Abstract Booklet 2015_Spreads

2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Participant Check-In 8:00 a.m.—9:00 a.m.
Poster Session A 9:00 a.m.—10:30 a.m.
Poster Session B 10:30 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Fine Arts Gallery 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Main Stage 9:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.
Award Ceremony 2:00 p.m.—Close
Marshall “Chip” Montrose
Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
Dr. Margaret Hanson
Associate Dean of the Graduate School
Megan Tischner
Coordinator, Graduate Student Expo & Poster Forum
Graduate Student Expo
& Poster Forum

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Syed Abbas
Civil Engineering, PhD
Ayse Arslanargin
Physics, PhD
Srinivasa Prashanth Balasubramaniam
Mechanical Engineering, MS
Kathryn Ball
Fine Arts, MFA
Jacob Bellman
Mathematical Sciences, MS
Vanessa Bentley
Philosophy, PhD
Anish Bhalchandra
Computer Engineering, MS
Surbhi Bhatnagar
Computer Science & Engineering, PhD
Lucinda Brown
Nursing Practice, DNP
Elizabeth Bullard
Geology, MS
Stella Mosher
Geology, MS
Debra Burgess
History, PhD
Megan Underhill
Sociology, PhD
Arundhoti Chakraborty
Chemistry, PhD
Dhawal Chheda
Environmental Engineering, MS
Jerusha Clark
Health Services Management, MPH
Xinyu Cong
Biological Sciences, MS
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034
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Jocelyn Connolly
Anthropology, MA
Venicia Slotten
Anthropology, MA
Michael Craig
Systems Biology and Physiology, PhD
Aubrey Culp
Health Education, PhD
Kalasia Daniels
Sociology, PhD
Sarah Herrle
Nursing Research, PhD
Michelle Dietz
Germanic Languages & Literature, PhD
Amy Donnellan
Shivani Kishor Dumpawar
Materials Science, MS
Pankaj Dwivedi
Cancer and Cell Biology, PhD
Kaylin Earnest
Chemistry, PhD
Joshua Eby
Physics, PhD
Branden Elmore
Communication, MA
Ahmed Fahad
Literacy and Second Language Studies, EdD
Rebecca Fehn
Kelsey Feser
Geology, PhD
Curtis Webb
Sociology, PhD
Bradley Fevrier
Poster
Number Presenter
Fine Arts
Gallery

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Mark Haase
Chemical Engineering, PhD
Rebecca Haley
Chemistry, PhD
Allyson Hamlin
Molecular, Cellular & Biochemical Pharmacology, PhD
Traci Hanley
Chemistry, PhD
Ryan Saadawi
Chemistry, MS
Roseann Hassey
Business Administration, PhD
Lauren Heitkamp
Anthropology, MA
Staci Herman
Chemistry, PhD
Mary Hoffman
Chemistry, PhD
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Sarah Herrle
Kalasia Daniels
Sociology, PhD
Mary Hoffman
Chemistry, PhD
Staci Herman
Chemistry, PhD
Heather Hopgood
Chemistry, PhD
Ian Horwitz
Fine Arts, MFA
Heidi Hsieh
Epidemiology (Environmental Health), PhD
Wenting Huang
Immunobiology, PhD
Teminijesu Ige
Mona Jenkins
Educational Studies, MA
Mitchell Jones
Counselor Education, EdD
Lindsey Justice
Colleen Karkhang
Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, MSN
Jessica Kendziorski
Nadeesha Koralegedara
Environmental Engineering, PhD
Amanda Krutzler
Biological Sciences, PhD
Jacob Lalley
Kristen Fleming
History, PhD
Megan Lamkin
Shawna Fox
Lauren Freese
Anthropology, MA
Erika Freimuth
Geology, PhD
Yeon Jee Suh
Geology, PhD
Rukmini Gorthy
Jennifer Grabo
Chemistry, PhD
Poster
Number Presenter
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Fine Arts
Gallery

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Kun-Po Li
Immunobiology, PhD
Ke Liu
Immunobiology, PhD
Xiaoming Lu
Immunology, PhD
Eva Lutz
Design, MDES
Patrick Malsom
Physics, PhD
Amrita Mandal
Molecular & Developmental Biology, PhD
Samantha Marita
Educational Studies, PhD
Caravella McCuistian
Psychology, PhD
Danni Lanaway
Psychology, PhD
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Patrick McGrath
Victoria McKenna
Communication Sciences and Disorders, PhD
Pallavi Meharia
Dale Merz
Chemistry, PhD
Bineyam Mezgebe
Keerthisaranya Palanisamy
Sergio Molina
Mathematical Sciences, PhD
Stella Mosher
Geology, MS
Elizabeth Bullard
Geology, MS
Lina Motlaghzadeh
Communication Sciences and Disorders, PhD
Madhura Mujumdar
Electrical Engineering, MS
Shameka Neely
Lauren Novelli
Oladunni Oluwoye
Toritseju Omaghomi
Tevhide Ozkaya Ahmadov
Chemistry, PhD
Bineyam Mezgebe
Megan Lamkin
Kristen Fleming
History, PhD
Danni Lanaway
Psychology, PhD
Caravella McCuistian
Psychology, PhD
Siri Langone
Fine Arts, MFA
Kendra Leahy
Chemistry, PhD
Stephanie Lefeld
Fine Arts, MFA
Allison Lester
Educational Studies, MA
Poster
Number Presenter
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094
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Fine Arts
Gallery
Fine Arts
Gallery

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Mary Clare Rietz
Fine Arts, MFA
Jessica Ringo
Chemistry, PhD
Robert Ross
Chemistry, PhD
Mellie June Paulines
Chemistry, PhD
Andrew Rosselot
Marilyn Rush-Ossenbeck
Mental Health Counseling, MA
Carolyn Rydyznski
Immunobiology, PhD
Ryan Saadawi
Chemistry, MS
Traci Hanley
Chemistry, PhD
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Sujan Sarkar
Chemistry, PhD
Sue Schlembach
Moen Sen
Mohammed Shaheen
Aerospace Engineering, PhD
Zuchao Shen
Yu-Hsuan Shih
Chemistry, PhD
Katie Sinagoga
Venicia Slotten
Anthropology, MA
Jocelyn Connolly
Anthropology, MA
Stephanie Spiegel
Criminal Justice, PhD
H. Dushanee Sriyarathne
Chemistry, PhD
Yeon Jee Suh
Geology, PhD
Erika Freimuth
Geology, PhD
Toloo Taghian
Physics, PhD
Mahendra Thapa
Physics, PhD
Kosala Thenna Hewa
Chemistry, PhD
Amy Thompson
Fathima Thowfeik
Chemistry, PhD
Lakshmi Palaparambil Dinesh
Raghav Pandey
Mellie June Paulines
Chemistry, PhD
Robert Ross
Chemistry, PhD
Olivia Pavlov Garcia
Psychology, PhD
Laura Pinelo
Chemistry, PhD
Teal Porrini
Fine Arts, MFA
August Powers
Chemistry, PhD
Poster
Number Presenter
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Fine Arts
Gallery
Fine Arts
Gallery

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Curtis Webb
Sociology, PhD
Kelsey Feser
Geology, PhD
Nadeesha Wellala
Chemistry, PhD
Shana White
Biostatistics (Environmental Health), PhD
Richard Wolhoy
Fine Arts, MFA
Roseline Yunusa
Yongkun Zou
Materials Science, PhD
Meredith Threatt
Elham Torabi
Jared Travers
Immunobiology, PhD
Qingshi Tu
Megan Underhill
Sociology, PhD
Debra Burgess
History, PhD
Sarah Unser
Chemistry, PhD
Annette Volk
Mechanical Engineering, PhD
Poster
Number Presenter
Acknowledgements
The Graduate School would like to thank all judges for your time and thoughtful
evaluations. The students you judge will use your feedback to craft improved posters
and research presentations in the future. We truly appreciate your service and hope
that you take pride in the impact you’ve had on graduate student research here at UC.
We would also like to thank the faculty, librarians, departmental staff, fellow students
and other persons who directly support the graduate students presenting today. Your
continuing efforts make such wonderful graduate research possible.
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Fine Arts
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14 15
tourism in the latter half of the century. When Hugo hit in 1989, both of
these sectors were devastated. Manufacturing declined precipitously from
1987 to 1992, relative to St. Thomas and St. John. The tourism industry
was also battered, as 30% of hotels were destroyed following Hugo, most of
which have never reopened. Since that time, little recovery has been seen in
these sectors, suggesting that Hugo had both short- and long-term effects
on the island.
Kristen Fleming
History, PhD
Advisor: David S. Stradling, PhD
Megan Lamkin
Advisor: Stephen F. Matter, PhD
Project Advisor: Arnold I. Miller, PhD
Rethinking the Role of a Field Station on a Tropical Island
In a recent report, the National Research Council noted that field stations
and marine laboratories can provide critical platforms for research and
education that are especially relevant to the resilience of natural and social
ecosystems. Importantly, these roles can only be realized fully if stations
are woven into the fabrics of surrounding communities, with extensive
education and outreach opportunities that regularize exchanges between
researchers and community stakeholders. In considering field stations and
Curtis Webb
Sociology, PhD
Advisor: Jeffrey M. Timberlake, PhD
Kelsey Feser
Geology, PhD
Advisor: Arnold I. Miller, PhD
A Bomb or a Blessing? Impacts of Hurricane Hugo on the
Economy of St. Croix
In 1989, the eye of Category 4 Hurricane Hugo passed directly over St.
Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. During the 12 hours it hovered above the island,
it wreaked damage so extensive that, many argue, 25 years later, the island
has yet to fully recover. During the Fall 2014 semester, students in the EVST
6025 Natural Disasters course examined the multi-dimensional fallout of
Hurricane Hugo on the island of St. Croix. Our interdisciplinary team was
tasked with assessing the economic impacts of Hugo, with a focus on the
tourism industry. To accomplish this, we first investigated the ways in which
the economic and social history of St. Croix set the stage for the effects of
Hurricane Hugo. Second, in an attempt to isolate the effects of Hugo from
other factors, we employed a difference-in-differences design to understand
changes in the economy of St. Croix, relative to the economies of the nearby
U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. John. A review of the academic
literature, personal accounts and historic records revealed a long history
of economic turmoil on St. Croix. The island of St. Croix shifted from a
major agricultural producer in the early 20th
century to manufacturing and
Arts & Humanities
Life Sciences & Medicine
Physical Sciences & Engineering
Social & Behavioral Sciences
All students who present research posters at the Graduate Student Expo
& Poster Forum are evaluated by two judges from the student’s field or a
related field. The judges’ score sheets with comments and suggestions for
improvement will be distributed to the participants following the event.
