Neuron modeling is an essential tool that provides a better understanding of the dynamics of the neuron. Also, Neuron modeling gives the opportunity to study a wide range of neural networks and give insight on their complicated structure and functionality. In this project we build an electric neuron circuit based on a design proposed by J. D. Sitt et al. Moreover, we carefully characterize the behavior of the neuron circuit as a function of its various inputs. We found that the constructed neuron circuit accurately models the opening and closing dynamics of the ion channels present in the cell membrane of a biological neuron. When tuned, the circuit generates a spiking pattern analogous to that of a spiking neuron.

Most research examining differences in risk taking among athletes and non-athletes in daily life has demonstrated that athletes take more risks than non-athletes, including drinking, smoking and sexual behaviors (e.g., Frye, Allen & Drinnon, 2010; Wetherill & Fromme, 2007). However, research has not yet examined if athletes’ attitudes towards risk taking are subject to change depending on the social context, but research has demonstrated athletes are more accepting of aggression and use lower levels of moral reasoning in sport than in daily life (Bredemeier & Shields, 1984; Gardner & Janelle, 2002). There were two main purposes to this study. First, to replicate past research we examined differences between athletes’ and non- athletes’ risk taking attitudes and behaviors in everyday life. The second was to extend past research by examining if athletes’ attitudes towards risk taking differ when engaged in their sport as compared to daily life. Participants in this study consisted of St. Lawrence University student non-athletes (N= 77) and athletes (N=186). They answered self-report questionnaires assessing participants’ beliefs about risk taking in general as well as for specific risky behaviors. Results showed no significant difference in general attitudes towards risk taking between athletes and non-athletes, but non-athletes did show greater use of alcohol and marijuana. As hypothesized, there were significant differences between athletes’ levels of risk taking in different contexts. Athletes reported a greater propensity for risk within the sport compared to daily life, suggesting that athletes’ beliefs about risk taking are dependent upon the social context.

Microsatellites are highly beneficial in assessing the genetic diversity, relatedness and reproductive success within a population because of the abundance and distribution of microsatellite regions within a genome. We isolated microsatellite regions from the DNA of Coptis trifolia (C. trifolia) by attaching oligonucleotide probes and hybridizing magnetic beads to microsatellite regions in digested DNA. The repeat sequences of the resulting clones were characterized using DNA sequencing and primers were designed from the DNA sequences for use in analyzing genetic diversity of different populations. We isolated and characterized a total of 14 possible microsatellite loci, of which 13 are GA repeats and 1 is a TGTGAGA. We designed forward and reverse primers specific to the regions flanking the 14 microsatellite repeat loci to be used in future assessments of the genetic diversity between species populations through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification.

Raman spectroscopy is a method of analyzing a substance using a strong coherent light source, usually a laser, and a spectrometer to measure the energy of the inelasticly scattered photons. As incident photons strike a material, most of them are scattered with their energy unchanged; however some photons will gain or lose energy from the vibrational energy in the structure of the material. Substances that are Raman active have unique shifts in energy, allowing this technique identify unknown materials. We assembled a Raman spectrometer using a Horiba Triax 550 spectrometer, a 532nm diode-pumped laser, and an SBIG ST-7 astronomical CCD camera. Data acquisition and spectrometer control was accomplished using National Instruments LabView suite. We have successfully measured the Raman spectrum of a silicon wafer and found the characteristic peak at 520 cm^-1.

Ratings of individual hockey players are difficult due to the fluid nature of the game. Unlike baseball and football there is no start and stop at plays making it hard to know what you are looking for when analyzing. Hockey is relatively low scoring compared to other similar games such as basketball which further adds to the difficulties for evaluating players. Recently there have been some attempts to get at the value of National Hockey League (NHL) skaters based upon scoring rates (Macdonald (2011)) or at the value of certain events that happen on the ice (Corsi & Fenwick) or the impact of other players that appear on the ice with a given player QualComp. We present a new comprehensive rating that accounts for each of these elements as well as the impact of non-shooting events such as turnovers and hits that occur when a given player is on the ice. The impact of each play is determined by net expected probability leading to a goal for a player’s team (or their opponent) in the subsequent 20 seconds. One desired outcome of this work is to provide a methodology that can quantify the impact of individual hockey players across positions (forwards and defenseman).

Research has suggested that there are two ways in which people can assess value: either by relying on their feelings and emotions or by taking a more deliberate, calculative approach. Previous research has suggested that when people use calculations to assess value, that they are often sensitive to changes in scope (e.g., willing to pay more for a diamond that has twice the number of carats). However, when assigning value based on how they feel about a target, people may be insensitive to scope.

In our first experiment participants were asked to freely estimate a price of 5 or 10 pre-owned music CDs. Some support was found for the assertion that calculation and negative feeling primes led to scope sensitivity, while positive feeling primes resulted in scope insensitivity. However, in a follow-up experiment, when provided with an upper limit of $50 on the price of CDs, neither calculation nor feeling primes led to scope sensitivity. Furthermore, no evidence of scope sensitivity emerged when participants were asked to estimate the amount they would be willing to donate to an animal shelter to save either 2 or 8 animals (for up to $200), or to a charity that would provide surgery to treat cleft palate in 1 or 6 children (for up to $200). Participants who scored higher on an empathy questionnaire, however, were found to be more likely to donate more money to both the animal shelter and the children’s charity.

Recent studies have suggested that the antioxidant properties of citrus flavonoids, found in fruits such as grapefruit and oranges, inhibit cancer cell proliferation and stimulate apoptosis. However, few studies have been conducted on the naturally occurring flavonoid hesperetin (3’, 5, 7-trihydroxy-4-methoxyflavanone). The purpose of this study was to determine whether hesperetin has a melanogenic effect on melanoma cells, and if this can be detected using Raman spectroscopy. B16 mouse melanoma cells were treated with hesperetin and imaged using a Raman spectrometer. We hypothesized that a comparison between the Raman spectra of treated melanoma cells and untreated melanoma cells would illustrate an increase in tyrosinase activity in the treated B16 mouse melanoma cells demonstrated by an increase in Raman signal. Therefore, this would indicate that hesperetin has melanogenic properties making it a strong candidate for skin cancer chemotherapy.

