Poster Session III: 11:00AM-12:30PM
Abstract Volume and Quick Reference Guide
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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Advisor(s): Dr. Cedric Owens
Nitrogen fixation occurs through two major processes: the industrial Haber Bosch process and via an enzyme called nitrogenase. A major drawback of the Haber Bosch process is that it requires high temperatures, high pressure, and high amounts of fossil fuels, thereby negatively impacting the environment. With the enzyme nitrogenase, dinitrogen gas is converted into ammonia using biological energy in the form of ATP, creating a more environmentally friendly nitrogen fixation process. If we were able to increase the usage of biological nitrogen fixation, the need for fertilizers would be reduced. Nitrogenase is known to be inhibited by carbon monoxide (CO), meaning that when CO is present, nitrogen fixation via the enzyme will not occur. Cells containing nitrogenase must find a way to avoid inhibition. It was discovered that nitrogenase is protected by another protein, CowN, which allows for the reduction of nitrogen with nitrogenase even under the presence of CO. Two potential binding sites were found where CowN could bind to nitrogenase: at the entrance of a proposed CO channel or near the active site of nitrogenase. Both could, in principle, prevent CO from reaching the active site and thus avoid inhibition by CO. The goal of this project was to determine where CowN binds to nitrogenase. We used two different methods to investigate where CowN binds: chemical crosslinking that forms a permanent covalent bond between CowN and nitrogenase, and co-crystallization of CowN and nitrogenase that will lead to a structure of the protein complex.
Advisor(s): Dr. Cedric Owens
Nitrogenase is an enzyme made up of MoFeP (Molybdenum Iron Protein) and FeP (Iron Protein) whose function is to reduce nitrogen to ammonia. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is known to inhibit nitrogenase’s enzymatic activity. Another protein called CowN provides protection against the inhibitory action of CO and restores nitrogenase’s function. We recently discovered that MoFeP and CowN interact to provide protection, however, the location of the binding site is unknown. Our goal is to characterize the protein-protein interaction between MoFeP and CowN by co-crystallizing these two proteins and solving the structure of the complex. This work describes our efforts to determine the CowN-MoFeP co-crystal structure. We set up crystal trays using a variety of conditions including those that yielded MoFeP crystals in the past (100uM Na Cacodylate, 300uM NaCl and 45% MPD). We varied the pH between 6 and 9 and changed the protein concentration as well as the ratios of CowN and MoFeP. Furthermore, we also tried to crystallize a CowN-MoFeP complex that was stabilized by covalent crosslinking.
We obtained crystals from several conditions with high quality diffraction patterns. Processed the data and solved the structures using a program suite that included ccp4i, coot and PyMOL. Our results indicate that only saw MoFeP is visible in the crystal structure. We interpret these results in two possible ways. Either CowN is present in a CowN-MoFeP complex but not ordered in the crystal lattice, or only MoFeP is crystallized. We will next try a new series of crystalization conditions that includes reducing the salt concentration and increasing MPD concentration to encourage protein-protein interactions.
Advisor(s): Dr. Cedric Owens
Nitrogenase is an enzyme complex consisting of two proteins, the catalytic molybdenum-iron protein (MoFeP) and its reductase, iron protein (FeP). Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of nitrogen gas to ammonia but is inhibited by carbon monoxide gas (CO). Another protein, known as CowN, protects nitrogenase from CO inhibition. We have shown that there is an interaction between CowN and nitrogenase, however, we do not know how strongly the two proteins interact or where CowN binds to nitrogenase. We hypothesize that the binding site is near a potential CO channel in MoFeP. A method of measuring interactions between two proteins is fluorescence quenching, in which the fluorescence of one protein is quenched upon interaction with another. We will investigate MoFeP-CowN interactions through fluorescence quenching experiments. We will tag the MoFe protein with a fluorophore, Rhodamine Red C2 Maleimide, and CowN with a quencher, QSY-9 Carboxylic Acid, Succinimidyl Ester. Then, we will measure the decrease in fluorescence as a function of increasing the concentration of CowN, and we will test if the strength of the interaction depends on the presence of CO gas. Furthermore, by labeling MoFeP and CowN at specific residues and measuring quenching, we will determine where on MoFeP CowN binds.
Advisor(s): Dr. Douglas Fudge
Atlantic Hagfish are deep sea eel-shaped fish which dwell at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Living at great depths, these creatures are well known for burrowing into the ocean floor sediment, but little is known about how they burrow. To investigate burrowing mechanics in this species, we used a specialized acrylic burrowing chamber to observe hagfish burrowing in mud-like substrates. We used gelatin as a substrate, because it approximates the properties of mud and because it is transparent. Building upon the research from last semester, as well as previous years, some observations have been made. They clearly have two phases of distinct locomotion styles. For the first portion of their burrow, they thrash the back half of their body to produce the force needed for crack propagation. However, there is a turning point where they cease tail thrashing and switch styles to their “wriggle” style. This style is clearly different because there is little to no movement in the tail observed. Instead, nearly all the movement is observed around their head. In the research done this semester, one objective was to determine what locomotion style they utilize in the wriggle phase. It was hypothesized that they are utilizing both internal concertina and whole-body concertina in this phase. Whole-body concertina is when hagfish use static friction force present between their body and the substrate (in this case, gelatin) to anchor their body and repeatedly fold and unfold their body. With internal concertina, this act is performed under their skin. This semester we’ve collected data on burrow characteristics, including burrow duration, shape, thrashing time (first phase of burrow), wriggle time (second phase of burrow), maximum and relative depth, maximum and relative horizontal distance, maximum and relative tail exposure, water temperature, and hagfish length. Preliminary analysis of the data suggest that hagfish usually burrow in “U”-shape and maximum burrowing time is 5 minutes, with most of that time spent in the wriggle phase.
- Where Does CowN Bind to Nitrogenase?
Advisor(s): Dr. Cedric Owens
Nitrogen fixation occurs through two major processes: the industrial Haber Bosch process and via an enzyme called nitrogenase. A major drawback of the Haber Bosch process is that it requires high temperatures, high pressure, and high amounts of fossil fuels, thereby negatively impacting the environment. With the enzyme nitrogenase, dinitrogen gas is converted into ammonia using biological energy in the form of ATP, creating a more environmentally friendly nitrogen fixation process. If we were able to increase the usage of biological nitrogen fixation, the need for fertilizers would be reduced. Nitrogenase is known to be inhibited by carbon monoxide (CO), meaning that when CO is present, nitrogen fixation via the enzyme will not occur. Cells containing nitrogenase must find a way to avoid inhibition. It was discovered that nitrogenase is protected by another protein, CowN, which allows for the reduction of nitrogen with nitrogenase even under the presence of CO. Two potential binding sites were found where CowN could bind to nitrogenase: at the entrance of a proposed CO channel or near the active site of nitrogenase. Both could, in principle, prevent CO from reaching the active site and thus avoid inhibition by CO. The goal of this project was to determine where CowN binds to nitrogenase. We used two different methods to investigate where CowN binds: chemical crosslinking that forms a permanent covalent bond between CowN and nitrogenase, and co-crystallization of CowN and nitrogenase that will lead to a structure of the protein complex.
- Characterizing the Interaction Between MoFeP and CowN
Advisor(s): Dr. Cedric Owens
Nitrogenase is an enzyme made up of MoFeP (Molybdenum Iron Protein) and FeP (Iron Protein) whose function is to reduce nitrogen to ammonia. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is known to inhibit nitrogenase’s enzymatic activity. Another protein called CowN provides protection against the inhibitory action of CO and restores nitrogenase’s function. We recently discovered that MoFeP and CowN interact to provide protection, however, the location of the binding site is unknown. Our goal is to characterize the protein-protein interaction between MoFeP and CowN by co-crystallizing these two proteins and solving the structure of the complex. This work describes our efforts to determine the CowN-MoFeP co-crystal structure. We set up crystal trays using a variety of conditions including those that yielded MoFeP crystals in the past (100uM Na Cacodylate, 300uM NaCl and 45% MPD). We varied the pH between 6 and 9 and changed the protein concentration as well as the ratios of CowN and MoFeP. Furthermore, we also tried to crystallize a CowN-MoFeP complex that was stabilized by covalent crosslinking.
We obtained crystals from several conditions with high quality diffraction patterns. Processed the data and solved the structures using a program suite that included ccp4i, coot and PyMOL. Our results indicate that only saw MoFeP is visible in the crystal structure. We interpret these results in two possible ways. Either CowN is present in a CowN-MoFeP complex but not ordered in the crystal lattice, or only MoFeP is crystallized. We will next try a new series of crystalization conditions that includes reducing the salt concentration and increasing MPD concentration to encourage protein-protein interactions.
- Characterizing the Interaction Between MoFeP and CowN with Fluorescence
Advisor(s): Dr. Cedric Owens
Nitrogenase is an enzyme complex consisting of two proteins, the catalytic molybdenum-iron protein (MoFeP) and its reductase, iron protein (FeP). Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of nitrogen gas to ammonia but is inhibited by carbon monoxide gas (CO). Another protein, known as CowN, protects nitrogenase from CO inhibition. We have shown that there is an interaction between CowN and nitrogenase, however, we do not know how strongly the two proteins interact or where CowN binds to nitrogenase. We hypothesize that the binding site is near a potential CO channel in MoFeP. A method of measuring interactions between two proteins is fluorescence quenching, in which the fluorescence of one protein is quenched upon interaction with another. We will investigate MoFeP-CowN interactions through fluorescence quenching experiments. We will tag the MoFe protein with a fluorophore, Rhodamine Red C2 Maleimide, and CowN with a quencher, QSY-9 Carboxylic Acid, Succinimidyl Ester. Then, we will measure the decrease in fluorescence as a function of increasing the concentration of CowN, and we will test if the strength of the interaction depends on the presence of CO gas. Furthermore, by labeling MoFeP and CowN at specific residues and measuring quenching, we will determine where on MoFeP CowN binds.
