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Fall 2022 Student Scholar Symposium

Poster Session 2 - 12:30-2:00PM



Abstract Volume and Quick Reference Guide

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Art
 
  1. A Wishing Well for a Water Well: An exploration of water-related issues in Desert X
    Presenter(s): Chelsea Farinaro 
    Advisor(s): Micol Hebron
At the intersection of art and landscape, you will find yourself in the heart of the Coachella Valley at Desert X. Being the first free, publicly accessible, and cross-cultural event in the Palm Springs region, Desert X is a biennial exhibition that highlights large-scale installations and its site-specificity to the desert landscape. Founder and President Susan Davis explains that the show started in Palm Springs because that is where she resides. She wanted to invite a particular audience to view the show: one that is willing to make that trek across the desert. A majority of the residents of Palm Springs are older, more than likely retired, and have a great interest in purchasing art. Inviting these citizens allows for a forced retrospect for pieces concerning social issues because these wealthier residents may be unaware of the bigger issues at hand as they are not being directly affected. There is a variety of topics covered across these pieces including water-related issues. The lack of accessibility to clean water is known as the Water Crisis. Not being able to have safe drinking water is becoming more and more prevalent as our global climate continues to spiral. As water is a crucial resource for life on earth, hinders the physical health and livelihood of communities with lacking water access. In exploring the effects of the Water Crisis and art in Desert X that comments on those effects, I aim to analyze the similarities and polarities between the different communities that struggle to gain access to clean water from countries in Africa such as Ghana to The United States, specifically the Coachella Valley where Desert X is held biennially.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
 
  1. A Tight Squeeze: Resistive Pulse Analysis of Microgel Translocation Through Nanopores
    Presenter(s): Elif Narbay, Anne Marie Santich 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Andrew Lyon
Microgels are micron-sized polymer networks applicable to drug delivery, microreactors, and even the fabrication of artificial muscle. In our group, microgels for application as artificial platelets are of particular interest given their potential for clinical application in trauma settings. Ultra-low crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels, also known as ULC microgels, are the softest of the colloids as they are ultimately composed of >99% water due to their low degree of cross-linking, with network connectivity arising only from rare chain transfer reactions during synthesis. As artificial platelets, this softness permits significant spreading within a fibrin clot. Furthermore, microgel softness is a critical parameter in dictating fate in vivo. Thus, the ability to make precise measurements of microgel modulus is important in understanding their behaviors in regenerative medicine applications. We present the measurement of microgel translocation through nanopores via tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) as a new method for measuring colloidal mechanics. Previously we have used porous membranes, glass nanopores, and most recently, elastomeric pores in similar studies. Here we present the results of the first controlled TRPS studies of ULC translocation as a function of microgel/pore size ratio. Detailed analysis of TRPS permits insight into the translocation mechanism with respect to "draining" and "non-draining" behavior. Future studies will aim at a quantitative description of TRPS data in terms of microgel viscoelasticity.
 
  1. Evaluating the role of UHRF1/VIM differential gene expression in pomegranate juice extract and caffeine-treated metastatic pancreatic cancer cells via qRT-PCR analysis and Western blot
    Presenter(s): Angelina Sorensen 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Marco Bisoffi
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to detect in early stages due to its asymptomatic nature. If there were established differential genetic components to distinguish between stages of pancreatic cancer, it may enable earlier detection of the primary tumor, promoting earlier intervention and improved survival rates. In order to analyze differential gene expression, variations in a cell’s transcriptome must first be analyzed since mRNA transcripts often correspond to overall expression of a particular gene. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is a technique that uses highly automated sequencing methods to provide insight into a cell’s transcriptome by quantifying mRNA transcript readouts. Earlier in this experiment, differential gene expression of the UHRF1 gene was studied in human COLO 357 cells derived from metastasis of pancreatic cancer. RNA-seq analysis was conducted in COLO 357 cells following treatment with a mixture of 75 ug/mL pomegranate extract (PE) and 1.27 mg/mL caffeine and in untreated COLO 357 cells. The result of the original RNA-seq analysis of differential UHRF1 expression was that following the PE/caffeine treatment, UHRF1 expression was downregulated by a factor of 6.53-fold. Evaluation of this proposed downregulation by qRT-PCR analysis revealed that metastatic COLO 357 expression of UHRF1 decreases following combined treatment of PE and caffeine. Following these experiments, VIM arose as an additional gene of interest. Currently, qRT-PCR analysis is being done to analyze differential UHRF1 expression alongside VIM expression in the treated COLO cells. After the differential expression of these genes is described in terms of mRNA levels, the experiment will continue to investigate the expression of these two genes concurrently at the protein level by conducting a Western blot.

Biological Sciences
 
  1. The Neurogenomic Effects of Rapid Changes to the Social Environment
    Presenter(s): Madeleine Chang 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Patricia  Lopes
The social environment impacts the physiology of humans as well as animals, leading to important health implications. How social stimuli are processed and the speed at which they change gene expression within the brain is not fully understood, though. In this study, male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), who were previously housed with a mate, were subjected to one of four social environments to examine how rapid changes to the social environment impact brain transcriptomic responses. After two and a half hours the brains were collected and RNA from the three regions of interest - the hypothalamus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and nucleus taeniae – was extracted. These regions were studied as they all play an important role in the brain's social decision-making and reward systems. The BSNT had the largest number of genes differentially expressed in response to rapid changes in the social environment. The BNST may have experienced the greatest impact as it serves as a link between the social behavior network and mesolimbic reward system: the two brain networks involved in behavioral decision-making. Further analyses of the most significant differentially expressed genes are ongoing and will be further discussed in the presentation.
 
  1. The Effect of Chronic Stress on Gene Expression in the Hippocampus
    Presenter(s): Delilah Schuerman 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Patricia  Lopes
When organisms are exposed to stressors for a prolonged period, the body can enter a state of chronic stress, with detrimental consequences. One of the physiological responses to stress consists of increased production of glucocorticoids. The hippocampus is densely concentrated with glucocorticoid receptors and is highly susceptible to stress. In this study, male and female Japanese quail were chronically (6 weeks) exposed to the main avian glucocorticoid (corticosterone), in order to examine sex differences in the effects of chronic exposure to this hormone on transcriptomic responses in the hippocampus. After six weeks of continuous corticosterone exposure, brains were collected and hippocampal RNA was extracted and sequenced. There were 113 differentially expressed genes identified in females and 64 in males, with only 5 genes overlapping between the sexes. The results indicate that chronic exposure to corticosterone leads to a larger number of differentially expressed genes in females than in males. Genes differentially expressed in females suggest a restructuring of the hippocampus and a disruption of memory formation ability. Analyses of the most significant differentially expressed genes are ongoing and will be discussed during the presentation.

