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  Identifying Antibiotic Producing Microbes

  Veronica K West

  Antibiotics were first discovered accidentally in 1928 and then purposefully synthesized to help combat bacterial infections. In the relatively short time since their discovery, many bacterial species have developed resistance mechanisms to these antibiotics. Due to the ability of pathogens to rapidly proliferate, beneficial mutations to increase their fitness in their environment have helped pathogens respond to antibiotics relatively quickly. The importance of discovering novel antibiotics to combat resistant strains is increasingly important. The Small World Initiative utilizes student researchers across the world to isolate new antibiotics to combat the intensifying antibiotic resistance dilemma. The goal of this research is to use bacteria isolated from soil to test their antibiotic producing abilities against a variety of previously known antibiotic resistant pathogens, termed ESKAPE pathogens. The gram-positive pathogen, Enterococcus faecium, specifically demonstrates antibiotic susceptibility to a few of the soil isolates. The susceptibility is confirmed by zones of inhibition which indicate that the isolate is producing antibiotics to which E. faecium is not yet resistant. The isolates that exhibit antimicrobial activity against the pathogens will be identified through a process of Gram staining, catalase testing, and other biochemical tests. The purpose of these tests is to identify new antibiotics that can be used to help combat antibiotic resistant pathogens.

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  Identifying Natural Inhibitors of Bacterial Efflux Pumps

  Marrisa Ann Therriault

  Antibiotic resistance is a constantly progressing epidemic. Many strains of bacteria have developed a resistance to antibiotics, resulting in prolonged sickness and death. Resistance can be to a specific drug (single drug resistance) or to multiple drugs (multi-drug resistance). This resistance can be caused by a tripartite protein pump called an efflux pump that extends through the inner and outer membranes of the bacterium to pump antibiotics from the inside of the cell to the extracellular environment. In E. coli, the efflux pump is called AcrAB-TolC. In an effort to combat the problem of multidrug resistance, I sought to identify inhibitors of the AcrAB-TolC pump by screening extracts made from edible plants. I identified one plant extract that appears to block efflux pump activity in live E. coli cells and can sensitize the cells to the antibiotic, carbenicillin.

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  If we build it, will they come? Insect communities as indicators of restoration in an urban prairie network

  Amanda N Finke, Beth Margaret Fuchs

  The increasing negative effects of human impact on Earth has led to the urgent need for large-scale ecological restoration. One ecosystem of particular interest is tallgrass prairie, which is one of North America’s most endangered ecosystems. However, restored and constructed prairies often do not support the same biodiversity and ecosystem services as remnant prairies. Most restoration projects only focus on reinstating vegetation, assuming other trophic levels will colonize on their own. One of these taxonomic groups are arthropods, which make up a majority of the biodiversity in prairies. We sought to determine if there is a difference in the arthropod communities of constructed and remnant prairies. It was hypothesized that arthropod communities would be different, and older constructions would more closely resemble remnants. Indicator species could be identified, which possess certain functional traits (morphological or life history) that allow them to colonize these sites. Sweepnet samples (100 sweeps per site) were taken at 5 constructed prairies and 5 remnant prairies in 2017, and 7 constructed prairies and 6 remnant prairies in 2018. All arthropods were sorted to order, and some orders to morphospecies. We saw that in 2017, Coleoptera (beetle) abundances were higher in remnants compared to constructions (p=0.04). In particular, Phalacridae (shining flower beetles) could be possible indicator species for restoration in prairies. Preliminary data from 2018 shows that the number of Phalacridae increases with the age of the constructed site (R²=0.47). These results suggest that insect communities are different in the two prairie types and certain species of arthropods are not being restored in one or two years, but rather over long periods of time as late-successional species are able to colonize. These results could have large implications on how tallgrass prairies are restored and managed, and how these ecosystems should be assessed for restoration.

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  Immigrant and Refugee Struggles in Education

  Charlotte A Mahoney, Elena Jean Niese

  The student population of the educational system in America is being flooded with a multitude of culturally diverse needs, language being one of these important factors that impact a student’s success. One of the populations that is becoming increasingly affected is that of refugees. Being the recipient of two-thirds of the resettled refugee populations, the United States has found a furthering need to accommodate the inclusivity and academic success of these students in the classroom. This is present in communities across the world, and a common theme in the United States and other countries is the interactions of minority populations with the dominant culture. As bicultural and bilingual students enter education systems, teachers are adjusting their methods in order to accommodate this population of students. This includes respecting the student’s first languages (L1) while integrating their acquisition of the second language (L2). Schools, in addition to a student’s home life and other communities, serve an integral role in encouraging healthy development of students’ languages. By recognizing the importance of students’ backgrounds and cultures, schools can help their students strengthen their identity and what they value.