I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Kenya and Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and examine the direct impacts global climate on the people there. While poverty in African nations continues to cast a large shadow in the 21st century, expanding at alarming rates, climate change is the single largest factor contributing to already high levels of national poverty. Studies done by groups such as the IPCC and the Journal of American Science scientifically prove and show that Tanzania’s mean annual and average daily temperatures will rise between 2 to 4 degrees Celsius by 2075. While visiting the Kilimanjaro region I saw first hand and learned about the negative impacts of climate change, which have already occurred in Tanzania. The social, environmental and economic stability of the Kilimanjaro region is becoming compromised by the impact of climate change. I collected videos, voice recordings, photos and journal logs of a variety of opinions, experiences and thoughts about Kilimanjaro climate and its impact on them. I have put together a website called “The Road to Kilimanjaro” which is dedicated to further understanding and exploring the impacts I saw. Our actual journey to Kilimanjaro filled me with information and insight on everything from adoption, volunteer teaching, poaching, Chinese presence and government corruption. I have been examining climate change and its relation to the human development of the poor, which is the most compelling issue across Africa. I learned how the indigenous people have been directly and indirectly affected and how the government needs to step up and help their people with adapting to these changes.

Attention is captured when we are faced with threatening stimuli. There are two theories for why threat captures attention. The evolutionary threat superiority theory claims that humans have evolved an efficient neural pathway for detecting threats which is particularly sensitive to ancient threats. The second theory maintains that the ontogenetic relevance of the threatening stimulus is just as important as its evolutionary status. According to this theory, both ancient and modern threats should be equally likely to capture attention. The current study measures the capture of attention using the Rapid Serial Visual Presentation task (RSVP). This procedure asks participants to identify stimuli which are rapidly presented in a sequence. The RSVP paradigm is used in this study to test the effects of threatening stimuli on the Attentional Blink - a reduced ability to identify a second target after having recognized a first target. A study conducted by a previous honors student using the Attentional Blink paradigm showed ancient (snakes and spiders) and modern (guns and syringes) threats to equally attenuate the attentional blink as opposed to non-threatening stimuli. The current study seeks to determine whether this difference is due to the threatening nature of the stimulus, or due to its emotional value. The results indicated that neither stimulus arousal, nor its emotional valence (pleasantness) reduced attentional blink beyond the reduction due to threat. Thus, we replicated the earlier result of attentional capture by threat, and we have ruled out that this reduction is due to stimulus arousal or valence.

Natural background radiation makes up 82% of human radiation exposure and is inescapable as it is constantly emitted by cosmic and terrestrial sources in our environment. Two competing theories have attempted to explain the relationship between radiation levels and cancer risk. Proponents of the linear non-threshold model propose that cancer risk increases in a linear function to radiation exposure. Thus, all forms and exposure levels are harmful to human health and can lead to cancer, creating the foundation of our current knowledge regarding radiation. Others, however, believe that only high levels of radiation can lead to negative health outcomes and that low levels of radiation can actually lead to multiple health benefits, the most significant being protection against cancer (hormesis theory). The aim of this study was to determine if humans could adapt to natural background radiation, depending upon exposure levels. This study utilized a discriminant function analysis procedure to compare lung, colon, and bladder cancer incidence and mortality rates, from 2004 to 2008, to radon averages in twelve New York state counties. The results of the analysis found that there is no correlation between lung, colon, and bladder cancer mortality and incidence rates and radon averages in the twelve New York state counties tested. Suffolk County had the second lowest radiation average, yet cancer incidence and mortality rates were highest for both sexes in all three types of cancer tested. Cortland County had the highest radon average, yet cancer incidence and mortality rates were the lowest for all three types of cancer in males. These findings strongly support the hormesis theory, thus alluding to a potential human adaptation to natural background radiation.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a devastating and incapacitating autoimmune disease that originates from T cells incorrectly targeting collagen fibers within the joints, resulting in chronic inflammation, pain, and ultimately hindered mobility. Macrophage immune cells play a significant role in the progression of RA through the release of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-α as well as Radical Oxygen Species (ROS). In particular ROS acts as both a significant generator of tissue damage as well as a perpetuator of inflammation and immune activation. Therefore characterizing the effectiveness of new agents aimed at diminishing ROS production and macrophage infiltration is an important endeavor in order to identify new therapies that may halt RA progression. Recent research at St. Lawrence University has shown that lanthanide metal Ceria Oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are extremely effective antioxidants, capable of reducing ROS levels in macrophage cultures. Since macrophage cells in RA utilize ROS to damage cartilage tissue as well as signal for further immune recruitment, treatments aimed at eliminating ROS could play a significant role in reducing RA progression. Thus the purpose of our experiment was to test the ability of these NPs to reduce RA symptoms in a mouse model in vivo, and macrophage inflammation signals in vitro. We hypothesize that the NPs will significantly reduce the progression of RA symptoms by neutralizing the ROS, and thus diminish the presence of pro-inflammatory proteins. To test this we induced arthritis in 20 DBA/J1 mice, treated them with either NP or control solution, and measure paw thickness and joint mobility for a 90 day period. Likewise we measured inflammatory protein production by RAW 264.7 macrophage cells using an ELISA technique and further determined the effectiveness of the NP to reduce general and specific ROS molecules within these cells via luminescence microscopy.