Business
 
  1. Data Analytics for Marketing and Accounting in Horse Auctions
    Presenter(s): Khushi Patel 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Cristina  Nistor
This research project focuses on using data analysis methods with accounting, finance and marketing applications in a new empirical setting. I aim to uncover new empirical knowledge as well as create and maintain a novel dataset to be used for further research in future projects.  I used several sources of data to design a dataset structure for 10 years of a large US based industry. My main focus is the Texas area for Thoroughbred Horse Industry auctions. My project includes a detailed analysis of price changes over time as well as a snapshot of the Covid disruption for this industry.



Chemistry
 
  1. Counterion Effects in Calcium-Mediated Sulfur-Fluorine Exchange
    Presenter(s): Michael Bertagna 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Maduka Ogba
Calcium ions, bound to weakly coordinating anions (e.g., bistriflimide or triflate ions), have gained significant utility within the last two decades as catalysts for facilitating challenging chemical reactions. This is particularly exciting because calcium, unlike the transition metals typically used as catalysts, is cheap, abundant, and non-toxic. Despite these obvious advantages, calcium catalysis is in its infancy - little is known about the mode in which calcium salts activate substrates in chemical reactions. Recent experimental work has shown that calcium bistriflimide salts activate sulfur(VI) fluorides in a sulfur(VI)-fluorine exchange (SuFEx) toward nitrogen-containing sulfur(VI) compounds of medicinal relevance. A closer look at the experimental data show that switching the anion from bistriflimide to triflate results in dramatic yield losses, indicating that the counterion plays a crucial role in facilitating the chemical process, beyond being weakly coordinating. In this work, density functional theory methods were used to compute and compare the SuFEx mechanism mediated by calcium triflate to that mediated by calcium bistriflimide. Structural, energetic, and electronic insights from computations that explain the origins of the counterion-induced reactivity differences between calcium bistriflimide and calcium triflate will be presented.

Communication Sciences and Disorders
 
  1. Applying a Filter Reduces Local Interface Within the Neurodiverse Population
    Presenter(s): Kevan  Parang 
    Advisor(s): Dr. LouAnne Boyd
Persons on the Neurodiverse spectrum may have trouble with local interference while trying to understand sensory items, like within vision. Local Interference is when the brain processes local details before getting the “larger picture” or Global Interference. We used an Eye Link Eye tracker to the eyes of 7 participants (N=7). We applied a paradigm for the eye tracker to follow, consisting of 400 images, including filtered and unfiltered versions. We concluded that the filter helps focus and reduce interference and helps all types of groups in semantic and nonsemantic contexts understand an image's global context. A survey was conducted, and 4/7 participants used keywords that included the words “increasing focus,” “highlighting a part of the image,” or “shifting attention to a part of the image.” We concluded that there is an 86.475% increase in the chances that a fixation will last at a longer duration is in a hotspot for a filtered image.



Communication Studies
 
  1. "I Wish Someone Told Me It Would Be Draining in Every Way”: Messages that Family Caregivers Wished They Received Before Taking on the Role
    Presenter(s): Sawyer Kelly 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Hannah Ball
This study explores messages that family caregivers of older adult parents wished they had received in preparation to take on this caregiving role. With approximately 53 million Americans currently providing informal care to a loved one (NAC/AARP, 2020), this role is a common one. Yet, most family caregivers report receiving no formal training (Cambia Health Solutions, 2020) as well as dissatisfaction with available informational and emotional support (Wang et al., 2018) – all of which contribute to lessened perceptions of preparedness. In turn, lack of preparedness negatively impacts the caregivers’ and their care recipients’ physical and psychological health (Araújo et al., 2015). Given that absent messages (i.e., messages that individuals desire but did not receive that can be used to guide identity and behavior) can impart equally powerful behavioral and self-conceptual effects as the presence of guiding messages (Rubinsky & Cooke-Jackson, 2021), we explored absent messages about the family caregiving role. Current family caregivers of an older adult parent 60 years of age or older (N = 193) were recruited via purposive sampling using a Qualtrics panel. Participants completed an open-ended survey question about what conversation, dialogue, or information they would have liked to receive about being a family caregiver but did not (i.e., absent message). Responses were analyzed using Tracy’s (2019) iterative analysis, resulting in five major themes for caregivers’ desired messages about family caregiving: (a) practical information for performing caregiving tasks, (b) practical information for self-care, support, and managing stress, (c) patience and positivity, (d) negative effects of the family caregiver role, and (e) difficulty of being a family caregiver. Additionally, some participants indicated they did not desire additional dialogue prior to taking on the caregiving role (i.e., “no message"). Results yield constructive messages that may aid in caregiver socialization and increasing perceptions of preparedness.
 
  1. Romantic Media Effects on Women
    Presenter(s): Jane  O'Connor, Ella  Kodjababian, Grace  Orlando, Eva  Simpao, Jessie  Carroll
    Advisor(s): Dr. Rebecca  Forster
This study examines the effects of watching romantic narratives via reality television and fictional films. Specifically, we are focusing on the effects that these media outlets have on women’s desire for their own relationship as well as their level of sadness after exposure to an onscreen relationship. The importance of this study contributes to the understanding of women’s perspectives of relationships and how different types of media forms will lead to different types of perceptions. Our study aims to demonstrate that exposure to onscreen romantic relationships can lead the viewer to see what they are missing in their own life. For this study, we have two hypotheses to test. The first hypothesis states that women are more likely to feel a desire for a real life relationship after exposure to a media depiction of a romantic relationship in a fictional romantic narrative than in a nonfictional romantic narrative (reality television). The second hypothesis states that women are more likely to feel sadness after exposure to a media depiction of a romantic relationship in a fictional romantic narrative than in a nonfictional romantic narrative (reality television). For the methodology of the study, the participants (college aged women) will be split into three groups, exposing them to either a movie clip, reality television clip, or no clip at all. After viewing a video clip of a marriage proposal (or not), participants will complete a short survey measuring levels of sadness, desire for a real life relationship, and relationship satisfaction.
 