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Cultural Studies in St. Croix: More than a Hurricane Defines a
People
The words Hurricane Hugo survivors on St. Croix use to describe the
category-five storm sound like a well-rehearsed script, its echoes unchanged
after 25 years. The hurricane razed 90 percent of the homes on the 83 square
mile island, leaving none of its residents untouched. Everyone, regardless
of race, ethnicity or class, recalled the same apocalyptic aftermath. Homes
and businesses demolished. Cars upended. Boats rested on steep hillsides,
miles from their docks. Sustained winds of 160 mph stripped trees of their
verdant, tropical leaves creating a brown, bombed out looking landscape.
In the early hours after the storm, the island was eerily still and quiet;
the persistent buzzing of yellow jackets, homeless without leafy protection,
punctuated the yawning silence of the disaster-ravaged landscape. But
recovery depended, in large part, on variables that islanders didn’t control.
Families left or stayed on island based on those variables, which positioned
them to view the same hurricane in vastly different ways.
Long-standing ties bind many Cruzans to the compact yet varied
landscape where every leaf tells a story and every sign of life carries echoes
of a complicated past. Throughout its history, St. Croix has been deforested,
by man and by nature, then replanted from ridge to shore; first with sugar
cane and then by the intentional or volunteer plantings of both indigenous
and non-native species. She has been verdant, fruitful, teeming with natural
beauty, and she has been scorched and desolate, bearing the marks of Mother
Nature as well as the anger of a people who had had enough deprivation,
degradation and abuse. Today, she continues to build toward a successful, if
slow, recovery from traumas, both natural and manmade.
Kalasia Daniels
Sociology, PhD
Advisor: Ervin R. Matthew, PhD
Sarah Herrle
Advisor: Donna Z. Shambley-Ebron, PhD
Challenging the Media’s Frame
In 1989, Hurricane Hugo severely damaged St. Croix. National coverage
immediately after the storm focused on looting and disorder, rather than
human suffering and resilience. To assess the changing nature of the
Hugo story, we analyzed the anniversary coverage in the St. Croix Avis
and the Virgin Island Daily News. Just after the 25th
anniversary, we also
conducted face-to-face interviews with Hugo survivors. The data clearly
shows that over time, a more complete picture of the events surrounding
Hugo emerged. The local press reported more and more stories as people
were physically and psychologically able to relay their experiences. Among
those unable or unwilling to tell their complete stories was Cindy Mault,
long-time St. Croix resident and teacher. After 25 years, she wrote out her
story in preparation for an anniversary interview, during which she relayed
her experiences for the first time. Mault and other Crucians acknowledge
that looting occurred. Mault even called St. Croix “an island gone mad,” but
hers and other Crucians’ stories included pro-social behavior. Indeed, over
time, stories of heroism—neighbors offering help, sharing shelter during
the storm and food and other resources after, all improvisational emergent
Syed Abbas
Civil Engineering, PhD
Advisor: Gian A. Rassati, PhD
Advanced Hybrid Simulation Model Based on Phenomenology
and Artificial Intelligence for Seismic Loading
Hybrid simulation technology combines real time experimental testing
of complex parts of a structure with virtual models of those parts. These
models can be simulated computationally with confidence, to obtain the
response of an entire structure to an earthquake as a whole. However, at its
current level of maturity, the application of hybrid simulation technology
is greatly limited by the hybrid simulation performing capabilities of
experimental testing facilities.
The advanced hybrid simulation model greatly reduces the number
of experimental tests required to run a hybrid test. The model feeds on
results of an experimental test, and based on phenomenology and artificial
intelligence, predicts the behavior of all other similar components that
would have otherwise required experimental testing. These results, coupled
marine laboratories in the 21st
century, one question seems paramount:
Should a 21st
-century station be based on a model that integrates a broad
spectrum of scholarship focused directly and purposefully on the concept
of local and regional resilience?
Here, we address this question by first reviewing the history of the West
Indies Laboratory on St. Croix (1972-1989), considering what made it
successful initially, and then ultimately unsustainable after it was severely
damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. We then review ongoing development
efforts—and resistance—to a proposed Marine Research and Education
Center (MREC) at Salt River, St. Croix; the current proposed scope of its
scientific efforts; and possible alternatives to this mission and associated
design that might enhance its sustainability. Finally, we explore an
alternative to MREC: the Caribbean Center for the Advancement of Island
Resilience (C-CAIR) located in the heart of St. Croix’s largest population
center, Christiansted.
This study was conducted under the auspices of a transdisciplinary
course, Natural Disasters (Environmental Studies 6025), taught during Fall
2014 with funding from UC Forward and the Graduate School.
Debra Burgess
History, PhD
Advisor: Mark Raider, PhD
Megan Underhill
Sociology, PhD
Advisor: Jennifer Malat, PhD
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behaviors—gained a favored place in the island’s collective memory. Hugo’s
anniversaries provided moments when individuals and the community
as a whole could take stock of this watershed event. Increasingly, the
local newspapers provided essential space for psychological healing and
constructive remembrance. By the time the 25th
anniversary arrived, the
dominant stories of Hugo emphasize resiliency, community, courage and
the creation of stronger social ties.

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primary research question was, “What are the identifiable success factors
for anti-FGM/C programs in Africa?” The literature search identified 15
studies—two systematic reviews, one mixed methods study, three quasi-
experimental studies, two cross-sectional studies, five qualitative studies
and two program/policy reports.
Culture was identified as the most important influence behind FGM/C,
followed by religion. In many areas where it is practiced, there is a complex
intertwining of cultural and religious motives for perpetration of the act.
Cultures that favored female subjugation were more likely to be in support
of the practice. When each was utilized as a sole strategy, health education,
legislation and female empowerment resulted in some attitudinal changes
but were ineffective at bringing about significant changes in behavior.
This study showed that culturally sensitive anti-FGM/C programs
that combine multiple approaches (Health education, legislation, female
empowerment) and directly engage with the focus communities through
dialogue and diplomacy with their traditional and religious leaders were
the most effective at bringing about both attitudinal and behavioral change.
Mohammed Shaheen
Aerospace Engineering, PhD
Advisor: Shaaban A. Abdallah, PhD
Patterned Savonius Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Farms
A cluster of three co-rotating Savonius vertical axis wind turbines
(VAWTs) arranged in a triangular shape in close proximity is developed.
The cluster arrangement enhances the average output power of its three
turbines by 16% compared to three isolated turbines—the improved
performance comes from a positive interaction between the three turbines.
These findings are used to develop a novel patterned Savonius (VAWT)
farm that consists of multiple turbine clusters with the same triangular
topology. The patterned farm has an improved performance identical to
that of the three turbine cluster. Numerical solutions for the patterned farm
performance are confirmed for nine and twenty seven turbine farms. All the
numerical results are obtained using Fluent code.
Ahmed Fahad
Literacy and Second Language Studies, EdD
Advisor: Holly Johnson, PhD
Sociolinguistic Challenges Faced by Graduate Students at
U.S. Universities: A Case Study for Iraqi Graduate Students at
University of Cincinnati
This study addressed the challenges encountered by Iraqi graduate
students at both the Intensive English Program and the regular academic
degree programs at U.S. universities. Using a case study approach, the study
focused on five Iraqi graduate students studying at University of Cincinnati
to address those challenges and seek solutions that help the current and
upcoming students adjust to an American college campus culture. Two
questions guided the research: 1) How do Iraqi graduate students perceive
their challenges in a new setting with English as the medium of instruction
for the first time? and 2) What social, psychological, and linguistic factors
are behind those challenges? Study results showed the linguistic, social and
psychological challenges as experienced by the participants. This study is
significant in terms of providing an explanation of the type of challenges
encountered by the students and to offer recommendations to improve the
practices of the intensive English programs and better meet students’ needs.
Srinivasa Prashanth Balasubramaniam
Advisor: Grant Schaffner, PhD
Design and Development of an Assistive Lower Body
Exoskeleton for Independent Sit to Stand Transition among the
Elderly
Being able to maintain independence in daily living is an important
factor that contributes to a person’s wellbeing. The ability to perform
Activities of Daily Living (ADL) such as being able to walk, stand up from a
seated position and being able to climb stairs are essential for maintaining
an independent living. Ability to stand up from a seated position, also
known as Sit to Stand transition (STS), is important for performing ADL
like getting out of the bed, getting up after using the restroom and getting
out of a chair. People lose the ability to perform STS due to loss of strength
in the leg muscles. Often this is caused by old age or diseases affecting the
nervous system such as Alzheimer, Parkinson, Epilepsy and strokes. The
inability to perform STS may lead to fall related injuries, which might be
fatal at times.
According to a 2014 CDC report, there were 2.5 million cases of nonfatal
falls in older adults in the year 2013 and the direct medical cost of fall
(in real-time) with computational models of the rest of the structure,
allow hybrid testing of large and complex real-life structures without any
limitations posed by capabilities of an experimental testing facility. With
the application of this model, the complexity of the structure no longer
remains a deterring factor in conducting hybrid tests.
The model is based on phenomenology that requires experimental
results as inputs to make the response predictions, and is independent of
material or geometry of the components being tested experimentally. This
unique feature makes the model an efficient tool to conduct hybrid testing
of structures made of any material and configuration. In addition, the use
of artificial intelligence enables performing hybrid simulations without any
prior experimental test results for any structural component.
Teminijesu Ige
Advisor: Bradley R. Wilson, PhD
What Are The Identifiable Success Factors for Efforts Against
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Africa?
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has been a recurrent topic
in international public health deliberations during the last decade due to its
adverse health consequences. Despite efforts to eliminate the practice, it has
persistedinsocietieswhereithasalonghistory.Thepurposeofthisstudywas
to assess the current evidence on the effectiveness of anti-FGM/C programs
in Africa. A review of literature was carried out on international and local
anti-FGM/C programs in 14 countries of where FGM/C is practiced. The
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related injuries (adjusted for inflation) were $30 billion. Nursing homes
help address this problem, but the costs are high and it leads to injuries
to both patient and the nurse involved—due to improper body posture
of both patient and nurse during the patients STS. Implementation of
technology can help address this problem. The aim of this project is to build
an affordable assistive exoskeleton based on the biomechanics of STS for
elderly individual with insufficient muscle strength. It will detect the user’s
intent to perform STS, and then augment the user’s efforts in performing
STS.