- Biomechanics of Hagfish Burrowing
Advisor(s): Dr. Douglas Fudge
Atlantic Hagfish are deep sea eel-shaped fish which dwell at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Living at great depths, these creatures are well known for burrowing into the ocean floor sediment, but little is known about how they burrow. To investigate burrowing mechanics in this species, we used a specialized acrylic burrowing chamber to observe hagfish burrowing in mud-like substrates. We used gelatin as a substrate, because it approximates the properties of mud and because it is transparent. Building upon the research from last semester, as well as previous years, some observations have been made. They clearly have two phases of distinct locomotion styles. For the first portion of their burrow, they thrash the back half of their body to produce the force needed for crack propagation. However, there is a turning point where they cease tail thrashing and switch styles to their “wriggle” style. This style is clearly different because there is little to no movement in the tail observed. Instead, nearly all the movement is observed around their head. In the research done this semester, one objective was to determine what locomotion style they utilize in the wriggle phase. It was hypothesized that they are utilizing both internal concertina and whole-body concertina in this phase. Whole-body concertina is when hagfish use static friction force present between their body and the substrate (in this case, gelatin) to anchor their body and repeatedly fold and unfold their body. With internal concertina, this act is performed under their skin. This semester we’ve collected data on burrow characteristics, including burrow duration, shape, thrashing time (first phase of burrow), wriggle time (second phase of burrow), maximum and relative depth, maximum and relative horizontal distance, maximum and relative tail exposure, water temperature, and hagfish length. Preliminary analysis of the data suggest that hagfish usually burrow in “U”-shape and maximum burrowing time is 5 minutes, with most of that time spent in the wriggle phase.
- Aplysia Californica Opaline Gland Vesicles
Advisor(s): Dr. Douglas Fudge, Dr. William Wright
When threatened, the sea hare (Aplysia californica) releases two compounds: ink and opaline. Of these two, ink is highly studied in respect to its chemical properties as well as its release mechanism. However, opaline, the other secretion of this organism is still quite unknown. Opaline when released into sea water forms a viscous mucus, which along with ink helps against predation. The opaline gland sacs are roughly 0.07 – 2.0 mm and possess small muscles that allow for the contraction of each of the sacs. These sacs are all connected to a central canal within the opaline gland which lead to a siphon where the opaline is released. My research has shown that opaline glands secrete membrane-bound vesicles with a diameter of about 1 um, but it is not known how these vesicles interact with seawater to form the final opaline mucus. To explore how these vesicles are stabilized in the opaline gland and their mechanism of deployment after they contact seawater, we are developing an assay that will allow us to measure the efficacy of opaline formation when vesicles are mixed into solutions with various ionic and osmotic properties.
- Leaf Chemical Profiling of Two Fabiana Species and their F1 Hybrids
Advisor(s): Dr. Hagop Atamian
The genus Fabiana belongs to the family Solanaceae and is native to the dry regions of Patagonia and the central and southern Andes mountains. Some of the 15 known Fabiana species have been used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, a digestive, and for kidney diseases. Diverse chemical classes have been identified in F. imbricata, but to our knowledge this is the first report of chemical profiling in F. viscosa, which is endemic to Chile. In this project, we generated an F1 generation from a cross between F. imbricata and F. viscosa. Leaves from the parents and 11 F1 plants were freeze dried, ground to a fine powder, and extracted with 100 μl/mg of monophasic extraction solvent (30:30:20:20 acetonitrile, methanol, isopropanol and water). The extracts were subjected to LC-MS metabolomics analysis on a Synapt G2-Si quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled to an I-class UPLC system. Separations were carried out on a CSH phenyl-hexyl column (2.1 x 100 mm, 1.7 µM). A total of 271 compounds were identified belonging to diverse chemical classes. Carboximidic acids, naphthalenes, and oxylipins were significantly abundant in F. viscosa, while flavonoids and prenol lipids were significantly abundant in F. imbricata. F1 plant profiles represented a mosaic of the parental profiles. Interestingly, some flavonoids showed significantly higher abundance in F1 plants compared to either parent. The results from this project will be useful in understanding the genetics underlying the production of the different compounds by these two species in the future.
- Investigating the Interaction between Calmodulin and Individual HIV-1 Matrix Protein Domains
Advisor(s): Dr. Jerry LaRue
HIV-1 is a widespread disease that affects millions of people world-wide. The HIV-1 Matrix protein (MA) plays a crucial role in the reproduction cycle of the HIV virion. In the host cell, MA interacts with protein Calmodulin (CaM) which is a calcium-sensor protein that is predicted to be necessary for HIV reproduction. A better mechanistic understanding of the MA-CaM interaction is key to disrupting this protein-protein binding, a promising avenue for antiviral development. Previous research has shown that the interaction is calcium dependent because of CaM’s open confirmation only when bound to calcium, allowing CaM to interact with many proteins in the body, including MA. The conformational change of MA when bound to CaM was found to decrease the compact structure of MA, exposing its binding sites. It is unknown however, how the C and N terminals of HIV MA protein interact with CaM independently. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study the MA-CaM interaction in both calcium and non-calcium (APO) conditions. Full MA protein, the N-domain MA half protein, and the C-domain MA half protein were tested with full CaM protein. The results confirmed the calcium dependency of MA-CaM binding with fluorescence data showing little to no binding in all experiments under APO conditions. Both full MA protein and N-domain MA half protein successfully bound to full CaM in calcium conditions resulting in a conformation change (identified by a shift in emission peak, known as a blue shift). The C-domain MA half protein, however, showed no significant changes in fluorescence indicating little to no binding with CaM. Taken together these findings suggests that N-domain MA binding to CaM must be a prerequisite for C-domain MA binding. Fully understanding the interactions between HIV-1 MA and CaM might be a potential pathway to finding an effective cure to HIV-1.
- Exploring Interactions Between Alpha-Synuclein and Calmodulin
Advisor(s): Dr. Jerry LaRue
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common neurological disease with over 60,000 Americans diagnosed each year. Currently, there are no permanent treatments for PD, only medications that can improve symptoms such as deep brain stimulation. Alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a protein found in all brains, however, in those with PD, α-syn aggregates as the major protein component in the formation of the core of Lewy bodies (LB). LB consist of an abnormal aggregation of certain proteins in the brain and their presence is a hallmark trait of PD. Calmodulin (CaM) is a small multi-functional protein found in all cells and has been found to be upregulated in those afflicted with PD. The exact relationship between α-syn and CaM is unknown, however, patients with PD show increased concentrations of α-syn and CaM. Our research focused on determining the binding between α-syn and CaM and the role of calcium in this interaction. which then allows the proteins to form the core of Lewy bodies. We utilized fluorescent spectroscopy to track changes in signal from fluorescent tags attached to α-syn based on concentrations of CaM and calcium. Changes in fluorescence indicate binding as the tags' local environment is being altered. Our data suggest that there is a higher binding of α-syn and CaM in calcium conditions based on higher fluorescent signal interference. On-going experimentation and analysis are aimed to generate KD values to quantify differences in binding.
- Assessing the Down-Regulation and Inhibition of Androgen Receptor Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer using Apigenin
Advisor(s): Dr. Marco Bisoffi
The purpose of this project is to investigate the down-regulation or inhibition of androgen receptor (AR) expression by testing the natural product apigenin on breast cancer cells. The chemical structures of known inhibitory natural products to AR were used to computationally dock to a model of AR and measure their binding scores. To compare, a physical binding score of DHT, a positive control substrate to the ligand binding domain of AR, was -36, whereas the score for apigenin was -38 and exhibited the strongest physical interaction to AR. Due to its androgenic effects, apigenin was hypothesized to be a potential drug candidate for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Previous research suggests AR expression in TNBC is highly significant, in which the potential pro-cancerous role of AR is vital in the advancement of TNBC treatment. Breast cell lines MCF10-A (non-malignant breast epithelial cells), MCF-7 (estrogen and progesterone receptor positive breast cancer), and MDA-MB-453 (triple negative breast cancer cells) were cultured and treated with apigenin. Concentrations of 0 uM, 25 uM, and 50 uM of apigenin were used to treat the cell lines. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis suggests there may be post-translational inhibitory effects on AR in cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-453 when comparing the control to treatment with apigenin. Analysis also concluded MCF10-A lacked expression of AR. qRT-PCR was performed to investigate post-transcriptional effects of apigenin on the cell lines but had inconclusive results. Treatment of apigenin showed significant down-regulatory effects of the AR in breast cancer lines and may fill the gap on how antiandrogens behave on both non-aggressive breast cancer and TNBC cells.
- Synthesis and Testing of Novel Platinum Drug Therapies for Prostate and Breast Cancer
Advisor(s): Dr. Marco Bisoffi, Dr. Allegra Liberman-Martin
The field of oncology has created several therapies that are available for treating cancer. While these options can vary at the beginning of a cancer patient’s journey, as certain treatments fail, fewer alternatives are left, and more caustic drugs must be considered. Platinum drugs are one of those final options. Currently, there are few platinum-based drugs that do not come with painful side-effects or have more harmful consequences on a patient’s health than their ability to treat cancer. Based on this lack of effective therapies, the main purpose of this research project was to synthesize and evaluate novel platinum drugs on prostate and breast cancer cells. The overall goal of the project was to test if these drugs could diminish the proliferation of cancer cells while mitigating the damage done to healthy normal cells of the same type. Two new platinum drugs, platinum pincer compounds [NCN]PtCl and [NCN]PtCH3 were synthesized and then tested on cancer cells. The drugs were tested on breast and prostate cancerous and non-cancerous cell models at varying concentrations and then analyzed using a cell proliferation assay that detects the cells’ ability to metabolize under treatment. The data collected from those experiments is being processed using standardized statistical methods to create figures that will indicate which cells are affected and to which extent. Initial findings indicate that these platinum drugs decrease the proliferation of both prostate and breast cancer cells at a particular concentration of 10 micromolar, with there being more noticeable effect on breast cancer cells. Additionally, the methyl-substituted platinum drug appears to perform better at reducing the proliferation of cancer cells compared to non-cancerous cells. We have concluded based on current data processing that these novel platinum-based compounds could be used as leads for further drug development in prostate and breast cancer.