CONTROL ID: 1313973 CONTACT (NAME ONLY): Pamela Thacher PRESENTER: Pamela Thacher Abstract Details ABSTRACT_STATUS: draft PRESENTATION TYPE: Poster Presentation CURRENT PRIMARY CATEGORY: A. Basic Sleep Science KEYWORDS: substance use, academic achievement, college students. AWARDS: Abstract TITLE: Use of sedatives and stimulants for management of sleep and wake states in college students AUTHORS (FIRST NAME, LAST NAME): Pamela V. Thacher1, Patricia Goodhines1 INSTITUTIONS (ALL): 1. Psychology, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, United States.
ABSTRACT BODY:

Introduction : Most college students use a variety of substances as they manage their social and academic lives, including caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, and students also use licit and illicit drugs such as marijuana and stimulants including methylphenidate. One goal of some students may be to manipulate their wakefulness and sleepiness through pharmacological means, which may adversely affect health, cognition, and academic achievement. Our study sought to discover more about the types and patterns of substances used primarily to manipulate states of wake/sleep.

Methods : Participants were recruited through psychology courses for credit. Participants who indicated either FEW (0 or 1) or MANY (5 or more) stimulants or sedatives ingested to manipulate wake/sleep were invited into the study. They completed cognitive tasks (Digit Symbol Substitution and a Letter Cancellation task) and measures of sleep patterns, health, medication and substance use. All participants reported estimated cumulative GPA.

Results : Of 69 screened students, 28 (19 women) completed measures; mean age was 20. Groups did not differ by gender. Groups did not differ on performance on cognitive tasks nor on GPA. Preliminary examination of sleep did not reveal group differences. Stimulant use was correlated with marijuana use (r=.36) and pulling all-nighters (r=.36); sedative use was correlated with caffeine use (r=.48). Groups did not differ with respect to alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana use. "Frequent" users of substances to manipulate sleep/wake state primarily differed in number of reported prescription medications (t=2.5, p<.03).

Conclusion: In this preliminary pilot study, students who reported that they often used substances to affect wake/sleep state of consciousness were also more likely to be using significantly more prescription medications, but were not more likely to be using nicotine or alcohol.

Green algae are the major contributor to shallow-marine carbonate sediments. This study focuses on the environmental differences influencing algal associations and sediment type of the two lagoons on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. At both locations, four transects were made to describe the algal associations and map the bathymetry. Each transect had three points (100ft, 200ft, 300ft) that were closely examined for green algae using a 1 square meter grid. The transects were spaced 300ft apart; the distance between the points was measured along the coastline using a measuring tape, and a meter-stick was used to measure the depth along them. For French Bay, the transects extended seawards due south into the lagoon. In Pigeon Creek the transects extended westward from the mangrove-covered eastern lagoon shore. Samples of different algae were taken and stored in a wet lab until identification at genus and species level was made. The bathymetrical data was used to create depth profiles of the transects, and then combined to map each respective lagoon using Surfer software. The environment differed greatly between the two locations. French Bay is an open, wave-dominated lagoon and contains many small patch reefs. The algae are mostly contained in small Thalassia meadows or located on the reefs and limited to Halimeda, Udotea, and Penicillus. Pigeon Creek is a protected tidal lagoon, flanked by the mangroves. The algae are dispersed throughout the lagoon in Thalassia meadows, around shrimp mounds, and along the tidal channel. Pigeon Creek exhibits a more diverse population, including Halimeda, Udotea, Rhipocephalus, and Caulerpa.

A strong orientation of a graph is a way to orient the edges so that the resulting directed graph is strongly connected, meaning it is possible to get from any vertex to any other vertex while following the arrows. In his book Graph Theory and Its Applications to Problems of Society, Fred Roberts describes a depth-first search algorithm (which we call the Roberts Algorithm) for putting a strong orientation on a graph. We call a strong orientation obtainable if it is possible to arrive at that orientation using some application of the Roberts Algorithm. We present results about obtainable and unobtainable orientations, including classes of graphs which have unobtainable orientations and classes of graphs for which all orientations are obtainable. In addition, we discuss relative efficiency of orientations which are obtainable or unobtainable, using four different ways to measure efficiency or optimality.

Most decisions carry some degree of risk, or the potential of a negative outcome, and previous research suggests that levels of sex hormones can affect risky decision-making. This study investigated how perceptions of risk might change as a function of menstrual cycle phase (menses, late-follicular, and mid-luteal) in healthy undergraduate heterosexual women that were either naturally-cycling (NC) or using oral contraceptives (OC) (n=40/group). Participants rated the riskiness of behaviors and their likelihood of engaging in those behaviors, and completed the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART), which assesses propensity towards risk-taking. In addition, participants were presented with risky situations for which they were asked to select a preferred male face (either masculinized or feminized) to hypothetically share that situation. Saliva samples were collected and assayed for estrogen and progesterone. Preliminary results indicate that NC women showed a higher propensity towards risky behavior and preference for masculine faces during the luteal phase, whereas the OC women showed these tendencies during the menses phase. The association between hormone levels across phases of menstrual cycle and risk preferences/risky behaviors will be discussed.

Metamorphosis of the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis, involves a number of dramatic tissue remodeling processes that are mediated by thyroid hormone in the animal. During metamorphosis, the tadpole’s intestine shortens by seventy-five percent, front and hind limbs form, and the gills and tail are completely resorbed. Accompanying the onset of metamorphosis is the increased expression of matrixmetalloproteases (MMPs). MMPs are enzymes that cleave peptide bonds of extracellular matrix proteins. During X. laevis metamorphosis, thyroid hormone upregulates mRNA expression of several MMPs in resorbing and proliferating tissues where matrix proteins are degraded. Furthermore, virtually all tissue remodeling is inhibited when metamorphosing tadpoles are treated with pharmacological MMP-inhibitors (doxycycline and Ilomastat). Thus we have proposed that MMPs play a central, active role in many of the tissue-remodeling processes of metamorphosis. The main goal of our summer research was to better describe the role of MMP enzymatic activity in X. laevis metamorphosis, specifically in the gut. More recently, we have focused on the actions of MMPs in tail resorption during metamorphosis. While our work on the tails is still in the early stages, we have produced significant experimental data supporting the hypothesis that upregulation of TH-responsive MMP activity during metamorphosis mediates diverse changes that accompany intestinal remodeling.

