council on undergraduate research 23rd annual posters on ... · dear posters on the hill attendees:...

Council on Undergraduate Research

23rd AnnualPosters on the Hill

April 30, 2019Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC

The posters presented were supported by the generosity of many governmental and private funders, including:

Alzheimer’s Association Army Aviation Development Directorate CenterArmy Research LaboratoryASIANetwork Student FellowshipBarry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education

FoundationBridgewater State UniversityCoca-Cola Scholars FoundationColorado School of MinesDenison University Research FundElon UniversityEmporia State UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityMcNair Scholars ProgramMinority Science and Engineering Improvement ProgramMontana IDeA Network of Biomedical Research

ExcellenceMontana State UniversityMontana Tech SURF ProgramNational Aeronautics and Space Administration

Arkansas Space Grant Consortium Iowa Space Grant Consortium

National Institutes of Health Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (PODER) at California State University Northridge

National Institute of General Medical SciencesNational Science Foundation

Macromolecular, Supramolecular and NanochemistryNational Society of Physics StudentsNorthern Arizona UniversityNorwich University Undergraduate Research Oak Ridge Institute for Science and EducationPurdue University Office of Undergraduate Research

Sandia National LaboratoriesSouthwestern Oklahoma State UniversitySt. Catherine UniversityTemple University Diamond Research Scholars ProgramUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity of Central Florida The University of ChicagoUniversity of Detroit Mercy

ReBuilDetroit Scholars ProgramUniversity of Nebraska OmahaUniversity of New EnglandUniversity of New HavenUniversity of PortlandUniversity of South Carolina Honors College University of Tennessee Knoxville Office of

Undergraduate ResearchUniversity of West Florida University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeU.S. ArmyReserve Officers’ Training CorpsU.S. Department of AgricultureNational Institute of Food and AgricultureU.S. Department of DefenseOffice of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for

Health AffairsU.S. Department of Energy

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office Water Power Technologies

USTARVerizonVermont Genetics NetworkWashington Research FoundationWest Virginia University Wyoming Research Scholars Program

Copyright © 2019 The Council on Undergraduate Research

The Council on Undergraduate Research

Learning through Research

734 15th Street NW • Suite 850

Washington, DC 20005

Tel: 202/783-4810 • [email protected] • www.cur.org

Dear Posters on the Hill Attendees:

Congratulations to all of our undergraduate researchers on their selection to participate in the 2019 Posters on the Hill. This is our 23rd annual Posters on the Hill event and follows the ninth annual Undergraduate Research Week, held from April 8-12, 2019 (#URW2019).

As is the case every year, students’ research projects went through a rigorous, highly competitive review process and were selected as the best from around the nation. We at the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) are very impressed by their accomplishments and are pleased that they have been able to come to Washington, DC, to participate in this prestigious event. We know that the undergraduate research experience is vitally important to the value of these students’ undergraduate education and that they will be better prepared as a result for their careers, postgraduate studies, and the future.

We are also proud of the faculty and staff advisors and mentors who, with their students, serve as stellar examples of the best in higher education. In addition, we are pleased to partner with the American Chemical Society (ACS) for Posters on the Hill and are deeply grateful to ACS for its support of this event. ACS, a premier nonprofit organization and the largest scientific society in the world, is a global leader in chemistry education, research, and advocacy. Since CUR’s inception in 1978, CUR has benefited from its association with ACS and appreciates the opportunity to continue our connection through Posters on the Hill, as well as other endeavors. This year, we are also delighted to welcome the IEEE-USA, an organizational unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), as a Posters on the Hill 2019 co-sponsor. IEEE-USA was created in 1971 to support the career and public policy interests of IEEE’s U.S. members.

To our students, we wish you every success as you continue your research and your studies. I am certain that you will help advance knowledge through your research, scholarly, and creative discoveries. All of you will find that, whether you pursue a career in academia, business, industry, or public service, your undergraduate research experience adds significantly to your professional preparation. Perhaps someday you will be a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research and come to Washington, DC, when one of your students presents his or her research at Posters on the Hill. Or perhaps your path may take you to elected office, and you will be a Member of Congress and attend Posters on the Hill!

To all, please enjoy viewing the posters and speaking with these incredible students and their mentors during this special event. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are the future of our nation.

Best wishes,

Elizabeth L. AmbosExecutive Officer

Council on Undergraduate Research2

The following posters will be presented on April 30, 20195:15-7:30pm-Rayburn Office Building Café, Room 2068

Alabama

Student: Kendall Curtis Research Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham Display Area: 1, Abstract page #10

Alaska

Student: Alyx Hoover Research Institution: University of Alaska Fairbanks Display Area: 2, Abstract page #10

Arizona

Student: Rebekah Turner Research Institution: Northern Arizona University Display Area: 3, Abstract page #11

Arkansas

Students: Joseph Dees | Rebecca Voss | Jarvis Warren | Thomas Hodges Research Institution: Henderson State University Display Area: 4, Abstract page #11

California

Student: Vanessa Wolf Research Institution: Pasadena City College Display Area: 5, Abstract page #12

Student: Seejia Yu Research Institution: University of California, Los Angeles Display Area: 6, Abstract page #12

Students: Daniel Saravia | Natasha Feldman | Melanie Fessinger Research Institution: California State University, Northridge Display Area: 7, Abstract page #13

3Posters on the Hill

Colorado

Student: Kristen Hietala Research Institution: Colorado School of Mines Display Area: 8, Abstract page #13

Connecticut

Student: Yo Ng Research Institution: University of New Haven Display Area: 9, Abstract page #14

Student: Demitra Kourtzidis Research Institution: Eastern Connecticut State University Display Area: 10, Abstract page #14

Florida

Student: Michael Hopko Research Institution: University of West Florida Display Area: 11, Abstract page #15

Student: Karina Bhutta Research Institution: Florida International University Display Area: 12, Abstract page #15

Student: Melodie Spiegel Research Institution: University of Central Florida Display Area: 13, Abstract page #16

Georgia

Student: Jessica Reyes Research Institution: Kennesaw State University Display Area: 14, Abstract page #16

Student: Lillian Hicks Research Institution: Mercer University Display Area: 15, Abstract page #17

Idaho

Student: Ren Dimico Research Institution: University of Idaho Display Area: 16, Abstract page #17


Illinois

Student: Nikita Mehta Research Institution: The University of Chicago Display Area: 17, Abstract page #18

Indiana

Student: Daphne Fauber Research Institution: Purdue University Display Area: 18, Abstract page #18

Student: Emily Nettesheim Research Institution: Butler University Display Area: 19, Abstract page #19

Iowa

Student: Brandon Vance Research Institution: Iowa State University Display Area: 20, Abstract page #19

Kansas

Student: Song Yang Research Institution: Emporia State University Display Area: 21, Abstract page #20

Louisiana

Student: McKenzie LeBlanc Research Institution: Nicholls State University Display Area: 22, Abstract page #20

Maine

Student: Ellie Leighton Research Institution: University of New England Display Area: 23, Abstract page #21


Massachusetts

Student: Zachary Sowerby Research Institution: College of the Holy Cross Display Area: 24, Abstract page #21

Student: Vanessa Sherman Research Institution: Bridgewater State University Display Area: 25, Abstract page #22

Michigan

Student: Relicious Eboh Research Institution: Wayne State University Display Area: 26, Abstract page #22

Students: Alexandra Vroom | Emma Johnson | Lauren Czmer | Anastasia Perecki Research Institution: Hope College Display Area: 27, Abstract page #23

Minnesota

Student: Iceline King Research Institution: St. Catherine University Display Area: 28, Abstract page #23

Mississippi

Student: Ahmed Mohamed Research Institution: The University of Southern Mississippi Display Area: 29, Abstract page #24

Missouri

Student: Albert Leng Research Institution: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Display Area: 30, Abstract page #24


Montana

Student: Jacie Meldrum Research Institution: Montana State University Display Area: 31, Abstract page #25

Student: Benjamin Suslavich Research Institution: Montana Tech Display Area: 32, Abstract page #25

Nebraska

Student: Ryan Ernst Research Institution: University of Nebraska Omaha Display Area: 33, Abstract page #26

New Jersey

Student: Johanna Riera Research Institution: New Jersey City University Display Area: 34, Abstract page #26

Students: Matthew Seesselberg | Isabel Morais Research Institution: Kean University Display Area: 35, Abstract page #27

New Mexico

Student: Bibiana Seng Research Institution: Sandia National Laboratories Display Area: 36, Abstract page #27

New York

Student: Matthew Badia Research Institution: Marist College Display Area: 37, Abstract page #28

Student: Joseph Giancaspro Research Institution: Iona College Display Area: 38, Abstract page #28


North Carolina

Student: Lindsey Jordan Research Institution: Elon University Display Area: 39, Abstract page #29

North Dakota

Student: Tess Skinner Research Institution: Minot State University Display Area: 40, Abstract page #29

Ohio

Student: Harper Wallace Research Institution: Denison University Display Area: 41, Abstract page #30

Oklahoma

Student: Chelsea Miller Research Institution: Southwestern Oklahoma State University Display Area: 42, Abstract page #30

Oregon

Students: Norma Gowans | Cole Marfise Research Institution: University of Portland Display Area: 43, Abstract page #31

Pennsylvania

Student: Demetrius Lee Research Institution: Temple University Display Area: 44, Abstract page #31

Students: Juliette DiFlumeri | Megan Fedorky Research Institution: Widener University Display Area: 45, Abstract page #32

Student: Elisia Wright Research Institution: Allegheny College Display Area: 46, Abstract page #32


South Carolina

Student: Claire Chabot Research Institution: University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy Display Area: 47, Abstract page #33

South Dakota

Student: Hope Juntunen Research Institution: Dakota State University Display Area: 48, Abstract page #33

Tennessee

Student: Alexander Tripp Research Institution: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Display Area: 49, Abstract page #34

Texas

Student: Emily Churchman Research Institution: The Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M University Display Area: 50, Abstract page #34

Utah

Student: Andrew Walters Research Institution: Utah State University Display Area: 51, Abstract page #35

Vermont

Student: Dillon Zites Research Institution: Norwich University Display Area: 52, Abstract page #35


Virginia

Students: Victoria Reese | McKinley Saunders Research Institution: College of William and Mary Display Area: 53, Abstract page #36

Student: Jackie Zhu Research Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University Display Area: 54, Abstract page #36

Student: Anna Ford Research Institution: Roanoke College Display Area: 55, Abstract page #37

Student: Katherine Polk Research Institution: George Mason University Display Area: 56, Abstract page #37

Washington

Student: Hugo Pontes Research Institution: University of Washington, Seattle Display Area: 57, Abstract page #38

West Virginia

Students: Caroline Leadmon | Jessi Tyo Research Institution: West Virginia University Display Area: 58, Abstract page #38

Wisconsin

Student: Sarah Philippi Research Institution: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Display Area: 59, Abstract page #39

Wyoming

Student: Rachel Tenney Research Institution: University of Wyoming Display Area: 60, Abstract page #39


Alabama

Student: Kendall CurtisResearch Institution: University of Alabama at BirminghamLead Student Home Institution: University of Alabama at BirminghamLead Student Home State: AlabamaFaculty Advisor: Jeremy Herskowitz | Gareth JonesDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Dendritic Spines Provide Cognitive Resilience against Alzheimer’s DiseaseFunding Agency: National Institutes of Health | University of Alabama at Birmingham: Science and Technology Summer Scholarship | Undergraduate Neuroscience Summer Research AcademyGrant #: NIA AG061800 | NIA AG054719 | NIA AG043552Display Area: 1

Abstract: Neuroimaging and other biomarker analyses suggest that the pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) initiate years prior to clinical dementia onset. However, some 30-50 percent of older individuals that harbor AD pathology do not become symptomatic in their lifetime. It is hypothesized that such individuals exhibit cognitive resilience that protects against AD dementia. We hypothesized that in cases with AD pathology structural differences in their neurons would distinguish individuals that had or did not have clinical dementia. Of their neurons, we specifically looked at their dendritic spines—microscopic protrusion on the receiving end of the neuron where neuron-to-neuron communication occurs. We compared dendritic spines of the prefrontal cortex in 12 age-matched pathology and dementia-free controls, 8 dementia-free controls with AD pathology (CAD), and 21 AD cases. We used highly optimized methods to trace dendrites and their spines from microscopy images that enabled accurate three-dimensional digital reconstruction of dendritic structure for analyses of their morphology (shape). Density of spines along the dendrites were similar among control and CAD cases but reduced significantly in AD. This suggested that CAD individuals were able to retain their neuron-to-neuron communication despite their AD pathology that typically results in neuron degradation. Increased spine length distinguished CAD cases from controls and AD, highlighting the phenotypic difference in their spines. These observations provide cellular evidence to support the hypothesis that dendritic spine remodeling is a mechanism of cognitive resilience that protects older individuals with AD pathology from developing dementia.