- Computational Design of Β-Fluorinated Morphine Derivatives for PH-Specific Binding
Advisor(s): Dr. Matthew Gartner
The opioid epidemic impacted over 12 million Americans in 2019. Although they are effective pain-relieving medications, they carry addictive and dangerous side effects. Opioids, like morphine, bind non-selectively in both central and peripheral tissues; however, dangerous side effects result from central activation. Inflamed conditions of injured tissues have a lower pH (pH=6-6.5) environment than healthy central tissue (pH=7.4). We aim to design a morphine derivative that binds selectively within inflamed tissue using computationally-based molecular extension and dissection techniques. Binding to the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) is dependent on protonation of the biochemically active amine group of morphine. Fluorination of a carbon beta to the tertiary amine group was used in order to reduce the pKa of the ligand through induction. By decreasing the pKa of morphine, protonation remains possible in lower pH environments of inflamed tissue, while remaining primarily deprotonated in healthy tissue. A cyclohexane and pyridine ring were removed to increase conformational flexibility when binding to the MOR and maintaining biological function. Electronic structure calculations were performed with Gaussian 16 using the Keck Computational Research Cluster at Chapman University. The theoretical pKa values were determined at the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ//SMD level of theory to calculate the ΔG°aq values for the amine deprotonation reactions. Two morphine derivatives –D-fluoromorphine β-C1 and D-fluoromorphine β-C2– were made computationally and modeled within the MOR using Maestro: Schrödinger. Both derivatives show reductions in pKa and enhanced ligand protein interactions within the MOR. Beta-fluorination decreased the overall pKa values of the morphine derivatives (pKa: 6.1-7.83) relative to morphine. The reductions in pKa reduce the possibility of binding within healthy, central tissue.
Biological Sciences
- Unraveling the Mechanisms of Hagfish Skein Deployment
Advisor(s): Dr. Douglas Fudge, Dakota Piorkowski, Andrew Lowe
Hagfish are a diverse group of jawless marine fishes that are known for their remarkable ability to produce copious amounts of gill-clogging slime when threatened. Following a single attack, a hagfish can produce over a liter of slime. The slime exudate ejected by the slime glands is made up of two main components: mucus vesicles and skein threads. The mucus is formed of crosslinked glycoproteins that hydrate to form a gel that holds water. Skeins are coiled keratin-like ellipsoid shaped bundles of thread that unravel from ~100-um structures to ~15-cm long threads that provide structure for the mucus. Together, the mucus and threads interact to form a slime that is 99.996% water. The transformation of ejected mucous and thread components into fully formed slime is remarkably fast, taking only 100-400 ms. How skein unraveling happens so quickly has remained elusive. There are two competing hypotheses that could explain the mechanism of skein unraveling. One hypothesis states that unravelling occurs when a skein become pinned to a solid object, with water flow past the skein driving unraveling. Another possibility is that skeins become embedded in an elastic matrix of mucus and as the mucus deforms with flow, it loads skeins in tension and effects unraveling. We used a high-speed camera and optical microscopy to observe skein unraveling at the microsecond time scale. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that skein unravelling is driven primarily by deformation of the soft elastic mucus in which they become embedded shortly after exudate is ejected from the slime glands.
Presenter(s): Anne Kenney
Advisor(s): Dr. Douglas Fudge, Dakota Piorkowski, Andrew Lowe
Hagfish produce a large quantity of defensive slime when attacked. This slime is a rapid forming dilute hydrogel comprised of two main components, thread filaments and membrane-bound mucin vesicles. Little is known about the behavior of the mucin vesicles immediately after secretion from the slime gland, as all studies on mucin vesicles have used vesicles stabilized with polyvalent anions. The slime is known to form rapidly after secretion, taking between 100-400ms, however the speed of the hydration of the mucus component has not been quantified. In this study we observed and captured the behavior of fresh mucin vesicles with an inverted microscope when first introduced to artificial sea water. A small dab of exudate was placed onto a slide and then vitro tubes slowly introduced water. The resulting behavior was the rapid swelling and expansion of vesicles seen at high magnification and captured using a high-speed camera. Focusing on the expansion of individual edge vesicles after contact with artificial sea water showed the rapid hydration and expansion of many vesicles. The expansion rate of the mucin vesicles was much faster than any observed slime formation. Preliminary analysis averages 30ms hydration times with some individual vesicles hydrating in as little as 15ms, along with vesicle area expanding around 5-fold. This suggests that when slime is naturally formed the mucous gel may be the first component to deploy. These insights on the mucin vesicle hydration speed in fresh exudate will further contribute to research involving the mechanisms for hagfish slime formation.
Presenter(s): Maxwell Lee, Yixing Zheng
Advisor(s): Dr. Hagop Atamian
Eryngium is the largest genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae. The genus includes around 250 species which are extremely variable morphologically. Eryngium plants have various culinary uses and are also used as ornamental plants. In addition, several species have been widely used in traditional medicine. More than 120 compounds have been isolated and identified from 23 species of Eryngium. In vitro studies with Eryngium extracts have shown anti-inflammatory, anti-snake and scorpion venoms, antibacterial, antifungal, and antimalarial, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity against various human tumor cell lines. Despite their medicinal potential, no transcriptome sequences are available for any of the 250 Eryngium species. In this project, we sequenced and assembled the transcriptomes of E. Ametistium, E. Gigentium, E. Verifolium, E. Yuccifolium and the endangered species found across the European Alps E. Alpinum. A total of 70 million 150bp reads were generated and assembled to around 35 thousand contigs per species. The assemblies were annotated and shown to have 72-85% completeness. Comparative transcriptome analysis with tomato and carrot sequences identified number of sequences specifically present in Eryngium species. This is the first report of Eryngium sequences and will be valuable in understanding the genetics underlying some of the medicinal properties of the different Eryngium species.
Presenter(s): Sarah Nunes
Advisor(s): Dr. Jason Keller
Six out of ten adults in the United States will be diagnosed with a chronic disease. Chronic inflammation and overactive immune responses have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and other diseases. Poor sleep has been shown to play a role in the incidence of a number of inflammation-mediated diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular disease; and, it is generally understood that certain proteins (cytokines) trigger these inflammations in response to low quality sleep. Much of this past work, however, has been limited to exploring the response of individual cytokines in response to poor sleep. The development and validation of multiplex assays now permit the evaluation of multiple cytokines simultaneously, which promises a more complete picture of the physiological links between sleep quality and inflammation. This study investigates the relationship between elevated cytokines with sleep quality and chronotype (e.g., morning type vs. evening type). We explored this relationship using the California Teacher’s Study, a large cohort of female teachers (n=133,473) who have been studied from 1996 to the present day through regular questionnaires that are sent out periodically. The questionnaires allowed participants to self-assess lifestyle factors such as sleep quality and chronotype. A subsample (n=838) of participants had bio-specimens collected concurrently with the fifth questionnaire permitting the measurement of 16 cytokines using a multiplex assay. Self-reported very poor sleep quality was positively correlated with elevated IL-8, IL-10, IL-6Ra, and TNF-a. Although elevated IL-6Ra was associated with more evening than a morning person, the majority of cytokines did not show any significant association with chronotype. Taken together, these results suggest that California Teachers are at an increased risk for adverse health effects due to elevated cytokines when experiencing poor sleep regardless of the timing of that sleep.
Presenter(s): Victoria Erickson
Advisor(s): Dr. Javier Gordon Ogembo, Gabriela Escalante
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the main cause of infectious mononucleosis and results in 200,000 new cases of EBV-associated malignancies each year. Since there’s no prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine available against EBV, there are 145,000 global deaths each year resulting from EBV-associated malignancies. Previous clinical prophylactic EBV vaccine candidates, which used only the immuno-dominant EBV glycoprotein 350/220 (gp350), were unsuccessful. In addition, previous research demonstrated that combining five EBV glycoproteins important for virus entry in diverse cell types in an EBV-like particle (EBV-LP) vaccine elicits high titers of neutralizing antibodies in immunized rabbits. However, the EBV-LP construct isn’t commercially scalable when produced in vitro, and overall immunogenicity can be improved. To produce a commercially-scalable prophylactic EBV vaccine and improve immunogenicity, we propose the use of the viral vaccine vector Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) to produce the EBV-LPs both in vitro and in vivo. We use molecular cloning to generate the MVA-based vaccine that results in the production of pentavalent EBV-LPs to elicit a humoral immune response. Our previous recombinant MVA construct incorporated gB and gp350 into the same insertion site in a polycistronic expression construct with a single promoter, but after several viral passages in MVA-permissive cells the gB glycoprotein gene was lost due to genetic instability. Here we work to develop a new recombinant MVA construct in which gB and gp350 are in separate insertion sites, to attempt to maintain genetic stability and adequate protein expression to render this a viable vaccine construct. We demonstrated successful insertion of gp350 into the recombinant MVA construct but failed to achieve insertion of gB. We propose sequencing and/or polymerase chain reaction to identify the cause of the failed insertion. Furthermore, we discuss potential modifications to our molecular cloning techniques to eventually achieve successful production of the final pentavalent construct.
Presenter(s): Yoobeen Lee
Advisor(s): Dr. Kenjiro Quides, Dr. Hagop Atamian
Legumes and rhizobia engage in a symbiotic relationship that is a model for studying microbial mutualisms. This interaction revolves around the nutrient exchange of rhizobia derived nitrogen for legume synthesized carbon that increases the growth of both partners. Therefore, measuring rhizobial population size can indicate the amount of beneficial nitrogen legumes receive. However, legumes interact with genotypes of rhizobia that provide varying levels of nitrogen, and it is unclear how rhizobial populations shift over time. Here, we use quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to rapidly track simple, two-genotype, populations of rhizobia, and compare our results to a traditional colony forming unit (CFU) method for analyzing rhizobial abundance in more complex populations. First, we confirmed that qPCR yielded similar results to CFU estimation for rhizobial populations within individual nodules. Next, we passaged and tracked our rhizobial population proportions across multiple plant generations and found that genotypes that fix more nitrogen increased in population proportion over time. Taken together, data collected for individual nodules and the passaging experiment validated the qPCR method. These experiments demonstrate the utility of qPCR for future experiments interested in analyzing rhizobia genotype proportions and how they relate to the level of benefits legumes receive.
