Drosophila Embryo

Poster #89 Ramon Reddick Purification of Xyloglucan-Specific Endo-β-1, 4 - Glucanase after Expression in Escherichia coli

Poster #90 Sarah Premji Suboptimal Time in Therapeutic Range (TTR) for International Normalized Ratio (INR) Measurements Observed in an Outpatient Cardiology Clinic: Impact of Gender, Ethnicity, Disease Etiology, CHADSVasc score, Physicians and Clinic Site

Poster #91 Mary Elizabeth Economic Transition and Psychological Distress as it Nuttall Relates to Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in St. Lucia

Poster #92 Christina Nguyen Work-Sites with Physical Exercise Facilities and Their Effect on Employee BMI and Waist Circumference

Poster #93 Natalie Taylor Differences in Children’s Physical Fitness by Rural or Urban Location

Poster #94 Tracy Phan Football Facemask Mass Influences Head Impact Location

Poster #95 Brice Hsu Mitochondrial Up-Regulation after Moderate Exercise in Able-Bodied Individuals with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Poster #96 Hannah Bossie, Evaluation of Mitochondria on Persons with Miller Singleton Mitochondrial Myopathies Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Poster #97 Stephanie Tan, Assessing Mitochondrial Function and Fatigue in the Hannah Bossie, Human Gastrocnemius with Near Infrared Spectroscopy John Hann (NIRS)

Poster #98 Hannah Cornelia Effect of Drying on Pulp Characteristics

Poster #99 Meagan Patterson Association between Body Composition and Serum Folate Concentrations in Women Of Childbearing Age: Secondary Analysis across Three Studies

Poster #100 Courtney Alvis Effect of Folate on Lipid Accumulation and Proliferation in Human Primary Adipocytes

Poster #101 Kathleen Norris Proteomic Analysis of Erythrocyte Ghosts: The Effects of Zinc Supplementation

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #102 Andrea Lobene The Relationships between Zinc and Bone Strength in Healthy Children

Poster #103 Megan Ernst Addressing Inequality in Early Childhood Executive Function Development

Poster #104 Brett McCardel, The Effect of Order and Condition on Assessments of Breanna Ernst, Executive Function Meghana R. Nathan, Victoria Smith

Poster #105 Allison Fialkowski Single-Case Research Designs to Evaluate Social Behavior Development of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Poster #106 Amy Davis, Social Skills as Protective Factors against Poor Attitudes Kelsie Flanigan Towards Having Tourette Syndrome in Children

Poster #107 Thomas Greco Neural White Matter Integrity Differs between Patients with Schizophrenia and Healthy Controls

Poster #108 Ian Anderson Personal Distress and Response to Ambiguous Emotions

Poster #109 Lauren Head Differences between Cohabiting and Non-Cohabiting Couples Who Participated in Premarital Education

Poster #110 Yuri Kim Marital Security, Depression, and Sleep Quality: Assessing Bidirectional Associations with Actor-Partner Interdependence Model

Poster #111 Courtland Hyatt Effects of Music on Male Aggression: Do Lyrics Matter?

Poster #112 Jake Moskowitz, Investigation of Hand-Tool Mastery in Tufted Capuchins Amanda Heaton, Using a Multiple-Jointed Tool Joshua Lukemire, Stephanie Villarreal

Poster #113 Kristen Smith, Nut-Cracking Skill in Wild Capuchin Monkeys Rhianna Baldree

Poster #114 Natalie Schwob Vocal Repertoire of Red and Green Macaws

Program: Monday, March, 31, 2014

Poster #115 Katherine Partrick Exploring the Variable Weaning Strategies of Female Rhesus Macaques through Stable Isotope Biochemistry

Poster #116 Amber Davidson, The Effects of Centralization on Performance When Seyi Amosu, Moderated by Diversity Brennen Clift, Sam Craig, Kyle Ledesma

Poster #117 Aaron Conley The Politicization of Soccer and the Effects of the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian Politics

Poster #118 Alexa DeAntonio Perceptions about Global Development

Poster #119 Jessie Lian, The Emergence of Sustainability as the New Dominant Alex Ballasiotes Logic in Business

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Oral Session III: 9:30-10:45 a.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J

Room A Richard Gardiner The Death of the Death Penalty Cecilia Moore, Analysis of International Media Coverage of Key North Korean Holly Boggs Military Events James Barrow Game Theory and Literature Room B Amelia Watson Polio Eradication: What's Still Needed? Hannah Reiss Neonatal Mortality in Uttar Pradesh, India and Possible Policy Solutions Smitha Ganeshan Positive Psychology in Teen Mothers Max Tarica Oxidative Stress within the Placenta during Malaria Infection Room C Minh Ngoc Nguyen Metaphors of Color: The Linguistics of Internalized Racism McKinley Alden Age and Formality in German Inalienable Possession Constructions Jonathan Dickens Towards a Dynamical Model of Language Processing Ashleigh Starnes The Linguistics of Artistic Language: Poetry, Complexity, and Mass-Market Novels Room D Katherine Partrick Exploring the Variable Weaning Strategies of Female Rhesus Macaques through Stable Isotope Biochemistry Natalie Schwob Vocal Repertoire of Red and Green Macaws Leigh Anna Young Swath Size in Boa Vista’s Bearded Capuchin Monkeys Thomas Johnston Influence of Maternal Presence, Age, and Sex on Social Learning Room G Anne Fernandes The Evolution of the Little Black Dress Lindsay Nation The DIY Phenomenon: Why We "Do It Ourselves" Nancy Satola Lesbian Dress: Recognizing and Being Recognized Devon Sprague Native American Traditional Dress: Drawing the Line between Celebrating a Culture and Making a Mockery of It Room H Hannah Bossie, Evaluation of Mitochondria in Persons with Mitochondrial Miller Singleton Myopathies Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Sudeepti Kuppa The Dynamics of MglA in Myxococcus xanthus Motility Systems Kristen Farley Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli Can Exploit Diverse Pathways to Form Vitamin B1 in the Cell Megan Chesne Applying CRISPR-Cas Interference for Genomic Manipulation in Streptococcus thermophilus

Room I Lindsay Students’ Perceptions of the Police – An Analysis of Greek and DeFrancesco Non-Greek Affiliated Students Mitra A Tax-Deferred Trust: Reducing the Financial Burden of Kumareswaran Families with Special Needs Children Walker Marlatt A Change in the Winds: How the 'Dawgs Can Be Proud of More than Just Sports Room J Giovanni Righi Addressing Droughts and Water Overuse in the Flint River Kirstie Hostetter The Negative Side Effects of Organophosphate Pesticide Usage in Thailand Jasmin Melara Carbon Flux in the Amundsen Sea Polynya

Oral Session IV: 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D

Room A Mallory Cox Ta-Tas or Not: The Needs of Female Breast Cancer Survivors Will Not Be Forgotten Lisa Ye Suh Solution to Allworthy: The Magisterial Roles of Henry Fielding and Allworthy in Tom Jones Justin Bridging the Gap: The History of British Science Examined Dumrongkulraksa through Literature Room B Piyush Joshi Integrating of Human Neural Progenitor Cells into a Developing Chicken Embryo for a Toxicology Model Moriah Jackson Mycoplasma gallisepticum Infection and Shed in Commercial and Wild Turkeys Julia McElreath Arkansas Vaccine Virus Transmitted to SPF Chickens from Vaccinated Broilers Does Not Provide Protection from Challenge Hannah Reiss Creating a Chimeric Chicken Resistant to Newcastle's Disease Virus

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Room C Meili Swanson Improving Access to Screening for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans Karishma Sriram Increasing Physical Education in American High Schools Christina Nguyen Work-Sites with Physical Exercise Facilities and their Effect on Employee BMI and Waist Circumference Carver Goodhue Applying International Strategies to Domestic Issues of Micronutrient Deficiency Room D Pete Nkengasong Effects of Patellar Tendon Strapping on Lower-Extremity Kinematics Tyler Daugherty On a Lack of Identifying Obstructive Sleep Apnea Jonathan Brown Comparison of Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Forces between Individuals with Patellar Tendinopathy and Asymptomatic Individuals

Oral Session V: 12:30-1:45 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G

Room A Sara Black And Justice for All: Scale, Solidarity, and Integrational Organizing in the Climate and Immigrant Justice Movements in Georgia Manisha Banga A Mythological Chain of Oppression Kinsey Pebley Issues in the Therapy Experience for the LGBT Community and Their Implications Tiffany Brown The Importance of Local Grassroots Organizations in the Reshaping of Afro-Argentine Consciousness Room B Emily Vermillion An Investigation of the Metabolic Changes Associated with Feeding a High-Fat/High-Sugar Diet in Swine Amanda Seamon Incidence of Anesthesia-Related Fatality in Birds Elizabeth Wilkins The Role of Notch Signaling in Astrocyte and Oligodendrocyte Derivation Kayla Hargrove Necessity of Universal Pre-Operative Blood Work Testing in Healthy Dogs

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Room C Shaun Kleber Decreasing Summer Learning Loss among Low-Income Students in Athens-Clarke County Shalin Jyotishi The Executive Science Network: Variations between Public and Private Trustee Networks Megan Ernst Addressing Inequality in Early Childhood Executive Function Development

Paul Kirschenbauer Closing the Income Gap – Education and Technology in the United States Room D Mary Douthit Octopaminergic Gene Expression and Flexible Social Behavior in the Subsocial Burying Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides Tuan Nguyen Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Flanking C-Terminal Tail: Structure and Function Matthew Hess Nanoparticle-Delivered Therapeutics for African Trypanosomiasis Travis Williams Fermentation of Cull Peaches Using a Pectinase Producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain Room G Megan Griffin Do Knee Straps Decrease Self-Reported Patellar Tendon Pain after Jump Landings? Katherine Hsieh The Effect of a Patellar Tendon Strap on Knee Power during a Drop-Jump Edmund Afful The Association between High Intensity Athletic Participation and Chronic Ankle Instability

Oral Session VI: 2:00-3:15 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J

Room A Patrick Wheat The Rationality of Peacekeeping Cody Knapp Building a Record: Requesting Roll Call Votes under Changing Institutions Mitchell (Trey) Modifying Appointments to the FISA Court Flynn Marco Roca 1970s Czechoslovakia: A Foundation for the Study of International Human Rights Law

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Room B Amy Webster Breaking Mendel's Laws: How Abnormal Chromosome 10 Causes Meiotic Drive Jennifer Pallansch Bioluminescent Color Shifts in North American Fireflies Emily Fawcett Investigating Female Remating Rates in Wild Drosophila neotestacea and Their Association with Sex-Ratio Drive Philip Grayeski Cell Cycle Gating of the Mammalian Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Room C Aaron Conley The Politicization of Soccer and the Effects of the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian Politics Molly Malone Job Training to Combat Poverty among Unemployed Coal Miners Thomas Oliver Max Contracts: Savings or Reallocation? Room D Jerica Bornstein Keeping Good Company: Creating Social Environments that Promote Goal Pursuit Joseph Coppiano Individual Differences in Cognitive Control: Antisaccade Performance in Those with Schizophrenia and Low Cognitive Control Alan Gerlich Neural Abnormalities in Ocular-Motor Inhibition in Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and First-Degree Relatives Room G Anne Chen Sex-Ratio Imbalances and Risky Behavior in College Alexandra Edquist Capital-Intensive Punishment: Reducing the High Costs of Federal Drug Incarceration Tiffany Toteno Variables Affecting Attitudes toward Police Anthony Reyna College Credit Experience and Financial Literacy Room H Tiffany Washington Concussions from the Past Continue to Predict Present Symptomology Above and Beyond Mood Symptoms Victoria Moreira EnVISIONeD: Examining VISion among Inpatients with Diabetes Brett McCardel Neural Activation Changes Associated with Antisaccade Task Practice Room I Isaiah Norris Hydrothermal Synthesis and Particle Size Study of Ancient Pigments

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Samuel Kennedy, Attacking the Fire and Fuel: Nano Formulation of Platin-A for Trenton Berding Cancer and Associated Inflammation Joseph Sanchez A Unique Mechanism in Staphylococcus aureus Ketopantoate Reductase Room J Sheela Sheth Reducing Vitamin D Deficiency among Individuals Aged 50 and Older in Georgia Torre Lavelle How to Tackle the Bike Share Helmet Problem Rahul Shah Decreasing HIV Incidence in Russia through Needle & Syringe Programs

Oral Session VII: 3:30-4:45 p.m. Athena Breakout Rooms A, B, C, D, G, H, I, J

Room A Greyson Clark Power Dynamics in Georgia's Poultry Industry, 1950-1965 Laura Nelson “Please Excuse Me as I Am in Need:” Bondage and Freedom in Civil War-Era Athens Anthony Sadler Lester Moody: A Man, a River, and a Quest for Industry in the Twentieth Century South Seth Euster Uncovering the Heritage of Slavery at the Shields Ethridge Farm: Memory, Identity, and Heritage Tourism Room B Matthew Winn Interactions between Neutrophils and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Flagellum Raja Atchutuni Distribution of Novel Genes in Salmonella Isolated from the Environment Kapil Chandora Role of Mir-34a in Regulation of Macrophage M2 Phenotype Room C Giovanni Righi Searching for Noise-Induced Phase Transitions in Ecological Systems Kelly Murray Evidence for Indirect Effects of a Predatory Fish on the Size Distribution and Behavior of a Larval Caddisfly Species in Trinidadian Streams Mariana Satterly Issues of Economic Efficiency in the Domestic Conservation Easement System Scott Saunders A Mechanistic Explanation of How Regional Winter Climate Differences Influence Lyme Disease Distribution

Program: Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Room D Anudeep Neelam ChuW as a Class C Radical SAM Methyl Transferase Allison Becker Plasmonemes: A Novel Cell-Cell Interacting Structure in Trypanosoma brucei Allison Doyle Measuring Brain Tissue Factor Levels in Malaria Infection Chris Slade Genetic Assessment of the Role of TNF and its Receptors (RI and RII) in Placental Malaria Pathogenesis Room G Julian Traas The Five-Fold Division: Shadow Personalities in Beckett’s Three Novels Molly Dodd Grace Kelly: Femininity in Film Hannah Klevesahl Henry V: Legitimacy in Kingship and Film Chiara Tondi Resta Reexamining a Little-Known Aphrodite Anadyomene Statue from Ancient Stabiae Room H Scarlett Sumner Ecology and Genetic Characteristics of Haemogregarines in Fresh Water Turtles Shannon Burns Riverwater and Seawater Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Endmembers for the Amazon River Plume Meg Babcock- Chemistry at Sea: An Expedition to the North Pacific to Analyze Adams Deep Ocean Refractory Carbon (DORC) Room I Fred Hohman 3D Printing Techniques in Topology John Stroud The Monkey Saddle David Flake Membrane Electrode Assembly Preparation Utilizing Platinum Catalysts for Use in Polymer-Electrolyte-Membrane Fuel Cells Mehreen Sultana Fabrication of Hinged Nano-Motors Utilizing Metal Assisted Chemical Etching, Nano-Sphere Lithography, and Physical Vapor Deposition Room J Erin Hollander Increasing Nutrition through Genetically Modified Organisms Dayna Hardgrove An Integrative Outlook on the State of Sustainable Development in Sarawak, Malaysia Kristyn Nock In Vitro Protease Digestion and Reduction of Tropomyosin using Shrimp and Tropomyosin-Enriched Samples

Abstracts

The Association between High Intensity participation is a risk factor for developing Athletic Participation and Chronic Ankle CAI. Instability Edmund Afful Age and Formality in German Inalienable Dr. Cathleen Brown Crowell, Kinesiology, Possession Constructions College of Education McKinley Alden Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld, Germanic & Slavic Ankle sprains are a common athletic injury Studies, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences and may develop into Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI). CAI onset, determining In German, possessive constructions with factors, and relationship to sport participation inalienable prepositional phrase-embedded remain unclear. The purpose of this study was objects wield either an accusative- or dative- to determine whether there was a relationship marked possessor. The construction in between participating in high intensity question is defined by the seemingly random physical activity and CAI status. We interchangeability of the accusative and dative hypothesized because of dynamic activity case, for example, “Das Mädchen kneift involved, there would a greater association of mich/mir in den Arm” (“The girl has me CAI in higher intensity sporting activities. In Acc./Dat. in the arm pinched,” or, less this retrospective review, recreationally active literally, “The girl pinched me Acc./Dat. in the individuals’ (90 female, 98 male, arm.”). Recent studies show that formality 21.0±2.9years, 173.3±9.6cm, 70.9±13.7kg) tends to influence the case used in these self-reported questionnaires quantifying ankle constructions (Lee-Schoenfeld and Diewald function were used to determine CAI status 2013). This analysis posits that the preferred with appropriate cut-off values. Subjects also case is dependent on the age distribution of indicated the types of physical activities in the speaker, specifically that younger speakers which they participated. Activities that prefer the dative case to the more formal included jumping, cutting, and multiplanar accusative case. The pilot data for this study motion (basketball, volleyball, field sports, was collected via survey, in which native etc.) were labeled as high-risk activities. Low- speakers from Germany rated minimally risk activities were those that did not require paired sentences on a scale of Very jumping, landing, and were uniplanar Inappropriate to Very Appropriate for colloquial (walking, running, weightlifting etc.). A chi- use. These results were then stratified by age square analysis was completed to assess the of the participants in order to observe the relationship between high-risk sporting relationship between this feature and the use activities and CAI status. There was a of case. These ratings were imposed onto a significant association (Χ2=8.665 p<0.01) numerical index, 1 for Very Inappropriate and 5 between those who participated in high-risk for Very Appropriate, and averages of the total activities and the likelihood of having CAI. It responses of each stratum were taken. Within appears those who participated in less the aforementioned sentence pair, speakers 21 demanding activities such as walking and to 30 preferred the dative case, giving the lifting weights were less likely to report CAI, accusative an average rating of only 3.5 while those who did participate in high (Neutral), whereas participants over age 61 intensity activities were more likely to have gave the accusative an average rating of 4.67 CAI. High demand sports, with muliplanar (Appropriate) in the same sentences. This movements and larger loading forces, may methodology has yielded results that will, exacerbate symptoms of CAI. Future research when superimposed on preordained German should determine if specific sport case laws, generate valuable sociolinguistic

Abstracts information on the relationship between age Effect of Folate on Lipid Accumulation and formality. and Proliferation in Human Primary Adipocytes Identification of a Novel O-Antigen and Courtney Alvis its Role in the Virulence of Aeromonas Dr. Hea-Jin Park, Foods & Nutrition, College hydrophila Isolated from Diseased Catfish of Family & Consumer Sciences Laura Alexander Dr. Timothy Hoover, Microbiology, Franklin Folate is an essential water-soluble vitamin College of Arts & Sciences that is involved in multiple cellular metabolisms including DNA synthesis and Affecting primarily mature, market-sized epigenetic regulation. Epidemiological studies catfish, Aeromonas hydrophila has caused the report inverse associations between serum loss of millions of pounds of the largest folate concentrations and body mass index; product in America’s aquaculture industry however the potential influence of changes in since 2009. This gram negative, rod-shaped folate status on adipose cell development and bacterium causes septicemia in catfish, which metabolism has only been examined in animal is quickly followed by death. In an effort to models or a murine cell line, which is why this characterize the virulence factors of A. research is significant. The question of this hydrophila, genes suspected of playing a role in study was to determine how folate influences causing disease in catfish are being explored, differentiation and proliferation of human such as those involved in the synthesis of O- primary subcutaneous preadipocytes. Human antigen. In order to investigate its role in the primary preadipocytes, derived from virulence of A. hydrophila, a mutant lacking O- subcutaneous adipose tissue of normal weight antigen ligase (Δwaal) was constructed and female donors (ZenBio Inc.), were exposed to found to be avirulent in an aquarium model of 0.06, 6 or 60 uM folic acid (FA, oxidized form infection using fingerling catfish. In order to of folate; Sigma) and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate further confirm this result and to determine (MTHF, reduced form of folate; Merck). The how it allows the bacterium to infect catfish, impact of treatment on differentiation and the ligase (waal) gene was complemented in proliferation were determined by the mutant in trans, and visualized through AdipoRedTM Adipogenesis assay (Lonza) and SDS page analysis. Motility assays comparing CellTiter-Blue® Cell Viability assay the abilities of wild type, ligase mutant and (Promega), respectively. Results indicate that ligase complement to swarm were conducted FA and MTHF decrease lipid accumulation in in order to both confirm complementation mature adipocytes after adjusting for cell and determine if O-antigen affects motility in number. Interestingly, MTHF, reduced form A. hydrophila. Upon discovery that the of folate, exhibited a greater inhibitory effect structure of A. hydrophila O-antigen is unique on lipid accumulation. Proliferation data and possibly novel, we conducted a Multi- suggest that FA had no effect on Locus Sequence Typing analysis using proliferation, while MTHF increased multiple housekeeping genes: dnaJ, dnaX, recA, proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. gyrB, rpoD, and gyrA in an attempt to ascertain Taken together, these results suggest that whether virulent strains of Aeromonas hydrophila biologically active reduced forms of folate may be classified as a novel subspecies. The may have a greater effect on adipocyte results support the high degree of genomic proliferation and differentiation in human homogeneity among virulent A. hydrophila adipocytes. This study also supports strains and their tentative classification as a preliminary findings in murine cell lines novel subspecies. demonstrating the importance of maintaining

Abstracts folate availability during adipose cell Distribution of Novel Genes in Salmonella development. Isolated from the Environment Raja Atchutuni Personal Distress and Response to Dr. John Maurer, Population Health, College Ambiguous Emotions of Veterinary Medicine Ian Anderson Dr. Brian Haas, Psychology, Franklin College Salmonella is responsible for 1 million of Arts & Sciences gastroenteritis cases in the United States each year. In the past, most illnesses were Personal Distress (PD) is a tendency towards attributed to the consumption of fecally experiencing a high level of stress in response contaminated meat, milk, and eggs. However to intense emotional situations. Prior studies over the past 20 years, we have seen a have shown that higher levels of PD are significant increase in foodborne outbreaks associated with higher social dysfunction, linked to produce. Water is believed to be a anxiety, and fearfulness. It is currently potential source of Salmonella contamination unknown, however, if PD is associated with in produce production. We have recently the interpretation of ambiguous emotional performed whole genome sequencing on a stimuli and/or the speed at which people number of non-traditional Salmonella serovars, make emotion-based decisions. Based on some of which have been isolated from the prior studies, we predicted that higher PD environment. We identified several unique scores would be associated with a negative mobile genetic elements, pilus, and metabolic emotional bias during the interpretation of genes. We screened environment Salmonella ambiguous emotional stimuli. Furthermore, isolates by southern hybridization and PCR we predicted that higher PD scores would be for the presence of several of these novel associated with faster reaction times to genes. We identified a large molecular weight, negative emotional stimuli. To test these conjugative plasmid in S. Mikawasima, and predictions, participants (N=59) performed a found that this plasmid was widely task in which brief movies of neutral faces disseminated among our environmental morphed into emotional faces. Each isolates. We also identified a pilus operon participant was instructed to decide whether homologous to the E. coli common pilus that they believed the person in the image had just was also widely distributed in our isolates. received either good or bad news. The three However, we also found certain lysogenic emotions presented were happy, fearful, and phages that were limited to a handful of surprised. The results show that PD scores Salmonella isolates. From screening these were positively correlated with a greater different environmental isolates, we observed tendency to interpret surprised faces as that the water isolates had a different pattern negative (r=.268, p=0.040) as well as of genes present, compared to Salmonella that negatively correlated with fear response time inhabit animal isolates. The variation in the (r=-0.354, p=0.006) and negatively correlated distribution of genes in the water isolates with reaction time when interpreting surprised from the animal isolates explains the faces as good (r=-0.295, p=0.023). These adaptation of these particular Salmonella strains findings support the hypothesis that a higher to the aquatic environment. PD score is associated with a negative emotional bias during the interpretation of ambiguous emotional situations and suggests that PD affects reaction time differently for negative and positive stimuli.

Abstracts

Chemistry at Sea: An Expedition to the A Mythological Chain of Oppression North Pacific to Analyze Deep Ocean Manisha Banga Refractory Carbon (DORC) Dr. Benjamin Wolkow, Classics, Franklin Meg Babcock-Adams, CURO Summer Fellow College of Arts & Sciences Dr. William Miller, Marine Sciences, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences This research examines a chain of oppression that connects the ancient Greek mythological In the summer of 2013, I participated in a 3- figures of Hades, Persephone, and Adonis— week oceanographic research cruise aboard ancient characters who are seldom connected the RV Melville in the North Pacific. There we in modern retellings but whose stories are collected water from 33 stations, from surprisingly intertwined. The focus of the multiple depths, and ran onboard research will be on the following: How does experiments. These experiments were Hades’ oppression and objectification of designed to measure several different Persephone lead to Persephone’s oppression chemical components, all working towards and objectification of Adonis? Moreover, how obtaining a comprehensive picture of the can these stories be related? In order to deep ocean refractory carbon (DORC) pool examine these relationships, the researcher and the role of marine photochemistry in its will reference both primary and secondary removal from the ocean. The amount of sources, including translations of the original dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the entire myths and critical essays on the myths ocean, of which a large portion is DORC, is themselves. The research will involve a equal to that of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the primarily analytical and literary examination of atmosphere; therefore, interconversion the archetypes that Persephone’s relationships between DOC and CO2 is essential to embody, as well as the application of these understanding air-sea carbon exchange and archetypes in the modern world. Additionally, global carbon budgets. Fueled by solar energy, the research will examine the descriptions of photochemistry converts DOC in the ocean these characters in their original myths and to CO2 and CO, which can be released to the will place these descriptions in conversation atmosphere. This is the central idea that my with each other in order to further explore the project was based on. While the entire Miller characters’ interconnectedness. Ultimately, lab worked together in conducting classical, literary, and feminist viewpoints on experiments, I directed most of my time to the myths will be considered in order to measuring CO accumulation in seawater examine the myths in ways that have not yet throughout long-term exposures in a solar been explored. simulator. Using experimentally determined ratios, CO can be related to CO2 and Game Theory and Literature consequently, the total mass of carbon gases James Barrow that may be released into the atmosphere as a Prof. Michael Lynch, Political Science, School direct result of marine photochemistry can be of Public & International Affairs estimated. Shipboard results look promising and follow-up experiments are underway to William Poundstone, writes “[g]ame theory is interpret results for contribution to new a study of conflict between thoughtful and calculations of the role of DORC and potentially deceitful opponents” (Poundstone, photochemistry in the global ocean carbon 1993). One problem with game theory is that budget. scientists typically examine an event of the past and attempt to explain why certain results emerged but they assume one thing: that all

Abstracts actors acted rational. This is not always the protein degradation is successful in vitro, in case; in fact most people act irrationally. It is vivo experiments in P. falciparum will through literature that we observe how follow. Expression constructs for GFP, and irrational people behave and the GFP fusion proteins (GFP-Ddd and GFP- consequences that ensue. As Walter Wangerin psd) were created using PCR, restriction Jr. wrote in The Orphean Passages, “[i]n order to enzyme digestion, and ligation into the comprehend the experience one is living in, pET28a vector. The resulting constructs were he must by imagination and by intellect be analyzed using diagnostic restriction digestion lifted out of it. He must be given to see it and DNA sequencing. The verified constructs whole; but since he can never wholly gaze were transformed into BL21 E. coli for protein upon his own life while he lives it, he gazes production. Proteins purified from E. coli via upon the lift that, in symbol, comprehends his HIS-tag affinity chromatography will be own” (Dickerson & O’Hara, 35). It is only incubated with P. falciparum lysates under through literature and looking at an protein degradation and protein stabilization experience that was not our own, but one we conditions. Protein degradation will be can relate to, that we are truly able to study assessed via visual confirmation of green game theory. Therefore, the point of this fluorescence and western blot with anti-GFP research is to examine literature of the ages, antibodies. This new tool for studying P. from the Bible to Shakespeare to Jane Austin falciparum will help identify proteins necessary to J.K. Rowling, and observe the game theory for blood stage infection and provide targets that occurs between characters, not rational for new antimalarial drug development. actors. Clinoptilolite Formation in the Lower Light-Dependent Protein Degradation in Floridan Aquifer Plasmodium falciparum Philippe Bauchau Kristen Bascombe Dr. Paul Schroeder, Geology, Franklin Dr. Vasant Muralidharan, Cellular Biology, College of Arts & Sciences Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Clinoptilolite is a natural zeolite that most Malaria is a deadly parasitic disease, and there commonly forms in volcanic tuffs by is widespread resistance against anti-malarial devitrification (i.e., the transformation of drugs. In order to develop new therapies, the amorphous glass to crystalline phases). A biology of malaria parasites must be further mineralogical study of the Miocene Lower understood. Gene knockdown methods used Floridan Formation at Cockspur Island, in other organisms are not effective Georgia by Ostrowicki (2012) reveals the in Plasmodium species. To study parasite unusual occurrence of clinoptilolite within a biology we currently use drug-dependent quartz-bearing limestone. This limestone degradation domains that require costly and hosted zeolite was examined by electron toxic chemicals. Recently, light-dependent microprobe analysis and results indicate the protein degradation has been reported in clinoptilolite bears structural Na-K-Ca-Mg, yeast. The purpose of this research is to giving it an average empirical formula of develop an optogenetic tool for protein (NaK2MgCa1.5Al8Si30O72*24H2O). knockdown in Plasmodium falciparum to Thermodynamic modeling using determine their roles in the parasite’s biology. Geochemist’s Workbench® shows that a Na- A preliminary in vitro assay for light-dependent clinoptilolite is more stable than Ca- protein degradation will be developed using clinoptilolite when inputting the present day purified proteins and P. falciparum lysates. If pore water chemistry as reported by the U.S.

Abstracts

Geological Survey (Gonthier, 2012). When produces exosomes, small lipid vesicles, comparing the non zeolite-bearing Upper possibly as a means of communication during Floridan Formation pore water chemistry to stress. The production of exosomes is highly the Lower Flordian pore waters, correlated with the presence of plasmonemes. thermodynamic models favor the formation These plasmonemes are easily observed by of Na-clinoptilolite in the Lower Floridan. Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) The depositional environments were likely in microscopy and appear at the posterior end of a tropical marine setting, however when the parasite. The posterior end is the location clinoptilolite is present, it suggests a higher of the flagellar pocket, the only site of silica activity, perhaps sourced from more endocytosis and exocytosis in the cell. Our basic waters and diatomaceous blooms. The research determined physiologically relevant question “when during diagenesis (early conditions that increase the formation of versus late) did clinoptilolite originate in the plasmonemes. The increased production of aquifer?” is still being considered. The plasmonemes, mediated by biological stresses, occurrence of clinoptilolite is important appears to increase cell-cell interactions and because clinoptilolite acts as an ion exchanger may serve as another mechanism for cell for heavy metals and ammonia. The effect of communication. clinoptilolite on formation factors used to evaluate aquifer storage potential is important, Differential Expression of Genes Involved particularly as coastal communities in the SE in the Insulin Growth Factor Pathway in United States look to manage fresh water Breast Cancer sources. Briana Bennett Dr. Melissa Davis, Genetics, Franklin College Plasmonemes: A Novel Cell-Cell of Arts & Sciences Interacting Structure in Trypanosoma brucei Insulin Receptor Substrate 1 (IRS1) and Allison Becker Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 6 Anthony Szempruch, Graduate Research (IGFBP6) are key players in the Insulin Assistant Growth Factor (IGF) pathway, and their Dr. Stephen Hajduk, Biochemistry & expression is often altered in breast cancer Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & subtypes. IGFBP6 binds to both IGF1 and Sciences IGFII, normally with higher affinity to the latter. This interaction modulates the activity Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of of the IGFs in the cell, and IGF1 modifies human African sleeping sickness and the IRS1 via post-translational mechanisms. In cattle-wasting disease Nagana. During the order to determine if the levels of IGFBP6 mammalian infection the parasite is exposed and IRS1expression varies among normal to the host immune system. To subvert the breast epithelial cells and cancerous cells, we adaptive immune response, trypanosomes used qPCR to obtain quantitative transcript express a single variant surface glycoprotein levels and immunofluorescence microscopy to (VSG) that prevents antibody recognition of verify the gene product levels. IGFBP6 is other cell surface components. The VSG can overexpressed in Basal-like breast cancer cells undergo antigenic variation allowing for and underexpressed in ER+ cancer cells immune evasion. It has been hypothesized compared to normal cells. IRS1 has higher that while in the blood stream cell-cell and levels of expression in ER+ cancer cells cell-host interactions take place. Recent compared to normal. Utilizing research has shown that trypanosomes immunofluorescence microscopy, IGFBP6

Abstracts shows higher levels of fluorescence in the subconsciously affect how people perceive Basal-like cancer cells and lower levels in the their surroundings, as well as how they ER+ cells. The microscopy also revealed that respond to them. One of the most IGFBP6 is localized to the cytoplasm and controversial studies on this topic is that of shows small areas of concentration where it is Williams and Bargh (2008), in which likely binding to its substrate(s). The images participants who were asked to hold a warm obtained of IRS1 show higher levels of cup of coffee were more generous and more fluorescence in ER+ cells, confirming its likely to see others in a positive light than qPCR results. The differential expression of those who were asked to hold a cold cup of these genes may affect the properties of coffee. We sought to replicate and extend this cancerous cells as the growth factor pathways study. We gave participants various are possibly linked to cancer subtype etiology. personality tests, asked them to hold a warm Further investigation into the expression or cold cup of coffee, gave them Bargh’s levels of other genes in the insulin pathway Impression Formation task, and noted if they will provide insight into how it could be a volunteered to help the experimenter pick up potential target for treatment. a box of dropped pencils after the experiment was officially over. We hypothesized that The Creation of an Anticancer Prodrug – those who held a warm drink would be more Combining Aspirin with Cisplatin likely to rate the person in Bargh’s computer Trenton Berding task more warmly, and would also be more Prof. Shanta Dhar, Chemistry, Franklin likely to help the experimenter. We also College of Arts & Sciences hypothesized that participants who labeled themselves as conservative would be more Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug which influenced by the temperature of the drink targets the DNA of cancer cells causing they held than liberals. If our results mirror apoptosis. Treatment with cisplatin commonly those of Williams and Bargh, they will serve as demonstrates severe adverse side effects further proof of the subconscious effects the related to inflammation, such as environment has on a human’s nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. Creation of a feelings, perception, and actions. prodrug, Platin-A, from the synthesis of aspirin and cisplatin, has been found to reduce Response of Microbial Nitrification and the inflammatory complications and cytotoxic Denitrification to Redox Shifts in Beach effects of treatment with cisplatin alone. Sand These findings highlight the advantages of Laurence Black using a prodrug to decrease inflammation Dr. Samantha Joye, Marine Sciences, Franklin associated with the delivery of a College of Arts & Sciences chemotherapeutic agent. The concentration of atmospheric nitrous Embodiment and Altruism oxide (N2O), one of the most important Hania Bisat, CURO Graduation Distinction greenhouse gases, has increased by 18% (270 Dr. Leonard Martin, Psychology, Franklin to 320 ppb) since the industrial revolution. College of Arts & Sciences Human activity, such as agriculture, has increased the amount of fixed nitrogen Embodied cognition is the idea that physical entering the natural nitrogen cycle, in turn factors in a person’s environment, whether increasing microbial N2O production. the temperature, the surface a person is sitting Oxygen availability is a key driver of N2O on, or the position of certain items in a room, production rates by nitrifying and denitrifying

Abstracts microorganisms, and oxygen availability in Undocumented Student Alliance at UGA beach sands may fluctuate in response to tidal coordinated a direct action tactic that offered oscillation. Here we test the hypothesis that not just statements of solidarity, but a unified N2O concentrations in these sands will message and underlying narrative justifying increase following sudden changes in oxygen collaboration between immigrant and climate availability. Beach sand was collected from justice activists. This paper documents the Cabretta Island, a barrier island on the continuing effort to deepen the relationships Georgia coast. Sand was enriched with either of solidarity and collaboration that were nitrification (NTR) substrates (ammonium started with that action, and asserts that these (NH4+)) or denitrification (DNF) substrates collaborative spaces, which are not seen as (nitrate (NO3-) and organic carbon) and strategically efficient, nevertheless create incubated in bottles under oxic or anoxic power in the form of relationships, conditions. After four days, some bottles were knowledge, and narrative. Using a participant switched from oxic to anoxic conditions and action research methodology, I have worked vice versa while others remained unchanged. with local organizers to identify justifications The concentration of nitrous oxide in the and avenues for collaborations spanning a headspace of each bottle was measured before gradient of strategic value. In developing an and after this switch using a gas underlying narrative that supports and chromatograph with an electron capture invigorates collaborative action, local actors detector. The data generated suggest that resisting primarily local ordinances offer microorganisms have a greater tendency to frames rooted in the politics of scale which produce sudden spikes and depletions of encompass and integrate the large-scale N2O due to fluctuations in nutrient and drivers of climate change and migration. oxygen availability. Tides drive this type of Translating these frames into local action has redox oscillation in beach sands, potentially the potential to challenge the whiteness of the making them an important source of N2O to climate movement and to tie more deeply the the atmosphere. story of climate disruption to the story of economic disruption and vulnerability. And Justice for All: Scale, Solidarity, and Integrational Organizing in the Climate Pax6 Expression in the Adult Sey and and Immigrant Justice Movements in Wildtype Brain Georgia Caroline Blatcher Sara Black, Foundation Fellow Dr. James Lauderdale, Cellular Biology, Dr. Nik Heynen, Geography, Franklin College Franklin College of Arts & Sciences of Arts & Sciences Pax6, a member of the Pax family of Georgia enters 2014 as a state with some of transcription factors, is expressed in distinct the most draconian anti-immigrant laws in the regions of the central nervous system, U.S. and two of the most carbon-intensive specifically the eye, forebrain, hindbrain, and coal plants in the world. The immigrant spinal cord. It is critical for development of justice and climate justice movements have the eye as well as development and patterning active front lines in Georgia, peopled by local of the forebrain, including establishing dorsal- grassroots organizations navigating issues ventral boundaries, neuronal migration, and primarily framed at the state level, albeit rich axon guidance. Aniridia is a human congenital with the context of national movement condition characterized by a semidominant strategy. In the fall of 2012, student organizers mutation in Pax6. Although well-studied for from UGA Beyond Coal and the the eye phenotypes, relatively little is known

Abstracts about the effects of the Pax6 mutation on the In Study 2, students in a research statistics forebrain. The mouse model for Aniridia, class were invited to take part in a survey Small eye (Sey), also has a mutation in one copy about their feelings on the course. Students of the gene, making it a good rodent model reported about a friend who was helpful in for understanding the human condition. To their goal pursuit and a friend who interfered date, no studies have attempted to find out if with their goal pursuit. Results indicated that there are any differences in the forebrains of when high self-control participants were Sey mice at the cellular level. The attempt of nervous before the first exam they wanted to this study was to determine any potential spend more time with their friend who would differences in the structure and expression help their goal pursuit and avoid the friend pattern in the brain of Small eye mice who would interfere with their goal pursuit. compared to wild-type. Structural analyses However, when high self-control students were performed by hematoxylin and eosin were not nervous before the first exam they staining (H&E) on paraffin-prepared did not show a preference between their histological sections. Differences in protein helpful and interfering friend. Trait self- expression were tested using control predicts preferences to spend time immunohistochemistry, also on paraffin- with others who have high trait self-control, prepared histological sections of the particularly when individuals feel like they brain. Expression levels in adult brains were need help with their goals pursuits. also measured at the level of mRNA by whole mount RNA in-situ hybridization. The Evaluation of Mitochondria in Persons differences found in this study could lead to with Mitochondrial Myopathies Using understanding some of the non-eye-related Near-Infrared Spectroscopy symptoms experienced by people with Hannah Bossie, Miller Singleton Aniridia. Dr. Kevin McCully, Kinesiology, College of Education Keeping Good Company: Creating Social Environments that Promote Goal Pursuit The aim of this study is to measure skeletal Jerica Bornstein muscle mitochondrial function in individuals Dr. Michelle vanDellen, Psychology, Franklin with mitochondrial myopathies (MITO) and College of Arts & Sciences compare these results to controls. These measurements will be made utilizing near- We examined how people look for goal infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The NIRS support, namely how others’ self-control method has been used to assess mitochondrial affects how much time people wanted to function in individuals with various chronic spend with them. Specifically, we examined conditions, including spinal cord injury, how individuals’ own self-control affects their multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and heart feelings towards people they perceive to be (a) failure. I hypothesize that patients with high versus low in self-control or (b) helpful mitochondrial myopathies will have impaired versus unhelpful. In Study 1, participants were mitochondrial function, and this will correlate randomly assigned to write about someone with clinical symptom severity. The study will they recently met whom they judged to have be performed in the Exercise Muscle either high or low self-control. Results Physiology Laboratory in the Kinesiology indicated that participants with high self- Department. I am collaborating with a clinical control reported wanting to spend more time geneticist, Dr. Fran Kendall, who works with people who also had high self-control specifically with mitochondrial myopathies. relative to people who had poor self-control. Participants with and without a genetically

Abstracts confirmed diagnosis of mitochondrial What Predicts Willingness to Support a myopathy (n=20 each) will be tested after we Partner's Smoking Cessation Attempt? get IRB approval. Several recent review Savannah Boyd papers have highlighted the need for a Dr. Michelle vanDellen, Psychology, Franklin noninvasive method that can monitor the College of Arts & Sciences treatment of people with mitochondrial myopathies, including one by Dr. Kendall. People are constantly pursuing new goals, Because the NIRS test that we will use is often with the expectation of support from noninvasive, and takes 30 minutes or less, their significant other. In this project, we NIRS has the potential to fill this important focused on the goal of smoking cessation. need. The NIRS test can serve as an Compared to individuals not partnered with important adjunct test for diagnosis of another smoker, dual-smoker couples are less mitochondrial myopathies. It can also lead to likely to both try to quit smoking and be future studies evaluating treatments for successful. This issue prompted us to further mitochondrial myopathies with various examine factors that predict support during an antioxidant supplements and or individual’s quit attempt. Participants were pharmacological interventions. recruited via a crowdsourcing website and were screened to ensure they were in a Marketing an Online Based Education relationship with a partner who smoked at Platform least ten cigarettes per week. During the Noah Boswell, CURO Honors Scholar survey, participants answered questions about Dr. Piyush Kumar, Marketing, Terry College their demographics as well as their own of Business smoking status. Then they completed the Partner Interaction Questionnaire, which In today’s world we are in the Wild West of measured the intended frequency of positive free online education. While there are and negative support the participant would established websites such as Khan Academy provide their partner if he or she attempted to and Coursera, they are not perfect and can quit smoking. Lastly, participants reported certainly improve. It is important that these their own motivation to quit smoking. education platforms improve too, as the rising Analyses show that smokers are less willing cost of college is making it increasingly harder than non-smokers to provide support. Among for people to get the knowledge they smokers, we found that self-directed beliefs need. Our goal with Faqulty.com is to attempt (i.e., their own motivation to quit smoking) to make a website where people can be the and partner-directed beliefs (i.e., worry about student and the teacher for free. Our website their partners’ smoking) increased willingness will offer a way for people to aggregate to provide support. These data show there is a information on a subject and structure it in a differential amount of support given by course-like manner for anyone to see. People smokers versus non-smokers. Furthermore, will then be able to go to this website and be beliefs about their own and their partners’ able to learn about a subject from the smoking affect their willingness to provide viewpoint of multiple people. Our directive is support among smokers. We hope that this to now make sure that Faqulty.com is study clarifies the effect of smoking status on marketed well enough so that we can achieve support while stimulating research to further these goals of improving the free online examine the dynamics of dual-smoker education space. If we can achieve this, this couples. website will be a great tool and a valuable resource for everyone who accesses it.

Abstracts

Comparison of Peak Vertical Ground The Importance of Local Grassroots Reaction Forces between Individuals with Organizations in the Reshaping of Afro- Patellar Tendinopathy and Asymptomatic Argentine Consciousness Individuals Tiffany Brown, CURO Summer Fellow Jonathan Brown Dr. Nicolás Lucero, Romance Languages, Dr. Cathleen Brown Crowell, Kinesiology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences College of Education In the 19th century, Afro-Argentines made up Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is common in roughly 33% of the total population of jumping sports, but mechanisms causing PT Buenos Aires. Yet within the last century, the are unclear. Our purpose was to compare Afro-Argentine population has been peak vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF) decimated so thoroughly that many do not between individuals with symptomatic PT and acknowledge their existence in Argentine healthy control participants during a jump society. The narrative of this group landing. We hypothesized the PT group consequently has been silenced and few would display greater peak VGRF compared studies exist pertaining to it. In recent years, to healthy participants. Forty-four individuals Argentina has experienced a resurgence in completed this study; 23 had self-reported PT “orgullo negro” or black pride. Afro- symptoms and a Victorian Institute of Sport Argentine groups like Misibamba and Assessment-Patella (VISA-P) of <80 AfricaVive have dedicated themselves to indicating decreased knee function (14 female, promoting awareness and reconstructing the 9 male, age 21.6 ± 3.5years, height 174.2 ± Afro-Argentine’s role in Argentine history and 8.3cm, mass 70.8 ± 10.9kg, VISA-P 64.2 ± society through cultural events and programs. 8.5), while 21 were healthy with no history of The objective of this study is to document the knee joint pain (female 12, male 9, age 22.0 ± role of grassroots organizations and local 3.4years, height 175.2 ± 10.6cm, mass 72.6 ± efforts in the reconstruction of the Afro- 12.6kg, VISA-P 100.0 ± 0.0). Participants Argentine identity. The bulk of this research performed 5 trials of two-legged drop jump centered on interviews with individuals from landings followed immediately by a 50% grassroots organizations such as Casa de Africa maximum vertical jump on a force platform. and AfricaVive, as well as more informal The peak VGRF of the PT participants’ interviews with white Argentine citizens. affected limb and controls’ matched limb Although I am still synthesizing data from were averaged over 3 trials. The average peak these interviews, the common thread that I VGRF was normalized to body mass (BM). found amongst these various groups is a Independent samples t-tests (p<.05) identified concerted effort in promoting recognition of differences between the two groups. The PT their daily lived experiences and hardships as group had significantly (p<.001) lower scores they focus on educating both the government on the VISA-P compared to the control and the general populace of Argentina. This group. PT peak VGRF (2.06 ± 0.41xBM) was preliminary study serves to spread awareness lower than controls (2.30 ± 0.56xBM), but the about the importance of self-identity and local difference was not statistically significant organization in the fight to redefine and (p=.11). Peak VGRF may actually be reconstruct Afro-Argentine history. decreased in PT compared to control participants. Peak VGRF may not be related to PT pain and decreased function at the knee.