Alaska

Student: Alyx HooverResearch Institution: University of Alaska FairbanksLead Student Home Institution: University of Alaska FairbanksLead Student Home State: AlaskaFaculty Advisor: Trent SuttonDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Using Gill Pore Papillae to Distinguish Arctic and Alaskan Brook LampreyFunding Agency: Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity (URSA)Display Area: 2

Abstract: Many lamprey species have experienced widespread declines in abundance, which is largely a result of human impacts and environmental disturbance. Despite these declines, the conservation of lampreys has not been a fisheries management priority. In Alaska, Arctic lamprey (Lethenteron camtschaticum, a species located in interior Alaska) supports both subsistence and commercial fisheries in the lower Yukon River. Despite their fishery importance, there is a lack of information on this species which makes their long-term sustainability uncertain. Alaskan brook lamprey (Lethenteron alaskense), another lamprey species found in interior Alaska often with Arctic lamprey, are among the most understudied lamprey species in the world. With little information available on these two lamprey species, it is difficult to set appropriate long-term management and conservation goals. Previous research on other lamprey species discovered that gill pore papillae are a taxonomic characteristic. Their size, shape, number, and distribution vary between species and can be used as a diagnostic tool to differentiate species. However, this previous study did not include Arctic or Alaskan brook lampreys, which are the focus of my study. In my research, I have characterized the papillae within the gill pore of adult Arctic and Alaskan brook lamprey using microscopy and an image-analysis system to distinguish differences between the two species. Results show that there is a difference between adult papillae while none are visible in the juvenile and larval life stages. Further research is needed to distinguish between juvenile and larval life stages.

ALABAMA


ARKANSAS

Arizona

Student: Rebekah TurnerResearch Institution: Northern Arizona UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Northern Arizona UniversityLead Student Home State: ArizonaFaculty Advisor: Joseph BuschDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Evaluating Genetic Variation at an Anti-Tick Vaccine Locus to Improve Eradication of Cattle Fever TicksFunding Agency: United States Department of Agriculture - National Institute of Food and Agriculture | Hooper Undergraduate Research Award from Northern Arizona UniversityGrant #: 2018-67015-28301Display Area: 3

Abstract: Cattle fever is a lethal disease of cattle caused by parasites in the genus Babesia. These parasites are transmitted by cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus microplus and R. annulatus, and no effective vaccines are available for this disease. The ticks and pathogens are endemic in Mexico and are at risk of reintroduction into the United States, which imports up to 1 million cattle a year from Mexico. Heavy economic losses are predicted if cattle fever were to enter the United States. Because the parasites can only be transmitted by cattle fever ticks, disease prevention is aimed at tick control. In the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in cattle fever tick infestations in southern Texas. Pesticide treatment of cattle is currently used for tick management, but resistance is becoming widespread in Texas populations. Therefore, multiple approaches for tick eradication are needed. An alternative focuses on an anti-tick vaccine injected into cattle that targets a tick midgut protein (Bm86). When ticks feed on cattle, they take up antibodies from cow blood and perish. This vaccine has been tested in Texas but is not effective in all tick populations. Our study investigated the genetic diversity of the Bm86 gene to address why the vaccine might have reduced effectiveness. We are sequencing Bm86 in ticks that were resistant or susceptible to the vaccine. We hypothesize that vaccine-resistant tick populations will have Bm86 sequences that diverge from the manufactured vaccine. Our findings will help improve the US cattle industry.

Arkansas

Students: Joseph Dees | Rebecca Voss | Jarvis Warren | Thomas HodgesResearch Institution: Henderson State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Henderson State UniversityLead Student Home State: ArkansasFaculty Advisor: Shannon ClardyDivision: Physics and AstronomyPoster Title: Low-Cost Laminar Flow Wind Tunnel Design and TestingFunding Agency: Arkansas Space Grant Consortium Grant #: ASGC-S Clardy-YR25Display Area: 4

Abstract: A laminar-flow wind tunnel provides the ability to observe both simple and complex aerodynamic phenomena. A small-scale (20-foot), low-cost wind tunnel was designed and fabricated to study laminar flow and turbulence for various airfoil designs at adjustable angles-of-attack. The wind tunnel design was determined by a number of factors including the space required, the cost (limited to $5,000 or less), fabrication methods, and ease of use. An open return system was chosen to reduce construction costs. The motivation for the wind tunnel includes valuable educational and experimental components in both design and application. Additional motivation for the wind tunnel comes from its future placement in the Henderson State University Community Education Center for use by students of three local universities as well as local businesses and organizations. This location provides an opportunity for the work to be beneficial to the public and private sectors as well as to the academic realm. Design, fabrication, testing methods, and results are discussed herein.


CALIFORNIA

California

Student: Vanessa WolfResearch Institution: Pasadena City CollegeLead Student Home Institution: Pasadena City CollegeLead Student Home State: CaliforniaFaculty Advisor: Jared AshcroftDivision: EducationPoster Title: The Role of Remote Access Technology in STEM EducationFunding Agency: National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health | BUILD PODER CalState Northridge (funded by NIH)Grant #: RL5GM118975Display Area: 5

Abstract: Remote access technology in STEM education may potentially fill dual roles: (1) as an educational tool to deliver science education (educational technology), and (2) as a means to teach about technology itself (technology education). A five-lesson sequence was introduced to 7th grade students at a predominately Latino/Hispanic school in an urban environment. The lessons were experiment-based, hands-on, and integrated along NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards). As a component of each lesson, students used a Scanning Electron Microscope accessed remotely over the internet. At the completion of the curriculum, students who exhibited learning gains also expressed increased interest in STEM and increased interest in college. On numerous counts, remote access technology fulfilled the role of technology education more strongly than educational technology. The experiment-based, hands-on, integrated lessons approach was found to be a key element of the students’ increased engagement with the T in STEM.

Student: Seejia YuResearch Institution: University of California, Los AngelesLead Student Home Institution: University of California, Los AngelesLead Student Home State: CaliforniaFaculty Advisor: Wesley CampbellDivision: Physics and AstronomyPoster Title: A Strong, Stimulated Optical Force for Decelerating Molecular BeamsFunding Agency: National Science FoundationGrant #: 1455357Display Area: 6

Abstract: The use of spontaneous radiation pressure forces to decelerate molecular beams for ultracold applications is problematic due to the associated small magnitude of the time-averaged force and high likelihood of dark state population. We report the experimental benchmarking of an alternative, stimulated force for decelerating molecular beams with pulses generated from an ultrafast laser. We apply this technique to accelerate atoms, demonstrating an average of Y = 21 ± 7 coherent momentum transfers per spontaneous emission event. This represents more than an order of magnitude improvement in cycle closure compared to spontaneous scattering and is in principle capable of delivering a more than 20-fold increase in the time averaged force to reduce molecule loss from transverse velocity spread.


Students: Daniel Saravia | Natasha Feldman | Melanie FessingerResearch Institution: California State University, NorthridgeLead Student Home Institution: California State University, NorthridgeLead Student Home State: CaliforniaFaculty Advisor: Bradley McAuliffDivision: PsychologyPoster Title: Questions and Answers: Results from a National Survey of Child Forensic InterviewersFunding Agency: National Institutes of Health (NIH)Grant #: 5RL5GM118975-05Display Area: 7

Abstract: Child maltreatment is a pervasive problem that results in millions of reports to protective service agencies every year (DHHS, 2017). Forensic interviewers are professionals trained to interview children for suspected maltreatment using protocols designed to elicit complete and accurate reports. In 2016, forensic interviewers performed 221,584 interviews with children in the United States (National Children’s Alliance 2017). Though ample research has evaluated the efficacy of forensic interviewing protocols, very little has examined the practices and experiences of forensic interviewers themselves. One recent controversy is whether forensic interviewers should have access to case information (e.g., police reports) before interviewing children. Some professionals argue that case information is necessary to facilitate communication with reluctant children, yet others argue that it could taint children’s reports. We surveyed a national sample of forensic interviewers (N=754) to understand their interviewing methods, attitudes, and experiences. Our results indicated that forensic interviewers find it helpful to have many different types of information about the child (e.g., demographics), the abuse (e.g., type), and the child’s family (e.g., living arrangements) before interviewing children. Most forensic interviewers (83 percent) were more concerned about false denials than false allegations. Overall, forensic interviewers appeared to support the informed approach and did not express concerns about unduly influencing children’s reports—they described their interviewing as neutral, non-leading, and resulting in complete and accurate information. Our survey results provide an important foundation to inform future research, improve practice, and ultimately help reduce child maltreatment.

Colorado

Student: Kristen HietalaResearch Institution: Colorado School of MinesLead Student Home Institution: Colorado School of MinesLead Student Home State: ColoradoFaculty Advisor: Colin WoldenDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: Scalable Synthesis of Alkali Sulfide Nanocrystals for Next-Generation BatteriesFunding Agency: National Science Foundation | Mines Undergraduate Research FellowshipGrant #: 1825470Display Area: 8

Abstract: Renewables such as solar and wind account for the majority of new electrical capacity installed last year. One challenge limiting continued expansion of these resources is their intermittent nature, and the necessity for storage to efficiently dispatch them. Lithium-ion batteries are the current cutting-edge, powering our phones and laptops, but this technology does not have the specific energy capacity to address all storage requirements. Next-generation batteries based on solid state architectures employing conversion-type cathodes can address these challenges. Alkali sulfide (Li2S and Na2S) nanocrystals are critical materials used to make solid-state electrolytes and cathodes for advanced battery technologies. Conventionally produced using energy-intensive, high-temperature processes, these materials are prohibitively expensive. Our group has developed a green approach to synthesize these nanocrystals at room temperature by contacting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas with organometallic solutions. The industrial waste H2S is fully consumed while generating clean burning hydrogen as a valuable byproduct. Recent contributions to this research have been to develop bubble column reactors as a scalable platform to synthesize these nanocrystals. We developed an innovative 4-phase bubble column, which enabled synthesis and separation of phase-pure nanocrystals. Electron and X-ray characterization showed that the primary crystal size could be tuned over a wide range 10−40 nm. Li2S cathodes fabricated from the resulting nanocrystals show promising battery performance, where the capacity approaches the theoretical value and displays good cyclability and rate capability.

COLORADO


Connecticut

Student: Yo NgResearch Institution: University of New HavenLead Student Home Institution: University of New HavenLead Student Home State: ConnecticutFaculty Advisor: Chong QiuDivision: GeosciencesPoster Title: Evaluate the Long-Term Performance of Low-Cost Portable Ozone Monitors as Supplementary Air Monitoring Methods for Rural and Financially-Disadvantaged CommunitiesFunding Agency: National Science Foundation | University of New Haven Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship ProgramGrant #: AGS-1463703Display Area: 9

Abstract: Exposure of elevated ground-level ozone could trigger or worsen health conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. Ground-level ozone also serves as an indicator of air quality because increased emissions of other air pollutants often lead to higher ozone concentrations. Ground-level ozone is thus continuously monitored nationwide by air monitoring sites using federal reference methods (FRM). However, these FRM sites are normally widely spaced due to the high costs of establishing and operating them. Therefore, reported ozone information from these sites may not be applicable to communities that are further away from FRM sites, especially for rural and financially-disadvantaged communities, raising environmental justice issues. This study investigated the feasibility of implementing low-cost ozone monitors (LCOMs) to supplement current air monitoring network. For over one year, LCOMs were used to periodically measure ground-level ozone near a FRM site in New Haven, Connecticut. The ozone trend monitored by LCOMs closely tracked that measured by the FRM. Statistically, the ozone data collected by LCOMs showed strong positive correlation with those by the FRM. Detailed analysis on the costs and benefits of the LCOMs showed that they generate scientifically sound results yet require substantially less costs to establish and operate. The current air monitoring network may be supplemented by adding sites equipped with LCOMs for as low as $5,000 per year to monitor ozone during daytime, which may significantly benefit rural and financially-disadvantaged communities and address potential environmental justice issues.

Student: Demitra KourtzidisResearch Institution: Eastern Connecticut State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Eastern Connecticut State UniversityLead Student Home State: ConnecticutFaculty Advisor: Courtney BrosciousDivision: Social SciencesPoster Title: What Drives Criminal Justice Reform: A Qualitative Analysis of the Policymaking Process in MA, OR, and LADisplay Area: 10

Abstract: The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and mass incarceration has negative consequences for human rights and the economy. Despite recent bipartisan support for reducing incarceration, the U.S. Department of Justice has shifted its focus from state-level criminal justice reform to immigrant detention and reinvigorating the War on Drugs. State-level reforms are an important component of reducing incarceration because state policy is a major driver of mass incarceration. This study explores the context in which states pass criminal justice reform. Several states have considered reformative criminal justice legislation in the past eight years; fewer have succeeded in codifying those principles. This study focuses on three cases whose incarceration rates, political landscapes, and population composition vary widely: Massachusetts, Oregon, and Louisiana. To determine the conditions under which each reform effort succeeded, this poster constructs a model whose theoretical basis is derived from the political science literature. Using process tracing and thematic analysis, this study examines data from public hearings, press releases, legislative websites, news organizations, and interviews with legislative staffers to understand the criminal justice reform process. Results indicate that political factors are most important to the criminal justice reform process. In all states, a catalyst event (i.e., federal incentives) precedes reform efforts, media coverage of the catalyst event mobilizes the public in support of reforms, and interest groups have notable influence on the existence of a reform effort and on the quality of the resulting legislation.

