2022 Undergraduate Exhibition

Nocturnal restlessness behavior, known as Zugunruhe, is demonstrated by caged birds during the migratory period. The cause of these seasonal changes in behavior and physiology are still unknown, however recent studies in our lab indicate a role for adiponectin in regulating some aspects of these changes. Using immunohistochemistry, I am examining the location and abundance of receptors for adiponectin in order to better understand the neuronal mechanisms involved in the seasonal appearance of Zugunruhe.

Limited research has investigated the effects of bilingualism on cognitive control (i.e., resolving inhibition) in persons with aphasia (PWA). Aphasia is an acquired language disorder from brain injury (i.e., stroke). This study examined reaction times and accuracy in a cognitive control task in mono- and bi-lingual healthy older adults and mono- and bi-lingual PWA. A significant effect of bilingualism was found for reaction time. This knowledge can guide treatment practices for bilingual PWA.

Axon regeneration is essential to restore function in the peripheral nervous system after injury. Neurons with branched dendrites can regenerate axons from dendrites, but some neurons have cilia instead. To investigate the injury response of ciliated neurons, I severed axons of Drosophila chordotonal neurons. Chordotonal neurons regenerated neurites enriched in ER, a characteristic unique to axon regeneration, indicating some axonal character. Furthermore, regeneration required the initiator DLK, suggesting the typical axon regeneration pathway is used.

Mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmic variants can be detected in MPS data down to a frequency of 2%, although they can be confused with NUMTs. It’s especially a problem when there is more noise in MPS data, as it's harder to distinguish between minor variants and NUMT sequences. 

This study used qPCR methods to assess the ratio of mtDNA to nDNA to explain noise observed in MPS data within buccal versus blood samples, collected with varying methods.

Emulsifying salts cause protein quaternary structures to dissociate, promoting stability and functionality in protein-fortified beverages. As the plant-based alternative industry’s $22.6 billion value will double by 2040, improving protein functionality becomes essential. A Continuous Monitoring Prototype was designed to monitor the effects of ranging salt concentrations and temperatures on turbidity and rheological properties of almond-protein dispersions. Higher salt concentrations disrupted quaternary protein structure, as fluorescence increased, turbidity decreased, and increasing monomeric units appeared via electrophoresis.

This thesis evaluates different epigenetic mechanisms’ contribution to health-related outcomes arising from child abuse exposure and the management of subsequent diseases linked to child abuse. Results from a semi-structured interview show that evolutionary perspectives can help understand epigenetic modifications, and increased telomere erosion rates worsen the outcomes for child abuse. Accurate screening tests can help improve abuse-related trauma management. This study shares insights on why epigenetics matters when managing patients that have survived childhood maltreatment.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the US. Blacklegged ticks are the vectors for Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease pathogen. Eastern grey squirrels are one of many hosts for blacklegged ticks, but there is minimal research about the role of squirrels in tick ecology and Lyme disease epidemiology. The purpose of this study is to further understand the relationship between blacklegged ticks and Eastern grey squirrels. 

Successful communication between a patient and medical staff is essential for good health care outcomes. People who have difficulty with speech are three times more likely to experience an adverse medical event, sometimes even dying as a result of communication breakdowns. The PACT strategy was developed to improve patient provider communication outcomes. This poster describes the development and evaluation of an online training module to train pre-service professionals on the PACT strategy.

Research indicates that parents are crucial in influencing their teens’ drinking habits. A parent handbook was adapted into a phone application for high school students’ parents. The study examined preliminary engagement with the application among a national sample of parents (N=193, Mage=45.26; 116 female). Results indicate 67% of parents accessed the intervention and on average 57% interacted with different components of the application. Findings have implications for adapting online drinking parent-based interventions.

This project tested the validity of larger gravitationally stable regions around exoplanets for orbiting retrograde exomoons compared to prograde exomoons, by running python simulations on the short term orbital evolution of hypothesized retrograde and prograde exomoon orbits around confirmed habitable-zone dwelling exoplanets of Class M Red Dwarf star systems. Project results proved retrograde exomoons to have larger orbitally stable regions and prospects for habitability based on applied tidal heating constraints, across all tested M-dwarf systems.

Little is known about relationships between social desirability and personality with age. We examined relationships among older adults (N=597; Mage=71.3 years; 50.8% women; 73.9% white), who completed a survey assessing personality and social desirability. Participants were subdivided into young-old (<75 years; n=483) and old-old (>75 years; n=114). Analyses suggested old-old participants were higher in social desirability, extraversion, and neuroticism. Openness, agreeableness, and consciousness did not differ by group.  

Cassiduloid echinoids are sand-dollar relatives with an expansive fossil record and handful of living species. Cassiduloids have conserved body plans that have never been quantified. We digitized 2D geometric landmarks along the body margin and petals to quantify the shape diversity. Our analysis of disparity through time indicates a loss of hyper-round lineages following the K-Pg extinction. Margin roundness is hypothesized to be related to burrowing ability, with elongated bodies being more adapted to burrowing.