Abstracts

Sphingolipid Metabolism and the Riverwater and Seawater Dissolved Biological Clock in Neurospora crassa Inorganic Carbon Endmembers for the John Brunson Amazon River Plume Dr. Jonathan Arnold, Genetics, Franklin Shannon Burns College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Patricia Yager, Marine Sciences, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences The bread mold Neurospora crassa is a model organism that has been used for studies of the As the world’s largest river, the Amazon River biological clock for decades. Clock function is ecosystem significantly influences the global generally conserved across many different carbon cycle. Previous research identified the species, and by studying the clock in a simple Amazon River Plume as a natural sink for model like Neurospora, we can learn more atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). However, about how our own biological clock anthropogenic-driven changes to the tropical functions. This area of research is growing in hydrologic cycle may alter the photosynthesis- importance as humans take on more and respiration balance in the river’s associated more “alternative” sleep schedules and waters, impacting atmospheric CO2 increase their exposure to sources of artificial concentrations and feedback to climate light at odd hours. Disorders of the biological change. Here we improve calculations of the clock, such as Sundowner’s Syndrome, are offshore sink’s size using a mixing model also reported to affect proper sleep between the river and offshore seawater. Key cycles. What’s more, proper knowledge of variables are the dissolved inorganic carbon clock function may have implications for (DIC) endmember concentrations at the river medicine, like knowing when to administer mouth and offshore, which are used to certain medicines. In this particular research determine the ΔDIC attributed to biology effort, we look at the effects of ceramide (ΔDICbio). Without precedent, in July 2012 synthase knock outs, namely lag-1 and lac-1, on ANACONDAS expedition scientists collected the clock in Neurospora. Mutants of the bd measurements at the river’s mouth using a gene are used in conjunction with lag-1 and CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) lac-1 knockouts in order to visualize the clock recorder/Niskin bottle rosette at eight phenotype on race tubes. We also use cell stations and an uncontaminated surface counting methods to determine a seawater pumping system while underway. chronological senescence phenotype for the Salinity (S) and DIC were measured using a double mutants, lag-1KO bd and lac-1KO SOMMA (Single Operator Multi-parameter bd. We find that both lag-1KO bd and lac-1KO Metabolic Analyzer) system connected to a bd display a unique “double banding” coulometer. From this data, seawater (s) and phenotype when run on racetubes, and that riverwater (r) DIC endmembers were lac-1KO bd has a unique senescent phenotype identified as μmol C/kg () and μmol C/kg (), different from lag-1KO bd when run through a respectively. Mixing model results using these cell counter over a 7-day experiment on new endmembers suggest net heterotrophy minimal media. We aim to confirm the lac- nearshore (0-20ppt) and net autotrophy 1KO bd results using plasmid transformation farther offshore (>20ppt), differing from with lac-1 under a qa-inducible promoter. previous studies that suggested either reduced net heterotrophy in the inner plume or sustained net autotrophy. We suspect that light limitation due to riverine sediments influences inner plume water biology. Further analysis of factors influencing the ΔDICbio

Abstracts will better determine the plume’s role as a samples were analyzed. Preliminary data carbon sink and anthropogenic activity suggest that these samples are, as expected, sensitivity. arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). Two selected AGP fractions are xylosylated, Purification and Characterization of possibly similar to the structure of APAP1-Like Proteoglycans from Rice arabinoxylan-pectin-arabinogalactan protein 1 Suspension Culture Media (APAP1). Stanislav Bushik, CURO Summer Fellow Dr. Debra Mohnen, Biochemistry & Parenting Stress, Emotion Dysregulation, Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & and Emotion Coaching as Predictors of Sciences Child Behavior Problems in the Context of SES and Race Rice is one of the most commonly grown and Minhnguyen Cao, CURO Graduation cultivated plants in the world. It is primarily Distinction used as a food crop which is cheap to grow Dr. Anne Shaffer, Psychology, Franklin and yields high returns. The non-edible College of Arts & Sciences structures of the rice plant may also be used to produce biofuels. If the rice plant could be The goal of this study is to examine the modified to decrease the recalcitrance of the relationship between parenting factors (stress, biomass to deconstruction and simultaneously emotion dysregulation, and emotion coaching) maintain good growth under standard or and child psychopathology, while exploring harsh environmental conditions, the result socioeconomic status (SES) and race as could be greater food stocks around the world moderators. This research is motivated by and a source of biomass for the cost effective ongoing needs to identify family-level and efficient manufacture of biofuels. The predictors of child behavior problems, while objective of this research is to identify specific considering the importance of social genes responsible for cell wall structures in contextual factors that may lead to individual the plant cell. If these genes could be variability in these relations. The following modified to yield biomass with improved hypotheses were tested: 1) higher parenting properties, the objectives described above stress, higher parental emotion dysregulation could potentially be accomplished. These (ED), and lower levels of parental emotion genes can be identified using a specific coaching will predict greater child process that has been shown to identify novel internalizing and externalizing problems, and proteoglycan structures in the plant cell. First, 2) these relations will be moderated by proteins, glycoproteins, and/or proteoglycans socioeconomic status and race. The study are purified from the rice suspension culture used data obtained from a community-based cell media using High Performance Liquid sample of 34 families from racially and Chromatography (HPLC) and the proteins are economically diverse backgrounds. Bivariate sequenced using proteomics. Once sequenced, correlations indicated that parenting stress the genes that encode these glycoproteins are was significantly related to child internalizing identified by examining the rice plant genome. (r=.43, p<.05) and externalizing behaviors The goal is to produce knock-down, knock- (r=.56, p<.01). However, ED was not out, and over-expression rice plants that can significantly related to internalizing (r=.26, be studied in regards to their cell wall, growth p=.13) or externalizing (r=−.20, p=.25) and development phenotypes, and their behaviors. Similarly, coaching was not biomass feedstock potential. At this point, the significantly related to either internalizing sugar compositions of several selected (r=−.01, p=.97) or externalizing (r=−.15,

Abstracts p=.44) behaviors, although most relationships glycosylation defects that we have detected, were in the predicted direction. Regressions we screened other pigmentation mutants for were performed to test the last hypothesis possible genetic interactions with sff, ms16, with parenting stress and emotion and white. We assessed neural-specific dysregulation as predictors. Results indicated a glycosylation in pigmentation mutants and in significant interaction in one instance: at high transheterozygous combinations of levels of stress, African American mothers pigmentation and glycosylation mutants by reported higher levels of externalizing staining with anti-HRP antibodies, which problems than White mothers (β=.49, detect the production of a specific N-linked p<.05). These findings suggest the importance glycan epitope on neural glycoproteins. All 4 of considering demographic differences, pigmentation mutants exhibited genetic although future studies would benefit from interactions with the glycosylation mutants, larger sample sizes to improve statistical indicating that multiple components of power, as well as using multi-informant pigment production pathways impact reports of child problems. glycoprotein glycosylation. Further experiments will define the specific molecular Pigmentation and Protein Glycosylation contribution of these pigmentation genes to in the Drosophila Embryo Golgi processing of N-linked glycoprotein Leah Caplan glycans. Dr. Michael Tiemeyer, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & A Storyworld with Incalculable Authors: Sciences Defining, Finding and Committing Narrative in the World of Social Media Glycoprotein glycans are important for cell- Julia Carpenter cell interactions and intracellular Dr. Elizabeth Davis, English, Franklin communication, but very little is understood College of Arts & Sciences about the genetic and biochemical pathways that influence cell- and tissue-specific New media theorist Lev Manovich once glycoprotein glycosylation. We have isolated declared database and narrative "natural mutations in the fruit fly, Drosophila enemies." But tweet by tweet and story by melanogaster, that alter glycoprotein story, he's being proven wrong. Tools like glycosylation in the embryonic nervous Storify, Scoop.it, and even Twitter's own system. The phenotypes of two of these "custom timeline" function enable users to mutations (designated sff and ms16) are curate, select, and order data into a narrative strongly affected by mutations in the white — effectively, to narrativize the database. A gene. In Drosophila, the white gene plays a narrative built over Twitter, for example, is an role in eye pigmentation, but its absence (w-) instantaneous reconciliation of prior with is also accompanied by neurological and emergent knowledge, and in building from a behavioral defects, suggesting that this vast database, "author" and "narrator" roles pigmentation gene functions in other disappear as "community member" roles metabolic processes. Many other genes also become more important. These expanded affect eye pigmentation in Drosophila, powers of agency and disruption in including cinnabar, brown, henna, and temporality create a hallmark intimacy in vermillion. To determine whether the social media narrative. In deciding what pigmentation pathway itself, or some constitutes a story and what "counts as" a undefined autonomous function of the white narrative, literary critics and social media story gene, is more important for the tissue-specific analysts can learn from journalists, who take vast amounts of data and synthesize it in a

Abstracts way that's understandable (and palatable) to undergo M2 phenotypic change, associated audiences. This presentation will examine with reduction in the expression of STAT6 several different social media feeds as transcription factor (M2 mediator), suggesting narrative, the roles their creators and that mir-34a controls STAT6 expression to community members play in the story regulate M2 polarization. Further, we have inception, and the tools that enable this kind bred heterezygous (mir34a+/-) male and of storytelling, thereby analyzing story female mice in order to obtain homozygous creation from beginning to end. Such an mir-34a deficient mice for in-vivo validation of examination further provides a method for our findings. Overall, findings from this study measuring reader engagement within the suggest that mir-34a is a potential candidate in database itself. developing therapeutic interventions against inflammatory diseases. Role of Mir-34a in Regulation of Macrophage M2 Phenotype Proteomic Identification and Analysis of Kapil Chandora Potential Biomarkers for Pancreatic Dr. Donald Harn, Infectious Diseases, Adenocarcinoma College of Veterinary Medicine Joshua Chang, Foundation Fellow Peng (Linda) Zhao, PhD Inflammation plays an important role in Dr. Lance Wells, Biochemistry & Molecular providing protection against infection as well Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences as in the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Uncontrolled Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is currently the inflammation is detrimental due to tissue fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in damage and a shift in cellular metabolism and the United States even though it is not in the insulin sensitivity. Macrophages play top 10 for diagnosed cancers. The lack of important roles in regulation of inflammation specific methods for its detection has kept as macrophage M1 or M2 phenotypes can five-year survival percentages particularly low; promote or suppress inflammation the identification of a pancreatic cancer respectively. M1 (classical activation) biomarker would thus allow for its earlier phenotype is driven by Th1/pro- diagnosis and an increased overall survival inflammatory cytokines (IFNg, IL-12, TNFa) rate. As protein alterations are commonly while Th2 or anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL- observed in many cancers, proteomic analysis 4, IL-13, IL-10) drive M2 (alternative) is often the starting point for such phenotype. M2 macrophages suppress investigations. Pancreatic ductal fluid samples inflammation, repair tissue damage, and were collected from four patient groups – improve insulin sensitivity. However, little is normal, intraductal papillary mucinous known regarding regulation of M2 neoplasm, pancreatitis, and adenocarcinoma – macrophages in-vivo. In this regard, my project and are being assessed for variations in focused on investigating the role of proteins and glycans. While we have already microRNAs in controlling macrophage detected preliminary changes in the proteome, phenotype. Using various cellular biological we are currently optimizing proteomic techniques (flow cytomtery, qRT-PCR, methods and combining this with glycomic reporter assays, western blots) we determined data being generated in the group. Also, we that mir-34a regulates macrophage M2 will be examining whether observed changes phenotype via targeting the IL-4Ra-STAT6 in protein expression can also be observed in pathway. Specifically, macrophages serum of the same patients. If specific transfected with mir-34a mimics failed to glycoproteins can be demonstrated to have

Abstracts altered expression in precancerous and/or Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model cancerous samples, a simple, non-invasive System of Aβ Peptides Using a Copper biomarker for pancreatic adenocarcinoma can Resistance Reporter then be readily produced and applied in Michael Cheng clinical settings. Dr. Walter Schmidt, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sex-Ratio Imbalances and Risky Behavior Sciences in College Anne Chen, CURO Summer Fellow Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive Dr. Christopher Cornwell, Economics, Terry neurodegenerative disorder primarily College of Business characterized by a decline in cognitive function caused by the damage and death of On today's college campuses, female students neurons and the loss of synapses in the brain. make up almost 60 percent of the AD affects millions worldwide and currently undergraduate population. Once male has no cure, method of prevention, or dominated, in the past 50 years four-year effective treatment. The mechanism of the universities have seen great transformations in disease is not fully understood, but beta- their male to female ratio. In 1960, there were amyloid (Aβ) peptides, specifically Aβ 1-42, 160 male students for every 100 female are highly implicated as a causative agent of students in college. By 1980, there were just as AD, due to their neurotoxicity and strong many women enrolled as men. By 2003, there association with the disease. Currently, Aβ were 135 female students for every 100 male peptides are primarily studied through students graduating from a four-year transgenic mice and Alzheimer’s patients. The institution. My research focuses on the gender principal objective of this research is to create imbalance on college campuses and its effects a cost-effective and efficient model system for on the dating market. I hypothesize that the the expression and evaluation of Aβ peptides gender imbalance shifts the power in using yeast (S cerevisiae). Because Aβ peptides relationship formation to men and encourages are not toxic to yeast, a copper resistance women to engage in riskier behaviors in an reporter will be used. Aβ peptides 1-19, 1-28, effort to secure and maintain a relationship. 1-40, and 1-42 will be attached to an enzyme Using data on campus arrest records and (CUP1) that mediates resistance in yeast to enrollment, I examine the relationship high concentrations of copper. The presence between college sex ratios and prevalence of of Aβ 1-19 fused to CUP1 does not alcohol violations and sexual assaults. significantly interfere with the activity of the Preliminary results indicate that a shortage of enzyme, and it is hypothesized that the men significantly increases the rate of both subsequent Aβ peptide and CUP1 fusions will sexual assaults and aggravated assaults. The behave similarly. The proper function of effect of the sex ratio on alcohol violations is CUP1 will serve as a marker for the presence imprecise. My research emphasizes how of the Aβ peptides. If successful, this model behaviors and attitudes shift in an increasingly system can be used as a tool for future studies female-dominated environment and how this of Aβ peptides, potentially leading to greater may affect future policy in education, public understanding of the mechanism of AD and health, and beyond. the development of effective treatments for the disease.

Abstracts

Applying CRISPR-Cas Interference for Polyadenylation in Stationary Phase Genomic Manipulation in Streptococcus Escherichia coli: Analysis of the Role of thermophilus RNA Polymerase Megan Chesne, CURO Honors Scholar, Taylor Chishom, CURO Honors Scholar CURO Summer Fellow Dr. Sidney Kushner, Genetics, Franklin Dr. Michael Terns, Biochemistry & Molecular College of Arts & Sciences Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences During exponential growth there are two Prokaryotes have adapted a versatile immune enzymes in E. coli, poly(A) polymerase I (PAP system called the CRISPR (Clustered, I) and polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) Regularly Interspaced, Short Palindromic, that can post-transcriptionally add extensions Repeat) -Cas (CRISPR associated) system to to the 3' termini of messenger RNAs defend against invading nucleic acids of (mRNAs). PAP I adds tails, primarily after viruses or plasmids. CRISPR loci are Rho-independent transcription terminators, composed of identical short repeat DNA that consist entirely of A residues. These tails sequences separated by variable spacer can range in length from 1-60 nucleotides. In sequences that are identical to those found in contrast, PNPase adds tails, which contain all invaders. When a microorganism is attacked four nucleotides, at very different locations by a phage, the CRISPR system selectively within the mRNAs. These tails can be incorporates a segment of the invading DNA anywhere from 20-500 nucleotides into the CRISPR array. The foreign DNA is long. Previous work has shown that if both then used as a template to generate CRISPR PAP I and PNPase are inactivated there are RNAs (crRNAs), which guide Cas protein no detectable post-transcriptionally added tails complexes to disrupt the original invading in exponentially growing cells. However, sequence (interference). CRISPR-Cas systems when these cells enter stationary phase, which have been applied for editing genomes of a occurs under conditions of nutrient variety of organisms. Previous research of starvation, long poly(A) reappear. Since the Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli structural genes for both PAP I and PNPase indicate that crRNA and interference were deleted in such a strain, efforts have machinery can be designed to select for been made to identify the enzyme responsible specific mutations. To create deletions, for adding the poly(A) tails in stationary targeting plasmids and linear PCR deletion phase. Recent work has suggested that RNA templates are introduced into cells. By polymerase, the enzyme that normally selecting for the targeting plasmids, survivors synthesizes RNA in the cell, is responsible for will have undergone recombination, creating most if not all of the poly(A) tails seen in chromosomal deletions. Specifically, Cas2 in stationary phase cells. The process by which the CRISPR system 3 (Cas2-3) of Streptococcus RNA polymerase could be adding the poly(A) thermophilus will be deleted as a pilot study to tails is called transcriptional slippage. We have verify the feasibility of this technology. An recently obtained a mutant in the b subunit artificial CRISPR plasmid targeting Cas2-3 (rpoB) of RNA polymerase that exhibits and a PCR deletion template have been increased transcriptional slippage in in vitro created, and transformation procedures are experiments. My project involves cloning the being optimized. Expansion of CRISPR mutationally altered rpoB gene into a low copy guided genome editing into Streptococcus number plasmid to use in the further analysis thermophilus will establish an efficient genetic of stationary polyadenylation. Subsequently, I approach to study CRIPSR-Cas and other will attempt to isolate mutants of rpoB gene processes in this important bacterium. that yield reduced levels of transcriptional

Abstracts slippage. The long-term goal is to determine Premeditation. These findings suggest that the biological importance of stationary phase certain aspects of impulsivity hold potential as polyadenylation. markers of older adults’ capacity to live independently. Predicting Functional Independence with Impulsivity Power Dynamics in Georgia's Poultry Kirstie Chu Industry, 1950-1965 Dr. L. Stephen Miller, Psychology, Franklin Greyson Clark College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Shane Hamilton, History, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Finding a more accurate way to track functional independence is critical for early The emergence of industrial-style poultry intervention among individuals who may production, poultry agribusiness, between require assisted living. Previous studies have 1950 and 1965 in Georgia was a watershed shown a link between inhibition and period and encompassed a wide range of functional independence in older adults, actors. Among the cast are government policy suggesting that impulsivity may serve as a makers, government agents, national predictor of functional ability. The study companies, individual farmers, agricultural evaluated this hypothesis in a sample of 65 specialists, technological innovators, and community-dwelling older adults (65-85 years furnishing merchants. This project examines old). Functional independence was assessed the relationships among these different actors using the Direct Assessment of Functional with particular attention paid to the social Status (DAFS) to measure instrumental power dynamics between government actors, activities of daily living (IADLs). Impulsivity, small producers, and integrators. A significant a multidimensional construct, was assessed portion of the historiography covering this using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale period describes the economic establishment (UPPS), a self-report inventory evaluating of the poultry industry as an agribusiness four distinct facets of impulsivity (Urgency, model. This project will build on the Lack of Premeditation, Sensation Seeking, and framework developed by studies of the Lack of Perseverance), and the Delis-Kaplan development of the agribusiness model by Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Color- focusing directly on the power dynamics Word Test. More specifically, impulsivity was between the actors within that emerging operationalized as facet and total score on the model, giving more attention to the UPPS Impulsive Behavior score and as scores relationships between different groups rather on the inhibition and the inhibition/switching than retelling an account of the rise of condition, as well as the error rates of the agribusiness. To develop sound historical conditions, of the D-KEFS. Multiple results, this project makes extensive use of regression analyses revealed that the inhibition primary source documents produced by condition task on the D-KEFS was the government officials, businessmen, small strongest predictor of IADLs, though the producers, and others. The agribusiness switching condition and its error rates were poultry production which emerged in this also significantly strong. While total UPPS period had ramifications beyond business score was not found to significantly predict model. The results of the study elaborate IADLs, all but one of the facets of the UPPS, upon a generalized and often impersonal Lack of Perseverance, were able to predict economic history, revealing sharp disparities IADLs, despite the unexpected directionality of power and self-determination across of Sensation Seeking and Lack of different types of actors in the industrialization of poultry production. The

Abstracts preponderance of evidence illustrates that sport are the future of a nation, a continent, small producers were disempowered and and ultimately the world. government actors were sidelined while integrators rose in prominence, concentrated Individual Differences in Cognitive decision-making power within their hands, Control: Antisaccade Performance in and led the development of the new style of Those with Schizophrenia and Low poultry production. Cognitive Control Joseph Coppiano The Politicization of Soccer and the Dr. Jennifer McDowell, Psychology, Franklin Effects of the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian College of Arts & Sciences Politics Aaron Conley, CURO Honors Scholar Cognitive control is the ability to filter Dr. Barry Hollander, Journalism, irrelevant information to make task-related Grady College of Journalism & Mass responses. This can be measured with Communication antisaccade tasks, where subjects fixate on a central target and are instructed to look at the The summer of 2014 will be extremely mirror image location (opposite direction, significant in terms of political and social same distance) when it jumps to the side. issues in Brazil. Those actions will focus on a Performance is compared with prosaccade range of topics including public health and tasks, where subjects must look toward the education, high tax rates, corruption, multi- target. Compared with healthy controls, those billion dollar projects for the World Cup and with schizophrenia (SZ) (a psychiatric Olympics, and social injustice for the poor in disorder) make more errors and have slower the favelas in major cities such as Sao Paulo reaction times (RTs) during antisaccades, but and Rio de Janeiro. The catalyst for all of this relatively preserved prosaccade performance, comes in the form of the 2014 World Cup, except for increases in express saccades hosted by Brazil, and played out in twelve (premature saccades made in 90- major cities around the country. This research 135ms). Neuroimaging studies based on these analyzes the political revolts that occurred tasks using fMRI are abundant, but most during the 2013 Confederations Cup through compare SZ to those with high cognitive media reports and public opinion polling. The control (HCC), which could lead to uprisings staged during the tournament set a discrepancies in brain activation due to precedent that is all but assured to be upheld differences in behavior rather than SZ-specific at the 2014 World Cup. The immediate future circuitry. We suggest using low cognitive of Brazil will be entirely determined by the control (LCC) individuals for comparison, events that will unfold this year. The way that given our hypothesis that their behavioral the World Cup changes the political nature of performance is more similar to SZ. Subjects Brazil will have major ramifications on the (HCC=17, LCC=34, SZ=12) performed both 2014 presidential election, the 2016 Rio pro- and anti-saccades while eyes were tracked Olympics, and ultimately determine if Brazil and behavioral measures recorded. For will become the global power that some antisaccades, the LCC group exhibited similar believe that it is capable of becoming. Politics error rate and RTs as SZ, while HCC and soccer are being combined in ways that individuals exhibited lower error rate and have not been seen before, and this unique faster RTs. Express saccades were more mixture will unfold on the world stage this frequent in SZ and LCC than HCC. Results summer. Held in this balance of politics and support our hypothesis that LCC individuals perform more similar behaviorally to SZ in

Abstracts saccade tasks. This recruitment strategy is dried pulp on average was able to absorb useful for neuroimaging studies, as it identifies 24.49 % soybean oil (grams oil/ gram pulp) a more comparable control group for SZ and and the freeze dried pulp was able to absorb may better inform fMRI study design. on average 19.66 % of oil.

Effect of Drying on Pulp Characteristics Ta-Tas or Not: The Needs of Female Hannah Cornelia Breast Cancer Survivors Will Not Be Dr. José Reyes De Corcuera, Food Science & Forgotten Technology, College of Agricultural & Mallory Cox Environmental Sciences Dr. Katalin Medvedev, Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family Incorporation of more nutraceuticals such as & Consumer Sciences phytosterols into the average US diet can have a positive impact in the overall health of our After battling breast cancer, many women country. One of the main issues in undergo a mastectomy procedure in which incorporating phytosterols into foods is that one or two of their breasts are removed to get they are water insoluble and poorly-to- rid of the cancerous tumor. After their moderately soluble in vegetable oils. The operations, breast cancer survivors have microstructure and hydrophobic nature of difficulty finding clothing that fits their new citrus pulp (juice vesicles) allows for body comfortably and allows them to feel absorption of compounds that are water “normal” again. Because of this, a niche insoluble. In addition, citrus pulp is one of the market has developed to accommodate the by-products of the citrus juice industry with physical changes female breast cancer greatest market increase as it can be used to survivors have endured. Several department impart to beverages a mouth-feel and flavor stores and specialty boutiques are catering to that is perceived by consumers as “natural” breast cancer survivors by supplying garments and “fresh”. Processing citrus pulp requires that meet the specific needs of these separation from the pulpy juice, consumers. Nordstrom has a prosthesis pasteurization, and usually storage frozen. program offering post-mastectomy bras with Pulp can also be dried. However, drying pockets for the prosthesis, while specialty affects the microstructure of the pulp. We boutiques such as Wear Ease and the Alloro hypothesize that the method of drying Collection offer garments such as post-surgical impacts the oil-holding capacity of dried citrus camisoles with fiber-filled breast forms to pulp. The overall objective of this research imitate real breasts, compression garments project was to maximize the amount of oil that help with swelling caused by that can be absorbed by citrus pulp, thus lymphedema, and dolman sleeves that make it maximizing the amount of oil-soluble easy to put on and take off a garment. nutraceuticals that can be incorporated into a Through my research, I found that specialty pulpy fruit beverage. Three drying methods garments significantly increase the quality of were examined in this research project–drum life of cancer survivors because they allow drying, tray drying, and freeze drying–to them to find a renewed sense of identity. The determine the best way to process the pulp to clothing items created for breast cancer maximize the amount of phytosterol-rich oils survivors provide a number of functional absorbed by the pulp. Our preliminary results benefits; they allow for comfort and ease. indicate the drum dried pulp is able to absorb However, the positive psychological impact more oil compared to the freeze dried that these clothes have on female breast pulp. After three trials, I found that the drum cancer survivors surpasses the functional benefits because they help them accept their

Abstracts new body, complete the healing process, and these defenses across 84 populations of get on with their lives. 28 species across Helianthus.

The Evolution and Tradeoffs of Physical Modeling the Biological Clock in and Chemical Leaf Defenses in Neurospora crassa Helianthus Sarah Cunningham Breanna Crowell Dr. Jonathan Arnold, Genetics, Franklin Dr. Lisa Donovan, Plant Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences College of Arts & Sciences The genome of Neurospora crassa contains Plant defenses are a result of adaptations to several genes that create a closed loop biotic and abiotic factors. Plant defenses can network describing the function of the be either physical or chemical and act in a biological clock. The dynamic concentrations number of ways to prevent herbivory. of the genes white collar-1, white collar-2, Because organisms are ultimately limited by frequency, vivid, and clock controlled genes and their resource availability, plants have been seen to RNA and protein products in this network balance resource allocation to defenses, regulate cell growth. Several models of the growth, reproduction, and other functions in clock have been suggested that include more response to their particular environment. interactions and differentiate between These strategies vary across species and reactions of proteins that occur in the populations and are described by the concept cytoplasm versus the nucleus. Using computer of the worldwide leaf economics spectrum. In simulations and ensemble runs to test for fit part, this concept hypothesizes that plants to available data, the fit of each network is with short leaf lifespans and high leaf nutrient determined. The best network was identified concentrations will invest less in defense while and the effectiveness of other networks plants with long leaf lifespans and low leaf (previously published and otherwise) was nutrient concentrations will invest more in compared. The network identified as having defense. Studies have been done to investigate the best fit can now be used to gain insight if tradeoffs between chemical and physical into mechanisms underlying circadian defenses and growth exist across multiple rhythms in Neurospora, such as aging and taxonomies and geographies. While no metabolism, and the structure of genetic evidence was found for syndromes of defense networks in general. or latitudinal gradients in defense across broad collections of plant families, it has On a Lack of Identifying Obstructive been proposed that these tradeoffs could exist Sleep Apnea at lower levels of organization like the genus Tyler Daugherty level. This study uses a phylogenetic Dr. Tho Nguyen, Physics & Astronomy, comparative study of leaf defenses across wild Franklin College of Arts & Sciences sunflowers (the genus Helianthus) to investigate evolutionary tradeoffs between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a disorder physical and chemical defenses, latitudinal “in which the flow of air pauses or decreases gradients in defenses, and the relationship during breathing” while an individual is asleep between leaf defenses and the leaf economics “because the airway has become narrowed, spectrum. Traits under study include trichome blocked, or floppy.” It afflicts a large density, tannin activity, leaf lipid content, and percentage of the adult population but is most leaf ash content. Preliminary trichome and associated with the obese. OSA’s mistaken tannin data has shown variance in levels of exclusive association with obesity leads to a

Abstracts paucity of diagnosis—only 10% of those their individual diversity and be focusing more affected are diagnosed. Undiagnosed sleep on their identity as an organizational team. We apnea is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s hypothesize that centralization will have a disease, stroke, high blood pressure, significant impact on performance, specifically hypertension, insomnia, diabetes, when moderated by diversity. Centralization cardiovascular disease, and many others. It measures were calculated by assembling also doubles an individual’s likelihood of matrices for each of the 800 games and being involved in an automotive accident. calculating overall centralization, indegree Recognizing that approximately 56.5 million centralization, and outdegree centralization people in the U.S., 18% of the population, are using the assist link patterns. Finally, our undiagnosed sleep apneics, a substantial dependent variable of team performance is portion of society has a considerably increased measured by “true shooting percentage,” a likelihood of being burdened with the measure of shooting efficiency that takes into personal health and monetary costs of account field goals, 3-point field goals, and contracting these disorders. Additionally, free throws. The main effect model results societal costs to under-diagnosing this indicate a nonsignificant model fit (F(1,798)= disorder are manifold and include loss of 1.589, NS) and nonsignificant beta weights for productivity and increased healthcare costs. Centralization as a predictor of Performance But, through the use of a national awareness (β= .045, NS); thus, the main effect was not campaign and health care procedural reform, supported. The interaction effect was the effects and even the presence of this examined by comparing the R2 between the detrimental affliction can be significantly two models and testing whether the change in reduced, improving the quality of life of a R2 value was significant. Results of the large section of the population. comparison indicate that Δ R2 = .011, which was significant (p<.05). Further, beta weights The Effects of Centralization on for the interaction term (β= -.024, p <.05) Performance When Moderated by were also significant. Thus, our interaction Diversity hypothesis was supported. Overall, our results Amber Davidson, Seyi Amosu, Brennen Clift, provide support for the idea that diversity of Sam Craig, Kyle Ledesma tenure can moderate the effect of team Dr. Karl Kuhnert, Psychology, Franklin centralization on team performance. College of Arts & Sciences Social Skills as Protective Factors against We were interested in using network analysis Poor Attitudes towards Having Tourette to study centralization’s impact on Syndrome in Children performance when moderated by diversity. In Amy Davis, Kelsie Flanigan order to explore such team dynamics, data Dr. Ronald Blount, Psychology, Franklin was collected from the National Basketball College of Arts & Sciences Association. 800 total games played by 30 different teams were recorded from the Children with Tourette syndrome (TS) are website www.basketball-reference.com. Our more likely to have poor social relationships diversity variable was the relationship between than healthy peers. Social skills deficits may be tenure (time with that particular team) and related to children’s attitudes towards living centrality of the team. We believe social with TS. The current study aimed to examine identity theory will decrease any of the social skills as potential protective factors that negative effects of diversity on performance may support better attitudes toward living because people will be associating less with with TS. This study is important because the

Abstracts relationship between social skills and attitudes research, a second common garden including has not been investigated and may be a target additional Helianthus species has generated a of intervention to support better attitudes data set of multiple populations for 28 towards having TS. Participants included 28 species. This has allowed for robust parents and 32 children with TS who phylogenetic analysis of both flowering time completed questionnaires before attending a and disc color evolution that will be used to camp for children with TS. Children reported test relationships between flowering time and attitudes regarding their diagnosis with TS on temperature seasonality, frost and drought the Child Attitude Toward Illness Scale risk, soil fertility, and life history. Species and (CATIS). Child self-reports and parent-proxy populations from more seasonal habitats and reports were obtained from the Social Skills habitats with high risk of drought and frost scale of a camp growth measure, which are hypothesized to flower earlier, while included the following subscales: Making species and populations from more fertile Friends, Insecurity, and Peer Relationships. habitats are hypothesized to flower later. It is Bivariate correlations showed statistically hypothesized that annuals will flower earlier significant relationships between the CATIS than perennials due to the evolutionary risks and child self-reports on the Social Skills involved in monocarpy. Furthermore, it is subscales, with medium to large effect sizes. hypothesized that sympatric sister species will There was a statistically significant exhibit larger differences in flowering time relationship between the CATIS and parent than allopatric sister species, due to the report on the Insecurity and Peer process of reinforcement. This research Relationships subscales with large effect sizes; expands our understanding of the ecological the Making Friends subscale was not and evolutionary responses of flowering time, significant. Results indicated that higher social which will allow for improved prediction of skills might be protective factors against species persistence and displacement under developing poor attitudes toward living with global climate change. TS. Social skills interventions could benefit this population by supporting social Perceptions about Global Development competence, and therefore improve children’s Alexa DeAntonio adjustment to having TS. Dr. Maria Navarro, Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communication, College of Evolution of Flowering Time and Disc Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Color across the Genus Helianthus Kaleigh Davis The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Dr. Lisa Donovan, Plant Biology, Franklin Congo is the deadliest conflict since World College of Arts & Sciences War II, and it is ongoing. Why, then, does the general public seem not to know or care much This research explores the effects of various about this issue? This research analyzes the environmental factors on flowering time public’s awareness, knowledge, and attitudes evolution across the genus Helianthus, as well about the developing world, and the role that as the role flowering time and disc color the media has (or has not) played in shaping might play as an evolutionary mechanism for these perceptions. A content analysis of sympatric speciation. Previous research in online news articles assesses the coverage of Helianthus has proposed two potential paths the developing world with a focus on Africa for the evolution of dark discs from light, and and the Americas. Interviews will provide demonstrated a positive correlation between insight into individuals’ knowledge and flowering time and latitude. Since this opinions about development in these regions.

Abstracts

The interviews will also be used to determine Intron Loss in the ABCB1 Gene from where research participants receive their Victoria DeLeo, Ramsey Scholar information and how their perceptions about Prof. Katrien Devos, Crop & Soil Sciences, development have been shaped. Thus far, College of Agricultural & Environmental results indicate that in the time frame Sciences analyzed, the media presents an ongoing theme of violence as it relates to the The ABCB1 gene encodes an auxin developing world, but news on development, transporter protein, knockouts of which cause itself, is extremely limited. Overall, the an economically important dwarfing research will examine the differences between phenotype. The gene shows remarkable intron participants in levels of awareness, knowledge, number variance, particularly among the and attitudes about global development and Poaceae, from the ancestral state of nine the developing world, and the reasons behind introns, found in dicots, to as few as two, these differences, with a special focus on the found in rice and millet. The mechanism by sources of information and news coverage. which intron loss occurs is not well understood, so we sought to identify patterns Students’ Perceptions of the Police – An of loss and characteristics of this particular Analysis of Greek and Non-Greek gene that may explain the frequency of the Affiliated Students intron loss. Previously, we acquired and Lindsay DeFrancesco aligned sequences for ABCB1 homologs in Dr. Natasha Ganem, Sociology, Franklin plant species for which sequence data was College of Arts & Sciences available. For non-sequenced species, we designed primers near intron/ exon This study investigates students’ perceptions boundaries to amplify across introns and of the police in college towns. A survey was determine, based on fragment size, intron taken of 214 University of Georgia students presence. Based on this data, introns 1, 2, 5, who answered a series of statements intended and 6 were lost independently in various to reflect their attitudes towards police in the lineages, and introns 1, 3, 4, 8, and 9 were lost area. This study is unique in that it broke together after the divergence of grasses. To down the sample of responses between validate the results of our PCR analyses, the students who are members of the University’s entire ABCB1 gene from representative Greek system and students who are not. The species has been cloned into E. coli for analysis also measured alcohol consumption sequencing. In addition to tracking intron loss amongst respondents to determine if drinking events, we are investigating whether the most habits were correlated with Greek and non- widely conserved intron, 7, was retained for Greek students’ attitudes towards the police. functional reasons. We are transforming an It was found that Greek perceptions of the ABCB1/ABCB19 Arabidopsis mutant which police were overwhelmingly negative and also lacks both ABCB1 and its functionally significantly worse than students who were redundant homolog ABCB19 with a copy of not members of a Greek organization. ABCB1 from which intron 7 has been Frequent drinking habits did not have an removed to see whether and how phenotype effect on Greek perceptions of the police but restoration is affected. Finally, we compare did have a negative effect on non-Greek ABCB1 to other genes showing high members’ attitudes towards the police in that frequencies of recurrent intron loss. weekly drinkers’ perceptions were worse than monthly drinkers.

Abstracts

Determining the Role of FhlA in Mechanism of Mammalian Resistance to Transcriptional Activation of Newly Trypanosome Lytic Factor Identified RpoN Dependent Promoters Lauren Dennison, Foundation Fellow Anquilla Deleveaux Dr. Stephen Hajduk, Biochemistry & Dr. Anna Karls, Microbiology, Franklin Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & College of Arts & Sciences Sciences

In our characterization of the RpoN regulon African sleeping sickness is a vector-borne of Salmonella Typhimurium, 278 RpoN parasitic disease that is the result of infection binding sites were identified. One of the sites by certain subspecies of African is located in the 5’ untranslated region of a Trypanosomes. One subspecies, Trypanosoma hydrogenase two operon where it overlaps a brucei brucei, is non-lethal to humans due to the RpoD promoter. When the RpoD promoter innate immune molecule Trypanosome Lytic is activated, genes hybC, hybB and hypO are Factor (TLF). TLF contains the transcribed. With the activation of the RpoN apolipoproteins characteristic of HDL promoter, its orientation is antisense of the (Apolipoprotein A-1) but also contains two RpoD promoter; therefore, it activates genes additional proteins unique to higher primates, in the opposite direction while blocking the haptoglobin related protein (Hpr) and RpoD promoter from transcribing the hypO apolipoprotein L-I (APOL1). Upon binding operon. Characterizing the RpoN regulon of free hemoglobin to Hpr, TLF is able to involves analyzing active bacterial enhancer bind to an HpHb receptor expressed binding proteins required to activate exclusively in trypanosomes. Once bound to transcription at RpoN dependent promoters. the receptor, TLF is endocytosed and A constitutive activator, DctD250, initially trafficked to the lysosome where it initiates was used to activate the RpoN promoter; lysosomal breakdown, resulting in cell however, distinct bEBP’s and environmental lysis. After observing the interactions of TLF factors will be examined to investigate what and African trypanosomes, we were led to cells use naturally to activate this promoter. A question what mechanisms are in place to specific activator known as FhlA may serve as protect the mammalian system from the toxic the activator to bind near this promoter to effects of TLF. Here we confirm HEK activate its genes. FhlA controls transcription resistance to TLF using concentrations of of operons that include hydrogenase TLF thousands of times greater than that maturation genes, formate hydrogen lyase, required to kills trypanosomes. Using imaging and formate dehydrogenase which are similar flow-cytometry, we found that TLF was to the hydrogenase operon. Our hypothesis is indeed taken up by mammalian cells and that FhlA will bind near the RpoN promoter localized to lysosomes. Contrary to in the presence of the right environmental trypanosomes however, the mechanism of stimulus. FhlA will be cloned into a high copy uptake in mammalian cells is not dependent plasmid, pTrcHisC, which contains a His-tag on hemoglobin. Additional studies to address for protein purification for the isolation of the possibility that physiological FhlA. DNA binding assays will test if protein concentrations of TLF-1 (around 10μg/ml) FhlA will bind upstream of the promoter. are simply insufficient to produce the This will be the first indicator of whether phenotype found in T. b. brucei will be carried FhlA is the correct activator. out. Once the mechanism of resistance is better understood, it is possible that certain cells, such as tumor cells, may be made susceptible to this natural toxin.

Abstracts

Towards a Dynamical Model of Language Grace Kelly: Femininity in Film Processing Molly Dodd Jonathan Dickens Dr. Patricia Hunt-Hurst, Textiles, Dr. Bill Kretzschmar, English, Franklin Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family College of Arts & Sciences & Consumer Sciences

A central assumption in contemporary Females have always faced the stigma of linguistics is that language is a cognitive adhering to evolving ideas of femininity, or system, or a structured object seated in the characteristics of “acting feminine.” American brain that consists of rule-governed units. The feminist Susan Brownmiller defines femininity result of this view has been the instantiation as “a romantic sentiment, a nostalgic tradition of grammar as a biological object in linguistic imposed of limitations” (1984, p. 14). She theory, and linguistics now faces the challenge continues to delineate that women of being reconciled with cognitive instinctively act upon these societal neuroscience. Evidence from linguistic constraints to avoid the risk of losing one’s surveys and corpora shows that rather than sexual identification as a woman. Ideas being a hierarchical system of fixed relations, towards femininity continually alter to meet language is a dynamical system, or an social demand. In this paper, I present ideas emergent phenomenon that arises from the of femininity and how Grace Kelly’s continuous interactions between speakers and costumes, in conjunction with her character’s their environment. In this paper, I examine actions, expressed femininity in two of Alfred generative and cognitive approaches to Hitchcock’s films: Rear Window, 1954 and To linguistics in conjunction with Edelman’s Catch a Thief, 1955. Additionally, I will (1987) selectional model of brain function and compare silhouettes as seen in Grace Kelly’s Pulvermüller’s (2002) neuronal grammar in films to popular fashions of her contemporary order to motivate the rejection of grammar as time, including variations of Dior’s New a neurocognitive object. Specifically, I argue Look, correlating her representations of that the reification of linguistic structure fails femininity through the work of costume to take into account the dynamical and designer Edith Head. Grace Kelly was embodied nature of language such that it considered one of the leading actresses of her precludes the development of a model that time, known for her beauty and analytical integrates language behavior and cognitive mind. The 1950s is generally regarded as a neuroscience. Furthermore, evaluation of time period of conservative dress and symbolic and connectionist models of attitude. A definition of femininity evolved information processing against neuroscientific that centered on domesticity and dress considerations demonstrates that the (Dunar, 2006, p. 590). How dress is reflected computational and modular theories of mind in the movies gives 21st century viewers an as espoused by Fodor (1983) and generative understanding of historical evolution of how models fail as modes for characterizing the women dressed and how dress represents the language-brain interface. I propose that zeitgeist of a time period. dynamical modeling and neuronal group selection should instead serve as the basis for a neurocognitive theory of language processing. Adopting a dynamical framework grounded in neuroscience has significant implications regarding how models conceive mental representation and grammar.

Abstracts

Octopaminergic Gene Expression and Measuring Brain Tissue Factor Levels in Flexible Social Behavior in the Subsocial Malaria Infection Burying Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides Allison Doyle, CURO Summer Fellow Mary Douthit, CURO Summer Fellow Dr. Julie Moore, Infectious Diseases, College Dr. Allen Moore, Genetics, Franklin College of Veterinary Medicine of Arts & Sciences Malaria remains a highly prevalent disease in Flexible behavior allows organisms to respond many regions and accounts for at least 1 appropriately to changing resources and social million deaths every year. While several conditions. Behavioral flexibility plays a major theories exist to explain the disease in role in successful breeding for the beetle, humans, the mechanisms of malaria Nicrophorus vespilloides, which exhibits highly pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. developed parental care. Adults are socially Infection by Plasmodium falciparum has been tolerant when mating, express aggression shown to be associated with increased levels when defending reproductive resources, and of markers of coagulation and fibrinolysis in return to social tolerance when parenting. placental malaria and cerebral malaria patients, Previous works link octopamine, a molecule suggesting that increased blood coagulation that acts as a neurotransmitter and activation occurs in malaria pathogenesis. neurohormone, to aggression in insects. Based Although coagulation activation is known to on this association, we hypothesized that occur in malaria, its precise role in genes directly involved in the octopaminergic pathogenesis is still being elucidated. In system would be differentially coagulation-based models of pathogenesis, the expressed across different social and protein tissue factor (TF) is of great interest, reproductive environments important to N. as it is an important interface between a host’s vespilloides’ life history. Following PCR immune response and coagulation processes. verification of eight genes in the Assays were performed utilizing a hemostasis octopaminergic system, we used qRT-PCR to analyzer to measure TF activity levels in compare relative expression of the eight genes organs of mice infected separately with P. from virgin females, mated females, mated chabaudi and P. berghei. Results demonstrate females on a resource required for increased levels of TF activation in the lung reproduction, and mated females on a tissue of infected mice relative to uninfected resource with a male. Contrary to our controls, as expected. However, in the brain, predictions, we found neither enzyme gene an unexplained trend in TF activity levels was changed expression levels, while many of the observed: uninfected samples and samples receptor genes did. The expression of octβr1 from P. chabaudi-infected mice showed and octβr2 was relatively higher in mated approximately equal levels of TF activity, but females. octαr and tyrr1 gene expression was samples from P. berghei-infected mice showed relatively lower in mated females with substantially less activity. Determining a reproductive resource and a male. whether these variations in TF levels resulted Considering these results along with studies from the assay or underlying physiological on other insects, we suggest each receptor mechanisms is the objective of this study. might uniquely influence N. vespilloides' social Several aspects of the assay will be altered and behaviors. We also suggest that in N. tested: (1) the amount of brain tissue in each vespilloides the octopaminergic system is sample; (2) if utilizing different regions of the associated with resource defense, alternative brain in samples affects observed TF activity mating tactics, social tolerance, and indirect levels; (3) if lipid separation in tissue samples parental care.