Rebecca Haley
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Hairong Guan, PhD
A Mechanochemical Approach to Nickel Catalysis
Increased interest in developing more environmentally benign synthetic
methodology has led researchers to more fully investigate the field of
mechanochemistry. This work involves nickel catalyzed cycloaddition of
terminal alkynes under the mechanochemical conditions of high-speed
ball milling (HSBM). The nickel catalyst is in the form of metallic nickel
from the reaction vessel itself. The products of this cycloaddition yield
the unexpected substituted cyclooctatetraenes as opposed to substituted
aromatic compounds.
Toritseju Omaghomi
Advisor: Steven G. Buchberger, PhD
ProbabilityDesignforNeedBasedWaterDemandinTomorrow’s
Buildings
In the US and around the globe, today’s peak water demands in buildings
are estimated based on a curve from the classic works of Roy Hunter.
Hunter’s curve is a theoretically rigorous and graphically convenient
approach designed to estimate the 99th
percentile of water demands in public
facilities. However, experience has shown that Hunter’s curve overestimates
peak water demand for contemporary buildings. Hunter’s underlying
assumption is congested use (constant demand) of fixtures during periods
of peak demand. Over estimation of water demand result in oversized
pipes, which increases construction cost, poses health hazards from water
stagnation in pipes and encourages excess water/energy consumption in
hot water supply. There is a need to update the current design methods and
replace the 1940 Hunter’s curve with a system that incorporate conditions
reflecting tomorrow’s water usage pattern by end users (e.g., commercial,
institutional, residential, etc.). The updated design should be flexible, benefit
a broad range of end users and address the aforementioned issues from
over estimating peak water demands. This research aims at improving the
methods of estimating water demands in buildings. It involves a probability
model that utilizes the Monte Carlo simulation to develop a cumulative
distribution of water demand for possible water use scenarios in a building.
The expected number of simultaneously busy fixtures and weighted demand
flow can be determined, and the peak water demand can be estimated from
a dimensionless plot. This peak demand can be used to improve selection of
water meters and many other water system features.
Jacob Bellman
Mathematical Sciences, MS
Advisor: Sookkyung Lim, PhD
Phase Response Analysis of the Circadian Clock in Neurospora
crassa
Circadian rhythm is crucial in maintaining an organism’s daily routine.
We present a model which accurately simulates the molecular components
governing the circadian clock of the model organism, Neurospora crassa.
Environmental cues, such as light, perturb the phase of the circadian
oscillator—a phenomenon generally measured with a phase response curve
(PRC). Our model advocates that Neurospora’s phase response to light is
primarily regulated by the degradation of the clock protein White Collar
1 (WC-1).
Zuchao Shen
Advisor: Benjamin M. Kelcey
The Relative Trustworthiness of Different Inferential Tests in
Detecting Multilevel Mediation Effects
In regards to statistical power when mediation effects exist and Type I
error rates when mediation effects do not exist: Previous research has found
that the performance of different inferential tests of mediation analysis
are inconsistent with each other in simple level mediation. However, in
education, multilevel mediation effects are more common than merely at a
single level. Literature is incomplete about the performance (i.e., statistical
power, Type I error rates) of different inferential tests of mediation analysis
in multilevel settings.
To properly assist researchers in detecting multilevel mediation effects,
we investigated the performance concerning statistical power and Type
I error rates of several common inferential tests (e.g., first-order delta
method, second-order delta method, distribution of the product, parametric
bootstrap confidence interval, Monte Carlo confidence interval, and joint
significance) in multilevel settings. Using simulation, we examined the
performance of different inferential tests in 2-level mediation analysis
along several primary design dimensions: 1) different 2-level mediation
models, 2) different type of designs (i.e., balanced design and unbalanced
design), 3) different sample sizes at different levels, 4) different magnitude
of the mediation effect and direct effect, 5) the variation of ICCs. The most
trustworthy inferential tests that can balance practical and performance
considerations in multilevel mediation analysis were recommended.
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Mark Haase
Chemical Engineering, PhD
Advisor: Vesselin N. Shanov, PhD
Determining the Structure of Carbon Nanotube Arrays by TEM
Tomography
Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted a great deal of interest due
to their incredible electrical and mechanical properties. As research into
applications of these properties progresses, it is becoming clear that the
extent to which these properties manifest on the macroscale is dependent on
the nano-scale structure of these tubes. This applies not only to the electrical
and mechanical properties, but also to properties such as spinability, which
allows CNTs to be conveniently processed into useful materials. For the
materials based on CNTs to achieve their full potential, it is vital that this
nanoscale structure be measured--and variations within it correlated with
material property variations. This has proven challenging in the past, due
to the small size of CNTs and large number of them in even the finest of
threads. This work will present the preliminary result of efforts to overcome
this challenge by applying Transmission Electron Microscopy Tomography
to CNT materials.
Ryan Saadawi
Chemistry, MS
Advisor: Joseph A. Caruso, PhD
Traci Hanley
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Joseph A. Caruso, PhD
Hookah Smoking: Which is Worse, the Tobacco or the Charcoal?
Hookah smoking has been popular in the Middle East and surrounding
regions for ages, and its use is emerging rapidly in Western cultures. This
makes it imperative to study various aspects that may result in harm
to the smoker, such as toxic trace metals, PAHs, etc. Many studies have
been performed on cigarette, cigar, and pipe tobaccos, while virtually no
studies for these toxins have been performed on hookah tobacco. It is well
documented that other tobaccos are known to contain toxic metals such
as As, Cd, Cr, and Pb. However, little is known about the metal content in
hookah tobacco formulations. Charcoal, the heat/combustion source in
hookah smoking, is far different than burning cigarettes and cigars.
Microwave assisted digestion, in combination with ICP-MS, was utilized
to elucidate the toxic metal content in both charcoal samples and in an array
of different brands/flavors of hookah tobacco. While the Arsenic totals are
thought to be unacceptably high, clearly we must investigate which forms
of Arsenic are present. Hence, a speciation study was undertaken to assess
which inorganic or organoarsenicals are present in the neat charcoal.
August Powers
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Thomas L. Beck, PhD
Modeling Ion Solvation in Nanopores for Energy Storage
Applications
Future developments for energy storage systems, such as lithium ion
batteries and supercapacitors, follow two main avenues: optimizing current
materials, and finding new materials to boost performance. Using computer
modeling, sub-par configurations can quickly be found and removed
from the consideration for prototype formulations, conserving time and
resources. In the interest of modeling and exploring the basic physics of these
systems, previous classical simulations have calculated single-ion solvation
thermodynamic quantities in ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene
carbonate (PC). The current work builds on these results by modeling a
graphene slit-like nanopore—the basic structure of a supercapacitor—and
looking at the solvation structures and thermodynamics of ions in the pore
versus in bulk solvent. Preliminary results show interesting similarities and
differences between the two scenarios, pointing towards possible trends for
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Vanessa Bentley
Philosophy, PhD
Advisor: Robert A. Skipper, PhD
A Century of Searching for Sex or Gender Differences in the
Corpus Callosum
The corpus callosum (CC), the white matter tract connecting the
hemispheres of the brain, has been studied for sex/gender differences for
over a hundred years. The standard view is that women have a larger CC or a
larger splenium (the posterior fifth of the CC). Two meta-analyses (Driesen
and Raz 1995; Bishop and Wahlsten 1997) and a review (Fausto-Sterling
2000) contradict the standard view. However, these findings are ignored and
research persists.
This is ethically problematic because finding sex/gender differences and
assuming they are natural contributes to the harm experienced by women
– and science is complicit in this harm. I update the story, finding that: 1)
there is no consistent finding of sex/gender differences across studies; 2)
researchers ignore the empirical evidence and keep searching for differences;
3) researchers confuse sex and gender terms; 4) researchers assume that
results from limited, Western, industrialized samples generalize across
cultures and across time; and 5) researchers do not consider the effect
of social experience on CC size and shape, revealing a bias for natural,
biological (meaning genetic- or hormonally-caused) explanations over
social explanations.
Thus, current practice in the neuroimaging of sex/gender differences in
the corpus callosum is methodologically and theoretically flawed, which
014
contributes to the reduction of sex/gender differences to nature. Using
feminist standpoint theory, I suggest modifications to current practice
to overcome these problems. These modifications involve theorizing sex
and gender; assessing the influence of experience on CC morphology;
broadening diversity of participants; and being reflexive in reporting results.

24 25
solvating larger ions (i.e., [TEA]+
[TFB]-
) involved in a more realistic model
of the supercapacitor cell.
Bradley Fevrier
Advisor: Bradley R. Wilson, PhD
The Role of Diversity in Popularizing Hookah among College-
Age Adults: The Risks Associated with Being Hooked
Hookah smoking is a growing public health concern among many
college-age students throughout the United States. The popularity of
hookah smoking has quickly grown among young college-age adults even
though research is showing that its use and effects are significantly linked
with nicotine reliance and other adverse smoking-related health concerns.
As a result of the diverse cultural backgrounds of those frequenting
hookah lounges, students are drawn to these settings as they find a sense
of belonging. Because of the Middle Eastern and European influences that
have popularized hookah, it is seen as fashionable and the dangers are
often not realized. According to current literature and information from
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hookah smokers believe that there
are lower risks for smoking-related health concerns associated with hookah
smoking than for other types of tobacco use (e.g., smoking cigarettes).
This presentation will review literature suggesting that the charcoal used
to heat tobacco in the hookah increases health risks by producing smoke
that contains high levels of carbon monoxide, metals, and cancer-causing
chemicals. For example, an hour long hookah smoking session involves
problem,” healthcare providers are turning to telemedicine technologies.
Deploying telemedicine technology at all care sites in a region is expensive.
We design a simulation-based optimization model to determine which
hospitals in a region should receive costly “telestroke” telemedicine units
in order to ensure the best possible responsiveness within a given budget.