  1. Romantic Parasocial Relationships: Seeing Celebrities' Partners as Rivals
    Presenter(s): Megan Forrester, Dara  Baren, Bella Maher, Michelle Ramos, Jade Buchanan-Moh
    Advisor(s): Dr. Rebecca  Forster
A celebrity crush, also described as a parasocial romantic relationship (PSRR), is a one-sided romantic relationship where a media user has strong feelings for a celebrity or someone in the media while the celebrity is completely unaware of the other's existence. But, when someone's celebrity crush becomes romantically involved with someone else in real life, that romantic partner is described as the parasocial rival. Thus, the goal of this study is to determine whether being exposed to someone's celebrity crush and their rival negatively affects perception and feelings toward their celebrity crush and parasocial rival. We hypothesize that exposure to one's celebrity crush being in a romantic relationship evokes negative feelings toward the parasocial rival. We also hypothesize that exposure to one's celebrity crush being in a romantic relationship negatively affects perception and feelings toward the celebrity crush. Data will be gathered via an online experiment. The research begins with randomly assigning participants to a number of conditions regarding their feelings towards their PSRR. The two conditions consist of being exposed to a fake tabloid of a celebrity romantic relationship or not being exposed at all, which will measure whether people's feelings toward their celebrity crush and their new romantic partner will change.


Computer Science
 
  1. Utilizing Inverse Design to Create Plasmonic Waveguide Devices
    Presenter(s): Michael  Efseaff, Kyle Wynne
    Advisor(s): Dr. Mark Harrison
In modern communications networks, data is transmitted over long distances using optical fibers. At nodes in the network, the data is converted to an electrical signal to be processed, and then converted back into an optical signal to be sent over fiber optics. This process results in higher power consumption and adds to transmission time. However, by processing the data optically, we can begin to alleviate these issues and surpass systems that rely on electronics. One promising approach for this is plasmonic devices. Plasmonic waveguide devices have smaller footprints than silicon photonics for more compact photonic integrated circuits, although they typically suffer from having higher loss than silicon photonic devices. Inverse design software can be used to optimize the plasmonic device topology to maximize the device throughput, mitigating the inherent loss of plasmonics. Additionally, inverse design tools can help us make plasmonic devices with an even smaller footprint and higher efficiency than conventionally designed plasmonic devices. Recently, commercial inverse design tools have become available for popular photonic simulation software suites. Using these commercial inverse design tools with a compatible plasmonic architecture, we create compact, efficient, and manufacturable devices such as grating couplers, y-splitters, and waveguide crossings. We compare the inverse-designed devices to conventional devices in order to characterize the performance of the commercial inverse design tool. We found the inverse-designed grating coupler, y-splitter, and waveguide crossing all had a smaller insertion losses and much smaller overall footprints, with about a 50-60% area reduction for all the devices. Therefore, we have demonstrated that inverse-designed plasmonic devices are smaller and more efficient than conventionally designed devices.

Environmental Science and Policy
 
  1. Towards a Metabolomic Approach for Understanding Organic Electron Acceptors in Northern Peatland Soils
    Presenter(s): Alex Joseph 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Jason Keller, Dr.  Cassandra  Zalman
Peatlands serve as key regulators of the climate by acting as both carbon dioxide sinks and methane sources at the global scale. A mechanistic understanding of microbial carbon cycling in peatlands, which mediates both carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions, is needed to understand peatland-climate feedbacks. There is mounting evidence that microbes in peatlands utilize organic compounds as electron acceptors to drive their respiration (analogous to our use of oxygen in our own metabolism), but the specific organic compounds utilized in this process are not well understood. In the current project, we used a metabolomic approach to identify organic compounds that likely serve as organic electron acceptors in peatland soils. Specifically, Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) identified approximately 30,000 organic compounds in the metabolomes of 3 peatland soils. These metabolomes included compounds that have been produced, consumed, and transformed by microbial activity in the soils. From these metabolomes, we identified a subset of compounds that putatively act as electron acceptors over the course of a 50-day anaerobic laboratory incubation. We then differentiated non-reversible electron acceptors by tracking which of these compounds remained following a 50-day aerobic laboratory incubation (the compounds which do not are likely reversible electron acceptors that can be re-oxidized). This approach raises the intriguing possibility of being able to identify the chemical structures of organic electron acceptors for the first time, with important consequences for understanding carbon cycling in globally important ecosystems.
 
  1. Preliminary Exploration of Differences in Peatland Soil Chemical Composition Through Infrared Spectroscopy
    Presenter(s): Camila Loyola 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Jason Keller, Dr. Cassandra Zalman
Peatlands store a significant amount of carbon. Microbes found in peatland soils decompose this carbon, leading to the production of carbon dioxide and methane.  These greenhouse gasses are released into the atmosphere contributing to ongoing climate change. The amount of carbon dioxide and methane produced by soil microbes varies dramatically in different peatlands, and these differences could be related to the chemical composition of soil. Different functional groups (e.g., carbohydrates, acids, and aliphatics) likely influence the chemical reactivity of soils, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy has been used previously to identify functional groups in soils.  In the current project, we are using IR spectroscopy to explore potential changes in soil chemistry in peat samples from Alaska that were incubated for 50 days under anaerobic conditions and a subsequent 70 days under aerobic conditions.  Samples included soils from a long-term water-table manipulation project and a second peatland with high rates of methane production.  We are modifying a previously published R-script to identify spectral peaks and ratios known to correspond to functional groups and reactivity in wetland soils.   Preliminary results suggest that this approach can capture changes in soil chemistry through time and help identify the functional groups being used by soil microbes in peatland ecosystems.
 
  1. Exploration of Microbial Organic Matter Reduction in Permafrost Natural Peatland Soils
    Presenter(s): Kainani Tacazon 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Jason Keller, Dr. Cassandra Zalman
Peatlands are carbon rich ecosystems, covering only 3 percent of Earth’s land surface but storing more than one-third of the world’s terrestrial soil carbon. Through a series of biogeochemical processes, that carbon is released into the atmosphere as methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Previous research indicates that organic matter within peatlands can be utilized as a terminal electron acceptor (TEA), reducing the production of methane. We have previously demonstrated that a commercially available peat substrate can be used to track the use of organic TEAs and greenhouse gas production under field conditions. In the current project, we explore if natural peat soils can be utilized in a similar manner, specifically in both intact and advanced permafrost sites in Alaska. Under controlled laboratory conditions, we measured the production of carbon dioxide and methane with a gas chromatograph alongside the reduction of organic TEAs through an electron shuttling assay in both peat soils. These results will be compared to measurements made on the same peat soils incubated under field conditions in Alaska. Our preliminary laboratory results suggest that organic TEAs are utilized in both peat soils, with methane production occurring only after these TEAs had been reduced. Further, field-based measurements suggest that this approach can describe ecosystem-scale differences in water-table level on microbial processes, raising the intriguing possibility that this approach can be used to explore how changes in permafrost thaw impact carbon biogeochemistry.