CONNECTICUT


Florida

Student: Michael HopkoResearch Institution: University of West FloridaLead Student Home Institution: University of West FloridaLead Student Home State: FloridaFaculty Advisor: Johan LiebensDivision: GeosciencesPoster Title: DDT in Estuarine Sediments: Depth Trends and Pollution LevelsFunding Agency: National Science Foundation | UWF GeoScholars ProgramGrant #: 1612387Display Area: 11

Abstract: Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is a pesticide that was widely used during the early twentieth century. The pesticide was discovered to have harmful effects on wildlife, specifically raptorial bird species such as the bald eagle. As a result of the adverse environmental and health effects DDT can have, the EPA issued a cancellation order for DDT in 1972. In 2009, a broad spectrum sediment study was performed in Escambia Bay, Pensacola, FL. This study found DDT at concentrations greater than the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s published probable effects level, the concentration at which environmental harm is likely to be observed. The same geographical area was sampled again in the spring and fall of 2016 and 2017. These later sampling events found only breakdown products associated with DDT, but none of the parent material. The current study (conducted in spring of 2018) included samples collected at various depths within the sediment. Interestingly, in addition to breakdown products, DDT itself was found at 2 of the 5 sites for the first time since 2009. Statistical correlation suggests a relationship between DDT concentration and organic carbon in the sediment, namely that samples with high organic carbon content typically have higher DDT and concentrations. The observed relationship suggests adsorption of DDT onto organic carbon particles, presumably leading to retention of DDT within sediments where organic carbon content is high. The reappearance of DDT in some surface sediments is likely the result of natural processes re-exposing DDT that was previously buried.

Student: Karina BhuttaResearch Institution: Florida International UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Florida International UniversityLead Student Home State: FloridaFaculty Advisors: Remy Dou | Monique RossDivision: EducationPoster Title: Computer Science Stereotypes: Social Agreement and Divergence as Predictors of Career ChoiceFunding Agency: VerizonDisplay Area: 12

Abstract: Despite the growth in computer science (CS) as a field, members of minority populations continue to go underrepresented both in the number of CS bachelor degrees attained and in the CS workforce. Research in CS education points to individuals’ interest in and identification with CS as a field as critical factors that influence career choice. Nevertheless, minority youth often fail to see themselves as computer scientists, creating a disconnect between their vocational expectations and the tasks they perceive computer scientists perform. In this study we explore the attitudes and beliefs of minority middle-school boys participating in an after-school and summer program called Verizon Innovative Learning for Minority Males (VIL-MM). Through the VIL-MM program, we hoped to understand some of the factors that contribute to the CS career intentions of participants attending informal CS programs. Using survey data, we tested a model that considered the influence of held CS stereotypes and CS interest on participants’ CS career intentions. Socially divergent stereotypes were negatively predictive of CS career interest, whereas socially agreeable stereotypes were strongly predictive of identity, which in turn positively predicted career choice. The results highlight a tension between children’s CS interest and their perception of computer scientists, and illuminate the need for a comprehensive and cohesive attempt at dispelling held stereotypes for students in both formal and informal CS learning environments.

FLORIDA


Student: Melodie SpiegelResearch Institution: University of Central FloridaLead Student Home Institution: University of Central FloridaLead Student Home State: FloridaFaculty Advisor: Doan ModianosDivision: PsychologyPoster Title: Personality Correlates of AuthoritarianismFunding Agency: University of Central Florida Office of Undergraduate ResearchDisplay Area: 13

Abstract: In recent years, interest in authoritarianism has grown as a concern within political discourse. Despite the existence of multiple scales designed to measure authoritarianism as a personality trait, current research disagrees as to whether these measures reliably measure this complex concept. Within the field, some researchers hypothesize there to be three dimensions of authoritarianism: submission, aggression, and traditionalism, although others believe the trait to be unidimensional in nature. This study focused on the development of a new scale in response to methodological and validity concerns of previously-used measures, many of which were developed in the 1950s. This new scale was found to be a reliable measure of authoritarian belief within the tested sample of 419 college-aged students. Factor analysis of responses to the items of the new measure also provided evidence of the multidimensionality of authoritarianism as a construct. Further, significant correlations were found between the Graham and Haidt’s Moral Foundations model and the dimensions of authoritarianism as measured by this scale. Analysis also revealed a significant relationship between authoritarianism and the vertical dimension of collectivist and individualist belief. These findings reaffirm current theoretical belief in the tridimensional model of authoritarianism and provide a new, reliable measure of the authoritarian personality. This has implications for the creation of a more productive dialogue between politically-divided groups, although further research is needed on the exact nature of authoritarianism itself.

Georgia

Student: Jessica ReyesResearch Institution: Kennesaw State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Kennesaw State UniversityLead Student Home State: GeorgiaFaculty Advisor: Susan HardyDivision: EducationPoster Title: Supporting First-Generation College Students in STEM DisciplinesDisplay Area: 14

Abstract: As a Mexican-American first-generation university student, I am passionate about first-generation success and have personal insights into this issue. Current research has investigated summer bridge programs and scholarships to retain first-generation students. I have chosen to research other predictors of retention and success. Do math and science confidence, family support, and time management predict whether students will stay in STEM disciplines after their first year? Do financial stress, academic stress, and other stressors play a role in retention? Does it matter whether the first-generation student has been exposed to AP courses, received college credit for an AP course in any discipline, or been part of a dual-enrollment course? How do all these measures interplay with each other? By contrasting first-generation students with non–first-generation students, do we see ways to close achievement gaps between the two groups? Data was collected on 150 first-year students within the first month in a Success in Mathematics and Science Learning Community at Kennesaw State University (35 first-generation students and 115 non–first-generation students). These same students were followed forward one year to see if they were still in STEM disciplines, and their present GPA was recorded. Stacked bar charts, regression, and hypothesis tests were used to investigate relationships. My research points out what universities can do to promote first-generation retention, as well as what universities can do to close the achievement gaps between first-generation and non–first-generation students.

FLORIDA


Student: Lillian HicksResearch Institution: Mercer UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Mercer UniversityLead Student Home State: GeorgiaFaculty Advisor: Joseph KeeneDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: “Zooming in” on Nanocrystals: The Surface Chemistry of Quantum DotsDisplay Area: 15

Abstract: Quantum dots (QDs) are a rapidly growing area of nanotechnology with applications in QLED televisions, bioimaging, and solar energy. QDs are fewer than a hundred atoms in diameter, meaning QDs abandon the laws of classical physics and adopt quantum physics, as well as exhibit unique optical and electronic properties. The color of the QDs can be tuned by adjusting their size; as QD size increases, the energy of emitted light decreases. Additionally, these photophysical properties can be tuned by manipulating the surface chemistry of the QD. The focus of my project is the surface modification used to prepare QDs for use in solar cells. As traditionally synthesized, the surface molecules of QDs inhibit their electronic properties. By replacing the insulating molecules with shorter, more electron-rich molecules, the thickness of the surface layer is reduced, and charge transfer is enhanced, optimizing the QDs for electronic applications. I am working to gain a fundamental understanding of the surface modification for CdSe QD use in solar cells, for which the most current protocol is highly inefficient regarding time and materials. By deploying isothermal titration calorimetry, commonly used in biochemistry to measure the heat energy absorbed or released by a reaction, I have demonstrated that the current protocol requiring hours of heating in excess chemicals is unnecessary. These experimentally-determined heats have been used to design and test a refined surface modification that contributes to the understanding of QD surface modification, an essential step for any QD application.

Idaho

Student: Ren DimicoResearch Institution: University of IdahoLead Student Home Institution: University of IdahoLead Student Home State: WashingtonFaculty Advisor: Peter FuerstDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Unravelling Genetic Determinants of Synapse Formation in the Mammalian Visual SystemFunding Agency: National Science FoundationGrant #: 1757826Display Area: 16

Abstract: Neurological disorders are one of the leading costs to the American health-care system. One category of neurological disorders are visual system disorders. Vision is our species-dominant sense, meaning any disruption leads to disturbances in everyday life. This project aims at gaining a better understanding of how the retina develops so as to best prevent and treat visual system disorders. The visual system pathway is made up of a series of cells. A disruption in any of the pathway cells leads to a miscommunication of information. Cell adhesion molecules are responsible for the communication between different cells. This study focuses on the mutation of Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule Like 1, loss of function (Dscaml1LOF). DSCAML1 is involved in dendrite self-avoidance and the functional connectivity of the rod pathway. A previous study in the lab discovered that the mutation of this molecule leads to a lower number of dendrites and synapses. For this study differences in synaptic formation, within the retina of mice at three different postnatal days (P14, P21, and P33) will be determined and compared. The goal of this study is to determine if the mutation DscamlLOF causes termination of dendrite and synaptic growth or if it is causing a delay in neural development.

IDAHO


Illinois

Student: Nikita MehtaResearch Institution: The University of ChicagoLead Student Home Institution: The University of ChicagoLead Student Home State: IllinoisFaculty Advisor: Brian PopkoDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Wnt Signaling in Schwann Cells Affects Peripheral Nerve RegenerationFunding Agency: The Neurology Department, The University of Chicago | The Biological Sciences Collegiate Division | The University of ChciagoDisplay Area: 17

Abstract: The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is unique in its ability to recover from nerve injury. In a process termed Wallerian degeneration, the axons and myelin distal to the site of injury degenerate and are cleared by Schwann cells and macrophages. Subsequently, Schwann cells dedifferentiate, proliferate, guide axons to their germane targets, redifferentiate, and myelinate the axons. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms controlling PNS regeneration are not fully understood. We have demonstrated a role of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in developmental myelination of the PNS. The ablation of APC, a critical inhibitor of Wnt signaling, from Schwann cells activates this pathway, leading to impaired developmental PNS myelination. These results suggest that Wnt signaling may also play crucial role in PNS regeneration. We used reporter mice to study Wnt pathway activation following sciatic nerve crush injury. Wnt signaling was strongly activated in Schwann cells as early as three days, and at least up to seven days post-crush injury. We have preliminary electrophysiology and electron microscopy data that suggests that the conditional ablation of APC in adult Schwann cells activates the Wnt pathway and delays recovery from peripheral nerve injury. Our data suggests that the activation of Wnt signaling in Schwann cells impedes PNS regeneration. We will next examine the potential of pharmacological mechanisms to inhibit Wnt signaling following PNS injury and to improve regeneration.

Indiana

Student: Daphne FauberResearch Institution: Purdue UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Purdue UniversityLead Student Home State: IndianaFaculty Advisors: David Purpura | Hsin-Yi WengDivision: Health SciencesPoster Title: The Effect of Urbanization on Lyme Disease Rates in the United StatesFunding Agency: Purdue Office of Undergraduate ResearchDisplay Area: 18

Abstract: Over 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually in the United States; however, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) these reports are an underestimate of actual cases, as between 300,000 and 400,000 Americans are likely infected annually. Since the 1990s, documented and estimated cases of Lyme disease have been on the rise globally, along with other diseases spread by human-animal contact. It has been well documented that urbanization—“[the] rapid intensification of agriculture, socioeconomic change, and ecological fragmentation”—is associated with an increase in zoonotic disease rates (Hassell et al. 2017, 1). Thus, this study broke down urbanization in order to specifically examine the relative geographic location of cities and its relation to rates of Lyme disease in the United States. The expected outcome was for the areas on the edge of expanding city boundaries to have increased risk of Lyme disease due to the clash of a pre-existing natural ecosystem with the urban ecosystem moving in. Data from the CDC and US Census Bureau were merged, including population density, classification of county, and rates of Lyme disease. A generalized linear regression was used to examine the relation between rates of Lyme disease, and the classification of each county controlling for population. Results indicated that there were greater instances per person of Lyme disease in counties that were classified as urban. Options for further research were discussed, including identifying the relation between poverty rates and Lyme disease cases.