Stephanie Spiegel
Criminal Justice, PhD
Advisor: Christopher Sullivan, PhD
Considering Disproportionate Minority Contact in Context:
Race, Juvenile Justice Processing and Family
Profiles of official delinquency cases have identified disparities in
juvenile justice processing. The causes and mechanisms of these disparities
are complex, however, and while there has been some research on the topic,
studiesinfrequentlyanswerquestionsabouthow,andtowhatextent,familial
factors might account for differences in juvenile justice outcomes. This is a
significant oversight in light of the parens patriae origins of the juvenile
justice system and the clear importance of the family in youth development.
Based on a multisite study of juvenile court processing, this analysis uses
official case records in addition to individual and family factors to consider
the degree to which familial risk/protection has a direct and/or moderated
effect on juvenile justice decisions. Qualitative interviews and observations
involving dozens of key decision-makers within those agencies will also
be used to understand how familial characteristics influence processing
roughly 200 puffs, while smoking a cigarette involves 20 puffs. The volume
of smoke inhaled during a typical hookah session is about 90,000 milliliters,
compared with 500 to 600 milliliters inhaled when smoking a cigarette.
Thus, future research in the area is needed, and studies to develop health
communications to inform college students of the potential health risks
involved with hookah use will be important.
Elham Torabi
Advisor: Craig M. Froehle, PhD
Time is of the Essence: Simulation-based Optimization of
Telemedicine and Stroke Team Deployment
Responsivenessisakeydimensioninservicequalitybothfrommanagerial
and customer perspectives. Internet and telecommunication technologies
can help improve responsiveness by mediating between customers and
service providers who are not co-located. In healthcare services, where
responsiveness can be a life-and-death matter, how these technologies are
deployed can be of crucial importance. In the case of ischemic stroke, to
be most effective, recognition and treatment requires temporal urgency.
However, many ischemic stroke patients do not get timely care because
most hospitals do not have stroke physicians on site 24/7. To increase
responsiveness to stroke victims, regional stroke teams are increasingly
being organized with a stroke physician on call at all times. Once notified,
the on-call physician typically travels to the patient’s bedside to provide
care, resulting in a delay in care due to travel time. To solve this “distance
decisions for minority youth. The paper’s discussion will then consider how
this triangulated view of the question might enhance our understanding of
DMC issues and provide ideas for system response.
Dhawal Chheda
Advisor: George A. Sorial, PhD
Evaluation of Trichloroethylene Removal in a Biotrickling Filter
under Acidic Conditions
This study evaluates the removal of trichloroethylene (TCE) using a
biotrickling filter. TCE has been extensively used for various purposes
including metal degreasing and in the dry cleaning industry. It is estimated
that most of the groundwater in the USA may be contaminated with TCE.
As TCE is toxic and carcinogenic to humans, its effective elimination is of
great importance. Two identical cylindrical biotrickling filters—each with
diatomaceous earth as the microbial attachment media—were operated at
an operating temperature of 20°C and pH 4, for enhancing the growth of
fungi. In order to further enhance the biodegradability of TCE, methanol
was added as a co-metabolite. This study investigates different concentration
ratios of TCE and methanol. This helps to select the optimum concentration
ratio for obtaining the highest TCE elimination capacity, as well as avoiding
inhibitory competition from methanol towards biodegradation of TCE.
Each biofilter is assigned with a different feed ratio, the first one with
70% methanol and 30% TCE and the second with 80:20%. The empty bed
residence time is set at 2 minutes, and a range of TCE loading rates from 1
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to 13 g/m3
/hr is studied for each ratio. The systems are shut down for two
days as a biomass control strategy. Currently, a removal efficiency of 74%
was achieved for TCE in 70:30% biofilter with 3.2 g/m3
/hr loading rate and
elimination capacity of 2.5 g/m3
/hr. Further enhancement in performance
of the biofilter for elimination of TCE is under investigation.
Michelle Dietz
Germanic Languages & Literature, PhD
Advisor: Valerie Weinstein, PhD
„Lässt die Regierung den Überschuss verbrennen”: Excess,
Exoticism, and Exclusion through Montage of Food in Dudow’s
Kuhle Wampe
Slatan Dudow’s Kuhle Wampe (1932) is overtly political, encouraging
reform of capitalist systems that desolated Weimar Germany’s proletariat.
While there are multiple layers of ideology in the film, the most basic is
the politics of food and its connections to the corporeal reality of the
characters. Using the new technique of Soviet Montage, the director and
writers combine contrasting scenes to equate excess of food with power and
inclusion. Conversely, those who do not have access to food are portrayed as
powerless and excluded from society. This analysis examines exclusionary
politics of food through two scenes that center on the family Bönike
to interpret how contrast, montage, sound, and camera depict abstract
ideologies.
In the first scene, the family’s son is excluded from the table because he
cannot find a job. The resulting fight and hopelessness, contrasted with
many harmful solvents is the isolation step, which is often carried out using
chromatography. Perhaps a system could be designed that requires no
solvent in the reaction phase and the greenest solvent possible in the isolation
phase. Simple filtration is easier, less time-consuming and produces less
waste than chromatography, and the solvent is easily recycled since there is
no mixture of solvents (as in chromatography). Polymer-supported reagents
could be the key to this method. Because they are insoluble in almost all
solvents, these polymer-supported reagents can be separated from the
reaction mixture by simple filtration. The functionalized polymer remains
in the filter paper, and the desired product ends up in the flask. We have
investigated this idea in several reaction schemes, including the oxidation
of alcohols using a polymer-bound-TEMPO/Oxone system. Our system has
successfully oxidized various alcohols to carboxylic acids, and the polymer-
bound TEMPO can be recovered and reused at least 8 times.
Marilyn Rush-Ossenbeck
Mental Health Counseling, MA
Advisor: Cirecie West Olatunji, PhD
Using a CBT-Based Therapeutic Community Program to
Facilitate Healthy Relationships among Military Veterans and
their Families
The authors propose a CBT-based Therapeutic Community (TC)
program designed to facilitate healthy relationships between military
veterans and their families. In many military veteran families, there is a
struggle to maintain a healthy and balanced life both outside and inside the
flashbacks of the son riding the bike through the city to find a job, leads to
exclusion from life itself when he commits suicide afterward. The second
scene juxtaposes the worried face of the penniless Frau Bönike with images
of groceries and prices, as her husband clumsily reads about exorbitant
wages accrued by Mata Hari aloud. Here, food contrasts the poor’s exclusion
from society through inability to provide for themselves with the rich’s
ability to pay thousands of dollars for sex. These scenes help demonstrate
how Kuhle Wampe uses food—literally and symbolically—to demarcate the
line between the haves and have nots, the rich and poor, the full and empty
belly.
Kendra Leahy
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: James Mack, PhD
Together at Last: Functionalized Polymer Resins and the High
Speed Ball Mill
Traditionally, organic chemists have used solutions to run their reactions.
Solution chemistry has the advantage of allowing individual molecules
to encounter each other and react. Unfortunately, many of the solvents
necessary for this solution chemistry are carcinogens, teratogens or are
highly toxic. Producing, using and discarding these solvents poses a major
concern to the environment and global health. Ball milling allows reactions
to occur with no solvent. Particles are broken down into small particles
by physical impacts. In this way, individual molecules can encounter each
other and react, just like in solution chemistry. Another aspect that includes
household. This struggle affects both spouses and children and is evidenced
by the higher rates of suicide, unemployment, divorce and homelessness
that are often found in this population. The Therapeutic Community Model
was originally created in order to effectively treat clients suffering from
substance-abuse and related issues and has been found to be successful
in this, and other populations. The program follows a 12-week or 90-day
design, each divided into three separate, smaller phases. In addition to
outlining this model, we offer recommendations for ways that this approach
could impact the counseling field in new and positive ways.
Heather Hopgood
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: James Mack, PhD
Making Carbon-Carbon Bonds without Solvent
As environmental concerns have become more prominent in today’s
society, green chemistry has evolved in an effort to reduce the harmful
impacts of chemical waste. Ideally, green chemists would be able to
eliminate all hazardous and wasteful components of their experiments.
With that lofty goal, the Mack group has adapted a solventless method
which uses high speed ball milling. In this system, dry reagents are crushed
together—so that they are broken down and mixed—allowing them to
react in a similar fashion to being dissolved in a solution. Because of this
lack of solvent, the chemical environment is expected to be unfavorable to
the dissociation and stabilization of ions, which leads to a question about
limitations within the ball mill. One of the most important parts of organic
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chemistry is the ability to create carbon-carbon bonds. In this study, we
attempt to understand one common organic method under these unique,
solvent free, conditions and compare this to the reactivity in traditional
synthesis. Particularly, we are interested to know how the ball mill effects
the formation of the products and any selectivity within the reaction.
Lucinda Brown
Advisor: Catharina Henderson, DNP
Implementation of a Multimodal Support Strategy for
Adolescents with Chronic Pain
Adolescents with chronic pain may be noncompliant with multimodal
management strategies to maximize function and minimize pain.
Management involves medications and therapies such as counseling,
massage, exercise, dietary modifications and peer support. Chronic pain
is a problem in the pediatric population (Huguel & Miro, 2008). Teens all
reported a poor quality of life, missed numerous days of school and had
disrupted peer relationships. Adolescents with chronic pain experience
a change in their emotional, physical and social states. The impact of
these changes on both the teen and family is challenging. The increasing
prevalence of chronic pain, along with the tendency for chronic pain to
persist into adulthood, highlights the importance of identifying strategies
to manage pain (Hoftun, Romundstad & Rygg, 2012).
The utilization of multimodal management has shown to be effective
within a treatment program (Tan, Craine, Bair, Garcia, Giordano, Jensen,
The adsorption of phosphate was investigated using iron oxide-based
adsorbents. These adsorbents are highly effective at sorption due to their
high surface area, surface functional groups, and electrostatic attractive
properties. Iron oxides are also very widespread in nature, making them
inexpensive, as well as being environmentally friendly.
In addition to testing for phosphate adsorption based on batch (kinetics
and equilibrium) and column tests, the adsorbents were characterized to
gain insights on their surface morphology (SEM), mineralogy (XRD),
surface area (BET), zeta potential and crystal structure (HR-TEM). Also,
the recovery of phosphate was investigated by desorption with a NaOH
solution.
