Helena Abad Friday Hendrix College 4:15 PM Biology (BI) CCCS 207 Undergraduate Student Judge: Yes Ecosystem services of the Big Bend region of the Chihuahuan Desert Nathan Taylor, Davis Kendall, Abad Helena, Maureen R. McClung, Matthew D. Moran Ecosystem services estimates have not been published for some biomes, notably desert ecosystems. The Chihuahuan bioregion is the largest desert in North America, has high biodiversity, is relatively intact, and has considerable cultural significance for parts of Mexico and the United States. We calculated the ecosystem services values for the Big Bend region of the Chihuahuan Desert in southwest Texas, USA. Big Bend has low levels of development and is a relatively unmodified and functioning ecosystem, making it a good representative landscape to study desert ecosystem services. We found that this region has $550 (2015 USD) of annual value per hectare with raw materials, climate regulation, and cultural services contributing the most monetary value. This value was markedly lower than other terrestrial biomes, which was not necessarily surprising considering deserts are low productivity environments. However, given the size of the Chihuahuan Desert, the overall ecosystem services value for the entire bioregion would be sizeable. The Chihuahuan Desert is facing numerous threats, most notably energy development and overuse of natural resources, which is probably negatively impacting ecosystem services today. Projected growth in oil and gas drilling and wind energy could further degrade the vital services provided by this region. The low ecosystem services value also indicates that the widespread desertification occurring globally is causing large decreases in ecosystem services across many landscapes Mahbub Ahmed Saturday Southern Arkansas University 8:00 AM Engineering (EN) CCCS 115 Faculty / Researcher Judge: No Developing a Low Cost 3D Printing Lab and the Use of 3D Printing in a Freshman Engineering Lab Course Mahbub Ahmed, Md Islam 3D printing has taken modern manufacturing to an elevated level. As the average price of a 3D printer is becoming more affordable, scientists and engineers are continuously taking advantage of this technology, including the students and the professors of Southern Arkansas University. In the present study the development of a low cost 3D printing laboratory for the engineering program of Southern Arkansas is described. The use of 3D printing technology for a freshman lab course for engineering students was part of this study as well. The students enjoyed the entire design process and an enhanced engagement was observed among the students. Ismaeel Al-Baidhany Friday Al-Mustansaryah University 2:15 PM Physics (PH) CCCS 101 Faculty / Researcher Judge: No A New Relation between Spiral Arm Pitch Angles (p) and the Bulge Luminosity Ismaeel Al-Baidhany, Hayfa Ghazi Daway, Nadir Fadhil Habubi, Nidhal Nissan Jandow, Sami Salman Chiad, Wasmaa Abdulsattar Jabbar In this study, we have found a new relation between spiral arm pitch angles (p) and the bulge luminosity (P-L). In this study, we measured the spiral arm pitch angle (P) for a sample of Spitzer/IRAC 3.6-µm images of 40 spiral galaxies, estimated by using a 2D Fast Fourier Transform decomposition technique (2DFFT). We selected a sample of nearly face-on spiral galaxies and used IRAF ellipse to determine the ellipticity and major-axis position angle in order to deproject the images to face-on, and using a 2D Fast Fourier Transform decomposition technique, we determined the spiral arm pitch angles. The measurement of the bulge luminosity is based on a two-dimensional (bulge - bar - disk) decomposition program to model Spitzer/IRAC 3.6 um images. The bulge luminosity was determined for a sample of 40 spiral galaxies by applying the two-dimensional multicomponent decomposition method. Calla Bassett Friday Southern Arkansas University 1:00 PM Physics (PH) CCCS 101 Undergraduate Student Judge: Yes Suppression of Radiation-Induced Chromosome Damage by GT3 and the Role of Microgravity Calla Bassett, Abdel Bachri, Rupak Pathak Ionizing radiation, such as outer space radiation, generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that are responsible for cytogenetic alterations originating from Chromosome damage. Because antioxidants are potent ROS scavengers, we investigated whether the vitamin E y-tocotrienol (GT3), a radio-protective multifunctional dietary antioxidant, can suppress radiation-induced cytogenetic damage. We measured DSB formation in irradiated primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by quantifying the formation of y-H2AX foci. Chromosomal aberrations (CAs) were analyzed in irradiated HUVECs and in the bone marrow cells of irradiated mice by conventional and fluorescence-based chromosome