Our study is aimed at a systematic and detailed investigation of the effect of Sea-1. Extracts of whole plants after 4 weeks treatment and extracts of whole plants and flowers after flowering would be used for testing antibacterial properties. Spectrophotometric and biochemical assays will be conducted to test the presence of specific metabolites; qRT-PCR analyses will be performed to understand the effect of selenium on gene expression in the CBD synthesis pathway.

Previously, researchers discovered people's mental health status decreases because of the fear of Covid-19 (Ahorsu et al.,2020). We aim to see how Covid-19 impacted students' mental health at Penn State Behrend. We compared students' Covid fear levels with the general population. We are also curious about whether the level of perceived stress (Cohen et al., 1983) has any prediction to the level of Covid fear and feelings of control (Burger & Cooper, 1979).

Many cancers exhibit changes in lipid metabolism and expression of CD36, a key mediator of fatty acid uptake. Our group explored whether CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake could promote EMT, which is implicated in cancer progression.  We hypothesized that CD36 overexpression and oleic acid treatment would promote EMT by inducing lipid droplet formation and downregulating E-cadherin expression. We find that doxycycline-inducible CD36 overexpression and oleic acid increase lipid droplet formation while decreasing E-cadherin expression.

During Covid procedures 2020-2021, first-year PSMA PTA students were restricted to a singular partner for all laboratory guarding and exercise cuing. Consequently, students missed practicing on a variety of body types, genders, and personalities in their introductory coursework. In Fall 2021, an Engagement Grant was utilized to compensate one of our program's successful new graduates to be a Rehabilitation course lab assistant, while establishing a mentoring peer-relationship and encouragement before first clinical affiliations after Thanksgiving.

The Crab Pulsar emits radio waves from its magnetic poles. Using data from a radio telescope I attempted to answer: Is there a correlation between the number of giant pulses and the giant pulse intensity? We concluded that the giant pulse count decreases with the signal to noise ratio and the time between giant pulses is either a multiple of a period, or a multiple the time between the main pulse and interpulse.

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins are most commonly known for their tolerance of desiccation and high salt concentrations in living organisms due to their hydrophilic properties and formation of amphipathic alpha helices. Provided this functionality and challenges in the vitrification process of cryo-EM, incorporation of LEA proteins in the freezing of samples could potentially allow it to act as a cryo-protective agent to reduce crystalline ice formation and prevent sample degradation through molecular shielding.

Diarylethenes (DAEs) have gained popularity among photochromic compounds as they can switch between two isomeric states with each having unique properties.  In this study we explore Suzuki methodology for the synthesis of halogen terminated quinone based DAEs that exhibit halogen bonding in single crystals.  Future work is aimed at exploring the utility of these quinone DAEs for the construction of framework type compounds.

The squid-vibrio symbiosis exists naturally as a multi-strain symbiosis. High-throughput growth assays have been used to characterized the growth of individual strains of V. fischeri using optical density. A modified assay tracking differential fluorescence over time in mixed culture allows for the growth of individual strains to be tracked. This assay can be utilized to determine how individual strains grow in mixed culture and to identify potential synergistic or antagonistic effects of strains on growth. 

Varroa mites are a major pest that have been negatively impacting honey bee colonies for decades. In this experiment, I test whether manipulating the amount of brood within a colony would be a valid pest management strategy for honey bee colonies. I predicted that colonies with removed brood frames would have a lower mite level. The results showed no significant difference between colonies with added, removed, or controlled brood frames.

This project aims to provide a more nuanced view of how environmental manipulation, such as the destruction of crops, natural resources, or water, enhances territorial control, which in turn facilitates the centralization of state power and the building of institutional capacity. I argue that by engaging in these acts of environmental manipulations these state-makers are engaging in the four functions of statemaking to increase their extraction capabilities which fuel their statemaking, warmaking, and protection capabilities.

Sigma 54 dependent transcription and transcription factors are important to study in the squid vibrio system because they play a vital role in symbiosis of the Hawaiian Bobtail Squid, Euprymna scolopes. Sigma 54 dependent transcription is important to study outside of the squid vibrio system because it controls important bacterial stress response genes in pathogenicity and in agriculture5. Here we show that sigma54 dependent transcription is not necessary for growth and bioluminescence in rich media.

Prior research has not adequately identified variations in nostalgia valence across cultures. In my study, I will recruit participants from collectivistic and individualistic cultures, create a baseline condition, and follow it with an experimental condition in which they write about a nostalgia experience, and rate their emotions along two unipolar valence dimensions using the Evaluative Space Model. My expected findings include a higher negative valence when experiencing nostalgia in collectivistic cultures compared to individualistic cultures.