Abstracts after homogenization affects the observed TF Capital-Intensive Punishment: Reducing levels. the High Costs of Federal Drug Incarceration Bridging the Gap: The History of British Alexandra Edquist, Foundation Fellow Science Examined through Literature Dr. David Mustard, Economics, Terry College Justin Dumrongkulraksa, CURO Honors of Business Scholar Dr. Elizabeth Kraft, English, Franklin College The federal government spent roughly $3.7 of Arts & Sciences billion in 2013 incarcerating drug offenders, but the government reaped little in benefit Science and technology have evolved from this extraordinary expense. The massive considerably since the Restoration of Charles increase in drug incarceration from 1980 until II, and these changes have been etched in the today has only slightly decreased the crime literary history of the United Kingdom. This rate, and at current levels of incarceration, paper will be tracing the general shifts in incarcerating additional drug offenders British public perception toward science and actually increases the crime rate because they technology from the Restoration era to the crowd out violent and property offenders, present with focus on the mid-nineteenth- who must be released early to make room in century clash between science and religion prisons for drug offenders with mandatory concerning Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of minimum sentences, and those violent and Species. With the advent of the Royal Society in property offenders are more likely to re- 1660, prominent scholars such as Isaac offend. Furthermore, current policy does little Newton and Joseph Priestly engaged in to address high recidivism rates and therefore scientific discourse with public support future crime. This research did cost-benefit throughout the eighteenth century. It was not analyses on different ideas proposed to until Romanticism in conjunction with reform drug incarceration to find which Industrialization that public opinion began to would be the most effective way of closing turn to the negatives of technology, pondering the current cost-benefit gap. The research the costs of recklessly pursuing scientific found that adding proven rehabilitation inquiry without regard for nature or the programs, such as vocational training and common man. Technology such as the camera drug treatment, would increase the overall also incorporated the public into war, costs of incarceration but make incarceration exposing people to the horrors science can more cost-efficient by reducing future crime. bring to the human body on the battlefield Removing mandatory minimums was the such as in Crimea. To this day, the popular second-most effective of the methods studied topic of discourse concerns the future of at making drug incarceration more cost- science and society and how the two will efficient. eventually integrate given the rate of discoveries. Questions such as the future of Enzymatic Assay of DHPS Degradation culture, nationhood, and human interaction in Abundant Marine Alphaproteobacteria are widespread, with people divided as to Blake Edwards whether technology will be our transcendence Dr. Mary Ann Moran, Marine Sciences, or damnation. Understanding the form Franklin College of Arts & Sciences technology has assumed in the past will help bridge the gap between scientist and public Patterns of gene expression in members of a that has been fueled with over three centuries bacterial-diatom model system between of distrust and exploitation. Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, a member of the

Abstracts alphaproteobacterial Roseobacter clade, and The Preliminary Investigation of Whether Thalassiosira pseudonana, a cosmopolitan Switchgrass SND1 Orthologs Can Activate diatom, indicate that the novel sulfonate the Secondary Wall Biosynthesis compound 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfoante Janefrances Egbosiuba, CURO Summer (DHPS) serves as a key carbon and sulfur Fellow source for bacteria when in co-culture with Dr. Zheng-Hua Ye, Plant Biology, Franklin diatoms. This compound has never been College of Arts & Sciences described in ocean organosulfur cycling and may represent gaps in our reconstruction of In plants, there are two types of cell walls that marine carbon and sulfur models. With are formed: primary and secondary enzymatic data for homologous cell walls. Primary cell walls provide dehydrogenases found in R. pomeroyi DSS-3, a mechanical strength for the cell as it grows “calibration curve” can be created to help and divides. Secondary cell walls are produced identify which other marine bacterial taxa once the cell has ceased to grow. For plants harbor dehydrogenases that are active in secondary cell walls help produce strong DHPS degradation. Specifically, the xylem, which is used to transport water orthologous proteins in the and minerals from the roots to the remaining alphaproteobacterial clades SAR116 and parts of the plant. The secondary cell walls SAR11 will be examined since these are two also offer strong rigid structure, which allows very abundant and ecologically important trees and other woody plants to stand tall for groups of marine bacteria, like the many years. Secondary cell walls serve a very Roseobacter clade. With purified protein important role for human life because they are extracts from R. pomeroyi DSS-3 of the verified huge components for woods and other DHPS dehydrogenase, HpsN, and the paralog products such as paper, musical instruments histidinol dehydrogenase, HisD, as positive and many others (Zhong and Ye, 2009). and negative controls, respectively, enzyme Secondary cell walls in wood and fibers are activity for other “HpsN-like” also important renewable source of biofuels; dehydrogenases will be photometrically tested therefore, this could reduce our dependency with DHPS through the production of on other resources such as petroleum. My NADH+. Taxonomic identification of HpsN research focuses on the transcriptional activity across important marine regulation of secondary cell wall production in alphaproteobacterial taxa will lend valuable biofuel crop plants. Transcription factors insight into which members of the control the activation of genes in the genome. bacterioplankton community drive sulfonate The transcription factor binds to DNA and cycling in the ocean and ultimately determine other proteins, in order to turn genes off or the fate of sulfonate-derived carbon and on. Transcription factors work by recognizing sulfur. Characterization of DHPS degradation certain nucleotide sequences in the promoter will further help to determine its role in region of the gene on the chromosome. The primary and secondary production and its transcription factor that this research will be impact on major biochemical transformations focusing on is SND1. This particular in the ocean. transcription factor is known to activate the biosynthesis of the secondary wall and particularly the secondary wall biosynthesis of Arabidopsis. We will be investigating whether switchgrass SND1 orthologs can activate the secondary wall biosynthetic program, as does Arabidopsis SND1. Switchgrass, also known

Abstracts as Panicum virgatum, is a warm-season tall grass primary factor in the sustained disadvantage found in North America. It is very versatile of low-income students. While this reflects and adaptable. Today, it is mostly used to delays in the acquisition of academic control erosion. Switchgrass is also known to knowledge, it also reflects delays in cognitive provide excellent habitat for wildlife. Research development, primarily executive function, has proven that switchgrass is a good the cognitive skills that support academic renewable bioenergy crop because of its success. Executive function develops rapidly ability to produce high yields on marginal between birth and age six, and continues to farmlands. Benefits such as stand longevity, significantly develop throughout the drought and flooding resistance, and relatively elementary years as well. Proper executive low herbicide and fertilizer input requirements function plays a central role in early academic are some of the many advantages of and social-behavior readiness. Through the producing switchgrass. Using various analysis of current research and community scientific techniques, we investigated whether need, and after evaluating three alternatives switchgrass SND1 orthologs play a role in the and the status quo against measures of biosynthesis of secondary wall biosynthesis. equality, cost-effectiveness, and feasibility, this This research project involved the use of the paper recommends an expansion of GenBank database to identify switchgrass elementary school teacher education in transcription factor genes that show close cognitive development and its role in the sequence homology to the Arabidopsis SND1 connection between the classroom and home gene. The PCR was used to amplify the life. This paper suggests modifying the swtichgrass transcription factor cDNA, which county’s Comprehensive School was engineered between the CaMV 35S Improvement Plan to require that 50 percent promoter and a terminator in an of professional training required for expression vector. The engineered genes were recertification consist of curriculum in transferred into Arabidopsis protoplasts executive function and family engagement. to test their ability for activation of secondary Long-term, this paper suggests a collaborative wall biosynthesis genes. Our results showed partnership between the local government, that switchgrass SND1 genes were able to the school district, the state department of activate secondary wall biosynthetic genes, education, the University of Georgia, and indicating that they might function as local nonprofits to provide a home-visit transcriptional switches controlling biomass program to all families below 133 percent of (secondary walls) production in switchgrass. the federal poverty level with children through first grade. Addressing Inequality in Early Childhood Executive Function Development Uncovering the Heritage of Slavery at the Megan Ernst, Foundation Fellow Shields Ethridge Farm: Memory, Identity, Dr. Janna Dresden, Elementary & Social and Heritage Tourism Studies Education, College of Education Seth Euster, Foundation Fellow, CURO Summer Fellow This paper will demonstrate how addressing Dr. Christopher Lawton, History, Franklin executive function in early childhood for low- College of Arts & Sciences income students can positively affect the achievement gap in Athens-Clarke County, On the morning of November 20th 1799, Georgia. This gap is evident by the time a Joseph Roberts Shields rode towards the slave child enters school and only grows as children market in Lewisville, Georgia. There, he progress, indicating that school readiness is a purchased two slaves, Leah and her infant

Abstracts child Sophia, from the slave trader Willis amidotransferase (PurF). A null mutation in Gunnels. For Shields this was a morning that the gene encoding PurF causes the cell to marked his first investment in human chattel, have both a purine auxotrophy and a a step towards agricultural success in the conditional thiamine auxotrophy. It has been Georgia upcountry. For Leah and Sophia it shown that increased flux through the was a morning that shaped the courses of oxidative pentose phosphate pathway can their lives and the lives of their descendants allow PRA formation that is sufficient for into the 21st century. Shields’s farm prospered thiamine-independent growth in a purF and he and his descendants became some of mutant. In a purF gnd mutant, flux through the the wealthiest and most powerful men in oxidative pentose phosphate pathway is Jackson County. The number of people disturbed and thiamine-independent growth is enslaved by the family continued to grow, as eliminated. Suppressor mutation analysis of a well. Yet, at the end of the Civil War, some 66 Salmonella purF gnd strain has uncovered years after she and her mother were suppressor mutations in various genes which purchased, when she was the eldest of nearly restore PRA formation and growth without 20 slaves on the place, Sophia marked an “X” thiamine. Due to the vast genetic similarity by her name on a contract defining the terms between S. enterica and E. coli, this study will of her emancipation. She and generations of probe the alternative PRA forming pathways her decedents lived and worked on and in Escherichia coli to test the hypothesis that nearby the farm into the 1960s. Building on PurF-independent thiamine synthesis (PRA recent historiography, this project is an formation) is conserved in these two model attempt to understand slavery through the systems. Preliminary data has shown that in E. lens of those who were enslaved. Drawing on coli i) a purF mutant is a thiamine prototroph, a rich archive of primary documents, most ii) a purF gnd mutant maintains modest still held at the Shields-Ethridge Farm, this thiamine-independent growth (i.e. PRA project both reconstructs the biographies of formation), and iii) at least three alternative the slaves who served the Shields family and PRA forming pathways are conserved. An in- conducts a historiographical analysis of their depth suppressor mutation analysis of S. community. The content has been enterica and E. coli purF gnd mutants will incorporated into a digital documentary for identify the similarities and differences in their the Georgia Virtual History Project, which, metabolic networks surrounding thiamine when viewed on-site, can better help visitors biosynthesis. understand the farm’s rich, complex, and truly multicultural past. Investigating Female Remating Rates in Wild Drosophila neotestacea and Their Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli Association with Sex-Ratio Drive Can Exploit Diverse Pathways to Form Emily Fawcett, CURO Summer Fellow, Vitamin B1 in the Cell CURO Graduation Distinction Kristen Farley Dr. Kelly Dyer, Genetics, Franklin College of Dr. Diana Downs, Microbiology, Franklin Arts & Sciences College of Arts & Sciences Selfish genetic elements (SGEs) are portions Phosphoribosyl amine (PRA) is an essential of DNA that increase rates of their own intermediate for both thiamine (vitamin B1) transmission even if harmful to the host. Sex and purine biosynthesis in Salmonella enterica. ratio (SR) drive is a specific type of SGE PRA is synthesized by the enzyme found on the X chromosome that acts in phosphoribosylpyrophosphate males to destroy Y-bearing sperm and can

Abstracts ultimately have grave effects on populations. Poiret, a famous designer at the time, called The frequency of SR in wild populations of the women’s uniform (“Paris Women Wear Drosophila neotestacea varies from 0 to 30%, Black,” Jun 11, 1921, p. 7). Later in 1984, although the exact cause for this variation is Paula Deitz wrote about an exhibit of little unknown. One proposed method for the black dresses from the past. She said what was maintenance of SR in wild populations is “immediately striking about the display of 21 polyandry, or multiple mating by females, dresses from the English and French couture because it allows for increased sperm is that any one of them could walk out to a competition, which may affect SR males more real cocktail party today and look as fresh and than non-SR males because of their reduced classic as the day it was designed” (Deitz, Mar sperm count. In this study, I explore the levels 4, 1984, p. 188). Through newspaper articles, I of female mating rates in wild Drosophila found a great deal of information about how neotestacea to determine if a relationship exists the little black dress has transformed over between mating rates and SR levels in the wild time and why it has remained a staple in using flies collected from two time points in women’s wardrobes. Despite the many the Great Smoky Mountains. I also examine changes the little black dress has gone number of offspring produced by wild- through, it has always remained a classic and collected males to determine if SR males important piece of women’s clothing. actually produce fewer offspring than do normal males. I found no evidence for a Single-Case Research Designs to Evaluate relationship between levels of polyandry and Social Behavior Development of Children SR prevalence in the wild, nor for decreased with Autism Spectrum Disorders numbers of offspring sired by SR males Allison Fialkowski, CURO Honors Scholar compared to normal males. However, we plan Dr. David Gast, Communication Sciences & to update our methods to test these Special Education, College of Education hypotheses once more. The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects The Evolution of the Little Black Dress an estimated one in eighty-eight children, and Anne Fernandes the numbers of diagnoses have been rising Dr. Patricia Hunt-Hurst, Textiles, drastically since autism was first added to the Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family third edition of Diagnostic and Statistical & Consumer Sciences Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980. Characterized by an impairment in the nature The little black dress is an iconic piece of and quality of social and communicative women’s clothing with a long history. Its development, those with autism spectrum everlasting popularity has come from the fact disorders often fail to naturally build social that it is a “cultural lexicon” (Smith 5). People relationships. In a thorough literature review know what you are referring to when you say of autism spectrum disorders, theories such as little black dress: effortlessly chic, while still blindness to context in situations, a tendency showing that a woman has style and taste. It is to systemize rather than empathize, and a versatile, sophisticated, practical, and even cycle of negative peer interaction and social sexy. To prove just how timeless the little anxiety were analyzed as sources of this black dress is, I researched books and New disordered social development. In education, York Times articles dating back from 1921 to an evidence-based intervention approach to 2009. First in 1921, the New York Times promote social interaction and behavioral reported that women had adopted “all-black change is applied behavioral analysis. This costumes with lilac chapeaux,” which Paul systematic use of positive reinforcement

Abstracts procedures when matched with data treatments are the most promising for collection allows the interventionist to producing trees from the stored seeds to aid determine the effectiveness of certain in restoration of these threatened trees. motivators in promoting behavioral change. In promotion of intervention methods that Examination of the Function of cobU in are conducive to the classroom environment Vitamin B12 Synthesis in Mycobacteria and each individual, this literature review Chelsea Fitzhugh investigates the effectiveness of applied Samantha Tucker, Graduate Researcher behavioral analysis, and use of single-case Dr. Frederick Quinn & Dr. Russell Karls, research methodology, to evaluate positive Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary social behavior change in children with autism Medicine spectrum disorders. Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium Hemlock Embryo Rescue Project tuberculosis (Mtb), is a disease that presents Hayden Field major public health issues across the world Dr. Scott Merkle, Warnell School of Forestry claiming over a million lives each year. & Natural Resources Although Mtb uses cobalamin (vitamin B12) in some metabolic processes, it is unknown if The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), an this bacterium synthesizes cobalamin. The exotic insect pest, is currently causing Mtb genome contains homologs of B12 widespread devastation of two species of synthesis genes, including cobU, which hemlock: eastern (Tsuga canadensis) and encodes an enzyme that functions in a late Carolina (Tsuga caroliniana) in the eastern stage of B12 synthesis in other bacteria. The United States. Before all of the surviving study of B12 synthesis by the slow-growing examples of these two coniferous tree species pathogen Mtb is being accelerated by are destroyed by this pest, we must attempt to examining the function of homologous genes save them. Working with cooperators from in the nonpathogenic fast-growing species Camcore at North Carolina State University, Mycobacterium smegmatis. The overall purpose of we have used seeds (some up to 10 years old) my project is to develop and use a suicide collected by them from surviving hemlocks plasmid system to generate a cobU knockout in from throughout the ranges of these trees to M. smegmatis. After the mutant has been conduct an embryo rescue experiment. We are obtained, it will be complemented separately testing embryo rescue techniques because the with cobU from M. smegmatis and Mtb. It is longer the seeds have been cold-stored, the predicted that vitamin B12 production will be less likely it is that they will have high blocked in the cobU mutant, but restored percentages of germination. Our embryo when complemented with M. smegmatis cobU. rescue experiment explores alternative If the Mtb cobU homolog has the same methods to encourage seeds from various function, it too should restore B12 seed lots of different ages to germinate, using production. Progress toward this study will be three different seed pre-treatments (intact reported. seed, megagametophyte, and embryo) and two different germination environments (moist germination paper and in vitro culture on a conifer germination medium). The end result, which will be measured as the percentage of germination for each seed lot on each treatment, will aid us in determining which

Abstracts

Membrane Electrode Assembly varied to achieve the maximum power density Preparation Utilizing Platinum Catalysts possible and compared to commercial for Use in Polymer-Electrolyte-Membrane products. Fuel Cells David Flake Modifying Appointments to the FISA Dr. Ramaraja Ramasamy, College of Court Engineering Mitchell (Trey) Flynn Dr. John Maltese, Political Science, School of Clean energy has been a major focus in almost Public & International Affairs every industry and development of fuel cells is becoming increasingly more prominent in With the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act recent years. Fuel cells directly convert of 1978, Congress created the Foreign chemical energy into electrical energy. Intelligence Surveillance Court to hear Hydrogen gas and oxygen gas are passed surveillance warrant requests from executive through the anode and cathode respectively to agencies. Appointment power to the Court produce a difference in chemical potential was vested in the Chief Justice. My research between the two electrodes. The chemical explores the following questions: Does the potential results in an electrical voltage when current appointment structure enable the connected in a circuit. A polymer-electrolyte- Court to review warrant requests with proper membrane fuel cell functions through the scrutiny and jurisprudence? And if not, what separation of oxidation and reduction appointment structure would be more reactions by use of a semi-permeable polymer effective? Drawing from news articles, law electrolyte. In this research, a Nafion reviews, and declassified Court rulings, membrane, a perfluorinated ion-conducting research suggests that the concentration of and electrically insulating membrane, is used appointment power in the office of Chief as the electrolyte. Within the fuel cell, Justice fails to insulate the Court from hydrogen is oxidized into positive hydrogen political imbalance. Shifting to a Court-based ions at the anode catalyst and diffuses through appointment structure that requires Senatorial the electrolyte. During this oxidation, free consent, I propose, would restore the Court electrons are produced and collected with a to political balance and foster greater scrutiny conductive plate and pass through the circuit. of surveillance activity. At the cathode, oxygen is reduced at the catalyst layer which results in the production Healthcare, Genetics, Society and the of water vapor. In this research, pre-prepared Black-White Breast Cancer Survival platinum nanowire catalysts are applied using Disparity an air gun to a gas diffusion layer (GDL). A DeJuana Ford Nafion membrane is placed between two Dr. Susan Tanner, Anthropology, Franklin GDLs and then is heated and pressed to form College of Arts & Sciences a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Different parameters of preparation such as Black and African-American (BaAA) women the press operating pressure and temperature have lower breast cancer incidence than will be optimized. The power density is European-American women, but suffer maximized by varying gas flow rates, cathode greater breast cancer mortality. This disparity and anode backpressure, operating is discussed widely in diverse fields, and the temperature, and plate pressure. Gas flow degree to which genetic factors are implicated rates, cathode and anode backpressure, in the disparity may vary significantly across operating temperature, and plate pressure are disciplines. It is important to compare

Abstracts researchers’ assertions about the role of consequences of stigma on health, social, and genetics in the disparity with the degree to behavioral outcomes. An emic perspective on which BaAA women attribute their relatively teen pregnancy and parenting mothers is lower breast cancer survival rates to genetic crucial to elucidate the complex and versus environmental factors. In this study, I convoluted role of stigma and stereotypes in review literature on breast cancer disparities in these women’s lives. Pregnant and parenting the U.S. to explore whether researchers in teen mothers in Indiana were recruited to social science, public health, and clinical participate in a journaling study in Lake medicine perceive the disparity as arising County, India through a community partner, more from genetic or environmental factors, Empowering Teens As Parents (ETAP) that and I compare these perceptions to data from allowed the mothers to keep daily journals. literature on BaAA women’s perspectives on The journal content of twenty unique factors underlying the disparity. Using individuals were coded and analyzed by keywords “breast cancer AND (African- NVivo software. Analysis of the data Americans OR black) AND disparity” to demonstrated that negative stereotypes and search the NCBI PubMed database, I located stigma do serve as stressors, but that 140 articles and studied those focusing on parenting and overcoming these stereotypes factors driving the Black-White breast cancer generate positive affect that can mitigate or survival disparity. I categorized articles as counteract this stress. Parenting’s contribution “genetic,” “behavioral,” “healthcare system,” to positive psychology results in positive self- or “societal” based on their explanations for image and augmented motivation. All of the the disparity. Preliminary data suggest that women, regardless of the degree of social differences in tumor type and healthcare support experienced, indicated that their role system disparities are commonly implicated as a mother was the best part of their life. across fields in driving the survival disparity. Further, the desire to provide a good life for Future data will elucidate connections their children and the ability to teach their between factors BaAA women perceive as children new things lead to positive self-image underlying the disparity and statements made and an emphasis on goal-setting, optimism, by researchers. Understanding these and happiness. connections is crucial for more informed discussions on the breast cancer disparity and The Death of the Death Penalty for improved communication between the Richard Gardiner medical community and minority patients. Dr. James Monogan, Political Science, School of Public & International Affairs Positive Psychology in Teen Mothers Smitha Ganeshan, Foundation Fellow This paper researches why states differ in their Dr. Neale Chumbler, Health Policy and capital punishment policies and in the total Management, College of Public Health number of executions. To explore the issue, this research identifies variables that likely While the rates of teen pregnancy have been shape death penalty policy and practice. The on the decline, the United States continues to variables that I have identified as possible have one of the highest rates among predictors are state ideology, issue opinion, developed nations. Teen pregnancy and political culture, unemployment, and violent parenting is associated with societal stigma crimes. The results show that state ideology is resulting from a perceived shortcoming of the a strong predictor of both policy (measured individual’s moral character. Most studies with an original index of death penalty policy) focus exclusively on the negative and the number of executions in the states

Abstracts

(measured from 1976-2012). How death interactions underlie this incompatibility. I am penalty policy is made in the U.S. depends on now performing genome-wide sequencing on what the states are doing, and this study can each F2 and will combine our quantitative and help forecast which states are most likely to genomic data in order to identify our hybrid continue the trend of reducing or even lethal genes. This project will thus expand eliminating death penalty provisions in the upon the solution to Darwin’s conundrum by law. identifying the genes causing hybrid embryonic lethality and providing a basis for The Genetics of Early Hybrid Lethality understanding their function in creating and between Two Species of Mimulus maintaining biodiversity. Austin Garner, CURO Summer Fellow, CURO Graduation Distinction Mapping the Horn, 1991-2011 Dr. Andrea Sweigart, Genetics, Franklin Joseph Gerber, Foundation Fellow College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Brock Tessman, International Affairs, School of Public & International Affairs Speciation occurs when genetically diverging populations develop reproductive isolating While the standard political maps are helpful barriers that limit interbreeding or reduce the representations of certain realities in viability and/or fertility of their hybrid international affairs, they are insufficient at offspring. The evolution of these hybrid capturing the whole picture of any region, and dysfunctions riddled Darwin and his understanding actors’ interactions in and contemporaries because they knew that unfit among North and South Sudan, Ethiopia, hybrids could not be favored by natural Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia requires more selection. We now understand that hybrid than an understanding of those government's dysfunction results from incompatible actions. It requires helpful representations of interactions between genes from divergent the interests and the interactions among many species; however, our understanding of the different kinds of actors in this complex, identity, number, and function of the genes multifaceted and unstable region. This involved remains insufficient. To resolve this research project’s aim is to answer the deficiency I am investigating the genetic basis question of how the Horn of Africa as a of hybrid lethality between two closely related region has changed over time with regards to wildflower species, Mimulus guttatus and questions most pertinent to the study of Mimulus tilingii, by 1) Quantifying the strength international relations. To answer this of hybrid lethality as a reproductive barrier question, four different aspects of this region and 2) Identifying the genes involved. To are mapped over time in four different sets of date, I have shown that when these species depictions spaced along sensible time are artificially hybridized, 99% of the intervals: 1) each Westphalian state’s relative offspring die during early embryonic material capabilities; 2) the presence of development, confirming that hybrid lethality various significant non-state armed actors; 3) is a strong reproductive barrier between these behavior among various ethnic groups, species. Self-fertilizing the few viable including migration flow and ethnic tension; offspring, I generated 250 second generation and 4) various great powers’ economic hybrids, F2s, each containing unique involvement in the region. These maps are arrangements of both parental species constructed from data gathered from 1991 to genomes. Quantitative measurements of 2011 and those actors whose interactions in lethality in crosses between these F2s and that area have generated sufficient data, either parental lines indicate that multiple gene in set or in map form, are represented visually

Abstracts in the four maps listed above. This data is while patients will show greater differences compiled in spreadsheet format. Specific than relatives. Such data could be used to methods of representing this data are open new avenues of research to help delve determined sensibly according to what data is deeper into the underlying etiologies, available with the guidance of the research manifestation, and possible treatment of mentor. BPD, SZ, and similar disorders.

Neural Abnormalities in Ocular-Motor The Role of O-Linked β-N- Inhibition in Schizophrenia, Bipolar Acetylglucosamine in the Epigenetic Disorder, and First-Degree Relatives Regulation of Colon Cancer Stem Cells Alan Gerlich Caitlin Gilbert Dr. Brett Clementz, Psychology, Franklin Dr. Michael Pierce, Biochemistry & Molecular College of Arts & Sciences Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder Growing evidence suggests that cancer stem (BPD) are characterized by poor prefrontal cell (CSC) populations have a role in the cortex (PFC) mediated cognitive control. initiation and maintenance of some cancers. Ocular-motor saccade activity is indicative of These populations are regulated by post- the deficit in inhibitory control commonly translational modifications, such as O-linked found in BPD and SZ. Furthermore, b-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). O- biomarkers of such a lack of inhibitory GlcNAcylation is regulated by two enzymes: control can be isolated and analyzed using O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine transferase high temporal resolution (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). The electroencephalography (EEG) in order to transfer of the carbohydrate O-GlcNAc to pinpoint the neural basis of the phenotypical cytosolic and nuclear proteins is catalyzed by deficits of BPD and SZ. The current study OGT, and OGA regulates the process by included 59 healthy control subjects, 43 with removing the glycan. O-GlcNAcylation is SZ, 56 with BPD, 51 relatives of those with analogous to phosphorylation in the sense SZ (SZrel), and 71 relatives of those with that both modifications are notably dynamic. BPD (BPrel). Each subject completed an O-GlcNAcylation affects numerous cellular inhibition control task in which 3 processes, so aberrant expression is hazardous checkerboard patterns were presented in a and can lead to many diseases. The O- horizontal row. On prosaccade trails, the GlcNAc modification is associated with subject was asked to make a saccade toward several different varieties of cancer, but its whichever peripheral checkerboard became role is still unknown. OGT utilizes uridine more luminous after initial presentation, and diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP- on antisaccade trials, the subject was asked to GlcNAc), which is produced from make a saccade toward the more-luminous extracelluar glucose via the hexosamine checkerboard’s mirror image. Analyses of the biosynthetic pathway (HBP), as the substrate EEG data were performed to evaluate event- for O-GlcNAc transfer. This metabolic shift related potentials (ERP) resulting from from oxidative phosphorylation to the HBP is presentation of the steady-state stimulus as a hallmark characteristic of cancer well as presentation of the pro/anti-cue. metabolism. The transition from oxidative Voltage topographies across the scalp at ERP phosphorylation to the HBP results in the up- peaks will be compared across groups. We regulation of OGT, which further suggests its hypothesize all patients and relative groups involvement in tumor onset. In current will show differences from healthy controls, studies, the knockdown of O-GlcNAc is

Abstracts accomplished in two mammary colon cancer when heterotrophic bacteria and respiration cell lines through transfection with OGA. The prevail. These microorganisms incorporate following experiments will be performed the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) using these cells lines to determine which produced by phytoplankton. By measuring genes are regulated by O-GlcNAc and rates of incorporation of radioactive leucine, support the idea that the down-regulation of heterotrophic bacterial production rates can OGT may reduce cancer metastasis. be calculated. The full data set allows us to Identification of the genes that are regulated explore the balance between autotrophy and by O-GlcNAc expression could yield valuable heterotrophy in the Arctic. Continuing to targets for cancer therapy and treatment. create data sets like these over time will allow us to observe and predict changes of the Data Analysis of Seawater Samples ocean climate in the future. Collected Off the Coast of Barrow, Alaska Dylan Goetz Parent and Child Perceptions of Health- Dr. Patricia Yager, Marine Sciences, Franklin Related Quality of Life and Psychological College of Arts & Sciences Functioning in Children with Tourette Syndrome Seasonal patterns in the Arctic Ocean are Charlotte Goldman, Amy Davis, Kelsie largely affected by environmental factors, Flanigan including ice cover, temperature, and sunlight. Dr. Ronald Blount, Psychology, Franklin In winter, with lower light availability, there is College of Arts & Sciences a drop in biological productivity. During summer, with minimal ice coverage, Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic productivity blooms. Understanding these neurological disorder characterized by tics, cycles can help us predict the impact of involuntary behaviors, and vocalizations. The changes in the Arctic Ocean. To better aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the understand these strong seasonal cycles, my degree of agreement between child self- and research examines biological and parent proxy-reports of health-related quality biogeochemical data collected from a series of of life (HRQOL) and psychological research expeditions conducted by Yager, functioning in children with TS, and (2) to Frischer, and Bronk near Barrow, Alaska (71° compare these ratings to normative data for 21'N, 156° 41'W) over two years during the healthy children. Twenty-eight children, ages months of January, April, and August. I 8-18, and their parents rated the child’s hypothesize the nutrient data should reflect HRQOL and psychological functioning the strong seasonal patterns described above. (depression, inattention, and hyperactivity). T- By graphing depth profiles for limiting test and intraclass correlation (ICC) analyses nutrients and determining the seasonal were used to examine study aims. Parent-child averages, I compared the nutrient agreement was strong on all HRQOL and concentrations to predicted general patterns. psychological functioning domains based on The samples' inorganic nitrogen ICC analyses. However, t-test analyses concentrations showed a general trend of a revealed that parents reported significantly large depletion in August, indicating an higher levels of depression than their child. In increase in primary productivity as addition, children reported significantly lower phytoplankton take up these nutrients. Higher levels of physical HRQOL compared to their amounts are shown during the winter season parents. Compared to normative data, only when sunlight is less available and sea ice parents reported significantly higher levels of coverage is higher, limiting photosynthesis depression, and only children reported

Abstracts significantly lower levels of physical HRQOL. Impacts of Organic Soil Amendments on Overall, these results indicate that parent- Micro-Nutrient and Carbon Sequestration proxy reports may not accurately reflect under Natural Rainfall Conditions, 2010- children’s perceptions of all HRQOL and 2013 psychological functioning domains. This study George Grant is important because it demonstrates that Dr. Mark Risse, College of Engineering parent-proxy reports should not be used exclusively, but should be collected in Organic soil additives also considered as conjunction with child self-reports whenever amendments have become widely used possible in this population. Variations in the throughout the agriculture industry in degree of agreement between individual response to controlling soil erosion. This parent-child dyads should be further evaluated property as well as the sequestration of with factors such as child age, clinical valuable micro-nutrients and organic Carbon outcomes, and quality of parent-child back into the soil are important areas of study relationships. given the variety of soil amendments available in today's market. This experiment explores Applying International Strategies to the following scientific questions: how do Domestic Issues of Micronutrient present day soil amendments affect the Deficiency accumulation/sequestration of micro- Carver Goodhue, Foundation Fellow nutrients, % Carbon, and pH stability under Dr. J. Peter Brosius, Anthropology, Franklin natural climate conditions and what duration College of Arts & Sciences of time do these effects require to be available in the soil? 5 years (currently the 3rd year) of This paper provides a brief analysis of data collection and analysis will help the micronutrient deficiency in impoverished agricultural community understand these communities in Athens-Clarke County, its available soil treatments and their benefits causes, effects, and the possible approaches to over time when applied to soil as ground resolve it. Our conclusion is that the cover or amendment. The following data establishment of a program to fund vitamin analysis is based on the average % Carbon purchases for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition (Organic matter) and micro-nutrients found in Assistance Program) eligible Athens residents an 18 plot experimental area located off Hog would provide this sector of the population Mountain Rd. in Athens, GA. There are 24 with a cheap, easily implemented method for total plots; however, only 18 out of the 24 are increasing micronutrient consumption. This being tested. Each plot is 1.52 m × 4.57m set option stands in contrast to others which at a 10% slope and exposed to natural demand a greater investment of time and environmental conditions. The variable which money on the part of poor communities least is being tested is a specific treatment of soil capable of supplying it. amendment. The five treatments are as follows: control grass (grass seed) (CG), mulch (M), surface compost (SC), incorporated compost (IC), incorporated biochar (BC), and a control bare soil (BS). Other data such as micro-nutrient concentrations, total soil particle mass from erosion, and rain fall occurrences have also been recorded during this experiment; however, the primary area of interest is the relative increase or decrease in % Carbon and

Abstracts micro-nutrients accumulation over cilium is present only in G1 (or G0) phases. A time(annually) in response to the described method in our lab was devised to assay the soil treatment additives and natural climate unspliced (intron-containing) mRNA signal of conditions. The treatments correspond to the targets induced by a SHH pathway agonist to plot numbers as follows: BS: 5,9,20; BC: provide a real-time assay for pathway activity. 6,13,21; M: 2,14,23; CG:4,11,24; SC: 3.10,19; Using this method, we analyzed the cell’s IC: 1,12,22; Not Tested Plots: 7,8,15,16,17,18. response to the SHH agonist under different The plots not tested are due to limited culture conditions and measured the half-life resource availability and to ensure spacing for of the unspliced messages. The real-time needed maintenance and soil sampling. The responses will determined with respect to soil data was taken annually starting in 2010. each phase of the cell cycle and these data will Soil samples were taken using a soil auger. For be compared to the ciliogenesis profile in each the BC and IC treatments only two cell cycle phase. These experiments will test measurements were taken, one at 4-6 inches, the hypothesis that progression though the and one at 10-12 inches. This is due to the 0-2 cell cycle gates Hedgehog pathway activity and inches region being incorporated into the 4-6 that assembly and disassembly of the primary region during the beginning experiment cilium may be responsible. (preliminary incorporation of compost and biochar). For the remainder of the treatments Neural White Matter Integrity Differs three measurements were taken: 0-2 inches, 4- between Patients with Schizophrenia and 6 inches, and 10-12 inches. (The following Healthy Controls data was analyzed by the University of Thomas Greco Georgia’s Plant and Soil Analysis Lab.) No Dr. Jennifer McDowell, Psychology, Franklin results are available at this time. A total micro College of Arts & Sciences nutrient, pH and % Carbon ANOVA analysis will be presented along with a discussion of Patients with schizophrenia show alterations results. in brain structure compared to healthy subjects, and, differences in major frontal Cell Cycle Gating of the Mammalian white matter (WM) tracts are related to Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway deficits in cognition. Some healthy subjects Philip Grayeski, Foundation Fellow from the general population, however, also Dr. Jonathan Eggenschwiler, Genetics, show low levels of cognitive control. The Franklin College of Arts & Sciences present study sought to examine differences in WM structural integrity between patients The Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling with schizophrenia and healthy controls with pathway regulates cell fate specification, low cognitive control (LCC). WM integrity differentiation, and growth within the tissues, was assessed in 15 individuals with such as the central nervous system during schizophrenia and 15 LCC healthy controls metazoan development. While the regulation using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cell cycle progression by SHH signaling has scanner. Specifically, diffusion tensor imaging, been extensively studied, it remains unclear an MRI method which measures the diffusion whether the cell cycle controls response to of water to index the organization of WM, SHH signals such that individual phases can was used to characterize WM structural be conducive or refractory for signaling. One integrity. In highly organized, densely reason to suspect this is the fact that primary myelinated WM tissue water, diffuses cilia are required for SHH signaling in primarily along the length of axons, as mammals, yet in cultured cells the primary opposed to diffusing randomly in less

Abstracts organized tissue. Fractional anisotropy (FA) participants were asked to mark a 100mm values occur on a scale of zero (total isotropic Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to indicate their diffusion) to one (diffusion only along one knee pain; participants were blinded to axis) and are a commonly used index of the previous VASs. A single rater measured each extent of directional diffusion, and thus WM VAS once and a repeated measures analysis of integrity. Whole-brain FA values were variance (p<.05) was used to determine calculated using TBSS, and 20 major WM differences in the VASs between the strapping fiber tracts were isolated using a standardized conditions. There was significantly lower pain WM tract atlas. The preliminary results reported during the PTS condition than the demonstrate a statistically significant decrease Con condition for both DJ (Con= in the mean FA values for multiple frontal 26.28±3.8mm, PTS= 19.24±3.1mm, p=.003) tracts in patients with schizophrenia when and SL landings (Con= 36.28±4.1mm, PTS= compared to healthy subjects with LCC. The 26.9±3.3mm, p=.001). The results indicated present study provides evidence to suggest PTS may decrease acute knee pain symptoms that structural deficits in schizophrenia may during jump landings as measured by VAS. be specific to the disease itself, rather than a Future research should elicit the mechanism function of LCC more generally. by which this occurs.

Do Knee Straps Decrease Self-Reported Examination of the Link between Patellar Tendon Pain after Jump Glycosaminoglycans and Pectins Landings? Elizabeth Guarisco, CURO Summer Fellow Megan Griffin Dr. Carl Bergmann, Biochemistry & Dr. Cathleen Brown Crowell, Kinesiology, Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & College of Education Sciences

Patellar tendinopathy is a common condition Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are polyanionic in physically active populations, often treated macromolecules localized in the extracellular using knee straps to reduce pain, though there matrix that have important structural roles is little quantitative evidence supporting this. and are involved in diverse cellular processes The purpose of this study was to determine if including differentiation, communication, self-reported pain was lower in those with proliferation, adhesion, and migration. Thus symptomatic patellar tendinopathy after the impacts of glycosaminoglycans and their performing two jump landing techniques with degrading enzymes warrant a patellar tendon strap (PTS), compared to a understanding. One way to approach this is no-strap, control condition (Con). Twenty- the use of non-native GAGs or GAG-like nine individuals (female 14, male 15, age polysaccharides. The corresponding plant 21.3±3.3years, mass 73.2±12.4kg, height matrix polysaccharides are the pectin 174.7±9.5cm) with patellar tendon pain who polysaccharides, partially esterified scored <80 out of 100 on the Victorian macromolecular polygalacturonic acids. Institute of Sport Assessment Patella Glycosaminoglycans and pectins provide, in (64.8±8.4) indicating decreased knee function, separate species, similar functions. The were consented. Participants performed 5 similarity between the functions of pectins trials of two-legged drop jump landings and GAGs suggests possible insights into the followed immediately by a 50% maximum mechanism by which pectins impact human vertical jump (DJ) and 5 single leg landings health. Studies in our lab revealed that pectins (SL) in both conditions in a counterbalanced are able to bind certain glycosaminoglycan order. After completing each set of 5 landings, degrading enzymes and alter their glycosidic

Abstracts activity. Likewise, chondroitins, a class of promoter that is expressed only in the GAGs, are able to bind pectin degrading presence of a hormone, dexamethasone enzymes and alter activity. Pectin degrading (DEX). I introduced this HAN RNAi enzymes could alter GAG-moderated cell construct into the Arabidopsis genome using an processes GAGs and chondroitin Agrobacterium and I have conducted performance. Testing the effects of non- experiments to show that the HAN hairpin is native GAGs in vivo is our next step. indeed expressed in response to DEX Hyaluronic acid (HA) functions in joint treatment. I am currently extending the study connectivity, water transport, receptor- to analyze the effects of ‘knocking down’ interacting roles in tumor metastasis, and HAN gene expression in roots, where I can stimulates extracellular matrix production. HA easily visualize any effects on their fragment injections into Drosophila cells will development. This will provide me with key allow us to see any functionally relevant information about the ability of HAN genes effects of the polymer, as HA is not naturally to regulate plant stem cells, specialized cell- present. The first step in this process is types which play a key role in all aspects of growth and insulation optimization of plant tissue formation and plant growth. Drosophila neuronal cells. This in vivo approach is likely to reveal new functions for The Digital Future – Investing and GAGs and new ways to manipulate the Investigating availability of these important molecules. Connor Hamm Prof. Mark Callahan, Lamar Dodd School of Investigating the Role of HAN Art Transcription Factors during Plant Development In October 2013 the auction house Phillips Vanessa Gutierrez partnered with the micro-blogging site Dr. Wolfgang Lukowitz, Plant Biology, Tumblr to create the first ever digital art Franklin College of Arts & Sciences auction, Paddles On!. The auction featured only internet-based and digital art, including The development of Arabidopsis embryos webcam recordings, screenshots from video relies on a sub-family of GATA transcription games, and even an entire website, with some factors. These genes, which are called works valued over at $10,000. Paddles HANABA TARANU (HAN), HAN-LIKE 1 On! epitomizes the artistic, technological, and HAN-LIKE 2, are essential for the economic, and social implications of maintenance of embryonic coordinates, and positioning digital technology as a dominant without them embryogenesis arrests. It is my and necessary facet of life. But what are these hypothesis that embryogenesis arrests because implications? I incorporate arts-based research HAN mutants do not continue to produce methods with traditional examination of stem cells. To investigate the role of these scholarship in order to investigate the impacts HAN genes during later stages of plant of this auction and of related developments development in seedlings, I have adopted the within the art world, such as the Eyebeam approach of using a method called RNA Emoji Art+Design Show and the increasing interference (RNAi) to “knock down” HAN presence of webcam art. I apply my research expression in normal looking seedlings. This through creating digital art (including my own entailed constructing a HAN RNAi vector, a Emoji and webcam pieces), and by keeping an plasmid containing a small fragment of HAN evolving critical commentary, all of which are transcript in inverted repeats to form a posted on a Tumblr blog. This synthesis of hairpin. This plasmid is under the control of a research and application is uniquely

Abstracts illuminating and has provided innovative and Viscosity-Dependent Behavior of engaged analysis of the real world impacts of Cyclopenta[b]naphthalene Fluorophores digital technology, especially on such issues as Billie Hardigree the changing nature of the art market, the Dr. Mark Haidekker, College Of Engineering global reach of Emoji and digital communication, and the power of the Environment-sensitive fluorescent molecules digitally-mediated self-image (“selfie”). This play a significant role in the biological sciences combination of objective research and and biological engineering. Recently, a new personal application incorporates the very polarity-sensitive family of fluorophores was technology that I am studying, and is introduced (Kocsis et al., Org. Lett 2012; 14: particularly beneficial in understanding our 4430-33). These cyclopenta[b]naphthalene increasingly networked shared future. compounds showed intriguing structural similarity with viscosity-sensitive molecular An Integrative Outlook on the State of rotors that we recently examined. Our Sustainable Development in Sarawak, research goal was to explore potential Malaysia viscosity-sensitivity of the new Dayna Hardgrove cyclopenta[b]naphthalene compounds. Dr. J. Peter Brosius, Anthropology, Franklin Measurements were performed in a College of Arts & Sciences Fluoromax-3 fluorospectrometer. Polarity sensitivity was examined in Dimethyl The palm oil industry is growing rapidly all sulfoxide (DMSO), methanol, toluene, and over the world and is threatening both the water and methanol mixture, and the exact rainforests and the indigenous communities fluorescence spectrum was obtained by that inhabit them. In the Malaysian state of performing matrix scans, that is, emission Sarawak, the state government has initiated a intensity as a function of both excitation and major effort to expand oil palm production as emission wavelength. Viscosity sensitivity was part of the state’s development program. determined in a mixture of methanol, ethylene While the palm oil industry has great glycol, and glycerol at different ratios to economic potential, its rapid expansion is afford solutions ranging from 4 mPa s to 167 currently displacing indigenous communities mPas. Peak emission intensity was recorded as from their ancestral lands and causing rapid a function of viscosity. Two of three deforestation. The detrimental effects of this cyclopenta[b]naphthalene compounds growing industry need to be addressed more exhibited dual emission in the viscosity effectively by acknowledging the trade-offs gradient. Depending on the intramolecular between conservation and development and distance of the elements of the fluorescent seeking a more sustainable development dipole, the second emission peak showed strategy that is supported by multiple actors: increasing intensity with increasing viscosity. the state government, indigenous This was an indication of molecular rotor-like communities, and the palm oil industry. This behavior. The polarity tests, however, were paper applies an integrative framework for more inconclusive, but a general trend was analyzing trade-offs from multiple conceptual observed that more polar solvents lowered the lenses: values and valuation, process and emission intensity and shifted the emission governance, and power and inequality. Such peak toward shorter wavelengths. We an approach provides a more comprehensive concluded that cyclopenta[b]naphthalene- foundation for addressing the state’s derived fluorophores, which were originally development priorities while also supporting motivated by the polarity probe Prodan, gain conservation and indigenous rights. viscosity-sensitive behavior and act as