Arundhoti Chakraborty
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Hairong Guan, PhD
Bifunctional Copper Catalysts for the Hydrogenation of
Aldehydes and Ketones
Hydrogenation of aldehydes and ketones has been achieved at
room temperature using homogeneous copper catalysts supported by
bis(phosphino)amine [(R)PN(H)P] ligands. Related [(R)PN(H)P]CuX
(where R = iPr, Cy, tBu and X = Br, BH4
) complexes have been synthesized
and characterized by NMR, IR, and X-ray crystallography. PhCHO and
PhC(O)CH3
are reduced to the corresponding alcohols with 80 psig
hydrogen pressure, 2 mol% of [(iPr)PN(H)P]CuBr, and 2.4 mol% of KOtBu.
More carbonyl group containing substrates are being investigated under
McDonald, Patterson, Sherman, Williams & Tsao, 2007). Hechler, Martin,
Blankenburg, Schroeder, Kosfelder, Holscher, Denecke & Zernikow (2011),
also found that multimodal outpatient treatment was effective in managing
chronic pain in adolescents.
The purpose of this capstone project is to initiate a peer support group
for adolescents aged 12-18 years with chronic pain defined as migraine,
fibromyalgia, musculoskeletal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. This peer
support serves as a strategy in a teen’s management plan. The evaluation of
this strategy occurs via the implementation of a quality of life scale which
focuses on functions including health, activities, feelings, peer relationships
and school life (Varni, 1998).
Jacob Lalley
Advisor: Dionysios D. Dionysiou, PhD
PhosphateRemediationandRecoveryusingIronOxide-based
Adsorbents
As the limiting nutrient in most aquatic ecosystems, increased phosphate
concentrations accelerate eutrophication—resulting in oxygen depletion,
decreased recreational value, increased treatment costs and the formation
of potentially toxic algal blooms. Yet while viewed as a pollutant in certain
scenarios, phosphate is desired for several industrial purposes—namely
fertilizer production. However, phosphate is a non-renewable resource and
reserves are quickly being depleted. Therefore, the removal and recovery
of phosphate from surface water is a growing environmental concern.
the optimized reaction conditions. A [(R)PN(H)P]CuH species has been
postulated to be the active form of the catalyst in these reactions and
isolation of this complex is currently being pursued.
Bineyam Mezgebe
Biological Treatment of Chloroform in a Controlled Trickle Bed
Air Biofilter
Chlorination disinfection inactivates pathogens and oxidizes certain
naturally occurring material in water forming disinfection byproducts
(DBPs) which pose possible health concerns. According to the US
Environmental Protection Agency, trihalomethanes (THMs) are the
highest concentration of DBPs in drinking water and chloroform is the most
abundant of all THM detected. The maximum contaminant level (MCL)
for chloroform is of 0.070 mg/L. Potential health effects from long-term
exposure above the MCL are in weak association with bladder, rectal and
colon cancer. Chloroform is a highly reactive volatile organic compound
(VOC) that evaporates from disinfected waters into the atmosphere through
air stripping. Biofiltration is one of the most proven technologies for VOC
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control, as it is environmentally friendly, cost effective and it releases fewer
byproducts.
In this study, chloroform was used as a model DBP in an integrated
technology that consists of nitrogen/air stripping followed by aerobic or
anaerobic biofiltration in biotrickling filters (BTFs). Two independent,
parallel aerobic and anaerobic BTFs were supplied with 5 ppmv chloroform
concentration. In the anaerobic BTF, a co-metabolite (Ethanol) and
surfactant (Tomadol 25 -7) were utilized to enhance the biodegradation
process. As a result, the removal efficiency of the reactor improved from an
initial 49% to over 64%. To increase the bioavailability of chloroform, the
aerobic BTF was investigated under acidic conditions with filamentous fungi
as the biodegrading media. Operation at acidic environment enhanced the
BTF performance significantly, achieving a removal efficiency of over 83%.
Future studies will include analyzing the complete degradation potential of
chloroform in the presence of ZVI.
Xiaoming Lu
Immunology, PhD
Advisor: John Harley, MD, PhD
Lupus Risk Variant Increases pSTAT1 Binding and Decreases
ETS1 Expression
Genetic variants near gene ETS1 have been associated with Systemic
Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in independent cohorts of Asian ancestry.
ETS1 is a critical driver of immune cell function and differentiation and
mice deficient in ETS1 develop an SLE-like autoimmunity. We performed
cardiology care is approximately 2.5 to 3/1,000 live births (Hoffman &
Kaplan, 2002). This patient population’s survival into adulthood has
been significantly improved by the technical advances in cardiac surgery,
pediatric anesthesiology and cardiac intensive care management. However,
as the nation braces for the upcoming changes in healthcare, children’s
hospitals face growing pressure to improve quality as well as decrease
cost (Pasquali, et al., 2014). Additionally, there remains practice variation
amongst cardiologists, cardiac intensivists, cardiac nurse practitioners
and pediatric cardiac surgeons with regards to surgical approach, post-
operative management and outpatient follow-up. Therefore, development
of an evidence-informed clinical practice pathway to improve patient care,
decrease practice variation, decrease morbidity, and reduce unnecessary
resource utilization and cost is paramount. This directly impacts Children’s
Hospitals as congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect
and congenital heart disease treatment consumes considerable resources.
Therefore, the purpose of this poster is to provide the essential steps in the
advanced practice registered-nurse-led initiative. This initiative focuses
on the process and development of implementing evidence-informed
interprofessional clinical pathways in pediatric cardiology.
Jennifer Grabo
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Michael J. Baldwin, PhD
Photochemistry of Transition Metal Complexes with a-hydroxy
Acid Containing Chelates
a fine-mapping study of 14,551 subjects using multi-ancestral cohorts,
starting with genotyped variants and imputing to all common variants
spanning the ETS1 locus. By constructing genetic models using frequentist
and Bayesian association methods, we identified a set of 16 variants that are
most statistically likely to be causal. We functionally assessed each of these
variants based on their biological function predictions. Of the four variants
that we experimentally examined, only rs6590330 differentially binds
lysate from B cells. Using mass spectrometry, we found increased binding
of the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription
1 (STAT1) to DNA near the risk allele of rs6590330 compared to the non-
risk allele. Western blot analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation of
pSTAT1 in B cells heterozygous for rs6590330 confirmed that the risk allele
increased binding to the active form of STAT1. eQTL analysis indicates
that the risk allele of rs6590330 is only associated with decreased ETS1
expression in Han Chinese. We propose a model in which the risk allele of
rs6590330 increases SLE risk by enhancing the binding of pSTAT1, resulting
in repression of the ETS1 expression.
Amy Donnellan
Advisor: Kathleen Ballman, DNP
An APRN-Led Initiative on the Process and Development of
Implementing Evidence Informed Interprofessional Clinical
Pathways in Pediatric Cardiology
The incidence of severe congenital heart disease requiring specialized
Iron(III) complexes of siderophores use a-hydroxy acid(AHA) moieties
to tightly bind Fe(III) and release it as Fe(II) when irradiated with light.
The ability to tightly bind metals and release it on demand has several
applications. Several chelates have been synthesized using ligands that
contain an a-hydroxy acid moiety. Different metals, including Fe, Ga, U,
and Cu have been used to complex with these a-hydroxy acid containing
chelates. The photochemistry of these complexes has been studied to
determine the effect of structural changes and different transition metals on
the reactivity of the complexes. One series of chelates includes an a-hydroxy
acid moiety and a salicylidene moiety. These complexes have been shown to
form a trimer when complexed to Fe or Ga. The uranium complex forms a
dimer. The photochemical reaction mechanism has been determined for the
iron complexes, and the quantum yields of various chelates complexed with
iron have been also been determined.
Qingshi Tu
Advisor: Mingming Lu, PhD
Analysis of Life Cycle Energy Consumption and GHG Emission
for Biodiesel Production from Trap Grease
Trap grease is a mixture of fats, oils, greases (FOGs), wastewater and
solids that accumulate in the grease trap of restaurants and food processing
facilities. The FOGs in the trap grease is the major cause of sewer pipe
clogging. To prevent clogging, trap grease is regularly pumped by vacuum
trucks and sent to a wastewater treatment plant for dewatering—after which,
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it finally ends up in a landfill. To minimize waste disposal, alternative
ways to utilize trap grease as a resource have been explored. Among these
alternatives, biodiesel production has gained extensive attention. This
study investigates both energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from the trap grease-to-biodiesel production process via a life
cycle approach.
Pankaj Dwivedi
Advisor: Kenneth D. Greis, PhD
Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Severe Congenital Neutropenia
Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is characterized by a promyelocytic
maturation arrest in the bone marrow leading to defective neutrophil
production. The current treatment for SCN is induction therapy with
granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-SCF) to enhance the activation
of colony-stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) signaling to drive
differentiation of progenitor cell to neutrophils. Unfortunately, a significant
number of SCN patients progress to myeodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) even with induction therapy. The
progression to these advanced disease states is associated with abnormal
CSF3R signaling particularly after prolonged induction therapy with G-CSF.
Thus, understanding the downstream signaling events of G-CSF therapy is
essential to elucidating the underlying mechanism of SCN progression to
MDS and AML.
Here, we present progress on the phosphoenrichment technology
Mitchell Jones
Advisor: Cirecie West Olatunji, PhD
Liberating Victims of Human Trafficking and Awakening
Student’s Social Justice Awareness
Counseling and other related educational fields are beginning to return
to professional roots seated in advocacy pedagogy. This study will follow a
group of university students engaged in an international service learning
project, and via action research [mixed] methods, it will investigate the
impact of service learning programming on the students’ orientation
towards engaging in future advocacy related efforts, both academically
and professionally. Pre- and post-intervention quantitative measurements
will be taken using the Activism Orientation Scale to assess changes in
propensity towards sociopolitical activism. Pre- and post-intervention
measurements using the Social Issues Advocacy Scale will be taken to
determine changes in students’ awareness of social issues. All pre- and post-
intervention comparisons will be made using dependent samples analysis
of variance (ANOVA), followed by post-hoc analysis for significance. Post-
hoc interventions were selected because of the exploratory nature of the
inquiry, and because of the lack of previous literature into the assessment of
advocacy effects. Qualitative data will be collected from 3 selected students
who fell into different subscale regions of the Activism Orientation Scale
(to allow for the greatest depth and breadth of detail) at baseline testing via
narrative journaling. Utilizing Freirian methodology, data will be analyzed
and coded using constant coding methods, reviewed by a third party
development and phosphoproteomics profiling of G-CSF signaling in
SKM-1 cells. We have also performed a quantitative SILAC experiment to
tease out the downstream phosphoproteomics signaling differences upon
G-CSF treatment using SKM-1 cells. Our overall goal is to understand the
global phosphorylation network of G-CSF signaling and how that network
is altered in SCN. Unraveling the intricate proteomic regulatory network
of myeloid cell proliferation, differentiation and survival may shed further
light on the complex pathogenesis of SCN progression to MDS/AML upon
G-CSF treatment.
