text: Multidisciplinary Showcase for Student Research CO-SPONSORED BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AND THE UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE Registration and Poster Set-Up .............................................................. 9:30 – 10:00 Poster Review and Judging ................................................................... 10:00 – 11:30 Lunch, Score Computation, Remarks.................................................. 11:30 – 12:30 Dr. Andrew Myers, Vice Provost for Research Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Presentation of Awards ........................................................................... 12:30 – 1:00 Provost Ralph Faudree (assisted by Dr. Karen Weddle-West and Dr. Melinda Jones) Dr. Randel Cox, Sigma Xi Award Posters Picked Up....................................................................................... 1:30 – 3:30 1 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum TABLE OF CONTENTS Schedule at a Glance .................................................................................................. 1 Undergraduate Abstracts Education ................................................................................................. 7 Engineering ............................................................................................. 8 Liberal Arts and Fine Arts ....................................................................... 9 Life and Health Sciences ....................................................................... 10 Math and Computer Science ................................................................. 14 Physical and Applied Sciences .............................................................. 14 Social and Behavioral Sciences ........................................................... 16 Graduate Abstracts Business ................................................................................................. 19 Education ............................................................................................... 19 Engineering ........................................................................................... 21 Liberal Arts and Fine Arts ..................................................................... 27 Life and Health Sciences ....................................................................... 30 Math and Computer Science ................................................................. 33 Physical and Applied Sciences .............................................................. 35 Social and Behavioral Sciences ........................................................... 41 Index of Participants Undergraduates .................................................................................... 47 Graduates ............................................................................................. 48 2 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum April 11, 2006 Dear Student Researchers, On behalf of students, faculty, and staff at The University of Memphis, I want to offer congratulations for the quality research you have accomplished and for your participation in the 18th Annual Student Research Forum. The reality of doing careful research leads to new discoveries and new knowledge. Your own personal joy of discovery, combined with the desire to share your knowledge, enriches us all. Our University has become a major comprehensive urban research center, focusing on basic and applied research that is directly beneficial to this region. Your research and presentations here and in other regional and national forums bring honor and recognition to The University of Memphis. Sincerely, Shirley C. Raines, President A Tennessee Board of Regents Institution A Tennessee Board3 Regents Institution of An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action University 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum April 11, 2006 Dear Student Researchers, Thank you for contributing to the 18th Annual Student Research Forum. It is our pleasure to attend this event and learn of the interesting research our students are doing. One of the most critical goals of higher education is to encourage intellectual inquiry and critical thinking. Research provides significant hands-on experience in these areas as you've discovered in your own projects. Whether you pursue a research-related career or not, the skills you have learned in carrying out your projects will serve you well. Research skills are valuable life skills in our increasingly information-rich world. The ability to define a question, collect and organize information relevant to that question, evaluate and ultimately use the new knowledge will be useful in many facets of your lives. Congratulations on your achievements. Your project is a testament of your hard work, determination, perseverance, and commitment, and a monument to the dedication of your faculty mentors. We hope you enjoy this year's research forum and best wishes for your continued success. Sincerely, Karen Weddle-West, Ph.D. Assistant Vice Provost, Graduate Studies Melinda Jones, Director, University Honors Program 4 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum April 11, 2006 Dear Judges, On behalf of all those involved in organizing and presenting this year's Student Research Forum, and on behalf of the students participating in this year's event, I'd like to thank all of you for giving so graciously of your time and expertise. The judges for this forum come from a wide variety of disciplines and scholarly traditions. One of the advantages of an event such as this is the opportunity it provides for students to interact with faculty and gain valuable feedback on their projects. Hopefully this experience will also be beneficial to you by providing you with exposure to the wide range of interests pursued by students at The University of Memphis, and by giving you a preview of the future of your respective fields and disciplines. Again, thanks to each of you for participating in this year's Student Research Forum. Without your cooperation, support, and enthusiasm, our students would miss a wonderful opportunity to interact with and learn from the highly skilled faculty here at The University of Memphis. Sincerely, Karen Weddle-West, Ph.D. Assistant Vice Provost, Graduate Studies Melinda Jones, Director, University Honors Program 5 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum UNDERGRADUATE ABSTRACTS 6 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum EDUCATION Development of Food Bars for Antioxidant Repletion Angela Wallick, Jacquelyn Scott, Katie Fienup, Molly Seward, Karen Brown, and Laura Hilliard (Health and Sport Sciences), Presenters Antioxidants, which have disease-preventing and immune-building properties, are found in foods such as raisins, pineapples, cherries, and green tea. The purpose of the research was to determine sensory attributes of three food bars with maximized levels of antioxidants from food sources. The research team developed high antioxidant food bars and recruited students and faculty as panelists to perform sensory evaluation tests. Results showed that, with added antioxidants, physical properties of the food bars were not significantly altered; however, nutrient analysis showed that antioxidant levels were not increased. Food Security and the Utilization of Leftover Rice Laura M. Girsch and Christa A. Webb (Health and Sport Sciences), Presenters To improve food security, undergraduate researchers developed 3 recipes to determine whether differences can be detected between 0-day-old cooked rice and 1-day-old cooked rice as a food ingredient. The research team recruited university students (n=14) to serve as sensory evaluators and perform both triangle and paired-comparison tests. Sensory studies were conducted using selected attributes. The p-value for the triangle and the paired-comparison tests were p= 0.314 and p= 0.345, respectively. Both p-values are greater than the critical value of p= 0.05; therefore the panelists were unable to detect differences between recipes made with 0-day-old cooked rice and 1- day-old cooked rice. Effects of Cup Stacking Exercise on Psychomotor Skill Development of Children Adrienne Solis and Tiffany Liggins (Health and Sport Sciences), Presenters The present study examined the effects of cup stacking intervention on fine motor skill development for children. Eighty 2nd graders were randomly selected. Thirty-six students participated in a cup stacking program for 15 minutes every day for 12 weeks. The other 44 students served as the control with no intervention. Three psychomotor tests were administered at the pre- and post-intervention: 1) Finger choice reaction (RT) time; 2) Rotary Pursuit Tracking; 3) Manual Dexterity. The results showed a significant improvement in two-choice RT test for the group with the cup-stacking exercise intervention, but not the control group. No other group difference was found. 