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  Impact of a Catholic and Marianist University Experience on Career and Education

  Anna Kathleen Wilhelm

  A number of students choose to attend religious universities based on their personal beliefs, or faith practices that they hope to further develop while in college. However, the particular values or skills established during college may or may not continue to manifest themselves as individuals advance in their careers or education. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of a Catholic and Marianist university experience on one’s career and/or further education. More specifically, we aim to learn more about how alumni of Marianist universities in the United States feel that their Catholic and Marianist education has influenced their career journey and/or experience in earning additional degrees. This qualitative study includes interviews with alumni of Catholic and Marianist universities in the United States and seeks to determine the impact of their Catholic and Marianist college education on their careers and further education. Insights from this study can be used to inform practice specifically at Catholic and Marianist universities, as students prepare for their careers and/or further education.

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  Impact of Classroom Quality and Preschool Experiences on Executive Functioning

  Shelbie Nicole Weightman

  From a young age, executive functioning begins to develop in children. Executive functions are a group of cognitive processes that are important for processing speed, working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. These skills typically begin to develop drastically around the time children are entering the preschool years. However, research has shown that poverty can negatively impact the development of executive functioning due to the lack of resources available. There is evidence that chronic exposure to poverty and chronic exposure to certain psychological stressors related to poverty can predict children’s executive functioning at four years-old (Raver, Blair, & Willoughby, 2013). On average, children who are poor have much lower starting points and cognitive growth slopes later on throughout childhood (Raffington, Prindle, & Shing, 2018). I am interested in strategies that can combat this issue and reduce the gap in executive functioning skills between children from different family incomes. A high-quality, teacher-child interaction involving classroom organization and emotional support has been shown to have a great impact (Choi, Castle, Williamson, Young,Worley, Long, & Horm, 2016). Along with this, incorporating mindfulness-based prosocial skills curriculum into the early ages of education has also shown to help close the gap in executive functioning, as well as social-emotional development (Flook, Goldberg, Pinger, & Davidson, 2014). In both of these strategies, the children from low-income backgrounds had the largest gains. We will investigate the correlations between higher quality elements of the classroom environment and preschoolers’ growth in executive functioning skills. Data will come from a large-scale longitudinal study of preschool school readiness skills development.

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  Impact of Parental Involvement in the use of Adaptive eBook Technology on Preschoolers' Math Skills

  Patrick Caleb Ehrman

  By the time students in the United States reach the fourth grade, the majority do not perform at or above the level of proficiency in mathematics (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2017). A child’s education in mathematics begins at a very young age. One method by which children are introduced to the basic concepts of math is number books. Traditional number books have been found to be successful in promoting mathematical knowledge, but are stagnant in their difficulty, leaving parents to discern ambiguously when their child is ready to move onto more difficult problem-solving (Elia, Heuvel-Panhuizen & Georgiou, 2010). The present study seeks to discern the effectiveness of new eBook technology, as well as the impact parents have on their children's ability to learn. Specifically, does a discrepancy in the magnitude of the pictures in counting books lead to better learning and does the eBook facilitate learning that overcomes a parent’s anxieties in math. Two different eBooks will be read to thirty randomly selected parent-child pairs at the Dayton Metro Library during their summer Family Story Time sessions. Children will be ages 3-5. A survey will be used post reading to measure the parents’ predisposition towards liking or disliking math, as well as their current methods of math instruction in the home. The results of this study will be assessed using a paired samples t-test. This study predicts that the eBook containing discrepancies in image magnitude will facilitate higher quantity and quality of math-based discourse between parent and child. Additionally, the eBook formatting will help combat the impact a parent’s math anxiety has on their child.