Abstracts molecular rotors. However, the viscosity stable marriages. However, less is known sensitivity strongly depends on the spatial about the effects of these programs on structure of the fluorescent dipole. cohabiting couples who subsequently marry. The current study examines couples (n = 83) Necessity of Universal Pre-Operative who completed the PREPARE (PREmarital Blood Work Testing in Healthy Dogs Personal and Relationship Evaluation) Kayla Hargrove program and compares those who cohabited Dr. Erik Hofmeister, Small Animal Surgery, before marriage (59%; n = 49) to those who College of Veterinary Medicine did not (41%; n = 34). Data were collected by means of surveys taken prior to the program, The objective of this research study is to two weeks post, six months post, and two determine if performing pre-operative blood years post. Mean scores were examined to work in otherwise healthy dogs sheds light on explore differences and similarities in marital enough previously unknown and undiagnosed interactions (e.g., time spent together in diseases to warrant screening in all patients. shared activities, frequency of disagreements, This information would be helpful for pet conflict management), marital quality (e.g., owners because it could potentially cut the positivity, negativity satisfaction), and marital costs of surgery by eliminating blood work stability (e.g., dedication, thoughts of divorce, from their expenses. This would also benefit confidence) over time. Preliminary analyses veterinarians who want to get their patients show that, following the premarital education into surgery as quickly as possible and don’t program, male and female cohabiting have time to wait for results from blood work. participants tended to exhibit similar or more Cases were identified by the anesthesia positive relationship interactions when records and blood work results of 100 dogs compared to non-cohabiting participants. that underwent elective orthopedic surgeries. Thus, contrary to prior research the risks Data collected includes: name, age, weight, associated with premarital cohabitation were breed, diagnosis/problem, ASA status, reason not found with the present sample. By for anesthesia, date of procedure, and identifying challenges unique to cohabiting abnormalities found in blood work. Results couples, premarital education programs can include 40 cases, 7 of which had abnormalities be adapted to focus on specific needs in an that would have resulted in a more effort to better help couples sustain positive conservative anesthesia protocol. interactions, effectively manage differences, and enhance marital satisfaction and stability. Differences between Cohabiting and Non- Cohabiting Couples Who Participated in A Targeted and an Unbiased Screen for Premarital Education Genetic Suppressors of the Legionella Lauren Head pneumophila Effector Protein LegC7 Dr. Ted Futris, Child & Family Development, Chetan Hebbale College of Family & Consumer Sciences Dr. Vincent Starai, Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Research on cohabitation - the practice of couples living together prior to marriage - has Legionella pneumophila is a Gram-negative raised concerns regarding the quality and bacterium that causes a severe form of stability of the future unions of these couples. pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease. Premarital relationship education programs During infection, L. pneumophila secretes have been found to promote healthy nearly 300 effector proteins into host cells in relationship behaviors that foster healthy and order to evade lysosomal degradation by

Abstracts modulating vesicle trafficking pathways. One Our lab previously reported the trypanocidal of these effector proteins, LegC7, has been activity of small, hydrophobic peptides (SHP) shown to be toxic upon expression in the that specifically kill blood stream form (BSF) budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Upon T. brucei. Here we package SHP into silica gel, LegC7 expression, S. cerevisiae accumulates mesoporous nanoparticles (SHP-np) for membranous structures reminiscent of so delivery to T. brucei. By measuring the growth called “class E” compartments, which result of BSF trypanosomes overnight post- from defects in multivesicular body function. treatment, we report 50% survival with SHP- The proteins which comprise the Class E VPS np concentrations of 1mg/mL and 0% family are members of the endosomal sorting survival with concentrations of 5mg/mL. complex required for transport proteins Short-term killing assays indicate that SHP-np (ESCRT) which are responsible for concentrations of 10mg/mL completely kill recognizing, sequestering and packaging parasites within one hour. A comparison of membrane proteins into vesicles for vacuolar killing kinetics between SHP and SHP-np degradation. Because the Class E phenotype shows that free SHP kills rapidly while SHP- was produced in yeast during LegC7 np exhibit slower kinetics likely due to expression, we hypothesize that LegC7 controlled release of the peptide. Blocking interacts with one or more of the yeast Class endocytosis by low temperature demonstrates E gene products. We therefore continued a that uptake of the particles is not necessary targeted screen of the yeast Class E genes by for killing. To investigate the specificity of transforming a plasmid encoding LegC7 into SHP-np, we performed growth and short- yeast strains with deletions of vps23, vps28, term killing assays with human embryonic snf7, or bro1 and found that deletion of these kidney (HEK) cells. Our results indicate that genes did not suppress LegC7 toxicity. We SHP-np are nontoxic to HEK cells at then performed an unbiased screen in an concentrations sufficient to kill parasites. attempt to find genetic suppressors of LegC7 Furthermore, we show that SHP-np are stable toxicity using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) during storage in harsh conditions (37°C for mutagenesis to isolate a strain that exhibits a one week). All together, the data suggest that toxicity reversal due to a genomic mutation. SHP-np represent a potential therapeutic to We will sequence the genome from this strain combat human and animal African to identify the gene products that LegC7 trypanosomiasis. might require for toxicity. 3D Printing Techniques in Topology Nanoparticle-Delivered Therapeutics for Fred Hohman African Trypanosomiasis Dr. David Gay, Mathematics, Franklin Matthew Hess College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Stephen Hajduk, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & During the Spring 2014 semester, Dr. Gay Sciences and I plan to explore 3D printing in topology by observing the physical geometry of shapes Trypanosoma brucei causes both Nagana, a that are particularly tough to visualize. This wasting disease in cattle, and human African research will allow us to learn how 3D trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping printers function, test the limits of current 3D sickness. In sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated printers, and generate mathematical objects sixty million people are at risk with no that have not been easily explored. To start, available vaccine, and hundreds of millions of we first worked out the mathematical theory dollars are lost in the form of diseased cattle. behind the creation of the knots, imploring

Abstracts various concepts such as stereographic however, are modified only for increased projection. For example, one shape to be nutritional content. This allows impoverished printed is generated by two cords coming families to obtain necessary nutrients without together to form a trefoil knot at the center of extra expense. Yet the regulatory obstacles for the object. Once we had the knot constructed, these crops, despite their safety, are nearly we began to add other surfaces to the shape insurmountable. This project analyzes the to observe the changes in the knot's structure. current regulatory standards for GM foods After finalizing the theory, I generated high and assesses policy alternatives: 1) increased resolution 3D models of the desired objects government support for public goods to prepare to print in Mathematica: a symbolic research institutions; 2) regulation of GM mathematic computer programming foods through the same standards as environment. With the aid of other modeling traditional foods; and 3) creation of an software and a MakerBot Replicator 3D international ranking system for GM printer, I was able to print prototypes of the regulation. After evaluation of the benefits of basic trefoil knot with appropriate supports each option, the third option was selected due and code documentation. I successfully to its flexibility and feasibility on an published this basic version of the trefoil knot international scale. One major boundary to on Thingiverse.com: the official website GM foods such as Golden Rice is the dedicated to sharing user-created digital duplication of documentation between design files. I am currently manipulating countries, as each country has its own rules complex versions of the knot and digitally and requirements that a GM food must pass cutting the surface additions to print before it can be planted. The cost and time it separately. Once the components are split in takes to pass each standard greatly decreases the appropriate way, I plan to print all the what a non-profit institution can afford. pieces in multiple colors so that an observer Standardized ranking would decrease could pick up the shape and remove surface duplication while allowing each country to pieces to reveal the underlying knot at the control the safety level of the GM crops core. gaining entrance.

Increasing Nutrition through Genetically Norse Mythology in Modern Popular Modified Organisms Culture: Sixty Interviews Conducted in Erin Hollander, Ramsey Scholar Athens, Georgia and Copenhagen, Dr. Wayne Parrott, Crop & Soil Sciences, Denmark during the Summer of 2013 College of Agricultural & Environmental Joseph Hopkins, CURO Summer Fellow Sciences Dr. Alexander Sager, Germanic & Slavic Studies, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Genetically modified foods are organisms meant for consumption in which the genetic When we use the phrase Norse mythology, we code has been changed through human are referring to a body of texts and images biotechnology. These organisms can be that ultimately stem from the pre-Christian modified for increased yield, nutritional value, narratives of the North Germanic peoples; or pesticide resistance, and as such have great tales of gods, beings, and even historic people. potential for resolution of the global food This corpus is unique and enigmatic; no other crisis. This potential must be tempered by the branch of Germanic language-speaking people safety concerns of the long-term effects of preserved their traditional pre-Christian GM foods on human and environmental narratives to such an extent. Upon the health. Some GM foods such as Golden Rice, eventual translation and subsequent

Abstracts reintroduction of these texts into the modern involved in the agricultural sector and about languages of Europe, Norse mythology gained 12,000 cases of acute pesticide poisoning are new influence and positions in the reported annually. This statistic is a gross now Christianized world, particularly in the underestimate of actual incidences due to lack cultural spheres of other Germanic language- of education about poisoning symptoms, lack speaking peoples (such as in England and of proper medical facilities, and a lack of Germany). The study of the ancient Germanic initiative to seek medical help. A literature peoples inspired influential works of art and review and cost-benefit analysis of various literature, resulted in a mountain range of policy alternatives was conducted. The criteria scholarship, and became an element of used to evaluate the four policy alternatives, national and ethnic pride and ideology. The which included the status quo, an organic latter extension came to a head under the farming initiative, an agricultural worker Third Reich, and its defeat led to a lull in education program, and bureaucratic popular attention for things streamlining, were cost-effectiveness, overall ‘Germanic’. However, by way of media effectiveness, and political feasibility. Based representations, literature, and, to a lesser on this analysis, Thailand’s Department of extent, new religious movements, Norse Agricultural Extension should implement a mythology is again well represented in the mandatory, nation-wide agricultural worker popular culture of modern Germanic education program to inform those within the language-speaking peoples. Yet how is all this agricultural sector about the negative side represented in the minds of these modern effects of organophosphate pesticide use. linguistic descendants? By way of sixty interviews conducted during the summer of The Effect of a Patellar Tendon Strap on 2013 in the southeastern United States Knee Power during a Drop-Jump (Athens, Georgia) and Scandinavia Katherine Hsieh (Copenhagen, Denmark), this project Dr. Cathleen Brown Crowell, Kinesiology, examines the influence of Norse mythology College of Education on individuals between the ages of 18 and 30. Patellar tendinopathy is defined as anterior The Negative Side Effects of knee pain with patellar tendon tenderness and Organophosphate Pesticide Usage in is common in jumping sports. Patellar tendon Thailand straps are applied as a simple and affordable Kirstie Hostetter, Foundation Fellow wearable technology designed to reduce knee Dr. Nicholas Magnan, Agricultural & Applied pain. There is limited biomechanical evidence Economics, College of Agricultural & supporting straps, but they may alter landing Environmental Sciences kinetics. The purpose of this study was to determine if a Universal Matt Strap™ During the past decade, Thailand’s pesticide increases knee power in a symptomatic usage has increased by approximately four- population during a drop-jump. Twenty-three fold as the country has established itself as recreational athletes (14 females, 9 males, one of the world’s major agricultural age=21.6 ± 3.5 years, height=174.2 ± 8.3 cm, producers. This increase in pesticide usage has mass=70.8 ± 10.9 kg) with a history of made organophosphates the most abundantly patellar tendinopathy stepped off a 40cm box, used insecticide group. However, landed on two force plates, and immediately organophosphate pesticides have detrimental jumped 50% of their measured maximum health, economic, and environmental effects. vertical jump. Five trials were performed with In Thailand, 39% of the population is and without the strap in counterbalanced

Abstracts order. Sagittal plane knee power was time constant (Tc) which can be used as an calculated, scaled to body mass, and averaged. index of mitochondrial function. To better Peak (greatest positive) and minimum represent mitochondrial recovery, the time (greatest negative) knee power were compared constants were converted into rate constants among strapping and control conditions using (Vmax/min). The average pre-exercise rate paired t-tests (p<0.05). No significant constant was 1.73 ± 2.00 and the average differences were found in the peak (p=0.617) post-exercise rate constant was 2.00 ± 0.42. or minimum (p=0.613) values between The average ∆rate constant after exercise was strapping and control conditions. The Matt -3.8 ± 4.4 (p=0.008), showing mitochondrial strap does not appear to modify concentric or up-regulation of 15%. Mitochondrial recovery eccentric knee power in patellar tendinopathy testing using NIRS supported the hypothesis subjects compared to a no-strap control of mitochondrial up-regulation after moderate condition. Future research should determine if exercise in the medial gastrocnemius muscle. the Matt-strap creates any other kinematic or These findings suggest that there is a possible kinetic changes during jump landing. mechanism towards mitochondrial up- Alternations in movement pattern may help regulation. explain why some symptomatic wearers report improvement in symptoms. Effects of Music on Male Aggression: Do Lyrics Matter? Mitochondrial Up-Regulation after Courtland Hyatt, CURO Summer Fellow Moderate Exercise in Able-Bodied Dr. Amos Zeichner, Psychology, Franklin Individuals with Near-Infrared College of Arts & Sciences Spectroscopy Brice Hsu The purpose of this study was to investigate Dr. Kevin McCully, Kinesiology, College of misogynistic aggression and the factors that Education inform this behavior. Past research has identified traits that serve as possible The theory of mitochondrial up-regulation predictors of male aggression toward women, after moderate exercise via calcium loading such as endorsements of sexist attitudes, high has been suggested, but requires confirmation. levels of masculinity, and rape myth By using Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS), acceptance. Additionally, past research has mitochondrial up-regulation after moderate found evidence that exposure to media exercise can be assessed in vivo in healthy- displays of violence increases attendant bodied individuals. Understanding cognitions regarding violence, and aggressive mitochondrial function would benefit behavior. This research informs a likely link treatment of mitochondrial-deficient diseases, between sexist attitudes, proximate exposure such as peripheral arterial disease. to violent media, and aggression in a Mitochondrial recovery testing and analysis laboratory setting. To examine this were performed on 9 participants (78% male, relationship, male participants first completed 23.6 ± 3.1 years old). Changes in the questionnaires designed to gather information oxygenation of hemoglobin during a series of about relevant personality and attitudinal 15 arterial occlusions were measured in each traits. In a separate laboratory session, individual’s right medial gastrocnemius before participants were exposed to a piece of music and 5 min after a 6 min bout of plantar with either aggressive lyrical content detailing flexion targeting 70% max effort. Data on the a violent act directed toward a woman, or recovery of mitochondrial oxygen neutral lyrical content. A subsequent consumption was then used to determine a laboratory aggression paradigm, in which

Abstracts participants could either choose to administer amplification of the FUT10 genic region to electric shocks to an ostensible female determine whether the plant lines were confederate or refrain from doing so, was homozygous or heterozygous. Interestingly, I used to operationalize aggressive behavior. It found that all plant lines failed to produce is hoped that this study will elucidate the homozygous offspring, allowing me to relationship among ideological attitudes, explore the possibility of homozygous violent media, and contingent aggression. lethality. The FUT gene family encompasses Furthermore, this research bears clinical ten genes, most of which, with the exception significance in its potential for shaping of FUT1, FUT4, and FUT6, have not been intervention and prevention efforts aimed at functionally characterized. Thus, detailed reducing aggression and increasing awareness characterization of the FUT10 gene is of the effects misogynous media and sexist instrumental for a full understanding of the attitudes have on gender inequality and fucosylation of cell wall polysaccharides. violence toward women. Mycoplasma gallisepticum Infection and Molecular and Functional Shed in Commercial and Wild Turkeys Characterization of Moriah Jackson FUCOSYLTRANSFERASE 10 in Dr. Naola Ferguson-Noel, Population Health, Arabidopsis thaliana College of Veterinary Medicine Lisa Ishii, CURO Graduation Distinction Dr. Michael Hahn, Biochemistry & Molecular Avian mycoplasmas are pathogens that affect Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences poultry worldwide. The commercial poultry industry has significantly reduced the The FUCOSYLTRANSFERASE (FUT) gene prevalence of pathogenic avian mycoplasma, family of Arabidopsis thaliana is known to be although the rate of infection in non- involved in cell wall biosynthesis. commercial poultry and wild poultry can be Fucosyltransferases attach fucose to cell wall relatively high. Domestic turkeys are highly components, primarily polysaccharides; susceptible to Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) arabinogalactans, pectins and xyloglucans are infection, but it is unknown whether wild known to contain fucosyl residues as part of turkeys are similarly affected. In this study, we their structures. FUT10 has been identified as compared the infectivity and shed of a a member of this FUT gene family. In order virulent MG strain in commercial and wild to functionally characterize the FUT10 gene, turkeys. Twenty wild turkey poults were split localization of the gene product by expression into 5 groups (n=5) each and housed in of a GFP-tagged transgene in tobacco leaves Horsfall-type units. At 2 weeks of age, each was used. By visualizing the tagged FUT10 group was inoculated via intraocular, protein using confocal microscopy and intranasal and intratracheal routes with a serial comparing the pattern of expression with a dilution of MG culture. Twenty domestic known Golgi marker, ST-CFP, my turkeys were similarly split into groups, preliminary data show that FUT10 is localized housed, and inoculated with the dilutions of to the Golgi apparatus, which is where most MG culture. The doses ranged from 1.9 to 4.9 polysaccharides destined for the plant cell wall color changing units (CCU) per 100uL. The are made. Further confirmation of these birds were euthanized at 9 days post results is under way. Additionally, Arabidopsis inoculation and evaluated by air sac lesion plant lines carrying T-DNA insertions in the scoring, air sac cultures, histopathology of FUT10 gene were characterized using tracheal sections and quantitative PCR. MG polymerase chain reaction (PCR) infection was detected in the wild poults at a

Abstracts lower inoculation dose than the commercial include or lack the anticoagulant, acid citrate poults. This indicates that the wild turkeys dextrose, and be allowed to incubate. By may be more susceptible to MG infection including or lacking the anticoagulant, we will than commercial poults. Wild turkeys and be able to measure the impact of thrombin other non-commercial poultry may be generation on the formation of C5a in culture. significant sources of infection for From this experiment we hope to better commercial flocks. Further research is understand the mechanisms behind the necessary to investigate whether domestic increased cleavage of C5 into C5a and its turkeys are more resistant to other infectious relationship to the coagulation cascade. diseases and identify the underlying causes. Biosynthesis of Base J by JBP1 and JBP2 Investigating the Relationship between Melissa Jennings, CURO Honors Scholar the Complement and Coagulation Dr. Robert Sabatini, Biochemistry & Cascades in Placental Malaria Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Tiffany Jenkinson Sciences Dr. Julie Moore, Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine Leishmania major (L. major) is a protozoan parasite that causes leishmaniasis, which High rates of maternal morbidity, as well as affects people in parts of Africa, Asia, South low birth weight and fetal loss, are attributed America, and Central America. The to placental malaria (PM), the accumulation of Leishmania protozoa are part of a larger class malaria infected erythrocytes in the called kinetoplastids which are responsible for intervillous space of the placenta, the invasion deadly human diseases such African sleeping of inflammatory cells, and the release of pro- sickness in Africa and Chagas’ disease in inflammatory mediators. The over-activation South America. Research is focused on a of markers of the coagulation cascade and the novel modified DNA base, called base J, accompanying expression of C5a in present in kinetoplastid protozoa and shown complement activation have been shown to to regulate RNA polymerase II transcription cause impairment of the surrounding placental and gene expression. By understanding base J tissues. Although coagulation and synthesis and function, researchers may one complement are generally viewed separately, day be able to develop a specific treatment they are activated together in an overlapping that will manipulate base J and kill these manner in response to pathophysiological protozoa. The initial step of J synthesis is damage. We believe that thrombin, an catalyzed by two thymidine hydroxylases, abundant serine protease involved in the JBP1 and JBP2. Somehow these enzymes coagulation pathway, could be a key recognize specific regions of the parasite interaction between these proteolytic activated genome and modify a thymidine base. Our systems. Our previous studies showed that hypothesis is that additional proteins are levels of C5a, crucial in mediating innate host associated with JBP during base J synthesis. immunity, were significantly elevated in the To identify these proteins, we will isolate peripheral and placental blood space of JBP1 and JBP2 in L. major cell extracts women with PM. Therefore, we hypothesize followed by mass spectrometry. In order to that thrombin is able to cleave C5 into C5a. isolate JBP from the cell, we are creating JBP To test the fundamentals of this hypothesis fused PTP-tag constructs that will be inserted we will first determine the presence of C5a in back into the L. major genome via cultures of P. falciparum (or uninfected red homologous recombination and deleting the blood cells, as a control). Cultures will either remaining wild type allele. The appropriate

Abstracts constructs have been generated and parasite exploring this challenging analytical problem transfections are underway. We will present now. current data resulting from recombinant L. major parasite cell lines and the search for JBP Stable Isotope and Crystallinity Variations associated proteins involved in J biosynthesis. in Kaolin Deposits of Georgia in Up Dip to Down Dip Occurrences Influence of Maternal Presence, Age, and Adam Jones Sex on Social Learning Dr. Paul Schroeder, Geology, Franklin Thomas Johnston, Ramsey Scholar College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Dorothy Fragaszy, Psychology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Kaolin is a one billion dollar industry for the state of Georgia, where it is used primarily in Some nonhuman animals learn skills socially; paper coating, but also in plastics, ceramics, i.e., they have traditions. I am interested in paints, and pharmaceuticals. Recently, kaolin how animals maintain traditions. A previous has been used in the production of polymer study showed that capuchin monkeys in nano-composites, showing its versatility and captivity developed a traditional technical skill economic importance. Economically (to get juice from a vending device). Using exploited kaolin beds south of the Fall Line data from this study, we examined the effects are formed by weathering of alumino-silicate of age, sex, and maternal presence (or minerals, the source being granitic rocks in absence) on the proximity of monkeys to the the Georgia Piedmont region. Variations in device, to begin to understand how young the crystal structure and chemical state of monkeys learned the skill. The data were kaolinite are vital to how the clays can be used collected in twelve 30-minute sessions with in the production industry. This study each of four different groups of tufted examined the δ18O and δD isotopic variation capuchin monkeys. All trials were in sediment-hosted kaolin deposits videotaped. The monkeys’ interactions with geologically located in up dip to down dip the vending device were coded in playback occurrences in the Eocene-aged Huber using one-zero sampling in ten second Formation. When isotopic results from gas- intervals. Behavioral frequencies were source mass-spectrometry were compared tabulated per individual and visually with X-ray diffraction, determinations of represented in boxplots. The results presented kaolinite abundances and crystal structure here are from Group B (3 infants (0 to 2 years correlations appeared between isotopic values of age), 1 juvenile (3 to 4 years of age), 6 adult and mine locations. A general trend of δD females, and 1 adult male), the group with the enrichment and δ18O depletion in the most infants. In this sample, infants stayed in kaolinite occurs up dip, suggesting that post proximity to, contacted, and solved the device depositional recrystallization captures more than adults. The lone juvenile was in exchanges with meteoric water. Kaolinite proximity and contacted the device less than crystallinity at sequence boundaries also half the amount of the infants but solved shows considerable variability. The amount of almost twice as often. Maternal presence was recrystallization undergone and kaolinite associated with more frequent proximity, purity in a deposit determine the quality and contact, and solving compared to maternal economic worth of the clay. As reserve absence. Ultimately we want to determine scarcity increases, selective mining becomes a how social partners affect activity with the more viable operating practice, exposing the device, such as whether joint proximity with necessity to understand kaolin deposit quality. others is associated with getting juice. We are

Abstracts

Immunopathogenesis of Placental Malaria Integrating of Human Neural Progenitor in Mice Lacking Tumor Necrosis Factor Cells into a Developing Chicken Embryo and its Receptors for a Toxicology Model Mathew Joseph, CURO Summer Fellow Piyush Joshi Dr. Julie Moore, Infectious Diseases, College Dr. Steven Stice, Animal & Dairy Science, of Veterinary Medicine College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest malaria causing parasite in humans. Malaria The goal of this project is to establish a during pregnancy is associated with the developmental toxicology model system accumulation of parasitized red blood cells which can be used in the field of toxicology and infiltration of white cells in the placenta. and regenerative medicine. Human neural This is known as placental malaria (PM). We progenitor stem cells (hNPs) will be injected hypothesize mice lacking TNF (TNF null into the developing chicken embryo and then mutant) and its receptors (TNFRI null tracked with magnetic resonance imaging mutant, TNFRII null mutant, (MRI) and GFP fluorescent cell tracking. To and TNFRI/RII double null mutant) will have accomplish this, hNPs will be labeled with an altered immunopathogenesis to control iron nanoparticle MRI contrast agents and mice, not exhibiting the same pathogenesis of injected into the chicken embryo at stage 15 in TNF driven placental pathology. The hopes of integrating those cells into the experiment uses 330 mice, including TNF RI central nervous system (CNS) of the chicken. null mutant, TNF RII null At specific endpoints, the chicken embryo will mutant,TNFRI/RII double null mutant, TNF be imaged to assess cellular integration. When null mutant, control, and wild type B6 successful, this will provide us with a (C57BL/6) mice. Each strain is infected developmental toxicology model for further with Plasmodium chabaudi through IV studies intending to assess the impact of injections of 103 infected red blood cells at endocrine active compounds (EACs) and day 8 to 10 of pregnancy. We will include other toxins on neural development. three different groups for each strain: infected pregnant (IP), infected non-pregnant (INP), The Pathogenicity of Mycoplasma and uninfected pregnant (UP). We will gallopavonis in Wild and Commercial sacrifice the mice on days 9, 10, 12, 14, and Turkeys 18, and organs will be collected for study into Rachel Jude TNF and its receptors' effects on PM within Dr. Naola Ferguson-Noel, Population Health, these mice. In particular, changes in College of Veterinary Medicine expression of markers of apoptosis, programmed cell death, and autophagy, Mycoplasma gallopavonis has been commonly intracellular recycling of organelles, will be isolated from wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) assessed. Continued study of TNF and its populations throughout the United States, and receptors, I and II, promises to reveal the prevalence of infection has been estimated common and critical mechanisms which to be very high. M.gallopavonis has also been contribute universally to malaria isolated from domestic turkeys that can be compromised pregnancies. readily infected with the organism by contact with wild turkeys. Although the avian Mycoplasma spp. that are known to be pathogenic to domestic poultry have been extensively studied, there is currently no

Abstracts objective information available on whether usually highly influential leaders who may also this common Mycoplasma infection can impact sit on boards of external corporations. the health and survival of turkeys. In this Trustees often join a broader “executive study the pathogenicity of an isolate of science network” because, as directors of both M.gallopavonis was investigated in commercial universities and science-based corporations, and wild turkey poults. Twenty domestic and these trustees are in a position to influence twenty wild turkey poults were inoculated at 3 discovery and innovation from the highest weeks of age with M.gallopavonis via level of organizational authority. This study intraocular, intranasal, intra airsac, intra seeks to identify industry-academy footpad and intravenous routes. Ten relationships among AAU university trustees commercial and ten wild turkeys were and independent business firms by evaluated and compared to non-inoculated constructing a database and using social controls at 14 and 21 days post challenge by network analysis. Specifically, a component of gross and histological examination of tissues. the research will address network variations The primary lesion observed in infected birds among public and private university trustees. was synovitis in footpads and associated Research has revealed private universities lameness. The joints were swollen and contain highly concentrated networks, while contained purulent exudate. The domestic public universities form less robust turkeys were more severely affected than the relationships with industry. Through this wild turkeys. This study is the first study, there lies potential to contribute to investigation into the pathogenicity of public policy concerns regarding M.gallopavonis and its potential impact on wild understanding of conflict of interest issues, and commercial turkeys in the United States. mapping areas of overlapping research interest between industry and the academy, The Executive Science Network: and comprehending how networked Variations between Public and Private universities cooperate with for-profit industry Trustee Networks firms. Shalin Jyotishi Dr. Sheila Slaughter, Institute Of Higher Identifying Interacting Proteins in the Education Karrikin and Strigolactone Signaling System The Association of American Universities Nikhil Kamath, CURO Graduation (AAU) is an invite-only association comprised Distinction of 62 elite research-intensive universities. Due Dr. David Nelson, Genetics, Franklin College to their status as leaders in research, AAU of Arts & Sciences universities become prime incubators for the process of technology transfer, which is Karrikins, chemical molecules found in smoke characterized as the process of from burning plant matter, and strigolactone, commercializing the research of a university a plant hormone, both act as plant growth scientist. Prior research has revealed the regulators that affect the development of potential for conflict of interest between the plants. Both molecules act through individual scientist and business leaders; alpha/beta-hydrolase proteins called KAI2 however, there is little to no research and D14. These receptors genetically interact regarding university trustees and their with MAX2, an F-box protein that ultimately relationships with business leaders. Trustees allows the molecules to elicit phenotypic act as stewards of a university and sit at the responses affecting branching, height, top of the university hierarchy. They are senescence, hypocotyl elongation,

Abstracts germination, and root development. F-box the properties of various cca mutant strains to proteins characteristically mediate study the relationship between the CCA- ubiquitination of proteins, targeting them for adding enzyme, PAP I, and specific tRNA- degradation by the 26S proteasome. SMAX1 processing enzymes (RNase PH, RNase and its seven homologs in Arabidopsis have T). Initially we have examined the growth recently been proposed to be candidate targets properties of various multiple mutants. Dot of MAX2. However, MAX2 may also form blots and Northern blot analysis will be used complexes with many other proteins. to study poly(A) levels and the nature of 3' Additionally, downstream physical ends of specific tRNA transcripts interactions with SMAX1 have not been respectively. RT-PCR cloning of specific deeply studied. We aimed to identify novel tRNA transcripts will allow us to examine the protein partners using a truncated form of exact nature of the tRNA 3’ ends in cca MAX2 that does not have an F-box domain. mutants. Our findings are expected to provide Without this domain MAX2 should still bind new insights into the interactions between its normal protein partners yet not be able to tRNA nucleotidyl transferase and other key bind ubiquitination machinery. Without the enzymes involved in the processing of tRNAs ubiquitination machinery MAX2 should be in E. coli. unable to facilitate degradation of its protein partners as usual. We stabilize these preserved Attacking the Fire and Fuel: Nano protein interactions with MAX2 and purify Formulation of Platin-A for Cancer and them through coimmunoprecipitation assays. Associated Inflammation Samuel Kennedy, Trenton Berding The Role of tRNA Nucleotidyl Prof. Shanta Dhar, Chemistry, Franklin Transferase in tRNA Processing in College of Arts & Sciences Escherichia coli Francine Katz A strong association between chronic Dr. Sidney Kushner, Genetics, Franklin inflammation and cancer plays roles in College of Arts & Sciences prostate cancer. We recently constructed a Pt(IV) prodrug Platin-A with the ability to The CCA-adding enzyme tRNA nucleotidyl release cisplatin, a widely used transferase, encoded by the cca gene, chemotherapeutic, and aspirin, an anti- synthesizes and repairs the 3'-terminal CCA inflammatory agent. Platin-A showed sequence of tRNAs in both prokaryotic and enormous potential for further development. eukaryotic organisms. It is a member of the However, clinical translation of small- superfamily of enzymes that also includes molecule based therapeutics requires a poly(A) polymerase I (PAP I), encoded by the suitable delivery system to achieve favorable pcnB gene, which is the major polyadenylating pharmacokinetic parameters and appropriate enzyme in Escherichia coli and acts by adding biodistribution. In this presentation, a adenosine residues to the 3' ends of mRNAs promising strategy to entrap Platin-A in and tRNAs. All the tRNA genes in E. coli biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles will be have the CCA nucleotide triplet encoded discussed. Specifically, we will focus on the within their DNA sequences, so it is thought role of the mitochondria in coordinating that the protein functions mostly to repair signaling pathways in cancer-associated tRNAs without an intact CCA sequence inflammation. Activation of various proteins which may have been removed by tRNA causes mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in processing ribonucleases during mitochondrial reactive oxygen species maturation. Our objective is to characterize production and downstream signaling that

Abstracts promote inflammation-associated cancer. and in the organizations’ popular support. As Using a mitochondria-targeted polymeric- terrorist groups become aligned with larger nanoparticle as a delivery vehicle, we movements, they gain access to additional anticipated that Platin-A could be re-routed to funds, expertise, recruits and affirmation, the mitochondria of cancer cells and attack making them more dangerous. It is in the the mitochondrial DNA, thereby designing a interests of anti-terror agencies around the targeted pathway for the well-established drug world to understand the rationale behind such cisplatin. A promising strategy for achieving alignments in order to better prevent and this goal is discussed here. combat them.

Nationalism vs. Global Jihad: Al-Qaeda Marital Security, Depression, and Sleep and Precursors in Algeria, Somalia and Quality: Assessing Bidirectional Yemen Associations with Actor-Partner Melanie Kent Interdependence Model Dr. Seema Gahlaut, Center for International Yuri Kim Trade and Security Dr. Steven Beach, Psychology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Global jihad is inherently universalist and trans-national, and therefore opposed to Perceptions of relationship security and self- Islamic nationalism. Al-Qaeda has not only reported depressive symptoms have been rejected Islamic nationalism, but has also been implicated as important contributors to the able to successfully influence a number of understanding of sleep quality (Troxel, Islamic nationalist groups to pursue global Robles, Hall, & Buysse, 2007; Sutter, Zöllig, jihad and target their foreign as well as Allemand, & Martin, 2012). The purpose of domestic enemies both within and beyond this study is to examine an integrative model national boundaries. What explains this that investigates the dyadic relationship success? This research focuses on three between marital security, self-reported terrorist organizations, now officially depressive symptoms, and sleep quality. A associated with al-Qaeda, that have nationalist total of 196 African American married goals: al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic couples were asked to participate in this study. Maghreb, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Participants were asked to complete a battery and Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen. Their of questionnaires measuring perceived marital choice of targets over time is used as an security, self-reported depressive symptoms, indicator of their evolution from nationalism and sleep quality. The Actor-Partner to global jihadism. The research attempts to Interdependence Model (APIM) was used as a understand if this evolution is a reflection of a framework for statistical analyses in order to strategic or ideological change. If the incorporate responses from both members of evolution is a result of strategic change, i.e., a a dyad into a single model and control for the response to specific threats to the correlated nature of spouses’ reports. There organizations’ survival, we should see an were no significant partner effects. However, increase in factors such as: external anti-terror there were statistically significant actor effects operations against it, local competition from for husband’s depression, wife’s sense of other groups and difficulty in expanding security in the relationship, and wife’s self- funding, recruitment or expertise. If the reported depressive symptoms on self- evolution is the result of a change in reported sleep quality. In conclusion, self- ideological beliefs, we should see changes in reported depressive symptoms predicted sleep the character of leadership ties to al-Qaeda quality for both partners but did not predict

Abstracts partner sleep quality. For wives only, Decreasing Summer Learning Loss relationship security accounted for variance in among Low-Income Students in Athens- sleep quality beyond the effect depressive Clarke County symptoms, but again there was no partner Shaun Kleber, Foundation Fellow effect. Future research and further Dr. Janna Dresden, Elementary and Social implications are discussed. Studies Education, College of Education

Closing the Income Gap – Education and Summer learning loss is the phenomenon of Technology in the United States children losing knowledge and proficiency in Paul Kirschenbauer, Foundation Fellow skills—such as reading ability—during the Dr. Santanu Chatterjee, Economics, Terry months-long summer vacation. Low-income College of Business students suffer most, specifically in reading achievement, because of their lack of access to This paper explores the effects of technology enrichment opportunities and resources that and education on income inequality in the higher-income students enjoy. The problem is United States. Drawing from bodies of especially severe in Athens-Clarke County research pertaining to these three factors and given the very high poverty rate. Summer their interactions, this thesis begins with an learning loss also creates an ever-expanding exploration of US income inequality, both achievement gap between low- and higher- past and present. Income inequality expansion income students that presents a myriad of over recent decades is largely explained by problems as students progress through their evidence of earners in the top end of the later years of school. There are a few policies income spectrum having enjoyed income already in place in Athens-Clarke County to growth of a much greater magnitude than address this issue, but each program leaves earners in the lower end of the spectrum. A gaps unaddressed. A literature review and great deal of this may be attributed to the multi-goal analysis revealed that, through a increased prevalence and utilization of policy aimed at increasing access to technology by government, businesses and educational resources such as books, the consumers. Ample evidence exists to support problem of summer learning loss could be the notion that technology increases the significantly reduced. This would help close wages of skilled workers (typically high the achievement gap, decrease the dropout earners), while simultaneously decreasing rate, increase the graduation rate, and boost those of unskilled workers (typically low the overall success of a huge portion of the earners). As a means to decrease the skill student population in Athens-Clarke County. premium, and thereby decrease income inequality, I recommend an increased Henry V: Legitimacy in Kingship and investment in public education through Film scholarships for college tuition. As this thesis Hannah Klevesahl elucidates, any such attempt at implementing Dr. Fran Teague, Theatre & Film Studies, education policy must be carefully planned Franklin College of Arts & Sciences and correctly executed (in this case, awarding scholarships based on both merit and William Shakespeare’s Henry V (1599?) is the financial need) to achieve the desired result of fourth play in a series that showcases the closing the income gap. Otherwise, it may decay of moral legitimacy of kingship. The actually increase the income gap in the United tetralogy begins with the murder of Richard II States. and the takeover of Henry IV, which leads to civil war. When Henry V becomes king in the

Abstracts fourth play, he seems to reverse this trend behavior when requesting that a specific vote with the victory over France at Agincourt. receives a roll call? I utilize an original dataset Since the advent of modern cinema, however, of all amendment votes on major legislation the play’s performance history has been from the 57th to the 68th Congress to altered dramatically, as has the character’s examine which legislators request roll call interpretation. The two most notable film votes. The time period of this study is versions of Henry V – and the ones that are advantageous because the adoption of the discussed in this paper – are Laurence Seventeenth Amendment, which instituted the Olivier’s 1944 version and Kenneth Branagh’s direct election of U.S. Senators, provides a 1989 version. Olivier’s 1944 film portrays unique opportunity to assess how institutional Henry V as a national hero, while Branagh’s change influences members’ propensity to 1989 version gives us a much darker and request roll call votes. This study focuses on unglamorous view of kingship. Since these two different aspects of the roll call request films are adaptations of the same play, I chose process. First, I determine which legislators to research whether the radically different request a roll call vote. Of particular interest is adaptations of the title character in Henry V – the extent to which the characteristics of the and, therefore, the tone of the film – are members who request a roll call diverge from legitimate. I will look at critiques from both the average legislator. Second, I examine movies and attempt to validate or invalidate whether members are more likely to request those criticisms by examining the actors’ roll call votes for issues they favor or oppose. thoughts behind themes of Henry V – as well In doing so, it is possible to discern whether as their opinions on the role – upon which members were more likely to request a public both Branagh and Olivier wrote. I will then vote in order to signal support for or endeavor to show evidence that opposition to an amendment. evaluates their production choices, based on the actors’ performance and technical The Trade-Off between Mating and production of the “Once more unto the Fighting in Nicrophorus vespilloides breach” speech in Act III, scene I of Henry V. Kyungmin Ko, CURO Graduation Distinction Building a Record: Requesting Roll Call Dr. Allen Moore, Genetics, Franklin College Votes under Changing Institutions of Arts & Sciences Cody Knapp, CURO Honors Scholar Dr. Anthony Madonna, Political Science, Individuals have finite resources to allocate to School of Public & International Affairs three major life-history components: somatic maintenance, growth, and reproduction. The roll call voting behavior of members of When division of resources amongst these Congress is a frequent subject of research on cannot ameliorate two traits simultaneously, congressional politics, with prior research one trait is optimized and the other weakened. examining the determinants of members’ This phenomenon is called trade-off. For voting behavior and the development of most species, if the components are in statistical models to scale roll call votes. opposition, trade-offs are likely. Male burying Scholars of congressional politics have given beetles, Nicrophorus vespilloides, have many traits less attention to the data generating process that they must perform to be highly through which roll call votes arise. successful: resource finding, mating, fighting, Understanding who requests a roll call vote and parental care. Among such abilities, trade- allows scholars to investigate an important offs are likely to occur since each is highly question: Do legislators engage in strategic related to fitness. I hypothesized that a trade-

Abstracts off could exist between mating and fighting. I survival, collected egg capsules, and measured chose mating as one component of this study plant quality traits. I found evidence for because, prior to my experiment, three density dependence in the reproduction, but replicated population lines had been artificially not the survival, of C. auratus. There was an selected by high or low rate of male attempts effect of beetle density on egg mass to mate with females within the first 30 production, which varied over time. The minutes of pairing. I chose fighting because, rapidity of the effect on reproduction theoretically, males that invest a majority of indicates that an induced defensive response their resources here are unlikely to attempt of the plants may be responsible. I also found mating as frequently as those that invest more strong effects of the beetles on its host plant, in mating. Individuals from differing line with significant reductions in plant growth types were pitted against each other over and leaf area with increasing beetle density. possession of a reproductive resource, a The strong effects on plants likely explain the mouse carcass. After conducting 240+ trials, beetles’ density dependent reproduction. To winners were determined based on body mass my knowledge, no other studies have rather than artificial selection of mating rate. examined how bottom-up forces regulate Since body mass was not controlled for, I populations of aposematic (warning could not detect if different line types were coloration) species. affecting competitive ability in individuals. Therefore, I am unable to conclude that there Glycoproteomic Approaches for is an evolutionary trade-off between mating Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Discovery and fighting ability in Nicrophorus vespilloides. Anjali Kumar, CURO Honors Scholar Dr. Lance Wells, Biochemistry & Molecular Density Dependent Regulation of Survival Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences and Reproduction in Dogbane Beetles and Underlying Host-Plant Interactions Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest 5-year Carmen Kraus, Ramsey Scholar survival rates. The high mortality rate, due in Dr. Richard Shefferson, Odum School of large part to a lack of diagnostic tests and thus Ecology late stage detection, has created an important role for pancreatic cancer researchers to Ecologists have long debated the factors most change these statistics through discovering responsible for population regulation, more efficient methods for detecting including the relative importance of top-down pancreatic cancer early. We are studying (predation) versus bottom-up (food quality) pancreatic ductal fluid (PDF) samples which forces. This experiment examined Chrysochus contain proteins and sugars that may aid in auratus, the dogbane beetle, a specialist finding early diagnostic biomarkers. In our herbivore that consumes and sequesters current studies, we are comparing PDF from toxins from Apocynum cannabinum, the dogbane healthy, chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic plant. I conducted a field experiment to cancer patients. Since cancer causes examine if C. auratus populations are regulated inflammation, we are using the PDF from through density dependent survival or patients with chronic pancreatitis as our reproduction, and whether survival and baseline control instead of healthy individuals. reproduction are sensitive to bottom-up My role in this project is to isolate the forces including host-plant quality and plant proteins from PDF, release and permethylate chemical defenses. I caged the beetles on the O-glycans, and perform mass stems of A. cannabinum at four densities with spectrometry analyses to assign and quantify eight replicates per treatment. I tracked beetle the O-glycans. The goal of this work is to find

Abstracts glycan/protein biomarkers for pancreatic government ensures that more money is later cancer with the hope that this would increase available to provide for special needs the survival rate of pancreatic cancer. individuals.