Food Science
 
  1. Disinfection of Escherichia coli using the Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) System
    Presenter(s): Vanessa Alarcon, Jennifer McCoy Sanders
    Advisor(s): Dr. Rosalee Hellberg
Introduction: Escherichia coli is a major cause of gastrointestinal disease globally. The Contamination Sanitization Inspection and Disinfection (CSI-D) system is a new handheld fluorescence-based imaging device designed to disinfect food contact surfaces using ultraviolet-C (UVC) illumination. Previous research has shown the effectiveness of CSI-D in disinfecting surfaces contaminated with other microorganisms; however, there is a lack of research on the efficacy of the CSI-D system with E. coli. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the optimal parameters for disinfection of E. coli using the CSI-D system. Methods: Generic E. coli was grown on MacConkey agar at 37°C for 18-24 h and was then transferred to selective media for confirmation (i.e., MacConkey agar with Sorbitol, Simmons Citrate agar, and L-agar). An isolated colony was transferred from the selective media to Luria Bertoni broth (LB) for incubation, followed by dilution (10^-5 and 10^-6) and spread plating on L-agar (Lennox LB Broth base with 1.5% agar). The plates were exposed to either high or low intensity UVC for 1 s, 3 s, or 5 s. Exposed and control plates were incubated at room temperature for 2-3 h, then for 18-20 h at 37°C. The resulting colonies were counted and compared to control plates. Results: The average of the 3 trials showed that exposure times of 3 s and 5 s at either intensity resulted in effective and consistent destruction of E. coli. The minimum reduction at 3 s and 5 s exposure for both intensities was between 96.2% and 99.2%, with a maximum of 100%. The shorter exposure time of 1 s showed inconsistent results at both dilutions and both intensities with a survival rate that ranged from 47.1% to 81.3%. Conclusion: The results of this study show that exposure to UVC for a minimum of 3 s is required to achieve consistent disinfection of 96-100% for generic E. coli. Further testing will be conducted on additional foodborne bacteria, including Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes.
 
  1. Optimization of DNA-based methods for the detection of canned tuna species
    Presenter(s): Aubrey Emmi, Biola Fatusin
    Advisor(s): Dr. Rosalee Hellberg
Tuna sales contribute an estimated US $40 million to the global economy. Tuna is especially susceptible to food fraud due to its high demand, quick rate of production, and wide range of price points. Species substitution occurs when a cheaper species is purposefully misclassified as a more expensive species.  Animal species can be identified using DNA barcoding, which is a sequencing-based technique, and species substitution can be discovered using this method. Different tuna species can be distinguished using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial control region (CR). The DNA is degraded during the canning process, making it difficult to distinguish between species of tuna in canned food. A short fragment of CR, known as the CR DNA mini-barcode, has demonstrated some effectiveness with canned tuna species identification. In a previous study, CR DNA mini-barcoding was unsuccessful in several products, likely due to factors such as DNA fragmentation and PCR inhibitors present in canned tuna. Additional research is required to improve the identification of species in canned tuna. In this study, we plan to compare four different DNA extraction methods for use with canned tuna products (Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit, Qiagen DNeasy Bloody and Tissue Kit + PowerClean Pro Cleanup Kit, Qiagen DNeasy Mericon Food Kit, MP Biomedicals Fastprep-24 + Macherey-Nagel Nucleospin Tissue Kit) and carry out PCR and DNA sequencing to determine which extraction method results in optimal species identification. The Qiagen DNeasy Mericon Food Kit is predicted to work the best because it is made for DNA extractions of highly processed foods.




Health Sciences and Kinesiology
 
  1. Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Working Memory in Adults with Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
    Presenter(s): Isaac Min 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Aaron Schurger
Since its detection in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the viral disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus, has had prominent effects on human health and mortality. Studies in previous infections of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV have found evidence of persistent symptoms in recovered patients, such as lethargy and shortness of breath. Similar residual symptoms have also been seen in recovered COVID-19 patients beyond four weeks of the initial onset of symptoms — collectively termed post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). These symptoms include deficits in working memory. Preliminary studies done in the United States and Europe have shown a significant portion of recovered individuals suffer from PACS. Thus, there is a need to understand the neurophysiological effects of PACS better and develop a systemic approach to treating its symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation method, has been recently investigated as a possible non-pharmacological intervention in various neuropsychiatric disorders. The most appealing aspects of the intervention have been its safety, portability, and at-home application. tDCS regulates neuronal transmembrane potentials towards depolarization or hyperpolarization via weak electrical currents, resulting in changes in the resting membrane potential and transmembrane proteins. This project aims to investigate the effect of tDCS on working memory in individuals with PACS and its potential for clinical applications. Participants are asked to undergo eight 20-minute tDCS stimulation periods over four sessions. Each participant is tasked with the 2-back task before and after each stimulation period. Parameters related to working memory, such as response time, are recorded for data analysis. We anticipate that the results from this project will help us better understand PACS and enable us to propose new approaches to treating residual symptoms.

Peace Studies
 
  1. Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in ISIS-Controlled Iraq and During the Rwandan Genocide
    Presenter(s): Emma Drake 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Lisa Leitz
TRIGGER WARNING: discussion of sexual violence. Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a substantial global issue. Women who are or have been under ISIS control who have experienced any form of sexual violence share this trauma with thousands of women who experienced the Rwandan genocide. I will focus on the experience of sexual violence by women living in ISIS-controlled areas and those who experienced the Rwandan genocide. But how does sexual violence against women during ISIS control and sexual violence against women who experienced the Rwandan genocide compare and contrast in its use as a war tactic? This research qualitatively and quantitatively examines the differences and similarities comparing academic sources and datasets to analyze their accuracy. The similarities in these cases are 1) they were targeted intersectionally through gender, religion, and ethnicity, and 2) rape was used as an intentional strategy in the conflict. One major difference is the source of rhetoric leading to the assaults: religious extremism versus postcolonialism. They also differ in the length of time during which the assaults happened: ISIS’ sex slavery trade has existed for years and continues to do so, while the Rwandan genocide was concentrated into a few months. Conflict-related sexual violence speaks to a greater issue: the need to deconstruct misogynistic perceptions of women within society.
 