painting techniques. We found that GT3 pretreatment reduced DSB formation in HUVECS, and decreased chromosome aberration in HUVECs and mouse bone marrow cells after irradiation. Moreover, GT3 increased expression of the DNA-repair gene RAD50 and attenuated radiation-induced RAD50 suppression. We conclude that GT3 attenuates radiation-induced cytogenetic damage, possibly by affecting RAD50 expression. GT3 should be explored as a therapeutic supplement to reduce the risk of developing genetic diseases after radiation exposure. Finally, the effect of outer space radiation exposure and near-zero space gravity environment on DNA damage is not well documented, and is a primary concern to NASA in furthering its goal for deep space exploration. We illustrate technics of subjecting the cells to microgravity and discuss our preliminary findings on the role of microgravity. Elvis Bello Friday University of Arkansas 4:30 PM Geosciences (GS) CCCS 101 Graduate Student Judge: Yes Tectono-Stratigraphic And Sequence Stratigraphic Successions, Ozark Shelf, Tri-State Region, Southern Midcontinent Elvis Bello, Thomas A. McGilvery, Walter L. Manger The southern Ozark region, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, occupies the southern border of the North American craton. Its sedimentary succession reflects a complete Wilson Cycle with rifting of Rodinia into the Laurussia and Gondwanan landmasses (Late Precambrian-Cambrian) eventually opening the Iapetus Ocean basin (Late Cambrian-Middle Mississippian), that was closed (Late Mississippian-Middle Pennsylvanian) by the collision of Laurussia with Gondwana. During this Late Cambrian through the Middle Pennsylvanian history, the Ozark Shelf, comprising the gently sloping, Northern Arkansas Structural Platform (NASP) and its adjacent ramp experienced transgression and regression by epeiric seas producing a record divisible into five Tectono-stratigraphic Successions (TS) and correlated readily to the Sloss Cratonic Sequences. The TS lithostratigraphic record comprises at least 33 formations and a potential thickness >9600 feet. However, sea-level rise and fall produced regional surfaces of erosion that punctuated deposition. Consequently, the preserved thickness on the NASP is significantly less. Based on sandstone development, five distinct, but related, Tectono-stratigraphic Successions (TS1-TS5) can be recognized in the Paleozoic record: Late Precambrian-Middle Cambrian (TS1), Late Cambrian-earliest Ordovician (TS2), Lower Ordovician-Middle Mississippian (TS3), Middle-Late Mississippian (TS4), and Lower-Middle Pennsylvanian (TS5). TS1, pre-Late Sauk Sequence, is the least known succession, consisting of emplaced igneous and low-ranked metasedimentary bodies and pre-Lamotte sedimentary rocks. TS2, Late Sauk Sequence, is potentially >3075 feet of dolomites, sandstones from arkoses to orthoquartzites, and minor shales. TS3, Tippecanoe-Kaskaskia Sequence, is the thickest interval, possibly >5932 feet of dolomites, cherty limestones, shales, and the last orthoquartzitic sandstone. TS4, spanning the Kaskaskia-Absaroka boundary, is at least 1458 feet of limestones, shales, and sporadic first cycle sandstones . The final TS5, Late Absaroka Sequence, is the penultimate thickest interval on the NASP >4160 feet of first cycle sandstones and shales that may exceed 25,000 feet in the adjacent Arkoma Basin. David Bowles Saturday US National Park Services 9:00 AM Biology (BI) CCCS 101 Faculty / Researcher Judge: No Long-term aquatic invertebrate monitoring at Buffalo National River, Arkansas David E. Bowles, Janice A. Hinsey, J. Tyler Cribbs, Faron D. Usrey, Lloyd W. Morrison Aquatic invertebrate community structure was used to assess long-term water quality integrity in the mainstem of the Buffalo National River, Arkansas from 2005 to 2013. Human disturbance to tributaries, including bacterial contamination, threaten water quality and aquatic life in the Buffalo River. Nine benthic invertebrate samples were collected from each of six sampling sites using a Slack-Surber sampler. The Stream Condition Index (SCI) developed for Ozark streams was used to assess integrity of the invertebrate communities. This index is calculated using taxa richness, EPT (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) Richness, Shannon’s Diversity Index, and Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI). Sørenson’s similarity index was used to assess community similarity among sites, and scores were then analyzed using ascendant hierarchical cluster analysis. The benthic invertebrate fauna was diverse with 167 distinct taxa identified from among all sites, with similarities ranging from 70% to 83%. Cluster analysis showed sites were clustered in a downstream progression. Generally, those sites closest