A Tax-Deferred Trust: Reducing the Mapping of the oriT Region of the Financial Burden of Families with Special Virulence Plasmid of Rhodococcus equi Needs Children Jacob Kumro Mitra Kumareswaran Dr. Mary Hondalus, Infectious Diseases, Dr. Scott Ardoin, Educational Psychology & College of Veterinary Medicine Instructional Technology, College of Education Rhodococcus equi, an aerobic, Gram-positive soil-derived bacterium, is a common cause of In the United States, over twenty million chronic granulomatous pneumonia in grazing families have a special needs member. Many herbivores and persons with immune are children who need extensive healthcare deficiencies such as those infected with HIV support and provisions for daily living. On virus. The virulence plasmid responsible for top of current expenses, parents must plan its disease-causing capacity is transferable to how to financially support their special needs recipient bacteria through conjugation. The children throughout adulthood. Depending plasmid oriT region is essential to on the IQ level, the lifetime expense for the conjugation, containing both the nicking and disabled can reach $2.3 million. The average binding sites for TraA, a protein essential for income of a typical middle-class family is plasmid transfer. Through a series of currently decreasing, yet the number of subcloning and deletion analyses, the oriT has families with a special needs child is been localized to a 178bp region of the increasing. Current federal entitlements may virulence plasmid. This region, when cloned also not meet the demands of the future in cis on a small, normally non-conjugating disabled population. If these trends continue, plasmid, confers transmissibility of that a financial strain will be placed on parents and plasmid provided the donor R. equi strain also the state. Currently, special needs trust funds carries the virulence plasmid encoding the can be created for a beneficiary whose conjugation machinery including TraA. To disability impairs the ability to engage in any identify the specific residues essential for oriT substantial gainful activity. A literature review function, the 178bp region of the was conducted to outline potential policy recombinant plasmid was subjected to timed solutions to assist parents and the government exonuclease III cleavage. Several of the in better providing for special needs exonuclease-exposed plasmids were found to individuals. Three viable policy alternatives be no longer conjugable. Sequencing of the were identified and then evaluated on the oriT regions of these conjugation defective basis of three criteria: cost-effectiveness, plasmids is currently underway to identify the political feasibility, and improvement in deletion mutations associated with loss of quality of life for special needs children. The plasmid transmissibility. Also ongoing are proposed tax-deferred special needs trust fund efforts to express and purify recombinant follows a combined format of 401 (k) and TraA protein for use in electromobility shift Roth IRA plans so that money deposited into assays (EMSAs). These assays will confirm the the trust and dividends are tax exempted. This interaction of TraA with the wildtype oriT trust reduces the financial strains on parents and loss of TraA binding to the mutated and society because by not taxing a small fragments associated with defective portion of the parents’ earnings, the conjugation. Identifying the TraA interacting

Abstracts regions of oriT is crucial to understanding the How to Tackle the Bike Share Helmet mechanism of conjugation, an important Problem means by which genetic exchange occurs Torre Lavelle, Foundation Fellow between bacterial species. Prof. Kevin Kirsche, Director of Sustainability The Dynamics of MglA in Myxococcus xanthus Motility Systems The reinvention of city and campus Sudeepti Kuppa transportation is demonstrated most clearly by Dr. Lawrence Shimkets, Microbiology, the popular embrace of bike share programs, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences short-term bicycle rentals provided at unattended stations. According to both Annals Myxococcus xanthus cells, when starved, of Emergency Medicine and Time magazine, coordinate with other cells in their however, the discrepancy in helmet use surrounding area to form fruiting bodies in among bike share riders as compared to which cells differentiate into dormant spores. personal bike users is the one impediment to These bacteria glide on solid surfaces and bike shares’ integration into communities. periodically reverse their movement, the Because helmets are not available at rental direction of which is controlled in part by stations, New York City’s Citi Bike bicycle motility proteins MglA and MglB. These share program currently recommends that its proteins localize to opposite poles of the cell, participants bring a helmet from home. In where MglA is at the leading pole and MglB addition, the company offers $10 helmet toward the lagging pole. When MglA and coupons for annual members and encourages MglB switch poles, the direction of the cell helmet rentals through a rental company. reverses, a process which takes place every 5- Nevertheless, geographic inaccessibility is one 10 minutes. We hypothesize that the of the most cited reasons why bike share localization of these proteins within the participants do not wear helmets and any off- cytoplasm directs cell movement and aids site spree to attain a helmet deters commuters, coordination during and after development of tourists, and quick trips. After conducting a the fruiting body. This project involves thorough review of existing literature, a multi- creating deletion mutants of MglA and MglB goal analysis was performed on multiple and separately tagging them with fluorescent policy options, and it was determined that proteins in order to observe localization of helmet rental vending machines, currently MglA and MglB as well as detecting undergoing local expansion at Boston bike differences between wild type and mutant share hubs, demonstrate a feasible method to movement during sporulation and fruiting gaining onsite helmet accessibility. Integrating body formation. Collection of cell reversal the $2 cost of this vending machine helmet frequency data is in progress for the MglA rental into Citi Bike’s bike rental fee would deletion mutant. MglA and MglB have both challenge an added optional expense that been tagged with fluorescent proteins would discourage bike share users from tdTomato and sfGFP, respectively. They will achieving a safe biking experience. A bundled be transformed into Myxococcus xanthus and fee still provides the choice to individuals of viewed under phase contrast microscopy to whether to use a helmet, but with it comes the visualize their localization within the cell. We opportunity to not have to decide between also hope to learn how MglA and MglB cost and safety. interact during the reversal and how this affects the directional movement in the short term.

Abstracts

Wavefront Sensorless Adaptive Optics The Emergence of Sustainability as the with Differential Interference Contrast New Dominant Logic in Business Microscopy Jessie Lian, Alex Ballasiotes Keelan Lawrence Dr. Richard Watson, Management Dr. Peter Kner, College of Engineering Information Systems, Terry College of Business Many unstained biological specimens cannot be seen when in focus under an ordinary Every firm needs to establish its dominant transmitted-light microscope because they are logic, which is the critical factor that a transparent. These transparent samples can be business must consider when it makes key seen with microscopes that convert phase decisions. Dominant logics have progressed variations due to the refractive index from goods-dominant (success determined by variations into intensity variations by use of the ability to produce the most goods with the interference methods. Differential- fewest inputs) to service-dominant (success interference-contrast (DIC) microscopy is an determined by the ability to retain customers interference method commonly used for the and please them). Firms now face the study of transparent specimens. The DIC emergence of a new dominant logic, whereby image is formed from the difference in phase success is determined by the capacity to between two light waves separated by a conserve resources and provide the most small lateral displacement. When imaging value with the least unsustainable inputs. Our through tissue samples many microns thick, research considers the issues that firms must the light becomes aberrated traveling through address during this migration. Through an the sample, resulting in a distorted, lower analysis of corporate annual reports, resolution image. We demonstrate that sustainability reports, and interviews with adaptive optics can correct distortions in the Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs), we show image, resulting in sharp DIC images that there has been a marked shift in the throughout multicellular organisms. Adaptive mentality of motivations for business optics improve image resolution by correcting decisions across industries. Industry leaders changes to the optical wavefront caused by understand that a transition to a sustainability optical aberrations with the use of a focus not only must take place, but will also deformable mirror. We determine the benefit their company’s success. As these optimum correction from a sequence of trial findings add to the body of work supporting aberrations applied to the deformable mirror. the transition to sustainability-driven For each trial aberration, we calculate a dominant logic, there are important "metric" which measures the amplitudes of a implications for the future of businesses. In band of spatial frequencies to be maximized. particular, we consider the implications for Trial aberrations were applied on the information systems, as they have historically deformable mirror while looking at the image supported the needs of the current dominant of a single latex bead. We demonstrate that logic. Looking to the future, it clearly will be the maximum intensity of a bad image can be important for observers of the business world, improved by over a factor of 20. We then as well as those who operate within it, to image C. elegans biological samples and correct understand and utilize sustainability dominant the DIC images with adaptive optics. DIC logic and build appropriate information imaging with adaptive optics represents a systems. significant improvement over conventional DIC imaging.

Abstracts

The Relationships between Zinc and Development of an In-Frame Deletion Bone Strength in Healthy Children System for Ruegeria pomeroyi Andrea Lobene Amala Malladi Dr. Richard Lewis, Foods & Nutrition, Dr. William Whitman, Microbiology, Franklin College of Family & Consumer Sciences College of Arts & Sciences

Zinc is an essential micronutrient required for Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 is an alpha- childhood bone growth. Zinc deficient proteobacteria isolated from coastal Georgia children have impaired skeletal development, capable of metabolizing the organosulfur but it is unclear in healthy children if zinc compound dimethylsulfoniopropionate nutriture is associated with bone strength. The (DMSP). DMSP contributes to the global purpose of this study was to determine sulfur cycle and marine microbial sulfur and relationships between dietary and serum zinc carbon metabolism. To extend the few genetic and bone measures in white girls entering manipulation tools and antibiotic resistance puberty (11.3±1.3 years of age; n=39). Dietary markers available for use in R. pomeroyi, an in- zinc was assessed using three-day diet records frame deletion system for R. pomeroyi is being and serum zinc by atomic absorption developed using flippase (Flp)-flp recognition spectrophotometry. Peripheral quantitative target (FRT) recombination techniques. First, computed tomography was used to measure a second antibiotic resistance marker was trabecular and cortical bone geometry at the required. The plasmid pFLP2 carrying radius and tibia. Bone mineral content of the ampicillin resistance from Escherichia coli was total body, lumbar spine, and hip was transformed into R. pomeroyi. The stability of determined by dual energy X-ray the pFLP2 plasmid was checked by passing absorptiometry. Mean zinc intakes and serum the transformant three times and extracting zinc values were 9.8±4.4 mg/day and 8.8±3.2 the plasmid after each passage. It was found mg/dL, respectively. There were significant to be retained by gel electrophoresis, positive correlations between dietary zinc and providing another antibiotic resistance marker several trabecular bone outcomes at the tibia, in R. pomeroyi. Next, FRT sites were added to including trabecular bone strength index (BSI; the tetracycline resistant (TetR) cassette for r=0.59, p<0.001) and periosteal homologous recombination into the R. circumference (r=0.36, p<0.04). When pomeroyi genome. PCR demonstrated that the controlling for energy intake, the correlation TetR cassette was integrated correctly. The with BSI remained significant. There were no final step involved the amplification of positive correlations observed at the radius or regions upstream and downstream of the with tibial cortical bone, and there were no katG gene from R. pomeroyi to be used for significant correlations between serum zinc homologous recombination with the TetR and any of the bone outcomes. These results cassette. This attempt to amplify regions suggest a link between dietary zinc and surrounding the katG gene has not yet been trabecular, but not cortical bone strength at successful. These experiments increase the the weight-bearing tibia. Since the majority of genetic techniques available in R. pomeroyi. bone mass is achieved by late adolescence, a zinc intervention trial is warranted to more adequately determine the influence of zinc on bone strength and the potential for osteoporotic fracture prevention later in life.

Abstracts

Job Training to Combat Poverty among A Change in the Winds: How the 'Dawgs Unemployed Coal Miners Can Be Proud of More than Just Sports Molly Malone Walker Marlatt Dr. David Williams, Religion, Franklin Dr. Adel Amer, Religion, Franklin College of College of Arts & Sciences Arts & Sciences

In recent decades significant changes have It is well known that Athens-Clarke County is been made to reduce environmental harm by poor; by some reports it is the poorest county the coal industry, including more stringent of its size in the nation. Not surprisingly, its regulations for coal mines which force mines education statistics fall below the state unable to comply to shut down. Many towns averages. In contrast, the University of which depend on their coal mine as a source Georgia, whose education and rankings have of livelihood fall into poverty without other improved drastically over the last few decades, employment options. In some coal mining has an incredible supply of funds. This study counties in Kentucky, 72% of income is from looks into how it is possible that such a the coal industry, and in the past two years prestigious and high-functioning university alone over 4,000 mine workers in Kentucky exists in such an impoverished city, and what have lost their jobs. In Kentucky nine mines could be done to alleviate that poverty. Since are closing, and all have cited the new EPA the academics of the university should be its policies as at least part of the cause for the main concern, I focus less on what the shutdown. Possible policy solutions include university as a whole could do, and more on improvement of a program in West Virginia, nonacademic departments, especially athletics. enacting state policy, and forming a Despite the fact that it owns some of the community coalition. In West Virginia, the most valuable property in the city, the United Mine Workers Association and university is tax exempt because it is, of WorkForce West Virginia are working course, a university. However, not all of its together to provide job training for the money goes to places naturally associated with growing displaced mine workers. The job a college education. For example, it spends training program provided by the UMWA and almost as much (78 percent!) on athletics WorkForce West Virginia is funded by a every year as the entire county does on federal grant devoted to efforts in job training. education. In looking for ways to change this, The grant provides up to $5,000 per I gathered information from census data, participant in Classroom Occupational Skills websites of the various departments of UGA, Training, training for occupations expected to and local news articles on both UGA and the be in high demand, such as electrical trades, nature of poverty in Athens. Ultimately, I seek welding, mechanics, heavy equipment to prove and persuade that the university operating, medicine and truck driving. To should pay taxes on its income that doesn’t go address the unemployment problem in to improving the life and education of its Kentucky, actions should be taken based off student body. of the program in place by these two groups, though with various changes for improvement.

Abstracts

Signaling through TNF Receptors during The Role of Dopamine in the Perception Placental Malaria. of Olfactory Inputs in Drosophila Larvae Omar Martinez-Uribe Melissa Masserant Dr. Julie Moore, Infectious Diseases, College Dr. Ping Shen, Cellular Biology, Franklin of Veterinary Medicine College of Arts & Sciences

The effects of malarial infection during When presented with odor inputs, Drosophila pregnancy include maternal anemia, low birth melanogaster larvae will desire more palatable weight (LBW), preterm delivery, and increased food; therefore, they will increase the amount infant and maternal mortality. Parasites they eat. This mechanism requires the sequester in the placenta and this process is neuropil (lateral horn) for higher-order associated with poor birth outcomes, but the olfactory processing. Higher-order olfactory mechanisms are still unknown. TNF is a pro- centers are essential for understanding the inflammatory cytokine that has been motivational significance of the odor inputs. associated with malaria pathogenesis. TNF Using D. melanogaster in the third instar larval has a unique ability to induce cell death stage, we found a small subset of dopamine through its surface receptors, namely TNFR1 neurons along with four neuropeptide F and TNFR2. We hypothesize that TNF (similar to neuropeptide Y)-producing signaling through its surface receptors neurons that project to the larval lateral horns, (TNFR1 and TNFR2) is required for which mediate the translation from odor apoptosis and inflammation followed by signaling to an appetite-driven response. We tissue damage and pregnancy loss. To verify measure the mouth hook contractions under this hypothesis, we used TNF null-mutant, single odor stimulations to observe the TNF Receptor 1 Mutant, and TNF Receptor differences in the eating behavior of 2 Mutant, as well as wild-type C57BL/6 mice. genetically mutated larvae. However, we are Mice are infected with P. chabaudi AS on day 0 generally subjected to a combination of of gestation, and clinical metrics are measured different odorants; therefore, we primarily until day 10, day of sacrifice. Spleen, liver, and focus on how odor combinations affect this placental tissue samples are collected and mechanism. Our methods also include fixed in neutral formalin or fresh frozen in targeting DA neurons using laser lesion liquid nitrogen. Proteins are isolated and key techniques to perform functional analysis apoptotic markers such as PARP, caspase 8, studies. Further investigation of this system RIP1 and cleaved caspase 3 are probed by could lead to a better understanding of western blot. Histopathological analysis will anosmia, a major symptom in Parkinson’s also be performed. Preliminary data show that disease. TNFKO and TNFR2 KO are more susceptible to P. chabaudi AS infection than B6 mice. Histopathological analysis shows similar features of placental malaria. Continued studies using western blot and immunohistochemistry may unveil new insight into our understanding of the molecular basis of poor pregnancy outcomes in malaria during pregnancy.

Abstracts

The Effect of Order and Condition on more thorough understanding of test order Assessments of Executive Function and presentation for these particular Brett McCardel, Breanna Ernst, Meghana R. assessments. Nathan, Victoria Smith Bijoyaa Mohapatra, Doctoral Student Neural Activation Changes Associated Dr. Rebecca Shisler Marshall, Communication with Antisaccade Task Practice Sciences & Special Education, College of Brett McCardel Education Dr. Jennifer McDowell, Psychology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Executive functioning is a higher order cognitive ability that enables us to plan, Cognitive control allows us to manage organize, and attend to the stimuli around us. processing of incoming stimuli, and saccade Neurological disorders often present with tasks provide valuable insight into how these executive function deficits. A current study in processes work in the visual system. our lab examined executive function in Prosaccades are rapid, reflexive glances healthy aging individuals. Sixty healthy towards a visual stimulus that rely on neural participants (young=30, aging=30) were circuitry including visual cortex and frontal evaluated on cognitive tasks that isolate the and supplementary eye fields. Antisaccades four fractions of the executive function are glances to the mirror location of a system. The following tests were administered stimulus, requiring inhibition of a glance in a pseudo-random order: Color Trails Test towards the stimulus, thus evoking cognitive (CTT; set switching), Conner's Continuous control and prefrontal cortex activation. The Performance Test II (CPT-II; inhibition), current study examines the effects of practice Nonverbal N-back Task (updating) and Dual- on the neural correlates of saccade production Task (divided attention). Though these when participants perform five runs of assessments are standard in the literature, varying cognitive load with different ordering and within-test difficulty of these probabilities of an antisaccade trial versus a cognitive tests have not been well examined. prosaccade trial. Participants will complete a Due to lack of information in the literature series of eye movement tasks 1) at baseline, 2) and the potential impact, it is of interest to during four daily practice sessions, and 3) at determine how test order may impact overall post-test. One group of participants will executive performance in healthy individuals. practice five runs with only antisaccade trials It is hypothesized that beginning with a more while the other group will practice the five cognitively demanding test such as the CPT-II probability runs. Functional MRI data will result in poorer performance on collected during the baseline and post-test subsequent tests. Additionally, analyses of the sessions will be analyzed using an ANOVA to Dual-Task will be presented; for this Dual- determine the differences in neural activation Task, participants were asked to sort cards between the two practice groups using a either by shape, color, or number (three region of interest (ROI) analysis. It is conditions) while simultaneously attending to hypothesized that participants in the target sounds played through a computer. It is antisaccade group will exhibit less neural hypothesized that different conditions may activation on antisaccade trials at the post-test differ in cognitive demands and a less session compared to the baseline than those cognitively demanding condition (e.g., sorting in the probability group. These results will by color) may result in better performance help further our understanding of practice- scores compared to other conditions. The induced plasticity, and how cognitive control results of these findings may contribute to a

Abstracts processes are affected by increasing cognitive the result of multiple infections of vaccine load. virus.

Arkansas Vaccine Virus Transmitted to Effect of Metformin Treatment on Feline SPF Chickens from Vaccinated Broilers Sarcoma Cancer Cell Cycle and Apoptosis Does Not Provide Protection from Laura McLean Challenge Dr. Robert Gogal, Anatomy and Radiology, Julia McElreath College of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Mark Jackwood, Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine The hallmark of a metastatic cancer is uncontrolled cellular proliferation followed by Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) is a cell cluster expansion into the peripheral gamma Coronavirus (CoV) that causes tissues of the body. Current therapies are infectious bronchitis (IB), a highly contagious designed to block proliferation by directly and economically significant upper respiratory inducing cell death via direct DNA damage, tract disease in poultry. All commercial blocking cell division or impairing cell- chickens are vaccinated against IBV but the signaling events. Still, there is no silver bullet Arkansas-DelMarVa Poultry Industry (Ark- therapy and the typical drug dose needed to DPI) serotype vaccine has been shown to achieve cytotoxicity is associated with severe provide inadequate protection from challenge adverse side effects. Metformin is an oral anti- and persist in a flock. Previous data show that diabetic drug that is used as a first line of the Ark vaccine follows an atypical replication defense for human type-2 diabetes with pattern in comparison to most IBV vaccines, minimal reported side effects. Recent human- showing late single or multiple replication based studies have suggested that this drug peaks throughout the life of the bird. This led may also possess anti-neoplastic us to question whether replication peaks were properties. The focus of this study is to the result of a single infection with multiple evaluate the cytotoxic effects of Metformin, in replication peaks, or if chickens are being re- vitro, using a feline vaccine associated sarcoma infected by vaccine virus shed into the cell line. The assays to be performed to assess environment. To test this, we placed 200 Ark- cytotoxicity include drug inhibition cell DPI vaccinated broilers and 65 non- proliferation assays, cell viability and vaccinated specific pathogenic free (SPF) apoptosis assays, cell cycle assays and chickens together in a colony house at 1 day cytology. Preliminary results at this time of age. Swabs were taken for 28 days to support that the drug has an inhibitory monitor vaccine virus replication, and on day proliferative effect on the feline sarcoma cell 30, select birds were challenged with virulent line, which is concentration dependent. Ark virus. Vaccine replication was not Presently, data are being collected on cell detected in a significant number of broilers viability and apoptosis, cell cycle and cytology until day 24 post-vaccination and SPF under different concentrations of Metformin. chickens until day 28 post vaccination. Time permitting, we plan to assess the Following challenge, 14 of 20 SPF and 9 of 20 cytotoxic effects of this drug in combination broiler chickens tested positive for virus by with another conventional antineoplastic drug qRT-PCR. This trial again demonstrates poor and report our findings. protection from challenge after Ark-DPI vaccination and that the Ark-DPI vaccine will spread laterally in a flock, indicating that multiple peaks of vaccine replication may be

Abstracts

Examination of the Pathogenic Nature of Effect of Differing Larval Diet on Adult Mycoplasma pneumoniae Fitness Measured through Body Size, and Alison McWhorter Anderson, CURO Honors Novel Methods for Body Size Scholar Quantification in Drosophila suzukii Dr. Duncan Krause, Microbiology, Franklin Elijah Mehlferber College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Patricia Moore, Biological Sciences, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Walking pneumonia is a chronic infection commonly found in young adults and Drosophila suzukii are a recently introduced children. The primary cause of this infection invasive species and highly destructive is a bacterium known as Mycoplasma agricultural pest. They pose a unique threat pneumoniae, which generally infects the ciliated because, unlike their close relative Drosophila epithelium of the conducting airways. We melanogastor, they do not infest rotting fruit, used Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial instead attacking fresh ripening fruit. In this (NHBE) cells in an in vitro model because they project I studied the relationship between create a mucocilliary barrier comparable to the larval diet and adult body size. To investigate one that forms in the human airway in vivo. this I first had to establish wing length as a Preliminary studies have shown that over viable proxy measurement for mesonotum time, M. pneumoniae will migrate from the length, which is the measurement usually apical to the basolateral compartment, which associated with body size. I then placed D. may be important in its ability to cause suzukii eggs on blueberries (low protein diet) persistent infections. We infected NHBE cells and artificial media (high protein diet) and with M. pneumoniae and tracked the course of allowed them to develop to adulthood, after the infection by examining the ability of the which I measured and compared their body bacteria to pass from the apical surface to the sizes. Regardless of which larval diet the flies basolateral chamber. This was done in an were raised on, their average adult body size effort to qualitatively and quantitatively was the same. This indicates that D. suzukii characterize pathogenesis and the ability of have adapted to maximize the utility from a the NHBE cells to repair damage following lower protein diet, and their body size may infection. Tests were conducted on both depend more on other nutrients. The mutant and wild type strains of M. pneumoniae. preliminary steps in this experiment have We observed NHBE cell sloughing, which yielded a reliable and accurate means to appears to parallel what occurs during natural quantify the body size of D. suzukii, and this infections, and conducted immuno- information will be useful for future studies of histochemical staining and fluorescence D. suzukii and their various life history traits. microscopy to localize the mycoplasmas. In The research also allows for a better addition, we measured bacterial numbers in understanding of the adaptations that D. the apical and basolateral chambers to suzukii have undergone in reaction to their quantify mycoplasma migration. We also unique larval diet, and ongoing research is assessed ciliary activity visually by videotaping helping to study other related behavioral the movement of fluorescently labeled effects. microbeads of various sizes. We hypothesize that colonization of the basolateral compartment provides the bacteria with a niche for hiding from the immune system.

Abstracts

Carbon Flux in the Amundsen Sea Why is There an Alligator in My Pool? Polynya Assessing Potential Range Shifts with Sea Jasmin Melara Level Rise Dr. Patricia Yager, Marine Sciences, Franklin Lara Mengak, CURO Summer Fellow College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Nathan Nibbelink, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increase from fossil fuel combustion, so increases the Rising sea levels precipitated by climate importance of the ocean's role of taking up change threaten southeastern coasts. Models CO2 and sequestering it at depth for centuries indicate a substantial loss of salt marsh habitat to millennia. The Southern Ocean sequesters and a transition from current freshwater about 20% of the global ocean drawdown of marsh to saltwater and brackish marsh habitat, atmospheric carbon. During the austral which could adversely affect marsh-dependent summer (December to January), the species, including the American alligator Amundsen Sea Polynya off of west Antarctica (Alligator mississipiensis). Kayak and spotlight spans an area of 27,000 km2 and is bursting surveys were used to determine alligator with primary production, which positively occupancy across a gradient of saltwater to correlates with rates of carbon sequestration. freshwater marsh sites. Using this occupancy The Amundsen Sea Polynya International data, we explored the relationship between Research Expedition (ASPIRE) went during habitat composition and alligator occurrence. this season in 2010-11 to better understand Our results show that the amount of brackish the Polynya and the processes controlling the marsh within 250m of a site best amount of carbon sequestered in this discriminated between presence and absence important ecosystem. The following was of alligators. Tolerance to salty environments measured and calculated from water samples suggests that alligators may be resilient to obtained from various locations around the changing marsh conditions with sea level rise. Polynya to calculate the amount of carbon Preliminary modeling indicates a slight decline drawdown: dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), in total suitable habitat area, patch size, and air-sea CO2 flux (GE), particulate organic habitat permanence. Habitat quality, however, carbon (POC), dissolved organic carbon shows a substantial increase. The models (DOC), dissolved organic nitrate (DON), suggest that suitable habitat will move further dissolved inorganic nitrate (DIN), and inland due to sea level rise. These potential particulate organic nitrate (PON). Two range shifts may put alligators into increasing different methods were used to calculate contact with humans. Alligators displaced by carbon drawdown: a carbon to nitrogen ratio, sea level changes may be forced into new and this formula ΔDIC + Δgas exchange – habitats, both natural and human occupied. (ΔDOC+ΔPOC) = exported carbon. The Additional research on the population status average drawdown calculated was about 80g C and carrying capacity of important alligator m-2 d -1, a large drawdown compared to the habitat may allow us to better project Polynya’s size. consequences for both alligators and human communities.

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Clicking on Platinum: Copper(I)- Generation of Transgenic Plants Carrying Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Promoter: Reporter-Gene Constructs to Chemistry for Axial Functionalization of Investigate Transcriptional Expression of Pt(IV) Prodrugs GAUT Genes in Arabidopsis Krupa Merchant Swayamdipto Misra, Ramsey Scholar Prof. Shanta Dhar, Chemistry, Franklin Dr. Debra Mohnen, Biochemistry & College of Arts & Sciences Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Cis-diamminedichloridoplatinum(II), or cisplatin, is a platinum-based compound that Pectin is a family of highly complex is widely used as a chemotherapeutic for polysaccharides that serve as important malignant tumors of the cervix, ovaries, substituents of the plant cell wall and have testicles, bladder, and lungs. Despite its great important functions in cell-to-cell adhesion curative success, cisplatin can induce a and plant development and defense. A number of toxic side effects, and certain comprehensive understanding of how pectin cancers are resistant to cisplatin treatment. is synthesized will have important potential Chemical reactions that can manipulate the applications in crop enhancement and in cisplatin platform will allow researchers to better utilization of biomass for biofuels. It is attach different moieties to the drug that may known that the GAUT gene family, with 15 reduce this toxicity and overcome resistance. members in Arabidopsis, is involved in pectin Cisplatin, with all coordination sites occupied synthesis, yet the function of these genes is by –amine and –chloro ligands to perform its not yet fully understood. This project aims to anticancer activity, does not offer any vacant investigate the transcriptional expression of site to perform such attachment. However, individual GAUT genes in different tissues or octahedral Pt(IV) analogues can provide an developmental stages of Arabidopsis plants by additional two axial sites for such kind of using reporter gene constructs driven by reactivity. Pt(IV) compounds are known as GAUT gene promoters. Over the past two prodrugs because of their ability to undergo semesters, β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter reduction by biological reducing agents to gene constructs were created for several of the produce cisplatin, the active drug. One type of GAUT genes, including GAUTs 3, 5, 9, 10, chemistry that can be very useful in 13, and 15. The promoter regions of the introducing new functionality onto platinum GAUT genes were amplified by Polymerase is “click chemistry.” These types of reactions Chain Reaction (PCR), inserted into cloning are usually 100% efficient and leave very few vector pGEM-T, and verified by DNA by-products. In this poster, we will discuss sequencing. These promoter sequences were copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition subsequently moved into the plant expression chemistry for axial functionalization of Pt(IV) vector pBI101 in front of the GUS gene. The prodrugs. resulting constructs were introduced into Arabidopsis plants through Agrobacterium- mediated transformation. The seeds from the plants were grown and screened for positively transformed plants. The second generation resulting from these plants will be analyzed and stained in order to study the expression of the respective GAUT genes. Using a similar procedure, a Green Fluorescent Protein

Abstracts

(GFP) reporter-gene construct was also populations, such as the elderly and very generated for GAUT 1. young children. The Harn Laboratory developed an improved method of vaccine Fiber Isotype Post-Injury in Secondary delivery, VacSIM (Vaccine Self-Assembling Dystroglycanopathies Immune Matrix) that increases vaccine Jill Modi, CURO Graduation Distinction efficacy. The goal of this research project is to Dr. Aaron Beedle, Pharmaceutical & gain a better understanding of the method of Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy vaccine delivery used by VacSIM. Three groups of mice were utilized in this Loss of α-dystroglycan (αDG) glycosylation experiment; one group was injected by mutations in Fktn causes muscular subcutaneously with VacSIM, one group was dystrophy. As severe Fktn deficiency has been injected with VacSIM and CpG adjuvant, and linked to abnormal skeletal muscle the last group was unvaccinated. Draining and regeneration and differentiation processes, we non-draining lymph nodes were analyzed 24 hypothesized that differentiated skeletal and 48 hours after injection. Upon analysis, it muscle fiber isotypes may arise at different was found that with VacSIM alone, cell proportions in Fktn-muscular dystrophy (KO, numbers in draining lymph nodes do not Fktn knockout mice) compared to normal increase significantly, but with the addition of controls. Cardiotoxin was injected into Fktn CpG adjuvant, cell numbers do increase in the KO and littermate mice to create acute muscle draining lymph nodes. This demonstrates that damage. The resulting muscle fiber VacSIM does not create an immune response, differentiation was analyzed 14 days after allowing the CpG to activate the immune injury by measuring the proportion of system normally. Thus, VacSIM has been immature and mature isotypes of the myosin shown to be a viable method of vaccine heavy chain protein (MyHC) using delivery that does not activate an immune immunofluorescent microscopy. We found response on its own. VacSIM can therefore be that KO muscles retain more immature used to safely administer vaccines more MyHC than littermates 14 days after injury, efficiently, especially in immune-compromised suggesting that regeneration/differentiation is populations. slower in Fktn muscular dystrophy. Additional analysis of mature fiber types is Balancing Carbon and Phosphorus for ongoing. Overall, changes in KO muscle Consumers: Does Nutrient Enrichment regeneration and differentiation may provide Tip the Scale? clues about the molecular events underlying Timothy Montgomery muscle pathology in Fktn muscular dystrophy. Dr. Amy Rosemond, Odum School of Ecology VacSIM, a New Vaccine Delivery Method, Improves Cellular Recruitment to Local Forest stream food webs are based on Draining Lymph Nodes organisms that can photosynthesize Joshika Money (autotrophs) as well as those that break down Dr. Donald Harn, Infectious Diseases, terrestrially-derived detritus College of Veterinary Medicine (heterotrophs). Heterotrophic processes dominate carbon flow in forested streams; Although vaccines are a highly effective however, autotrophic processes may become method of disease prevention, more effective more important in response to human vaccines are needed to increase vaccine activities such as nutrient loading. Nutrient efficacy in immune-compromised loading can affect growth and nutrient

Abstracts content (lower carbon: nutrient ratios) of China (PRC), Republic of Korea (ROK), autotrophs, which can affect growth of Japan, and the United States (US) on two consumers and ecosystem nutrient rocket and two nuclear tests conducted by the retention. However, few studies have DPRK from 2009-2013. We analyze editorials quantified the effects of nitrogen (N) and immediately preceding and following the tests phosphorus (P) in changing nutrient content and draw from newspapers that represent a of autotrophic biofilms in streams or assessed diversity of political ideology within each how much biofilms change on natural country. Using statistical means of analysis, we substrates (rocks) vs. standardized substrates will test our hypotheses, which are that the (tiles). We compared biofilms on standardized nuclear tests will be covered more frequently and natural substrates in five headwater and more negatively than the rocket tests, all streams that were enriched with five right-leaning newspapers will cover the events concentrations and ratios of N to P for two more frequently and more negatively than the years (N:P = 2:1, 8:1, 16:1, 32:1, and 128:1). left-leaning papers, and newspapers in the Biofilm ash-free dry mass (AFDM) and C:N:P ROK and Japan will have significantly more stoichiometry were quantified and compared. frequent and negative coverage than Our results suggest that nutrient enrichment newspapers in the US or PRC. Our findings increased cobble biofilm AFDM by 47%. The can be applied to future research concerning cobble C:P decreased by 30% respectively these four countries' foreign policy decisions across all streams, possibly shifting the regarding the DPRK. This might indicate a limiting nutrient of the streams from P. Tile correlation between the tone and frequency of biofilms were 1.5-2x higher in C:P and N:P the countries' media coverage and their compared to cobble biofilms, while cobble foreign policy decisions. biofilms were 8x higher in terms of AFDM. Overall, these results suggest that nutrient EnVISIONeD: Examining VISion among enrichment increases biofilm AFDM and Inpatients with Diabetes nutrient content, but the degree to which was Victoria Moreira underestimated with standardized substrates. Dr. Valerie Press, University of Chicago Medical Center Analysis of International Media Coverage of Key North Korean Military Events Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is the leading cause of Cecilia Moore, Holly Boggs blindness among adults in the US. However, Dr. Brock Tessman, International Affairs, patients often fail to obtain vision screening in School of Public & International Affairs the outpatient setting due to a myriad of patient and provider factors. There are also Ultimately, the foreign policy behavior of a limited data for analyzing the hospital state is based on its subjective judgments inpatient setting as a place to provide about the intentions and behavior of another guideline recommended care to patients state. Often, media coverage can drive these before discharge. Therefore, the present pilot subjective judgments. In this paper, we study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of analyze international media coverage of key poor vision among inpatients with DM military events in the Democratic People’s compared to the general medicine population. Republic of Korea (DPRK) in order to better The study also sought to understand how to understand the impact of media outlets on the catch missed opportunities and to improve major countries involved. We conduct a inpatient access to guideline recommended thorough content analysis of editorials from diabetic vision care. It was hypothesized that major newspapers in the People’s Republic of patients with DM would have a significantly

Abstracts higher prevalence of poor vision. Vision was randomly, and a new position for the blade of measured by a bedside Snellen eye chart test the rake included randomly. Four cameras and data assessing characteristics of poor placed at different angles recorded the vision were also collected. It was found that monkey’s actions with the tool. We are participants with diabetes were more likely analyzing the monkeys’ actions using than those without diabetes to have ethological and kinematic methods. The insufficient vision (74/239, 31% vs. 101/466, findings will help us to understand how 22%; p=0.007). As this is a pilot study, data monkeys manage variable numbers of degrees collection is ongoing. However, these findings of freedom in the tool and also contribute to highlight the importance of utilizing other resolving the theoretical debate surrounding settings to catch missed opportunities for the basis for variability across species in tool patients – especially those with DM at risk for use. Supported by grant HD-060563 from the developing severe comorbidities. Future NIH. studies should continue to evaluate this topic in a multi-site study to enhance the Evidence for Indirect Effects of a generalizability of results. Predatory Fish on the Size Distribution and Behavior of a Larval Caddisfly Species Investigation of Hand-Tool Mastery in in Trinidadian Streams Tufted Capuchins Using a Multiple- Kelly Murray, CURO Summer Fellow Jointed Tool Dr. Catherine Pringle, Odum School of Jake Moskowitz, Amanda Heaton, Joshua Ecology Lukemire, Stephanie Villarreal Dr. Kathy Simpson, Kinesiology, College of It is important to understand both the direct Education and indirect effects of predators on their prey, Dr. Dorothy Fragaszy, Psychology, Franklin given the cascading effects that can result College of Arts & Sciences from predator-prey interactions. Previous studies in Trinidadian streams indicate that an Using a hand tool effectively requires important prey item of killifish (Anablepsoides positioning it and applying appropriate force hartii) is larvae of the leaf-shredding caddisfly, with it on the target object or substrate. The Phylloicus hansoni (Trichoptera: motor control strategies and spatial reasoning Calamoceratidae). Since larval Phylloicus have supporting tool use by nonhuman primates been found to play a key role in controlling likely differ from those of humans, but the rates of leaf decomposition in Trinidadian nature of the differences is unknown. streams, predator-mediated effects on Capuchin monkeys are the only genus of New Phylloicus are important to understand. World monkeys that spontaneously and Phylloicus occurs at significantly lower regularly use hand tools. We report on an abundances in headwater streams dominated ongoing comparative investigation into how by high densities of killifish, relative to capuchins and chimpanzees use hand tools. downstream reaches (below barrier waterfalls), Four individual capuchins in the Fragaszy where killifish are at lower densities and co- laboratory at UGA were recorded individually occur with guppies (Poecilia reticulata). These using a rake tool to retrieve a token. Monkeys previous findings strongly suggest that high used the tool for 100 trials with a rigid handle, densities of killifish in upstream reaches exert then 100 trials with one joint in it, and finally direct top-down control on Phylloicus 100 trials with two joints (in orthogonal abundance. In this study, we examine planes). In a second phase, they used the tool potential indirect effects of killifish on Phylloicus with the order of tool conditions varied size frequency distribution and behavior.

Abstracts

Analysis of size frequency distributions of glycine-rich loop that coordinates with ATP larval Phylloicus from both killifish only (KO) and the activation loop that interacts with the reaches and killifish+guppy (KG) reaches substrate. The biological effect of these (n=5 of each reach type) confirmed our tandem mutations was then evaluated by prediction that different predation pressure by employing a data-mining approach. Applying killifish alter the size structure of Phylloicus natural language processing to the literature larvae: KO reaches exhibited a size frequency from Pubmed’s Open Access Subset, peak at a smaller size than in KG reaches. mutations were labeled as having positive, When exposed to killifish cues in ex situ negative, or neutral impact. Additionally, the laboratory studies, the leaf-shredding activity type of impact was curated as either affecting of larval Phylloicus from KO reaches was much phosphorylation activity, modulating greater than that of larvae from KG reaches. resistance to kinase inhibitors, or altering Therefore, predation pressure is likely substrate binding efficiency given computer- important in shaping behavior and population identified impact statements. This technique, characteristics of a dominant shredder in conjunction with crystal structure data, will species. be extended to develop a machine learning approach that accurately predicts the effects Analysis of Cancer Mutations in Protein of novel kinase mutations. This will be of Kinases Using Semantic Web tremendous value in identifying personalized Technologies cancer treatments given patient genomes. Anish Narayanan, CURO Summer Fellow Dr. Natarajan Kannan, Biochemistry & The DIY Phenomenon: Why We "Do It Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Ourselves" Sciences Lindsay Nation Dr. Katalin Medvedev, Textiles, Protein kinases are critical cell regulators, Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family serving as initiators of signal transduction & Consumer Sciences pathways and coordinators of cellular processes through the phosphorylation of The phenomenon of “DIY” or “do it target molecules. Given the importance of yourself” refers to the lifestyle trend of self- kinases in ensuring proper cell growth and sufficiency. This trend has had an effect on development, the analysis of misregulatory many industries, including the apparel kinase mutations is a hot target of cancer industry. My paper investigates the economic, research. Despite the wealth of online kinase political, social, and psychological factors that data compiled from various high throughput have created the current DIY culture and its studies, previous computational approaches effects on dress production globally and were limited due to the specialized nature of locally. My research concluded that DIY tends databases such as UniProt, COSMIC, and to be popular in times of low economic Reactome. To solve this daunting challenge of prosperity and political unrest. The analysis of data integrability, our lab designed the Protein the social and psychological underpinnings of Kinase Ontology (ProKinO). This study this trend also revealed that the main utilizes ProKinO’s unique sequence alignment demographic that currently controls this trend of kinase mutations to PKA to generate is predominately upper-middle class white heatmaps which identify mutation Americans, mostly women ages 15-50, who cooccurrence events. Oncogenic have a lot of leisure time and resources to cooccurrences were found to be prevalent look “different” and make things for between two essential kinase subdomains: the themselves at their own pace. These

Abstracts characteristics of the DIY trend are important HemN, was generated to provide us with the for apparel companies, especially for local amino acid targets for site-directed businesses. However, unless there are serious mutagenesis. By using EPR, UV-vis resource shortages, the global market will spectroscopies, and HPLC, we have continue to be a mass merchandise market characterized the variants Y61R and F76A, and DIY will likely have little effect on it. both of which displayed a bound iron-sulfur Despite this, DIY is a significant current cluster; however, only the F76A expressed trend; therefore, fashion industry leaders who activity. ChuW is the first class C RSMT are eager to predict the actions and reported, hence, this research will help further preferences of consumers are closely watching our understanding of the mechanism of this it. subfamily of radical SAM enzymes.