Pallavi Meharia
Advisor: Dharma P. Agrawal, DSc
The Able Amble: Towards providing secure communication in a
Wireless Body-Area Network (WBAN)
With the advent of wearable devices and commonality of on-body
monitoring devices, it is anticipated that a day will come in the future
where body-area networks will become commonplace in our lives. It is
envisioned that the whole process will be automated wherein a user wearing
such a device automatically enables the security mechanism and establishes
communication between that user and his/her surroundings. This research
addresses a technique to identify the wearer of the device, allowing for
identification and verification before establishing communication. It
suggests using gait as a metric for identity association using wearable
sensors.
referee, and then checked and coded by the participants during a follow-up
interview.
Laura Pinelo
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Bruce S. Ault, PhD
Charge Transfer Complexes and Photochemistry of Ozone with
n-Butylferrocene and Ferrocene: A UV-Vis Matrix Isolation
Study
The ozonolsis of ferrocene (Fc) and of n-butylferrocene (nBuFc) was
studied using matrix isolation, UV-Vis spectroscopy and theoretical
calculations. The co-deposition of Fc with ozone (O3
) and that of n-BuFc
with O3
led to production of green charge transfer complexes (Fc-O3
) and
nBuFc-O3
(respectively). These charge transfer complexes underwent
photochemical reactions upon irradiation with red light (λ ≥ 600). This
work expands upon the results of matrix isolation studies that previously
characterized the photochemical products by FT-IR spectroscopy.
Theoretical UV-Vis spectra of proposed charge transfer complexes and
photochemical products were calculated with DFT using a TD-B3LYP
functional and the 6-311G++(d,2p) basis set. The experimental UV-Vis
spectra each showed a long wavelength broad band, at 750 nm for Fc/O3
and at 760 nm for nBuFc/O3
. These absorptions contribute to the green
matrix color observed prior to irradiation. After red irradiation, these
bands decreased significantly and new bands formed as a result of the
photochemical reaction. The calculated UV-Vis spectra for both the
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proposed charged transfer species and the photochemical products are
in excellent agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore, the
UV-Vis spectra calculations for the proposed charge transfer complexes
provided information about the molecular orbitals (MO) involved in the
absorptions (corresponding to the green matrix color). The MO analysis of
the long wavelength transitions indicated a shift in electron density from Fc
or nBuFc to O3
as these transitions occur.
Yu-Hsuan Shih
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: George Stan, PhD
Computational Studies of Interactions and Collaborations
between E. coli ClpB and Cofactors DnaK/GrpE during Protein
Disaggregation
The ClpB chaperone, which belongs to the first class of the ATPases
Associated with diverse cellular Activities (AAA+) superfamily, plays an
essential role for protein disaggregation. Co-factors, such as DnaK/GrpE,
collaborate with ClpB to suppress aggregates under stress conditions.
In order to understand the molecular mechanism for ClpB/DnaK/GrpE
(BKE) collaboration, computational modeling and protein-protein docking
approaches are utilized to inspect those strong binding contacts at the
interfaces. We construct a hexameric model of ClpB by using constraints
derived from an asymmetric cryoEM map and crystal structure of
monomeric fragments. Our results indicate GrpE and ClpB bind mutually
exclusive to DnaK, which are consistent with biochemical studies in vivo
and in vitro. Interestingly, we predict a multivalent binding of DnaK to
ClpB assembly, suggesting potential functional regions and residues
involved in protein disaggregation. Further studies are underway to
validate our computational predictions. Altogether, these results provide
a more complete picture of multi-chaperones collaboration during protein
disaggregation.
Samantha Marita
Advisor: Casey Hord, PhD
Mathematics Interventions for Students with Learning
Disabilities in Middle and High School: A Review of the
Literature
Recent educational policy has increased the standards all students,
including students with disabilities, need to achieve in mathematics. To
examine the strategies currently being used to support students with
learning disabilities, the author reviewed literature from 2006-2014 on
academic mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities.
The 12 articles reviewed contain several types of interventions, including
instructional sequencing interventions, computation interventions,
cognitive processing interventions, visual representation interventions
and computer-based interventions. The review includes discussion of the
interventions used, including the success of interventions used for both
students with disabilities and their peers. Implications for practice and
future research are also suggested.
Lauren Novelli
Advisor: Jun Ying, PhD
Racism and Infant Mortality
This project examines the possible link between internalized racism
and subsequent adverse birth outcomes for African American women. It
is an American tragedy that African American women continue to suffer
from higher rates of infant mortality despite increased education and
socioeconomic statuses. Traditional public health discourse has failed to
recognize the role that racism may have played in the widening gap of infant
mortality rates between African American mothers and non-Hispanic
white mothers and uses a neoliberal approach of prenatal care that does
not recognize social constructionist theories of race. This project probes
the possibility of identifying racism as a scientific exposure using both
quantitative and qualitative analyses. I have analyzed birth outcome data
from 2000-2012 as well as incorporated feminist theory to deconstruct how
Black women are disadvantaged socially and in the health care industry in
America.
Roseann Hassey
Advisor: Joshua J. Clarkson, PhD
Conflicting Attitudinal Norms and Self-Persuasion: The Role of
Social Identity in the Mere Thought Effect
Research demonstrates that reflection on one’s attitude heightens
polarization—findings based on the argument that individuals’ reflect on
attitude-consistent information. The present research posits that social
identities bias the nature (or consistency) of the information reflected upon
and thus bias the direction of attitude change as a function of that reflection.
Across two experiments, individuals exhibited significant shifts toward
attitudinal norms as a function of both sufficient opportunity for reflection
(Experiment 1) and heightened salience of a relevant social identity
(Experiment 2). These findings, then, highlight the importance of social
identities and the attitudinal norms they elicit in altering self-persuasion.
Rukmini Gorthy
Advisor: Henry Spitz, PhD
Neutron and Photon Irradiation Effects on Nanomaterials
The main idea of exploring the capabilities of nanomaterials with the
help of radiation was to harness their potential through interactions with
like-sized particles such as protons, neutrons, photons etc. The structures
of materials like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene alter when
they are bombarded with these particles. Neutrons and photons induce
multiple ionization of the carbon system along with inelastic deformations
in nanomaterials. In theory, if the nanograin size is compared to the
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diffusion path of defects to radiation sinks, then the radiation resistance of
nanomaterials is higher than that of their coarse-crystalline analogs. High-
energy interactions led to the observation that grain boundaries absorb
the radiation-induced defects. It is possible that the process of treating
nanomaterials with radiation from neutrons or photons will simulate the
processes of diffusion and mass transfer, recovery and recrystallization,
formation and interaction of defects.
The defects in irradiated CNTs are mostly restricted to the outer layers.
Although they appear to be well separated at the beginning, the increase in
dosage may cause them to melt and eventually thicken. When graphene is
irradiated, there is a possibility that energy from the high-energy particles
gets deposited into its electronic degrees of freedom. These particles also
induce morphological changes. Increase in dosage of radiation is inversely
proportional to the probability of production of complex defects. Graphene
has a unique property of hosting lattice defects in reconstructed atom
arrangements. These defects locally increase the reactivity of the structure
and allow adsorption of other atoms on graphene.
Jerusha Clark
Advisor: Charles R. Doarn, MBA
The Importance of Academic-NGO Partnerships in Short
Term Medical Trips: Results from a Health Resource Needs
Assessment
An isolated rural community in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, Hagley
Gap receives minimal support from government, has limited access to
health care services, has low literacy and has poor water quality. The Blue
Mountain Project (BMP) has partnered with the community to address
these challenges, and through short-term medical trips, has been able to
provide primary health care services to persons who may otherwise go
untreated. Utilizing a newly developed academic-NGO partnership, this
health resource and needs assessment (HRNA) identified health needs in
the community and suggested programs and resources to improve health
service delivery. The HRNA was guided by the principles of the Community
Oriented Primary Care model, first described and performed by Sidney
and Emily Kark. The goals were to characterize the community and
identify community health problems. Survey and interview questions were
developed using health census data and an existing retrospective health
study of Hagley Gap. Data provided information on the health status of the
community and strengths and weaknesses of current health services. Of
note, results indicated that health-care services rely heavily on volunteer
groups. During gaps in medical visits, residents remain vulnerable to social
and environmental circumstance, specifically limited or no access to health
services. Partnering with academic institutions could provide regular short-
term medical visits to maintain and increase health services and reduce the
impact of gaps in care. Additional benefits include capacity building by
providing clinic staff with training and skills, and providing the necessary
resources to expand health services.
Olivia Pavlov Garcia
Psychology, PhD
Advisor: John Holden, PhD
What Networks Can Teach Us about Human Cognition
Humans have a rich experience with reading over the course of our lives.
But what facilitates our ability to better recognize frequently encountered
words (i.e. house) as opposed to less frequent ones (i.e. aloof)? Could
this “frequency effect” be understood by applying principles that come
from complex networks? In my project, the shapes of the response time
distributions, resulting from word recognition tasks, will be tested for
consistency with predictions made from the dynamics of small-world
networks (Ma, Holden, & Serota, 2013). The difficulty of a lexical decision
task will be manipulated such that half of the words will be high-frequency
words (very common), and half of them will be low-frequency words (very
uncommon). This manipulation will allow for an analysis of the types of
structural changes that may be occurring in the networks that support
reading, for example in the connectivity of the networks.
My hypothesis is that the experimental manipulation of word frequency
should yield empirical patterns that corresponded to changes observed
when connectivity patterns of synthetic networks are altered. If these
hypotheses are supported, this may offer a framework in which these kinds
of cognitive manipulations may be construed as influences on the dynamic
organization of flexible, functional neuro-physiological networks.