ILLINOIS


Student: Emily NettesheimResearch Institution: Butler UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Butler UniversityLead Student Home State: IndianaFaculty Advisor: Chad KnodererDivision: Social SciencesPoster Title: The Perceived Benefit of Student Participation in Dance MarathonDisplay Area: 19

Abstract: The Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Dance Marathon (DM) movement has attracted more than 1 million college students nationwide and fundraised over $38 million in 2017 alone. The objective of this study was to determine student perceptions of the benefits of participation in DM in an attempt to explain its ongoing success and provide areas of application for other philanthropies aiming to engage college students. This was a quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study administered using an online survey software. Undergraduate students from three different Indiana DM programs were invited to participate. The survey consisted of 20 questions divided into four categories: demographics; what is involvement with DM; the DM impact; and perceived benefits from DM involvement. The survey was distributed to each participant the week following each university’s DM, and the survey was open for six weeks. There were 161 respondents out of 1492 recipients for an 11 percent response rate. The cohort included male (15 percent) and female (85 percent) students of all schooling years (first years- 29 percent, second years- 32 percent, third years- 20 percent, fourth years- 18 percent, graduate students-1 percent). Roughly 23 percent reported DM participation experience prior to college. There was general agreement among respondents that they gained new skills (88-98 percent) and matured (80-93 percent). Respondents also commented on improved life outlook, positivity, emotional intelligence, and social skills. The majority of participants (65-81 percent) noted the CMN mission as their primary motivation for participation. This cohort of Indiana students have overall positive perceptions of the benefits of DM participation.

Iowa

Student: Brandon VanceResearch Institution: Iowa State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Iowa State UniversityLead Student Home State: IowaFaculty Advisor: Jean-Philippe TessonnierDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: Fueling Space Exploration: Engineering Catalysts to Produce Rocket Fuel on MarsFunding Agency: NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium | Undergraduate Research FellowshipGrant #: NNX16AL88HDisplay Area: 20

Abstract: NASA’s next step in space exploration is to send missions to Mars with crews. However, it is logistically and financially impossible to also send the fuel needed to return the crew to Earth. NASA’s solution is to produce the return rocket fuel directly on Mars by generating methane gas from Mars’ natural resources; carbon dioxide and water. This conversion requires a catalyst to facilitate and accelerate the corresponding reaction. It has been shown that the catalysts currently available experience irreversible deactivation due to the harsh reaction conditions. Mitigating deactivation has shown to be a prominent obstacle in engineering a robust catalyst for Mars applications. We hypothesized that silicon carbide would be a particularly promising support for resisting deactivation due to its excellent thermal properties. Furthermore, it was also hypothesized that the catalytic activity of silicon carbide-supported metal catalysts can be tuned by altering the thermal properties of the silicon carbide supports. This hypothesis was tested by annealing silicon carbide for varying time intervals to adjust the thermal properties by modifying the oxide layer thickness on the support’s surface. The supports were then loaded with ruthenium or palladium nanoparticles, and the catalytic activity was examined that confirmed that the thermal properties of the silicon carbide supports play a crucial role in the activity of the supported-metal catalysts. Coupling these findings with future investigations that determine the source of the catalytic tunability and the longevity of these catalysts will enable a robust catalyst to be engineered for Mars applications.

IOWA


Kansas

Student: Song YangResearch Institution: Emporia State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Emporia State UniversityLead Student Home State: KansasFaculty Advisor: Qiang ShiDivision: Mathematics and Computer SciencesPoster Title: Acoustic Classification of Bird Species Using Wavelets and Learning AlgorithmsFunding Agency: ESU Summer Undergraduate Research Program FundDisplay Area: 21

Abstract: In this project, we want to answer a question: Can we let a computer determine the species of a bird when the computer hears the bird’s calls? Knowing what birds are present in a neighborhood can help people understand the health of the ecosystem. Airport personnel also is interested in such information to avoid or reduce bird-aircraft strikes. Experienced ornithologists can identify a bird’s species when listening to its calls. However, it is a time-consuming task if a large collection of bird sounds needs to be reviewed. Having a computer algorithm to assist or complete the task can save time and money. In our research, we designed a mathematical algorithm to identify bird species based on their calls. Our approach is to extract a set of features from bird syllables and let supervised classifiers learn from those features and then establish classification rules that can be used to determine the species. On the step of feature extraction, we used a wavelet decomposition algorithm to transform the syllables, so certain desired features could be revealed. On the step of classification, we used more than 20 classifiers in WEKA (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis) and MATLAB. We found that Quadratic Support Vector Machines and Random Forest gave the best classification rates at above 93 percent.

Louisiana

Student: McKenzie LeBlancResearch Institution: Nicholls State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Nicholls State UniversityLead Student Home State: LouisianaFaculty Advisor: Mary JacksonDivision: Health SciencesPoster Title: An Analysis of the Correlation between Personality and the Influenza VaccinationDisplay Area: 22

Abstract: In spite of the proven effectiveness of the influenza vaccination, many people choose not to receive the flu shot. The purpose of this study is to ascertain a possible correlation between receiving the influenza vaccination and a psychological factor, personality. Per Qualtrics Software, an International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) assessment with additional questions about the participant’s receipt of the influenza vaccination was distributed to the Nicholls State University community (n=516). The personality questionnaire assessed five traits: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness. Within the neurotic personality trait, a significant difference was found between the two populations: those who did and those who did not receive the influenza vaccination. A correlation was found; the group that did receive the influenza vaccination was higher in neuroticism. No correlation was found between the other four personality traits and the choice whether or not to receive the influenza vaccination.

KANSAS


Maine

Student: Ellie LeightonResearch Institution: University of New EnglandLead Student Home Institution: University of New EnglandLead Student Home State: MaineFaculty Advisor: Jennifer Stiegler-BalfourDivision: PsychologyPoster Title: Reading for Leisure v. Reading to Learn: E-Readers and the Influence of Text Type on Reading Speed and Recall AbilityFunding Agency: University of New England | University of New England Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) FellowshipDisplay Area: 23

Abstract: On the surface, e-textbooks appear to deliver upon the promise of technological advancement. They cost and weigh less than print textbooks, are more accessible, and have a reduced impact on the environment. Yet, rather than gravitating to e-textbooks, students continue to prefer the print medium. Research to date has yielded mixed results with regard to learning via digital mediums. Some studies have found that individuals read slower on an e-reader but maintain comprehension (Rockinson Szapkiw et al. 2013), whereas others have concluded that recall is negatively affected when reading on digital mediums (Santana, Livingstone, and Cho 2011). The current study builds upon previous research by examining the impact of e-readers on reading comprehension of expository text (e.g., text read primarily for learning) and narrative text (e.g., text read primarily for leisure). Readers of varying skill levels were compared by examining reading times and performance on recognition tasks on Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The results showed that skilled readers are more likely to adapt their reading speed to maintain equal comprehension levels across text types, whereas less-skilled readers failed to adapt their reading pace and thus comprehension suffered when reading expository text on a Kindle Fire. This suggests that, although readers of all skill levels were able to read and understand narrative passages on a digital medium, using a Kindle to read was less efficient than paper and therefore can inhibit comprehension when the task involves expository text and the need to maintain comprehension.

Massachusetts

Student: Zachary SowerbyResearch Institution: College of the Holy CrossLead Student Home Institution: College of the Holy CrossLead Student Home State: New HampshireFaculty Advisor: Neel SmithDivision: Arts and HumanitiesPoster Title: Encoding Ancient Greek MusicDisplay Area: 24

Abstract: Approximately 60 pieces of notated music remain to us from ancient Greece. The notation and lyrics provide information about pitch, rhythm, and dynamics. The interpretation and analysis of these works is dependent on surviving treatises by ancient music theorists, whose works span centuries and a range of contradictory opinions. Although the sample size in the surviving corpus of notated music is small, there is no question that said corpus cannot be wholly understood in terms of those theorists’ works due to manifest conflicts. The goal of this research is to provide a neutral analytical framework by which the corpus of music can be studied. An analysis via this framework can correlate the large amounts of data in the corpus of notated music with the works of ancient theorists and modern hypotheses, examining latent patterns of melodic shape, rhythmic patterns, text-melody correlation, and more, in terms of chronology, genre, and geographic range. The creation of this framework is vital to approaching questions of study with machine-automated precision, systematic data extraction, and a statistically rigorous analysis. An additional aural level of analysis, using the data from the corpus in a music program specially built for these purposes, can bring the information preserved in stone and papyrus to realization.

MASSACHUSETTS


Student: Vanessa ShermanResearch Institution: Bridgewater State University and Plimoth PlantationLead Student Home Institution: Bridgewater State UniversityLead Student Home State: MassachusettsFaculty Advisor: Jordon BarkalowDivision: Arts and HumanitiesPoster Title: Testing Tocqueville: The Political Theory of the Mayflower Compact and Its LegacyFunding Agency: Adrian Tinsley Program for Undergraduate Research at Bridgewater State UniversityDisplay Area: 25

Abstract: According to Alexis de Tocqueville, the “strong form” of the Continuity Thesis maintains that Puritan political and religious values shaped American political thought through the Revolutionary Period. This argument assumes that religiously inspired political thought of the Puritans spread throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and New England, and then the rest of the country. This research develops the political theory of the Mayflower Compact, as it is an incomplete document of only 199 words, and tests for its influence on communities established after the foundation of Plymouth in 1620. The first task, developing the theory, was accomplished by augmenting the political principles of the Mayflower Compact through an analysis of other documents, demonstrating that key symbols of the Mayflower Compact include popular sovereignty and Christians deliberating the ends of government. Determining the influence of these ideas was done through analysis of the archives of the towns adjacent to Plymouth: Scituate (founded in 1636) and Taunton (founded in 1637). This research reveals an emphasis on property rather than concern with public deliberation by a community of Christians, raising doubts about the legacy of the Mayflower Compact’s religious principles and Tocqueville’s assumption. This conclusion is supported by an analysis of the political symbols of Plymouth. Evidence suggests a weakening of religious ideals and a growing concern with property and other individual rights. Results point to a number of tensions within colonial American political thought that continue to animate American political discourse to this day.

Michigan

Student: Relicious EbohResearch Institution: Wayne State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: University of Detroit MercyLead Student Home State: MichiganFaculty Advisors: Dawn Misra | Carmen GiurgescuDivision: Health SciencesPoster Title: Relationship with the Father of the Baby and Perceived Stress among Black WomenFunding Agency: National Institutes of Health ReBuilDetroit Grant-University of Detroit MercyGrant #: 5TL4GM118983-05Display Area: 26

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationship with the father of the baby was related to psychological stress among black women. This is a secondary analysis of data derived from a retrospective cohort study of 1,410 black new mothers participating in the Life-Course Influences on Fetal Environments (LIFE) study conducted in the Detroit metropolitan area. Data were obtained from maternal interview and medical records abstraction. Perceived stress was measured by the Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale. The mother’s relationship with the father of the baby before and after pregnancy was measured using two questions. Women who reported sometimes close/sometimes distant relationship with the father of the baby prior to pregnancy had higher levels of perceived stress compared with women who reported a close relationship with the father of the baby prior to pregnancy (38.73 and 35.10, respectively, p < .001). Women who reported—current—distant relationship (38.82 and 34.45, respectively, p < .001) and sometimes close/sometimes distant relationship (38.83 and 34.45, respectively, p < .001) reported higher levels of perceived stress compared with women who had—current—close relationship with the father of the baby. Women who reported to have a close relationship with the father of the baby before and during the pregnancy reported lower levels of stress compared with women with a distant relationship with the father of the baby. Nurses should assess women’s relationship with the father of the baby and their levels of stress.

MASSACHUSETTS


Students: Alexandra Vroom | Emma Johnson | Lauren Czmer | Anastasia PereckiResearch Institution: Hope CollegeLead Student Home Institution: Hope CollegeLead Student Home State: MichiganFaculty Advisors: Emilie Dykstra Goris | Anita Esquerra-ZwiersDivision: Health SciencesPoster Title: Mother’s Milk for Michigan Infants: Exploring the Personal, Social, and Biological Factors of Maternal Milk SupplyDisplay Area: 27

Abstract: Breastfeeding reduces infant mortality rates, metabolic and cardiovascular risk, and allergic symptoms of asthma and eczema. The longer the duration of breastfeeding, the greater the protective effect against maternal breast and ovarian cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and risk of postpartum depression. The psychosocial, economic, and environmental effects of breastfeeding surpass generational influence within families to impact local communities. Many mothers prematurely discontinue breastfeeding due to a perceived insufficient milk supply (PIMS). The purpose of this study is to explore the use of maternal DNA and human milk (HM) biomarkers as means to validate the PIMS Questionnaire. This study utilizes a longitudinal descriptive design to investigate the effects of personal, social, behavioral, physiological, and biological influences on breastfeeding. Participants were enrolled after 30 weeks gestation and asked to complete three surveys (pre-birth, 10 and 60 days post-birth) and to provide a saliva (DNA) and a milk sample (30mL, day 10 post-birth). Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, linear and logistic regression, and Structural Equation Modeling. Enrollment is ongoing with 100 participants and 86 saliva and 84 HM samples collected. Results and conclusions are pending, including analyses of DNA and HM samples. The attrition rate for enrollees was 1.1 percent at day 10 (n=1) and 11.8 percent (n=8) at day 60 post-birth. Increased knowledge related to the biological aspects of breastfeeding may be used to provide a foundation for personalized lactation interventions based on individual genetic variations and human milk biomarkers.