ChuW as a Class C Radical SAM Methyl “Please Excuse Me as I Am in Need:” Transferase Bondage and Freedom in Civil War-Era Anudeep Neelam Athens Dr. William Lanzilotta, Biochemistry & Laura Nelson Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Dr. Christopher Lawton, History, Franklin Sciences College of Arts & Sciences

Iron is an essential metal for both pathogenic Studying the lives of slaves challenges and symbiotic bacteria, and acquisition of iron outmoded, monolithic mythologies of the past can become a challenge during host and instead recognizes the enormous struggles colonization. Organisms can utilize heme and and equal contributions of both black and heme-containing proteins of the host as a white Americans. This research does so by source for iron. Located on a heme utilization reconstructing and examining the life of Aggy operon and expressed under iron duress, Mills (1827-1900), an Athenian woman ChuW from Escherichia coli O157:H7 is enslaved by the elite Cobb family. She was currently annotated as an oxygen-independent remarkably literate, and through several coproporphyrinogen III oxidase due to its extraordinary letters that she wrote to her additional “HemN-like” domain located on owners, aspects of her life in slavery and the C-terminus. However, HutW, a ChuW freedom, like her role in her master’s home homologue, does not rescue a HemN mutant and her place in the multicultural Athenian from S. enterica, and sequence analysis suggests community, become apparent. Trace details of similarities to class C radical SAM methyl her life were first seen in these letters, but transferases (RSMTs). Like HemN, ChuW these only recount a portion of her life. To may contain two SAM binding sites along see Aggy as more than a servant, these letters with a [4Fe-4S]2+/+, which aids in radical are examined in conjunction with sources in generation and methylation. The structure and the Athens-Clarke County Heritage Room, mechanism for Class C RSMTs have yet to be property deeds at the courthouse, census elucidated. In this work, we show ChuW records, and various other local sources. contains an Iron-sulfur cluster and produces Studying Aggy’s life helps to give a more equivalent amounts of 5’-deoxyadenosine and multifaceted version of the antebellum South, S-adenosylhomocysteine, in the presence of one where slaves’ and whites’ lives were an electron source, SAM, and Fe(II)- intertwined, and slaves managed to define Deuteroporphyrin IX. In attempts to disrupt their own lives outside of the realm of their ligand binding and/or trap an intermediate, a bondage. This research has been transformed predicted model of ChuW, derived from into a digital sketch of Aggy’s life as a part of

Abstracts the Georgia Virtual History Project. Viewers Metaphors of Color: The Linguistics of can hear Aggy’s story and see the places Internalized Racism connected to her life via a downloadable app Minh Ngoc Nguyen for smartphone or tablet. Additionally, this Dr. Chad Howe, Romance Languages, research will be presented at the annual Franklin College of Arts & Sciences conference of the Georgia Association of Historians. This study proposes a history of the English word whitewashed based on quantitative and Work-Sites with Physical Exercise qualitative evidence from historical and Facilities and Their Effect on Employee modern language corpora. Analyzing the BMI and Waist Circumference change from the word’s original meaning to Christina Nguyen its racially imbued meanings, the paper also Dr. Jennifer Gay, Health Promotion & examines whitewashed as it pertains to the Behavior, College Of Public Health Vietnamese-American community in the context of other racially charged words and Work-sites that provide employees with places phrases (i.e. FOB, fobby, fresh off the boat, acting to be physically active and allot a longer break white). Based on the qualitative analysis, the period for physical activity may see an data suggest that whitewashed, while particularly increase in the overall health of employees. similar to the phrase acting white, retains a We hypothesize that work-sites that offer negative racial connotation that differs from onsite fitness centers and fitness rooms and the other expressions. This study explores the have policies that support physical activities evolution of social meaning through the will be associated with a decrease in BMI and intersection of racial stereotypes and lexical waist circumference of employees. semantic change. Information was gathered about the work- sites using the Environmental Assessment Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Tool (EAT), such as offered time for physical Flanking C-Terminal Tail: Structure and activity during work hours, the presence of Function fitness equipment and walking routes and Tuan Nguyen, CURO Honors Scholar, trails at work sites. Approximately two Ramsey Scholar, CURO Summer Fellow hundred employees had their weight and Dr. Natarajan Kannan, Biochemistry & height measured to calculate their BMIs and Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & waist circumferences. Average BMIs, average Sciences waist circumferences and frequency of employees that have access to physical activity Living cells use networks of mitogen activated programs will be calculated. T-tests will be protein kinase (MAPK), a key cellular calculated for BMIs and waist circumferences component of signal transduction, to respond comparing employees at work-sites that have to environmental signals. MAPK's cellular physical activities programs versus work-sites significance is underscored by its having been that do not have these programs. The implicated in among the most prevalent importance of this research is to provide aberrant signalling pathways in cancer. employers with data that would increase the Although members of MAPK family have overall health and productivity of their been extensively characterized at the employees. Additionally, it would allow biochemical, cellular, and structural level, an employers to determine if existing or planned integrated evolutionary understanding of exercise facilities are cost effective. MAPK's functional divergence from a sequence level has been inadequate. Here, I

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Abstracts discuss how using genomic sequence appeared to have no influence on peak flexion comparison tools has shed light upon angle in any lower extremity joint. Pain MAPK's structural evolution. I present reduction may be caused by another evidence for co-evolution between MAPK's mechanism. catalytic domain and MAPK's unique flanking C-terminal segment. Further implications of In Vitro Protease Digestion and this work will be made in the talk. Reduction of Tropomyosin using Shrimp and Tropomyosin-Enriched Samples Effects of Patellar Tendon Strapping on Kristyn Nock Lower-Extremity Kinematics Dr. Yao-Wen Huang, Food Science & Pete Nkengasong Technology, College of Agricultural & Dr. Cathleen Brown Crowell, Kinesiology, Environmental Sciences College of Education Of the vast range of foods responsible for Patellar tendinopathy is a musculoskeletal adverse allergic reactions, crustaceans have overuse injury, and treatments attempt to been and continue to be a growing concern. reduce pain by applying strap devices around The reaction caused by the consumption of the tendon. The mechanism causing pain crustaceans is IgE mediated, as IgE antibodies reduction is not known, but using strapping bind to the food allergen and induce a release may alter lower extremity kinematics of the of potent compounds, triggering symptoms of ankle, knee, and hip in the sagittal plane. The allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, purpose of this study is to determine the acute angioedema and morbilliform rashes. This effect of patellar tendon straps on ankle, knee, study focuses on determining the most and hip peak flexion angle during a drop jump effective protease and conditions for with and without a Matt strap. We reduction of the allergenicity of tropomyosin, hypothesized that knee joint flexion would the primary allergen responsible for adverse increase with strapping. Twenty-three reactions from the ingestion of crustaceans. recreationally active participants (14 females, 9 To reduce its allergenic activity, the goal of males, age=21.6 ± 3.5 years, height=174.2 ± this study was to degrade tropomyosin into 8.3 cm, mass=70.8 ± 10.9 kg) who peptide fragments through protease digestion. experienced patellar tendon pain were fitted Tropomyosin enriched samples and with 16 retro reflective markers, and data were masticated shrimp samples were treated with collected via a 7-camera Vicon motion capture either trypsin or α-chymotrypsin in simulated system. Participants performed a two-legged gastric fluid. Two methods of digestion were drop jump (DJ) off a 40cm box, landed on a performed using a water bath and a force plate, and immediately jumped 50% of gastrointestinal simulator. Hydrolysates were their maximum vertical jump. Five trials were collected at various digestion times and performed with and without the Matt strap in samples were subjected to sulfate a counterbalanced order. Paired sample t-tests polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS- (p< .05) were used to compare differences in PAGE) to analyze alterations in the molecular peak flexion angles of the hip, knee, and ankle weight of tropomyosin. The western blot between strapping conditions. There were no method was additionally performed for significant differences in strap versus no-strap further analysis of the degree of allergen conditions, respectively, at the ankle (35.5 ± reduction for particular digested samples. 10.1°, 34.6±8.6°, p=0.52), knee (76.3±13.3⁰, From multiple variable alterations throughout 74.0±13.6°, p= .10), or hip (58.1±11.7, successive trials, the proteolytic ability of 57.7±14.1°, p=.74). Acutely applying a strap trypsin on tropomyosin at a 1:25 enzyme-

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Abstracts protein ratio was indicated. Upon expansion Proteomic Analysis of Erythrocyte Ghosts: of this knowledge, it may be possible to The Effects of Zinc Supplementation incorporate the protease into crustacean- Kathleen Norris, CURO Graduation containing foods so that they may be Distinction nonallergenic and safe for consumption. Dr. Arthur Grider, Foods & Nutrition, College of Family & Consumer Sciences Hydrothermal Synthesis and Particle Size Study of Ancient Pigments Measuring plasma/serum zinc concentrations Isaiah Norris is used as a biomarker for assessing zinc status Dr. Tina Salguero, Chemistry, Franklin in human populations, but is neither sensitive College of Arts & Sciences nor specific for assessing individual zinc status. The purpose of this research is to Egyptian Blue, CaCuSi4O10, and Han Blue, identify zinc-responsive proteins within the BaCuSi4O10, are among the first synthetically erythrocyte membrane. Blood was collected as manufactured inorganic pigments from the part of a larger study assessing the effects of ancient world. These two pigments are most 24 mg zinc supplementation for 4 weeks on notable for their vibrant blue hues that were bone growth biomarkers in Caucasian early used to color paintings. Modern interest in adolescent females (9-13 years old) (PI: these pigments is due to their strong emission Richard Lewis). Samples were collected at in the near infrared. Conventional solid state baseline (n=21) and at 4 weeks (n=20), and reactions for these pigments need extremely plasma and erythrocyte ghosts (EG) prepared. high temperatures of 950-1050 °C. We are Plasma zinc concentrations were measured by developing two new ways to synthesize both atomic absorption spectroscopy. EG proteins pigments: hydrothermal and solid state with were separated by two-dimensional gel nanomaterials. The hydrothermal synthesis electrophoresis (2DE; isoelectric focusing (pH takes place in a Teflon-lined autoclave using 3-10) and 10% denaturing polyacrylamide water as a solvent and reduces the reaction electrophoresis). The gels were stained with temperature to 250 ºC. Future work with this colloidal Coomassie blue, the images digitized, method will be a time study of crystal size. We and densitometry was performed. Significance are also working on a study of what effect the (p≤0.05) was determined using Student t-test. size of starting materials has on the size, The plasma zinc concentration increased 1.2- reaction temperature, and morphology of the fold ± 0.4(SD) after the four-week period of product in solid state reactions of these two supplementation (p<0.05). Two EG samples pigments by using scanning electronic from baseline and 5 EG samples from 4-week microscopy to confirm particle size. We have zinc supplementation were separated by 2DE. found that when two of the starting materials Three proteins exhibited zinc-dependent are nanoparticles and the third micoparticles, differential expression: 81.3 kDa, ~ pH 10 the resulting product is reduced in size (1.7-fold increase); 45.7 kDa, ~ pH 7 (2.7-fold compared to the bulk synthesis using non- increase); and 134.9 kDa, ~ pH 6 (3.6-fold nanomaterials and has a decreased reaction increase). These data support the up- temperature. Future work for this project will regulation of certain proteins within the be to use all nanosize starting materials to see erythrocyte membrane in response to zinc how small the product will be and how much supplementation. These proteins may of a reduction in reaction temperature we can ultimately serve as biomarkers for assessing obtain. individual zinc status following further validation.

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Economic Transition and Psychological stage culturally relevant CVD intervention Distress as it Relates to Risk Factors for programs focused on managing psychological Cardiovascular Disease in St. Lucia distress. Mary Elizabeth Nuttall, CURO Honors Scholar Max Contracts: Savings or Reallocation? Dr. Colleen O'Brien Cherry, Global Health, Thomas Oliver College of Public Health Dr. William Vogt, Economics, Terry College of Business St. Lucia, a small island country in the Caribbean, has transitioned from an agrarian This essay argues that the maximum limit to a tourism-based economy. This economic imposed on individual player salaries by the transition has caused many socio-cultural National Basketball Association’s collective changes, including an increase in bargaining agreement in 1999 created an psychological distress for much of the environment in the free agent market that led population as livelihoods change and the cost organizations to adopt a more inefficient of living increases. Psychological distress is spending style than the one employed in the hypothesized to shape lifestyle behaviors, era before the policy was in place. Specifically, such as over-eating and alcohol consumption, the individual player salary cap resulted, in the both of which increase the risk for first years after its imposition, in a transfer of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our research salary from the best players to intermediate focuses on understanding the causes and skill players, and, in more recent years, from outcomes of psychological distress and its the best players to lower skill players. Skill was effect on risk factors for heart disease in St. measured with win shares, a standard Lucia. After obtaining informed consent, we basketball player performance metric. Data on conducted informal one-on-one interviews contracts and win shares were collected for with 25 participants concerning their cultural the 1995/6 through 2013/14 seasons. Since perceptions of CVD and its lifestyle risk player contracts are typically multi-year and factors. Using the themes uncovered in these since aging has large effects on performance, interviews, we conducted 4 focus groups it was necessary to forecast each player’s using photovoice, a method in which future performance over the life of his participants explained photographs reflecting contract based on age and past performance. their perceptions of health. An in-depth This projected win share was the key player analysis of the interviews and focus groups is quality measure. Contract values were plotted underway using NVivo software. Preliminary against projected win shares both before and analysis indicates that economic pressures and after the imposition of the individual salary family responsibilities are the two major cap policy and loess regression was run to causes of psychological distress that confirm the graphical results. These results participants face. Additionally, we found that show that the relationship between salary and many participants cope with psychological player quality became noticeably less steep distress by over-eating and drinking to excess. and less convex immediately after the Few projects focus on the association imposition of the cap, with intermediate between the risk factors for heart disease and quality players benefiting from the change. In psychological distress in St. Lucia and other more recent years, lower quality players middle-income countries undergoing similar appear to have benefited more from the salary economic transitions. Our research will cap, as a more convex relationship reasserts provide a unique perspective on a growing itself. global issue and ultimately could be used to

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Analysis of P1 Function in Mycoplasma Use of Synthetic AKAP Peptides to Assess pneumoniae Adherence and Gliding the Importance of the Protein Kinase A Babajide Oluwadare, CURO Honors Scholar, Signaling in the African Trypanosome CURO Summer Fellow Nina Paletta Dr. Duncan Krause, Microbiology, Franklin Prof. Kojo Mensa-Wilmot, Cellular Biology, College of Arts & Sciences Franklin College of Arts & Sciences

This study focuses on Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a human pathogen causing bronchitis and tropical disease caused by the protozoan primary atypical, or “walking” pneumonia. parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Over 70 million Mycoplasma adherence to respiratory people are at risk of contracting HAT, and epithelium is mediated by a differentiated current drug treatments can be highly toxic. terminal organelle. Located on the surface of Evolutionarily diverged cell cycle regulators the terminal organelle is the P1 protein, which may be promising targets for anti- functions directly in both cell adherence and trypanosome discovery. A-Kinase Anchoring motility. There is evidence from recent studies Proteins (AKAPs) contribute specificity to to indicate that P1 repeatedly catches and cyclic-AMP signaling by protein kinase A releases sialic acids, present on airway cell (PKA) through binding the enzyme and its surfaces, to thrust the mycoplasma cell substrate targets. We are testing the efficacy of forward. Furthermore, P1 is believed to exist human AKAP-inhibitor peptides against T. in conformationally distinct subpopulations brucei. These peptides are hypothesized to that shift when mycoplasma cells glide. Little disrupt AKAP scaffolding, thus perturbing is known about the specific mechanism by PKA signaling. We are taking three which the bacterium exhibits motility via the approaches to achieve our goals: 1) identify P1 protein. Learning about this unique form AKAP binding proteins, by of movement can lead to new strategies for immunoprecipitation, 2) localize AKAP treatment of infections and a greater binding proteins by fluorescence microscopy, understanding of bacterial motility. By means and 3) determine antitrypanosomal properties of immunofluorescence microscopy with of the AKAP inhibitor by flow cytometry. We monoclonal antibodies specific for P1, mAB1 treated trypanosomes with an AKAP inhibitor and mAB2, we sought to define quantitatively modified with a biotin label. After treatment, the location and relative amounts of P1 trypanosomes were lysed and passed through subpopulations. The antibodies mAB1 and a streptavidin-coated bead column. A set of mAB2 consistently yielded distinct labelling trypanosome proteins bound the AKAP patterns, which were not the result of peptide (as determined by SDS-PAGE). background or "noise." Furthermore, mAB1 These proteins will be isolated from the gel appeared to bind only to a subset of P1 and identified by mass spectrometry. The proteins and only at specific times, as opposed microscopy and flow cytometry experiments to mAB2, which appeared to bind to all P1 at are currently underway. By analyzing the data all times. from all three assays, we can better understand the contributions of AKAP scaffolding and PKA signaling in the trypanosome.

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Bioluminescent Color Shifts in North Exploring the Variable Weaning American Fireflies Strategies of Female Rhesus Macaques Jennifer Pallansch, CURO Summer Fellow through Stable Isotope Biochemistry Dr. David Hall, Genetics, Franklin College of Katherine Partrick, CURO Summer Fellow Arts & Sciences Dr. Laurie Reitsema, Anthropology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences A frequently overlooked feature of firefly light signaling is the natural color variation Weaning is an important life history phase observed across species. This project because it directly affects a mother’s fitness documented extensive bioluminescent color and infant development. Observational data variation among North American fireflies to traditionally used to assess weaning age can be expand upon current field data and to imprecise due to the problems of comfort elucidate possible correlations between color nursing and nursing at night. We employ an shifts and environmental factors. Firefly isotopic approach to more objectively assess emission spectra were recorded for over 600 age-at-weaning of captive rhesus macaques individuals at 52 field sites. The use of a (Macaca mulatta). We also examine factors portable spectrometer minimized potentially thought to influence weaning strategies, modulating factors such as age and the effects including mother’s rank, infant sex, and infant of chemically induced flashing by capturing growth rate. We test two alternate hypotheses: emission spectra in a natural setting. With this (1) Infants are weaned at age 5 months (based data, we tested environmental factors for on previous observations on captive M. associations. Because it has been theorized mulatta) and (2) infants are weaned upon that color shifts are influenced by ambient reaching 2/3 adult body size: ages X-Y light, each population was categorized by months (the threshold weight hypothesis). habitat and activity time to estimate the Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data were amount of background light in the assayed from blood plasma of 8 mother-infant environment. Habitat and activity time pairs of known age, rank, parity and weight designations were compared with color shifts housed at the Yerkes Primate Research across all species data as well as population Center. Mothers were sampled at ages 2 and 5 data collected from two main species, Photinus months. Infants were sampled at ages 2, 5-8, pyralis and Photinus scintillans. Statistically and 10 months. Mean values of the mothers significant associations were not observed over 10 months were δ13C=-19.3±0.37‰ with activity times, but habitat showed and δ15N=6.9±0.3‰. Between 2 and 10 significant correlations with both species and months, infant δ15N values dropped from P. scintillans spectral data. By collecting 7.7±0.3‰ to 6.8±0.3‰, and δ13C values comprehensive field data, we were able to dropped from -18.0±0.28‰ to -19.9±0.44‰. examine several environmental factors Males were weaned earlier than females (age 6 possibly involved in the evolution of color months versus age 8 months). No relationship shifts and provide an in-depth assessment of was found between isotopic values and infant naturally occurring color variation in fireflies. growth rate or maternal rank, although the lowest ranking mother weaned her offspring earliest. The refined snapshots of weaning status obtained through isotopic analysis permit previously impossible hypothesis testing in primate weaning ecology.

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Recombinant Protein Therapy: in plants and is thought to play an important Generation and Purification of Various role in oxidative stress responses. We used Fukutins transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines that exhibit Niraj Patel varying levels of salicylic acid to assess its Dr. Aaron Beedle, Pharmaceutical & effects on oxidative heat response. Oxidative Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy damage in plants involves oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid molecules in the Protein therapy is a method of delivering lipid bilayer of the cell membrane and can be therapeutic amounts of protein that would be measured by the thiobarbituric acid-reactive otherwise absent or insufficient in individuals substances (TBARS) assay, using that have a disease. Because the loss of malondialdehyde as the substrate. Known as functional fukutin (Fktn) causes Fukuyama the secondary end product of polyunsaturated Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (FCMD), we fatty acid oxidation pathway, malondialdehyde seek to determine whether protein therapy reacts with thiobarbituric acid and generates can alleviate the disease temporarily. To test an adduct, which can be measured this question, we designed and generated spectrophotometrically. The FDIrp9 various fukutin inserts (Tat-mini-Fktn, full- transgenic line engineered to accumulate high length Fktn, and Tat-full-length-Fktn) in the levels of SA showed drastically reduced MDA pET29a expression plasmid for recombinant levels compared to the wild type. protein expression. The Tat (Trans-Activator Interestingly, the NahG transgenic line with of Transcription) sequence was fused to depleted levels of SA also showed a slight several of the fukutin inserts because it has decrease of MDA. In response to heat stress, cell penetrating peptide properties, to the wild type MDA levels were reduced, while promote cell entry. We then induced synthesis those of the FDIrp9 and NahG plants were of the fukutin recombinant proteins in increased, with the NahG plant exhibiting the bacteria. Recombinant protein is purified and greatest increase in MDA content. Thus, the then tested in mice with fukutin-deficient effects of SA on oxidative stress response muscular dystrophy. We aim to determine the appear to be complex and can be explained by localization, stability and potential therapeutic differing mechanisms that might be directly or activity of the different fukutin protein indirectly involved in maintaining plant variants in mouse skeletal muscle. Overall, homeostasis. these studies will help us to understand the function and activity of fukutin and its The Double Knockout of the potential for therapeutic benefit. Haptoglobin-Hemoglobin Receptor in Bloodstream-Form Trypanasoma brucei Role of Salicylic Acid in Oxidative Stress brucei Lister 427-Single Marker Clone Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana Hayes Patrick Shreya Patel Dr. Stephen Hajduk, Biochemistry & Dr. C.J. Tsai, Genetics, Franklin College of Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Arts & Sciences Sciences

Plants are sessile organisms and face biotic Trypanosome Lytic Factor (TLF-1) is a and abiotic stress during their life cycles. As primate-specific subclass of high-density such, they have developed an inherent ability lipoprotein that is critical for immunity against to survive unfavorable conditions through certain species of parasites called African defense mechanisms. Salicylic acid (SA) is a trypanosomes. The primary mechanism of phytohormone that is ubiquitously expressed trypanosome susceptibility to TLF-1 begins at

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Abstracts the haptoglobin-hemoglin receptor (HpHbR) was performed in normal weight and obese in the flagellar pocket of trypanosomes. The women using data from three previous studies flagellar pocket is a specialized region of the in our laboratory (n=94; average age=24.3, trypanosome cell surface. TLF-1 binds to this range=18-40; average BMI=28.2, receptor, initiating a lytic pathway that leads to range=18.3–56.8), for which serum folate TLF-1 endocytosis into the lysosome of the (microbiological assay) and body composition cell. We show here that through the double including total mass, fat mass and fat-free soft knockout of the HpHbR in Trypanosoma brucei tissue measures (dual energy X-ray brucei (T.b.brucei), there is a significant increase absorptiometry (DXA)) were available. in trypanosome resistance to TLF-1. The Bivariate and partial correlations were knockout of the HpHbR was visualized determined using SAS. Across these three through a combination of qualitative and studies, fasting serum folate concentrations quantitative analyses. These data are were lower in the obese as compared with the consistent with the claim that the HpHbR is normal weight women (16.34±1.03 ng/mL the primary source for TLF-1 binding and versus 21.04±0.87 ng/mL, p<0.001) and uptake. With the elimination of the HpHbR in inversely correlated with both BMI (r=-0.366, our T.b.brucei cell line, we are now able to p<0.0001) and total body mass (r=-0.374, explore additional contributors to TLF-1 p=0.0002). The association between serum resistance. Through RNA-interference folate and total body mass remained screening of a candidate construct into these significant after correction for age, diet, oral cell lines, we can identify target proteins and contraceptive use and parity (r=-0.396, begin to see what other factors contribute to p=0.0003); was attenuated by further trypanosome susceptibility to TLF-1. RNAi of correction for fat mass (r=-0.247, p=0.028); candidates will allow us to knockdown target and eliminated by alternatively correcting for proteins and test for changes in sensitivity to fat-free soft tissue (r=-0.059, p=0.605). This TLF-1. If measurable changes are found, we suggests that the lower serum folate can ectopically express tagged versions of concentrations in obese women of those proteins in order to assess their childbearing age may be explained, in part, by functions, which could be shown through an increased amount of metabolically active colocalization with TLF-1 or other steps fat-free soft tissue. These findings provide along the TLF-1 lytic pathway. additional evidence for consideration of body composition in intake recommendations for Association between Body Composition improving folate status and reducing the risk and Serum Folate Concentrations in of birth defects in women of childbearing age. Women of Childbearing Age: Secondary Analysis across Three Studies Issues in the Therapy Experience for the Meagan Patterson LGBT Community and Their Dr. Dorothy Hausman, Foods & Nutrition, Implications College of Family & Consumer Sciences Kinsey Pebley Dr. Patricia Richards, Sociology, Franklin Sufficient folate status is important before College of Arts & Sciences conception in reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). As maternal obesity is also a Little work has been done to acknowledge or risk factor for NTDs, this study asked the address the shortcomings of the therapeutic question: "Is there a relationship between experience for lesbian, gay, bisexual, or serum folate and body composition in women transgender (LGBT) identified individuals. of childbearing age?" A secondary analysis This topic is of particular importance given

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Abstracts that members of the LGBT community are at lack of current local incentive or regulation to a higher risk for mental health difficulties, as limit corruptive influences within the nations they face unique stressors concomitant with themselves. To best combat these issues, heterosexism (Bos et al., 2008). While many USAID should employ a three-pronged therapists resolve to remain objective, they economic approach: the creation of a micro- may inadvertently disrespect or display limited lending program to allow for allocations to be knowledge about the experiences and spent directly by citizens to grow their preferences of these individuals. Sixteen national economy, a focus on distributing aid LGBT persons who had been to therapy towards public-private partnerships to participated in interviews in which they were increase domestic growth, and the asked to speak to their experiences, reinforcement of funds to support pre- specifically if the experience was beneficial for existing Regional Economic Communities them and what could have made it better. within the African Union. These three Salient themes that emerged from qualitative approaches create the opportunity to broadly analysis of these interviews included use of address these issues of corruption by sensitive language (such as use of gender- removing corruptive factors from the neutral pronouns), a desire for community, distribution process, while creating the agency in seeking support outside of a opportunity to stabilize the economies of the traditional setting, and the challenges of Great Lakes region. To demonstrate the identifying safe spaces. Psychologists are effectiveness of this three-pronged policy ethically bound to practice cultural approach, we will evaluate similar attempts in competency ("Ethical principles of," 2014) the Great Lakes region, and evaluate the and be sensitive towards the identities of their success of such programs when applied to our clients. These findings can help to fill the gaps three-pronged policy solution. Nations of knowledge relating to issues prevalent in included in this evaluation will include the the LGBT community and provide a greater United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of sense of safety within the therapeutic setting, Kenya, the Republic of Uganda, the Federal thereby reducing the risk of mental health Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the problems affecting these communities. Democratic Republic of the Congo.

New Aid for Africa Football Facemask Mass Influences Head Anne Pellegrino, Jonah Driggers, Elijah Scott, Impact Location Meili Swanson, Luke Thompson, Patrick Tracy Phan Wheat Dr. Julianne Schmidt, Kinesiology, College of Dr. Brock Tessman, International Affairs, Education School of Public & International Affairs Objectives: 1) To determine whether players The nations of the Great Lakes region in with heavy facemasks have increased odds of Africa are struggling under the dual challenges sustaining impacts to the top of the head. 2) of corruption within state governments and To determine whether there is a significant economic underdevelopment, which have difference in head impact severity between both limited the effectiveness of foreign aid players with heavy versus light facemasks. and foreign investment within the region. Participants: Twenty-five collegiate football These issues spring from a combination of players. Interventions: Facemask type and mass ineffectiveness and redundancy of current were determined. Head impact location and regional organizations, a lack of proper severity were captured for 7,135 head impacts physical and institutional infrastructures, and a using the Head Impact Telemetry System. Main Outcome Measures: 1) We categorized

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Abstracts facemasks as either heavy (>484g) or light form of T. brucei showed a LD50 (median (<=484g) using a median split. We computed lethal dose) of ~8 µM for SHP in vitro; the odds ratios for sustaining top of the head however, the limited solubility of the peptide impacts between facemask groups using a led us to investigate the development of drug random intercepts proportional odds model. delivery platforms that would increase the 2) We compared head impact severity (linear efficacy of SHP. Here we describe recent and rotational acceleration) between groups efforts to deliver SHP to these parasites via using a random intercepts general linear liposomes crosslinked to bovine-transferrin, model (α=0.05). Player position was included using an N-linked lipid conjugate (cyanur- in all models. Results: Players with heavier PEG), for receptor mediated endocytosis. facemasks had reduced odds of sustaining First, we utilized liposomes loaded with the frontal (OR:0.42, 95%CI:0.22,0.81) and right fluorescent dye calcein to monitor the binding side (OR:0.47, 95%CI:0.26,0.83) rather than of transferrin (an iron transporter) to its top of the head impacts. Head impact severity receptor in the flagellar pocket, the site of all did not significantly differ between groups. endo- and exocytosis in T. brucei. Fluorescence Conclusions: Players with heavier facemasks microscopy was used to visualize the binding may have increased odds of sustaining of calcein-loaded liposomes to the flagellar impacts to the top of the head because they pocket of the trypanosomes at 3°C. Our data adopt a head-down tackling technique. indicates that transferrin-crosslinked, but not Decreased odds of sustaining right side hits the uncrosslinked, liposomes bind to the may be due to variable aspects such as player flagellar pocket. The efficiency of SHP location or play. Other factors such as a binding and toxicity is currently under player’s tackling technique, physical fitness, investigation. and neck strength may also play a role in head protection. Investigating Missense Mutations in O- GlcNAc Transferase that Lead to Human Transferrin-Crosslinked Liposomes for X-Linked Intellectual Disability Targeted Drug Delivery to Trypanosoma Sindhu Prabakaran brucei Dr. Lance Wells, Biochemistry & Molecular Aparna Philip Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Stephen Hajduk, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & O-GlcNAc modification is a distinct form of Sciences protein glycosylation that occurs on serine and threonine residues of cytoplasmic and Trypanosoma brucei is a protozoan parasite that nuclear proteins. This form of protein causes African sleeping sickness in humans glycosylation is an abundant and inducible and nagana in cattle. Without treatment, both modification found in all higher eukaryotes, sleeping sickness and nagana are fatal, leading and is facilitated by two enzymes, O-GlcNAc to thousands of human and millions of cattle transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). deaths annually. Available therapeutics are Recently, the Schwartz group identified fraught with severe side effects, difficult to mutations in OGT in three X-linked deliver and prone to the development of intellectual disability patients in a family that resistance. Our laboratory has developed a also displayed a short stature, small head small hydrophobic peptide circumference and fifth finger Clinodactyly. (SDLGAVISLLLWGRQLFA) (SHP) that is Additionally, two of the three had hypospadia. uniquely toxic to the mammalian bloodstream This linked a missense mutation, L254F, in developmental stages of T. brucei. Bloodstream OGT to a human disease for the first time.

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The aim of our work is to elucidate the impact yeast, we successfully transformed three of L254F on the OGT enzyme. Using a different plasmids containing the cdc18+ gene combination of work with patient into the fission yeast. We also successfully lymphoblasts and in vitro recombinant OGT induced the overexpression of the cdc18+ enzyme we have determined that the mutant gene and saw the expected re-replication enzyme appears to be active but unstable. phenotype. Our goal is to clone the human Also, we have uncovered a compensation Cdc6 gene into a fission yeast expression mechanism, albeit imperfect given the patient construct. We want to introduce the human phenotypes, by which a reduction in OGT Cdc6 gene into fission yeast and induce levels leads to a reduction in OGA levels in an overexpression of the gene. If the effort to maintain global O-GlcNAc levels. overexpression of human Cdc6 induces re- We are currently exploring both the stability replication of the genome and an S-phase and kinetic parameters of recombinant OGT, arrest then we can use this yeast in a screen as well as the impact of this mutant on global for compounds that inactivate the human transcriptional regulation. Cdc6, and thereby allow the yeast to proliferate normally. The yeast cells with A Yeast-based Screen for Drugs That Can overexpressed human Cdc6 will be tested with Inhibit Human Cdc6 numerous compounds from a small molecule Ojaswa Prasad, Dennis Dwan library in Dr. Kipreos’ lab to decrease or Dr. Edward Kipreos, Cellular Biology, eliminate DNA re-replication and rescue the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences human Cdc6 overexpression phenotype. This screen can identify lead compounds that Cdc6 is a highly conserved protein that is specifically target human Cdc6 and inhibit its required for the initiation of DNA replication function in DNA replication. in humans and most eukaryotes. We are using the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe for Suboptimal Time in Therapeutic Range our studies. In fission yeast, the cdc18+ gene (TTR) for International Normalized Ratio encodes the Cdc6 ortholog. Fission yeast cells (INR) Measurements Observed in an are rod shaped and divide by medial fission. Outpatient Cardiology Clinic: Impact of Their division cycle is quite rapid which, in Gender, Ethnicity, Disease Etiology, addition to being inexpensive and easily CHADSVasc score, Physicians and Clinic manipulated, makes them easier to use in the Site laboratory. Cells lacking the cdc18+ gene fail Sarah Premji to enter S phase and undergo DNA Dr. Karl Espelie, Biological Sciences, Franklin replication, although the cells still undergo College of Arts & Sciences nuclear division according to Nurse and Kelly. Nurse and Kelly also found that TTR correlates inversely with ischemic stroke overexpression of cdc18+ results in cells risk. Variations in TTR are common with a arresting in S phase and increasing their DNA range of between 55-60% being normal and > content to levels much greater than 2C 70% being optimal. It was previously through the aberrant process of re-replication. unknown which factors impact TTR most in We want to screen for compounds that inhibit the community cardiology setting. the overexpressed Cdc18 protein, which will Retrospective chart review was conducted of reduce the level of Cdc18 activity so that cells all patients (pts) being treated with warfarin in do not arrest in S phase and undergo re- a single, multi-site suburban, outpatient replication, and instead are able to proliferate. cardiology practice for one year. Hypertension After optimizing growing conditions for the and hyperlipidemia were common, while diabetes, smoking, alcohol and aspirin use

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Abstracts were less. Atrial fibrillation was the most cells into myotubes, then successfully common reason for treatment followed by inhibited and/or stimulated the PI3K pathway mechanical valves, venous system disease, and in serum starved cells as demonstrated by arterial system disease. An average of 12+5 histological and biochemical analysis. In INR readings/pt were done over the year. addition, we developed conditions for Average time on warfarin was 35+18 months. isolation and cultured skeletal muscle cells TTR for the overall group was 44.5 + 22.3%. from Fktn muscular dystrophy mice and TTR varied significantly among ethnicity, the normal mice. Analysis of the seven individual physicians managing INR PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in this model is and the four clinic sites. Clinics and physicians ongoing. Overall, our in vitro studies offer the having a higher proportion of African ability to complement our in vivo work in the American pts tended to have lower TTR. TTR role of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling was worse in pts with arterial and venous pathway in the pathogenesis of Fktn-deficient disease vs. atrial fibrillation and mechanical muscular dystrophy. valves. Our findings suggest that TTR may be substantially worse in clinical practice than Purification of Xyloglucan-Specific Endo- previously published literature would suggest. β-1, 4 -Glucanase after Expression in Patient ethnicity, ordering physicians, clinic Escherichia coli site, and disease etiology all affect TTR. Ramon Reddick Duration on therapy is the most significant Dr. William York, Biochemistry & Molecular factor and ethnicity is second contributing to Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences TTR. Novel anticoagulants should be discussed more often with patients at higher A protein consisting of xyloglucan-specific risk of poor TTR. Confirmation of these endo-β-1, 4-glucanase (XEG) and enhanced findings in a broader population could have Green Fluorescent Protein (eGFP) was significant implications for future prepared by heterologous expression of a anticoagulation management and stroke genetically engineered plasmid in Escherichia prevention. coli. Initial experiments indicated that an eGFP-pET28a vector is efficiently expressed Validating In Vitro Cell Culture Models in E. coli to generate eGFPi. Another pET28a for Molecular Pathogenesis Studies in vector containing DNA encoding XEG fused Fktn-deficient Muscular Dystrophy to eGFP was then generated and transfected Vedika Rajasekaran into E. coli, which expressed the desired Dr. Aaron Beedle, Pharmaceutical & chimeric protein. Conditions for optimizing Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy the production of soluble forms of the fusion proteins were identified and the soluble Muscular dystrophies may be associated with proteins were purified. Mutagenesis of the a change in activity in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR XEG component of the protein inactivates signaling pathway that is important for cell the catalytic mechanism of XEG on survival and growth. Therefore, our objectives xyloglucan, but still enables the protein to are to establish an experimental protocol to attach to the polysaccharide. Attachment to study this pathway using in vitro cultures of the polysaccharide without catalysis allows for normal mouse skeletal muscle C2C12 cells, the fusion protein to be administered in living establish primary muscle cultures from plant tissue for further observation. These inducible Fktn knockout mice, and evaluate proteins are potentially powerful new tools changes in the pathway due to muscular for studying the chemical structure and dystrophy defects. We differentiated C2C12 physical properties of plant cell walls. For

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Abstracts example, they can be used to visualize and Creating a Chimeric Chicken Resistant to quantify xyloglucan in different cells as the Newcastle's Disease Virus plant develops. Such information may have Hannah Reiss, Foundation Fellow important implications for technologies aimed Dr. Steven Stice, Animal & Dairy Science, at the economical production of biofuels from College of Agricultural & Environmental non-food sources. Sciences

Neonatal Mortality in Uttar Pradesh, Newcastle’s Disease Virus (NDV) is a India and Possible Policy Solutions contagious disease that affects avian species. Hannah Reiss, Foundation Fellow NDV causes respiratory symptoms in many Dr. Richard Schuster, Health Policy & birds, but it is especially virulent in chickens Management, College of Public Health and often results in death. The Center for Food Security & Public Health reported in Neonatal death is defined as death within the 2011 that NDV is the most economically first four weeks of an infant’s life. According detrimental virus in poultry worldwide. to a 2009 study published in the International Because of its severe effect on chickens, NDV Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, nearly is also the largest pathological constraint in four million neonates die annually, and over raising village chickens throughout Africa, one million of these die in India. The high according to a study conducted by J.G. Bell in neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in Uttar 1991. Vaccine delivery to immunize village Pradesh, India drives up the national NMR. chickens is generally financially impractical Because neonatal death comprises over 40% because of the long distances between of death before the age of five, it also hinders villages. Because vaccination is not feasible, the achievement of the fourth United Nations genetic modification to improve the chicken Millennium Development Goal, which is to immune system is now underway. The RIG-I reduce global child mortality by two-thirds by gene begins a cascade immune response by 2015. In addition to mortality, high NMR signaling the mitochondrial antiviral signaling causes morbidity in the survivors. Low (MAVS) pathway and is thought necessary in neonatal survival rates are associated with staging an antiviral response to NDV. negative economic impacts and unsustainable Chickens lack RIG-I, which is believed to population growth. Possible policy solutions account for their weak immune response to to address high NMR in Uttar Pradesh NDV. We hypothesized that transfecting include a home checklist for midwives, human RIG-I into the chicken genome would increased payment to Accredited Social allow the chicken a stronger immune response Health Activists (ASHAs) to incentivize against the virus. We injected primordial germ postnatal visits, and a tetanus immunization cells (PGCs) that had been transfected with campaign. These three alternatives were RIG-I into chicken embryos. We then evaluated through a multi-goal analysis to dissected the embryos to see whether the evaluate their impact, cost, and feasibility. Of PGCs had migrated to the gonads of the the three alternatives, a home checklist for embryo seven days post-injection. Following midwives best meets these criteria. This dissection, we saw minimal integration of alternative would modify the World Health RIG-I into the gonads of the injected Organization’s Safe Childbirth Checklist, embryos. which is currently undergoing efficacy trials in 120 hospitals in Uttar Pradesh.

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College Credit Experience and Financial Searching for Noise-Induced Phase Literacy Transitions in Ecological Systems Anthony Reyna, CURO Honors Scholar Giovanni Righi, Foundation Fellow Dr. Brenda Cude, Housing & Consumer Dr. John Drake, Odum School of Ecology Economics, College of Family & Consumer Sciences This project develops a model to represent photoinhibition of a phytoplankton The purpose of this research is to identify a population in a light-limited chemostat. correlation between college students’ credit Photoinhibition is the decrease in experience and their financial literacy. For this photosynthesis with an increase in light, project, financial literacy was measured by which occurs at levels of light incidence that financial knowledge based on percentage are “too high” for the species. This gives rise scores on a 30 question financial knowledge to an allee effect by which, in a mixed system, test. The test was administered at the phytoplankton in the upper layer will shade beginning of the semester to University of the lower layer to prevent photoinhibition. As Georgia students enrolled in the “Money irradiance continues to increase, it will arrive Skills for Life” course (HACE 3110) from at a threshold where the irradiance causes the 2008-2012. Credit experience was measured in self-shading to be insufficient and the four ways – whether the student used credit population collapses. After that point, because (binary variable measured as 1 if the student’s the phytoplankton can no longer self-shade, it credit report consisted of any accounts cannot survive in the higher levels of light attached to their name, zero otherwise), the incidence that it could prior to the collapse. ownership of the credit (a binary variable The identification begins with a series of measured as 1 if the student had individual simulations in R. As in Veraart et al. (2012), ownership of at least one credit account, zero we want to show that this model exhibits the otherwise), the debt-utilization ratio (the ratio properties of catastrophic collapse, but in this of a student’s total current balances to his/her case due to a noise-induced phase transition. total available credit), and a student’s total In this type of regime shift, a population is number of open credit accounts. The credit caused to collapse by a change [increase] in experience data come from credit reports the variance of some stochastic environmental submitted as student assignments in HACE parameter rather than its mean or mode 3110 from 2008-2012. We used Microsoft values. These have been shown to occur in Excel to build the dataset and the statistical other natural systems but not in ecological analysis program SPSS to calculate the four systems. Noise-induced phase transitions are a correlation coefficients. By identifying the potentially transformative topic because connection between financial literacy and environmental (“exogenous”) variation is certain aspects college students’ credit increasing in many systems and is recognized experience, UGA will be better equipped to as the chief source of variation in systems; it financially educate its students and assist them could present a different cause of critical in improving their financial behaviors. transitions that has not previously been studied.

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Addressing Droughts and Water Overuse 1970s Czechoslovakia: A Foundation for in the Flint River the Study of International Human Rights Giovanni Righi, Foundation Fellow Law Dr. Rob McDowell, Environmental Policy, Marco Roca, CURO Honors Scholar Carl Vinson Institute of Government Dr. Daniel Hill, International Affairs, School of Public & International Affairs Without further action to address low flows in the Flint River Basin (FRB), streams used 1970s Czechoslovakia, the heart of the primarily for agriculture and by many Eastern bloc during the Cold War, was one of municipalities for wastewater discharge could the most interesting times and places in increasingly run dry, particularly in drought history. Soviet politics, the forced years. These water limitations could threaten consolidation of the Czech Republic and the Georgia agricultural heartland and its Slovakia, and several other factors all sowed billion dollar revenues, further reduce habitat the seeds of rebellion during this period in for the four endangered mussels, thirteen Czechoslovakia’s history. However, what sets endangered plants, and other endangered 1970s Czechoslovakia apart from other species in the basin, and aggravate dissident movements throughout the Eastern downstream users. Certain sections of the bloc is the dissident groups’ distinct intensity, Flint River tributaries were already observed abnormally good documentation, and their to be dry in 2012, but the Environmental success with the peaceful Velvet Revolution Protection Division (EPD) had few regulatory regime change. For all of the given tools available to sufficiently address the background reasons, Dr. Hill and I decided to drought. The only strategy used to increase test our hypothesis that dissident groups use water flow in the FRB were the irrigation international law as a rallying point to raise reduction auctions of 2001-2002, which have support among a repressed population. My not been implemented since then because the methodology was combing through various state has not been willing or able to finance court cases, constitutions, primary sources, them. This demands that a new water and historical analysis in an effort to management plan be developed for the FRB. synthesize evidence in favor of (or in This project explores the possibility for an opposition to) our hypothesis. Our findings expansion of irrigation efficiency projects, indicate that dissident groups such as Charter pricing water to fund an insurance program 77 and VONS often cited international laws that can be used to compensate farmer losses such as the ICCCPR and the Helsinki during drought, and allowing for the trading Accords. The implications are enormous, of permits under certain conditions as tools because we now have a well-documented case for the state to reduce water demand. It study in which international laws affected the makes a case for the necessity of water pricing domestic policies and human rights of people using limited cost-benefit analysis. around the world. Using the research on 1970s Czechoslovakia as a foundation, I will use the second part of the presentation to demonstrate the additional research we have conducted with international law and its effects on human rights. Emphasis will be placed on recent research with human rights law and its effect on economic inequality worldwide.

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An Integrated Approach for Verification of Lester Moody: A Man, a River, and a Rapid Focused Recharge Zones in the Quest for Industry in the Twentieth Arabian Peninsula Using Thermal and Century South VNIR Remote Sensing Anthony Sadler, CURO Summer Fellow Rachel Rotz, CURO Graduation Distinction Dr. Brian Drake, History, Franklin College of Dr. Adam Milewski, Geology, Franklin Arts & Sciences College of Arts & Sciences Lester Moody brought great change to In the Arabian Peninsula, freshwater recharge Augusta, the Savannah River, and the South is typically focused in small depressions that during his tenure as the Secretary of the fill with seasonal runoff to form freshwater Augusta Chamber of Commerce. His lenses. This study will substantiate previously campaigns for the development of the South’s hypothesized lens locations and detect water natural resources are barely mentioned in in the subsurface by using remote sensing current historiography. Historians tend to techniques. We hypothesize, due to the group boosters into homogenized categories unique heat capacity of water, recharge zones of environmental, racial, and agricultural can be detected by identifying areas with villains or progressive, idealistic, and rational lower diurnal changes in surface radiance heroes of the “New South.” The story of values than neighboring dry areas after peak Lester Moody, the city of Augusta, and the or sustained rainfall. We collected images in Savannah River is more complicated. Moody the visible near-infrared and thermal infrared is neither a hero nor villain, he is unique and wavelengths over the Arabian Peninsula. typical of his status, time, place, and race—all Overlapping diurnal images were subtracted of which were distinctly Southern. The to show surface radiance fluctuations and environmental factor of Southern twentieth- then compared with existing rainfall data. century history is viewed as a side-note. The Results demonstrate the potential for people of Augusta were devastated by a groundwater detection through the presence history of floods long before the boll weevil of ephemeral water bodies in hyper-arid passed through cotton fields. Their regions en masse. Several recharge zones, environment, altered by centuries of intense runoff channels, agricultural regions, and farming was unforgiving and needed to be wetlands were detected in areas where controlled, regulated. Within this radiance values change between 0.067 - 2.25 psychological framework, Augusta’s business w/m2/sr/µm from day to night scenes. leaders gave power to unelected leaders like Additionally, two seasonal peak rainfall Lester Moody to solve economic and (~35mm/day) events correlate well with the environmental problems. He took that power, surface radiance difference values. Surface and with the help of more powerful allies such radiance values for dry areas adjacent to the as Richard B. Russell, Jr., Walter F. George, postulated lens locations range between 2.25 – and Strom Thurmond among others, secured 12.2 w/m2/sr/µm. Radiance values in areas three federally-funded dams, the Savannah where small relative change occurred were River Plant, and the expansion of Camp compared to corresponding surface Gordon into a Fort. He did much but was reflectance values and ranked. Highly ranked greatly empowered by the citizens of Augusta locations were interpreted as best candidates to do so, which explains the endurance of a for recharge zones and freshwater lens positive legacy, one mired by contradictions, locations. broken promises, and environmental disaster.

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A Unique Mechanism in Staphylococcus Lesbian Dress: Recognizing and Being aureus Ketopantoate Reductase Recognized Joseph Sanchez Nancy Satola Dr. Zachary Wood, Biochemistry & Dr. Katalin Medvedev, Textiles, Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family Sciences & Consumer Sciences

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus The lesbian community's use of dress should aureus (MRSA) is a difficult-to-treat pathogen be of interest to the fashion industry because that is responsible for more than 11,000 lesbian women interact with the industry deaths each year in the United States. There is differently than heterosexual women. Because an urgent need to develop new targets for lesbian women, just like every other social discovery of drugs to treat S. aureus infections. group, rely on fashion as a means of Here we have examined the mechanism of S. communication, a personal and political aureus ketopantoate reductase (KPR), which agenda exists in their use of fashion. My produces the essential metabolite pantoate. It research focuses on three groups within the has been reported that KPR exists as a lesbian community. I start with the politics monomer and follows a sequential ordered and influence of 2nd wave feminism on the mechanism of substrate binding in which butch lesbian community. Butch lesbians use NADPH binds before ketopantoate (KP). dress as an in-your-face expression of their Here we show that the mechanism sexual orientation and to express the rejection of S. aureus KPR is distinct from previously of heteronormative values of mainstream studied homologs. Combining analytical society. The politics and dress practices of ultracentrifugation (AUC) with two new butch lesbians have created a demand for crystal structures, we show that KPR forms a gender-neutral fashion and opened up the dimer in solution. Furthermore, steady-state industry to androgyny, even in high fashion. kinetics reveals that KPR displays kinetic Unlike butch lesbians, lipstick lesbians do not cooperativity. This is a rare phenomenon in adhere to the values of 2nd wave feminism which KPR follows a kinetically preferred but and wish to be perceived as fashionable and not absolute order of binding substrate and trendy. The lipstick lesbian aesthetic rejects cofactor. We confirm this result using the notion that women must discard equilibrium binding assays based on intrinsic traditional femininity to be recognized and protein fluorescence and fluorescent accepted in the lesbian community. Finally, I resonance energy transfer (FRET). Finally, we examine how lesbian parenting couples assess have solved a new 1.8 Å resolution crystal their physical appearance when it influences structure, which shows that KP binding to the the daily life of their children. I argue that large active site partially occludes NADPH these couples are conscious of their dress and from the cleft. This is consistent with our manipulate their presentation in different kinetic data showing that saturating situations for the sake of their children rather concentrations of KP can inhibit the enzyme. than their allegiance to the lesbian The unique mechanism of S. aureus KPR community. suggests that it may be possible to specifically target this enzyme in rational drug design efforts.