  1. How has the Rise and Fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Affected Women Soldiers?
    Presenter(s): Alexa Jamison 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Lisa Leitz
Over the past centuries, women worldwide have achieved more equal opportunities than ever before. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all women, especially in Afghanistan, which has held the title of a country with the least women’s rights for many years. Over the past two decades, Afghan women’s rights have risen and fallen. In this time frame, women were given new career opportunities, such as military positions, then ushered out of these positions. The question the paper poses is how has the rise of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan affected women soldiers. The research process involved analyzing military sexual assault data, interviews of Afghan women soldiers, congress reports, and reviewing the book “Support for Gender Equality: Lessons from the U.S. experience in Afghanistan” by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Through this analysis, the rise of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan resulted in more rights for women, such as opportunities in Afghanistan's security forces. However, the dominant culture’s perspective of gender in Afghanistan led to harassment, resistance from communities, and discrimination from male colleagues. Following the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Afghan women in security forces were not only removed from the defense forces but targeted for torture and murder. Based on the evidence, the expected results are Afghan women soldiers’ acceptance is affected by the ruling regime in Afghanistan.
 
  1. Uncovering Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in UN Missions Perpetrated by Peacekeepers
    Presenter(s): Mia Johnson 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Lisa Leitz
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) is an 'endemic problem' in peacekeeping missions that persists today despite policies and preventive measures set forth by the UN. In many case studies, large-scale accounts and allegations of SEA by peacekeepers during UN peacekeeping missions become a source of mistrust between local populations and peacekeepers. This mistrust then hinders the advancement of gender equality locally and perpetuates patriarchal structures within the host country, said peacekeeping missions are said to promote. I will be exploring and evaluating such atrocities committed by UN peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, Liberia, and Haiti and the implications they have had on local women and girls. Some of the issues that will be addressed include behaviors by peacekeepers that foster illicit sex industries, such as transactional sex between peacekeepers and local women and human trafficking. Additionally, I will discuss what has been termed ‘peace babies,’ in particular the Petit MINUSTAH in Haiti, a sizable group recognized by the local population as the children of male peacekeepers in the MINUSTAH mission and local women. Relationships of this nature (between peacekeepers and locals) always include clear power dynamics that are perpetuated by militarized and hegemonic masculinities. My research and reading, supported by UN-kept data, will bring to light the gross human rights violations of sexual exploitation and abuse against women perpetrated by peacekeepers. I will demonstrate how these crimes undermine the progression of gender equality that these very missions are supposed to promote and challenge the legitimacy of peacekeeping missions as a whole.

Physical Therapy
 
  1. Identifying Voice-based Digital Biomarkers of Parkinson's Disease
    Presenter(s): Madison Gill, Rachelle Beshay, Madison Gill
    Advisor(s): Dr. Rahul Soangra, Michael Shiraishi, Michael Shiraishi
Introduction: Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder leading to tremors, abnormal gait and balance, and muscle rigidity due to loss of function in parts of the brain. Traditionally, Parkinson’s disease is identified by the motor symptoms as seen in a patient's gait and motor skills, but irregular speech patterns (hypokinetic dysarthria) is one of the first non-motor symptoms which could potentially help as a digital biomarker of the onset of disease. Objective: This ongoing study aims to use Mel Frequency Centrum Coefficients (MFCC) to diagnose Parkinson’s in the early stages by identifying hypokinetic dysarthria. MFCC’s process speech recognition patterns and produce a frequency scale that software can use to identify differences between subjects. This was initially performed using healthy male and female subjects, in which MFCC’s successfully identified the gender of the individual speaking. Using this background work, we can apply similar processes to identify Parkinson’s disease in early stages. Symptom identification using machine learning can increase the patient’s lifespan through early detection and early therapies. Methods: The participants were asked to perform various vocal tests and normal speaking to obtain the vocal range frequencies of each test to isolate MFCC’s to identify Parkinson’s disease-related digital biomarkers in voice patterns. Conclusion: Parkinson’s disease is most commonly identified when the patient develops abnormal gait patterns or muscle rigidity, however, vocal detection could prevent the extent of these symptoms by diagnosing the patient early on. Our study will increase knowledge on digital biomarkers which are significantly different among people who do and do not have Parkinson’s disease and thus can be quantified easily from speech frequencies and phonetics.

Political Science
 
  1. The Facade of Progression of Women and Women's Rights in American Politics
    Presenter(s): Karsyn Aoki 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The passing and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment spiked women’s involvement and interest in politics. For about 70 years there was a clear upward trend in creating equity in society for women but as we see a retreat from progress within the last few decades, for example in areas of bodily autonomy, it’s important to find why this change has occurred. Within this article I research the shift in public opinion on women and their perceived place in society as well as the current role women are playing in the political world, both in elections and as representatives to try and help explain these changes. Many of the theoretical frameworks I am utilizing have interdisciplinary uses and therefore am adapting their application and definitions to specifically tailor to women in political discussions. Looking through lenses of gender washing, gender bias, and the glass cliff theory as well as surveying the past movements in American politics helps narrow research on what motivates this trend of suppression. Analyzing data from multiple sets of the American National Election Survey (ANES) gives insight into vast demographic variables of respondents and gives the opportunity to analyze perception of women, along with narrowing how trends of women voters and representatives have shifted. Among the interesting findings include the evidence of negative public opinion towards women’s movements and advocacy. Between 2016 and 2020 dislike towards feminist ideals spiked from 27.7% to over 40%. Though the perception of feminism has changed overtime and publicly is seen as a more radical movement, at its core it is still the advocacy for equality between the sexes, a simple concept. The implications of this research can be used to help mobilize voters and pinpoint target issues within women’s rights discussions in order to return to progressing equality movements and stop the backwards trend.
 