7 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum ENGINEERING Investigating Plane Poiseuille Flow Using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) Daniel Hochstein (Mechanical Engineering), Presenter Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is a flow measurement technique selected as the basis for an experiment to demonstrate modern methods in fluid flow visualization and obtain accurate flow field data. The method of PIV was used to investigate Poiseuille flow through a square tube using a seeded water-glycerine suspension. The flow was illuminated using a sheet or volume of light from a laser. A single or multi-exposure image was utilized to record the position of the seed particles as a function of time. The spacing between these particle images was used to provide a measure of the local flow velocity. Experiment results for a range of low Reynolds number flows are presented and compared to analytic solutions. It was also shown that the accuracy of the data was improved by optimizing seed particle density, displacement gradients, and size of the interrogation region in the cross-correlation analysis used to estimate the velocity vectors. Engine Testing with a Dynamometer Joe A. David (Mechanical Engineering), Presenter The department of Mechanical Engineering has acquired an engine dynamometer to perform testing of the outputs of internal combustion engines. This project involves getting an engine to run and to make it safe, with hopes of one day being a viable laboratory experiment for undergraduate students. Hopefully this project can draw interest upon itself and the engineering department as a whole, while providing students with a detailed look at how IC engines and dynamometers function. Alternative Methods for Polystyrene Aggregate Expansion for Use in Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Jeffrey G. Karl (Mechanical Engineering), Presenter Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is currently being used as an alternative to gravel fill in onsite wastewater treatment systems. The polystyrene is currently expanded from ―beads‖, containing pentane blowing agent, in a crude steam tunnel apparatus. The steam provides energy to heat the polystyrene into the semi-plastic region while simultaneously causing the pentane to expand. This process, however, expands beads unevenly, requires two expansions and 36 hours of cure time for equilibration of partial pressures. Two alternative methods are designed create an ambient condition for expansion to create a more uniform EPS bead. The third is designed to increase the rate of diffusion to decrease cure time. Experimentation shows that both expansion methods improved quality from a range of .3-.5 lbs/ft^3 to a range of .38-.42 lbs/ft^3, but also cure time was successfully reduced from 36 hours to 21 hours via the third method. 8 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Heat Pipe Eddie Strickland, Jr. (Mechanical Engineering), Presenter A heat pipe is a device used to remove excess or waste heat from an environment, such as the inside of a computer or a spacecraft. The type of heat pipe that is currently being researched is the free convection heat pipe in which steam condenses at the top, or head, and returns water to the reservoir unassisted other than by gravity. The aims of my research are to design, build, and test a heat pipe sufficient for classroom demonstration and for research on the influence of head geometry on heat rejection rates. Simulation of Jet-Induced Geysers in Reduced Gravity Robert Benedetti (Mechanical Engineering), Presenter Controlling cryogenic propellant tank pressure during tank refueling and expulsion in low gravity is an important technical challenge to overcome for future long duration missions or an orbiting fuel depot. One solution involves using jet-induced geysers and a computational simulation allows for the investigation of their formation in reduced gravity. The effects of spread rate, the influence of contact angle, and the jet inlet conditions were evaluated with respect to dimensionless geyser height. The results affirm that using the k- turbulence model provides the most accurate results for jet-induced geysers in reduced gravity when compared to available experiment data. Force Sensing Computer Keyboard Bradley Slakans (Engineering Technology), Presenter The force sensing keyboard was designed to sense how much force the user of a standard desktop computer was exerting on the keyboard keys. The keyboard is intended to be used as a sensor input which would help to determine the user's mood. The physical forces are measured by variable force resisters. The analog measurements are then interfaced into a PC, converted to a useable unit measure and stored in a file. This information could then be accessed by other existing program languages or stored as a data file. LIBERAL AND FINE ARTS The Non-Traditional Presentation of Traditional Music Fallon Stillman (Music), Presenter My presentation will demonstrate the new opportunities that modern recording and mixing techniques in the music industry provide to traditional music performances. After recording and mixing traditional music in the Contemporary Christian genre in stereo and surround format, I will 9 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum display new methods of presentation for the music. I will also research and examine the reaction of audiences to new methods of presentation to determine the effectiveness of alternate and innovative mixing and recording techniques within the genre. This research will test the validity of presenting traditional music in alternate formats. LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Transactivates Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Through Metalloproteinase-Induced Shedding of Heparin Binding-EGF (HB-EGF) in Opossum Kidney (OK) Cells Heather Woolls (Biology), Presenter PTH regulates calcium homeostasis by controlling calcium reabsorption and phosphate excretion in the kidney and calcium release through osteoclastic function in bones. PTH functions by binding to its G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), PTHR1, which activates adenylyl cyclase converting ATP to cAMP and phospholipase C producing inositol triphosphate (IP3) to increase intracellular calcium and diacylglycerol (DAG) to activate protein kinase C (PKC). In addition to stimulating these classical GPCR second messenger systems, PTH regulates growth and differentiation through extracellular signaling regulated kinase (ERK) activity. In OK cells, PTH- dependent ERK activation is preceded by EGF receptor phosphorylation and is blocked by EGFR inhibitors. We hypothesized that PTH controls ERK activity through a metalloproteinase-induced shedding of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand, which in turn transactivates EGFR. Our results show that in OK cells, PTH stimulation causes a metalloproteinase-induced shedding of HB-EGF, an EGFR ligand, which transactivates the EGFR and subsequently increases ERK activity. Lower Mississippi River Least Tern Colonies: Long-Term Patterns and Effects of Hydrology Andrea Carpenter (Biology), Presenter US Army Corps of Engineers surveys of least tern populations along the lower Mississippi River indicate overall numbers have increased, but do not indicate if this relates to more tern colonies or greater colony size. Re-evaluation of the dataset indicates that increases are in fact due primarily to increased colony sizes. However, variable hydrologic patterns that occur during the nesting season influences whether some colonial nesting sites are used during any given year. This indicates that hydrology does influence some nesting sites and that least terns opportunistically use these sites when available. 10 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Oxidative Genotoxicity of Tryptophan's Metabolites and Antioxidative Prevention with Polyphenols Christine Hauther (Biology), Presenter Plant polyphenols have been reported to have antioxidative and antimutagenic properties. By reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the polyphenols, DNA damage caused by known mutagens would be significantly reduced. We plan to test antimutagenic capabilities of some plant polyphenols such as: gallic acid, ellagic acid, (-)-gallochatechin, (-)-epigallochatechin gallate, and (- )-gallochatechin gallate against suspected mutagenic tryptophan metabolites (3-hydroxykynurenine and kynurenine). A ROS sensitive tester strain of Salmonella typhimurium, TA102, will be used in the Ames Salmonella/microsomal mutagenicity assay. We also used a common lipid peroxidation assay to asses how well these polyphenols could prevent lipid peroxidation in bladder epithelial cells. The Role of Thyroid Hormone in Photoperiodism Carlesia D. Smith (Biology), Presenter Siberian hamsters exhibit seasonal cycles of reproduction driven by photoperiod and melatonin. The mechanism by which melatonin signals are decoded in the brain remains uncharacterized. Exposure to short days decreases hypothalamic expression of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2) mRNA. Dio2 catalyzes the conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxine to triiodothyronine (T3). We tested the hypothesis that injections of exogenous T3 in short-day housed hamsters would mimic long day lengths with respect to reproduction. The results indicate that exogenous T3 induced gonadal growth in short day hamsters and delayed spontaneous recrudescence. T3 mimics long days in Siberian hamsters. Sunlight and Projected Leaf Surface Area Erik Filsinger (Biology), Presenter The amount of time a plant is exposed to light has a direct effect on leaf surface areas. Shade treatments were set up to alter the light exposure of Salix nigra according to the diurnal movement of the sun. Using computer imagery, the surface areas of plants was measured. Data were analyzed for trends. Plant leaf surface areas differed significantly with variations in light quantity and quality. 