Minnesota

Student: Iceline KingResearch Institution: St. Catherine UniversityLead Student Home Institution: St. Catherine UniversityLead Student Home State: MinnesotaFaculty Advisor: Colleen CarpenterDivision: Arts and HumanitiesPoster Title: Forgotten and Forsaken Bodies: Black Trauma and the Problematic Construction of History in Public MemorialsFunding Agency: St. Catherine University Collaborative Research Summer Scholars ProgramDisplay Area: 28

Abstract: Afro-Pessimism is a critical framework describing the ongoing effects of racism, colonialism, and enslavement on black people’s individual experience and embodied social reality. Using the lens of Afro-Pessimism and the disciplines of theology and sociology, we designed a project to evaluate and compare memorials in the Deep South with respect to representation of black people’s experience. Public memorials engage visitors by constructing a vision of the past that shapes a community’s shared identity in the present; their truthfulness is therefore extremely important. Our goal was to determine whether public memorials to victims of Hurricane Katrina told the truth about how the hurricane’s devastation was linked to race and racism. Our methodology included textual research and site visits to memorials to Katrina, the civil rights movement, and victims of racial terror lynching. We conducted literature reviews on theological understandings of memory, focusing on black and womanist theologians such as James Cone, Shawn Copeland, and Monica Coleman. We read historical accounts of the hurricane and sociological accounts of race and class by Angela Davis and W.E.B. DuBois. Finally, we conducted in-person content analysis at the memorials. Our analysis determined that, in contrast to the other memorials we examined, the Katrina memorials neither tell the stories of black people nor teach about how race, class, or gender were central to the lived experience of those who endured the storm. We argue that the erased social reality of black people falsifies the history these memorials purport to honor.

MINNESOTA


Mississippi

Student: Ahmed MohamedResearch Institution: The University of Southern MississippiLead Student Home Institution: The University of Southern MississippiLead Student Home State: MississippiFaculty Advisor: Shahid KarimDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Functional Role of Tick alpha-D-galactosidase in Carbohydrate Metabolism and Red Meat AllergyFunding Agency: Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health | USDA NIFA | NIH, USDAGrant #: P20GM103476 | 2017-67017-26171 | 2016-67030-24576Display Area: 29

Abstract: Tick-borne meat allergy is an emergent allergy, increasing widespread in tick endemic areas in the United States and worldwide. Bites from the lone-star tick (Amblyomma americanum) are believed to be involved as the source of the sensitization of humans to the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal or a-gal), which is found in most mammalian-derived food products, including gelatin, broths, and red meat. The purpose of this study is to functionally characterize the lone-star tick alpha-D-galactosidase (AGS) enzyme and assess its role in alpha-gal synthesis. This enzyme cleaves terminal alpha-galactose moieties from glycoproteins and glycolipids. Hence, we hypothesized that silencing of AGS in the lone-star tick will impair the tick’s ability to synthesize alpha-gal and overall carbohydrate metabolism. A reverse genetic approach was utilized to characterize the functional role of alpha-D-galactosidase in carbohydrate metabolism and to discover its link to red meat allergy. Our results from AGS gene silencing revealed a significant increase in tick weight, supporting a critical functional role in energy utilization. Furthermore, we are currently conducting experiments to further elucidate the role of alpha-D-galactosidase in tick-host interactions and the possible involvement in the newly described “red meat allergy.”

Missouri

Student: Albert LengResearch Institution: Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisLead Student Home Institution: Washington University in St. LouisLead Student Home State: MissouriFaculty Advisor: Jin-Moo LeeDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Tracking the Intracellular Itinerary of APP and de novo Abeta Generation through Click ChemistryFunding Agency: National Institutes of Health NRSA Grant #: 1F31NS098791-01|R21NS083529Display Area: 30

Abstract: Amyloid-beta (Abeta), generated through cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), is the principal component of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, yet the trafficking itinerary and subcellular location of Abeta generation is unknown. To uncover these pathways, we have developed a bifluorescent construct employing unnatural amino acid mutagenesis and fluorogenic click-chemistry to site-specifically label Abeta within APP and fused mClover to the APP C-terminus. Using two probes, we have labeled Abeta within APP. A cell impermeable fluorophore, tetrazine-Cy5, labels Abeta within cell surface APP permitting the visualization of APP trafficking following endocytosis. Using confocal microscopy, we have observed colocalization and separation of the probes following pulse-chase experiments. Immediately after labeling, voxels had an approximately 1:1 mClover to click-label ratio. At 3 hour, a small group of voxels increased above the 1:1 ratio, which did not occur with gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI). The voxels increased above the 1:1 ratio indicate a separation of probes and map back to intracellular vesicles. Using super-resolution microscopy, we have observed colocalization of Cy5 and mClover fluorescence at the limiting membrane of vesicles, which is indicative of transmembrane holo-APP or betaCTF, while other vesicles showed a distinct Cy5 fluorescence within the endosomal lumen that reduced in number upon treatment with GSI. This suggests a unique signature of Abeta generation allowing the elucidation of the site of Abeta generation for the first time.

MISSISSIPPI


Montana

Student: Jacie MeldrumResearch Institution: Montana State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Montana State University BozemanLead Student Home State: MontanaFaculty Advisor: Kalli DeckerDivision: Social SciencesPoster Title: Families’ Experiences with Early Intervention Services in Montana: Alignment with Evidence-Based Recommended PracticesFunding Agency: Montana IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence | Montana State University Undergraduate Scholars ProgramGrant #: P20GM103474Display Area: 31

Abstract: This poster reports recently analyzed data from parent surveys and interviews about Montana’s early intervention services. This project is part of the only research that has focused on how Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act is implemented in Montana. Over 100 hours of video and audio recorded interviews were transcribed into nearly 700 pages of data that were analyzed for this project using content analysis. To determine how these services align with research-based recommended practices for the field, codes were developed to identify different qualities of services. Research clearly demonstrates that the most effective way to provide intervention for children from birth to age three who have delays or disabilities is following a family-centered service model. This poster describes results related to how parents report being involved in their child’s services, the environments in which services are provided, and how parents are supported and empowered in various ways to help their children develop. Results indicate that many families are not actively invited to participate in their children’s services and that these services are primarily being provided using a medical model, as opposed to a family-centered model. The majority of specialized services, such as physical and speech therapies, are being provided in a clinic setting rather than in a natural environment such as the child’s classroom or home. Although parents generally report being satisfied with the professionals with whom they work, there are significant challenges associated with accessing research-based practices in a large, rural state.

Student: Benjamin SuslavichResearch Institution: Montana TechLead Student Home Institution: Montana TechLead Student Home State: MontanaFaculty Advisor: Courtney YoungDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: Synthesis and Characterization of the Hydroxamic Acid N,3-dihydroxy-2-napthamide and its Copper (II) Complex: An Investigation on Keto/Enol Forms and Rare Earth FlotationFunding Agency: Army Research Laboratory | Montana Tech SURF ProgramGrant #: W911NF-15-2-0020Display Area: 32

Abstract: The concentration of rare earth-bearing minerals is essential to the processing and extraction of rare earth elements. One method of concentrating rare earth-bearing minerals is by the technique called flotation, which is a process that separates minerals based on their surface chemistry. Collectors are chemicals that adsorb at a particle surface and thereby modify its hydrophobicity so that it may be selectively extracted from a mixture. This compound, N,3-dihydroxy-2-naphthamide, is a potential candidate for a rare-earth collector. Unfortunately, there is no characteristic data on this collector nor is there a documented synthesis route. In this study, several synthesis approaches were taken to create this compound. Second, important structural and characteristic data were gathered such as the preferred structural isomers of the collector’s copper(II) complex and the electrostatic potential values of the possible dentate groups of the molecule in different tautomeric forms. In addition, a comparison study of the flotation behavior of H205 and the collector SHA was performed. It was found using FT-IR spectroscopic techniques that both SHA and H205 prefer to be in the keto tautomer while uncomplexed; however, once chelated to Cu+2 ions, the collector adopted an enol form. Molecular modeling using Spartan software showed an increase in the electrostatic potential of the possible dentate groups in both molecules for the Enol form. It was found from flotation studies that H205 is selective of rare earth minerals with a preference of floating rare earth carbonates.

MONTANA


Nebraska

Student: Ryan ErnstResearch Institution: University of Nebraska OmahaLead Student Home Institution: University of Nebraska OmahaLead Student Home State: NebraskaFaculty Advisor: Sachin PawaskarDivision: Mathematics and Computer SciencesPoster Title: Forensic Analysis for Bone Pair-Matching Using Bi-partite Graphs in Commingled RemainsFunding Agency: FUSE Grant through ORCA and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education - Student Research Participation Program with DPAADisplay Area: 33

Abstract: Identification of missing prisoners of war is a complex and time-consuming task. There are many missing soldiers whose remains have yet to be returned to their loved ones. This nation has a solemn obligation to its soldiers and their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. There are currently more than 82,000 unidentified prisoners of war identified at a rate of 100+ per year. At this rate it would take 300+ years to complete the identification process. Previously, anthropologists used Excel spreadsheets to sort through skeletal data. This project aims to streamline the specimen-level information management, part of a larger collaboration with the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on the Commingled Remains Analytics (CoRA) Ecosystem for inventorying and analyzing human remains, allowing anthropologists to work more cohesively and with less chance of data loss or corruption. The human brain is visual, with 90 percent of the knowledge gained through the visual cortex. This research aims to develop new capabilities for anthropologists to visualize bone pair-matches by developing graph visualizations to show which bones are potentially pair-matched using osteometric sorting algorithms using measurements. This will be further enhanced by using correlational data such as DNA, age estimation, trauma, and pathology to score the strength of the pair-match. This research helps in the identification and segregation of bones and helps in fulfilling the nation’s promise to its soldiers and their families.

New Jersey

Student: Johanna RieraResearch Institution: New Jersey City UniversityLead Student Home Institution: New Jersey City UniversityLead Student Home State: New JerseyFaculty Advisor: Natalia ColemanDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Can Ras-GTP Be Regulated in Cancer by NMDA Receptor Antagonists?Funding Agency: Minority Science and Engineering Improvement ProgramGrant #: P120A160084Display Area: 34

Abstract: More than 1.7 million individuals in the United States were expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Despite intensive research efforts and promising discoveries, the search for new targets and biomarkers for cancer detection continues. Recently, there is growing evidence of the importance of glutamate signal transduction in cancer. N-methyl-D-aspartic receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate receptors found in the mammalian central nervous system. It is known that NMDARs are essential for spatial learning and memory; however, there is limited information about its function relative to cancer. This research project determines whether NMDARs are a valid therapeutic target in cancer treatment. We propose to validate the role of NMDARs, specifically the NR2B subunit in Ras signaling associated with cancer proliferation. If our hypothesis is supported, then NMDARs may be considered as a potential therapeutic target/biomarker for cancer treatment. Cancer cells were treated with the NMDAR antagonists, MK-801 and Memantine at 75 - 500 uM concentrations for 24 -72 hours. Cancer cells viability was determined via the MTT assay. The Ras pulldown assay was used to extract Ras-GTP followed by western blot analysis. Our results suggest that Memantine at a concentration 500 uM reduces the level of Ras-GTP in human cancers, showing correlation between the NR2B subunit and cell growth. Presented work has significant potential to enhance understanding of cancer biology and to lead to a novel direction in cancer treatment and detection.

NEBRASKA


Students: Matthew Seesselberg | Isabel MoraisResearch Institution: Kean UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Kean UniversityLead Student Home State: New JerseyFaculty Advisor: Daehan KwakDivision: Mathematics and Computer SciencesPoster Title: Do People Take the Fastest Route? An Empirical StudyDisplay Area: 35

Abstract: Public and private sectors continue to massively invest in intelligent transportation systems to reduce traffic congestion and provide sustainable environments. Numerous solutions exist to mitigate traffic congestion. Among them, the most prominent is real-time GPS navigation apps (e.g., Google Maps) that recommend the fastest route. The pervasiveness and effectiveness for such services dominantly rely on the users’ compliance (i.e., the decision to follow the recommendation to reduce traffic). However, transportation behavior literature reported that commuters tend to neglect such recommendations. The reliability of traffic information, irrational decision-making, drivers’ habit, and perception that drivers believe they are better route planners are some reasons of low compliance behavior. Few studies on compliance with route recommendations have been reported; thus, in this research, we conduct an empirical study to assess the compliance and behavior of real users’ route choices. We developed an Android tracking application using Google Maps API for participants to input their desired destination. This information (origin, destination, departure time) along with GPS trajectory data are sent to and stored on the server. The server then acts as a web mining system (developed using Python) that crawls and scrapes the recommended fastest route based on the departure time from five popular online maps. The actual driven route is segmented into an array of waypoints and polylines that is compared segment-by-segment to the recommended fastest route. Finally, we test our hypothesis on the assumption that users take the fastest route and show the users’ compliance rate.