Previous research has shown that subliminal priming can affect behavior when primes are related to the individual’s pre-existing deprivational state (e.g., thirst, fatigue). Subliminal primes are visually-presented stimuli that are processed outside of one’s conscious awareness but have the potential to affect behavior. However, research has not considered the possibility that learning and memory can also be influenced by subliminal primes. In the current study, we examined the effects of achievement primes (e.g., win, excel, achieve, dominate) on ability to memorize words. Participants were placed in either an “intellectually deprived” or “intellectually satisfied” state by completing a set of very hard or very easy verbal reasoning problems. They then studied a list of 42 words preceded by either achievement primes, neutral primes (e.g., eat, paint, import, fashion) or no primes, with primes presented for 45ms and backward- and forward-masked. Participants also completed a letter cancellation task to measure vigilance, as well as measures of diligence, sleep and achievement motivation. The results will examine whether subliminal primes affect memory recall and consider whether individual differences in vigilance and alertness, conscientiousness, and achievement motivation moderate these effects.

In this particular project, I was determined to apply GIS to one of the most basic needs of the human species: shelter. We need a roof over our heads to comfortably live our lives, and in our culture, we have established complex webs of laws and market that restrict where we start to build, and how we build. To sort through the quagmire modern society has bequeathed to me, I applied GIS to spatially determine, using appropriate geoprocessing tools and selections, where I could possibly live someday. I wanted to be very selective of potential locations, for I have staunch expectations for the course of my future: I want to live as “sustainability” as possible, to live with the land as my nourishment and resource base, to live without extensive fossil fuel use, and to live in a recreationally and academically rich environment. There are many conditions that I have in mind when I think about living somewhere, and GIS allowed me to geospatially interrelate all of these conditions in three geographic case studies in the New York region. As a result, I have determined that there are three communities in the State of New York; Alleghany County, Canton, and Utica; that may be the most suitable in regards to the future lifestyle I intend to live. Thus, I have used GIS in a way that can be effectively used for anyone interested in finding a community that matches their interests.

Who are you and from where does this you emerge? I was drawn toward questions of personhood and autonomy, and the delineations for claiming cultural “authenticity.” I sought (through active engagement of cooking with my Grandfather and journaling my reflections) the traditions of my Italian ethnic group, deeply founded upon food and cuisine to understand how trans-generational, trans-geographical, and trans-cultural food memories are internalized in a construction of identity. The elemental power of food to stimulate our sensory modalities (by engaging our gestation, olfaction and tactile responses) is intrinsically connected with the construction of meaning and memory, and ultimately, with cultural identity. Human beings engage with cuisine via a multimodal and multi-sensory evaluation. It is this multifaceted process that guided the methodology behind this work.
The medium of the autoethnography became my all-encompassing tool for presenting scholarship in a meaningful and mindful way, whilst functioning as the qualitative mechanism actually engaged in the process of making meaning. It is delineated by three overarching sections: Qualitative Understanding, the Narrative, and the Multimodal Instillation. The first is founded on critical theory and the second entity is titled, “Thursday with Guiseppe,” and fashions the very core of my discursive meaning, situating myself in simultaneous dialogue with narration and self-reflexivity. Given the multi-sensory embodiment of this scholarship, the final component took the form of a Multimodal Instillation, traditionally a method to autoethnography that transforms a text into performance. I prepared a meal of gnocchi, tomato sauce, meatballs and sausages and bread, my favourite from the summer, with the guidance of my grandfather. The mergence (read: relationality) of dynamic and complex positionalities of the reader and the author embraced the collaborative, fluid, and multi-sensory communicative process of making meaning as social beings.
Ultimately, the totality of this work articulates an alternative paradigm for understanding the self through autoethnographic reflection. This emergent paradigm illustrates a re-imagining of the ways in which our identities are constructed. It posits an articulation of the continuity, re-fashioning identities as inherently incomplete and emergent in cultural processes. This work is evidence to the multiplicity of self.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by the death of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain. Although the cause of death of these neurons is unknown, studies suggest that it involves oxidative stress (free radicals) and mitochondrial dysfunction. We used a Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode roundworm) model of PD to study the potential for a novel antioxidant, cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs), to protect DA neurons from death. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that nematodes treated with CeO2 NPs would display less DA neuronal damage than untreated nematodes. The BY250 worm strain expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) in DA neurons, allowing the amount of fluorescence to be taken as a measure of DA neuron viability. The neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, a hydroxylated analogue of dopamine) was used to induce oxidative stress. Nematodes were pre-exposed for 48 hours to three different types of CeO2 NPs to allow for nanoparticle uptake. Once worms had reached the fourth larval stage of development, they were treated with 10 mM 6-OHDA for 30 minutes, and allowed to recover for 48 hours. Worms were then anesthetized and imaged for GFP fluorescence to determine DA neuron viability post 6-OHDA exposure. Worms exposed to a 58 µM dose of native CeO2 NPs displayed the highest level of protection against damage when compared to control worms. These results suggest that CeO2 NPs should be further explored as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of PD.

This project entailed developing software to mine data from Twitter to
analyze words and phrases from tweets using a topic modeling algorithm
(TMA). The TMA uses statistical analysis to group tweets based on key
words being used together. Key words used together get grouped together
under a particular topic. This allows us to visualize related tweets
that use different words and phrases as one entity. Additionally, we
analyze the growth and size of each topic over time. More recently, we
have developed software to mine articles from CNN to run the TMA and
also perform entity extraction. This software examines articles and
extracts key persons, places, and events. From this data we perform
event detection by looking for changes in outputs with respect to time
from the TMA. The goal is to analyze tweets about current events, and
automatically provide links to other media sources about these events.