11 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Plant Response to Changes in Resource Availability Jonathan Callegari, Karla Gage, and Melissa Lee (Biology), Presenters The resource gradient between core habitats is a function of interactions among environmental factors, such as light availability, temperature, and soil moisture. For autotrophic plants these are the three most critical resources affecting their survival and growth. Thus, plants have potential as bio-indicators of environmental edges due to the fact that leaf surface areas may quantitatively reflect changes in resource availability. Patterns of plant response in a controlled greenhouse study will be presented as an example of a species-specific index. In the future, these methods might assist in quantitative assessment of the dynamics of resource gradients between habitat types. Plasmid Episomal Recombination in Plasmodium Falciparum Lillian Alando Nyindodo and Anusha Gopalakrishnan (Biology), Presenters Episomal recombination has been recently described in Plasmodium falciparum parasite. This recombination seems to be restricted to the promoter region. In order to identify cis acting sequences required for episomal recombination, we generated nested promoter deletions and assessed the recombination efficiency on the truncated promoter compared to the full length promoter. Our results indicated the presence of a promoter region involved in episomal plasmid recombination. Interestingly, this cis acting-region was also involved in stage specific promoter activity. Taking together these results suggest the presence of a promoter region involved in episomal recombination and promoter transcription. Fructose Transport Mechanism of the Highly Radiation-Resistant Bacterium Deinococcus Radiodurans Iranzu Magallon and Valentyna Bardakova (Biology), Presenters Deinococcus radiodurans can utilize fructose. Yet, one of the corresponding fructose transporter, fru B, is considered nonfunctional due to a frame-shift mutation. We proposed that such mutation would generate an alternative active-site and thus allow fructose be phosphorylated We showed (1) the bacterium utilized ATP (not PEP) to phosphorylate fructose (2) antibodies against the target sites reduced the enzymatic activity (3) Protein-antibodies analysis demonstrated the corresponding phosphorylated protein (4) over expression of fruB in E. coli resulted in a protein similar to the proposed protein. These data support our hypothesis the novel fruB gene was functional in this bacterium. 12 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Light Intensity and Leaf Surface Area Nikita Neeley and Karla Gage (Biology), Presenters Sunlight is the only source of energy for autotrophic plants. Plants capture sunlight energy through leaf surface area. Light quantity and quality affects plant growth and development. In present study willow plants were exposed to various light levels. Leaf surface area of plants was measured using digital image analysis. ANCOVA results indicated that leaf surface area of willow was significantly affected by availability of light. Prostaglandin in Tick Salivary Gland Extract Inhibits the Migration of Fibroblasts Zach Nahmias (Biology), Presenter The salivary gland extract of the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabillis) was determined to contain prostaglandin E (PGE) using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). In humans and other mammals, the prostaglandin derivatives are known to induce inflammation in response to various stresses. Since ticks are capable of sustaining a feeding lesion, it was hypothesized that the PGE in salivary gland extract acts in opposition to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) at a wound site, preventing the appropriate migration of fibroblasts for healing. To test the hypothesis, blind-well migration assays and ELISA were performed under numerous conditions. The results support the original hypothesis on the inhibitory effect of the salivary gland extract on fibroblast migration into a wound site. QSAR Modeling of LPA3 Activity Titilola Afolabi (Chemistry), Presenter Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) is a phospholipid growth factor that activates the cell through a family of G protein coupled receptors which are LPA1, LPA2, LPA3, and LPA4. Due to the growing understanding of LPA initiating a myriad of responses which includes cell apoptosis, migration, cytoprotection, chemotaxis and oxygen radical production, the study of the specific receptor activities is vital to the understanding of the pathological and physiological role of LPA. In this research, agonism at LPA3 is studied using Quantitative Structure Analysis Relationship (QSAR) to relate biological activity of LPA analogs to structure using a mathematical model. Agonism at LPA3 and LPA1 receptors activate platelet aggregation leading to atherosclerotic plaque rapture, a precursor to stroke and heart attack. The result of this research will be used to predict the agonism or antagonism of compounds of unknown activity at the LPA3 receptor and improve the knowledge guiding drug synthesis. 13 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Folarin Osibodu (Computer Science), Presenter Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the next generation of bar codes, is an automatic identification method that operates by storing and remotely retrieving data using an RFID scanner (to broadcast a signal) and RFID tags (to encode the data and respond to the signal). When immersed in a real world environment, performance is dependent on the strength and frequency of the signal. Our experiments involve systematically assessing the strength of the electro-magnetic field in a typical office environment by varying the position of the receiving antenna and the frequency of the transmitted signal. ICA on EEG Clifton Russ (Computer Science), Presenter In the study of neurology, analyzing electroencephalographic (EEG) is very important. EEG measures the electrical movements from the brain. These measurements are recorded from electrodes that are positioned in various places on the scalp. When examining these multiple signals, some of the signals are irrelevant. Independent Component Analysis is a computational way to separate multivariate signals. ICA can be applied to various subjects. My subject of interest is finding the sources of epileptic seizures. Through my research, I have come to find out that ICA may not be suitable for finding the source of epileptic seizures. PHYSICAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES Magnetic Properties of Ball Milled Mn Nanoparticles John Griffis (Physics), Presenter Here in we report detail structural and magnetic properties of antiferromagnetic Mn nanoparticles prepared via mechanical ball milling. The surface defects in particle are induced by reducing the particle size and strain induced by ball milling. The x-ray diffraction measurement along with DSC suggests presence of Mn3O4 phase in the sample, a ferrimagnetic phase which increases with the milling time. Upon ball milling a decrease in the Curie temperature of Mn3O4 phase (Tc~42K) to a value Tc~35 K has been observed. A large coercive field at 25K and shifted hysteresis loops along the field and magnetization direction clearly indicate that the overall magnetic properties of the system are governed by surface defects on the particles. 14 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Assessing the Rigidity of the Puerto Rico-Northern Virgin Islands Microplate: Results from GPS Geodesy in the British Virgin Islands D. Sarah Stamps (Earth Sciences), Presenter This poster presentation will cover the research and results of a 2005 Global Positioning System (GPS) campaign in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The BVI are part of the Puerto-Rico Northern Virgin Islands microplate, one of three in the Northern Carribbean including the Hispaniola and Gonave microplates. Past studies show possible east-west extension between Puerto-Rico and the British Virgin Islands. Results from the campaign indicate the microplate may be more rigid than expected. The Elastic Properties of Lipid Membranes with Adsorbed Polymers Joel Revalee (Physics), Presenter Lipid membranes are found in every creature, from bacteria to human beings. Before advancements in computer power were made in the 1990s, it was only possible to study these membranes by theory or direct experimentation. It is difficult to obtain accurate experimental results in investigations of lipid membranes, and since theoretical work in this area must be tested, computer simulations provide a more accurate method of study. I numerically study the elastic properties of lipid membranes with polymers adsorbed to one side of the membrane. This research should provide insights into artificial membranes (liposomes) and also the eukaryotic cell membrane. Locating Regions of Complex Zeros of the Mittag-Leffler Function Stephan Spencer and Trenton Ensley (Physics), Presenters The Mittag-Leffler function Eα, β (z), which is a generalization of the exponential function, arises frequently in the solutions of differential equations of fractional order. Moreover, the zeros of Eα, β (z) for some values of α and β are the eigenvalues of fractional differential operators. Consequently, knowledge of their zeros and their distribution is of fundamental importance. This work focuses on the distribution of zeros in the region where the Mittag-Leffler function possesses an infinite number of real zeros and a finite number of complex zeros and is restricted to the range 2 < α ≤ 3 and β ≤ 14. 15 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum The Evaluation of Performance in Salix Nigra in Response to Light Availability Niki Patel (Biology), Presenter The leaf's physical characteristics reflect the plant's ability to facilitate the uptake of nutrients and gas exchange. Three major environmental factors – light, temperature, and moisture – act together as one factor in order to promote plant performance. To proceed from each phenological stage, a plant needs a certain amount of light and moisture. Plants of Salix Nigra were exposed to shade treatments, which created a gradient of light. These environmental scales (light, temperature, and moisture) will determine the leaf's surface area, thereby demonstrating the competition existing between plants. The study was designed to evaluate plants nondestructively. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Investigating How College Students Approach Critical Thinking Kristy Tapp (Psychology), Presenter The purpose of the study was to investigate how various concepts within creativity, critical thinking and analytical reasoning manifest themselves in a standardized critical thinking skills test and in a proposed measure. The standardized measure used was the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the proposed measure is a series of interactive narrative text stories. The participants' results from both the standardized and proposed measures were correlated with eleven concepts within creativity, fourteen concepts within critical thinking and twelve concepts within analytical reasoning. Implementation of the Family-to-Family Program for Rebuilding Foster Care Natasha Delong (Social Work), Presenter The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Family-to-Family program is a program aimed at reforming the foster care system in the United States with the goal of lessening the trauma to children in state custody. Many foster care agencies across the country have begun implementing this program; however there has been little research done on the program itself or its implementation. Using survey research, this study sought to look at the implementation of this program, on the individual case manager level, in one foster care agency in the Mid-South. 16 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Meadow Voles May Have the Capacity for Episodic-Like Memory Amy Combs (Biology), Presenter We tested whether meadow voles possess episodic-like memory (ELM). ELM is the ability to recall information of a single past event: what, when, where. Males were placed in a two- chamber arena. One chamber contained a pregnant female and the other contained a female that was neither pregnant nor lactating. 24 hours later the pregnant female delivered pups and entered postpartum estrus. The males were then returned to the empty arena and explored the arms. Males spent more time in the arm that originally contained the pregnant female, suggesting males have ELM. Correlation between Personal Construct Content and Depression Donna Roland (Psychology), Presenter Ninety-nine participants received one of three types of therapy: interpersonal, cognitive with no homework, and cognitive with homework. Both before and after therapy, participants filled out repertory grids and depression inventories. The relationships between these variables were then analyzed. Results suggest that there is a significant positive correlation between constructs relating to emotion and higher depression scores. Also, there seems to be a relationship between therapy type and content change among constructs. Lastly, there were no constructs that allowed for prediction of post-therapy depression inventories. Separating Emotions from Facial Expressions Dominique Crocitto (Psychology), Presenter During conversations, a variety of facial expressions are used to convey particular cognitive states. Assigning specific cognitive states to facial expressions can be difficult. This paper will explain why coding for cognitive states during certain tasks can be tricky, yet beneficial. Results show that sometimes a facial expression can be viewed as two different cognitive states. Our research has shown that for determining emotional states, there is high inter-rater reliability for confusion. Cognitive states, such as encouraged, distracted, bored, and engaged are difficult to recognize. Since there are no set rules for determining cognitive states based on facial expressions, suggested coding schemes will be discussed. 17 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum GRADUATE ABSTRACTS 18 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum BUSINESS Influence of Hospice Use on Hospital Inpatient Mortality: A State-Level Analysis Stephanie C. Steinberg (Economics), Presenter This study tests the hypothesis that high hospice enrollment is associated with lower Medicare inpatient mortality. The results show that Medicare inpatient mortality in a state can be explained by hospice enrollment and a host of demographic and market environment variables. Specifically, an increase in hospice population by 100 individuals is associated with a reduction of 28 inpatient deaths, ceteris paribus. The results suggest, among other things, that opportunities exist for greater expansion of hospice capacity in low utilization states to reduce deaths in the expensive hospital setting and improve the quality of end-of-life care for terminally ill patients. Resolving Zeno's Paradoxes by Special Relativity Theory Jeff G. Chen (Economics), Presenter This paper, by applying the Special Relativity Theory, resolves the famous Zeno's Paradoxes of Motion. And, both as a logical necessity for and side-product of the solution, space-time is proved to be discrete. EDUCATION The Effects of Teacher Read Alouds on Fifth Graders' General Vocabulary Acquisition Amanda Otsuki (Instruction and Curriculum Leadership), Presenter This study investigated the effects of teacher read alouds on the general vocabulary growth for fifth grade students. Seventy fifth-grade students from an urban public school in the Southeast participated in the study. Students in both groups took two standardized vocabulary tests prior to the treatment period, as well as after the experiment. A mixed factorial analysis of variance was used to analyze the differences in pre- and posttest scores based on instructional method and gender. Data analysis revealed that all students, regardless of instructional group, increased their general vocabulary knowledge during the semester. Lipid Peroxidation Following Aerobic and Anaerobic Power Testing Webb Smith (Health and Sports Science), Presenter To compare lipid peroxidation (LP) in untrained individuals before and after strenuous exercise. Methods: 18 subjects performed tests of aerobic and anaerobic power. Pre and postexercise blook lactate, heart rate, and RPE were recorded. Resting blood glutathione was 19 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum measured before each test. Malondialdehyde was used as a measure of LP. Results: Lactate and RPE were not different; time main effects were noted for both. Resting glutathione was not different between tests. Malondialdehyde was not different between tests but increased following both. Conclusion: Both aerobic and anaerobic power testing results in elevated LP with little difference between modes. Preparation to Practice: Student Teachers' Uses of Technology and their Cooperating Teachers' Impact Anna Clifford (Instruction and Curriculum Leadership), Presenter Student teaching is a vital component of the professional preparation of preservice teachers. Many of today's student teachers are products of teacher education programs which have undergone significant positive changes, better preparing preservice teachers to teach in the technological-savvy world. This study followed the experiences of eight preservice teachers from a liberal arts Christian university in the mid-south and their cooperating teachers during the fall of 2005. Results indicated preservice teachers were using technology to enhance lessons, cooperating teachers' support did affect their use of technology, and preservice teachers were able to identify barriers/enablers which influenced their use of technology. Self Efficacy, Family Cohesion, and Meaning as Predictors of Satisfaction Among Parents of Disabled Children James Sweeney (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenter In this study, the authors tested whether generalized self-efficacy, coping style, family cohesion, and meaning in life predicted unique variance in family satisfaction among parents of disabled children. Whether meaning in life mediates the relationship between family cohesion and family satisfaction also was tested. Parental health, cohesion, the search for meaning in life, and presence of meaning in life predicted unique portions of the variance in family satisfaction, together accounting for 37% of the variance. Meaning in life did not mediate the relationship between family cohesion and family satisfaction. However, family cohesion mediated relationships between emotion-oriented coping and family satisfaction. Katrina 400 Miles Onshore: Providing Support and Combating Compassion Fatigue in Care Providers Laura Battle and Mardi Smith (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenters School counselors and teachers, as far as 400 miles inland from Hurricane Katrina, were assessed for vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue symptoms experienced after counseling evacuee students that had relocated and enrolled in their schools from the New Orleans area. Pre- 20 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Katrina and Post-Katrina assessments were completed. Factors studied included changes in Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue. Risk factors associated with counselors and teachers who show the highest indicators of compassion fatigue were identified. Actions are taken to help alleviate compassion fatigue symptoms. ENGINEERING Cerebrovascular Pressure Transmission: Comparison and Validation of System Identification with Windkessel Model Nithya Narayanan (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenter As a means to evaluate autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in the clinical setting, system identification (SYSID) modeling method has been used to assess changes in the modes of cerebrovascular pressure transmission, the dynamic relationship between arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure. To implement this model, a mathematical description of cerebrovascular pressure transmission was derived from a physiological parameter based Windkessel model. The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the SYSID model which is unconstrained by physiological considerations, by simulations of the physiologically constrained Windkessel model. Prototype Instrumentation for Assessment of Regulation of Cerebral Blood Flow Orges Furxhi (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenter The purpose of this study is to develop prototype instrumentation which continuously assesses the regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by real time system identification modeling of cerebrovascular pressure transmission. The algorithm used in the instrumentation is based on previous clinical and laboratory studies of traumatic brain injury. Those studies have demonstrated that changes in the modal frequencies of the system can be used to assess regulation of CBF. Instrumentation hardware consists of an analog to digital converter connected to a laptop computer. The assessment algorithm and data visualization are implemented using Matlab and Visual Basic. Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Effects on Autoregulation of Cerebral Blood Flow Benjamin Hamilton, Micah Hall, Sir Walter Richardson (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenters The aim of this study was to assess the influence of sub-arachnoid hemorrhage on autoregulation of cerebral blood flow. A MATLAB system identification algorithm was used to process individual patient data to obtain highest modal frequencies (HMF) of cerebrovascular pressure transmission, the dynamic relationship between intracranial pressure and arterial blood pressure. By examining the relationship between changes in HMF and changes in the cerebral 21 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum perfusion pressure, patients were classified as regulating, not regulating, or undetermined. Results show that 55% of the patients were not regulated on the first day of monitoring. Biodegradable, Antibacterial Coatings for Orthopaedic and Dental/Craniofacial Implants Peter "Drew" Norowski (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter 2.6 million people in the United States receive orthopaedic implants annually. Approximately 4% of these implants must be removed due to bacterial infection acquired during implantation. An innovative method of treatment for infection could reduce the number of implants removed due to infection. Localized delivery of antibiotics appears to be an efficient treatment approach. This study evaluated the in vitro release of gentamicin from chitosan coated titanium. The antibiotic-loaded coatings contained 36 wt % gentamicin. Elution testing was performed to determine the amount of antibiotic eluted over a three day period. A zone of inhibition study demonstrated the antibacterial activity of the coatings against staphylococcus epidermitis and staphylococcus aureus. Based on these results, antibiotic-loaded chitosan demonstrates the potential to serve as a suitable coating for orthopaedic and dental/craniofacial implants. Chitosan Coating: Improving the Local Drug Delivery System Shweta Sharma (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter Calcium sulfate (CaSO4), an effective bone graft substitute, acts as a carrier for antibiotics, compatible with osteogenic cells and display osteoconductive properties to aid in bone regeneration. A need exists to extend the antibiotic release for localized treatment of bone infections. The combination of chitosan coated CaSO4 pellets could decrease the degradation rate and potentially lessen a drainage issue associated with plain CaSO4 pellets which in turn will lead to extended release times of antibiotics. Elution and dissolution studies conducted in vitro to measure the amount of drug release in relation to time support the hypothesis that chitosan coating on CaSO4 pellets improves the antibiotic release as needed for the localized treatment of bone defects. Characterization of Chitosan / Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Betsy Chesnutt (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter We have developed a novel porous scaffold for use in bone tissue engineering that is composed of nanocrystalline hyroxyapatite in a chitosan matrix. The scaffold consists of fused microspheres approximately 1 mm in diameter, and the porosity of the scaffold is 35.5±6.7% with pore sizes from 100 to 600 μm. The compressive modulus of the composite scaffolds was 5.7±1.7 MPa. X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of hydroxyapatite with a crystallinity of 16.7±6.8%. Osteoblast cells were able to attach and grow significantly better on the composite scaffolds than on 22 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum chitosan scaffolds, and had begun to grow into the interior pores after 7 days. These results clearly demonstrate that this composite scaffold has the potential to be used in bone regeneration. Antibiotic Release from Chitosan Microspheres Gangadhar Utturkar (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter Chitosan is the deacetylated derivative of the natural biopolymer, chitin. Previous gentamicin-loaded chitosan bars suggests it as an effective biomaterial for bone infection treatment. This study investigated the release and degradation of chitosan-gentamicin sulfate loaded microspheres as a possible treatment of bone infections. Plain chitosan microspheres degrade faster than chitosan-gentamicin sulfate microspheres. Peak gentamicin sulfate (GS) concentration of 2887.5 µg occurred on day 1 decreasing to 3.875 µg on day 5 (Previous study - 1000 µg on day 1 and by 17.3 µg on day 5). Microspheres produce a greater burst effect as compared with the antibiotic loaded chitosan bars. Hyperaldosteronism-Induced Fibrosis, Calcium Loading, and Ventricular Arrhythmias are Attenuated with Furosemide and Hydrochlorothiazide Treatment Jennifer T. Nguyen (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter Deaths due to chronic heart failure (CHF) are attributed to ventricular arrhythmias. Fibrosis and calcium loading are thought to support and maintain the arrhythmia. Studies show that hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) reverses the effects of fibrosis and calcium loading. We hypothesize that HCTZ will attenuate ventricular arrhythmias in CHF. Previous rat studies have shown that chronic administration of aldosterone (0.75 ug/h) and 1% NaCl diet leads to interstitial and perivascular fibrosis, microscopic scarring, and increased calcium in cardiac tissue, similar to that which appears in CHF. Three groups of rats were included: controls (no treatment), 6-week aldosterone-treated, and 6-week aldosterone+HCTZ-treated (50 mg/kg/d). Following treatment, open chest surgery exposed the heart for electrical stimulation at the apex and base to determine arrhythmia inducibility. Results show that 7 out of 8 aldosterone-treated rats, 2 out of 8 aldosterone+HCTZ, and 2 out of 10 controls were inducible. We suggest that HCTZ is cardio- protective and may decrease incidence of sudden cardiac death in CHF. Robust Recognition of Emotion from Speech for E-learning Mohammed E. Hoque (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenter This paper presents novel techniques for robust recognition of emotion from speech in the context of e-learning. It is widely believed that lexical features are better suited for emotion recognition than acoustic features. To extract the lexical features a set of prosodic features containing intonational patterns, pause, gap, rhythm, speaking rate were computed. These features were used to develop models for each emotion using a number of machine learning techniques. It 23 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum was found that the prosodic features containing lexical information at word level yields robust classifying emotions. The Manipulation of the Hydrophilicity of Polydimethylsiloxane Surface I-Jane Chen (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used as a material for microfluidic systems manufacturing. However, the unstable hydrophilicity of surface is a current limitation. In our work, PDMS surfaces were modified with radio frequency plasma oxidation. The hydrophobic methyl group is oxidized to hydrophilic hydroxyl group. PDMS is treated with plasma under different duration and pressure, followed with different storage temperature in air or aqueous medium. From contact angle measurement, we've shown the hydrophilicity can be preserved to over 1 month. Infrared spectrum proved the hydrophilicity of surface is contributed by the formation of hydroxyl group and the loss of methyl group. Mathematical Modeling of Chronopotentiometry for Ion-Selective Membranes Justin Zook (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter The detection limit of almost all standard potentiometric ion sensors is limited to around 10-6 M. This limit has been attributed to leaching of ions from the membrane into the sample solution. One method that has been proposed to improve the detection limit is to apply a current to eliminate the flux of ions into the sample. This work proposes a mathematical model for the application of a constant current to ion-selective membrane. From this model, we can model how ionophore concentration and membrane potential vary with space and time. For the maximum current range applied to improve the detection limit, the voltage drift is stable to 0.1 mV/min in less than 5 min. A Web-Based Interactive Interface for Visualizing High Dimensional Data Bhanu Chander Reddy Vanteru, and Jahangheer Shareef Shaik (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenters This paper presents the design and development of a web-based interface for visualization of high dimensional databases. A coordinate based, namely, automated 3D Star Coordinate (3SC) projection technique is used for visualization. The proposed web-based interface enables the user to upload a dataset and visualize the projection on an applet running on the client web browser. The projection algorithm runs in Matlab at the server side for faster computation and enhanced security, and using Java Servlets the results are delivered to the client machine. 