116

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Issues of Economic Efficiency in the A Mechanistic Explanation of How Domestic Conservation Easement System Regional Winter Climate Differences Mariana Satterly, Ramsey Scholar Influence Lyme Disease Distribution Dr. Tianwei Zhang, Economics, Terry College Scott Saunders of Business Dr. Andrew Park, Odum School of Ecology

Until the passage of federal legislation in the Lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent vector early 1980s incentivizing conservation borne disease in North America and affects easements, perpetual property contracts that more than 20,000 people every year. Why are prohibit building and other environmentally there few cases of Lyme disease in the harmful actions on designated parcels, Southeast when compared with the Midwest, contracted private conservation efforts were and Northeast United States? All three regions rare. Today, however, the Land Trust Alliance have populations of the required tick vector, estimates that well over 100,000 easements vertebrate hosts and the Borrelia burgdorferi protect nearly 47 million acres of domestic pathogen. One explanation for the dramatic land. While the current high rate of easement difference in prevalence is that B. burgdorferi is establishment is laudable for the sake of not maintained at high levels in Ixodes environmental stewardship, the incentive scapularis (black legged tick) populations due to system tied to the easement process might be an interrupted transmission cycle. A model doing more harm than good. This literature has been created to test the theory that winter review and quest for viable databases on duration and temperature structure the life conservation easement records illustrates that cycle of ticks, so Northern ticks follow a strict an inadequate amount of time and effort is two-year life cycle and Southern ticks are currently devoted to monitoring easement more variable. The consistency and timing of establishment and the distribution of tax the tick development pattern can favor credits following the subsequent reappraisal of horizontal transmission of the bacteria burdened lands. While legal papers and IRS through vertebrate hosts when infected statements have stressed more robust nymphs and uninfected larva are abundant at attention to the economic efficiency and similar times of year. Using only temperature possible exploitation of easements in the past data, and basic information on tick phenology decade, the non-uniformity of contracts and the model stochastically simulates a the difficulty of tracking community effects population developing through the four life after easement establishment have limited stages (egg, larva, nymph, adult), and records research into the economic efficiency of the how the population grows. Varying the system, and studies specific to the tax effects duration of winter in the model shows the of easement establishment are largely absent population developing differently, and notes if from the present literature. With the belief significant transmission is likely to occur that social environmental benefits are the between nymphal and larval ticks. This model foremost concerns of easement establishment, seeks to explain the distribution of Lyme this research attempts to outline the economic disease and other tick borne diseases around issues that should begin any discussion of the world, and contribute to our easement efficiency, prompted by both understanding of how Lyme disease could nonexistent and present studies, before change in the future. proposing several reform measures that could alleviate exploitation of the system and net social costs.

117

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Investigations of a Protease (Ste24p) Vocal Repertoire of Red and Green Associated with Progeroid Disease Macaws William Saunders, CURO Summer Fellow, Natalie Schwob, CURO Summer Fellow CURO Graduation Distinction Dr. Dorothy Fragaszy, Psychology, Franklin Dr. Walter Schmidt, Biochemistry & College of Arts & Sciences Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Dr. Roberta Salmi, Anthropology, Franklin Sciences College of Arts & Sciences

Ste24p is a metalloprotease that is involved in Red and Green Macaws (Ara chloropterus) are the processing of prelamin A in humans. The highly encephalized, socially complex birds most relevant human disease associated with that form long-term pair bonds, often flying Ste24p mutation is Hutchinson-Gilford wingtip to wingtip with their mate. Despite Progeria Syndrome (HGPS). Ste24 is very well abiding interest in Psattacids, limited research conserved across species. Much of what is has been done on wild macaws, and basic known about Ste24p comes from its role in features of their biology and behavior remain production of the a-factor mating pheromone unknown. Here, we provide the first in yeast and the work associated with this quantitative description of the vocal repertoire research takes advantage of a-factor as a of the Red and Green Macaws living in the reporter. The Schmidt lab is actively Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) landscape in collaborating with a research group at UVA northeastern Brazil. We digitally recorded 327 that was the first to determine the X-ray calls collected over 9 weeks of fieldwork. crystal structure of Ste24. The structure of From those calls we selected 78 calls/notes Ste24p is interesting because it is a membrane based on acoustic quality for further analysis. bound protein that resembles an oil drum We used discriminate functional analysis to embedded in the membrane bilayer with no determine how calls can be categorized by apparent point of entry to a central cavity that only their acoustic structure. The vocal contains the proteolytic active site. This study repertoire of these macaws includes 10 used the crystal structure and selective different calls and 5 different notes, with mutation to change specific residues in the 87.8% of original grouped cases correctly protein and genetic methods to test the classified (83.8% cross-validation). Calls were mutant protein’s activity level in order to used independently and notes are combined establish a possible mechanism for the into longer sequences. Additionally, we protein. We have confirmed the importance describe the presence of non-linear of residues proposed to be part of the active phenomena in some of those calls including site, including residues that have functional sunharmonics, biphonation, and non-random overlap with those found in bacterial chaos. This study will provide the first thermolysin. We have investigated several description of the Red and Green Macaw’s hinge points in the structure as possible acoustic repertoire, which will assist in future mobile domains that would allow access to macaw communication research. the active site. Results from this study reveal that residues are critical to the proper functioning of the protein and the implications of these findings will be discussed.

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Incidence of Anesthesia-Related Fatality Parasite Selective-Pressure Alters in Birds Reproductive Strategy in Littorina Amanda Seamon saxatilis, an Intertidal Snail Dr. Erik Hofmeister, Small Animal Medicine Chelsea Sexton & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine Carolyn Keogh, Doctoral Candidate, Odum School of Ecology Anesthesia related fatality rates in dogs and Martha Sanderson, Long Island University, cats are .17% and .24% respectively. Brookville, NY Anesthesia related fatality rates in people are Dr. James Byers, Odum School of Ecology even lower at .02-.005%. The anesthesia related fatality rate in birds is unknown. The Many organisms are known to alter life purpose of this project is to determine what history strategies in the presence of parasites the fatality rate is in birds due to general with strong fitness effects. Littorina saxatilis, anesthesia. Our hypothesis is that birds will the rough periwinkle snail, has a complex co- have a higher fatality rate due to anesthetics evolutionary relationship with the castrating than the rates of dogs, cats, and humans. trematode parasites that infect it. In European Cases were identified by searching the sites, Granovitch et al. (2009) found electronic medical records database at the populations of L. saxatilis under high University of Georgia’s Veterinary Teaching trematode pressure were more likely to have Hospital for ‘avian’ and any anesthesia-related higher fecundity at smaller sizes which charge. Data collected from the record allowed them to successfully reproduce before includes species, age, gender, wildlife status, infection castrates the snail. Our study focuses weight, BCS, diagnosis, procedure, ASA on whether there is also an effect of status, premedication, analgesic technique, trematodes on brood quality in addition to induction and maintenance medication, fluid timing. We will count and measure the type and route, anesthesia duration, surgery embryos in brood pouches of snails collected duration, recovery duration, crystalloid along the New England shore. The size of volume, colloid volume, HR nadir and peak, ready-to-crawl embryos is a proxy for brood EtCO2 nadir and peak, inhalant nadir and quality and correlated against trematode peak, temperature nadir and peak, cost, prevalence in the snails’ susceptibility to estimated blood loss, and intraoperative infection, which has been quantified in events. Of the 120 files already completed, 15 previous studies. We expect to see similar fatalities have occurred, with 2 fatalities results to Granovitch, with higher brood associated with anesthesia. This data will be amounts in snails from high prevalence sites, later analyzed for correlations in different but we also expect to see lower brood quality variables. in these sites as well because these progeny are rushed before the host is properly prepared to allocate to reproduction. This study is part of a larger project aimed at understanding the impact of spatially heterogeneous parasite infection risk on host defense, as well as potential life history tradeoffs that result from the host’s response to the threat of infection.

119

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Decreasing HIV Incidence in Russia Reducing Vitamin D Deficiency among through Needle & Syringe Programs Individuals Aged 50 and Older in Georgia Rahul Shah Sheela Sheth Dr. Meghan Skira, Economics, Terry College Dr. Richard Lewis, Foods & Nutrition, of Business College of Family & Consumer Sciences

While the global HIV incidence rate has In Georgia, men and women aged 50 and significantly declined within the last decade, it older are often unaware that they are vitamin has been rising at an alarming pace in Eastern D deficient until they are diagnosed with Europe and Central Asia since the late 2000s, osteoporosis or have a fracture. Georgia’s with some estimates putting the increase at population of individuals above the age of 50 over 25%. Injection drug equipment is one of is rising rapidly over the next few years, and the most common ways through which HIV the economic and social toll fractures have on is transmitted, and in Russia in particular, society will rise proportionately. It is projected injection drug users (IDUs) are that there will be about 49,500 osteoporotic disproportionately driving the country’s HIV fractures and $570 million spent on caring for epidemic with approximately 37% of Russian those with osteoporotic fractures in Georgia IDUs currently infected with HIV. The rate hospitals by year 2025. In Georgia, current of HIV incidence in Russia will likely continue policies do not address the need to educate to rise, as current HIV-prevention measures patients on vitamin D intake, and current are not centered on the IDU population. programs addressing osteoporosis prevention Providing access to sterile needles and are underfunded. A literature review was syringes is a highly effective method of conducted to investigate symptoms and reducing HIV infections among injection drug causes of vitamin D deficiency, and users. Needle & syringe programs (NSPs) stakeholders and successful policies provide injection drug users with access to addressing the issue or analogous issues in sterile drug equipment in order to reduce the different contexts were examined. After transmission of HIV by decreasing the sharing analysis of the efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and of contaminated needles among IDUs. Since a feasibility of three different policy alternatives high HIV prevalence in IDUs can spread and the status quo, it was determined that rapidly through sexual transmission to the issuing vitamin D guidelines through the general population, preventing the spread of Medical Association of Georgia for Georgia’s HIV among IDUs will help to address the providers to follow and incorporate into growing epidemic in Russia. NSPs are not practice is the best alternative. By having only cost-effective, they are also cost-saving, providers address vitamin D deficiency in with implementation costs of NSPs being patients before fractures, patients will have offset with savings in healthcare. In order for one less risk factor for osteoporosis, and the Russia to significantly reduce the rate of new medical costs associated with fractures should HIV infections, there needs to be strong decrease. governmental support in addressing the HIV epidemic among IDUs by supporting and funding a large-scale implementation of needle and syringe programs.

120

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Characterization of Proteoglycans in Genetic Assessment of the Role of TNF Prostate Cancer Cell Growth and its Receptors (RI and RII) in Sheela Sheth Placental Malaria Pathogenesis Dr. Brian Cummings, Pharmaceutical & Chris Slade Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy Dr. Julie Moore, Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine Glypicans (GPC) and syndecans (SDC) are heparan sulphate proteoglycans involved in Placental malaria (PM) is characterized by cell-cell and cell-matrix signaling at the plasma sequestration of malaria-parasite infected red membrane of animal cells; however, increased blood cells and accumulation of mononuclear expression of these proteoglycans is cells, mainly macrophages, in the intervillous associated with carcinogenesis. Recent studies space of a womanʼs placenta. Macrophages reveal that glypican-1 and syndecan-1 are are the main producers of TNF, a pro- enhanced in tumour stroma while reduced in inflammatory cytokine. Previous experiments epithelial cells in prostate cancer tissue involving pregnant C57BL/6J mice infected compared to normal prostate tissue. There are with Plasmodium chabaudi AS- showed that six identified glypican isoforms (GPC-1 to 6) TNF-neutralization could rescue pregnancy in animal cells; however, little is understood of loss at mid-gestation. This suggests that TNF their expression in non-cancerous and is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes cancerous prostate cells. The goal of this during PM. TNF exerts its role through its research is to determine the role of glypicans receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, and induces and syndecans in cellular proliferation and inflammation and/or cell death. To metastasis in prostate cancer. Reverse understand more about the role of TNF in transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) showed that the immunopathology of PM, TNF and TNF GPC-1, GPC-4, and SDC-1 were expressed receptors (R1 and R2) null mutants and wild- differently in non-cancerous (PCS-440-010) type B6 (C57BL/6J) mice were infected and cancerous prostate cell lines (LNCaP, with Plasmodium chabaudi AS at day 0 of DU-145 and PC-3 cells), but RT-PCR did not pregnancy. Mice were followed up and detect GPC-2, 3, 5, and 6 mRNA expressions sacrificed at gestation day 10. Clinical metrics in these cells. Both GPC-1 and SDC-1 mRNA were measured at gestation day 0 and from levels are downregulated in benign cancer day 6 to day 10. At sacrifice, the placenta was cells (LNCaP) and increased in metastatic cell collected and fresh frozen in liquid nitrogen lines (DU-145 and PC-3). Interestingly, GPC- for RNA and protein isolation or fixed in 4 mRNA level is highly expressed in PC-3 neutral buffered formalin for histology. while there is no difference in PCS-440-010, Preliminary data indicate that TNF and LNCaP and DU-145. These findings indicate TNFR2 null mutants reach high parasitemia that GPC-1, GPC-4, and SDC-1 are more quickly than TNFR1 null mutant and B6 differentially expressed during neoplastic mice. In addition, weight loss was most severe transformation in prostate cancer. These in infected pregnant (IP) TNF null mutant. proteoglycans may be involved in cellular However, IP TNFR2 null mutant did not proliferation and metastasis of prostate have significant weight loss compared to cancer. To test this hypothesis, the expression uninfected mice. Almost all IP mice have of GPC-1, GPC-4, and SDC-1 will be anemia by day 9 except for TNFR2 null knocked down by siRNA in PC-3 cells. mutant. This study is ongoing and markers for Cellular proliferation and metastasis will be oxidative stress and apoptosis will be assessed assessed by MTT and trans-well assays, by ELISA, Real time PCR, and respectively. immunohistochemistry. Comparative analysis

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Abstracts may reveal a mechanistic role for TNF in the Nut-Cracking Skill in Wild Capuchin pathogenesis of PM. Monkeys Kristen Smith, Rhianna Baldree The Lines are Drawn: Christian Apologies Dr. Dorothy Fragaszy, Psychology, Franklin in Late Antiquity College of Arts & Sciences Ryan Slauer Dr. Michael Haslam, Oxford University Dr. Erika Hermanowicz, Classics, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Skill, defined as fluid, effective performance under variable circumstances, is characteristic Early Christian apologies provide a unique of humans’ use of hand tools. The skilled lens through which we can glimpse the features of tool use by nonhuman animals are relationship between early Christianity and the relatively unexplored. We aim to contribute to “outside” (non-Christian) world. The reading knowledge regarding skillful tool use by of these texts is complicated, however, by the nonhuman primates. Wild bearded capuchin existence of multiple motives for the writers. monkeys habitually crack hard palm nuts by Though often addressed to Roman placing them on an anvil and striking them authorities, the apologies were intended for with stone hammers. Previous studies at the Christian audiences as well, and interpretation EthoCebus field site in Brazil have shown that of the portrayal of Christian communities is monkeys are skillful in aspects of nut-cracking made problematic by the recognition of this including nut positioning, hammer stone Christian audience. More specifically, it means selection, and appropriate striking force. We that we can only glimpse the relationship asked if monkeys at this site handled the between Christianity and the outside world as hammer stone skillfully prior to and during through a lens, darkly. This research explores striking, and conducted a field experiment to the development of the relationship between investigate. Four adult monkeys voluntarily Christianity and the outside world through cracked nuts while we videotaped. Nuts and these texts, understanding the difficulties four stones, individually presented, were inherent in this analysis. The writings of provided for the monkeys to use. Two stones Tertullian, Arnobius, Lactantius, and (1100 g and 534 g) were symmetrical, and two Augustine are considered, with particular were asymmetrical (1042 g and 455 g). From attention given to these authors’ political and slow motion video (120 fps), we are coding legal philosophy. It will be seen that these when the monkey flipped or spun the stone, apologies were not merely responses to and how it positioned its hands on the stone. persecution and to social and intellectual For each stone, at least 10 and up to 20 strikes stigma, rather they were also the drawing of by each subject will be analyzed. Evidence for ideological lines in an attempt to differentiate skillful handling of stones will be found if Christianity from the Roman milieu and to monkeys increase spins and flips, and use instruct Christian communities regarding more or different hand positions during proper behavior. With these conclusions, this striking with asymmetric stones while research aims to add food for thought to the maintaining equal nut-cracking efficiency with historical analysis of early Christianity and its both stone types. Supported by UGA, niche in Roman society. National Geographic Society, and the PRIMARCH project, European Research Council.

122

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Genetic Analysis of the Role of SMAX7 in Native American Traditional Dress: Regulating Shoot Architecture Drawing the Line between Celebrating a Ishwarya Soundappan Culture and Making a Mockery of It Dr. David Nelson, Genetics, Franklin College Devon Sprague of Arts & Sciences Dr. Katalin Medvedev, Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors, College of Family We can significantly impact crop yield by & Consumer Sciences understanding how strigolactone, an endogenous plant hormone, controls tillering The fashion industry has a long history of or branching in crops. MORE AXILLARY borrowing from a vast array of cultures and BRANCHING2 (MAX2) is an important religions when creating new collections. My regulator of strigolactone signaling, but its research suggests that using the conventional signaling pathway is not understood. The image of the Native American in the world of max2 mutant displays multiple developmental pop culture not only promotes harmful defects. SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 (SMAX1) stereotypes, but is also a contributing factor in controls some of these MAX2-dependent preventing them from overcoming phenotypes. SMAX1 and its seven homologs consistently low socioeconomic compose an uncharacterized protein family in conditions. By studying several academic Arabidopsis thaliana. We hypothesized that journals, blogs, and news articles on the SMAX1 homologs could control other max2 subject, I have discovered the historical phenotypes. We found that artificial importance of Native American dress, its microRNA suppression of SMAX6, SMAX7, misuse in the global fashion industry, and the and SMAX8 reduces the increased branching devastating side effects of its phenotype of max2. In agreement with our misappropriations in fashion and culture findings, other researchers have shown that a today. Among Native Americans, traditional dominant mutation in the SMAX7 ortholog dress is closely tied to the wearer’s dignity and in rice produces an increased branching sense of self. The headdress in particular phenotype. This mutation is a five amino acid holds deep spiritual meanings and is reserved deletion and contributes to increased protein for sacred ceremonies. Therefore, it is stability. To test the effect of this mutation in offensive when major retailers take this A. thaliana, and particularly which amino acids apparel item out of context and market it as are responsible, we are conducting site- just another trendy fashion accessory. directed mutagenesis on SMAX7. We are also Attempts by companies like Urban Outfitters interested in determining if an EAR motif, and Victoria’s Secret to do so in recent years which is highly conserved in the SMAX1 has resulted in public backlash. The American homologs, is necessary for gene function. To sporting industry has also been guilty of using further this structure-function study, we will the American Indian image in a way that is create and transform various constructs of reprehensible. With education rates lower SMAX7 with deleted domains into wildtype than the national average and poverty rates and max2 backgrounds. An observation of the that are much higher, it is evident that Native resulting branching phenotypes from the Americans are severely underprivileged. The various constructs can elucidate the practice of abusing and misappropriating their mechanism by which this gene and others in sacred symbols erases their current problems the family operate. from the American consciousness, which in turn makes it difficult to bring about change.

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Increasing Physical Education in Bone Fracture Putty: A Combined Stem American High Schools Cell and Lentiviral Approach Karishma Sriram, Foundation Fellow Karishma Sriram, Foundation Fellow Prof. Bryan McCullick, Kinesiology, College Dr. Steven Stice, Animal & Dairy Science, of Education College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences High schools across the nation are not meeting the appropriate physical education Large bone defects require months of requirements to provide students with quality rehabilitation and often end with limb physical education. Studies have shown that amputation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) states do not mandate the time requirement – accelerate bone fracture repair via 225 minutes per week for physical education mechanisms complimentary to bone classes at the high school level – suggested by morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2), which the National Association for Sport and induces bone healing. We hypothesized that Physical Education (NASPE). As a result, lentiviral BMP2-transduced MSCs will nearly half of high school students do not generate enough exogenous BMP2 to produce receive the necessary physical education each heterotopic ossification (HO) in a mouse week. Inadequate facilities, insufficient time model, and the MSC will release trophic during the school day, budget cuts, and factors, enhancing the effects of BMP2. First, poorly-written legislation are the main culprits in vitro studies were performed with human behind the lack of acceptable levels of bone marrow-derived MSC and human physical education, causing reduced physical umbilical cord-derived MSC. Cells were activity, diminished quality of life, and transduced with lentiviral red fluorescent increased economic costs to society, among protein (RFP) to determine transduction other impacts. Furthermore, an increase in efficiency at 48, 72, and 96-hour time points. physical activity significantly improves Multiplicity of infection (MOI) corresponding individuals’ mental and physical health. to greatest levels of fluorescence was used Physical education in schools is one of the with cells transduced with lentiviral BMP2 most effective ways to encourage future and expression levels were measured with an physical activity participation, as every child ELISA at same time points. At 96 hours bone has access to school and spends nearly eight marrow MSC expressed 51,515 pg/mL BMP2 hours a day in his or her school. When taught at 10 MOI and 94,940 pg/mL at 50 MOI, by a trained specialist, physical education while umbilical MSC expressed more BMP2, classes in schools can effectively build a set of with 69,958 pg/ml at 10 MOI and 174,592 motor skills and a level of confidence to pg/mL at 50 MOI. Therefore, umbilical engage in physical activity. To address the lack MSCs will be used in future in vivo studies. of adequate physical education in high Next, a non-obese diabetic/severely schools, literature concerning physical compromised immunodeficient education was reviewed and policy solutions (NOD/SCID) mouse model was utilized to were created. After evaluating the proposed test HO by injecting umbilical MSC policy alternatives using a multi-goal analysis, transduced with lentiviral BMP2 into a leg the policy that prevents the use of muscle. HO was evaluated at 1 and 2 weeks substitutions for physical education post-injection via x-ray, showing circular soft requirements was determined to be the most tissue forming after one week and palpable effective way of increasing physical education bone after two. We expect to conclude – after among the high school students. further studies using HO, fracture injuries, and large animal models – that Lentiviral

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BMP2 in MSC is effective at rapid bone homologous recombination of subtelomeric healing. genes and ultimately effect the cell’s ability to adapt to stressful environments. The Effect of Telomere Dysfunction on Non-Allelic Recombination in the The Influence of Neuroticism, Openness, Subtelomere of Kluyveromyces lactis and Conscientiousness on Executive Brianna Stadsvold Functioning in Older Adults Dr. Michael McEachern, Genetics, Franklin Leslie Stapley College of Arts & Sciences Dr. L. Stephen Miller, Psychology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences The subtelomeric region in eukaryotes has a complex repetitive structure, is rapidly Executive functioning (EF) refers to one’s evolving, and is under epigenetic regulation. ability to organize thoughts in a goal-directed Though this region lacks essential genes, it is manner, to plan ahead, and subsequently carry enriched for genes critical for rapid adaptation out goal-directed strategies. Several studies to novel environments. However, the suggest that community-dwelling older adults mechanism through which genetic variation is employ EF abilities in order to perform introduced is poorly understood. The adaptive activities of daily living. Declines in EF due to telomere failure hypothesis proposes that, in the aging process, therefore, place older adults times of stress, telomere capping can be at greater risk for errors in daily living relaxed in a way that promotes subtelomeric activities and may compromise their ability to evolution. While functional telomeres are live independently. Research suggests meant to protect chromosome ends, personality traits may significantly predict EF dysfunctional telomeres can be performance in older adults; however, inappropriately repaired by mechanisms such findings have been inconsistent. The purpose as homologous recombination (HR). of the present study was to examine the Subsequent genetic modifications could have relationship between EF and three of the Big a beneficial effect on the organism’s fitness. Five personality traits: Neuroticism (N), In the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis, the flocculation Openness (O), and Conscientiousness (C), in (FLO) genes are thought to be responsible for a sample of 46 community-dwelling older cell adhesion and contain imperfect internal adults. It was hypothesized that a) these three repeat sequences. It is believed that repeat traits would carry combined predictive value number is directly correlated with cellular on EF performance, and b) N, O, and C adhesion phenotype. Using the motif finding would each significantly account for unique program MEME, internal repeats within the variance in EF performance. Simultaneous FLO genes found in the subtelomere of K. regression revealed a significant combined lactis have been identified. These repeats could predictive value of N, O, and C, over and provide a region of homology for which beyond age and education (R2 = .313, homologous recombination can undergo. To p=.023). Three independent regressions, with determine the rate of recombination, URA3 an adjusted p-value of .017, revealed that N will be inserted within a FLO gene and the significantly predicted EF (R2= .249, p=.014), rate of loop-out of URA3 will be measured in but O did not (R2= .136, p=.619). As wild-type and telomere dysfunction strains. hypothesized, but contrary to some findings Evidence that recombination is increased in in the literature, C had the largest predictive strains with mild genetic telomere dysfunction power on EF (R2= .284, p=.005). Results would support the idea that environmentally- suggest that personality may be indicative of induced telomere function could modulate EF decline, also suggesting that C is a more

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Abstracts important predictor of EF than previously connecting language as a science and language recognized. as an art – a valuable interest for both fields.

The Linguistics of Artistic Language: Characterization of the rsr-rtcBA operon Poetry, Complexity, and Mass-Market in Salmonella typhimurium Novels Cameron Story Ashleigh Starnes Dr. Anna Karls, Microbiology, Franklin Dr. Bill Kretzschmar, English, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences College of Arts & Sciences The rtcBA operon, a conserved set of genes in Using the methodologies of complexity many bacteria, encodes proteins whose science as proposed by William Kretzschmar homologues in metazoans and archaea are in his book The Linguistics of Speech (2009) – known to function in RNA repair, but have which addresses the statistical characteristics no known physiological role in bacteria. In of emergent order in language – we can define vitro characterization of E. coli RtcA and RtcB stylistic distinctiveness in artistic texts by demonstrated RNA 2’3’ phosphate cyclase comparing the shapes and values of their and RNA ligase activities, respectively. In word distributions to a general corpus of Salmonella typhimurium, the rtcBA operon linguistic data (i.e. “normal” speech). This encodes an additional gene, rsr (Ro-sixty study offers a three-way comparison of related ribonucleoprotein), and two non- “Language Poetry” from Ron Silliman’s In the coding RNAs. The goal of this research is to American Tree (1986), Peter Benchley’s characterize the S. typhimurium rsr-rtcBA novel Jaws (1974), and the Brown Corpus operon, which is controlled by a sigma54- (Kucera & Francis, 1961). Using the AntConc dependent promoter and the activator, RtcR. corpus program, this study found several To determine the environmental stressor that parallels between the word distribution activates RtcR, allowing expression of the rsr- patterns in all three texts, despite the rtcBA operon, the promoter region of rsr- Language Poets’ aesthetic claim to the rtcBA was introduced upstream of lacZ on a distinctiveness of poetic language: the most plasmid. After exposure to stress conditions, frequent items were function words, and the promoter activity was monitored using β- word count and frequency of frequencies galactosidase assays. Stressors investigated distributions formed asymptotic, hyperbolic thus far include, cold shock, DNA damage via curves characteristic of all language data of UV light, and exposure to antibiotics, such as sufficient size (Kretzschmar 2009). On the chloramphenicol and cefotaxime, to test other hand, this study found that unique disruption of translation and cell wall words comprise about twice the percentage of synthesis, respectively. None of these total words in Language Poetry as opposed conditions induced lacZ expression from the to Jaws (10.72% versus 5.73%, respectively), rsr-rtcBA promoter. To address a second and comprise only 1.4% of the Brown corpus. project goal – identification of gene products Thus, while the general shape of the that interact with RtcB – we are setting up a distributions are similar – as we would expect synthetic lethal assay. We created a rtcB-lacZ for all forms of speech – this data suggests a transcriptional fusion on an unstable plasmid hierarchy of distinctiveness from “normal” that will be used to screen a transposon- speech patterns in works of language art. This mutant library of S. typhimurium. Mutants study offers a generally unexplored method of requiring maintenance of the rtcB-lacZ plasmid analyzing artistic data and literary style, will point to genes whose products may interact with RtcB.

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The Monkey Saddle imposes lighter sentences on the accused, John Stroud, Foundation Fellow favoring redemption over punishment and Dr. David Gay, Mathematics, Franklin thereby blurring the line between legal College of Arts & Sciences jurisdiction and moral judgment. The character’s questionable exercise of authority In mathematics, a critical point of a function is no accident as Fielding himself served as is a specific point where the function is level chief magistrate of Westminster and or unchanging. A monkey saddle graph is a Middlesex for several years. Why then, does three-dimensional surface, often studied in the author allow his most admirable character multivariable calculus courses, with an to demonstrate such deliberate disregard for unusual type of critical point. The monkey English law? In examining Fielding’s own saddle itself is similar to a normal saddle, but legal career, comparisons may be drawn with three depressions instead of two, for the between the magisterial conduct of the author monkey's tail. The interesting feature of this and his character – but what, exactly, is the saddle is that its critical point is always an significance of these parallels? Through a inflection point and never a local minimum or close reading of Tom Jones and A Clear State of maximum regardless of the intersecting plane. the Case of Elizabeth Canning, Fielding’s own We wish to study the monkey saddle to better account of his involvement in the famous understand its unusual fixed point and how it 1753 criminal case, I attempt to answer these changes and creates more fixed points as the questions. Additionally, a biographical study parameters of the function change. My of Fielding’s days as magistrate as well as an research concerns creating a short movie examination of the 18th century legal system using Sage, an open-source Python-based in England may support findings in the close mathematics software, to generate three- readings. By exploring the function of the dimensional pictures of the monkey saddle character of Allworthy, readers of Tom Jones changing as its parameters change. Other may dispel what critics have dubbed “the methods include using the Tachyon ray- problem of Allworthy,” gaining insight into tracing system that works on top of Sage to the author’s literary motivations and juridical generate more realistic images. contributions in the process.

Solution to Allworthy: The Magisterial Fabrication of Hinged Nano-Motors Roles of Henry Fielding and Allworthy in Utilizing Metal Assisted Chemical Tom Jones Etching, Nano-Sphere Lithography, and Lisa Ye Suh Physical Vapor Deposition Dr. Elizabeth Kraft, English, Franklin College Mehreen Sultana of Arts & Sciences Dr. Yiping Zhao, Physics and Astronomy, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences The character of Allworthy in Henry Fielding’s novel, Tom Jones, a Foundling, has Catalytic nano-motors are synthetic structures proven problematic for both readers and that carry an on-board catalyst and move critics who question Allworthy’s true motives. autonomously using the chemical fuel from Despite his social standing as a wealthy the environment by a catalytic reaction. landowner and local magistrate, Allworthy Manipulation of their movement at such a shows unparalleled benevolence to his less small scale requires understanding of low exceptional, sometimes undeserving, Reynolds number hydrodynamics, where the counterparts. His altruism extends to his viscous force dominates. In such an magisterial position in which Allworthy environment, the geometry of nanomotors

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Abstracts determines the motion and its efficiency. impact leech burdens. During 2011-2012, 132 Therefore, investigating how novel geometries turtles of 10 species were sampled at affect the motion by simple methods is numerous locations in Georgia, USA. desirable for the advancement of nanomotors. Giemsa-stained blood smears were analyzed Here we focus on the design of hinged to determine prevalence of haemogregarines nanomotors. These structures contain two and parasitemias based on number of infected nano arms linked by a flexible joint, with one cells per 7,000 cells examined. To date, arm composed of Si and the other of TiO2. significantly higher prevalences were noted The Pt catalyst will be coated on the TiO2 for nonbasking species (81%) compared with arm that shall be free to move/rotate. Since basking species (56%). Similarly, nonbasking the structure has multiple components, each species (0.26%) had significantly higher component is fabricated using different parasitemias compared with basking species strategies. The Si nano arm is fabricated using (0.03%). These results indicate that basking a ‘top-down’ approach by metal assisted behavior has a significant impact on the directional chemical etching of crystalline Si haemogregarine prevalence and parasitemia substrate. This step is achieved by a levels in turtles. Among the four most combination of nanofabrication techniques commonly sampled species, there was no such as metal-assisted wet chemical etching, difference in prevalence between the two nano-sphere lithography, and physical vapor nonbasking species (common snappers deposition. The quality of metal assisted (Chelydra serpentina) [0.12%] and musk turtles etching is determined using a scanning (Sternotherus odoratus) [0.39%]) but parasitemias electron microscopy. The next phase of the of the two basking species were different with fabrication includes creating ‘ball-in-socket’ sliders (Trachemys scripta) [0.05%] having joint, and the second arm using oblique angle significantly higher parasitemias compared deposition and glancing angle deposition. The with painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) [0.01%]. speeds of catalytic micromotors can be Lower parasitemias in basking species could measured and used for many biomedical and be attributed to a reduction in leech exposure, industrial applications such as DNA sensing, an increase in the host immune response, selective isolation of nucleic acids, oil spill biology of different haemogregarine species, cleanup, degrading organic water pollutants or another unknown factor. Sequence analysis etc. of partial 18S rRNA sequences from haemogregarines in turtles from Georgia, Ecology and Genetic Characteristics of Canada, and Costa Rica suggests there are at Haemogregarines in Fresh Water Turtles least two parasite species that have little host- Scarlett Sumner, CURO Summer Fellow, or geographic-specificity. CURO Graduation Distinction Dr. Michael Yabsley, Warnell School of Improving Access to Screening for Post- Forestry & Natural Resources Traumatic Stress Disorder in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Haemogregarines are common intracellular Freedom Veterans parasites of freshwater turtles and aquatic Meili Swanson leeches (the vector). Higher leech loads Dr. Neale Chumbler, Health Policy & should be associated with higher prevalence Management, College of Public Health rates and parasitemias; therefore, this study was conducted to assess differences in The high prevalence of post-traumatic stress haemogregarine infections among various disorder (PTSD) in Operation Enduring aquatic turtles with variable behaviors that Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom

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(OEF/OIF) veterans makes it difficult for flexed (stretched) positions with the foot at an veterans to integrate successfully back into angle of 70 and 90, respectfully, with a 10- society. PTSD in veterans has been linked to minute break in-between. During the test, we suicide, unemployment, substance abuse, measured the amount of fatigue with a force homelessness, as well as domestic violence. transducer and the oxygen saturation There are limited policies currently in place consumption using a NIRS device. After the that support the re-integration of OEF/OIF test, we measured the rate of recovery of veterans back into society. The few current oxygen saturation using MatLab. Significant policies in place fail to identify many of the inverse correlation was seen between veterans who need treatment for PTSD. mitochondrial capacity and the amount of Three different policy alternatives were fatigue. Stretched positions resulted in lower analyzed, evaluated, and compared to the oxygen levels and slower rates of recovery of current policy based on three criteria – oxygen saturation than relaxed positions. This effectiveness, cost, and political feasibility. supports the cause of fatigue as impaired According to the conducted research, oxygen delivery. NIRS studies of muscle are telehealth is a mechanism that increases either ongoing or planned for people with veteran access to PTSD screening and can SCI, ALS, COPD, PAD, and heart failure. facilitate their further treatment if needed. This study will be the first step towards Telehealth involves using a Skype-like system validating a muscle fatigue test that represents to connect patients to their providers, face-to- muscle oxidative metabolism. face online. Telehealth applications are also a cost-efficient and politically feasible Oxidative Stress within the Placenta alternative to the current policies. By during Malaria Infection integrating telehealth into all VA medical Max Tarica centers, OEF/OIF veterans can be provided Dr. Julie Moore, Infectious Diseases, College with not only more efficient access to care, of Veterinary Medicine but can also increase PTSD screening rates by their providers. The pathology of placental malaria contributes to intrauterine growth restriction Assessing Mitochondrial Function and and premature birth, leading to low birth Fatigue in the Human Gastrocnemius weight. In severe cases, abortion and stillbirth with Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) occur. These outcomes result from a lack of Stephanie Tan, CURO Graduation blood flow that brings the fetus its nutrients. Distinction, Hannah Bossie, John Hann A major cause of this problem in humans Dr. Kevin McCully, Kinesiology, College of comes from the malaria parasites that Education specifically present with the VAR2CSA antigen, which allows its binding to Fatigue is known to be the number one glycoproteins within the placental intervillous symptom in all diseases. By using the NIRS space obstructing blood flow. Other factors, device and the force transducer, assessment of such as inflammatory responses and muscle metabolism can be evaluated to assess syncytiotrophoblast damage, are believed to the correlation between mitochondrial contribute as well. The focus of this study function and fatigue. Each participant was revolves around the production of reactive tested three times over the course of two oxygen species (ROS), which are known to days. The experiment focused on tetanic cause cell damage and death. Since mice share contractions and 35 Hz was used. The tests a common immunological response with were done in the extended (relaxed) and humans to malaria, a mouse model with four

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Abstracts groups of distinct genotypes was used. Mice Currently, it is impractical to study the were either null mutants for TNF (tumor function of O-GlcNAc in mammalian species necrosis factor) Receptor 1, Receptor 2, or because the loss of O-GlcNAc is lethal. both receptors of an intact genotype (B6 However, the genetic tools provided by mice). The TNF family of receptors has been Drosophila allow us to examine the effects of shown to promote cell death through the increasing and decreasing O-GlcNAc levels in participation of ROS. For this study, the selected tissues. This project aims to better magnitude of ROS present was indirectly understand the function of O-GlcNAc by assessed by evaluating the expression of altering the expression of OGT within specific genes that are up-regulated during specific cells of Drosophila melanogaster. Our times of oxidative stress via real-time results indicate that diminishing the quantitative PCR. Associating the fetal attachment of O-GlcNAc to intracellular outcome with the extent to which certain proteins in engrailed-expressing cells reduces ROS are induced within the groups of mice wingless protein secretion. In wing discs, can offer potential targets of interest for decreased O-GlcNAc in the engrailed intervention that will improve and maintain component results in the loss of the entire cell health and function which could protect posterior wing section. Additional study has against malaria-induced fetal complications. investigated the changes of O-GlcNAcylation in Sugar Free Frosting (sff) mutant flies. This Examining the Function of O-GlcNAc in project also aims to discuss how a change in Regulating Inter- and Intracellular expression of O-GlcNAc transferase can limit Signaling Pathways during Drosophila the effect of repressors that may promote sff Development expression. Further research will aim to Korry Tauber, CURO Summer Fellow, examine downstream effects of O- CURO Graduation Distinction GlcNAcylation in the insulin signaling Dr. Michael Tiemeyer, Biochemistry & pathway that may regulate the sff phenotype. Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Differences in Children’s Physical Fitness by Rural or Urban Location The addition and removal of O-linked N- Natalie Taylor acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) at serine and Dr. Jennifer Gay, Health Promotion & threonine residues is an essential regulator of Behavior, College of Public Health intracellular signaling pathways. Like phosphorylation, O-GlcNAc modification Past research reveals that obesity rates among acts to significantly alter the function of the children living in rural areas tend to be higher protein to which it is attached. There has been than those living in urban areas, with the lack considerable research documenting the of infrastructure (e.g. sidewalks, bike paths, functional implications of phosphorylation; recreational facilities, parks) being a likely such as acting as a regulator of cell growth determinant. This study aims to investigate and differentiation. However, the functions of whether school children residing in rural areas O-GlcNAc are still being discovered and of Georgia report lower fitness levels relatively little attention has been paid to the compared to urban areas. If the claim holds involvement of O-GlcNAc in cell processes. true, it may suggest some association between As with kinases and phosphatases, O-GlcNAc the built environment and active living. Using modification is controlled by regulated and the U.S. Census Bureau definition, towns and compartmentalized enzymes; O-GlcNAc cities of Georgia were defined as an urban transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). area (UA), urban cluster (UC), or rural area.

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FitnessGram data was provided by 1,473 first century A.D. claimed descent from the schools in Georgia to measure physical fitness goddess herself. As one of the largest and best levels by assessing aerobic capacity, muscular quality statues of the Aphrodite Anadyomene strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and type known to date, the North Carolina statue body composition. Frequencies were is a critical example in understanding how the calculated for grade level, gender, and goddess of love was employed to convey geographic location. One-way ANOVA was particular political meanings. Using used to examine differences in the fitness comparative material and some scientific categories by UA, UC, or rural area. Maps analyses, this presentation will examine these were generated using ArcGIS. The sample issues as well as the date and probable ancient consisted of 50.1% boys and 55.8% coloration of this high quality product of elementary school students. UAs have a Greek craftsmanship. higher proportion of students in the healthy fitness zone compared to UC and RA Variables Affecting Attitudes toward students in cardiorespiratory endurance, body Police composition, and muscular strength and Tiffany Toteno endurance part 2. Also, UCs were generally Dr. Natasha Ganem, Sociology, Franklin less fit than rural areas. All schools may College of Arts & Sciences benefit from more physical activity programs, particularly in UC areas. By collaborating with Police officers have a very important job; local government officials and businesses, protect and serve the community. Yet police school systems can create environments that can develop a bad reputation on college are conducive to good health for all students. campuses. This paper seeks to determine what affects students’ perceptions about police. Reexamining a Little-Known Aphrodite There are two research questions presented in Anadyomene Statue from Ancient Stabiae this paper: 1) does someone’s past experiences Chiara Tondi Resta with Athens-Clarke County police officers Dr. Mark Abbe, Lamar Dodd School of Art affect how they view the officers of the department and 2) do criminal justice (CJ) An over life-size Roman, marble statue of students have a more positive attitude toward Aphrodite Anadyomene (Greek: “rising from police officers than students in other majors. the sea”) in the North Carolina Museum of This research is noteworthy because little Art is a little-known, but important sculpture. literature is available that studies how CJ Reported to be from ancient Stabiae near students view police, and only students of the Pompeii, it appears to have been buried in the University of Georgia were allowed to eruption of Vesuvius, providing it a terminus participate. A convenience sample method ante quem of 79 A.D. The Aphrodite was used and each participant was given a link Anadyomene type was particularly important to an online survey in order to collect data. in central Italy and the Bay of Naples due to The two independent variables studied are 1) her associations with water and bathing which whether or not someone has had any were valued especially by merchants and interactions with an Athens-Clarke County sailors. But what additional associations might police officer and 2) whether they are a CJ this statue have had in Stabiae in the late major or not. The dependent variable used a republican and early imperial periods? The Likert scale consisting of five questions about Roman general Sulla, who conquered the area perceptions of police and a Chi square was in 89 B.C., credited Aphrodite for his used for data analysis. The results of both of victories, and the Julio-Claudian rulers of the these studies were significant and proved that

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Abstracts past experiences with police and a student’s Against All Reason: Rousseau and the major do affect how positively they view Counter-Enlightenment police officers. Lastly, an additional study was Brian Underwood, CURO Summer Fellow, conducted using the first research question CURO Graduation Distinction and controlling for CJ majors. The results of Dr. Jennifer Palmer, History, Franklin College this study were not significant. of Arts & Sciences

The Five-Fold Division: Shadow Scholars often count Swiss philosopher Jean- Personalities in Beckett’s Three Novels Jacques Rousseau as a chief proponent of Julian Traas Enlightenment thought, a movement at the Dr. Adam Parkes, English, Franklin College heart of western intellectual tradition. It is of Arts & Sciences surprising, however, that they consider Rousseau a member of that movement when Samuel Beckett’s often minimalist, confusing he himself explicitly challenged or downright contradictory descriptions of Enlightenment tenets at their most setting, character and situation problematize fundamental levels. I demonstrate through any plot sketch. Various scholarly articles have this project that Jean-Jacques Rousseau was in posited that the supporting characters in The fact an early figure in a burgeoning Counter- Unnamable are facets of the titular character. Enlightenment – a direct ideological Bearing in mind Beckett’s interest in Freudian confrontation of the reason-based philosophy psychology, this paper investigates that notion of the Enlightenment, one that began in the to its logical conclusion, claiming that Moran, eighteenth century and later heavily influenced Molloy, Malone, et al., are all merely figments the dominant continental philosophies of the – shadow personalities – of the Unnamable’s nineteenth century. This project identifies tortured mind, generated by the Unnamable those central ideas that make Rousseau’s itself in order to process a deeply embedded ideology distinct from Enlightenment and poisonous psychological trauma. This philosophy as a whole, placing his ideology paper’s focused analysis of Beckett’s Three outside of that intellectual tradition. Novels exposes the blatant similarities between Examining the philosophy of Rousseau in this each principal character – not limited to context offers insight into direct and maddeningly similar names, fragile teeth, and immediate reactions to the Enlightenment relative immobility – and links these traits to while it was still in progress. In turn, the the respective role each of these shadow writings of Rousseau exhibit that the personalities plays in the preservation of the Enlightenment itself was not a monolithic Unnamable’s psyche. Through scrutiny of intellectual entity, but instead was a each shadow personality’s contribution to the contentious movement even at its height. Unnamable whole, it proposes a radical approach to Beckett’s trilogy which embraces Nitrogen Resorption in Helianthus the narrative’s scattered nature as part of the Species solution to its interpretation, rather than part Chinyere Uzoigwe of the problem. Dr. Lisa Donovan, Plant Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences

Nutrient resorption describes a plant’s ability to re-absorb nutrients from senescing leaves. This ability is beneficial because such recycling increases available nutrient for

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Abstracts growth and reproduction. Nitrogen is typically Previous studies have indicated that ripening the nutrient most limiting to plant growth and induces changes in the composition of the nitrogen resorption can be measured by the fruit cell wall, ultimately resulting in increased nitrogen content difference between green pathogen susceptibility. This hypothesis was and senesced leaves. Nitrogen resorption tested through the use of tomato strains in efficiency and proficiency were measured in 2- various stages of ripening, as well as with 3 populations each of 16 species of wild strains in which ripening was inhibited. Helianthus grown in a common garden. The AcMG, CnrMG, and CnrRR mutant tomato levels of resorped nitrogen across populations fruit were infected with B. cinerea B05.10, and and species were compared with respect to fungal and fruit proteins were identified post- growth form and life history, home habitat infection. A total of 30 B. cinerea and 152 environmental factors, and relative placement tomato proteins were identified. Following along the leaf economics spectrum. First, it is identification, two master lists (one each for hypothesized that annuals and erect deciduous B. cinerea proteins and tomato proteins) were perennials would have lower resorption ability compiled. The lists provided information on than basal rosette perennials, which use the function, gene ontology, pfam, CAZy, rosettes of leaves as storage organs for signal P, secrotome P, and TMHMM for each overwintering. Second, it is hypothesized that of the proteins. The identified proteins were species from more fertile habitats would have then regrouped and analyzed based on which lower resorption ability than species from less mutant fruit (AcMG, CnrMG, and CnrRR) fertile habitats, as resorption is costly and the respective proteins were found in. Fungal would not be favored where soil nitrogen is and tomato proteins were found in the abundant. Third, it is hypothesized that higher greatest frequency in the CnrRR variety. Over nitrogen resorption would be favored in 36% of all fungal proteins and 19% of tomato species with a more “conservative” leaf proteins identified were unique to the CnrRR economics spectrum, as these species are strand supporting previous research that typically found in infertile environments, indicated pathogen susceptibility in the B. often use leaves as storage organs, and have a cinerea-tomato interaction increases with longer leaf lifespan that allows more time for ripening. nutrients to be re-absorbed prior to leaf senescence. An Investigation of the Metabolic Changes Associated with Feeding a High- A Proteomic Study of the Botrytis cinerea- Fat/High-Sugar Diet in Swine Tomato Interaction Emily Vermillion, CURO Honors Scholar Jerin Varghese Dr. Robert Dove, Animal & Dairy Science, Dr. Carl Bergmann, Biochemistry & College of Agricultural & Environmental Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Sciences The bio-medical community has expressed Botrytis cinerea is a model necrotrophic fungus interest as to what types of changes might be that infects more than 200 plant species, one seen in pigs fed high-fat, high-sugar diets. A of which is the tomato. Significant protein- pilot study was conducted to determine the protein interactions occur as B. cinerea metabolic changes in pigs fed high fat/high attempts to colonize its host plant. In this sugar diets. A total of 9 pigs were assigned to study, shotgun proteomics is used to identify the study, with 6 pigs assigned to the the proteins solubilized in the B. cinerea- experimental diet (2 pens), and 3 pigs assigned tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) interaction. to a control diet (1 pen). The experimental

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Abstracts diet contained 20% fat, and 20% sugar and a phenomenon where transposition decreases the control diet was formulated to meet NRC as the number of Ty1 genomic copies guidelines. Pigs were fed the diets for 12-16 increases, a process called copy-number weeks in amounts equal to approximately 70% control (CNC). In order to learn more about of ad libitum intake. Pigs were weighed the mechanism of CNC we performed a weekly and bled via a jugular stick on days 1, mutant screen using error-prone PCR to 28, 56, 84, 98, and 112. Blood samples were identify CNC-resistant Ty1 POL mutants. In analyzed for glucose, triglycerides and insulin. the mutants we identified, PR V115A and IN Week 6 weights indicate that the pigs fed the D391G/RT R288G, we measured experimental diet exhibited the expected transposition frequency and examined steady weight gain, averaging 9 pounds heavier than state protein levels. Additionally, to learn pigs fed control diet. Triglyceride and glucose more about host factor involvement in Ty1 levels showed little variation between groups. retrotransposition, we conducted a screen On weeks 12, 14, and 16, one pig from each using a GAL1-regulated yeast cDNA pen was harvested, and the heart, liver, expression library to identify host cofactor kidney, and pancreas were collected for genes that are involved in the life cycle of analysis. Livers of the experimental pigs Ty1. From these experiments we isolated two weighed an average 300g more than the livers host cofactors, YRB1 and BMH2, that, when of the control pigs. Additionally, some liver overexpressed, inhibit Ty1 streaking was noted in pigs fed the retrotransposition. As the Ty1 proteins are experimental diet, indicating possible early homologs of retroviral Gag and Pol, by onset of fatty liver disease. Results of studying Ty1 transposition we can expand our slaughter may indicate early onset of understanding of the replication of other metabolic syndrome-type symptoms, however retroelements, an area that has important triglyceride levels show little evidence of this. implications for human disease.