Oxidative stress occurs when reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate and damage cellular moieties through processes such as lipid peroxidation, DNA destruction and the S-nitrosylation of proteins. Research has shown that oxidative stress is a contributing factor to the onset and progression of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The benefits of antioxidant therapies in the progression in ALS have been modest for two principle reasons. First, it is difficult to get sufficient quantities of the antioxidants into the brain and second, the catalytic activity of these compounds in the neutralization of ROS is quite low. Recently, we have developed crystallite, nanoparticles composed of cerium oxide that are highly potent antioxidants that can either operate as electron donors or electron acceptors in redox coupled reactions. These 2.5 nm particles, which are composed of 80 atoms, are regenerative antioxidants that continue to neutralize ROS as long as they are resident in tissue. In this study we examined the neuroprotective effects of ceria nanoparticles delivered weekly to a murine model of ALS, the G93A mouse model. This model is a toxic, gain-of-function mutant that results in increased generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals that lead to selective destruction of spinal motor neuron pools leading to progressive weakness in skeletal muscle. Here we show that survival interval (the number of days between onset and a pre-determined severity of illness) in treated mice was significantly different from control in male mice across all dosing levels but effective in females only at the highest dosing. These findings suggest ceria nanoparticles have differential effects in males and females but may be useful as a therapy in ALS.

Safety equipment is one of the most common methods parents and caregivers use to protect children, and it is important to understand how it affects child behavior. Several studies have indicated that children have target levels of risk and adjust their behavior to meet this risk level. This would mean that safety equipment may actually lead to the child taking larger risks, in order to maintain a “comfortable” risk level. Sixty-one students from the fourth, sixth, and eighth grades completed questionnaires that measured: 1) sensation seeking, and 2) “risky” recreation. For the latter questionnaire, students viewed a person participating in an activity with or without safety equipment, imagined themselves to be that person, and completed rating scales that measured peer influence, risk perception, and participation rates. We hypothesized that children high in sensation seeking would 1) show less risk compensation and 2) be more likely to respond to pressures from risk-taking peers. Results indicated that high sensation seekers were only slightly less inclined to show risk compensation. We also found that, converse to our hypothesis, high sensation seekers were less likely to respond to pressures from risk-taking peers. It seems that high sensation seekers would continue to participate in a risky activity regardless of their peers’ opinions, since high sensation seekers naturally have more desire for risks. In order to more fully understand the relationship between high SS and risk compensation, future studies will need to gain a more in depth depiction of children’s risk behaviors within a given activity.

A correlation has been shown between having allergies and developing anxiety in humans. This correlation has been proven in mice that were induced with an allergy to OVA (egg white albumin). The biological mechanism linking allergies to increased anxiety is not fully understood, though T-Cells have been found in the brains of mice with allergies. One potential mechanism behind this allergy induced anxiety is histamines. Histamines are pro-inflammatory molecules released by mast cells during an allergic response. They also increase the permeability of the blood vessels, which potentially could be how the T-cells get into the brain. Typical antihistamines block the H1 receptor on the blood vessels to prevent this increased permeability that leads to the classical allergy symptoms. If histamines are involved in the pathway of allergy-induced anxiety, then the anxiety levels would theoretically decrease with antihistamine treatment. To test the role of histamines in the pathway of allergy induced anxiety, mice were assigned into four groups: mice that were not induced with allergies or treated with antihistamines (untreated) , allergy induced only mice, antihistamine treated allergy induced mice, and antihistamine treated non-allergic mice. Approximately 3 weeks after allergy induction, mice were challenged with intranasal doses of OVA. Anxiety was then measured using an Open Field test and an Elevated Plus Maze test. T-cell infiltration into the brain was also measured using immunohistochemistry. Initial findings show that antihistamines did not decrease anxiety in allergic mice and in fact, may have increased anxiety in these mice. Due to a small sample size this study must be replicated. However the results raise questions about possible unintentional side effects of antihistamines used in allergy paitaints.

“Recreating Booming Sand: Collective Vibrations of Marbles in a Granular Flow”

Tim Moore
Advisor: Dr. Brian Watson
St. Lawrence University Department of Physics, Canton, NY

Specific regions of the world have sand that when avalanched down a dune face will emit a low booming sound. It has been hypothesized that for sand to “boom” it must be very dry and well-sorted, with round grains of similar size and composition. A collection of marbles cascading down an incline has these characteristics. The purpose of the experiment was to see if marbles can exhibit the booming characteristic and if so whether the emitted frequency matched the frequency predicted by Bagnold. The dune was replaced in the experiment with a trough, having one Plexiglas side, which could be raised to varying angles and was lined with marbles glued on the bottom. Approximately 22,000 marbles were released down the trough. We recorded the audio signal of the flow at various angles and a high-speed video capture of the flow as seen from the side. The audio signal was analyzed with the discrete Fourier transform to identify resonant frequencies. The essential parameter in the Bagnold equation is the marble density within the flow, which was determined using the video capture. Preliminary results show a weak resonance at the predicted frequency.

In the present study, the therapeutic efficacy of five different antioxidant nanoparticles was tested in a PLP (proteolipid protein) model of multiple sclerosis. All of the antioxidant nanoparticles were constructed using a CeO2 core. However, each of the five antioxidants differed in the chemical groups present on the surface of the nanoparticle or in the specific synthetic method used. Of the four treatments tested, one model – WC87(12) – is a novel nanoparticle being developed and tested by a research team at St. Lawrence. The three competitor nanoparticles tested – Sigma Aldrich, Alfa Aesar-1:14 and Alfa Aesar-1:9 – were created by outside research groups. Motor function was tested using balance beam, hanging wire, and rotarod tasks. Clinical scores of disease severity were also compared between animals receiving different models of nanoceria. Animals receiving the WC87 (12) model showed markedly improved scores of motor function, and decreased scores of disease severity, when compared with all other treatment groups (Figure 1-4). These results suggest the physical-chemical properties of our novel nanoparticles provide increased efficacy compared to competitor models.