  1. Influence of Racial Identity on Tolerance and Multiculturalism
    Presenter(s): Cassidy Tran 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Research has shown that the increased intolerance in our currently polarized society has not only affected intrapersonal relationships, but it has also contributed to the extreme state of political polarization in America today. In a polarized America, the growing lack of tolerance regarding opinions, races, religions, and political ideologies alike has shaped public opinion amongst the American electorate. While a number of societal, individual, and political factors contribute to the absence of tolerance in American society, this paper will examine how individual racial identity influences tolerance among individuals. Additionally, this paper also examines how understandings and tolerance of multiculturalism vary amongst majority and minority racial groups. Relying on data analysis from the ANES 2020 Survey and the 2021 Chapman University Survey of American Fears (CSAF), both representative national samples of U.S. adults, I find that the stronger an individual identifies with their racial identity, the more tolerant they will be of other opinions, races, religions, and political ideologies differing from their own. There are variations in levels of tolerance regarding different beliefs amongst certain racial groups. Additionally, I find that minority racial groups (including Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians) are more tolerant and understanding of ideas of multiculturalism than whites. By considering racial identity and the personal importance of race to the identities of the American electorate, we will be better equipped to understand how to increase levels of tolerance and solidarity amongst Americans to create a unified America.
 
  1. The Influence of Social and Political Identities on Fear of Mass Shootings
    Presenter(s): Stephanie  Yanes 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Throughout the years and across the United States, the fear of mass shootings has become one of the fastest-growing fears. Whether interacting with the surge of media after a mass shooting, hearing the stories of survivors and victims, or participating in an active shooter drill to prepare for the worst, Americans are consciously and unconsciously feeding into their fear of mass shootings. To further support the public, it is vital to understand the factors in this unique relationship between backgrounds, identities, and an individual's fear of mass shootings. Using the Chapman Survey of American Fears, I examine the relationship between an individual's fear of mass shootings and demographic variables such as education level, age, political party affiliation, and media consumption. Among the different tests, a regression was utilized, including voting choices in the 2020 election and gender identity as independent variables, and fear of being a victim of a random mass shooting as the dependent variable. Among the interesting results, the biggest impact on fear of being a victim of a random mass shooting was when a participant identified as male and when a participant voted for Donald Trump in the past 2020 election. With the chilling consistency with which mass shootings continue to transpire in the United States, these findings are a validating reminder of the consequences gun violence inflicts upon the general public.
 
  1. Social Media News and Victimization: Examining the Fear of Violent Crime
    Presenter(s): Isa Alarcon 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The matter of safety has been a prevalent concern in our society as crime-related news floods our technological devices and TV screens. Past research has established a strong relationship between local television news and the public’s fear of crime. However, in the past ten years, new forms of news media have gained popularity, compared to traditional newspapers and television news. In this paper, I will examine the correlation between receiving information from social media and people's fear of violent crime, specifically being a victim of such crime. Using the data collected by the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national sample of U.S. adults, I expect to find that people who engage in social media are more likely to be afraid of violent crime. When applying cultivation theory and agenda-setting theory, it is hypothesized that the media can alter the viewer's perception of reality, causing them to shift their attention. Therefore, it is essential to understand the public opinion on fear as crime rates remain high and media influence grows. It is only a matter of time before our safety is called into question.
 
  1. See, Hear, Breathe No Evil: How Race Contributes to Climate Fears in the United States
    Presenter(s): Katie Oftelie 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
In the last fifty years, the issue of climate change due to unsustainable consumption of resources as well as exponentially rising levels of carbon emissions has gone from a whisper in the footnotes of science articles to one of the loudest, most prominent discussions of domestic and international policy making. From these discussions came the debate over environmental justice, which is the term that describes the ignoring of environmental issues that affect specific marginalized groups. Since the precedent of international promises to reduce carbon emissions and introduce a more environmentally viable way of life was set in Kyoto nearly 25 years ago, the United States has made great strides in its effort toward environmental sustainability. However, like most stories of generational progress in the United States, it would seem that progress looks very different from citizen to citizen, and from community to community. With the help of the Chapman Survey of American fears, a representative national survey of U.S. adults, I have found conclusive evidence that white adults are less likely to be afraid of climate change affecting where they live than non-white adults. Therefore, race and environmental injustice is a definite role in the fear of climate change in the United States. If we continue to allow marginalized groups to fall through the cracks of the climate fight, true environmental justice will never be achieved.
 
  1. The Levels and Discrepancies of America's Fear of Terrorism
    Presenter(s): Kate Lindfors 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Within the United States, individuals exhibit a lack of accurate information regarding terrorism and the threat it may pose to Americans. This not only creates inflated perceptions of the actual risk that terrorism may pose to each individual American but a misunderstanding of the potential sources of terrorist threats in the US and the impact they could have on the country. In this paper, I will examine the misunderstanding of contemporary terrorism that is possessed by the general American public, particularly in relation to the inflated fear of Islamic terrorism and the disregard for Right-wing terrorist acts. In order to examine this topic, I will use the Chapman University Survey on American Fears. I expect to find that political and public discourse within the United States has discouraged many Americans from considering terrorist threats that do not stem from an easily distinguishable and alienable group of people or an international source. I also expect that different levels of education and a varied reliance on news sources may play a role in the accuracy of Americans’ perspectives and understandings of contemporary terrorism. The widespread absence of accurate knowledge surrounding terrorism poses a threat to the United States because it alienates and endangers Islamic populations domestically and abroad and puts Americans at risk of acts of terrorism stemming from groups of people that have been disregarded as potential threats.
 
  1. January 6th and Where to Place the Blame: An Analysis on the Relation Between Media Consumption and the Belief that Donald Trump is at Fault for the Uprising
    Presenter(s): Aliyah Ramirez 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The distrust in the United States government manifested itself on January 6th, 2021 as everyone who was not trying to break into the nation’s capitol was watching the events unfold on media outlets such as CNN, NBC, and Fox News, and although the footage was all the same, the coverage and rhetoric used by one’s choice of media shaped their view on who was to blame for that fateful day in United States history. In this paper I examine the relationship between how often one watches Fox News and their agreement with the belief that former president Donald J. Trump is to blame for the events on January 6th, 2021. Using the Chapman University “Survey of American Fears” I will have access to data acquired on a national scale directly linked to Fox News and January 6th. I expect to find that the more often one watches Fox News, the less likely it is that they believe Donald Trump is to blame for the events that occurred at the nation’s capitol. Media outlets play a large role in the quick dissemination of political news, allowing for anyone to know what is happening politically; however biased media keeps consumers in dangerous echo chambers, which has, and will continue to have, a detrimental impact on the political landscape of the United States.
 