New Mexico

Student: Bibiana SengResearch Institution: Sandia National LaboratoriesLead Student Home Institution: University of New Mexico Honors CollegeLead Student Home State: New MexicoFaculty Advisor: Vincent NearyDivision: GeosciencesPoster Title: Comparing Extreme Wave Height Estimation Techniques for Classifying Energy Resources and ConditionsFunding Agency: US Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE), Water Power Technologies | Sandia National LaboratoriesGrant #: DE-NA0003525Display Area: 36

Abstract: Extreme wave height statistics are needed to assess risks at wave energy project sites and to evaluate and classify wave loads for offshore structural design. The present study’s goal is to calculate, map, and classify the extreme wave height with a 50-year return period, Hs50, and the relative risk ratio, Hs50/Hsmean, within the US coastline’s economic exclusion zone. These statistics are derived from significant wave height time series output from high-resolution wave climate hindcast models. Two international standard methods for estimating Hs50 are compared and evaluated to select the best practical approach for extreme value estimation: a peak-over-threshold (POT) method to derive an exponential extreme value distribution model from a partial series based on selected threshold and lag values, and an annual maxima (AM) method that applies the Gumbel distribution to a series of annual maxima values. Although the POT method is generally considered more accurate, particularly for short historical periods of record, several statistical tests are required to justify the threshold value selected, which can be laborious. The AM method requires no parameter selection to derive the sample used for the modeled extreme value distribution. Comparing these two methods for more than 100 sites across the West Coast and East Coast indicates reasonable agreements, which supports using the AM method for resource and conditions classification due to its simplicity and computational ease. Further evaluation of the AM method is needed before its uniform adoption to all US wave climates.

NEW

MEXICO


New York

Student: Matthew BadiaResearch Institution: Marist CollegeLead Student Home Institution: Marist CollegeLead Student Home State: New YorkFaculty Advisor: Zofia GagnonDivision: BiologyPoster Title: What’s Up, Doc? Pharmaceuticals in the Hudson River!Display Area: 37

Abstract: There were many positive changes in the Hudson River since introduction of the Clean Water Act of the 1970s. Unfortunately, new problems are becoming evident because of aging sewage treatment infrastructure and rapidly increasing use of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP). The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of PPCP on Hudson River’s native aquatic plant arrow arum (Peltandra virginica) and crayfish (Orconectes virilis). It was hypothesized that fluoxetine, s-amphetamine, and triclosan would affect the growth and development of O. immunes and P. virginica and would alter the mineral content within experimental organisms. The following treatments were established: 2.0 and 200.0 ng/L of amphetamine, 0.5 and 5.0 μg/L of fluoxetine, and 2.3 and 230.0 μg/L of triclosan dissolved in raw Hudson River water. Flow-through, stationary, and cages were submerged directly into the Hudson River as controls. After 18 days of exposure, histological and ICP analyses were conducted on animal and plant tissue. Liver, gills, brain, exoskeleton, and mussels of the crayfish demonstrated extensive damage in both experimental groups and the cage controls such as vacuolization in the liver, thinning of epithelial lining in gills, and brain inflamation and neural fragmentation. Root, petiole, and leaf blade of P. virginica demonstrated vacuolization within experimental tissue. ICP analysis demonstrated statistically significant changes in calcium levels of exposed crayfish. Lack of available methods to remove PPCP from the wastewater raises concern about the impact on environmental health.

Student: Joseph GiancasproResearch Institution: Iona CollegeLead Student Home Institution: Iona CollegeLead Student Home State: New YorkFaculty Advisor: Sunghee LeeDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: The Ubiquitous Drug: Caffeine’s Effect on a Cell Membrane Model Under Electrophysiological ObservationFunding Agency: National Science Foundation | Macromolec/Supramolec/NanoGrant #: 1609135Display Area: 38

Abstract: Many biological processes are mediated by the cell membrane and membrane-embedded proteins. A wide variety of drugs are known to interact with membrane receptors, and drug interaction will depend on membrane structure and dynamics. The drug-induced perturbation of the integrity of the cell membrane is expected to influence membrane protein conformation and therefore the functioning of embedded proteins with resultant changes in their biological function. In this study, we have developed a reliable electrophysiological method to determine caffeine-induced changes in membrane thickness, an important parameter for adequate protein function. Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive drugs in the world and often used as an additive to enhance the therapeutic benefit of other pharmaceuticals. In particular, we monitored the effect of caffeine exposure upon the specific electrical capacitance of model cell membranes with varying composition. Since specific capacitance is inversely related to thickness of the hydrocarbon region of a lipid bilayer, an essential structural component of the membrane, capacitance studies infer the configuration of the bilayer. Our electrophysiological observation of a model cell membrane enabled reliable and simultaneous determination of membrane area and capacitance. The findings suggest that there are significant changes in membrane thickness depending on caffeine concentration. The development of our system is believed to have implications for obtaining detailed knowledge regarding how cell membrane can be perturbed in the presence of caffeine, the ubiquitous drug, and that this modulation may further influence function of proteins.

NEW

YORK


North Carolina

Student: Lindsey JordanResearch Institution: Elon UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Elon UniversityLead Student Home State: North CarolinaFaculty Advisor: Rebecca Todd PetersDivision: Social SciencesPoster Title: The Poor People’s Campaign and the Leadership of the PoorFunding Agency: Elon UniversityDisplay Area: 39

Abstract: Historically, the most successful social movements have been led by those most affected by the problems they are working to resolve. However, the impact of this democratization of power in movements that acknowledge the agency of the poor in abolishing poverty has been virtually ignored by scholarship. In 2018, the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival is seeking to revive the work of Martin Luther King Jr.’s final campaign in 1968. Although King’s assassination obstructed the work of the original campaign, King’s vision to identify and develop the leadership of poor people is recognized still today. The Poor People’s Campaign of 2018 roots itself in the empowerment, mobilization, and leadership of the poor as a social class and provides a cogent example of a shared power model of leadership that counters dominant hierarchical models of leadership. Through a multiyear ethnographic study, this project documents and examines the new Poor People’s Campaign in its inaugural year. Interviews and extended participant-observation research during the campaign provide insight into the efficacy and possibilities of a shared power model of leadership that champions the agency and expertise of poor and marginalized communities. This research fills a significant gap in the current social movement literature and provides unique insight into an understudied model of poverty alleviation and social change.

North Dakota

Student: Tess SkinnerResearch Institution: Minot State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Minot State UniversityLead Student Home State: TexasFaculty Advisor: Mikhail BobylevDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: Novel Method of Synthesis of Benzylamine FungicidesFunding Agency: National Institutes of Health | Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) ProgramGrant #: 8 P20 GM103442-12 Display Area: 40

Abstract: More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from serious fungal-related diseases. Collectively, fungi kill more than 1.6 million people annually, which is more than malaria and similar to the tuberculosis death toll. Asymmetrical benzylamines and closely related allylamines comprise one of the most important groups of antifungal medications that include butenafine (Lotrimin Ultra), terbinafine (Lamisil), and naftifine (Exoderil). Fungal infections are also very common in the plant world and cause a significant loss of crop production in any regular year. Sometimes, they result in a catastrophic loss of the entire harvest, which may cause famine and loss of lives for entire nations, like the Great Famine in Ireland of 1845-1852. Symmetrical benzylamines were shown to have a significant antifungal activity against agricultural fungal pathogens and were patented as agricultural fungicides. Symmetrical benzylamines were also patented as industrial fungicides that could be used to protect various materials from destruction by molds. In our lab, a new rapid procedure for the synthesis of substituted monobenzylamines via the Leuckart reaction was developed. The procedure does not use any toxic or expensive reagents or solvents, does not need any catalysts, and produces no waste. In this work, this procedure was successfully tested as a new one-step method for the synthesis of symmetrical N,N-dibenzyl-N-methylamines. The newly developed method could be used for a rapid synthesis of new compounds with antifungal activity and for the large-scale synthesis of drug candidates.

NORTH

DAKOTA


Ohio

Student: Harper WallaceResearch Institution: Denison UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Denison UniversityLead Student Home State: OhioFaculty Advisor: Joseph ReczekDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: Technology Applications of Self-Assembling DACLCs: Information Storage and Encryption TechniquesFunding Agency: Denison University Research FundDisplay Area: 41

Abstract: Liquid crystals have become a central component of modern display technologies, in large part due to their unique and interesting response in the presence of an electric field. However, there has been little research into their potential applications in standalone information storage. Recent work has demonstrated that films of multicomponent donor-acceptor columnar liquid crystals (DACLCs), composed of diaminonaphthalene (DAN) and naphthalenediimide (NDI) aromatics, can be selectively aligned and realigned into columns with exquisite control at the molecular level. This is achieved through a simple process of controlled laser-induced temperature gradient. Importantly, these materials are strongly dichroic, meaning that they can selectively absorb linearly polarized light (LPL) depending on the angle of columnar alignment relative to the applied light source. As a result, films containing multiple regions aligned at different angles will transmit light differently in each of these regions. Here, we demonstrate an application of dichroism in multiregion DACLC films to variable-lifetime, high-density, bit-wise data storage and encryption, as well as a simple, high-fidelity, and low-cost method of data readout.

Oklahoma

Student: Chelsea MillerResearch Institution: Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityLead Student Home State: OklahomaFaculty Advisor: Regina McGraneDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Looking beyond the Leaf: Understanding the Impacts of Motility on Pathogen Colonization of SeedsFunding Agency: SWOSU College of Arts and Sciences and SWOSU Department of Biological SciencesDisplay Area: 42

Abstract: Pseudomonas syringae is a plant pathogen that affects the leaves of agriculturally important plants. Strains of this bacteria are found ubiquitously in the soil and can have devastating effects on the global crop production via yield reductions. Previous studies have reported yield losses from 50 to 100 percent on crops such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, and common bean. P. syringae is known to employ a motility that contributes to plant colonization. Chemicals called biosurfactants are secreted by this pathogen to lubricate surfaces and aid in movement. Little is known about the ability of P. syringae to locate and colonize host plant seeds; the majority of current research focuses on colonization and destruction of leaf tissues. The objective of this work was to evaluate the role of motility and biosurfactant production in seed colonization, which is likely a preliminary step in disease development. We hypothesize that P. syringae moves towards and colonize seeds in soil using biosurfactants. To test this hypothesis, seeds were placed in sand inoculated with P. syringae strains producing or lacking biosurfactant production. Bacterial population sizes were then tracked for 12 hours. Results demonstrated that biosurfactants increase bacterial populations on seeds and therefore enhance movement toward and colonization of seeds. Understanding the impact of P. syringae motility in soil could lead to methods for controlling the pathogens infection of crops. Biosurfactants may be a potential target for decreasing the incidence of disease, which would positively impact the food supply.

OHIO


Oregon

Students: Norma Gowans | Cole MarfiseResearch Institution: University of PortlandLead Student Home Institution: University of PortlandLead Student Home State: OregonFaculty Advisors: Christina Ivler | Heather DillonDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: System Identification of Rover DynamicsFunding Agency: University of Portland and the Army Aviation Development Directorate CenterDisplay Area: 43

Abstract: System Identification is a new area of study that has grown exponentially in the last few years, improving dynamic models used for autonomous vehicles and for virtual simulations. The purpose of this research is to further these advancements and to acquire an accurate model of a rover’s dynamic motion over a frequency range. Having accurate models for these vehicles ensures safety of autonomous cars. Our research develops better prediction of vehicle behavior for better safety of autonomous vehicles. We will be analyzing and comparing the following three model structures to determine which model structure acquires the best model for the given frequency response: Dynamic Bicycle model, Roll-Yaw model, and the Lumped model. In comparing these three model structures it was found that the Dynamic Bicycle model was ideal for modeling tire-to-ground relationships but could not model roll dynamics. The Roll-Yaw model gave the best model fit for all responses and was able to extrapolate models for frequency responses taken at different speeds but was computationally expensive. Finally, the Lumped model gave a highly accurate model but only for frequency responses taken at a specific speed. Each model structure has its advantages and disadvantages for modeling frequency responses that need to be considered when modeling a vehicle.