24 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Quantitative Analysis of Potassium in Biological Media Dwight Bordelon and Tino LoSicco (Biomedical Engineering), Presenters The importance of blood electrolyte concentrations in the maintenance of nervous, renal, and cardiovascular performance cannot be overstated. The concentration of one electrolyte of particular interest, potassium, is closely associated with proper cardiac function and kidney failure. Determination of potassium concentrations in a patient's blood is a critical diagnostic tool that is performed routinely in the hospital setting. The goal of this research is the development of a rapid, cost effective, and accurate optical detection method for potassium in biological fluids such as blood, plasma, or urine using reflection mode spectroscopy and optode technology. Design of a Device to Stretch Osteoblasts Growing on Implant Titanium Brandon Allen (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter The mechanisms behind the response of bone to loading have yet to be completely understood. Loading is essential for proper long bone growth. This can be demonstrated by the loss of bone density of astronauts. In recent years, researchers have developed several loading devices to stretch bone cells. These devices have not taken into account growing bone cells on the surface of implants. We have designed a device that utilizes four-point bending to stretch osteoblasts plated on implant titanium. The device is able to apply variable strain rates to these cells in tension or compression. Effect of Different Organic Acids on the Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Chitosan Nayana Brahmandam (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide made from chitin found in the exoskeletons of crustaceans. Chitosan is used for diverse applications in biomaterials as it is biocompatible, biodegradable, and antibacterial. Chitosan is commonly made with acetic acid for biomedical applications. Acids such as citric, formic and, lactic have also been used to make chitosan materials. The use of different acids affects the physicochemical properties of chitosan but changes in its biological properties are not very well known. The significance of this work will be to begin to understand how lactic, formic, and citric acids affect the biological properties of chitosan. 25 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Developing a Real-Time Bedside Measurement System to Detect Sodium Content in Urine Neel Gandhi (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter There has been a growing need for real-time electrolyte measurements in the intensive care setting. Previous research work has consisted of designing an optimal flow-through sodium-sensing system to detect sodium in urine, serving as a preliminary design for bedside measurements. This research consisted of the design of the optimal measurement protocol for this system, such as: the mode of calibration, the sample preparation, and the statistical approach to data analysis. The accuracy of this system was also tested with urine samples of actual patients, comparing measured values with the flow-through system and measured values from a ―gold standard‖ clinical analyzer. Chitosan-Coated Anesthetic-Loaded Calcium Sulfate Vehicles Used for Localized Drug Delivery Scott Noel (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter The localized delivery of drugs has emerged as an alternative to conventional methods of treating certain ailments. A biodegradable delivery system would expand treatment options for orthopaedic surgeons. Chitosan and calcium sulfate have both been determined to be biocompatible materials capable of being carrier systems. In this study, the localized delivery of lidocaine was tested in vitro by making a calcium sulfate/lidocaine composite carrier and measuring the elution profile via ELISA testing. It was determined that the chitosan coating applied to the calcium sulfate/lidocaine composite effectively acted to slow the initial burst rate and extend therapeutic release times. Adaptive Weighted Fusion and Evaluation of Medical Images Sudhir Reddy Medapati (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenter This paper presents a holistic approach of medical image fusion and evaluation of fused images. The key idea here is to fuse two images based on the local characteristics of the images. An adaptive approach is used to select the local image blocks and weighted fusion rules for each image blocks. A number of transformations, namely, orthogonal transforms (Wavelets etc.) and Geometric transforms (Fractal etc.) were used to compute the coefficients and fused using weighted fusion. The fused image obtained were evaluated using a number of performance metrics and were compared with other fusion techniques. The Development of Multianalyte Electrochemical Immunoassays Ying Liu (Biomedical Engineering), Presenter Multianalyte electrochemical immunoassays based on microfabricated electrode arrays combine advantages of microfabrication with the specificity of antibody-antigen reactions. As a 26 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum model for multianalyte electrochemical immunoassays, enzymes, instead of antibodies, were site- specifically immobilized onto individual microfabricated electrode arrays (MEAs) in one amperometric microcell. Scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) was used to get the topographic profiles of bare gold MEAs and chemical images of gold MEAs immobilized with enzymes. Amperometric microcells, with different enzymes immobilized, act as multianalyte biosensors and were utilized as models for protein immobilization and label enzyme activity detection. The activity of immobilized enzymes was determined with both SECM and amperometric microcells. Knowledge Discovery in Microarray Data Jahangheer Shareef Shaik (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Presenter This poster presents unified frame work for knowledge discovery from microarray data. The framework consists of three modules: (i) functional classification of genes, (ii) differential expression of genes and (iii) visualization. The first module employs two-way clustering for functional classification and finding differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The second module consists of adaptive randing based algorithm for finding DEGs. The DEGs obtained are further analyzed to find potential genes that may be responsible in the formation of diseases or biological concepts. Finally, the visualization module displays the selected genes and discovers knowledge by using linear, non-linear and axis based algorithms, respectively. LIBERAL AND FINE ARTS The Political Thought of Catherine of Siena Whitney Ellen Huey (History), Presenter After St. Catherine of Siena died, her followers separated her head from her body, burying her body in the Church of Minerva sopra Maria in Rome and placing her head in the Church of San Domenico in Siena. Like her followers, modern scholars have separated Catherine's mysticism from her politics. Numerous scholarly works have been produced on Catherine's religiosity and mysticism, but few on her politics, leaving remarkable gaps in our understanding. Only when we study Catherine's political thought as well as her mysticism can we begin to fully realize Catherine's impact on her world. 27 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum A Community Based Health Assessment in Inner City Memphis: Middle Schoolers Perceptions of a Healthy and Unhealthy Neighborhood Beth Jacob and Laura Mo (Anthropology), Presenters Our community based research project uses surveys, focus groups, interviews, participants' photography, and participant observation to gather inner-city 6th graders perceptions of healthy versus unhealthy communities. Our poster contextualizes our anthropological approach and explains the public school-based studies' results. Handheld Communication Technology Holds Promise for Improving the Informed Consent Process in Pediatric Cancer Research Jonathan W. Camp (Communication), Presenter Medical research involving human subjects is fraught with communication challenges and ethical complexities, especially when the research subjects are children. This poster presentation reports on a collaborative project between the University of Memphis and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to develop the Informed Consent Team Link, a handheld, multi-media device to assist parents of St. Jude pediatric patients in the informed consent process of a Phase I Clinical Trial. This presentation includes results of focus group research that informs the design of the IC Team Link, incorporates screen shots from the device, and discusses possible future applications of our research. Measuring Cognitive Load to Test the Usability of Web Sites Janet Patton Tracy (English), Presenter This presentation offers a synopsis of three methods of measuring cognitive load, and provides a summary of how cognitive load theory is relevant to web site design. As a person completes a usability test, the Sternberg Memory Test and a tapping task are incorporated to measure cognitive load. NASA-TLX is the universal method, but is a post-event measure. After establishing the areas of high cognitive load, websites can be redesigned to minimize the elements likely contributing to high levels of cognitive load. Twentieth-Century Women's Spheres of Rhetorical Influence Christopher Oldenburg, Maranja May, Jessica Lynn Allen, and Jennifer Niter (Communication), Presenters