Michael Craig
Advisor: Saulius Sumanas, PhD
Etv2 and Fli1b Function Together as Key Regulators of
Vasculogenesis and Angiogenesis
Objective: The ETS domain transcription factor Etv2/Etsrp/ER71
is a master regulator of vascular endothelial differentiation during
vasculogenesis, although its later role in sprouting angiogenesis remains
unknown. Here we investigated in the zebrafish model a role for Etv2 and
related ETS factors, Fli1a and Fli1b in developmental angiogenesis.
Approach and Results: Zebrafish Fli1a and Fli1b mutants were obtained
using transposon mediated gene trap approach. Individual Fli1a and Fli1b
homozygous mutant embryos display normal vascular patterning, yet the
angiogenic recovery observed in older Etv2 mutant embryos does not occur
in embryos lacking both Etv2 and Fli1b. Etv2 and Fli1b double deficient
embryos fail to form any angiogenic sprouts and show greatly increased
apoptosis throughout the axial vasculature. In contrast, Fli1a mutation did
not affect the recovery of Etv2 mutant phenotype. Overexpression analyses
indicate that both Etv2 and Fli1b, but not Fli1a, induce the expression
of multiple vascular markers and of each other. Temporal inhibition
of Etv2 function using photoactivatable morpholinos indicate that the
Etv2 and Fli1b function during angiogenesis is independent from the
early requirement of Etv2 during vasculogenesis. RNA-Seq analysis and
chromatin immunoprecipitation suggests that Etv2 and Fli1b share the
same transcriptional targets and bind to the same ETS sites.
Conclusion: Our data argue that there are two phases of early vascular
development with distinct requirements of ETS transcription factors. Etv2
alone is required for early vasculogenesis, while Etv2 and Fli1b function
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Raghav Pandey
Advisor: Rafeeq Habeebahmed, PhD
Identification of MicroRNAs Inducing Adult Cardiomyocyte
Proliferation
Even though neonatal cardiomyocytes (NCM) proliferate robustly, adult
cardiomyocytes (ACM) have very little proliferative potential. By functional
screening of 875 microRNAs (miRs) Eulalio et al (2012) identified 46 miRs
which induce proliferation of NCMs by more than 35%. Additional studies
by Mahmood et al (2013) have identified Meis1 as the major player that
controls the ACM cell cycle. We hypothesize that the proliferation inducing
potential of miRs may vary between NCMs and ACMs; some of these miRs
may induce proliferation through Meis1 regulation.
Proliferating cardiomyocytes were identified by co-staining TnI and Edu;
thepercentagewascalculatedineachgroup.Eighteenofthe24miRsinduced
significant proliferation of ACMs. The most significant of them—with more
than 7% increase in ACM proliferation—were miR-302b-5p (7.8±0.6),
miR-1910 (9.8±0.76), miR-548c-3p (11.9±2.7), miR-2053 (10.1±0.4), miR-
936 (11.6±3.4), miR-1825 (54±5.2), miR-509 (7.1±0.62), miR-590 (11.5±1.1)
and miR-23b-3p (12.7±0.35). Of these, we identified 3 miRs—miR-548c-3p,
miR-509-3p and miR-23b—to have a binding site on the 3’UTR of Meis1
while simultaneously showing an increase in proliferation. Meis1 has
been established as a critical transcriptional regulator of CM proliferation
through activation of CDK inhibitors.
To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to identify a panel of
miRs inducing ACM proliferation. Delivering these miRs to the infarcted
region is a promising approach and has the potential to regenerate the
ischemic heart by inducing proliferation of CMs surrounding the infarct
zone.
Mahendra Thapa
Physics, PhD
Advisor: Mark A. Rance, PhD
Analysis of Domain Movement and Dynamics of Norwalk Virus
Capsid by Normal Mode Analysis and Molecular Dynamics
Simulation
Norwalk virus is the major cause of epidemic gastroenteritis in humans.
The capsid of the virus consists of 180 copies of a single protein which has a
protruding (P) domain and a shell (S) domain. In this work, the mechanism
of domain movements of the protein is investigated by Gaussian network
model (GNM), anisotropic elastic network model (ANM), coarse grained
molecular dynamics and accelerated molecular dynamics simulations.
The dynamics of various residues and C-terminus are also examined.
Preliminary results are as follows: (i) Slow coordinated motions are
identified in the hinge regions and (ii) the C-terminus residue interacts with
specific residues within P domain only.
Kun-Po Li
Immunology, PhD
Advisor: David Hildeman, PhD
Pro-Apoptotic Gene Bim Control Thymic and Peripheral T Cell
Profiles During Selection
Regulation of apoptosis during thymocyte development is critical to
eliminate self-reactive T cells whilst maintaining a repertoire of protective T
cells. Although Bim promotes thymocyte apoptosis, its role is controversial
due to the minor effect of Bim on restoring endogenous superantigen-
reactive T cells. We further investigated the role of Bim on thymocyte
selection. Bim-/- mice had a striking accumulation of DN4 thymocytes that
expressed high levels of surface TCR. DN4 cells from Bim-/- mice failed to
generate DP cells in OP9 culture. Furthermore, dLckCre-driven deletion of
Bim resulted in a normal DN4 compartment, while CD4cre-driven deletion
of Bim resulted in aberrant TCR+DN4 cells. Combined, these data suggest
that the TCR+DN4 cells failed negative selection, and then down-regulated
both CD4 and CD8. We found that DN4 cells may sequentially develop into
peripheral CD8aa T cells as increased intestinal intraepithelial and splenic
CD8aa T cells in Bim-/-, but not dLckCre+Bimf/f mice. In conclusion,
these data further delineate the role of Bim on thymocyte fate, and they
establish a new model in which the effects of Bim on thymocyte selection are
uncoupled from the effects of Bim on peripheral T cell survival.
Shawna Fox
Advisor: Liliana Rojas-Guyler, PhD
Quality of Life, Coping, Support Systems and Chronic Pain in
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
According to the Institute of Medicine, chronic pain affects 116 million
Americans, more than heart disease, cancer and diabetes combined.
Chronic pain has been identified as a common and disabling manifestation
of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a rare inherited connective tissue
disorder. Individuals with EDS have a defect in their connective tissue,
which supports muscles, ligaments and skin (among others). Prolonged
untreated chronic pain has been reported to have substantial negative
physical, psychological and social effects. Health educators can improve
quality of life (QOL) in EDS by addressing condition specific knowledge,
increasing community awareness and support networks, improving skills
and the self-efficacy of coping mechanisms in the management of chronic
pain due to EDS. The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship
between demographic characteristics, QOL, coping, support systems and
chronic pain among EDS patients.
Using social media support groups and EDS National and International
Organizations to recruit participants, a sample of 1245 respondents were
obtained to complete an online survey. Data from 949 complete surveys
were analyzed using SPSS v.21. Multiple linear regression modeling assessed
predictors of QOL. Support and pain predicted 43% of the variance in the
model, however, coping or demographics were not found to be statistically
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significant.
According to our results, we have concluded that EDS patients would
benefit from programing that addresses strategies to develop support
systems to improve QOL. Chronic pain is a significant predictor of QOL in
the EDS patient, and a need exists for QOL health education programs for
EDS patients.
Toloo Taghian
Physics, PhD
Advisor: Andrei B. Kogan, PhD
Regulation of Cell Function via Extracellular Biophysical
Environment: A Theoretical-Experimental Approach
Application of external electric field (EF) as a non-pharmacological,
non-invasive tool to control cell function is of great therapeutic interest.
We developed a theoretical-experimental approach to investigate the
biophysical mechanisms of EF interaction with cells in an electrode-
free physiologically-relevant configuration. Our numerical results
demonstrated that EF frequency is the major parameter to control cell
responses to EF. Non-oscillating or low-frequency EF leads to charge
accumulation on the cell surface membrane that may mediate membrane
initiated cell responses. In contrast, high-frequency EF penetrates the
cell membrane and reaches cell cytoplasm, where it may directly activate
intracellular responses. The theoretical predictions were confirmed in our
experimental studies of the effects of applied EF on vascular cell function.
Results show that non-oscillating EF increases vascular endothelial growth
factor (VEGF) expression while field polarity controls cell adhesion rate.
High-frequency, but not low frequency, EF provides differential regulation
of cytoplasmic focal adhesion kinase and VEGF expression (depending on
the substrate)—with increased expression in cells cultured on RGD-rich
synthetic hydrogels—and decreased expression for matrigel culture
Colleen Karkhang
Adult-Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, MSN
Advisor: Jody Hessel, ACNP
Meditation as Medication Replacement
This poster address whether existing evidence supports the use of
meditation as a replacement for traditional health interventions in
certain instances. Meditating has been associated with alleviating many
symptoms caused by a variety of illnesses. Here we focus on three ailments
in which meditation has been shown to help sufferers: Alzheimer’s disease,
cardiovascular disease and chronic pain. We looked through an array of
current research and examined the outcomes of mediation. We found that
meditation’s ability to reduce stress plays a vital role in the majority of the
positive effects seen throughout the body, such as improved cognition,
improved sleep, increased pain acceptance and decreased blood pressure.
We concluded that there is compelling evidence that mediation should
be implemented as a compliment to current pharmacological treatments;
however we cannot recommend its usage as a replacement for traditional
medical routes. More research is needed to examine the relationship
between meditation, stress and the body; in particular, more longitudinal
studies will be necessary to determine the lasting effects of meditation on
the body.
Rebecca Fehn
Advisor: Michal Polak, PhD
“Good Genes” and the Reliability of Secondary Sexual Traits
with Oxidative Stress in D. bipectinata
Indicator models of sexual selection have been widely studied and
are accepted as viable, but support for them remains inconsistent. One
increasingly prominent area of interest is the extent to which environmental
variation might affect the expression of “good genes” inherited from
the most ornamented males. Studies have shown that females have the
potential to improve their offsprings’ fitness by selecting mates that are
more highly ornamented. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in low quantities
are used as molecular messengers, but in large quantities, they are highly
damaging to DNA and other molecules in the form of oxidative stress
(OS), and have been suggested to be an important factor in reducing sexual
ornamentation and sperm quality. OS may be an important factor in the
reliability of ornamentation size, the traits that females use to discriminate
between potential mates—with a larger size indicating better mitigation
of OS. I studied the relationship between the size of the male sex comb in
Drosophila bipectinata (a secondary sexual trait on adult male longevity),
and reproductive fitness traits—comprising female fecundity, egg hatch
success, and competitive fertilization success—under variable oxidative
stress. Males from genetic lines expressing higher comb counts did not
induce females to have greater fecundity, produce more viable eggs, nor have
a higher fertilization rate in a competitive setting under increasing levels of
OS. However, males from these high lines expressed greater survivorship
under increasing levels of OS. These results suggest that sex comb size in D.
bipectinata reveals the ability to cope with OS in terms of male longevity.