Presenter(s): Teresa Hur
Advisor(s): Dr. Kenjiro Quides, Dr. Hagop Atamian
The microbiome of a host can change within a single generation, and repeated exposure to the same species of host can eventually shape a microbiome to be beneficial. In our study, we used the Lotus japonicus-Mesorhizobium loti symbiosis to explore the dynamics of simple artificial rhizobial populations using qPCR. To explore these population dynamics, we conducted a rhizobial passaging experiment wherein rhizobial populations were serially transferred to rhizobia–free plants. According to the sanctions hypothesis, we expect M. loti genotypes that fix more nitrogen to attain greater population sizes over time. We tested the sanctions hypothesis in populations that started with two different combinations of M. loti genotypes. The first combination consisted of a mediocre strain and a non–beneficial strain. The second combination of M. loti genotypes included the wildtype, a mediocre, and a non–beneficial strain. For our mediocre and non–beneficial combination of M. loti genotypes, we did not find support for the sanctions hypothesis. However, we did find support for the sanctions hypothesis in our wildtype, mediocre, and non–beneficial strain combination. The experimental approach used here could only be accomplished using molecular methods, such as qPCR, because the mediocre and non-beneficial strains are indistinguishable through culture-based methods. By utilizing a rapid, relatively cheap, and powerful technique, such as qPCR, future studies will be able to investigate the ecological dynamics of dozens of other M. loti mutants.Presenter(s): Ricardo Espinoza Hernandez, Leeyette Lolich, Alexa Ortega, Sarah Yang
Advisor(s): Dr. Lindsay Waldrop
Strategies to find and attract mates for reproduction vary between all animal species but generally involve using visual or chemical signaling. The Lampyridae family of soft-bodied beetles and glow worms includes many firefly species that use either visual or chemical signals (pheromones) for long distance communication, before final close-up behaviors involving pheromones. Chemical signalers exclusively use pheromones over long distances to attract mates. Visual signalers rely on flash patterns created by a bioluminescent organ, located within the insect's abdomen, to attract mates. Despite differences in long distance signaling, both chemical and visual signalers share similar chemosensory sensilla on their antennae that aid in the capture of pheromones. Since visual signalers do not rely on long distance chemosensation, these firefly species may have morphological differences in their antennae in comparison to the chemical signalers. We hypothesize that visual signalers will have shorter, less densely packed chemosensory sensilla near the distal tips of the antennae. We used scanning electron microscopy to photograph the antennae of various species within the Lampyridae family, all obtained from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Measurements of the antennae, collected using ImageJ, will allow us to present a phylogenetically corrected least squares regression analysis of several evolutionary morphological features, including the number, type and position of sensilla, length of the full antenna, etc. to test the hypothesis that natural selection has relaxed on antennae of visual signalers, leading to morphologically distinct chemosensory sensilla.
Business
- Gently Loved: a Framework for Two Sided Platforms
Advisor(s): Dr. Cristina Nistor
Fashion is a way for customers to express their personality, to connect socially, to express their authentic self within a society and participate in a shared experience of consumption. Consumers may have different motivations for choosing what types of fashion they purchase and sell. “Used” or “second hand” apparel has been sold traditionally in brick-and-mortar stores, however technology advancements have allowed the newer consumers (eg Gen Z tweens or college students) to make purchases easily in an online context that mirrors social media environment engagement. The apparel, considered “gently loved”, is sold on two-sided platform with users being the buyers and sellers. We aim to understand the reasons for consumers to adopt “gently loved” fashion. We rely on previous literature and recent public press articles to develop a framework to understand the new market for used clothing.
Chemistry
- Hydroboration and Cyclotrimerization Of Isocyanates Using A Cyclic Carbodiphosphorane Catalyst
Advisor(s): Dr. Allegra Liberman-Martin
Hydroboration is an important reduction step in the synthesis of many organic compounds in chemical industry, as its resulting boron-containing products can undergo many useful transformations. Hydroboration reactions are typically catalyzed by precious metals, which is neither cost effective nor energy efficient because mining these rare elements expends a large amount of energy. As a less expensive alternative, the Liberman-Martin Group has investigated the use of carbodiphosphorane catalysts that can be synthesized via a straightforward two-step synthetic process. These catalysts are extremely reactive nucleophiles due to their resonance structure which places two lone pairs on the central carbon atom. This poster will analyze the effectiveness of a cyclic carbodiphosphorane for the hydroboration of isocyanate-containing compounds versus a competing cyclotrimerization reaction using the same catalyst.
Presenter(s): Liam Sullivan
Advisor(s): Dr. Allegra Liberman-Martin
The objective of this research is to discover an effective, safe, and low-cost catalyst for ketone hydrosilylation reactions, which involve the addition of a silicon–hydrogen bond across a C=O double bond. Improving catalyst efficiency could benefit the organic synthesis industry, as carbonyl hydrosilylation is used industrially in the synthesis of alcohol products. Use of the carbodiphosphorane catalyst as a replacement for toxic heavy-metal-containing catalysts could reduce waste and emissions harmful to the environment, while also providing an alternative means for accomplishing ketone reduction. Using a cyclic carbodiphosphorane catalyst, we have compared catalytic activity toward acetophenone hydrosilylation for a range of 18 silanes, the most effective of which was diphenylsilane. A range of 24 alkyl and aryl ketones have also been investigated. The carbodiphosphorane catalyst was more active in ketone hydrosilylation reactions compared to other nucleophilic organic catalysts tested.
Presenter(s): Morgan Grimes
Advisor(s): Dr. O. Maduka Ogba
Bacteria that colonize animal host systems utilize tetrahedral zinc-sulfur complexes in their cellular defense system against neutrophilic bursts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at sites of inflammation. Of the several ROS characterized in this oxidative burst, hypohalous (HOCl and HOBr) and hypothiocyanous (HOSCN) acids are among the most potent for killing the invading pathogens. It is known that HOX-sensing occurs through oxidation at the zinc-bound cysteine(s) and consequent geometric disruptions at the metalloprotein. However, experimental reports suggest that HOCl/HOBr oxidation reactivity may be fundamentally different from that of HOSCN. In this work, density functional theory methods is used to investigate the likely mechanism for HOX-sensing at zinc-sulfur complex. The preferred oxidation pathways using HOCl, HOBr, and HOSCN have been computed and compared to illuminate reactivity differences that explain experimental observations. The computational data reveal (1) the role of minimizing geometric strain at the zinc center in controlling the mechanistic preference and chemoselectivity for cysteine oxidation when comparing HOCl, HOBr, and HOSCN, and (2) the role of the counterion produced in the reaction in facilitating the localized geometric disruption that launches the signaling cascade within the bacteria.
Presenter(s): Ka'Naysha Scott
Advisor(s): Dr. O. Maduka Ogba
Transition metal complexes have been widely employed as homogenous catalysts for hydrogenation and related reduction chemistry, many of which require harsh conditions. Despite the inspiration from nature optimized metal-sulfur complexes (i.e., nickel-iron hydrogenases) for hydrogen gas activation under mild conditions, a relatively small number of synthetic metal-sulfur variants have been reported. Experimental reports show that a series of so-called half-sandwich metal-sulfur complexes have been successful at facilitating hydrogenation and reduction. However, closer observation of select experimental data reveals varied reactivity across the reported complexes, and little is known about the factors that control such deviations in catalyst effectiveness, limiting our ability to develop more optimal bioreminiscent catalysts. These variations serve as the foundation for this project. Density functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate the likely mechanisms for the reduction (hydrogenation and hydrosilylation) of ketones mediated by half-sandwich iridium(III)-sulfur and rhodium(III)-sulfur complexes. Several computational model systems were employed to reveal the role of the metal, ligand coordination, and reducing agent on the energetically preferred mechanistic pathway. In this poster, insights from the computational work will be presented.
Presenter(s): Gabriela Nerhood
Advisor(s): Dr. O. Maduka Ogba, Dr. Allegra Liberman-Martin
Carbodiphosphoranes (CDPs) are divalent carbon[0] compounds with unusual electronic properties that make them highly reactive and unstable. CDPs have historically been used as strong sigma donors in organometallic complexes. Recent experimental work, however, have shown for the first time the use of CDPs as effective catalysts in the hydroboration of ketones and imines, rivaling other common Lewis base catalysts. Mechanistic details into the activation modes and consequent catalytic reduction afforded by CDPs are unknown. In this work, we use density functional theory methods to investigate several plausible mechanisms stemming from the CDP-substrate adducts formed in the reaction and reveal which catalytic pathway is energetically likely. Detailed analyses of developing charges and frontier molecular orbitals reveal why carbodiphosphoranes are effective Lewis-base catalysts, even when challenging substrates are employed.
Presenter(s): Hannah Chan
Advisor(s): Lauren Dudley
Organic chemistry is commonly known to have high failure rates and regarded as one of the most difficult courses offered in undergrad. This study assessed whether a modified general chemistry curriculum allowing for more time focused on foundational organic chemistry concepts in general chemistry can improve students’ grade outcome and/or self efficacy when transitioning from general to organic chemistry courses. Two separate variables were tested: grade outcome and self efficacy. Using an independent sample t-test, a comparison of the two groups (modified versus traditional general chemistry) was performed. Grades were assessed by giving students four questions (out of 4 points total) based on acid base chemistry, which were scored and summed to represent students’ grade outcome. A total of 79 students were evaluated, 29 of which participated in the modified general chemistry course while 50 participated in the traditional general chemistry courses. Modified general chemistry (M = 3.54, SD 0.60) scored similarly to traditional general chemistry (M = 3.65, SD = 0.51). There was no statistical significance in terms of grade outcome between the two groups (p = 0.354). The self efficacy assessment, based out of 30 points max, included six statements whereby students ranked their confidence level in each topic using a likert scale from 1 being not confident and 5 being totally confident. A total of 96 students participated, 31 from the modified general chemistry course and 65 from the traditional general chemistry courses. Modified general chemistry (M = 23.71, SD = 3.580) scored higher in self efficacy compared to traditional general chemistry (M = 21.72, SD = 4.021). The results displayed statistical significance (p = 0.021), implying a possible correlation between a modified general chemistry course and improved self efficacy. However, this outcome may have been due to other factors not analyzed in the study.
Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Maternal Praise, Affirmations, and Directives for Infants with Differing Hearing Status
Advisor(s): Dr. Mary Fagan
In general, maternal directives indicate a mother’s attempt to lead her baby away from an activity or object in which he or she may be engaged. Previous research shows that specific types of directives, such as intrusive directives, in mother-infant communications are often negatively correlated with the baby’s linguistic and vocabulary development. However, more positive methods such as praise, affirmations, and supportive directives, which are directives made by the mother that aid or strengthen the activity in which the child is engaged, do not show similar correlations. Although use of directives and positive methods varies from mother to mother, we predict that maternal use of directives and praise could be affected by whether or not the child’s communication senses are impaired. In our current study, we are interested in understanding possible relations between maternal directive and praise use and the hearing status of 10- to 24-month-old infants; that is, whether infants are hearing typical or have a hearing loss and use cochlear implants. Three different types of maternal directives are used in this study: supportive directives, which are often seen as positive directives that aid the child in their activity; objection directives, in which the mother shows disapproval of a child’s behavior; and intrusive directives, where the mother intends to lead the child away from their current activity to focus on a different one. The data for this study was collected from mother-infant communication recordings during playtime. Although research has been conducted to understand the effect of maternal directives, little research has focused on the impact of parental praise and affirmation. Even less research has been conducted with the inclusion of hard-of-hearing children. Thus, this study aims to understand how maternal directiveness and praise might differ between parents of hearing typical and hard-of-hearing children.
Presenter(s): Leighton Gagnon
Advisor(s): Dr. Mary Fagan
The aim of this study is to evaluate if children are able to demonstrate an object’s purpose, and determine if this corresponds with their vocabulary development. Vocabulary development was measured with a child’s score on the Communicative Development Inventory. Symbolic interaction is a precursor to language development. A child must demonstrate understanding of the purpose of an object before they name the object. This phenomenon is known as the symbolic interactionism theory. It states that the world is created by meanings that individuals associate to various social interactions, which are passed on through language. Children were presented with a cup, a comb, a car, and a phone. No instructions were given on how to use the objects. Video recordings were coded to document if the child correctly demonstrated use of each object and the number of interactions with the object. Next the child was given two rattles: one that made noise, and one that did not. How many times each rattle was shaken was documented. This study involved children both with and without hearing loss. All children with hearing loss had cochlear implants. Children that demonstrated symbolic object use were expected to have higher vocabulary scores than those who did not. Overall this study would answer the question: Do demonstration of symbolic objects correlate directly with language development as measured by vocabulary knowledge?
Electrical Engineering
- Preliminary Results for FMCW Radar Implemented With Software
Advisor(s): Dr. Maryam Etezadbrojerdi, Dr. Nasim Estahkri
The ultimate objective of our research is to utilize FMCW Radar (Frequency Modulated Continuous Waves) to track and record data on the attentiveness of students in classes. FMCW radar is a technique used for distance measuring using the doppler effect (https://training.ti.com/intro-mmwave-sensing-fmcw-radars-module-1-range-estimation). An antenna sends out a radio wave pulse, or “chirp”, that varies in frequency. The chirp is reflected off of the target, and the time-of-flight is used to calculate the distance to the target. Our research is based on Inattentive Driving Behavior Detection Based on Portable FMCW Radar by Ding et al. 2019, where they study the viability of FMCW radar as a monitoring device for drivers attentiveness on the road. Attentiveness in this study is measured based on tracking the movement of the head from the direction of the road. Our research follows a similar methodology, though our primary focus is on student attentiveness. Recording data on students’ attentiveness in class could provide critical insights when evaluating teaching methods. While there could be simpler approaches for collecting this data utilizing cameras and computer vision, the usage of cameras to evaluate students in class raises significant privacy concerns. Radar, unlike cameras, would not pose such a concern over privacy. Over the next month, we will work on our short term goal of using HackRF SDR (Software Defined Radio) devices alongside software (GNU Radio) to create a functional FMCW radar system to transmit and receive signals. This, specifically, is what we intend to present for the symposium.
Environmental Science and Policy
- Food Swamped: Co-location of Environmental Nuisance Properties Decreases Healthy Food Access for Communities of Color
Advisor(s): Dr. Jason Douglas
An estimated 54.4 million Americans live in unhealthy food environments. Food environments are the physical, social, economic, cultural, and political factors that impact the availability, accessibility, and affordability of healthy food within an area. Food deserts and food swamps classify areas with significant food access inequality; food deserts have little to no access to affordable and nutritious food, and food swamps host abundant junk food outlets. Ideal food environments have available, accessible, and affordable food, supporting residents with better health outcomes regarding BMI and obesity. However, food environments differ significantly between communities; lower-income communities with higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities often are within food deserts and food swamps, whereas wealthier communities with higher proportions of white residents tend to have greater access to healthy food distributors. Such inequalities influence individual and community health, as availability impacts food choices. Drivers of detrimental behaviors like smoking, drinking, and poor diets are influenced by an individual’s environment rather than solely personal attributes. In addition, proximity to nuisance properties like tobacco stores, marijuana dispensaries, and liquor outlets affect community health outcomes. And similar to unhealthy food environments, low-income communities with high proportions of people of color are inundated with nuisance properties. Research regarding the co-location of nuisance properties and unhealthy food environments remains uncharacterized. To explore this co-location, we created a GIS snapshot showing the distribution of nuisance properties and food retailers for the City of Los Angeles with communities of different average incomes and ethnic diversity. Such research that supports the conclusion that equitable access to healthy resources improves community health outcomes allows for advocacy and policies that bring about environmental justice within underserved communities.
Presenter(s): Rama Bedri
Advisor(s): Dr. Thomas Piechota
We are analyzing streamflow extremes in Western U.S. rivers due to climate change. Global warming causes natural disasters to reach extreme points and affects river volumes, snowfall, and precipitation amounts. We analyze the data for the Colorado River basin streamflow stations, whose rivers provide Southern California’s drinking water supply. Disruptions in streamflow due to climate change affect the region’s water availability and make it difficult to predict future trends. We compared historical streamflow data to eight possible climate scenarios. The different scenarios are Warm Dry, Cool Wet, Average, and Other at emission levels of RCP 4.5 and 8.5. First, we developed codes in RStudio to run the data, convert it to million acre-feet (MAF), and identify the amount of average flow. Next, it subtracts the mean flow from each year’s flow value to determine the deficit flow. Then, periods of drought or surplus, how much flow is associated with each time period, and the length of the period is identified. With the data, we ran t-tests to compare results. Additionally, we created boxplots, bar graphs, and maps of the water stations using ArcGIS to visualize the data. These results help predict future water trends. Based on the historical data, we saw long periods of drought over surplus in recent years. As climate change worsens, we expect to see continuous extreme droughts in dry areas and long periods of surplus in flood areas.
Food Science
- Screening of Salmonella in Raw Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Seafood
Advisor(s): Dr. Rosalee Hellberg
Raw ready to eat seafood products from various restaurants were examined and tested for the presence of Salmonella. Fecal and environmental contamination (Escherichia coli and coliforms) were also examined. This examination gave insight on whether or not many common raw RTE seafoods found at local restaurants are safe to consume. This research also clarifies if the safety measures for handling, processing, and transporting seafood is efficient in preventing microbiological hazards. As of now, the presence of Salmonella in seafood is not widely recognized. This is mainly because of the assumption that it will be cooked before consumption, however this is not always the case. The popularity of raw RTE seafood is rising worldwide. Common dishes such as poke, sushi, and ceviche contain raw seafood. In 2018, these dishes were placed in the top 100 hot trends by the National Restaurant Association (NRA 2018). As the intake of raw seafood increases worldwide, agencies such as the FDA need to adapt by changing or adding regulations to ensure seafood products do not contain Salmonella. This study could reveal the need for the FDA to assess their policies and regulations to lower the risk of Salmonella. Not only would this study provide insight for agencies, it could also inform the general public about the concern over raw RTE products.
Presenter(s): Amanda Tabb, Courtney Kitch, Grace Marquis
Advisor(s): Dr. Rosalee Hellberg
DNA barcoding is widely used to identify commercial fish species sold in the U.S and internationally. This method is based on DNA sequencing of a standardized region of DNA from a sample. Sequences can then be analyzed against the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD) for species identification. Additional analysis of samples by a method called DNA mini-barcoding can be used for samples that cannot be correctly identified to the species level by the traditional DNA barcoding method. While relatively high levels of seafood mislabeling have been reported for sushi dishes, few studies have investigated mislabeling of other raw, ready-to-eat (RTE) seafood such as poke and ceviche. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of species mislabeling in raw, RTE seafood products in Orange County, CA. DNA barcoding and mini-barcoding were used to investigate 112 samples of sushi, poke, and ceviche collected from various locations in Orange County, CA. All samples underwent DNA barcoding, followed by species identification using the BOLD database. After sequencing, 95 out of the 112 samples passed quality control. The FDA Seafood List was used to identify common and acceptable market names. The results showed that 25 samples were substituted on the basis of species, and 37 samples did not have an acceptable market name. The overall mislabeling rate for all samples combined was 65.3% (62/95). These results indicate a need for greater scrutiny of labeling practices for raw, RTE seafood sold in Orange County, California.
Presenter(s): Vanna Kizirian, Mo Hijazi
Advisor(s): Dr. Rosalee Hellberg
This research aims to test clover and wildflower honey sold on the commercial markets in Orange County for the presence of sugar adulterants and possible dilution with water. Honey is a common target of fraud, in which cheaper sugar syrups, such as corn syrup, beet syrup, and rice syrup, are added to replace authentic honey. In addition, honey is sometimes diluted with water, which can lessen the concentration of the natural components associated with the benefits of honey. A total of 30 honey samples were obtained from commercial markets in Orange County, CA. The degrees Brix of the honey was measured by a digital refractometer and converted to moisture percentage to validate it was under 18.6% moisture (the maximum level of moisture that should be present in commercial honey samples according to USDA Standards). Out of the 30 samples, 5 samples had a moisture percentage of 18.6% and above. The samples were tested for the presence of adulterants using 1H NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Spectroscopy. To obtain the exact chemical shifts in the NMR spectra, an unadulterated honey sample was used as a reference. Other sugar syrups such as corn syrup, beet syrup, and rice syrup were also obtained for comparison. The number signals in the chemical shifts are proportional to the concentration of the particular compound, which can provide insight into the concentration of possible sugar adulterants and other natural components. Overall, the results of this study will improve our understanding of the extent of honey fraud on the commercial market.