Research has shown that exposure to idealized female body images lowers global self-esteem and increases body dissatisfaction in women (e.g., Grossbard, Lee, Neighbors, & Larimer, 2008). However, there is a lack of research on how idealized body images affect men. In the few studies that have been conducted with men, results are mixed. Men do show slight increases in body dissatisfaction after viewing idealized male body images, but they do NOT report lower global self-esteem (Hobza, Walker, Yakushko, & Peugh, 2007). Based on research that suggests men are unwilling to report insecurities, we believe that, like women, men do suffer from a reduction in global self-esteem but are just unwilling to report it. It was hypothesized that after viewing idealized body images implicit measures, but not self-report measures, would reveal that men feel less positive about themselves. As expected, our analysis revealed that both men and women experienced a significant decrease in implicit global self-esteem after viewing ideal body images. Surprisingly, explicit self-esteem scores increased after exposure to idealized images if it was completed immediately after exposure. If it was completed after the implicit measures, however, self-esteem showed the expected decrease. These results suggest that the increasingly idealized body imagery in advertisements attenuates self-esteem for both men and women, which may help to explain the increasing prevalence of steroid use, eating disorders, and cosmetic surgery among men in recent years.

In the study of Graph Theory it is commonly known that in order for a degree sequence to be graphical, it must contain at least one repeated degree. Expanding on this fact, Daniel Gagliardi and Marty Lewinter analyze the properties of a degree sequence containing a unique pair in their paper, "A Survey of Undergraduate Research in Graphical Sequences". In a similar fashion, we will prove that there exists and infinite class of graphical degree sequences containing a unique triple. We analyze some of the properties of such graphs and provide and algorithm for determining where the degree sequences are graphical.

To continue exploring the art of path counting, I propose to count the number of paths through networks created by a row of adjacent square tiles with a diagonal placed within the center of each. The diagonals either go up or down within the squares. Using various combinations of tiles and counting the paths from the top left corner (A) to bottom right (B) of the networks, we determined whether there were any patterns or similarities based on the order of the tiles, and the number of down diagonal versus up diagonal tiles. I wanted to examine the networks when varying the direction within the network, allowing all the vertical edges within the tiles to go both up and down. This was in order to explore the effects in the change of the original guidelines on the number of pathways within the networks. I also examined networks within these same guidelines, involving not just one row of adjacent tiles, but having the number of tiles extend both horizontally and vertically creating n x k grids. I was able to create surprisingly simple formulas, generating systematic ways of counting the tile networks.

The Albian succession of Adriatic platform in southern Croatia is an overall shallowing upward supersequence reaching more than 400 meters. Based on detailed bed-by-bed analysis of two sections (Korcula and Mljet Islands), the supersequence contains four large, 20 to 210-m-thick third order sequences. The sequences are composed of highly cyclic peritidal carbonate facies and bounded by emergence breccias. These meter-scale shallowing-upward cycles consist of eight distinct lithologies from deepest to shallowest: (a) skeletal lime mudstone, locally burrowed, with clams and oncoids;(b) pellet-skeletal wackestone;(c) peloid-skeletal-intraclast wacke-packstone with rudists and gastropods;(d) intraclast-peloid-skeletal grainstone;(e) gastropod-rudist-oncoid floatstone to rudstone with lime mudstone, skeletal-peloid, or coarse dolomite matrix;(f) barren lime mudstone;(e) fenestral laminite;(d) emergence breccias represented by intra/lithoclast floatstone-rudstone or dolomite.
The two logged sections from southern Croatia were sampled for carbon and oxygen isotopes at 1 meter intervals. The mean values for carbon are +0.55‰ PDB, and -1.96‰ PDB for oxygen. The base of the Albian sequence Alb1 corresponds to the oceanic anoxic event OAE1b characterized by a stepwise negative excursion of δ13C, with a minimum value of -6.52‰ PDB. Sequence Alb2 begins with a positive δ13C excursion, followed by a range of carbon isotope values within -6.52‰ PDB to +2.19 ‰ PDB; Sequence Alb3 has a minimum δ13C value, of -5.54 ‰ PDB. Sequence Alb4 encompasses the highest and lowest values of δ13C within the Upper Albian part of the supersequence, +2.19‰ and -4.77‰ PDB, respectively. Isotopic values can be correlated to sequence stratigraphy to further interpret the regional Cretaceous climate.

Creativity is defined as the combination of convergent (e.g., condensing) and divergent (e.g., expanding) thinking. The few studies that have examined how creative thinking is affected by ovarian hormones suggest that divergent thinking improves when estrogen is high. The present study examined the effects of hormonal fluctuations in the menstrual cycle on convergent and divergent thinking and intelligence. Eighty healthy undergraduate women, 40 naturally cycling (NC) and 40 oral hormonal contraceptive (OC) users, completed the Remote Associates Task (a test of convergent thinking) in which participants are presented with a set of words and asked to generate the word that connects them, and the Alternative Uses Task (a test of divergent thinking), in which participants are asked to generate as many possible uses for common items. The Shipley-2 test assessed crystallized intelligence (with a vocabulary test) and fluid intelligence (with a spatial block designs task). Saliva samples were collected and assayed for estrogen (E) and progesterone (P). Comparisons were made between NCs and OCs participants across the menses, late-follicular, and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Preliminary results show that although creativity was not influenced by menstrual phase, significantly higher fluid intelligence was observed for NC over OCs during menses, when E and P are low, and the late follicular phase when E is high.

The premise of this project is to create a framework for the Vermont state recovery plan for Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata). This is an endangered species in Vermont that is only known from three locations within the state. This past summer I spent a month trying to trap these turtles in the most recently discovered location in order to establish the population’s size and distribution as a means to better know how to protect it. This research is still ongoing, but I am writing a draft of the recovery plan so that there is a framework with which to work as more information is discovered about these populations in Vermont, what threatens them, and what can be done. This draft plan is being written for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Wildlife Diversity Program, and as such will be put into action after an extended review process. It typically takes two years for these plans to be drafted and reviewed, so my current work is the beginning of a longer process. I plan to do more trapping this summer as an intern for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Wildlife Diversity Program, while also continuing my work on the recovery plan as more is discovered about these populations. The work I am doing for this SYE is by no means complete but is a necessary starting point from which to develop important conservation management plans that will be acted upon by the Vermont state agency in charge of threatened species management.