Pennsylvania

Student: Demetrius LeeResearch Institution: Temple UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Temple UniversityLead Student Home State: PennsylvaniaFaculty Advisor: Debra BangasserDivision: PsychologyPoster Title: Early Life Stress Has Lasting Effects on Development and Sex-Specific Effects on Cognition in RatsFunding Agency: National Science Foundation | Temple University Diamond Research Scholars ProgramGrant #: IOS-1552416Display Area: 44

Abstract: Early life stress (ELS) can increase risk for psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but the mechanisms by which stress leads to disease are unclear. The development of these disorders is influenced by chronic stress throughout the patient’s life, and their presentation is marked by cognitive deficits. To model how multiple stressors affects cognition, we developed a 2-hit model of stress in which rats were exposed to ELS and then chronic stress in adulthood. To induce ELS, we utilized the limited bedding and nesting model, where rat dams have limited access to resources to build a nest during their pups first week of life. Our data reveal stressed moms spent more time nursing their pups and less time on self-care, but their pups still developed at a slower rate. Once the rats reached adulthood, we exposed some to a second hit of stress, in the form of 6 days of a chronic variable stress (CVS) procedure, and then tested possible cognitive deficits via a novel object recognition (NOR) task. The NOR consisted of a rat recognizing an unfamiliar object in a familiar environment. Preliminary data reveal that males, but not females, exposed to the 2-hit model showed evidence of cognitive deficits on NOR. This indicates that there may be sex-specific deficits to cognition as a result of multiple stressors and may help explain why men are more likely than women to suffer from schizophrenia and ADHD.

PENNSYLVANIA


Students: Juliette DiFlumeri | Megan FedorkyResearch Institution: Widener UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Widener UniversityLead Student Home State: PennsylvaniaFaculty Advisor: Sachin PatilDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: Drug Repurposing for Cancer ImmunotherapyDisplay Area: 45

Abstract: The interaction between the PD1 and PDL1 proteins allows cancer cells to be undetected and undeterred by the immune system. Cancer cells over express the PDL1 protein on their exterior surface, and when this protein binds to the PD1 receptor on immune cells, it “deactivates” them. One promising way of preventing this interaction is through the use of drug-like small molecules that can bind to the PD1 receptor and prevent interactions between the two proteins. In the present study, the approved drug database was computationally screened to discover drugs that had the potential to bind to the PD1-PDL1 interaction interface. Several approved drugs that were most likely to impede the PD1-PDL1 interaction have been discovered by us. We tested these drugs by using in vitro AlphaLISA PD1-PDL1 binding assay for potential inhibition of the PD1-PDL1 interaction by individual drug molecules. A total of four out of the 45 molecules tested demonstrated at least 30 percent inhibition of the interaction (~10 percent success rate, which is significant in small molecule inhibitor research). One of these four molecules demonstrated the highest inhibition, ~77 percent. The study is underway to discern if the effectiveness of the inhibition caused by these most active molecules is correlated with their increasing concentration.

Student: Elisia WrightResearch Institution: Allegheny CollegeLead Student Home Institution: Allegheny CollegeLead Student Home State: New JerseyFaculty Advisor: Janyl JumadinovaDivision: Mathematics and Computer SciencesPoster Title: An Intelligent Underwater Robotic Sensing System for Water Quality TestingDisplay Area: 46

Abstract: Water quality testing is important as it can identify possible contaminants in the water. The current methods for water quality testing include using a single sensor to get a random sample for testing each parameter, such as temperature, pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen, among others, separately. In our work, we are designing a sensor unit composed of multiple sensors for water quality testing that are able to collect data simultaneously. We also built an underwater robot that is able to travel to different depth in the water. The sensor unit is waterproofed and is then attached to the underwater robot that will be used to collect more encompassing data from different levels of the water column when sampling water quality in lakes in northwest Pennsylvania, including Lake Erie. The robotic unit with the waterproof sensors will be able to collect data underwater for several hours at a time and transmit it to the analytics software autonomously. The software is to be built with the coordination from the environmental water expert to automate data analysis. The results of this project, including the collected data and its analysis, will be shared with other researchers and be used to help students understand variations in water quality measurements.

PENNSYLVANIA


South Carolina

Student: Claire ChabotResearch Institution: University of South Carolina College of PharmacyLead Student Home Institution: University of South Carolina at ColumbiaLead Student Home State: South CarolinaFaculty Advisor: Douglas PittmanDivision: Health SciencesPoster Title: Fluorescent Localization Studies of the Rad51D Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility GeneFunding Agency: The Magellan Grant | USC Honors College SURF Grant | USC Honors College Senior Thesis Grant | USC Honors College Artist in Residence ProgramDisplay Area: 47

Abstract: Ovarian cancers are the leading cause of death from cancer of the female reproductive system. Approximately 50 percent of ovarian cancers have defects in the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway that is required for the repair of DNA double-stranded breaks. The status of HR genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and the RAD51 family, contributes to ovarian cancer development as well as treatment decisions regarding chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. I have hypothesized that these RAD51D mutations disrupt RAD51D localization since, in the absence of RAD51D from the nucleus, there is expected to be an increase in DNA damage resulting in cell death. Mutations were generated to insert the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) so that fluorescent localization studies of Rad51D could be conducted. The data was then quantified and determined if the protein constructs were localized to the nucleus or the cytoplasm. One long-term goal of this project is to provide insight into how the RAD51D mutation may benefit the 50 percent of ovarian cancer RAD51D-proficient patients and increase their sensitivity to chemotherapy. New insights into HR developed during this project also align with the goals of the Cancer Moonshot 2020 Program. If the mutated regions on the RAD51D protein are required for nuclear localization, they can provide a potential target site to block RAD51D function and sensitize cells to chemotherapeutic agents.

South Dakota

Student: Hope JuntunenResearch Institution: Dakota State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Dakota State UniversityLead Student Home State: South DakotaFaculty Advisor: Michael GaylorDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: Investigating the Interactions between Meteoritic Compounds and Clays Relevant to the Search for Life on Other PlanetsDisplay Area: 48

Abstract: Carbonaceous meteorites are enriched in organic molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are left over from the formation of the solar system. Since then, meteorites have frequently collided with planetary bodies such as Mars and the icy moons Europa and Enceladus, delivering huge quantities of these PAHs to their surfaces where they may interact with catalytic clay mineral surfaces to produce biologically active molecules known as quinones. Quinones are chemical compounds that have been hypothesized to be important geochemical precursors for primitive life processes on other planets because of the central role they play in the metabolic processes of modern-day cells (e.g., cellular respiration and photosynthesis). However, the chemical pathways by which they are synthesized in planetary environments is not well studied. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the rates at which the chemical compound anthracene (a PAH that has been measured in carbonaceous meteorites that have fallen to Earth) was converted to the quinone derivative anthraquinone in the presence of montmorillonite and kaolinite clays over temperature ranges relevant to habitable planetary environments. We found that these clays catalyze the conversion of anthracene to anthraquinone at all temperatures studied and that anthraquinone production does not occur in the absence of these clays or molecular oxygen. These results provide much-needed experimental support for a plausible scenario in which meteorite constituents and clay minerals could interact to produce biologically important quinones on planetary bodies that NASA and other space agencies have identified as habitable.

SOUTH

DAKOTA


Tennessee

Student: Alexander TrippResearch Institution: University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleLead Student Home Institution: The University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleLead Student Home State: TennesseeFaculty Advisor: Richard PacelleDivision: Arts and HumanitiesPoster Title: Modern Chinese Development of Latin AmericaFunding Agency: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Office of Undergraduate ResearchDisplay Area: 49

Abstract: China, a rising global hegemon, has become increasingly interested in close economic and political relations with Latin America since the turn of the century. These relationships have been centered around two traits, foreign direct investment (FDI) and the export of raw materials. China has fully invested itself into the region in order to develop and maintain the production of certain goods necessary for upkeep of its massive population and industrializing economy. I test the significance of four prominent raw materials in Chinese trade with Latin America to determine their impact on Chinese FDI. Using this method, I gather and gauge the strength of Chinese relations with certain Latin American countries, explaining the specific features of China’s greatest partners in the region, as well as nations with lesser, though more unique, relationships, and finally some nations with no relations (or recognition) of the Chinese superpower whatsoever. My findings explicate the massive significance of Chinese investment into the region, hinting at what these relations could mean for the future of the region and whether or not Chinese investment is as beneficial as it seems.

Texas

Student: Emily ChurchmanResearch Institution: The Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Texas Lutheran UniversityLead Student Home State: TexasFaculty Advisors: Toni Sauncy | Sherry YennelloDivision: Physics and AstronomyPoster Title: Characterization of ParTI Phoswiches Using Charged Pion BeamsFunding Agency: National Science FoundationGrant #: PHY - 1659847Display Area: 50

Abstract: The Partial Truncated Icosahedron (ParTI) detector array consists of 15 phoswiches. Each phoswich is made of two scintillating components—a thallium-doped cesium iodide (CsI(Tl)) crystal and an EJ-212 scintillating plastic—coupled to a photomultiplier tube. Both materials have different florescent times and are sensitive to charged and neutral particles. The type of particle and amount of energy deposited determine the shape of the scintillation pulse as a function of time. By integrating the fast and slow signals of the scintillation pulses, a “Fast vs. Slow Integration” plot can be created that produces particle identification lines based on the energy deposited in the scintillating materials. Four of these phoswiches were taken to the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland where proton and positive, negative, and neutral beams were scattered onto the phoswiches to demonstrate their particle identification (PID) capabilities. Using digitizers to record the detector response waveforms, pions can also be identified by the characteristic decay pulse of the muon they produce when they decay.

TENNESSEE


Utah

Student: Andrew WaltersResearch Institution: Utah State UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Utah State UniveristyLead Student Home State: UtahFaculty Advisors: Alexa Sand | Charles Miller | Lance SeefeldtDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: Characterization and Genetic Engineering of Bacteria for the Production of Fixed Nitrogen Fertilizers on MarsFunding Agency: NASA | USTAR/Industry PartnershipsGrant #: NNX17AJ31GDisplay Area: 51

Abstract: The ability to sustain a human colony on Mars hinges on the ability to maintain life support using planetary resources. One critical part of life support is the production of food. Agriculture on Mars is difficult due to harsh atmospheric conditions and barren soils. This project aims to identify, characterize, and genetically engineer bacteria that can produce fixed nitrogen under these strenuous conditions. We identified a strain of purple non-sulfur bacteria, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, which can produce fixed nitrogen (ammonia) from atmospheric nitrogen gas using energy from sunlight and carbon from wastewater. Additionally, we were able to verify the hardiness of these bacteria by growing them on toxic petrochemical wastewater. Currently, we are sequencing the genome of this strain using the Oxford Nanopore MinION. Additionally, we are working to genetically engineer the strain to produce a green fluorescent reporter protein. Successfully creating this strain is the first step in our future goal of using this strain to produce fixed nitrogen fertilizers for Mars. Our future steps will include improving production of ammonia from nitrogen gas under strenuous conditions, followed by the transport of fixed nitrogen out of the cell into the growth media by further genetically engineering this strain. This ammonia-rich liquid would then be applied to plants grown in a greenhouse setting to observe if the fertilizer improves the growth of the plants. Beyond applications on Mars, this biological technology could be used to naturally produce fertilizers for agricultural operations on Earth.

Vermont

Student: Dillon ZitesResearch Institution: Norwich UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Norwich UniversityLead Student Home State: TennesseeFaculty Advisor: Thomas ShellDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: Use of Light-Activated Vitamin B12 Derivatives for Improved Treatment of CancerFunding Agency: Vermont Genetics Network | Norwich University Undergraduate ResearchGrant #: P20GM103449Display Area: 52

Abstract: More than 1.5 million cases of cancer are diagnosed per year resulting in more than half a million deaths in the United States. Most chemotherapy drugs cause off-target drug interactions resulting in harmful side effects. Therefore, localized treatment of cancerous cells is vitally important for improving the treatment of the disease. The concept of photopharmaceutical therapy (PPT) has been a topic of research for decades due to its potential for localized treatment of cancerous tissue. The challenge has been developing compounds that release active drugs when illuminated with specific light wavelengths that are capable of penetrating tissue deeply. Effective PPT compounds must be activated by light wavelengths within what is referred to as the optical window of tissue (600 – 900 nm). We have developed Vitamin B12 derivatives that result in inactivation of chemotherapy drugs until the molecule is exposed to appropriate light wavelengths that effectively penetrate tissue. Illumination of the molecule causes the release of the active anticancer drug allowing it to have normal biological effects. The Vitamin B12 derivatives target cancerous cells for treatment because of the increased requirement of vitamins by these rapidly dividing cells. A variety of Vitamin B12-drug molecules were developed that cause death to cancer cells when exposed to light. These PPT molecules have the potential to improve the treatment of cancer by reducing off-target drug interactions minimizing side effects and allowing the administration of more potent drugs due to the ability to target the drug activity to cancerous tissue.