Health Sciences and Kinesiology
- Assessing the Feasibility of Collecting Ecological Momentary Assessment and Lung Function Data in Adolescents with Asthma
Advisor(s): Dr. Brooke Jenkins
Pediatric asthma is one of the most pervasive chronic illnesses, and it presently affects upwards of 6 million children in the United States. While previous research has linked asthma to multiple contributing biological and environmental factors, recent research suggests that psychological and social factors may have an impact on physiological outcomes of asthma like lung function and lung inflammation. Therefore, we designed a study in order to examine the biological, social, and psychological aspects of asthma in children diagnosed with asthma. In the present pilot study, we recruited a total of 66 children with a confirmed asthma diagnosis along with their parents from the Division of Pulmonology at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Participants were asked to complete an initial baseline assessment as well as ecological momentary assessments four times a day for seven days followed by a final follow up survey. Asthma symptoms and pulmonary function were measured using a 7-item Asthma Control Diary, and peak expiratory flow (PEV) along with forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) values were gathered using data from self-administered spirometer recordings during the ecological momentary assessment portion of the study. The purpose of the pilot study was to demonstrate the feasibility in collecting ecological momentary assessment data in accordance with psychological factors.
Presenter(s): Leah Auyoung
Advisor(s): Dr. Manjari Murali
Stress plays a significant role in people’s everyday life, impacting mental and physical health. A journal published by the American Psychological Association demonstrated that 44% of adults reported increased stress in the past five years (Clay 2011). This constant and more prevalent exposure to stress negatively impacts allostatic load, the cumulative wear and tear of stress on the body (McEwen B. S. 2005). The current self-study aims to examine the effects of mindfulness on stress reduction. I am the only subject in this study. I compared the effectiveness of two mindfulness courses on stress reduction, Fish Interfaith Center’s 6-week Mindfulness Course and the 4-week Koru Basic Mindfulness Course. The Fish course highlights techniques of mindful breathing, non-judgemental thinking, and mindfulness of body and emotion. The Koru course emphasizes mindful breathing, walking meditation, mindfulness of body, thoughts, and emotions, and guided imagery. Three assessments were used in this study to analyze stress reduction: (1) the symptoms of stress assessment analyzes how often one experiences common symptoms of stress; (2) the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is used to understand how different situations affect our stress levels; and (3) the Stress Coping Resources Inventory measures how individuals handle stress. All three assessments serve as tools to determine the severity and type of stress the participant is experiencing. The surveys also assessed how current coping strategies for stress work for the individual. All assessments were taken at four-time points, which were before (T1) and after completing the Fish Mindfulness Course (T2), before (T3), and after completing the Koru Mindfulness Course (T4). I hypothesize that while both mindfulness programs will reduce stress levels, the Fish Interfaith Course will be more effective due to the longer program duration, leading to more extended meditation practice.
Presenter(s): Kayla Kluemper, Catherine Helgeson
Advisor(s): Dr. Marybeth Grant-Beuttler
The primary goal of this research is to understand the motor control and development of children with idiopathic toe walking. The lead professor working on this project and our research overseer is Dr. Marybeth Grant-Beuttler. She led in the development of a shoe insert patent called the “Smart Stepper” to help train the children to improve their walking, specifically developing a heel strike gait. To perform the study, children from ages four to fourteen participated in a series of tests and measurements aimed to measure their gait and balance ability. After the first evaluation, the children wore the shoe inserts and continued the same series of assessments three more times in the following months. A specific group of children exhibited limited dorsiflexion measurements, and they were recommended to be casted at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Due to the abundance of data collected from this research, we focused specifically on this group of children and aimed to analyze their measurements from their initial visit to the visits after they were casted. As students, we helped with the data collection in the lab setting of the control children. We also assisted with our other desired learning outcomes such as entering data, observing data collection, coordinating with physical therapists in observation and recruitment, and anything else that would help see through the completion of the research. We hoped to see improvement in the children’s balance and gait measurements after they received the shoe inserts, and we are hopeful that this improves their quality of life.
Presenter(s): Caitlyn Varsam
Advisor(s): Dr. Rahul Soangra, Dr. Brent Harper, Michael Shiraishi
As of 2019, it was estimated that there were more than 223,000 hospitalizations relating to concussions/traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in America. In reality, the number of sports-related concussions is widely underreported, as this number only encompasses hospitalized patients. Approximately 15% of American high school athletes self-reported at least one sports-related concussion within the previous 12 months. Examples of common methods for diagnosis in athletes include reaction time or the sideline assessment. CT scans and MRIs can be quite costly, with the average cost of a head CT scan being $1,390.12 ± $686.13 as of 2015. However, 95% of concussions are not visibly seen through brain imaging, making this method of diagnosis a rarity for those experiencing extreme symptoms. Therefore, new accurate diagnostic tools are needed in order to detect sports-related concussions early, and directly on the field. Reaction times can provide a clinical measure of cognitive function within the brain. The purpose of this experimental study is to determine a concussion status through reaction time. Data collection will occur via a drop test, in which sensors will be affixed on a stick and on the wrist of the patient; the stick will drop at random and the time it takes for the player to catch the stick will be recorded as reaction time. A delayed reaction time may indicate neurological damage, and the possibility of a concussion can be examined.
Presenter(s): Steven Trinh
Advisor(s): Lauren Dudley
ThinkMED is a nonprofit initiative offering a four-week curriculum specifically designed to develop critical thinking and encourage evidence-based decision making. Each week’s content material revolves around the use of a ThinkBOX science kit containing four (4) wet-lab experiments designed to supplement the curriculum. Each experiment is formulated to be inclusive of all California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5. At the end of each week, students get the opportunity to speak with university professors & scientists from a multitude of subject areas including chemistry, anatomy, computer science, physiology, and bioengineering. ThinkBOXes are donated to children and families who do not have an environment that is conducive to entering the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). ThinkMED and our STEAM Team members seek to create an environment where Thinkers can explore all of the wonders that STEM has to offer on a level playing field without any barriers to learning. Some groups that ThinkMED has had the opportunity to work with are children from low-income families and under-resourced communities in Orange, Tustin, Westminster, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana, children with developmental disabilities, and children affected by a parent’s cancer. Ultimately, the goal of ThinkMED is to inspire the future of STEM, one project at a time.
Physical Therapy
- The Effect of Repeated Fatiguing on Extensor Coordination in Young Adults
Advisor(s): Dr. Jo Armour Smith
Introduction: The Sorensen Test is used to compare spinal/hip extensor endurance times and muscle fatigability, and the coordination between extensor muscle groups in individuals with/ without low back pain (LBP). We examined the effects of multiple repetitions (rep) of the Sorensen test on endurance time, muscle fatigue, and extensor coordination. We hypothesized that active young adults with LBP would exhibit less endurance, greater fatigability, and more reliance on hip extensors than back-healthy controls.
Subjects: 64 young adults (22.5 +/- 3.4 years), 41 with 1-year histories of recurrent LBP and 23 back-healthy controls. Methods: Surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes were bilaterally placed on the lumbar/thoracic erector spinae (LES, TES), obliques, and hamstrings. Participants performed 3 maximal Sorensen tests with 10-minute breaks between them. Endurance time and fatigability were calculated as duration of hold (DH) and median frequency slope (MFS) for each muscle. Main effects of repetition, group and interaction effects were tested with mixed-model ANOVA. Results: DH decreased across reps for both groups and was significantly less for reps 2 and 3 in those with LBP (mean [standard deviation] LBP2 89.3 [29.0]s, Control2 110. [37.8]s; p=0.019; LBP3 80.2 [25.0]s, Control3 101 [36.9]s; p=0.011). LBP reported after the test was low but greater in the LBP group (p<0.05) for reps 1 and 2, but not rep 3 (p=0.101) (LBP 0.7 [0.7]/10, Control 0.3 [0.6]/10 for rep 2). MFS was significantly more negative for rep 3 than rep 1 for LES (p<0.001), TES (p=0.001), and HS (p<0.001) but there was no main effect of group/interaction nor anything significant for the abdominal muscles. Conclusions: Repeated Sorensen’s led to increased spinal/hip extensor fatigue rates, suggesting that participants maintained a holistic strategy across repetitions that didn’t fatigue the abdominals. Our results suggest that active young adults with LBP have lower endurance times, but similar muscle fatigability/coordination compared to back-healthy controls.
Presenter(s): Amir Memarian, Olivia Johnson
Advisor(s): Dr. Rahul Soangra, Michael Shiraishi
The goal of the experiment is to determine whether dual-tasking (walking/moving) can affect vocal responses and communication in Parkinson’s patients. Parkinson's disease occurs due to a depletion of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra pars compacta, which severely reduces cognitive motor functions. Parkinson’s patients display reduced language ability and a lack of emotional verbiage, reducing sentence construction, word choice, and overall speech. With the introduction of dual tasks, there was greater stress on cognitive linguistic demand for Parkinson's patients. Fundamental frequency (vibration of the vocal cords) is linked to vocal pitch. Many patients are fixated on response style and are unable to detect variations in delivery, resulting in reduced speech during dual tasks. Although there is qualitative evidence surrounding reduced speech, there are limited quantitative results. Data was collected using an audio headset connected to an android phone, where subject responses for each of the trials were recorded. The questions given were read aloud to the participant audibly and they responded in verbal fashion. Our goal was to observe the differences in language presentation and delivery from the Parkinson's patient in single and dual task activities. During dual task objectives, which consist of answering questions while simultaneously walking on a force plate treadmill, we hypothesize that there will be a definitive discrepancy in emotional responses and articulation of speech among participants compared to singular task (seated) results. During the seated trials, responses given are predicted to be presented in a greater frequency, a louder voice, and higher quality. Contrary, in walking trials, the participant will give shorter responses with a lower quality, at a lower volume, and a lower frequency.
Political Science
- Immigrants Who Fear New Immigrants
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
The United States is a country of immigrants, yet somehow nativist fears of immigration have remained constant throughout American history and remain prevalent to this day. In this article, I examine how and why Americans are against welcoming immigrants into our country in 2022. While many people are uneducated about the topic of immigration, research shows that as people learn about the positive effects of immigration, they will come to support it. We can see that people have many differing viewpoints when it comes to immigration, whether based upon the ethnicity, religion, national origin, or basic preconceived biases of immigrants. All these factors contribute to Americans’ negative opinions of immigrants. These opinions are often deeply rooted and not easily changed. In this paper, I explore how these opinions can be significantly changed with proper education. Some of the rare instances in which people have changed their opinions on immigration are from information campaigns. Immigration is perceived as something that is negative, despite research showing that it benefits the economy, jobs, and, because birth expectancy is going down in the US, it will help maintain healthy population growth. In reality, there will always be people who oppose immigration, but with the right education people can open their eyes to the positive impacts of immigration and come to support it.