  1. Factors Relating to the Fear of Climate Change and Global Warming
    Presenter(s): Nivea Madhan 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Climate change and global warming have become critical issues within American society in recent decades due to increasingly evident weather and climate phenomena. This can be observed in unprecedented sea level rises, drastic temperature increases, and severe droughts in various regions across the United States and the world. In this paper, I evaluate the extent to which socioeconomic status - which includes education, income and region - determines one’s fear of climate change and global warming. Prior literature has studied the linkage primarily between the bias of a higher education to the higher understanding of climate change, whereas, this study assesses the level of fear individual’s have on climate change and global warming, as established by their experience with various weather phenomenas. Using the Survey of American Fears Wave 7, a national representative survey of 1,035 adults across the United States, I expect to find that individuals with a lower socioeconomic status will be more fearful of climate change and global warming as they experience greater ramifications of severe weather conditions. As climate crises escalate, this research criticizes and calls attention to the disproportional distribution of the consequences of climate change and global warming; those who carry a greater contribution to the issue do not bear the brunt of the fallout.
 
  1. Media, Distrust of Government, and Fear of Terrorism in the United States
    Presenter(s): Lauren Rowe 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The United States is experiencing a growing threat from domestic terrorism, though there is a relative lack of understanding of this threat by the public, and there is a need to understand how public perceptions of risk have been shaped around the fear of terrorism. This paper explores the impact of various forms of media usage and intake on individual perceptions of terrorism, as well as the ways in which public governmental distrust and party identification relate to the fear of terrorism. Using the results obtained by the Chapman University Survey of American Fears in which data was gathered from a nationally representative sample of adults, these concepts are explored in terms of the specific types of terrorism one fears, whether it be domestic terrorism within the United States or international terrorism connected to distinct foreign governments or groups of other nations. Among the interesting findings, I find that party identification does not play a role in concern and fear about terrorism. However, party identification plays a role in influencing who is perceived to be a terrorist threat in the United States. Additionally, out of all forms of news media the American public consumes, social media has the biggest impact on fear of terrorism. Finally, I find that there is a significant positive correlation between public distrust of the government and the fear of terrorism. The United States government has devoted institutions, such as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, to preventing future terrorist attacks. These bureaus advocate strongly for antiterrorism laws in the pursuit of lessening terrorism fears, in this way it is important to assess the factors attributing to the degree of public fear over terrorism.


 
  1. Envisioning and Unifying a Sovereign Hawaiʻi
    Presenter(s): Kawaiola Kapuni 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Lisa Leitz
This abstract represents the framework for my research, Envisioning and Unifying a Sovereign Hawaiʻi, which has yet to be fully developed. Hawaiʻi has faced over a century-long battle to regain its rightful status as a sovereign nation. With the arrival of missionaries and Anglo-Saxon capitalists that catalyzed the illegal overthrow of The Kingdom of Hawai’i in 1893, all the way to Statehood in 1959, Hawaiʻi has been in constant subjugation from The United States. Between 1893 and 1959, Native Hawaiians were subject to ethnic cleansing, cultural erasure, and political and socioeconomic oppression that made resistance nearly impossible. Although there were instances of civil resistance during this time, The Sovereignty Movement wouldnʻt formally take place until 1960, precisely one year after Statehood. This study aims to analyze the conditions and dynamics of The Sovereignty Movement in Hawaiʻi in order to understand what variables have inhibited Hawaiʻi from becoming a sovereign nation from 1960 to the present day. The participants of this study are divided into two groups: Native Hawaiians and residents of Hawaiʻi who are not ancestrally Native Hawaiian. Both populations will include those who orchestrated, participated, or are current participants of The Sovereignty Movement in Hawaiʻi. The Methodology of this study will be interview based, where I will conduct interviews with both Native Hawaiians and residents of Hawaiʻi who orchestrated, participated, or are current participants of The Sovereignty Movement in Hawaiʻi. Overall, this study aims to analyze the conditions and dynamics of The Sovereignty Movement in Hawaiʻi to understand what variables have inhibited Hawaiʻi from becoming a sovereign nation from 1960 to the present day.
 
  1. The Radical Right-Wing Extremists Ideology Opposing The African-American Movement in the United States.
    Presenter(s): Nicole  Nkwonta 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
While scholars have used alternative definitions of right-wing extremists, they are often based on violence and racial discrimination. Transnational threats are becoming more prevalent as far-right ideology and violence gain momentum. This paper will examine the fear supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement share for right-wing extremists and the effect that it has had on the group. Following the deadly attacks across the United States, right-wing extremists have created a storm of fear among supporters of African American-related movements. It continues to exert a great deal of influence over the politics of western society and is becoming a powerful force in many parts of it. Based on this paper's focus, I expect to find a connection between the reasons why African American supporters view right extremists as a threat. What ideologies or messages do they espouse that are considered detrimental to the supporters of the movement? It is more common for right-wing movements to be known for their opposition than for what they support. Their focus is primarily on race/ethnicity and/or that they promote violence as a primary tactic or goal. Black individuals across the United States are faced with those that openly and virulently embrace racism and discrimination and will continually be faced with it as long as the right-wing ideology persists.

Psychology
 
  1. Avoidance Coping Strategies Predict Anxiety and Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Presenter(s): Natalia Miranda, Jolie Binstock
    Advisor(s): Dr. Julia Boehm, Brooke Jenkins, Brooke Jenkins
Observational studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have indicated that avoidance and emotion-focused coping, in response to the societal changes that occurred, contributed to symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, longitudinal results have been mixed. The present study hypothesized that usage of avoidance and emotion-focused coping strategies at the beginning of the pandemic would be associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression eight months later. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that emotion-focused coping strategies at the beginning of the pandemic would continue to predict higher levels of anxiety and depression eight months later when controlling for avoidance tendencies. The 174 participants in this study attended Chapman University at the start of the pandemic; the majority were women (84%) and past the first year of their program (55%). The Brief COPE Scale (BCS) was utilized in combination with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) to assess predictors and outcomes. Results from regression analyses showed support for the first hypothesis indicating that avoidance coping predicted higher levels of anxiety and depression, while emotion-focused coping predicted more anxiety but was not associated with depression. The second hypothesis was not supported; however, avoidance coping strategies predicted depression and anxiety when controlling for emotion-focused coping. Including covariates (i.e., sex, age, program year) provided additional evidence that avoidance coping strategies predicted future symptoms of depression and anxiety more consistently than emotion-focused coping strategies. Taken together, these results highlight the possible consequences when individuals choose to adopt certain strategies over others in response to stressful stimuli. Important limitations were the correlational nature of the study, the dropout rate of the participants, and the overwhelming majority of female participants.
 