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  Implementing Energy Saving Behaviors in Low-Income Communities

  Jenn Margaret Hoody

  The necessity to combat climate change is on the rise as more and more studies are revealing the catastrophic outcomes if the current trends of energy consumption do not change. Residential programs to promote energy savings and reduce consumption are being enacted to decrease the greenhouse emissions due to home energy usage. However, thus far, little to no measures have been taken to extend the reach of such programs to low-income communities. Reducing household energy consumption would be extremely beneficial as it would lower utility bills for low-income households who spend a substantially greater portion of their income on energy bills compared to other households. While installation of energy efficient appliances is a dominant component in energy reduction, adopting energy behavior has the potential for significant savings. Research is being conducted to determine the most effective techniques necessary to successfully promote and enact energy reduction behaviors in low-income communities based upon peer-to-peer methods. Through a program that will track and analyze thermostat and consumption (energy and water) data in a low-income neighborhood in Dayton, behavioral models will be designed and implemented to deduce what education and intervention methods produce optimal energy behavior results, how demographics impact energy behaviors, and what factors most strongly correlate to an increase or decrease in energy consumption.

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  Importance of Data Compilation in Regards to Understanding Fuel Property Effects on Gas Turbine Combustor Ignition

  Travis C Meyer

  Since the late 19th century, Earth’s average temperature has risen approximately 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. This is in part due to an overall increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions in the atmosphere. If the level of emissions continues to rise at the current rate, we will continue to see the detrimental effects including rising sea levels, an increase in forest fires, and ocean acidification impacting ecosystems and human civilization. As an attempt to mitigate the effects of climate change, the aviation industry is looking towards alternative jet fuels (non-petroleum derived fuels) as a solution. Programs such as the National Jet Fuel Combustion Program (NJFCP) and JET Program are working to improve the commercialization of these alternative jet fuels. Fuel property research would aid NJFCP and JET in accomplishing their missions by increasing their understanding of figures of merit (FOM) in fuel performance, namely lean blowout, high-altitude relight, and cold start ignition due to the fuel properties. Data mining fuel properties such as viscosity and surface tension within a specific temperature range allows these programs to better understand the FOM of the fuel. Ideally, this work would reduce carbon-foot print, support surrogate development, and improve commercialization of alternative jet fuels.

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  Importance of high resolution precipitation isotope datasets for climate change studies

  Alyssa Nicole Forristell

  Climate change has an unprecedented effect on the hydrologic cycle and could impact water resources. However, the link between climate patterns, atmospherics processes and water availability is poorly known. This is largely the case in a drought sensitive region of the world where direct observations of climate are limited. As conservative dual tracer, stable isotopes of oxygen (18O) and deuterium (2H) in precipitation can provide an integrated view of the hydroclimate. In Ethiopia, there is one long-term (1961-2016) monthly precipitation isotope monitoring station in Addis Ababa. However, the data from this station deviates from expectations given its inland location and high altitude, making the generalized framework usually used to interpret isotopic data in hydrology and paleoclimate studies difficult. Moreover, the reasons for these anomalously high values are poorly understood. To understand what drives these anomalously high isotope values in Addis Ababa, we analyzed 50 daily precipitation samples collected in the main rainy season (June-September 2018). Our result shows that the daily amount weighted monthly averages from this study are similar to the long-term data in Addis Ababa. The two data sets also show a similar trend throughout the rainy season with the lowest isotopic values in August. Despite theses similarities, the daily isotope measurements exhibit larger range that the long-term monthly data in Addis Ababa. Our high-resolution daily isotope dataset could provide new insights into the climatic controls on the isotopic composition of rainfall in Ethiopia and understand hydroclimate variability today and in the past.

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  Improvement in Jet Aircraft Operation with the Use of High-Performance Drop-in Fuels

  Shane Kosir

  The implementation of high performance drop-in jet fuels (HPFs) from alternative feedstocks can provide economic benefits to airlines, while contributing to emissions reduction. HPFs offer several operational and economic advantages compared to conventional jet fuel, including improved specific fuel consumption and lower sooting. HPFs that exhibit high specific energy [MJ/kg] and energy density [MJ/L] can increase mission range, payload, and seat capacity. As commercial airlines in the US spend close to 135 billion USD per year on jet fuel, it follows that small increases in the specific energy and energy density of jet fuel can save airlines millions of dollars annually in fuel cost. Three approaches were taken in conjunction to bound HPF economic benefits: identification and calculation of properties for bio-derived molecules via quantum chemistry methods, utilization of ant colony optimization to determine blends of conventional and “specialty” molecules that meet HPF specifications, and simulation of flights to correlate HPF performance increases to economic benefits for airlines. Optimization indicates that alkylated cyclohexanes have significant performance benefits when used in HPFs while helping achieve drop-in operability properties. The creation of HPFs with high concentrations of mono and dicycloalkanes can potentially allow for the removal of aromatics from the fuel, which are widely accepted as being major contributors to soot formation during combustion.