Radical oxygen species (ROS) are continually produced via normal cellular metabolism, but levels can increase dramatically as a result of disease. While increasing evidence suggests a role for ROS in maintenance of REDOX state, an important element in cellular signaling, they can also induce oxidative injury. This damage stems from the presence of unpaired electrons, which augment ROS reactivity, allowing them to strip electrons from vital cellular components. The body possesses a number of defense mechanisms that keep base level ROS exposure in check, but when ROS generation overwhelms endogenous antioxidant systems, or when these systems are compromised, cellular damage results. This disruption of balance between ROS production and elimination forms the basis of numerous neurodegenerative disorders. One such disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), is characterized by severe, progressive physical and cognitive disability, resulting from inflammation and demyelination within the central nervous system (CNS). This damage can be traced back, in part, to macrophage ROS production. Since auto-defense mechanisms against free radical damage are insufficient to combat the ROS-induced injury in MS, exogenous ROS scavengers could conceivably lessen oxidative stress within the CNS. In this study we demonstrate the efficacy of systemically delivered ceria oxide nanoparticles in decreasing clinical severity, and preserving motor function, in a mouse model of MS (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, EAE). We also show, through inductively-coupled plasma mass spectronomy (ICP-MS), that ceria retention is greater in the brain than in the liver. These promising results speak to the potential therapeutic value of cerium oxide nanoparticles in treating MS.

There is clear evidence that oxidative stress is an important factor in the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis. Oxidative stress is caused by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which destabilize and destroy constituents of the cell. Nanoceria is capable of scavenging a wide array of biologically important free radicals, suggesting it may have therapeutic value. It is the goal of the present study to test if cerium nanoparticles have the potential to reduce oxidative damage in a model of relapse remitting multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis was modeled in mouse subjects through the induction of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis (EAE), which mimics the key symptoms of MS. In each model, there were three treatment groups; preventative, delayed suppression, and control. Mice received injections of nanoceria according to dosing schedule, and were tested repeatedly on the rotarod, hanging wire, and balance beam. These behavioral tests are commonly used to asses balance and strength in the hind limbs and forelimbs of the mouse.
We have found that in the relapse remitting model of multiple sclerosis, treatment with nanoceria does significantly increase performance in behavioral tests. This speaks to the potential of cerium nanoparticles as radical scavengers, and suggests that nanoceria may be a potential treatment for other illnesses in which radical oxygen species are central to disease progression.

With 6.3 million km of public roads in the United States, roughly 1% of the land surface is directly impacted by the presence of roads, making them one of the most prevalent features of the modern landscape. Mosses are widely and easily dispersed, high in abundance, sensitive to their microhabitat, and one of the few types of plants that are capable of growing in the highly disturbed areas along roadsides. We tested the hypothesis that mosses may be used to describe roadside soil chemical and physical conditions. Twenty-four locations of varying road types were sampled across central Vermont and New Hampshire, and Northern New York. Replicate plots were sampled at four distances from the road edge. Sample plots were measured for ground cover (soil, rock, litter, tree/shrub, herbaceous, graminoid, and cryptogams), soil physical characteristics (depth, hardness, and texture), and soil chemistry (pH, CEC, organic matter, N, P, K, S, B, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Al). All species of moss occurring in the plots were collected and identified. Plot ground cover, soil chemical and physical measurements differed among the three states. Presence of moss colonies was significantly correlated with selected plot ground cover, soil chemical measurements, and distance from road edge. Moss species differed in their response to ground cover, soil physical measurements, and soil chemistry, suggesting that mosses may be useful indicators of roadside microenvironments.

There are a number of factors that can influence the outcome of a sporting event. During my four years on the St. Lawrence Track and Field team, I participated in meets that were held under different conditions and suffered injuries that affected my race times. I use Bayesian statistics to model my 200 meter event times and discussed the factors that influenced my race times.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a toxic form of Hg known to bioaccumulate in organisms, particularly in aquatic wildlife. MeHg’s sub-lethal effects include neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and immune suppression. Although many studies have measured MeHg levels from wild vertebrates, few controlled laboratory studies on dietary MeHg uptake and tissue distribution have been conducted using amphibian models, partly due to the challenge of effectively administering MeHg. Here we describe a simple and effective method to elevate MeHg loads of lab-raised tadpoles (Niewkoop & Faber stages 54-57) to levels comparable to or higher than what has been reported in amphibians found in wetland environments known to contain high MeHg. Compared with controls fed a Pacific salmon diet low in MeHg, pre-metamorphic tadpole (NF 57) tissues were significantly elevated (average tail values: 0.29 vs. 2.20 ppm; average body values: 0.011 vs. 1.570 ppm). Tails from swordfish-fed tadpoles contained almost one-and-one-half times the MeHg concentrations found in the body, likely due to the high muscle content of the tail compared with the body. Interestingly, following either spontaneous metamorphosis or metamorphic induction with exogenous thyroid hormone treatment (30 nM thyroxine, 7 days beginning at NF 57) the concentration of MeHg in the body abruptly doubled, even though the tadpoles were not fed during this period. We attribute the rapid rise in body MeHg levels to transference from the resorbing tail. Therefore, metamorphosis may represent a critical period when tadpoles living in environments containing elevated MeHg are particularly susceptible to its toxic effects.

Sulfate reducing bacteria are anaerobic microorganisms that use sulfur in the absence of oxygen for respiration. These bacteria reduce sulfate and produce hydrogen sulfide. While the mechanism of sulfate reduction has been studied greatly, the diversity of sulfate reducers is not completely understood and represents a number of distantly related phylogenetic groups. Additionally, the organic substrates that can be added to enhance sulfate reduction have not been completely discovered.
The purpose of my research is to investigate the metabolic diversity of sulfate reducing bacteria found within the Artificial Wetland at St. Lawrence University. Samples were collected in anaerobic jars filled with nitrogen gas and augmented with 2 mL of three 20mM carbon sources, (sodium acetate, sodium propionate, and sodium lactate). The cultures were incubated at 25⁰C for 1-2 weeks and hydrogen sulfide concentration were measured during that time.
To determine the diversity of these organisms, the DNA was extracted from the bacteria within these samples and amplified by PCR using primers specific for Bacteria 16S rRNA genes. The PCR products will be cloned and sequenced in order to identify the most common bacteria present.
Hydrogen sulfide production is greatest in the treatments with propionate added and results from DNA amplification should illustrate the diversity of these microorganisms.