  1. Exploring the Relationship between Self-Control and Self-Affirmation on Food Choice
    Presenter(s): Tanshi Mohan, Kimi Uenaka, Bijou Allard
    Advisor(s): Dr. Julia Boehm
Self-control is the ability to inhibit impulses and delay gratification for a larger reward at a later time (Gillebaart, 2018). Research suggests that people who reported higher levels of self-control were more likely to make healthier food choices on a food-choice task (Salmon et al., 2014). Self-affirmation is when an individual affirms their self-worth by reflecting on their values when experiencing an event that negatively impacts their self-view (Cascio et al., 2015). Self-affirming during these threatening situations is associated with decreasing stress and increasing well-being, and may encourage people to be more susceptible to change their behavior (Cascio et al., 2015). Our study aimed to explore the association between self-control, self-affirmation, and food choice in the laboratory. We hypothesized that self-control would be positively associated with healthy food choice in the experiment. Furthermore, we hypothesized that self-control would have a moderating effect on self-affirmation and food-choice outcomes. Data came from 148 participants from Southern California who were ages 25 and older. Self-control was measured using the Brief Self-Control Scale. Food choice was measured by whether or not participants chose healthy or unhealthy snacks during the study. Participants were randomly assigned to a self-affirmation condition or a control condition. Logistic regressions and their corresponding coefficients were used to analyze our hypotheses. No associations were found between self-control and food choice. Additionally, self-control did not have a moderating effect on self-affirmation and food choice. These analyses demonstrate the need for further research into self-control and positive health behaviors.
 
  1. Impostor Syndrome Fails to Predict College Academic Performance, But Does Predict Feelings of Career Preparedness
    Presenter(s): Stephanie Yanes 
    Advisor(s): Dr. David Frederick
Throughout the years and across the United States, the fear of mass shootings has become one of the fastest-growing fears. Whether interacting with the surge of media after a mass shooting, hearing the stories of survivors and victims, or participating in an active shooter drill to prepare for the worst, Americans are consciously and unconsciously feeding into their fear of mass shootings. To further support the public, it is vital to understand the factors in this unique relationship between backgrounds, identities, and an individual's fear of mass shootings. Using the Chapman Survey of American Fears, I examine the relationship between an individual's fear of mass shootings and demographic variables such as education level, age, political party affiliation, and media consumption. Among the different tests, a regression was utilized, including voting choices in the 2020 election and gender identity as independent variables, and fear of being a victim of a random mass shooting as the dependent variable. Among the interesting results, the biggest impact on fear of being a victim of a random mass shooting was when a participant identified as male and when a participant voted for Donald Trump in the past 2020 election. With the chilling consistency with which mass shootings continue to transpire in the United States, these findings are a validating reminder of the consequences gun violence inflicts upon the general public.
 
  1. Emotion Variability, Cortisol, and Physical Health: The Moderating Role of Mean Emotion
    Presenter(s): Helen Lee 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Brooke Jenkins, John Hunter, John Hunter
A large body of research has suggested that mean levels of emotions are associated with our mental and physical health. However, emotions are dynamic in nature, constantly changing over time. This tendency of emotion to fluctuate across time is commonly referred to as emotion variability. Therefore, only examining mean emotion levels, which is done in most previous research, may not fully explain how emotion relates to health. Building on this limitation, the present studies investigated the relationships between emotion variability and cortisol levels, and physical health, while also considering how mean levels of emotion might play a role as a moderator. In Study 1, 118 participants completed questionnaires assessing their emotions four times a day for five consecutive days and provided saliva samples to measure daily cortisol output. The results indicated that mean positive emotion as well as stress context significantly moderated the association between positive emotion variability and cortisol levels, such that, at high stress and high mean positive emotion, positive emotion variability was negatively associated with cortisol (b = -2.26, t = -4.30, p < .001). For Study 2, the data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study were analyzed, in which 2,022 participants reported their daily emotions for eight days and self-rated their physical health. It was found that when participants had low mean negative emotion paired with high emotion variability, they were more likely to report worse health (simple slope effect: b = 0.27, SE = 0.13, p = 0.04). These findings revealed that emotion variability interacts with mean emotion to predict both cortisol levels and self-reported physical health. Therefore, both variability and mean levels of emotion should be considered in order to understand the association between emotion and health-
relevant outcomes.


World Languages and Cultures
 
  1. The Human Consequences of the US-Mexico Border: Testimonial Literature of Gloria Anzaldúa and Valeria LuiselliPresenter(s): Grace Hodgetts 
    Advisor(s): Dr. Laura Loustau
The discussion surrounding the US-Mexico Border has remained a central issue in American politics throughout recent decades, with anti-immigrant attitudes being more prevalent than ever. The increasing support for border militarization and immigration restrictions exemplifies an American public that lacks an accurate understanding of the implications of militarizing the US-Mexico border. Testimonial literature about the border will center the discussion of this essay, and it can be categorized as any writing that illustrates one or more of the negative consequences of the US-Mexico border. The majority of the border’s effects are negative, and its impact is not felt by one country or community alone. This essay will explore two examples of testimonial border literature that discuss the border’s effects on two groups of people: US citizens of Latino descent and Latino migrants and immigrants. First we will examine Gloria Anzaldúa’s book, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987), and her discussion of the border and its effects on Latinos— more specifically Mexican-Americans— living within the United States. Then we will compare the themes and techniques employed in Anzaldúa’s writing to those in Valeria Luiselli’s book, Los Niños Perdidos: Un ensayo en cuarenta preguntas (2017). In her essay, Luiselli describes what she learned while volunteering as a translator for an immigration law firm in 2015. Drawing from her interviews with unaccompanied minors who had crossed the border and were seeking asylum in the US, Luiselli depicts the emotional, cultural, and legal repercussions of the current immigration and border-control policies. To conclude, we will examine the ways in which the various problems caused by the border’s history and militarization could potentially be resolved.
 
 

 

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