In contrast to the widely held belief that American women retreated from the public sphere after World War II, we argue that the mid-twentieth-century witnessed a widening of the political circumference in which women became inspiring oratorical leaders for causes in addition to their 28 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum own. These spheres included, among others, civil rights, reproductive rights, environmental concerns, and national politics. This panel features analysis of the inspired and inspiring rhetoric of civil rights organizer Ella Baker, biologist and writer Rachel Louise Carson, feminist Gloria Steinem, and politician Geraldine Ferraro. Hear Her Voice: Four Women's Use of Figurative Rhetoric Kimberly P. Johnson, Diane Rozar, Laurel Helms, and Michaela DeWitt (Communication), Presenters This research explores the powerful voices of Clara Barton, Margaret Sanger, Blanche Ames, and Bishop Vashti McKenzie who used verbal and visual metaphors to move people to action. Civil war nurse, Clara Barton, appealed to her northern audiences through violent images and ―bloody shirt‖ rhetoric. Birth control advocate Margaret Sanger inspired others to view motherhood and childcare as delicate plants requiring careful cultivation. Activist Blanche Ames created political cartoons to express the necessity of women's right to vote. AME Bishop Vashti McKenzie used the palm tree metaphor to call preachers back to the original values needed for ministry. Defining Voices: American Female Oratory 1890-1906 Andre Johnson, Robyn Wolfe, Olivia Price-Griffin, Beverly Honeywood, and Brittany Pieraccini (Communication), Presenters During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, women still found it quite difficult to discover their voices in the public arena. Even when women did discover and use their voices they faced the challenge of ―defining voice.‖ By defining voice, we mean the way these women used rhetorical strategies to shape and design appeals for equality and justice. This poster session will examine the words of Ida B. Wells, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Frances Willard and Mary Church Terrell during this time period to highlight ways in which these women defined their voice. The Song-Books of Paul Laurence Dunbar and the Battle of Subjectivity in Early Black Theatre Melonee D. Griggs (English), Presenters My poster presentation will highlight the song-book covers of Paul Laurence Dunbar's librettos. Many scholars and students of higher education do not know about Dunbar's career as a minstrel song writer for early Black theatre in the 1890s. Many of these early plays were centered on minstrel themes and antics and Dunbar attempted to enrich a form of entertainment that had been dominated by White writers and actors who governed the genre with racist subjectivity. This poster presentation will enlighten and inform many who may not be knowledgeable of early Black 29 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum dramatic forms and the struggles to define a culture that had long been delineated as inferior and savage. LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES The Soluble and Polymeric Tubulins in the Ovary, Oocyte and Embryo of Zebrafish: Megadalton Soluble Tubulin Complexes and Gamma Tubulin Jianxiong Liu (Biology), Presenter Tubulin dynamics is important for microtubule (MT) cellular functions in zebrafish. The majority of α-tubulin in zebrafish oocytes was present in the soluble and not the polymer pool. Soluble α-tubulin was found to be associated with large molecular wight complexes (>2MDa). Unlike MT fragments, the tubulin complexes were freeze-thaw resistant and stable in high salt. Two different anti-γ-tubulin monoclonal antibodies, GTU 88 and TU 30, revealed the existence of γ-tubulin in both zebrafish oocytes and embryos. Soluble cx-tubulin and γ-tubulin of zebrafish ovaries, oocytes and embryos were co-localized in fractions from three different columns: Sephacryl-200, DEAE and Superose-6b. Ovarian soluble cx-tubulin was co-immunoprecipitated with γ-tubulin. Immunofluorescent microscopy revealed discreet γ-tubulin foci in centrosomes and diffuse labeling in blastomere cytoplasm in early embryos. Injection of anti-sense oligos to γ- tubulin resulted in A-P axis defects. In situ hybridization with γ-tubulin oligo revealed diffuse label in oocytes, with a marked localization to the blastodisc upon maturation. Ovary and eggs showed similar patterns of tubulin gene product expression while differing from day 4 larva using microarray. These findings suggest that γ-tubulin protein complexes may be involved in regulating tubulin dynamics during zebrafish oogenesis and embryogenesis. Temperature Effects on Leaf and Root Surface Areas in Cucurbita pepo Cheri L. Kimes, Melissa Lee, and Karla Gage (Biology), Presenters Temperature affects the growth of plants. Present study tested the effects of the temperature on the surface areas of the leaves and roots of the early golden summer crookneck squash, Cucurbita pepo. Results indicated that temperature affected both leaf and root surface areas. Growing days were also an important factor affecting surface areas in both leaves and roots. Simultaneous seeding and harvest also displayed quantitatively significant role of growth time on the surface area of the leaves and roots. Plant Traits and Environment Melissa Lee and Karla Gage (Biology), Presenters Traditionally, plant performance has been assessed by quantification of dry mass. However, measurements of leaf and root surface areas may better reflect plant well-being. Plant trait response 30 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum to treatments was evaluated in four species: Cucubita pepo, Rumex crispus, Salix nigra, and Spartina alterniflora. Principal factor analyses indicated that variance in leaf and root surface areas dominate plant response to environmental factors. Single-trait plant analyses do not to capture the complexity of the multivariate nature of plant responses and fail to account for indirect effects of surface areas on other plant traits. Environmental Gradient and Edge Effect: a Quantitative Approach Karla Gage, Melissa Lee, Margaret Cirtain, and Shari Hudson, (Biology), Presenters For plant populations and communities the environmental gradient between core habitats is a product of interactions of several environmental factors such as light availability, temperature, and soil moisture. These are the most critical resources affecting plant growth and development. A survey of edges surrounding ―milpa‖ slash-and-burn agro-ecosystems in Belize, Central America indicated that light, temperature, and soil moisture in a forest edge gradient are not independent. The Principal Components Analysis indicated that light and temperature are significantly correlated, accounting for 42.9 % of the variance. Soil moisture, however, was significantly affected by local geology and soil texture. Hidden Stop Codon Bias Analysis is a Powerful Tool for Microbial Classification. Sanjit M. Fernandes (Biology), Presenter The three nucleotide sequences (TAA, TGA, and TAG) were universal stop codons for protein expression. These sequences were also found within the gene, termed ―Hidden Stop Codon‖ (HSC). HSC would become functional in event of a frameshift mutation. Computational analysis of over 315,000 genes in 70 bacterial genomes suggested that the distribution of HSC were highly bias. Phylogenic analysis of HSC distribution correlated well with the modern method of microbial classification. We proposed the bias usage of a particular HSC was related to the physiology of the microbe. This universal genetic marker could improve our understanding on molecular evolution. The Protein Phosphatase Inhibitor Okadaic Acid Stimulates Oocyte Maturation and Inhibits Egg Activation in Zebrafish Ravikanth Nathani (Biology), Presenter In vitro treatment of fully grown immature zebrafish oocytes with dihydroxyprogesterone (DHP) resulted in germinal vesicle migration (GVM) and breakdown (GVD), ooplasmic clearing, yolk proteolysis, osmoregulation, and blastodisc formation. The DHP-matured oocytes were activated upon transfer to double distilled water as evidenced by the formation of a perivitelline space. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of okadaic acid (OA), a specific inhibitor of protein phosphatase PP-2A, on zebrafish oocyte maturation, egg activation and early embryonic development. Microarray data indicated the presence of PP-2A regulatory subunit mRNA 31 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum inoocytes and anti-PP-sA regulatory subunit antibodies labeled a ~65KDa band upon immunoblotting. Immature oocytes treated with OA (1µg/ml) alone, showed GVM and GVD, clearing, yolk proteolysis, osmoregulation and blastodisc formation. The time course for maturation with OA was delayed relative to DHP-induced maturation. In compared to DHP. OA and DHP were synergistic in promoting oocyte maturation. However, upon transfer to double distilled water, the OA-matured oocytes failed to form a perivitelline space indicating their inability to activate. DHP treatment did not rescue the OA-treated oocytes and they remained inactivatible. OA also inhibited the water-induced activation of DHP-matured oocytes. OA had no demonstrable effect on zebrafish early embryonic development at the dosages tested. Our data suggest the presence of PP- 2A in zebrafish oocyte and its role in oocyte maturation and egg activation. Cigarette Smoking Exacerbates Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress in Young Healthy Men and Women Andrea Creasy (Health and Sports Science), Presenter Smoking and strenuous exercise increase oxidative stress (OS). Purpose: Compare OS before and following exercise in smokers and nonsmokers. Methods: Smokers (n=8) and nonsmokers (n=14) performed a graded exercise test to exhaustion. Blood protein carbonyls (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined. Results: PC increased 62% from pre to postexercise for smokers and 42% for nonsmokers (p=0.003). MDA increased 26% from pre to postexercise for smokers and remained unchanged for nonsmokers (P=0.02). Correlation between MDA and cigarettes smoked daily approached significance (P=0.068/r=0.466). Conclusions: Smokers experience exaggerated exercise-induced OS. Findings have implications related to diseases associated with cigarette smoking. Food Deprivation Affects Social Memory of Female But Not Male Meadow Voles Andrew Pierce and Ashley Vaughn (Biology), Presenters Over-marking is a ubiquitous behavior in terrestrial mammals, occurring when one individual places its scent mark atop a previously deposited scent mark. Vagaries of environmental cues may affect memory formation for particular individuals. We investigated how food deprivation affected the formation of memories for over-mark donors in meadow voles. Ad lib-fed voles showed preferences for top-scent mark donors over bottom-scent mark donors. Females that were food deprived for 6h prior to the exposure or during the interval between exposure and testing showed no preference for top-scent mark donors. Males that underwent similar food deprivations showed preferences for top-scent mark donors. 