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  Improving Object Detection with Dual Mask R-CNN

  Yunheng Liu, Jinnan Yan

  Object detection is crucial for real-world applications like the self-driving vehicle, search and rescue missions, and surveillance systems. Therefore, it is essential to accurately detect all objects in the field of view. While cutting-edge technologies like Mask R-CNN work in specific regions in images, therefore, some image regions are usually ignored one object is covered partially by the other. In our project, we improve the performance of object detection through a dual mechanism. In particular, our proposed framework removes the already-detected objects in the original image, then perform the detection process once again to force the attention to the ignorable regions. The final results are obtained by merging the two sets of detection results. We conduct experiments to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

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  In Addition to Improving Memory for Paintings, Self-generation of Elaborative Titles Increases Aesthetic Preferences

  Terah Lee Blakemore, Chloe Michelle Clark, Abigail T Flower, Tessa Nicole Jatczak, Hannah M Propes, Rachel Marie Yeager, Yu Zhao

  Aesthetic preferences are influenced by factors such as context surrounding art (e.g., titled photographs; Millis, 2001). In addition, self-generation of context information influences the strength of memory, in general. The present study examined the influence of titles that are participant-generated on aesthetic preferences and memory for paintings. For each painting, there were two types of titles generated: elaborative (evoking a deeper thought process, such as “Water Sustains Life” for a painting of a bridge over a stream) or descriptive (naming objects in the painting, such as “Bridge over Water.” All participants were first exposed to paintings without titles. Participants were then exposed to the same paintings in a different order and generated their own titles consistent with either elaborative or descriptive titling instructions and were asked questions assessing preferences: if they liked the painting, if they would buy the painting, and if they would hang the painting in their home. Control participants also rated the paintings, without the titles and without generating titles. After the ratings, all participants completed a task to distract from rehearsing memory for the paintings, and then viewed the original paintings intermingled with paintings not seen earlier to test their memory for the original paintings. We hypothesized that participants would exhibit greater preferences and better memory for paintings with self-generated elaborative titles than for those with self-generated descriptive or no titles. Our earlier research found that preference and memory were stronger for the paintings with elaborative and descriptive titles than for those with no titles. However, memory and confidence in the accuracy of memory was stronger for paintings with descriptive than for those with elaborative or no titles. The results of the present experiment suggest that the deeper cognitive processing of self-generated elaboration enhances an aesthetic experience when viewing paintings and makes the paintings more memorable.

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  Inclusion in Schools for Students with Disabilities

  Elizabeth Downey Hanold, Aine Rosaleen Harless, Christina M Zaso

  Schools around the world struggle to include students with disabilities in the classroom environment. Through the combination of individual research, the information provided shows that the inclusion of students with disabilities in the classroom lets all students make greater strides in their academic successes through the diverse learning levels. This diversity decreases the stereotypes that surround those with disabilities when their neurotypical peers see all their shared characteristics. Inclusion fosters strong relationship formation between students with disabilities and students in general education. Inclusion with peer support arrangements create a classroom that is full of success.The connection peers get to make with the students with disabilities helps the overall well being of students by allowing peers and students with disabilities to both thrive inside the classroom and receive benefits from this learning experience. When educators teach students with disabilities strategies that improve their learning, students are better able to articulate and express their ideas. This allows students with disabilities to more confidently engage in the classroom, but also with the attention and help they need from the teacher because of their disabilities, these students will begin to see and take pride in their academic success. Inclusion of students with intellectual and learning disabilities creates a more diverse learning environment where everyone can succeed.

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  Increasing Awareness of Intimate Partner Violence on UD’s Campus

  Maria Elizabeth Anderson, Marie Jane Crouchley, Claire Marie Feller

  Many people know that sexual assault is a rising issue on college campuses. However, many do not realize that intimate partner violence (IPV) is also a prevalent issue among college-aged individuals. While the University of Dayton provides many resources on sexual assault, we found there is a need for increased awareness specifically of intimate partner violence. Many students are unaware of the signs of IPV and do not know how to effectively intervene as bystanders of these situations. We examined the impact of existing resources for IPV on UD’s campus and compared them to resources on other college campuses. We determined that there is not enough information readily available for UD students regarding IPV in particular. Our project goal was to create a document that informs UD students of the signs of IPV. Furthermore, our document addresses how friends can support and guide each other in unhealthy relationships. We believe that by providing more information on IPV, UD students will be better equipped to handle these situations and will know where they can get help.