Presenter(s): Serena Park
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
In recent years there has been increased concern and conversation regarding immigration to the United States, especially illegal immigration across the United States-Mexico border. As a result, anti-immigration sentiments have been on the rise, with fear of immigrants increasing crime, bringing disease, and decreasing employment opportunities as common justifications. Relying on the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national sample of adults and their fears in the United States, this paper studies what exactly drives this fear of immigrants and immigration—whether it is fear of illegal immigration, white people no longer being the majority, increased crime rates, economic concerns, other reasons, or a combination of any of the above. I expect to find that it is a combination of multiple factors that drives this fear of immigrants and that a sole component cannot be attributed to such a complex question. This research can help explain what drives anti-immigration beliefs and subsequent actions. Especially in light of recent events such as the ones regarding the border wall, police brutality, and hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community as a result of COVID-19, these findings regarding anti-immigration may be mirrored in topics concerning race, helping to bring light to what motivates people to harbor enmity to those who differ from them.Presenter(s): Juhi Doshi
Advisor(s): Dr. Ann Gordon
Conservative media sources tend to amplify anti-immigrant rhetoric on their news shows. In this paper, I examine how conservative media sources may influence how likely one is to fear illegal immigration. Relying on the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national sample of U.S. adults, data is sourced from questions that ask subjects how afraid they are of illegal immigration, where they receive their news from, and what their political affiliation is. The topic of illegal immigration has been studied for years, however, there is not much literature published on how media consumption can directly impact people’s fears. Social media and news outlets’ coverage of immigrants can connect to public attitudes on immigration policy in the U.S. The framing theory shows that the way an issue is presented to an audience influences the choices people make on how to process that information. The analysis of the survey responses shows that there is a relationship between the fear of illegal immigration and conservative media coverage. My research shows that media outlets an individual chooses to consume will impact their opinion on illegal immigration.
Psychology
- Validating the Threshold of Conscious Perception
Advisor(s): Dr. Aaron Schurger
Experimental manipulations of conscious sensory perception ordinarily rely on behavioral metrics that can be used to infer the presence or absence of consciousness. Such metrics imply that there is a threshold intensity above which subjects are conscious of stimuli and below which they are not. Wherever the “true” threshold of conscious perception might lie, any behaviorally-based metric of conscious perception makes a commitment to where to place that threshold. However, no metric has become universally agreed upon. Importantly, placement of this threshold determines how to group the data in experiments aimed at identifying neural correlates of consciousness. Here we argue that if a given purported threshold is a threshold of subjective experience, then there is one test that, at a minimum, this threshold must pass: If identical stimuli are presented at two different levels of intensity that straddle the threshold, then subjects should tend to report that the two stimuli are subjectively different. Furthermore, the probability that both stimuli are reported as different should be lower if both stimuli are below or both are above the putative threshold. Any threshold that does not pass this test, though it might be a threshold of something, is not a threshold of subjective experience. We estimated thresholds using this approach and compared them to thresholds obtained using d-prime, accuracy, meta d-prime, and subjective report. Our data offer a means to test the subjective validity of perceptual thresholds and also provide evidence for an abrupt non-linear threshold of conscious perception.
Presenter(s): Stephanie Munduruca, Victoria Tang
Advisor(s): Dr. Brooke Jenkins, Dr. Eric Sternlicht
Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in children. Studies have found that children from families with lower parental socioeconomic status (SES) have poor asthma control, leading to greater asthma severity. Children from single-parent households were also found to have greater asthma severity. These associations between family structure and asthma severity may exist through the mediating mechanism of self-efficacy. Specifically, it has been shown that children from families of higher SES and with married parents have higher self-efficacy and self-esteem. In turn, higher self-efficacy in pediatric asthma patients is associated with greater self-management and lower severity. This study will investigate how family structure and SES are associated with children’s asthma severity and the mediating role of self-efficacy. Data were obtained from Children’s Health Orange County Pulmonary Clinic with pediatric patients with asthma between the ages of 12-17 (N = 47). Parents and children completed a baseline survey where parents self-reported marital status and SES, and children completed subjective measures of self-efficacy. For seven days, four times a day, children measured their asthma severity by recording lung function values, Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), and Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1), using a peak flow meter. These variables were used to perform mediation analysis in SPSS. Mediation analysis found that there were no significant associations found between parental SES and child self-efficacy, and child self-efficacy and child asthma severity for both FEV1 and PEF values. Similarly, no significant associations were found between parental marital status and child self-efficacy, and child self-efficacy and child asthma severity for both FEV1 and PEF values. These results suggest that child self-efficacy may not serve as a mediator in the association between parental SES and child asthma severity and the association between parental marital status and child asthma severity.
Presenter(s): Helen (Hee Youn) Lee, Lexxie Lopez, Harshitha Venkatesh
Advisor(s): Dr. Brooke Jenkins, Dr. Julia Boehm
The COVID-19 pandemic and preventive measures such as social distancing and campus closures have brought unprecedented social isolation to college students. Past studies have suggested that being socially isolated may not only have harmful effects on one’s mental health but also result in a variety of physical health problems, such as a weakened cardiovascular system. On the other hand, higher perceived social support can lead to more positive health outcomes as it is associated with lower mortality risk and greater use of active coping strategies. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how loneliness and perceived social support of college students are associated with their physical symptoms and coping styles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The variables were measured through an online survey administered across five different time points in 2020 with students (n = 292) enrolled in Chapman University. Linear regression analyses were conducted to predict the students’ physical symptoms and coping styles using their levels of loneliness and perceived social support. The analyses used the first wave of data (from May 2020) to predict the second and fifth waves of the survey, which took place in July and December of 2020, in order to examine how baseline levels at the start of the pandemic predicted changes in the outcome variables at the beginning of the study compared to at the end of the year. Students who showed higher loneliness at the time of the baseline survey reported greater numbers and higher severity of physical symptoms two months later, b = 2.37, t = 2.89, p < .05. In contrast, students who reported greater perceived social support showed smaller numbers and lower severity of physical symptoms both two (b = -3.35, t = -2.54, p < .05) and seven (b = -3.27, t = -2.23, p < .05) months later. Neither loneliness nor social support significantly predicted the students’ coping styles (ps > .05). This study may help inform future interventions to protect the physical and psychological well-being of college students during the global health crisis.
Presenter(s): Christine Chang
Advisor(s): Dr. David Frederick
Discrimination and prejudice against Asian Americans have increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports of anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 164% in 16 of America’s largest cities. Labeled as the model minority, discrimination towards Asian Americans has often been subtle over the past several decades, most commonly seen through microaggressions. However, as COVID-19 became nicknamed the “Chinese Virus,” the tying of the virus to Asian Americans led to greater expression of anti-Asian rhetoric in the media. Asian Americans reported greater incidences of being excluded, feeling unwelcomed, being told to “go back to their country,” and being physically threatened due to the perceived connections between their ethnicity and COVID-19. Experiencing greater racism during the pandemic placed Asian Americans at a heightened risk for adverse mental health outcomes. The Asian American Attitudes Study surveyed 305 Asian American adults about their experiences with racism-related stressors and their overall well-being. Asian Americans who experienced high levels of vicarious racism, perceiving other people in their same ethnic/racial group being discriminated against during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety. The present study also found that Asian Americans who had higher acculturation to Western society reported higher levels of depression and Asian Americans who reported higher levels of social support had lower levels of depression and anxiety. COVID-19 was a time when many minority groups were at a heightened risk for adverse mental health outcomes. As the pandemic continues, these findings emphasize the need for additional research on interventions that are specifically catered to Asian Americans and the unique factors that contribute to their mental health.
Presenter(s): Jolie Binstock, Tanshi Mohan
Advisor(s): Dr. Julia Boehm
Research suggests that parental involvement in a child’s education is correlated with positive educational outcomes for the child, such as higher subject literacy and grade-point averages (Boonk et al., 2018; Fan & Chen, 2001). The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship was present between parental involvement and children’s post-high school plans regarding continuing education and career goals. Data came from children and their parents in the 1958 National Child Development Study, which collected information from 17,415 babies born in Britain, Scotland, and Wales across their lifetime. Parental involvement was assessed using teacher ratings from a survey in 1969 when the children were eleven years old. Child outcomes regarding their plans and career goals after high school were evaluated in 1974 when they were sixteen years old. We hypothesized that higher ratings of parental involvement in 1969 would correlate with more ambitious educational goals reported by children in 1974. Chi square analyses and corresponding effect sizes will be used to evaluate this hypothesis.
Presenter(s): Lauren Anderson
Advisor(s): Dr. Tara Gruenewald
Exercise can play a critical role in helping individuals adapt to stress given its known links with mental and physical well-being. Anxiety and depression affect millions of Americans and the prevalence of these conditions increased during the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Past research has indicated that there is an association between higher physical activity and decreased depression and anxiety symptoms. In the present study, we examined whether exercise frequency was linked to levels of depression and anxiety, and whether exercise frequency moderated hypothesized associations between greater negative impacts of the pandemic and greater levels of depression and anxiety, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data came from the Coping with COVID-19 Study, a sample of 1,728 participants (51.7% female, ages 18-65+) from across the U.S. who were invited to participate in five waves of a longitudinal survey study. COVID-19 stress was evaluated as the average of seven negative impacts (e.g., loss of job-related income) of the pandemic. Exercise frequency was coded as days per month of moderate and vigorous exercise engagement. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Analyses of the baseline survey (April 2020) indicate that greater negative COVID impacts predicted higher levels of depression (β = .45***) and anxiety (β = .53***), and greater vigorous exercise frequency predicted lower levels of depression (β = -.10***), but were unrelated to levels of anxiety in regression models with age and sex covariates. Moderate exercise frequency was not linked to mental well-being, nor did exercise interact with COVID impacts to predict levels of depression and anxiety. Ongoing analyses are exploring whether these patterns of association hold in later stages of the pandemic. Initial findings indicate a negative association between greater exercise frequency and depression but no evidence of a buffering role for exercise in links between COVID stressors and mental well-being.