Lindsey Justice
Advisor: Catharina Henderson, DNP
Improving Communication during CICU Multidisciplinary
Rounds through Implementation of a Daily Goal Write-Down
and Read-Back Process
During multidisciplinary rounds in the CICU, coordination of care is
complicated due to a large number of providers caring for highly complex
patients. Ineffective rounds results in lack of understanding of patient care
goals and plans to achieve those goals by team members.
The Improvement Science Model guided this quality improvement
project. Baseline data regarding team members’ understanding of daily
patient goals was evaluated using a Rounds Effectiveness Assessment and
Communication Tool (REACT). The responses of the nurse, fellow or nurse
practitioner and attending physician were compared to determine the
percent of agreement. To increase agreement, a daily goal write-down and
read-back process was implemented. After tests of change, REACT surveys
were re-distributed to determine improvement. Families were also asked to
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complete a survey (1-6 Likert scale) about their satisfaction with rounds and
understanding of daily goals before and after the intervention.
At baseline, the percent agreement for patient goals was 62%. After
initial implementation of the daily goal write-down and read-back process
(goals were written on paper by the nurse), the REACT survey revealed
no improvement. The intervention was altered (goals were written on
whiteboards and displayed during rounds for the team to review) and the
REACT survey showed the percent of agreement was 85%. Family survey
results were compared to those prior to intervention and were improved
from a mean of 4.6 to 5.9. Parent selection of the best possible score was 18%
at baseline and improved to 93%.
Meredith Threatt
Advisor: Mei Tang, PhD
Middle-class, Middle-aged, White Men’s Perceptions of Mental
Health Needs Surrounding a Medical Event
Research regarding men’s experiences in counseling and understanding
barriers to treatment has significantly increased in the past four years.
Despite extensive research about men and help-seeking behaviors, there is
no current research that examines the specific perceptions and behaviors of
middle class, middle-aged, white men toward counseling.
Middle class, white males are currently the least likely population to
engage in treatment for mental and emotional disorders. However, this
population is no less vulnerable to mental illness than any other. This
poster will display a case study designed to help counselors and counselor
educators better understand the perceptions that middle class, middle-aged,
white men have about mental health. The study could potentially inform
mental and medical health professionals when designing treatment plans
and improving patient experiences.
Aubrey Culp
Disability Awareness among Health Promotion Students: A
Look at Invisible Disability, Knowledge and Behavior
The growing number of people living with disabilities highlights the
importance of raising awareness of all types of disabilities. The literature
indicates that, in general, society has inadequate knowledge and poor
attitudes about disabilities, impacting discrimination and low acceptance
of people living with disabilities. There is a paucity of research on disability
in cultural competence training for health promotion professional
development that specifically examines invisible disability. This study used
a 90-item disability awareness pilot survey to examine knowledge, behavior,
attitudes, self-efficacy and intention toward people with disabilities. The
pilot survey was administered to students in health promotion professional
preparation courses. Statistical descriptors and inferential results will be
reported. Findings will be used as part of a needs assessment to develop
a disability awareness program for health promotion professional
development. The information presented is useful for improving cultural
competence of disability among health promotion professionals who are
working to promote inclusive practices toward people with disabilities.
Tevhide Ozkaya Ahmadov
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Peng Zhang, PhD
Paramagnetic Relaxation Biosensor for Selective Dopamine
Sensing
Herein, we envision combining the utility of Fe3+
chelated nanoparticles
as paramagnetic contrast agents, and also a target-selective probe, to design
a paramagnetic Fe3+
based transverse relaxation (T2
) biosensor. Target
binding-inducedmodulationofwateraccesstotheFe3+
metalcenterprovides
a sensing mechanism for dopamine—a significant neurotransmitter that
is associated with several important diseases of the nervous system—by
reading out changes in T2
relaxation times. Fe3+
chelated SiO2
nanoparticles
feature good selectivity for dopamine in a complex matrix, an artificial
cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) and increase in T2
relaxation time upon
dopamine binding. They are capable of detecting micro molar range of
dopamine concentrations in acidic media.
Shameka Neely
Diverse Views of Self: Perceived Body Image, Body Satisfaction
and Media Use Patterns among African American Women
This presentation addresses the connection between body satisfaction
and how media messages influence black women‘s view of their bodies.
Studies have shown a connection between greater body dissatisfaction and
media messages announcing women to feel the need to have a flawless body;
whether it is in magazines, on social media, on the internet, in photos, in
videos or on television. European beauty definitions have become the norm
in Western culture, however having such standards—for example, being
slender, tall, and having blue eyes and blonde hair—shouldn’t be the beauty
standards of all cultures, specifically among black women. This is not only
unattainable, but begs a question as to what beauty is and how is it defined
in other cultures. Furthermore, cultural and ethnic interpretations and
the levels of influence of such messages in the current multimedia, instant
messaging and social networking era are not well understood and warrant
investigation.
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Joshua Eby
Physics, PhD
Advisor: L.C.R. Wijewardhana, PhD
Dark Matter as a Bose-Einstein Condensate
A mysterious form of matter, termed Dark Matter (DM), is believed to
constitute over 80% of the mass content of the universe. However, because
it interacts very weakly with ordinary matter, most of its properties remain
unknown. In a certain class of theories, DM is composed of very light,
spinless particles in an exotic state of matter known as a Bose-Einstein
Condensate. We show that large collections of such particles can form stable
structures with roughly the radius and mass of asteroids: R0
˜ 100 km and M0
˜ 1018
kg. We also show that if these particles also possess an attractive self-
interaction, then structures with masses M > M0
are unstable to collapse.
Allyson Hamlin
Advisor: David Y. Hui, PhD
Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Related Protein 1 (LRP1) and
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
LRP1 is a ubiquitously expressed 600-kDa endocytic receptor known
for interacting with numerous ligands. Abnormal LRP1 function has been
implicated in the development of several pathological conditions. Previous
studies have identified hepatic LRP1 as a regulator of HDL secretion—
due to its role in transporting lysosomal enzymes—suggesting that LRP1
is necessary for lipid trafficking and lysosomal degradation. This study
assessed the role of LRP1 in the development of steatosis, a causal factor
in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatocyte-specific LRP1 knockout
(hLrp1-/-
) mice and their wild type counterparts (hLrp1+/+
) were placed on
a diet containing 40% kcal% fat and 1.25% cholesterol for 4 weeks. Liver
sections demonstrated microsteatosis, early stage fibrosis and an increased
number of balloon hepatocytes in the hLrp1-/-
mice. The liver enzyme
alanine transamine was increased in the plasma of hLrp1-/-
mice, indicating
cellular damage. The hLrp1-/-
mice also displayed glucose intolerance in
response to an injection of glucose. To determine mechanism, hepatocytes
from hLrp1+/+
and hLrp1-/-
mice were analyzed for lipid accumulation and
lysosomal membrane integrity following palmitic acid treatment for 6
hours. Lrp1+/+
hepatocytes showed increased lipid accumulation due to
impaired lipophagic lipid hydrolysis in the lysosome. Other studies showed
that hLrp1-/-
hepatocytes have increased sensitivity to palmitate-induced
oxidative stress, mitochondrial and lysosomal membrane permeability and
increased cell death. These data suggest that LRP1 participates in hepatic
lipid handling and trafficking, and it is necessary for lipophagic degradation
in lysosomes.
Sarah Unser
Chemistry, PhD
Advisor: Laura B. Sagle, PhD
Enhancing the Sensitivity of Gold Nanoparticle Arrays
The use of noble metal nanoparticle arrays has been widely applied
in areas such as electronics, catalysis, and optical sensing due to their
diverse properties. Herein, we present the modification and enhancement
of the sensitivity of gold nanodisk arrays fabricated through hole-mask
colloidal lithography. The sensitivity was enhanced using three different
strategies: growing silver shells around the gold nanodisks, binding small
silver nanoparticles to the gold nanodisks and chemically etching the top
surface of the gold nanodisks in the arrays. These modifications change the
shape of the gold nanodisks and consequently produce a localized surface
plasmon resonance (LSPR) that is more sensitive to the surrounding media.
In addition, increased surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)
signals were observed upon changing the surface properties of these gold
nanodisks. Data is presented, revealing increased LSPR and SERS sensitivity
using a UV-Vis spectrometer and micro-Raman setup respectively.
Characterization of the modified nanoparticle arrays is carried out using
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Xinyu Cong
Advisor: Dennis W. Grogan, PhD
Genetic Effects of Disrupting Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
B-family Polymerase Pol 2 or 3
All Sulfolobus species have three B-family DNA polymerases and one
Y-family polymerase. It is widely accepted that DNA Polymerase B1—which
has high fidelity and strong affinity to DNA—replicates the Sulfolobus
genome, while the Y-family polymerase is reported to be an error-prone
polymerase that bypasses a variety of DNA lesions. But it is unclear about
the other two B family DNA polymerases’ natural roles. Since prokaryotic
cells are highly streamlined, without unnecessary structures or enzymes,
it is reasonable to think that each DNA polymerase plays significant roles.
In order to uncover the natural roles of these two B family polymerases,
we disrupted their corresponding genes and performed genetic assays, such
as sensitivity to UV light and DNA damaging chemicals, of spontaneous
mutation rates on these single polymerase mutants. This represents the
first in vivo study to investigate the natural roles of the other two B-family
polymerases of Sulfolobus species. Disruption of these polymerases changed
the spectrum but not the overall rate of spontaneous mutation.
Stella Mosher
Geology, MS
Advisor: Brooke Crowley, PhD
Elizabeth Bullard
Geology, MS
Advisor: Arnold I. Miller, PhD
Stable Carbon Isotope Values (d13
C) in Local Cincinnati Beers:
An Evaluation of How They Compare with Larger Breweries
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