Mutations Impacting Copy Number Ectopic Endodermal Expression of Foxn1 Control and Host Cofactor Involvement in in a Murine Model Retrotransposition of Ty1 Lucas Wachsmuth Lucas Wachsmuth Dr. Nancy Manley, Genetics, Franklin College Dr. David Garfinkel, Biochemistry & of Arts & Sciences Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Foxn1 is a forkhead transcription factor that drives differentiation of the epithelial cell lines Ty1 is an LTR retrotransposon found in the in the thymus, the organ responsible for yeast genus Saccharomyces that replicates via a maturation and selection of T cells. Normal process similar to that observed in expression of Foxn1 is crucial for proper retroviruses. Ty1 is comprised of two open thymic development and postnatal upkeep of reading frames: GAG, which encodes the thymic cellular organization, and expression structural capsid-like protein, and POL, which defects lead to severe immunodeficiency due codes for the Ty1 protease (PR), integrase to impaired T cell colonization and (IN), and reverse transcriptase (RT). maturation. Foxn1 has been described as a Ty1 proteins along with Ty1 mRNA assemble master regulator of thymic epithelial cell into virus-like particles (VLPs), where the Ty1 lineage due to its role in thymic epithelial cell mRNA is reverse transcribed into cDNA for patterning as an activator of downstream insertion into the genome. Ty1 replication in epithelial differentiation genes. The thymus the budding yeast host exhibits arises from endoderm in the third pharyngeal

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Abstracts pouch, so it follows that Foxn1 expression in Pharmacological inhibition of transcription other endodermal tissues could have the will be used to determine the half-life of these potential to alter cell fates. However, Foxn1 messages. Next, cells will be sorted according expression is primarily localized to the pre- to cycle phase using flow cytometry. I will thymic areas, and the potential for Foxn1 to then assess real time transcription of target function as an endodermal transcription genes as a function of cycle phase using factor outside of the pharyngeal pouch has yet housekeeping gene expression as an internal to be analyzed. Here we show that ectopic control. The possibility that cell cycle phase is Foxn1 expression can be induced through the differentially correlated with BMP target gene FoxA2CreER system and an inducible Foxn1 expression would argue that the BMP transgene in a murine model. Using this pathway both regulates and is regulated by the genetic approach we induce Foxn1 expression cell cycle. Insight regarding the BMP pathway under the control of the FoxA2 gene, with respect to cell cycle phase would have resulting in ectopic endodermal Foxn1 important implications with respect to the expression. Studying the development of etiology and treatment of developmental and these Foxn1-expressing cells located in oncological pathologies associated with BMP endodermal tissues outside of the thymic signaling. primordium will further our understanding of the scope of Foxn1’s effects on endodermal The Effect of the Protein Ras2 on the tissues. With more knowledge of Foxn1’s Biological Clock of the Fungus involvement in cellular differentiation we can Neurospora crassa expand our understanding of its role in Solomon Walker aspects of health such as age-related immune Dr. Jonathan Arnold, Genetics, Franklin decline and immunodificiencies. College of Arts & Sciences

Cell Cycle Regulation of BMP Signal The biological clock of most organisms is a Transduction complex interactome of many proteins that Akshey Walia can control the various pathways and Dr. Jonathan Eggenschwiler, Genetics, functions within an organism that relate to Franklin College of Arts & Sciences circadian rhythms. It is already known that a defect in the Ras2 gene in Neurospora c. causes Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), conidal and cell wall growth defects, but it is belonging to the transforming growth factor not known if the gene has any effect on its beta (TGF-β) family of ligands, are thought to biological clock. We utilized viability tests and be responsible for a variety of developmental growth tube tests of Ras2 knockout strains processes within the mammalian central compared to wild type strains to analyze the nervous system, including neurulation, dorsal- defects caused by the absence of the Ras2 on ventral patterning, cellular differentiation, the life span of individual conidia and core survival, and proliferation. Although BMP functions seen in other knockout strains, such signaling plays an important role in cell cycle as the banding seen in growth tube tests of regulation, it is unclear whether the opposite Ras1 mutants. We also performed real-time relationship, in which the BMP pathway is PCR on aged and unaged cultures of Ras2 active in only a specific phase of the cell cycle, knockout and wild type strains to determine if also exists. To investigate this possibility, I the low expression in Ras2 knockout strains have developed a quantitative assay using of Ras2 affects the expression levels of qPCR to detect unspliced pre-mRNA another key clock gene, frq, which could messages from direct target genes. implicate Ras2 in being part of the clock

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Abstracts interactome. So far, the viability and growth and anxiety contributed to explaining a tube tests remain inconclusive, but the significant amount of variance of self-reported upcoming real-time PCR tests could give concussion-like symptoms. Depression more concrete results on whether or not Ras2 explained 30% of current concussive-like is a key gene in the clock regulation of symptoms. Also, as predicted, the number of Neurospora crassa. past concussions further predicts current concussion-like symptoms above and beyond Concussions from the Past Continue to mood symptomology. Adding the number of Predict Present Symptomology Above and past concussions into the model explained a Beyond Mood Symptoms total of 39% of that variance in concussion- Tiffany Washington like symptoms. Conclusion: Predictably, an Doug Terry, Graduate student individual’s current mood contributes to Dr. L. Stephen Miller, Psychology, Franklin explaining variance in concussion-like College of Arts & Sciences symptoms. However, the number of past concussions was significantly related to Objective: Much research has been done in concussive-like symptoms above and beyond order to understand the consequences and one’s mood symptomology in individuals who impact concussions can have on professional do not currently have a concussion. This football players such as the chronicity of study suggests that getting a concussion in symptoms associated with a concussion. one’s adolescent years may have long lasting However, there is limited research that effects in one’s adult years. assesses the long lasting impacts of a concussion on individuals who played football Mimicking the EGFR Dimerization Arm solely during their adolescence. Studies Using Triazolyl-Bridged Peptides: An suggest that mood symptomology may be Alternative Approach to EGFR Inhibition associated with history of concussions. Thus, Christopher Watkins we examined the relationship between Dr. Eileen Kennedy, Pharmaceutical & depression and anxiety and concussion-like Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy symptoms in individuals who have not had a concussion in many years. Moreover, we EGFR is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine examined the addition of a third variable, kinase whose overexpression contributes to number of past concussions, to see if it could oncogenic phenotypes in multiple cancers, further predict concussive-like symptoms. making it a candidate of choice for therapeutic Methods: Twenty-eight community-dwelling treatments. Previous attempts have mostly former high school football players ages 40-65 relied on tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and participated in this study. The Beck monoclonal antibodies, but these have had Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety significant drawbacks, such as the Inventory as well as a measure of current development of secondary resistance and concussive symptoms were completed. infusion reactions, making an alternative Participants also underwent the Acute targeting strategy necessary. Our work has Concussion Evaluation (ACE), semi- been to develop a library of triazolyl-bridged structured interview to assess how many peptides that inhibit EGFR activity by previous concussions they endured. To find mimicking the dimerization arm of its an association between the independent and extracellular domain. The dimerization arm dependent variables a hierarchical linear was chosen because blocking its interaction regression model was used in order to analyze prevents dimerization of the receptor and the the scores. Results: As expected, depression activation of the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase

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Abstracts domain of EGFR, thus inhibiting downstream approximately 200 cases of paralytic polio signaling. Our peptides were stabilized by each year, and circulating polio will threaten locking the termini together into a β loop by to have even larger outbreaks, affecting the formation of a triazolyl bridge. The lengths of health of the world. Because of vaccination the azido-amino acid side chains required for refusals and security problems as well as the triazole formation were varied to identify the need for a new vaccination schedule, the optimal cross-link length. Liquid policies put in place must be chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) reassessed. Introducing IPV into every confirmed formation of the cyclized product, vaccination schedule is an important step in and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid polio eradication’s future. The challenges of chromatography (HPLC) was used to purify this policy are that implementation is the peptides. The peptide with the shortest expensive and requires the intensive training bridge, EDA2, showed the greatest decrease of vaccination workers compared to in the amount of phosphorylated EGFR and OPV. However, this solution will increase Akt in cell-based assays. Co- demand for the vaccine, be more politically immunoprecipitation of fluorescein-labeled accepted, and prevent the most cases of polio. peptides revealed that our EDA2 peptide bound EGFR. The Duolink assay identified a Breaking Mendel's Laws: How Abnormal decrease in EGFR dimers after incubation Chromosome 10 Causes Meiotic Drive with EDA2. Our results show that EDA2 Amy Webster inhibits the dimerization of EGFR and Dr. Kelly Dawe, Genetics, Franklin College of subsequent downstream signaling, Arts & Sciences demonstrating that dimerization arm mimicking peptides may be a promising In Zea mays, abnormal chromosome 10 (Ab10) alternative targeting strategy for EGFR exhibits meiotic drive by segregating into inhibition. approximately 80% of progeny instead of the Mendelian 50%. In addition to preferentially Polio Eradication: What's Still Needed? segregating itself, the presence of Ab10 causes Amelia Watson the preferential segregation of certain knobs Dr. Richard Schuster, Health Policy & present on other chromosomes. These knobs Management, College of Public Health are heterochromatic regions of tandem repeats composed of two sequences called Poliomyelitis is a devastating disease that Knob 180 and TR-1. Three haplotype variants attacks the central nervous system and often of Ab10 have been found across subspecies causes paralysis. About 2 to 5% of children of Zea mays, called teosintes, the wild and 15-30% of adults with paralyzing progenitor of domesticated maize. They are infection die, and the survivors’ lives are denoted types I, II, and III and vary in knob irrevocably changed. The World Health content, but all exhibit meiotic drive. My goal Assembly sought to eradicate poliomyelitis in was to determine which lines of teosinte have 1988, when the disease paralyzed more than Ab10, which variant of Ab10 is present in 350,000 people each year. The most recent each, and which genes are important for the deadline of polio eradication, one of the many meiotic drive phenotype. To do this, I found set, was missed in 2012. Unfortunately, polio six lines of teosinte that have Ab10 present in is still endemic in three countries despite at least one plant. I used fluorescent in situ continual efforts towards eradication. The hybridization (FISH) to probe for current state of control would cost more than centromeres, TR-1 knob, and Knob180 on ten billion dollars over the next 20 years with the chromosomes of teosinte lines, and

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Abstracts determined the type of Ab10 present in three other factors, including Ethnic strife and plants positive for Ab10 using fluorescent “Ancient Hatreds” arguments. microscopy. I genotyped Zea mays for the presence of ten genes on the distal tip of The Rationality of Peacekeeping Ab10 to determine if they are present across Patrick Wheat teosintes and used qRT-PCR to compare Dr. Andrea Everett, International Affairs, expression levels of plants with functioning College of Public & International Affairs versus mutant Ab10. Through these experiments, I found one gene that is not The United Nations Department of important for meiotic drive and two genes Peacekeeping Operations has acted as one of that have significant changes in expression the most well-known international and are of interest for further study. organizations for the past sixty years, taking part in 67 operations aimed at stabilizing The Justification for Ethnic War regional conflict and alleviating humanitarian Patrick Wheat concerns across the globe. Peacekeeping Dr. Daniel Hill, International Affairs, School missions organized by the DPKO are of Public & International Affairs comprised entirely of voluntary contributions of soldiers from individual nations. Because With a strong increase in ethnically focused these contributions play such an important conflicts in the past twenty years, the root of role in the DPKO’s continued operations, these conflicts remains a confounded issue in understanding the factors that are likely to many respects. Through the use of analysis of encourage or discourage states from case studies, along with dynamic and participating in UN missions is of paramount structural theories on the foundation of ethnic importance. One of the most interesting identity, I attempted to form a conclusion as aspects of this contribution question is to the core cause of ethnic conflict. While in understanding the factors that cause states many cases it appears that the actions of with fewer military resources (personal, individuals who participate in ethnic conflicts weapons, equipment, etc.) to contribute more appear to be the result of long-standing than states with a large amount of resources. grievances, violence is more likely to be the Most of this motivation appears to come from result of manipulation of ethnically-based political will within the nation and from the political cleavages by individuals in leadership financial compensation given from the UN to positions, who engage in such behavior for states who contribute forces to peacekeeping the advancement of their own personal mission. If either of these factors is either agenda or that of their ethnic or political bloc. lacking or unnecessary to the government of a Furthermore, these efforts are more state, the state is less likely to contribute based successful when the leadership is able to on this model. To demonstrate this, I will use manipulate ethnically-based cleavages case studies from nations such as Bangladesh, characterized by a history of grievances. In Ethiopia, Cambodia and Thailand. this presentation, I will use the real world examples of the events leading up to the Rwandan Genocide, the Bosnian Civil War and the Sri Lankan Civil War alongside theoretical analysis of different theories on Ethnic Conflict to demonstrate the cause of this type of conflict as more likely to be the result of leadership manipulation rather than

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Abstracts

The Utilization of Genetic Manipulation The Expression of the Bile Acid Receptor to Better Understand Kinative Function of TGR5 in Prostate Cancer Cells and its CK1.2 in Trypanosoma brucei Role in Bile Acid-Induced Cell Death Zachary Whitt, CURO Graduation Stephanie Wilding, CURO Summer Fellow, Distinction CURO Graduation Distinction Prof. Kojo Mensa-Wilmot, Cellular Biology, Dr. Brian Cummings, Pharmaceutical & Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy

Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a Bile acids mediate the digestion and disease caused by two subspecies: Trypanosoma absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins; brucei gambiense and rhodesiense. The drugs however, pathological increases are associated Pentamidine, Suramin and Melarsoprol have with choleostasis and cell death. Recent all been used for over 60 years to treat studies show that high concentrations of bile Trypanosomiasis; however, each has acids can induce apoptosis in several cells, undesired, potentially fatal side effects. Over including cancer cells, by mechanisms that are the past few decades, governments and not fully understood. Previous data in our lab international agencies have been pushing for demonstrated the novel finding that bile acids safer and more effective treatments for HAT. can induce cell death in three prostate cancer To this end, the Mensa-Wilmot lab has cell lines (PC-3, DU-145, and LNCaP); identified AEE788, an epidermal growth however, they do not determine the factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, as a lead for mechanisms involved. Bile acids are anti-trypanosome drug discovery. transported into cells by receptors, one of Trypanosomes lack EGFR but AEE788 binds which is TGR5. Thus, we hypothesized that Casein kinase 1.2 (TbCK1.2) in the parasite. bile acid-induced cell death was mediated by The biological functions of TbCK1.2 are not TGR5; however, the expression of TGR5 in known. One approach to address the issue is prostate cancer cells has not been to overexpress TbCK1.2 in T. brucei, and reported. We used RT-PCR and immunoblot examine the genetically modified analysis to show that TGR5 is expressed in all trypanosomes for new phenotypes. We are three prostate cancer cell lines as well as a interested in learning whether the effects of non-cancerous prostate cell line (RWPE-1). In AEE788 treatment of T. brucei is similar to general, the expression of TGR5 was highest overexpression of TbCK1.2. Overexpression in prostate cancer cells, and lowest in non- of TbCK1.2 leads to a defect in segregation of cancerous prostate cells. Transfection of PC-3 a specific organelle, the kinetoplast which cells with plasmids encoding for shRNA contains mitochondrial DNA in the parasite. against TGR5 decreased TGR5 mRNA and We anticipate that elucidation of these protein expression, as compared to cells pathways may lead to discovery of new targets transfected with scrambled shRNA. Analysis for hit discovery in anti-trypanosome drug of MTT staining, a marker of cytotoxicity, discovery. showed that bile acids induced similar levels of cell death in wild-type cells as in TGR5 knockdown cells. These data show the novel finding that TGR5 is expressed in prostate cancer cells, but also suggest that TGR5 does not mediate the toxicity of bile acids.

139

Abstracts

The Role of Notch Signaling in Astrocyte the capacity of these intrinsic progenitors for and Oligodendrocyte Derivation potential therapies. Elizabeth Wilkins, CURO Honors Scholar, CURO Summer Fellow Sigma-54 Promoter Activity and Gene Dr. Steven Stice, Animal & Dairy Science, Regulation in Salmonella College of Agricultural & Environmental Leah Williams Sciences Dr. Anna Karls, Microbiology, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes are macroglial cell subtypes which play supporting Sigma factors interact with RNA Polymerase roles for neurons in the central nervous for recognition of promoters and initiation of system. During development, the ventral transcription in prokaryotic organisms. Sigma- neural tube is spatially patterned into five 54 (RpoN) is an alternative sigma factor that specific domains by a gradient of Sonic regulates a subset of transcripts and functions Hedgehog from the floor plate and in a mechanistically different manner than notochord. Temporally, the p2 progenitors other known sigma factors, requiring an sequentially generate interneurons followed by activator and ATP hydrolysis. To characterize astrocytes, while the pMN progenitors the RpoN-dependent regulon of Salmonella produce motor neurons then typhimurium, we previously utilized chromatin oligodendrocytes in a process known as the Immunoprecipitation coupled with high- glial switch. Notch-Delta signaling is a well- density tiled microarray and RNA microarray studied means of juxtacrine communication assays, defining >250 RpoN chromosomal between cells and its downregulation has been binding sites and 22 RpoN-dependent implicated in this process, but its mechanism transcripts, respectively. In addition, several is poorly understood. We plan to investigate operons were found to be down-regulated in the role of Notch signaling in the glial switch. the presence of RpoN and had adjacent or Embryoid bodies composed of mouse internal RpoN-binding sites. We are currently embryonic stem cells will be patterned using a addressing the mechanism by which the SHH agonist to mimic the neural tube. At RpoN binding sites may be negatively different time points, a global Notch inhibitor, regulating the associated operon. Promoter DAPT, will be added to the media. We will activity for these sites is being assessed by use immunocytochemistry to image for transcriptional fusion to phoA, an alkaline astrocytic and oligodendritic markers. We phosphatase, in the presence of DctD250. We hypothesize that Notch inhibition will yield have adapted a protocol to assay production greater amounts of secondary cell types, of PhoA and confirmed that the assay could including astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. By be performed in Salmonella. Transcription understanding how progenitor populations fusions to phoA are being generated for five of are able to produce multiple cell types, we will the identified regulatory RpoN binding sites. better understand the developing neural tube PhoA activity is being assessed in wild-type and spinal cord, with implications for motor and ΔrpoN 14028s strains to ensure PhoA control diseases like amyotrophic lateral production is RpoN-dependent. Evaluation of sclerosis and spinal cord injury. Moreover, these potential promoters will offer insight understanding how progenitor populations into possible alternative methods of RpoN- generate post-mitotic cell types is highly dependent transcriptional and post- translatable to other stem and progenitor cell transcriptional control of gene expression in niches which persist into adulthood. The Salmonella. knowledge gained could allow us to harness

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Abstracts

Fermentation of Cull Peaches Using a Interactions between Neutrophils and Pectinase Producing Saccharomyces Pseudomonas aeruginosa Flagellum cerevisiae Strain Matthew Winn Travis Williams, CURO Summer Fellow Dr. Balazs Rada, Infectious Diseases, College Dr. Joy Doran Peterson, Microbiology, of Veterinary Medicine Franklin College of Arts & Sciences Neutrophil granulocytes are professional Cull or spoiled peaches, normally a waste phagocytes providing the first line of defense product, can be fermented to produce ethanol against invading bacterial pathogens. Recently, due to their high concentration of sugars in a novel antimicrobial mechanism of monomeric and in polymeric form. The sugar neutrophils has been described: formation of polymers in the peach biomass require neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) enzymes for cleavage into available composed of a DNA backbone decorated monomers. This set of experiments compared with granule enzymes. NET formation is an the fermentation performance of a pectinase innate immune mechanism, but uncontrolled producing yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae 09448, NET release can cause tissue damage to the commonly used corn ethanol associated with inflammatory diseases production yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae including cystic fibrosis (CF). CF airways are XR122N, and the engineered ethanologenic characterized by mucus hypersecretion, bacterium, Escherichia coli LY40A. First, S. chronic bacterial infections and infiltration of cerevisiae XR122N fermentations were neutrophils incapable of fighting bacteria, compared to fermentations with E. coli instead causing airway tissue damage. We seek LY40A. Due to the high number of six to elucidate the interactions between carbon sugars in peaches, the biomass was neutrophils and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an best fermented by the S. cerevisiae XR122N. opportunistic gram-negative bacterium found Next, the optimal enzyme loading for S. in CF airways. Specifically, we focus on the cerevisiae XR122N fermentations was studied role of P. aeruginosa flagellum, an organelle using 15% w/v peach pomace and varying responsible for swimming motility and amounts of commercial enzymes. The lowest virulence. Interactions of neutrophils with enzyme loading which produced the flagellum are studied using the PAO1 maximum amount of ethanol was 1.88 FPU laboratory strain, comparing response to wild- of cellulase/g dw, 7.50 PGU of pectinase/g type PAO1 with response to flagellum- dw, and 6.25 CBU of cellobiase/g dw. S. deficient DfliC PAO1. Compared to wild-type cerevisiae XR122N fermentations with the same PAO1, DfliC PAO1 induces less activation of enzyme loading minus the pectinase yielded microbicidal pathways, such as phagocytosis significantly less ethanol than the and superoxide production, and induces fermentation with pectinase. Finally, two sets decreased release of two neutrophil granule of fermentations with S. cerevisiae 09448 were proteins, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and human performed just as they were with the S. neutrophil elastase (HNE). DfliC PAO1 cerevisiae XR122N in the previous experiment. induces less NET formation measured as S. cerevisiae 09448 produced the same amount release of extracellular DNA, MPO-DNA and of ethanol in experiments with and without HNE-DNA complexes. Interestingly, pectinase, indicating that the pectinase blocking Toll-like receptor 5, the main produced by S. cerevisiae 09448 was sufficient receptor for flagellin, does not seriously affect to completely replace commercial pectinase PAO1-induced neutrophil response, and and maintain maximum ethanol yield in peach purified flagellin does not elicit NET fermentations. generation. These data indicate that the bacterial flagellum is vital for efficient human

141

Abstracts neutrophil response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Swath Size in Boa Vista’s Bearded and interactions are mediated by mechanisms Capuchin Monkeys other than TLR5. Leigh Anna Young, CURO Summer Fellow Dr. Marguerite Madden, Geography, Franklin TLF2 Synthesis from Oxidized Lipids in College of Arts & Sciences TLF1 Christopher Witt Primate social groups are often considered to Dr. Stephen Hajduk, Biochemistry & be either fission-fusion or cohesive in their Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts & social structure. Recent work has shown, Sciences however, that primate social structure should be interpreted along a continuum of Trypanosome Lytic Factor-1 (TLF1) and the cohesiveness with fission-fusion and cohesive more recently discovered TLF2 are both High social groups representing extremes of that Density Lipoproteins (HDLs) found in continuum. This study analyzed one aspect of human serum. Each of these particles the social cohesion of a group of bearded functions independently as part of innate capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus): the human immunity through lysis of the spatial spread of the group throughout its bloodstream form of the protozoan parasite, home range. Swaths of the capuchin group Trypanasoma brucei brucei. TLF1 is the most were observed using a high resolution satellite highly characterized of these two HDLs and is image and a GPS enabled iPhone with Avenza distinguished from non-lytic HDLs by the PDF Maps application. Spatial measures of presence of apolipoprotein L-1 (ApoL-1) and group cohesiveness, including swatch area, Haptoglobin related protein (Hpr). TLF2 also inter-individual distance and group density, has ApoL-1 and Hpr but is twice as dense due were calculated using ArcGIS geographic mainly to the presence of bound IgM information systems software. On average, 14 molecules which are not found in TLF1. Via individuals were observed representing 59% Hpr, both TLF1 and TLF2 bind Hemoglobin of the group. The average swath was 613 (Hb). The mechanism of synthesis for TLF2 square meters and average front-to-back is unknown. Innate IgM molecules have been distance was 50.2 meters. This front-to-back shown to bind oxidized phospholipids. Our distance is similar to that of capuchin model proposes that the lipids in Hb bound monkeys in a rainforest habitat. Spatial TLF1 (TLF1-Hb) are oxidized in the cohesion may be consistent across regions for bloodstream, inducing recruitment of IgM, capuchin monkeys, although further testing is ultimately resulting in TLF2 synthesis. The necessary to confirm these measurements. purpose of these experiments was to use the TBAR assay method to demonstrate in vitro lipid peroxidation in TLF1-Hb. TLF1-Hb was shown to self-peroxidize in a time dependent manner at physiological pH in the presence of H2O2. The next step in providing evidence for our model was to demonstrate binding of innate IgM to peroxidized TLF1-Hb via immunoprecipitation. Further characterization of TLF2 synthesis may provide insight into the dynamics of HDLs and oxidized lipids and the role they play in our innate immune response.

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Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors

A C

Abbe, Mark, 131 Callahan, Mark, 67 Afful, Edmund, 22, 26 Cao, Minhnguyen, 9, 38 Alden, McKinley, 19, 26 Caplan, Leah, 16, 39 Alexander, Laura, 11, 27 Carpenter, Julia, 8, 39 Alvis, Courtney, 16, 27 Chandora, Kapil, 24, 40 Amer, Adel, 88 Chang, Joshua, 13, 40 Amosu, Seyi, 18, 47 Chatterjee, Santanu, 81 Anderson, Ian, 17, 28 Chen, Anne, 7, 23, 41 Ardoin, Scott, 84 Cheng, Michael, 15, 41 Arnold, Jonathan, 37, 46, 135 Chesne, Megan, 20, 42 Atchutuni, Raja, 24, 28 Chishom, Taylor, 8, 42 Chu, Kirstie, 8, 43 B Chumbler, Neale, 60, 128 Clark, Greyson, 7, 24, 43 Babcock-Adams, Meg, 25, 29 Clementz, Brett, 62 Baldree, Rhianna, 17, 122 Clift, Brennen, 18, 47 Ballasiotes, Alex, 18, 86 Conley, Aaron, 18, 23, 44 Banga, Manisha, 21, 29 Coppiano, Joseph, 23, 44 Barrow, James, 19, 29 Cornelia, Hannah, 16, 45 Bascombe, Kristen, 14, 30 Cornwell, Christopher, 41 Bauchau, Philippe, 10, 30 Cox, Mallory, 20, 45 Beach, Steven, 80 Craig, Sam, 18, 47 Becker, Allison, 14, 25, 31 Crowell, Breanna, 12, 46 Beedle, Aaron, 95, 106, 111 Cude, Brenda, 113 Bennett, Briana, 13, 31 Cummings, Brian, 121, 139 Berding, Trenton, 13, 24, 32, 79 Cunningham, Sarah, 12, 46 Bergmann, Carl, 4, 66, 133 Bisat, Hania, 9, 32 D Black, Laurence, 11, 32 Black, Sara, 21, 33 Daugherty, Tyler, 21, 46 Blatcher, Caroline, 15, 33 Davidson, Amber, 18, 47 Blount, Ronald, 47, 63 Davis, Amy, 9, 17, 47, 63 Boggs, Holly, 19, 96 Davis, Elizabeth, 39 Bornstein, Jerica, 23, 34 Davis, Kaleigh, 12, 48 Bossie, Hannah, 16, 19, 34, 129 Davis, Melissa, 31 Boswell, Noah, 8, 35 Dawe, Kelly, 137 Boyd, Savannah, 8, 35 DeAntonio, Alexa, 18, 48 Brosius, J. Peter, 64, 68 DeFrancesco, Lindsay, 7, 20, 49 Brown Crowell, Cathleen, 26, 36, 66, 72, 101 DeLeo, Victoria, 10, 49 Brown, Jonathan, 21, 36 Deleveaux, Anquilla, 11, 50 Brown, Tiffany, 21, 36 Dennison, Lauren, 15, 50 Brunson, John, 12, 37 Devos, Katrien, 49 Burns, Shannon, 11, 25, 37 Dhar, Shanta, 32, 79, 94 Bushik, Stanislav, 15, 38 Dickens, Jonathan, 19, 51 Byers, James, 119 Dodd, Molly, 25, 51

143

Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors

Donovan, Lisa, 46, 48, 132 Gardiner, Richard, 19, 60 Doran Peterson, Joy, 141 Garfinkel, David, 134 Douthit, Mary, 22, 52 Garner, Austin, 12, 61 Dove, Robert, 133 Gast, David, 57 Downs, Diana, 56 Gay, David, 70, 127 Doyle, Allison, 25, 52 Gay, Jennifer, 100, 130 Drake, Brian, 115 Gerber, Joseph, 61 Drake, John, 113 Gerlich, Alan, 23, 62 Dresden, Janna, 55, 81 Gilbert, Caitlin, 13, 62 Driggers, Jonah, 9, 108 Goetz, Dylan, 11, 63 Dumrongkulraksa, Justin, 10, 20, 53 Gogal, Robert, 91 Dwan, Dennis, 15, 110 Goldman, Charlotte, 9, 63 Dyer, Kelly, 56 Goodhue, Carver, 21, 64 Grant, George, 10, 64 E Grayeski, Philip, 13, 23, 65 Greco, Thomas, 17, 65 Edquist, Alexandra, 23, 53 Grider, Arthur, 102 Edwards, Blake, 11, 53 Griffin, Megan, 22, 66 Egbosiuba, Janefrances, 12, 54 Guarisco, Elizabeth, 15, 66 Eggenschwiler, Jonathan, 65, 135 Gutierrez, Vanessa, 12, 67 Ernst, Breanna, 17, 90 Ernst, Megan, 17, 22, 55 H Espelie, Karl, 110 Euster, Seth, 24, 55 Haas, Brian, 28 Everett, Andrea, 138 Hahn, Michael, 74 Haidekker, Mark, 68 F Hajduk, Stephen, 31, 50, 70, 106, 109, 142 Hall, David, 105 Farley, Kristen, 20, 56 Hamilton, Shane, 43 Fawcett, Emily, 23, 56 Hamm, Connor, 8, 67 Ferguson-Noel, Naola, 74, 77 Hann, John, 16, 129 Fernandes, Anne, 19, 57 Hardgrove, Dayna, 25, 68 Fialkowski, Allison, 17, 57 Hardigree, Billie, 10, 68 Field, Hayden, 10, 58 Hargrove, Kayla, 21, 69 Fitzhugh, Chelsea, 14, 58 Harn, Donald, 40, 95 Flake, David, 25, 59 Haslam, Michael, 122 Flanigan, Kelsie, 9, 17, 47, 63 Hausman, Dorothy, 107 Flynn, Mitchell (Trey) 22, 59 Head, Lauren, 17, 69 Ford, DeJuana, 13, 59 Heaton, Amanda, 17, 97 Fragaszy, Dorothy, 76, 97, 118, 122 Hebbale, Chetan, 12, 69 Futris, Ted, 69 Hermanowicz, Erika, 122 Hess, Matthew, 22, 70 G Heynen, Nik, 33 Hill, Daniel, 114, 138 Gahlaut, Seema, 80 Hofmeister, Erik, 69, 119 Ganem, Natasha, 49, 131 Hohman, Fred, 25, 70 Ganeshan, Smitha, 10, 19, 60 Hollander, Barry, 44

144

Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors

Hollander, Erin, 25, 71 Knapp, Cody, 22, 82 Hondalus, Mary, 84 Kner, Peter, 86 Hoover, Timothy, 27 Ko, Kyungmin, 11, 82 Hopkins, Joseph, 8, 71 Kraft, Elizabeth, 53, 127 Hostetter, Kirstie, 20, 72 Kraus, Carmen, 7, 8, 11, 83 Howe, Chad, 100 Krause, Duncan, 92, 104 Hsieh, Katherine, 7, 22, 72 Kretzschmar, Bill, 51, 126 Hsu, Brice, 16, 73 Kuhnert, Karl, 47 Huang, Yao-Wen, 101 Kumar, Anjali, 8, 83 Hunt-Hurst, Patricia, 51, 57 Kumar, Piyush, 35 Hyatt, Courtland, 17, 73 Kumareswaran, Mitra, 20, 84 Kumro, Jacob, 12, 84 I Kuppa, Sudeepti, 20, 85 Kushner, Sidney, 42, 79 Ishii, Lisa, 15, 74 L J Lanzilotta, William, 99 Jackson, Moriah, 10, 20, 74 Lauderdale, James, 33 Jackwood, Mark, 91 Lavelle, Torre, 24, 85 Jenkinson, Tiffany, 14, 75 Lawrence, Keelan, 10, 86 Jennings, Melissa, 14, 75 Lawton, Christopher, 55, 99 Johnston, Thomas, 19, 76 Ledesma, Kyle, 18, 47 Jones, Adam, 10, 76 Lee-Schoenfeld, Vera, 26 Joseph, Mathew, 14, 77 Lewis, Richard, 87, 102, 120 Joshi, Piyush, 20, 77 Lian, Jessie, 18, 86 Joye, Samantha, 32 Lobene, Andrea, 17, 87 Jude, Rachel, 10, 77 Lucero, Nicolás, 36 Jyotishi, Shalin, 22, 78 Lukemire, Joshua, 17, 97 Lukowitz, Wolfgang, 67 K Lynch, Michael, 29

Kamath, Nikhil, 12, 78 M Kannan, Natarajan, 98, 100 Karls, Anna, 50, 126, 140 Madden, Marguerite, 142 Karls, Russell, 58 Madonna, Anthony, 82 Katz, Francine, 9, 79 Magnan, Nicholas, 72 Kennedy, Eileen, 136 Malladi, Amala, 11, 87 Kennedy, Samuel, 24, 79 Malone, Molly, 23, 88 Kent, Melanie, 9, 80 Maltese, John, 59 Keogh, Carolyn, 119 Manley, Nancy, 134 Kim, Yuri, 17, 80 Marlatt, Walker, 20, 88 Kipreos, Edward, 110 Martin, Leonard, 32 Kirsche, Kevin, 85 Martinez-Uribe, Omar, 14, 89 Kirschenbauer, Paul, 22, 81 Masserant, Melissa, 15, 89 Kleber, Shaun, 22, 81 Maurer, John, 28 Klevesahl, Hannah, 25, 81 McCardel, Brett, 17, 23, 90

145

Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors

McCullick, Bryan, 124 Nguyen, Tho, 46 McCully, Kevin, 34, 73, 129 Nguyen, Tuan, 22, 100 McDowell, Jennifer, 44, 65, 90 Nibbelink, Nathan, 93 McDowell, Rob, 114 Nkengasong, Pete, 21, 101 McEachern, Michael, 125 Nock, Kristyn, 25, 101 McElreath, Julia, 20, 91 Norris, Isaiah, 23, 102 McLean, Laura, 13, 91 Norris, Kathleen, 16, 102 McWhorter Anderson, Alison, 11, 92 Nuttall, Mary Elizabeth, 16, 103 Medvedev, Katalin, 45, 98, 116, 123 Mehlferber, Elijah, 15, 92 O Melara, Jasmin, 11, 20, 93 Mengak, Lara, 8, 11, 93 O'Brien Cherry, Colleen, 103 Mensa-Wilmot, Kojo, 104, 139 Oliver, Thomas, 23, 103 Merchant, Krupa, 13, 94 Oluwadare, Babajide, 12, 104 Merkle, Scott, 58 Owsiak, Andrew, 4 Milewski, Adam, 115 Miller, L. Stephen, 43, 125, 136 P Miller, William, 29 Misra, Swayamdipto, 15, 94 Paletta, Nina, 14, 104 Modi, Jill, 14, 95 Pallansch, Jennifer, 23, 105 Mohapatra, Bijoyaa, 90 Palmer, Jennifer, 132 Mohnen, Debra, 38, 94 Park, Andrew, 117 Money, Joshika, 14, 95 Park, Hea-Jin, 27 Monogan, James, 60 Parkes, Adam, 132 Montgomery, Timothy, 11, 95 Parrott, Wayne, 71 Moore, Allen, 52, 82 Partrick, Katherine, 18, 19, 105 Moore, Cecilia, 19, 96 Patel, Niraj, 13, 106 Moore, Julie, 52, 75, 77, 89, 121, 129 Patel, Shreya, 12, 106 Moore, Patricia, 92 Patrick, Hayes, 14, 106 Moran, Mary Ann, 53 Patterson, Meagan, 16, 107 Moreira, Victoria, 23, 96 Pebley, Kinsey, 21, 107 Moskowitz, Jake, 17, 97 Pellegrino, Anne, 9, 108 Muralidharan, Vasant, 30 Phan, Tracy, 16, 108 Murray, Kelly, 24, 97 Philip, Aparna, 9, 109 Mustard, David, 53 Pierce, Michael, 62 Prabakaran, Sindhu, 13, 109 N Prasad, Ojaswa, 15, 110 Premji, Sarah, 16, 110 Narayanan, Anish, 13, 98 Press, Valerie, 96 Nathan, Meghana R., 17, 90 Pringle, Catherine, 97 Nation, Lindsay, 19, 98 Navarro, Maria, 48 Q Neelam, Anudeep, 25, 99 Nelson, David, 78, 123 Quinn, Frederick, 58 Nelson, Laura, 24, 99 Nguyen, Christina, 16, 21, 100 Nguyen, Minh Ngoc, 19, 100

146

Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors

R Skira, Meghan, 120 Slade, Chris, 25, 121 Rada, Balazs, 141 Slauer, Ryan, 8, 122 Rajasekaran, Vedika, 14, 111 Slaughter, Sheila, 78 Ramasamy, Ramaraja, 59 Smith, Kristen, 17, 122 Reddick, Ramon, 16, 111 Smith, Victoria, 17, 90 Reiss, Hannah, 19, 20, 112 Soundappan, Ishwarya, 12, 123 Reitsema, Laurie, 105 Sprague, Devon, 19, 123 Reyes De Corcuera, José, 45 Sriram, Karishma, 14, 21, 124 Reyna, Anthony, 23, 113 Stadsvold, Brianna, 13, 125 Richards, Patricia, 107 Stapley, Leslie, 8, 125 Righi, Giovanni, 20, 24, 113, 114 Starai, Vincent, 69 Risse, Mark, 64 Starnes, Ashleigh, 19, 126 Roca, Marco, 22, 114 Stice, Steven, 77, 112, 124, 140 Rosemond, Amy, 95 Story, Cameron, 11, 126 Rotz, Rachel, 10, 115 Stroud, John, 25, 127 Suh, Lisa Ye 20, 127 S Sultana, Mehreen, 25, 127 Sumner, Scarlett, 24, 128 Sabatini, Robert, 75 Swanson, Meili, 9, 21, 108, 128 Sadler, Anthony, 24, 115 Sweigart, Andrea, 61 Sager, Alexander, 71 Szempruch, Anthony, 31 Salguero, Tina, 102 Salmi, Roberta, 118 T Sanchez, Joseph, 24, 116 Sanderson, Martha, 119 Tan, Stephanie, 16, 129 Satola, Nancy, 19, 116 Tanner, Susan, 59 Satterly, Mariana, 24, 117 Tarica, Max, 19, 129 Saunders, Scott, 24, 117 Tauber, Korry, 15, 130 Saunders, William, 15, 118 Taylor, Natalie, 16, 130 Schmidt, Julianne, 108 Teague, Fran, 81 Schmidt, Walter, 41, 118 Terns, Michael, 42 Schroeder, Paul, 30, 76 Terry, Doug, 136 Schuster, Richard, 112, 137 Tessman, Brock, 61, 96, 108 Schwob, Natalie, 17, 19, 118 Thompson, Luke, 9, 108 Scott, Elijah, 9, 108 Tiemeyer, Michael, 39, 130 Seamon, Amanda, 21, 119 Tondi Resta, Chiara, 25, 131 Sexton, Chelsea, 8, 119 Toteno, Tiffany, 23, 131 Shaffer, Anne, 38 Traas, Julian, 25, 132 Shah, Rahul, 24, 120 Tsai, C.J., 106 Shefferson, Richard, 83 Tucker, Samantha, 58 Shen, Ping, 89 Sheth, Sheela, 13, 24, 120, 121 U Shimkets, Lawrence, 85 Shisler Marshall, Rebecca, 90 Underwood, Brian, 8, 132 Simpson, Kathy, 97 Uzoigwe, Chinyere, 12, 132 Singleton, Miller, 16, 19, 34

147

Index of Presenters and Faculty Mentors

V vanDellen, Michelle, 34, 35 Varghese, Jerin, 15, 133 Vermillion, Emily, 21, 133 Villarreal, Stephanie, 17, 97 Vogt, William, 103

Wachsmuth, Lucas, 9, 15, 134 Walia, Akshey, 12, 135 Walker, Solomon, 12, 135 Washington, Tiffany, 23, 136 Watkins, Christopher, 13, 136 Watson, Amelia, 19, 137 Watson, Richard, 86 Webster, Amy, 13, 23, 137 Wells, Lance, 40, 83, 109 Wheat, Patrick, 9, 22, 108, 138 Whitman, William, 87 Whitt, Zachary, 14, 139 Wilding, Stephanie, 8, 139 Wilkins, Elizabeth, 21, 140 Williams, David, 1, 2, 9, 10, 88 Williams, Leah, 11, 140 Williams, Travis, 22, 141 Winn, Matthew, 14, 24, 141 Witt, Christopher, 15, 142 Wolkow, Benjamin, 29 Wood, Zachary, 116

Yabsley, Michael, 128 Yager, Patricia, 37, 63, 93 Ye, Zheng-Hua, 54 York, William, 111 Young, Leigh Anna 19, 142

Zeichner, Amos, 73 Zhang, Tianwei, 117 Zhao, Peng (Linda), 40 Zhao, Yiping, 127

148

The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities is grateful to the following sponsors of the 2014 Symposium

The Office of the President

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

The Office of the Vice President for Instruction

The Office of the Vice President for Research

The Alumni Association

The Honors Program