Presenter(s): Natalie Standridge
Advisor(s): Dr. Tara Gruenewald
Conspiracy theories are beliefs that provide an explanation for a situation by blaming a group of individuals for scheming to achieve a malevolent goal. Conspiratorial beliefs have been found to be associated with lower physical and psychological well-being; as such, it is important to identify factors that increase conspiracy theory endorsement. These beliefs are often hypothesized to arise from the presence of an existential threat as conspiracy theories can provide an explanatory structure for external stressors. Meaning-making fueled attraction to conspiracy beliefs are especially likely to in the presence of an antagonistic outgroup. Social exclusion is a form of existential threat that has been shown to increase conspiracy theory endorsement, but many studies assessing vulnerability to conspiratorial thinking in the context of social exclusion have assessed adherence to preexisting conspiracy beliefs as compared to demonstrating vulnerability to new conspiratorial ideologies. The goal of the current study is to examine whether the experience of social exclusion can increase the likelihood of endorsement of a novel conspiracy theory and increase outgroup antagonism. Exposure to social exclusion was manipulated through an online game, Cyberball, in an experiment conducted on the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Following the presence or absence of social exclusion during the online game, participants were then asked to complete a measure assessing tendency to endorse a novel set of conspiracy theories regarding energy drinks, and additional measures of endorsement of false, novel, and true conspiracy theories. Outgroup antagonism was assessed by having participants rate ideologically inconsistent political figures on a series of adjectives. It is predicted that social exclusion will increase vulnerability to endorsement of both novel and known conspiracy beliefs, and promote outgroup antagonism. Study findings will contribute to our understanding of whether social exclusion influences vulnerability to conspiratorial thinking and outgroup antagonism.
Presenter(s): Natalie Standridge, Clarissa Tadros
Advisor(s): Dr. Tara Gruenewald
Conspiracy theories are beliefs that a group of individuals is attempting to achieve sinister goals in secret. These beliefs usually result from fear and existential threat and are associated with decreased psychological and physical well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant national stressor and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs have grown in popularity. Our previous research indicated that greater COVID conspiracy beliefs predicted lower frequency of engagement in COVID prevention behaviors and lower vaccine receptivity. In the current study we examine the psychological and social well-being correlates of these beliefs. Data comes from a sample of 1,728 U.S. adults who completed four online surveys over approximately one-year (April 2020-April 2021) to assess COVID-19 experiences and psychosocial and physical well-being. COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs were measured at waves two and four and well-being and psychosocial well-being (perceived stress, depression, social well-being) at every wave. Greater belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories predicted lower levels of social well-being (wave 2 β=-.13, p<.001), greater levels of perceived stress (wave 2 β=.10,p<.001; wave 4 β =.11,p<.001), and greater levels of depressive (wave 2 β=.15, p<.001; wave 4 β =.11, p<.001) and anxious symptomatology (wave 2 β=.14, p<.001; wave 4 β =.11, p<.001), in regression models including age, sex, race, and education covariates. Each one unit increase in greater endorsement of COVID conspiracies was associated with 1.6 greater odds of a respondent reporting severe depression and a 1.4 greater odds of reporting severe anxiety. These findings indicate that greater endorsement of COVID conspiracy theories is linked to poor psychological and social well-being, although the causal direction of these linkages is unclear and an important target of experimental research. Given observed associations between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and lower psychosocial well-being, these beliefs appear to be important targets for interventions to promote psychological and social well-being.
Presenter(s): Sophie Srivastava
Advisor(s): Dr. Vincent Berardi, Dr. David Frederick
As public opinion is known to impact policy formation, assessing how the public misperceives the homeless population is important to prevent non-informed policies from being adopted. This study focused on correcting misperceptions about the homeless as a means to garner support for public policies that are known to improve the lives of homeless individuals and those with mental illness. The research study implemented two forms of virtual interventions (refutation texts and personal anecdotes from homeless individuals) plus a control and assessed support for various policies before and after the trial. The goal of the study was to determine which intervention modality most effectively corrects misperceptions, reduces stigmatized attitudes, and influences support for effective policy solutions. Participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk in California (N = 319) were randomly assigned to either the control group or one of the two intervention groups. A regression model was used to compare the means between the intervention and control groups and determine if the intervention had a significant effect on participant opinions and demographic ratings. I hypothesized that misperceptions regarding homelessness causes would be positively associated with support for ineffective policies. I also hypothesized that participant demographics would play a role in opinions, with conservative participants and older participants believing in more stigmatized causes. In terms of the interventions, I hypothesized that the anecdotes will be more effective than the refutation texts in promoting sympathy and humanizing the homeless in the eyes of the participants due to the effectiveness of interventions that utilized the contact hypothesis. Conversely, I hypothesized that the refutation text intervention, rather than the anecdotes, would result in more accurate perceptions of causes, more support for known effective policies, and more accurate estimates of the demographic breakdown.
Religious Studies
- Folklore, Fins, and Feminism: Gender Themes in Mermaid Mythology
Advisor(s): Dr. Julye Bidmead
Considering that water covers seventy-one percent of Earth’s surface connecting cultures from around the globe, it is unsurprising that mermaid mythology is ubiquitous, influencing the folklore and culture of different ethnic groups and societies around the world dating back to 2900-2334 BCE Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. The image of mermaids varies by culture, yet she is present as a symbol of femininity, female empowerment, sexuality, independence, and fearsome female forces beyond the control of patriarchy. Mermaids symbolize freedom, emotionality, and escapism for women throughout history in mythology, literature, art, and media, captivating cultures to the present day. I am examining the history of the mermaid figure in world mythologies, exploring the mermaid character archetype, the depiction of the female body as mermaid on screen, female sexuality, and opposing the male gaze. The popularity of the mermaid figure is apparent in Hollywood film history with ebbs and flows of mermaid content which appeared to resurface at socio-historically significant moments during both periods of rigid, enforced gender roles, like the 1800’s and 1950’s and progress for gender equality of the 1980’s in Western cultures. My research comparing elements of gender and sexuality in mermaid mythology from around is the foundation for my television pilot about 1950’s America which reflects multiple mermaid mythologies. My poster presentation will consist of my vision for the series and historical evidence of mermaids as feminist figures in world cultures.
Presenter(s): Jennifer Carpenter
Advisor(s): Dr. Julye Bidmead
Whilst learning about omens and their significance in Mesopotamian spiritually and the influence they had over peoples day to day lives during that period of time it rose some interesting questions. The most important of which is my hypothesis that some Omens were not just based on religion but also could be assisting with the health and ultimately survival of the population. Omens were a very significant part of Mesopotamian life and many decisions were based off of their beliefs in these omens. For example, any skin diseases were seen as a bad Omen and therefore a stigma was created around skin impurities. We’ve seen this in other religions like the rules of Kosher in Judaism and the reasoning behind them being both spiritual and practical to protect the people within the religion or like in Mormonism when those who practice refrain from drinking alcohol and caffeine both of which have negative health effects when consumed too often. I find it hard to believe that the reason for all of Mesopotamian Omens lies in truly just spirituality and not practicality at all and in my research I will attempt to look over these omens and compare them with modern counterparts and see if they help at all with the peoples well being and survival rates.
World Languages and Cultures
- Impact of French History on Medical Advancements
Advisor(s): Dr. John Boitano
Medicine is an industry best known for being ever-changing and, because of this, medical education is something that undergoes constant refinement and growth to align with the current standard. The education that physicians underwent in the 17th century is nearly unrecognizable when compared to today’s methods of educating our future healthcare professionals, however many of these modern-day methods can be attributed to the advancements made by older countries. This research project seeks to explain how French contributions to medical education over the last 300 years has altered the way physicians and other health officials are educated globally today. Knowledge of this topic, though broad, has not yet been culminated into a comprehensive project that clearly illustrates via a historic timeline how medical education was shaped by French political, social, and economic movements. Over 25 peer-reviewed sources were identified and consulted to determine whether there was corroborating evidence that French contributions to the way health professionals were educated had a lasting impact. It resulted that several large advancements such as the popularization of cadaver use in medical schools, integration of faculties and students into new research-oriented hospital systems, and requirements for practice like licenses and board exams influenced medical education in a way that is still visible today. France was not the only country to make significant medical improvements throughout history, however their notable achievements have revolutionized medicine now and for years to come.
Presenter(s): Madeleine Smith
Advisor(s): Dr. John Boitano
French Films, as a way of exploring French Culture, hold vital information about how the French approach, understand, and interact with other cultures and the idea of “other,” as it pertains to preserving one's culture with the effects of globalization and immigration today. Previous studies have relied on reported quantitative data about films, immigration statistics, and opinion surveys. Le Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) surveyed the films being played in French movie theaters and found that throughout the last decade nearly or more than half of the films shown have been American films. We use articles, studies, and films to discern what aspects of French culture have been reinforced throughout recent history and to understand how the idea of “other” in films, whether that be culture, nationality, or language has impacted the acceptance of immigrants. While the acceptance of immigration and cultural sharing or mixing is a debated topic both amongst the French and in French Politics, this research looks to explore the reinforced images and language used to discuss the “other,” as films are a powerful tool in cultural development. The French have stereotyped and portrayed other cultures as distant from their own, and in turn have created a power differential where French culture is seen as superior to the other cultures in France, which has impacted citizens' views on the immigration practices of their country.
Presenter(s): Van Baumann
Advisor(s): Dr. John Boitano
Queer historical figures affirm and bring to light the lives of those often written out of history. Julie d’Aubigny was a duelist and opera singer in 17th century France, and importantly a notorious bisexual in the Parisian city scene. Historical representation of queer individuals is essential to establish a world that understands and accepts the community. This essay works to discuss the life and legacy of Julie d’Aubigny, and the importance of her documentation as a woman who engaged in public with other women romantically. Her life survives on in letters, opera reviews, and press stories from the time period. The accounts of the life of Julie d’Aubigny allow for modern analysis of how sexuality intertwined with historical societies and hierarchies, especially revolving around how nobility affected perception of sexuality. The persistence of her existence throughout history proves that although barriers to acceptance of the queer community have often included erasing aspects of biographical historical accounts, the existence of queer people will continue on regardless.