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  Individualized Learning Plans

  Katherine Victoria Evans, Alexa Dehner Passafiume

  The aims of this research is to see how individualized learning plans can benefit the development of well-rounded students in secondary education programs. Specifically we will be focussing on the use of alternative classrooms and alternative scheduling within high schools and the benefits that come with them.Through the use of flipped classrooms and the inclusion/choice of electives, specifically in the arts, one can receive a more well-rounded education that will help them in both the world and in their further education. Going beyond the traditional ways of earning credit in high school can help the students develop a more personalized education, therefore ensuring more of a balance in the education of the whole person. Giving students more choice and flexibility within their schedule will allow them to focus on their passions and become more advanced in their interests. Additionally the integration of arts within a student’s education through both electives and within other classes can lead to benefits in other academic areas, allowing for students to get the most out of their high school experiences. Both alternative classrooms and alternative scheduling provide a more individualized approach to education which allows for students to gain control of the path that they take through their secondary education experiences. By giving students an ability to choose gives them more of a sense of ownership and responsibility when it comes to their education which oftentimes leads to better outcomes in their education as a whole.

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  Inevitable or Avoidable: Assessing the Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Adult Crime and Violence

  Chloe Marie Kisela

  Crime, violence, and childhood trauma are all unfortunate things to speak of, yet they are ever-present in our society. We might have several questions about what factors have a casual influence on these events and how we can prevent them, but for the researcher, one question stood out among others – could all three be connected in some way? In conjunction with that thought, this project uses secondary data analysis to examine whether or not childhood trauma (neglect, abuse, parental death, parental absence, etc.) is related to later adult criminal offending or violent behavior. In addition, specific psychological processes that could possibly connect childhood trauma with adult offending have been researched and described, including learned helplessness, classical conditioning, neurological changes in the brain post-trauma, and the emergence of psychological disorders. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) has been utilized through statistical analysis in pursuit of supporting or refuting the hypothesis, which believes that there is a positive relationship between childhood trauma and adult offending. This is all done with the motive to help reduce childhood trauma and adult offending and violence because, in order to pursue the weighty goals of putting an end to crime as well as childhood suffering, we must first work to better understand them and how they relate to each other.

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  Influenza Vaccine Health Literacy Among UD Intensive English Program Students

  Kaylin Ann Kultgen, Nicole Elise Licher, Leigh Anne Roberts, Aubrey Alexandra Woolford

  In the United States, it is estimated that only 12 percent of adults have proficient health literacy. According to Zarcadoolas in Advancing Health Literacy, health literacy is defined as “the wide range of skills and competencies that people develop over their lifetimes to seek out, comprehend, evaluate, and use health information and concepts to make informed choices, reduce health risks, and increase quality of life.” For this project, our group was tasked with finding an original healthcare document in an area of interest or concern for UD’s Intensive English Program (IEP) students. The original document, a vaccine fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control, was analyzed for readability using the SMOG test and Microsoft Word assessment, identifying the Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level. We also performed a Health Literacy Load Analysis. The original document was then revised to enhance the readability to the IEP students. The first revision was presented to IEP students to gain critical feedback. Though our original document was a more broad outline of how vaccines work, our team chose to focus on the influenza vaccine. This decision was made based on the questions and feedback IEP students provided us, specifically their interest in why some vaccines must be given multiple times. The students’ feedback was used to create a second and final revision of the original document aimed at making information about influenza vaccinations easier to read and understand. We were able to reduce the reading level of the original document to be more understandable and usable for IEP students.

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  Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Growth using TMP preventative treatment on Steel and Polyethylene substrata

  Erin Elise Pellot

  Within recent years there have been a growing number of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Many of these strains produce biofilms, which are sturdy layers of bacteria on a surface. These biofilms are highly antibiotic resistant and have multiple defense mechanisms. Biofilms have been known to form layers on metal implants after surgery and dialysis tubing which can prevent typical antibiotic treatment methods from being effective. In order to prevent biofilms from forming on steel and polyethylene coupons the porphyrin Tetramesitylporphyrin (TMP) was tested as a pre-treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, one of the six ESKAPE bacterial pathogens responsible for most deadly opportunistic infections in the United States. In this experiment steel and polyethylene coupons were placed in a 225 µM TMP and a 100 µM TMP solution for time periods of three and five hours. After this presoak period the coupons were submerged in a PAO1 liquid culture for an 18-hour period. Once a biofilm was formed the coupons were removed and vortexed in sterile water to resuspend the biofilm. A serial dilution and plating was then carried out and the plates were placed in the 37°C incubator overnight. A Colony forming unit (CFU) count was taken the next day to asses the log reduction created by TMP pretreatment. Results showed a roughly .5 log reduction in the 100 µM TMP and 225 µM TMP treatment trials.