VERMONT


Virginia

Students: Victoria Reese | McKinley SaundersResearch Institution: College of William and MaryLead Student Home Institution: College of William and MaryLead Student Home State: VirginiaFaculty Advisor: Jennifer MellorDivision: Social SciencesPoster Title: Food Deserts and Obesity and Malnutrition Hospitalizations in VirginiaDisplay Area: 53

Abstract: Our study focuses on the relationship between food access and hospitalizations for three type of food-related health conditions: malnutrition, obesity, and obesity-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In particular, we focus on food deserts, which are areas categorized by low access to healthy and affordable food. The body of literature surrounding food access suggests food deserts contribute to social and spatial disparities in diet-related health outcomes. We utilized 2016 hospitalization inpatient discharge data from Virginia Health Information (VHI). Individual discharges were identified using ICD-10 codes related to obesity, malnutrition, and OSA obtained from similar studies. The preliminary analysis indicates that the variation in the percentage of the county population residing in a food desert is not independently linked to the rate of hospitalizations for obesity without OSA or the rate of hospitalizations for malnutrition. Ordinary least squares regression (OLS) revealed as the share of the county population living in a food desert increases by 10 percentage points, the mean hospitalization rate for obesity with OSA will increase by 13.8 hospitalizations, or 4.26 percent, on average. Future analysis will improve the identification strategy of the causal effects of food deserts on obesity, malnutrition, and OSA hospitalizations by using instrumental variable (IV) regression analysis to correct for the endogeneity of food environments. Additionally, we will expand the set of explanatory variables to account for recreation and fitness centers and additional variation in food access.

Student: Jackie ZhuResearch Institution: Virginia Commonwealth UniversityLead Student Home Institution: Virginia Commonwealth UniversityLead Student Home State: VirginiaFaculty Advisor: Laxmikant DeshpandeDivision: Health SciencesPoster Title: Ketamine as a Potent Antidepressant Therapy for Gulf War IllnessFunding Agency: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health AffairsGrant #: W81XWH-17-1-0573Display Area: 54

Abstract: Gulf War Illness, a chronic health condition, afflicts around 30 percent of the First Gulf War Veterans. Chronic exposure to organophosphate pesticides and accidental exposure to nerve gas sarin are thought to underlie Gulf War Illness. Now, 25-years since the War ended, there are no effective therapies for depression in Gulf War veterans. There are alarming reports that veterans are self-medicating with Ketamine following anecdotal evidence that it produces a rapid antidepressant effect. This is dangerous; we owe it to veterans to systematically evaluate Ketamine. In this study, we investigated whether Ketamine could be an antidepressant in a rat model of Gulf War Illness. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to DFP (0.5 mg/kg sc, 5-d) and 6-m later assessed using the Forced Swim Test. DFP-exposed rats exhibited a significantly higher immobility time compared to age-matched controls. Gulf War Illness rats treated with Ketamine (5 and 10 mg/kg, ip) produced a dose-dependent decrease in immobility time when tested at 1-h; these effect sustained at 24-h post Ketamine injection when Ketamine should have been eliminated from the brain. Ketamine is a racemic mixture consisting of R and S stereoisomers in equal parts. Both R-Ketamine and S-Ketamine (5 and 10 mg/kg, ip) produced acute antidepressant effects also observed at 24-h. R-Ketamine appeared to be more potent antidepressant than S-Ketamine. Our evidence shows that Ketamine therapy could provide an important alternative for GWI depression.

VIRGINIA


Student: Anna FordResearch Institution: Roanoke CollegeLead Student Home Institution: Roanoke CollegeLead Student Home State: VirginiaFaculty Advisors: Stella Xu | Whitney LeesonDivision: Social SciencesPoster Title: South Koreans’ Perceptions of North Koreans’ Living in South Korean Society and Their Comparison to Modern FilmFunding Agency: ASIANetwork Student FellowshipDisplay Area: 55

Abstract: Recent events in East Asia have made headlines around the world, many focusing on the current possibility of North Korea’s denuclearization. Over the years, South Korean popular culture has offered insight as to how the country views its northern neighbor. This is an exploratory approach to understanding how South Koreans view North Koreans living in South Korea and how these views are reflected or portrayed in recent films. This understanding could lead to valuable cultural and political information on the relations between the two countries and what course of action seems most viable for a more cooperative future. By examining recent films released in South Korea that depicted North Koreans, a general theme emerges: a representation of North Koreans as male spies capable of honor and fear like their South Korean counterparts. This popular image of North Korean spies permeates media, and interesting parallels could be drawn after meeting and speaking with many North and South Koreans about their opinions. Most research conducted in South Korea involved meeting with students, professors, NGO leaders, and government officials and hearing about their personal experiences with this topic. Through interviews, information sessions, and survey distribution, a trend was discovered that many South Koreans are unaware of North Koreans living in close proximity to them and that the spy depiction in film is not far off from what they perceive as reality. Moving forward, more research will be done on the implications of these films and what they mean for future Korean relations.

Student: Katherine PolkResearch Institution: George Mason UniversityLead Student Home Institution: George Mason UniversityLead Student Home State: MarylandFaculty Advisor: Monique van HoekDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Optimization of Bacterial Transformation Processes to Determine Antibacterial Effects of FisTS Toxin-Antitoxin SystemFunding Agency: GMU Research Semester ProgramDisplay Area: 56

Abstract: Francisella (F.) tularensis is a Tier 1, Category A biothreat agent that causes tularemia. Due to the highly infectious nature of this pathogenic bacteria, finding new antibacterial approaches is a priority. Toxin-antitoxin systems of pathogenic bacteria, such as F. tularensis, are considered a possible source of innovative antibacterial approaches. Through bioinformatic analysis of Francisella, FisTS was identified as a novel toxin-antitoxin system to be investigated further. Investigating the ability of FisT to inhibit bacterial growth involves building a plasmid that encodes FisT, optimizing bacterial transformation procedures, successfully transforming bacteria, and then determining the effects the toxin on growth. Inducible plasmids pAB1 and PSLC-242 encoding for FisT will be created. Heat shock and electroporation transformation procedures for Burkholderia thailandensis E264, Escherichia coli K12, Pseudomonas aeruginosa pa01, Bacillus anthracis Sterne strain, and Francisella novicida U112 will be optimized. Multiple bacteria are being transformed to determine the antibacterial potential of FisT against Francisella as well as other pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria will then be transformed by optimized transformation process with the inducible plasmids containing FisT. Successful transformation will be determined by ability to grow on ampicillin and chloramphenicol plates respectively for pAB1 and PSLC-242. Plasmid will then be induced to express FisT and effects of the toxin on the growth of bacteria will be observed. Determining the potential of FisT as a novel antibacterial approach is crucial for combating the deadly pathogen F. tularensis.

VIRGINIA


Washington

Student: Hugo PontesResearch Institution: University of Washington, SeattleLead Student Home Institution: University of Washington, SeattleLead Student Home State: WashingtonFaculty Advisor: Elizabeth NanceDivision: EngineeringPoster Title: High Throughput Multiple Particle Tracking as a Tool to Characterize the Diseased Brain MicroenvironmentFunding Agency: Washington Research FoundationDisplay Area: 57

Abstract: As the global burden of neurological disease continues to grow each year, there exists a need for drug delivery vehicles that can overcome barriers specific to the brain. Included in this is the ability to navigate the heterogeneous extracellular spaces of the brain microenvironment. The development of novel platforms that can effectively overcome this barrier is held back by an ongoing lack of understanding of the precise interplay between brain structure and nanoparticle behavior. Additionally, there’s a shortage of technologies that are sensitive enough to identify minor changes in tissue structure. By applying a combined approach of multiple particle tracking (MPT) and statistical analysis using Python-based software packages, we will develop a tool that can monitor changes in tissue structure as they occur in real time, while also evaluating the corresponding effects these changes have on nanoparticle diffusion. We will focus on perineuronal nets (PNNs), a type of extracellular matrix (ECM) structure that wraps around neurons in the brain. We will enzymatically degrade PNNs in organotypic rat brain slices and analyze the changes in nanoparticle diffusion and protein-nanoparticle interactions. We expect significant differences in nanoparticle diffusive ability to exist when PNNs are intact, partially or fully degraded, which will correlate with the changes in protein expression and immunohistochemistry images. These results will serve as a new technology to detect changes in ECM structure and provide new insights into the pathology-dependent microenvironment of the brain, allowing for the development of more effective nanoparticle-based therapeutics.

West Virginia

Students: Caroline Leadmon | Jessi TyoResearch Institution: West Virginia UniversityLead Student Home Institution: West Virginia UniversityLead Student Home State: West VirginiaFaculty Advisor: Daniel PanaccioneDivision: BiologyPoster Title: Production of Pharmaceutically and Agriculturally Important Ergot Alkaloids by the Fungus Metarhizium brunneum and Their Significance in Insect PathogenesisFunding Agency: NIH NIGMS | West Virginia University Summer Undergraduate Research Experience Program StipendGrant #: 2R15GM114774-02Display Area: 58

Abstract: Ergot alkaloids impact humankind as potent pharmaceuticals and as agricultural contaminants. Our data show that the fungus Metarhizium brunneum is a novel source of lysergic acid-derived ergot alkaloids. Since M. brunneum grows on plant roots and in insects, it was cultured on roots of corn, inside insects, and on different culture media. No alkaloids accumulated in infected corn, moderate quantities accumulated in culture media, and abundant ergot alkaloids accumulated in the insect Galleria mellonella. Metarhizium brunneum produced amides of lysergic acid that are pharmaceutically relevant but rarely found in fungi and also was unique in secreting ergot alkaloids into growth media rather than retaining them, possibly facilitating future production of pharmaceuticals. In functional analyses, we investigated an uncharacterized gene, easO, in the ergot alkaloid pathway of M. brunneum to learn its biochemical function and to test the role of ergot alkaloids in insect pathogenesis. Knocking out easO revealed its role in steps between the pharmaceutically important ergot alkaloid ergonovine and the M. brunneum pathway end product lysergic acid alpha-hydroxyethylamide (LAH). Ergonovine-accumulating easO knockout strains killed larvae faster than the LAH-accumulating wild type; however, the easO knockout fungus rarely emerged from dead larvae, whereas the wild-type fungus sporulated profusely on larval cadavers. These data indicate that we can modify the ergot alkaloid pathway of M. brunneum and that ergot alkaloids play a major role in the interaction of M. brunneum with insects.

WASHINGTON


Wisconsin

Student: Sarah PhilippiResearch Institution: University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeLead Student Home Institution: University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeLead Student Home State: WisconsinFaculty Advisor: Karyn FrickDivision: PsychologyPoster Title: The Role of APOE Genotype, Sex, and 17ß-Estradiol on Memory Consolidation in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s DiseaseFunding Agency: Alzheimer’s Association: Sex and Gender in Alzheimer’s (SAGA) | Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) Grants|Senior Excellence in Research Award (SERA)Grant #: SAGA-17-419092Display Area: 59

Abstract: An estimated 50 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The APOE genotype is its leading genetic risk factor, and women APOE4 carriers are more likely than women without APOE4 and men of any APOE genotype to develop AD. APOE4 status, combined with estrogen loss after menopause, places women at greatest risk of developing AD. Our lab and others have previously shown that the potent estrogen 17ß-estradiol (E2) enhances memory in female mice. However, the interactions among APOE genotype, sex, and E2 are not well characterized. To examine these effects, male and female mice expressing 5 familial AD mutations (5xFAD-Tg) and human APOE3 (E3FAD) or APOE4 (E4FAD) were trained on object recognition (OR) and object placement (OP). Later, female E3FAD and E4FAD mice were again tested on OP and OR but also received a post-training infusion of E2 in the dorsal hippocampus. Overall, E3FAD males were the only group to exhibit intact memory during OP and OR, but female E3FAD mice receiving E2 did have restored memory during the tasks. Our research, therefore, provides novel insights as to the role of estrogen on memory consolidation in a mouse model of AD. Ongoing studies will better characterize the effects of APOE genotype, sex, and E2 treatment on hippocampal cell signaling and dendritic morphology to better understand the molecular mechanisms of AD.

Wyoming

Student: Rachel TenneyResearch Institution: University of WyomingLead Student Home Institution: University of WyomingLead Student Home State: WyomingFaculty Advisor: Elliott HulleyDivision: ChemistryPoster Title: New Approaches to Hydrocarbon Feedstock Conversion: Bifunctional Pd Complexes for Tunable Heterolytic C-H ActivationFunding Agency: National Science Foundation | Wyoming Research Scholars ProgramGrant #: CHE-1358498Display Area: 60

Abstract: C-H activation, the process of breaking the bond between a carbon and hydrogen in an organic compound, is an important reaction in the conversion of petroleum feedstocks. Our laboratory is synthesizing and studying different platforms for C-H activation that are designed to tune and control hydrocarbon functionalization. In particular, three different platforms have been developed that (1) tune the favorability of C-H activation and (2) shed light on the importance of electrophilicity on polarizing C-H bonds toward cleavage. Thus far, we have been able to establish that hydrogen atoms are rendered incredibly acidic upon coordination to Pd(II) and are incredibly susceptible to attack by even weak bases. Results from the latest synthetic and catalytic studies designed to exploit this type of thermodynamic control will be reported.

WYOMING

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