URCAD 2013 Student Abstracts
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URCAD 2013 Student Abstracts In Alphabetical Order by Presenting Author How to read the abstracts Title of Presentation Name of Student Author, Co-Investigator, Co-Investigator Name of mentor, rank of mentor, department of mentor Student presenter names are in bold. Non-presenting co-investigators are not in bold All investigators are assumed to be from UMBC unless otherwise noted. Mentor information is shown below author information, in roman type. If the mentor is not from UMBC, an institution name is given. The body of the abstract provides information about the student’s research. Funding information is provided in italics below the body of the abstract. We encourage you to visit the students’ presentations throughout the day. Presentation times and locations begin on page six of this booklet. 1 Using Student Designed Extra Credit to Increase Student Academic Achievement Jason S. Adams Jonathan Singer, Associate Professor, Department of Education Students who find themselves uninterested in, and disengaged from, the material being taught in the classroom may be more prone to suffer academically than students who are more invested in the curriculum being taught. This study investigated what effect empowering students to design their own extra credit projects would have on student engagement, motivation, and subsequently academic achievement. Data was collected from the entire inclusive population of eighth grade students in a Baltimore City middle school, 65 students in total, during the third quarter of the 2012-13 school year. The methodology of this study included periodic encouragement of the entire eighth grade student body to design their own extra credit projects in order to enhance their academic achievement. Additionally, marginally achieving students were specifically targeted throughout the quarter. At the conclusion of the third quarter, participating students were surveyed in order to measure both the academic and motivational effects of this study. Data from this study was compiled and used to determine the effectiveness of allowing students to design their own extra credit projects. Cross-sectional Analysis of Cognitive Impairment and Depression among Older Hispanics in Washington, D.C. Timileyin Adediran, Sharada Shantharam, Jorge Sodero, Miguel Guerrero, Angelica P. Herrera, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology Older Hispanics are disproportionately affected by declining cognitive health and depression. There is limited research on effective community-based interventions that protect the mental health of low-income, immigrant seniors. Drawing on administrative electronic data from the Efforts to Outcomes system and case files from 2009-2010, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis to identify the sociocultural and health risks associated with depression and cognitive impairment among community-dwelling, urban Hispanic seniors (N=98) receiving health and social services at the Vida Senior Centers in Washington, D.C. Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and ANOVAs were performed. Seniors averaged 80 years of age (SD=8.4), and 44 percent lived alone. One-third (31.6 percent) were overweight, half (47.4 percent) were obese, and 20.5 percent moderately to totally functionally dependent. We performed a comparative analysis of their Geriatric Depression Scale score and cognition (Mini Mental State Examination), adjusting for sociodemographics, health status, BMI, and functional capacity. The majority reported≥2 chronic diseases (88 percent), although 43 percent rated their health as good/excellent. Mild cognitive impairment was significantly higher among seniors who lived alone(X2=11.82, p<.01) or were overweight/obese (X2=5.93, p=0.05).Overweight/obese Hispanic seniors and those living alone may be particularly vulnerable to cognitive decline, and thus benefit most from community-based health and wellness programs. This work was funded by the UMBC, Department of Sociology and Anthropology. 2 Investigating the Role of RGMa during Neurulation in Zebrafish Samira Afzali Rachel Brewster, Associate Professors, Department of Biological Sciences Neural convergence extension (NCE), a conserved process in vertebrates, involves polarized cell migration towards the midline to shape the neural tube, the future brain and spinal cord. Although NCE is essential, the mechanisms that promote directional migration towards the midline remain unknown, but may involve a midline-derived chemoattractant. One putative midline-derived signal is the Repulsive Guidance Molecule a (RGMa), which is expressed in the notochord, a region previously implicated in secreting proteins important for driving NCE in Xenopus laevis. Furthermore, disruption of RGMa using morpholinos prevents NCE, as cells fail to migrate in a directed manner. Based on these observations, we propose that RGMa encodes a midline attractant secreted from midline tissues to form a gradient that is highest medially. Since immunolabelling endogenous RGMa was unsuccessful, my current project uses a different approach, namely expression of a GFP-tagged form of RGMa in the floorplate (midline) using the tiggy-winkle promoter. I expect to observe GFP expression in the floorplate and, if secreted, in the extracellular space some distance from this midline source. These studies will increase our understanding of how RGMa functions to mediate neural tube morphogenesis and may confirm the identity of the long sought after midline signal. This work was supported, in part, by The National Institutes of Health (NIH). 3 Promoting Social Change through Service-Learning Kathleen Algire-Fedarcyk Jessica Guzman-Rea, Adjunct Professor, Baccalaureate Social Work Program A basic component of social work is understanding the challenges faced by society and local communities. Using the Social Learning Theory and the Social Change Model, this research explores the process in which college students become civic-minded during the progression of a semester-long course. During the fall 2012 semester, 27 students were enrolled in Social Work 200 and spent the semester engaged in a service-learning placement at a local agency or organization. Students enrolled in the course were encouraged to develop their own ideas on social issues and to connect those ideas with action across levels of influence in relation to the practice of social work. We used three aspects of the Social Change Model: Consciousness of Self, Collaboration, and Citizenship, to theme and code the students' reflective writings which enabled a qualitative research study on students' increased awareness and knowledge of civic-mindedness. This research posits that encouragement and exposure to a service-learning activity increases the likelihood that students will become more civic-minded and will have the opportunity to create positive social change. Findings will be presented. This work was funded through a BreakingGround grant from the Office of the Provost at UMBC. 4 Defining the Origin of an Abnormal Brown Adipose Phenotype in the Mammary Gland of Brca1 Mutant Mice Chinwendu L. Amazu Laundette P. Jones, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine There is strong evidence that breast tumor development is regulated by the interactions between epithelial cells and their microenvironment. In our lab, we have discovered a highly vascularized, brown adipose tissue (BAT)-like phenotype in the microenvironment of postpubertal mammary glands of Breast Cancer Susceptibility gene one (Brca1) mutant mice. Normally, BAT disappears from the mammary gland microenvironment after puberty; in contrast, BAT abnormally persists in our Brca1 mouse model. The study’s aim was to determine the BAT-like phenotype’s origin. My experiments sought to identify proteins that could distinguish between the newly described, inducible brown adipose (BRITE) from “classical” brown adipose (BAT) commonly described in the literature. Antibodies for TBX1 (marker for BRITE) and EVA1 (marker for classical BAT) were selected for immunohistochemical (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) analysis. IHC results detected TBX in adult Brca1 mammary glands, but not in the classical BAT controls. IF results with EVA antibody revealed high background staining, therefore results are currently inconclusive. Presently, data supports a role for BRITE in the mammary microenvironment of Brca1 mice. Ultimately, these studies will provide key data needed to effectively design studies establishing whether this abnormal phenotype provides a permissive environment for tumor growth. This work was funded, in part, by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T34 08663 National Research Service Award to UMBC and NIH CA167268-01. 3D Modeling for Older Adults Uvonne Andoh, Farnaz Feizian, Joshua Dutterer Amy Hurst, Assistant Professor, Department of Information Systems Vision impairment and cognitive disabilities (Such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia) are common within the older population. These problems create higher risk of disability among older adults and limits functional independence. We believe that providing older adults with the ability to design and build 3D prototypes has the potential to assist and support their everyday tasks and help them regain independence. Our team’s research goal is to examine how older adults use 3D printers and if they design and build their own objects right in their home without going out to buy them. The objective of my project is to design 3D models attached