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  Insectile Neurochemistry: Developing a novel HPLC-based method to assess neurotransmitters in the grasshopper brain

  Benjamin Klocke

  Grasshoppers (Order Orthoptera) are critical members of grassland ecosystems; as herbivores they serve an important role in many ecosystem services. They can also cause very costly destruction of crops and are seen as pests in agriculture. Therefore, understanding grasshopper behavior is critical to fully understand their impact on the environment. Many chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture affect the balance of micronutrients such as sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca). Similar micronutrient shifts have recently been correlated to an alteration in grasshopper activity. It is currently hypothesized that changes in neurotransmitter systems in the grasshopper CNS underly this response. Therefore, understanding the neurochemical mechanisms underlying these observed behavioral changes is necessary to fully understand the impact of chemicals used in agriculture. However, only a few studies have assessed neurotransmitters have not been quantitatively assessed in insects. Thus, the purpose of this project was to develop a novel HPLC-based method to assess neurotransmitters in the grasshopper brain. This method will be used in collaborative projects by the Prather and the Pitychoutis labs here at the UD to conduct studies exploring grasshopper neurotransmission dynamics following micronutrient shifts in the ecosystem.

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  Inspecting the role for the trans-regulatory landscape to the origin, diversification, and loss of a sexually dimorphic fruit fly pigmentation trait

  Jesse Taylor Hughes

  A major goal for evolutionary-developmental biology research is to identify the genetic changes underlying the origins, diversification, and loss of morphological traits. Such traits are built by the spatial and temporal regulation of gene expression, and thus the evolution of gene expression is often involved in their evolutionary histories. Gene expression is under the control of a network of transcription factors (trans-landscape) that ultimately impinge on the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of differentiation genes whose encoded proteins produce particular traits. Transcription factor genes are often highly pleiotropic, as they can regulate the expression of multiple genes for multiple traits. Thus, it seems reasonable to expect that evolutionary changes in gene expression more frequently occurred by mutations altering the CREs for differentiation genes than changes to the trans-landscape. Our research aims to test whether this expectation for a conserved trans-landscape applies to the origin, diversification, and loss of a well-studied fruit fly pigmentation trait in the Sophophora subgenus. The origin of a male-specific pattern of abdominal tergite pigmentation involved the gain of CREs controlling the expressions of pigmentation enzyme genes responsive to the prevailing trans-landscape of body plan patterning and sexual dimorphism transcription factors. Here, we share our results from tests of these CREs in transgenic hosts that represent the ancestral sexually monomorphic trait, diverse forms of the derived dimorphic trait, and a secondary loss of the dimorphic trait. The outcomes from these tests will reveal the extent to which this particular trans-landscape has remained conserved while the pigmentation phenotype has widely evolved.

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  Intelligence and Interpersonal Functioning in Youth and Young Adults with Varying Levels of Psychopathic and Callous-Unemotional Traits

  Marie Hermine Feyche

  The current study examined 30 youth and young adults ages 12-21 who were receiving therapy services at South Community, Inc. The intelligence and interpersonal functioning of individuals with varying levels of psychopathic and callous-unemotional (CU) traits was studied. Although there are a variety of conceptualizations of psychopathy, this study used the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy (TriPM), which defines the three factors of psychopathy as boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. CU traits are a downward extension of psychopathy, overlapping with the meanness factor, and are embodied by an absence of guilt, remorse, and the expression of superficial emotion. “Successful” psychopathy is a term applied to individuals who have psychopathic traits but are non-antisocial and function at a comparable level to individuals lacking psychopathic traits. Interpersonal functioning refers to one’s ability to interact with others; a significant distinction between successful and unsuccessful psychopathy involves interpersonal skills. Both verbal and abstract intelligence were assessed. Participants completed the Triarchic Personality Measure (TriPM), the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and the Shipley Institute of Living Scale-Second Edition (Shipley-2) in order to assess their levels of psychopathy, CU traits, interpersonal functioning, and intelligence. It was hypothesized that individuals with high levels of CU traits, psychopathy, and intelligence would have higher levels of interpersonal functioning than individuals with high levels of CU traits and psychopathy but low levels of intelligence. It was also hypothesized that this relation will be particularly true for abstract intelligence. This is supported by previous research suggesting low intelligence is present in psychopathic individuals who exhibit antisocial and violent behavior and may correlate with the predisposition to callous-unemotional behavior in youth.