Basketball is a game of runs, not only for your team but also your opponent. Sometimes basketball games are “blowouts”; other times they may be decided in the final possession. But do you know what really wins a basketball game? For this project, we consider different aspects of the game of basketball that can help predict point spread, and thus wins and losses between the two teams in a contest. The predictors we chose are easily found in the game’s box score. Using this season’s data, we investigate Bayesian models to predict the outcome of a basketball game and identify predictors that have the greatest impact on the outcome.

Conservation and invasive species eradication in New Zealand has become an increasingly important issue due to a variety of biogeographic, natural history, and anthropogenic factors. New Zealand is an archipelago island nation located in the South Pacific 1500 km east of Australia between 34˚S and 47˚S, and was the last major landmass to be colonized by humans. The three main islands, with a total land area of approximately 270,000 km2, became separated from the supercontinent Gondwanaland 60-80 million years ago. This extraordinary geologic and ecologic isolation, coupled with significant climatic variation has contributed to immense diversification of unique native and endemic wildlife. Only two terrestrial mammals, which were bats, existed prior to human settlement. Ratites, an ancient lineage of flightless bird flourished, and the Tuatara whose ancestors evolved 200 million years ago remains as a living reptilian fossil. Upon the arrival of the Māori between 700-1000 years ago, drastic environmental change occurred as hunting, agriculture, and selective burning transformed the landscape. European settlers arrived in the late 18th century and further changed New Zealand through extensive hunting, resource extraction, warfare, and invasive species introduction. Invasive species management has become a national conservation priority; with support from the scientific community and government agencies, the nation is attempting to eliminate invasive pests, restore endemic species, and maintain functional ecological communities.

Path counting can be described as finding the number of ways to trace a route between two points A and B in a network. In this poster, we will discuss a “bow-tie” network and several variations, such as restricting the direction one can move within the network or adding additional edges. Our focus will be on counting the number of possible paths, explaining why these values arise by using recursions and generating functions, and understanding some of the interesting results. For example, in one network we have a recursion that allows us to compute the number of paths based on previous values. From this, we are able to find a closed-form expression for the number of paths through the network to easily find the answer for any size network. This process that was completed for many different networks, most notably the “Pascal’s Bow-Tie” network. This noteworthy network led to unexpected results with values we will call “Central Pascal Numbers” and well-known Central Delannoy Numbers, the details of which will be included in this poster presentation.

Previous research has shown that continuous exposure to some odorants can affect cognitive ability, athletic performance, pain threshold, alertness, mood and workload. The present study aimed at exploring whether smelling peppermint and sandalwood odors prior to exercise could yield similar performance enhancing effects. It was hypothesized that prior exposure to peppermint and sandalwood would yield an increase in pedaling rate accompanied by an increase in heart rate, thereby improving the efficiency of the athlete. Members of the St. Lawrence University Women’s Varsity Field Hockey Team were the subjects for this experiment. Subjects were exposed to an odorless control, sandalwood, or peppermint oil-infused gauze pad for two minutes prior to the start of 20 minute stationary bike trials. The results showed that prior exposure to peppermint significantly enhanced efficiency (RPM/HR), whereas prior exposure to sandalwood significantly decreased efficiency. The efficiency of the athletes was correlated with the expected graduate year of the athlete, position on the field, and whether the athlete started. The senior class athletes were significantly more efficient than the other women. However when the senior athletes were retested three months after the season ended, their efficiency decreased and they responded more like the other athletes. In summary, prior exposure to peppermint significantly enhanced aerobic performance whereas prior exposure to sandalwood had a negative effect on performance.

Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, is one of the few locations in the equatorial zone where glaciers exist. Not unlike the Quaternary tropical glaciations of Irian Jaya in Indonesia, the glaciers atop Kilimanjaro are in a state of disequilibrium. Approximately 6000m above sea level and always well below zero degrees Celsius, records from 1912 to present provide evidence of constant retreat. Two-dimensional visualizations are plentiful, yet there are no three-dimensional (3D), open-source data representations of glacier loss. Modeling the ice extent in 3D offers a novel way to present and preserve these data. Compilation and manipulation of current co-ordinate data provide calculable control points for 3D ice-reconstruction model overlays. These indicate prior ice sheet locations as well as current rendering of hypothetical future distribution through 2050. Kilimanjaro region’s mean annual temperature is suggested to rise 1.3oC to 2.2 oC over the next 100 years. The public still use this predicted temperature increase as the reason for glacier loss. This is not the case; the Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA), or freeze line, of Kilimanjaro is at ~4,500 meters. The substantive height of the mountain negates the overwhelming belief that the ice is retreating due to temperature increase, but primarily due to sublimation. 3D open-source representation can be applied in the classroom environment or for trekkers interested in dimensional cartography. In the scientific community, 3D rendering of different glacial extent over time, is a novel tool to view glaciers in retreat.

X. laevis tadpoles undergo metamorphosis as a part of their normal development. Laboratories utilize this frog species because the development of their enteric system is similar to that of humans. Before metamorphosis, intestines are long and thin, and during metamorphosis, they become thick and 70% shorter. The same thing happens with neurons; they are long and thin before metamorphosis, and during metamorphosis they become thicker and more branched. Six tadpoles were treated with T3 (the active form of Thyroid Hormone) for three days, and a control group of six tadpoles were not exposed to T3. The tadpoles were dissected and the muscle and neurons of the intestines were stained and imaged on the confocal microscope. Image J was used to analyze the neuronal length, width, and branching to show that there is a significant difference between pre-metamorphic tadpole intestines and post-metamorphic tadpole intestines.