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  Intensive English Program: Skills For Academic Success

  Abbass A A A Almarza, Ahmad J M KH J K Alqallaf, Abdullah Mohammed A Alshahrani, Khalil Ibrahim D Alsulami

  The presenters are students from the Intensive English Program. The posters they have created are representative of an end of term project for the level 3 Special Topics course that focuses on the elements and needed skill for Academic Success. Academic Success is an intermediate class for English language learning students at the intermediate proficiency level. The goal of this assignment is to give students an introduction to research and an opportunity to improve their speaking and presentation skills all while learning how to be a successful student in university setting.

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  Interaction between axial patterning gene (dve) and Dpp signaling during eye development in Drosophila

  Neha Gogia, Katie Marie Perry, Akanksha Raj

  An interesting question in developmental biology is how any three dimensional organ develops from a single monolayer sheet of cells. Organogenesis in multicellular organisms requires an important process of axial patterning which marks the development of Antero-Posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV) and Proximo-Distal (PD) axes. Out of these axes, Dorso-Ventral (DV) patterning marks first lineage restriction event and any disturbance during these axes development leads to defective organ/s formation. In our research we have studied how cell signaling mechanisms interacts with cell fate specification genes and forms eye as an organ. We have used, Drosophila melanogaster (a.k.a fruit fly) as our model organism and Drosophila eye as our model organ (as the genetic machinery is conserved between fruit flies to humans, and any insights generated here can be extrapolated to humans). Previous data from our lab confirms defective proventriculus (dve-a Homeobox gene), an ortholog of SATB homeobox 1 (special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1, in humans), acts as a new member of DV patterning gene hierarchy. In this research, we present that, DV patterning gene (dve), interacts with Dpp signaling. Our results using Gain-of-function (GOF) studies confirms that upregulation of the levels of Dpp signaling by misexpression of decapentaplegic (dpp) and mother against dpp (mad) in dve expression domain results in downregulation of wingless and dramatic eye enlargements. In contrast, downregulation of Dpp signaling by misexpression of brinker ( brk), an antagonist of Dpp signaling in Drosophila, in dve expression domain leads to ectopic induction of wingless in posterior domain of eye and eye suppression or reduced eye phenotypes. In future, we will test if these eye phenotypes are a result of the change of cell fate or due to induction of developmental cell death. To address this, we will test what happens to retinal determination and cell death markers in this background. This study may have a significant bearing on growth, signaling and patterning defects and helps to understand the etiology behind genetic birth defects in the eye.

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  Interaction between JAK STAT pathway and axial patterning genes in Drosophila eye development

  Neha Gogia, Akanksha Raj

  Axial patterning is the fundamental process of organogenesis, which entails delineation of three distinct axes: Antero-Posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV) and Proximo-Distal (PD) axes. Any impairment in the axis formation may lead to developmental birth defects in humans and therefore, getting insight of the mechanism of axis determination is crucial for better understanding of organogenesis. In Drosophila eye model, DV patterning is the primary lineage restriction event. A new member of DV patterning gene, defective proventriculus (dve, a Homeobox gene), an ortholog of SATB homeobox 1 (special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1) has been identified which acts downstream of a GATA-1 transcription factor pannier (pnr), and upstream of wingless (wg) in the dorsal gene hierarchy. Unpaired (Upd), a long range secreted ligand for JAK STAT pathway, is known to promote eye development by negatively regulating Wg expression. Here we present that Upd interacts with dve, to regulate the patterning and growth of the developing Drosophila eye. We found that activation of JAK STAT pathway in dve expression domain results in dorsal eye enlargement and downregulation of Wg expression whereas its inactivation in Dve domain results in eye suppression phenotype and upregulating Wg expression. Our data strongly imply that Upd plays a crucial role in defining the functional domain of Dve during DV axis formation of developing eye. We will present the complex interactions between these two highly conserved pathways, viz., JAK-STAT and dorsal eye fate selectors in growth and patterning of the eye.