32 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Semi-Supervised Learning to Discover the Topic-Specific Deep Web Rajesh Ramanand (Computer Science), Presenter Our research work proposes the use of semi-supervised focused crawlers to locate, discover and maintain topic-specific information in the deep web. Semi-supervised learning algorithms improve upon existing algorithms by using a large amount of unlabeled data, together with some labeled data, to build more robust focused crawlers. Once topic-specific pages are identified, a query interface extractor extracts information from the page to discover deep web databases. Our anecdotes suggest that using semi-supervised learning along with query interface extraction gives higher accuracy and requires less human effort for building high-quality collections of topic- specific resources from the deep web. Studies on the Memory Capacity and Robustness of Chaotic Dynamic Neural Networks Igor Beliaev (Computer Science), Presenter A dynamical neural model that is strongly biologically motivated is applied to learning and retrieving binary patterns. This neural network, known as Freeman's K-sets, is trained with Hebbian rule and habituation to memorize the input patterns by associating them with attractors formed in the state space. After the patterns are memorized noisy input is given to the network to recover the original. We show capacity of the dynamical system exceeds that of the Hopfield network and the noisy recall degrades at a slower pace as the number of the patterns is growing. Modeling Hybrid Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithm Performance Deon Garrett (Computer Science), Presenter This work aims to develop tools to better understand the affect of problem structure on the performance of multiobjective evolutionary algorithms incorporating different hybridization strategies. Currently, we are studying multiobjective variants of two well-known combinatorial optimization problems: the quadratic assignment problem and the generalized assignment problem. Empirical analysis techniques such as random walk analysis help to understand how different search operators navigate complex combinatorial spaces. Using these techniques and others, we hope to move toward a better understanding of the design of hybrid evolutionary algorithms for multiobjective optimization problems. 33 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Lexical Syntactic Patterns Generate Good Questions Sai Revanth Kolli (Computer Science), Presenter Among the numerous aspects of Language Processing is the task of ‗Question Generation' (QG). In our operational definition QG can be defined as: given and English sentence what questions can be asked. A drawback of current Question Answering (QA) systems is the assumption that the user's question is asked at the intended or optimal level of specification. Whenever a user is given a QA system and a task to perform (with the aid of a QA system), there is the unrealistic assumption that the user will know exactly what questions to ask and in what order. Users need to be trained in asking good questions and we address this need by developing a QG. We briefly present a Question Generation system and then discuss work that we performed to adapt this system to generating open-domain, factual questions. Results of experiments on a set of 200 questions from National Institute for Standards and Technology's TREC-QA data set are presented. Towards a Base Noun Phrase Parser Using Web Counts Sireesha Ravi (Computer Science), Presenter Syntactic parsing is an important processing step for various language processing applications including Information Extraction, Question Answering, and Machine Translation. Parsing base Noun Phrases is one particular parsing case that has not been addressed so far in the literature. In this paper we addressed a base Noun Phrase parsing problem and showed how to efficiently implement a base Noun Phrase parser based on a statistical model and web counts. Using web counts, instead of manually annotated data, to induce the parameters of the statistical model makes our method unsupervised. Evaluation for Morphology Induction Approaches Jie Wu (Computer Science), Presenter Morphology induction is a sub-problem of important tasks such as automatic learning of machine-readable dictionaries and grammar induction for languages with complex morphology. It is extensively used to identify the specialized terms in Machine-Aided Translation (MAT) tasks and Information Retrieval (IR) engines. This study evaluates three common approaches for morphology induction: 1) a rule-based lemmatizer, 2) unsupervised morphology learning and 3) a Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) based lemmatization. Two methods are proposed to combine the rule-based lemmatizer and LSA-based lemmatizer. An evaluation of these approaches shows that the purely LSA-based approach achieves highest precision of all. 34 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Gaining Confidence and Courage from Agile Software Development David Mills (Computer Science), Presenter Many modern software projects demand quick delivery, but are highly dynamic with requirements continuously changing. Agile software development methodologies aim to facilitate these requirements through practices that support communication and the ability to embrace change. This work investigates the feasibility and effects of applying agile practices in an academic setting with small teams. Two projects are being developed in collaboration between the departments of Computer Science and Marketing and Supply Chain Management at The University of Memphis. The author claims that disciplined application of selected practices will offer substantial benefits, even in an environment that does not lend itself to full adoption of XP. PHYSICAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES Near-Surface Structure in the Mississippi Embayment Derived from Waveform Inversion Shu-Chioung Chi Chiu (Earth Sciences), Presenter Seismic wave propagation through the Mississippi Embayment is studied by analyzing waveforms of local microearthquakes. Distinctive high frequency P and S wave resonance is used to infer large soil lateral heterogeneity between receivers. The soil structure can be resolved by constructing synthetic waveforms through a waveform inversion scheme for a parameterized velocity structure. Not only the waveform inversion method can be applied to other interesting seismological problems but knowledge of near-surface soil structure is essential for the assessment of earthquake hazard potential in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Change of Seismic Energy Release in the New Madrid Seismic Zone Qingwen Miao (Earth Sciences), Presenter Seismic magnitude and location parameters for the central U.S. were collected for 5909 events occurring between 1974 and 2004. We computed elastic strain energy release from event magnitude using Gutenberg's relation to investigate spatial and temporal changes of strain energy release for the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). The results show that strain energy release has decreased with time for the NMSZ over the past 31 years, while the central U.S. as a whole, maintained a nearly constant level. This can be interpreted as either the end of a decaying aftershock sequence from the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes and/or a period of strain hardening in preparation for the next large New Madrid earthquake. 35 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Extracting Earth Structure Out of Ambient Noise Data Chuntao Liang (Earth Science), Presenter As an accumulation of random waves propagating in random directions, ambient ground motion noise is a surprising data set that can be used to infer earth structure. Noise data recorded by Seismic Networks monitored by CERI (earthquake center of UM) have been successfully used to extract surface waves propagating between station pairs. Surface waves are then further studied to yield new information for the studies of New Madrid and eastern Tennessee seismic zones. This achievement remedies the shortcomings of traditional seismic imaging methods that highly depend on the distribution of earthquakes or artificial sources. Effects of Light on Cucurbita Pepo Fatima Hall and Karla Gage (Biology), Presenters The effects of PAR quantum were studied in summer squash Cucurbita Pepo L. (Cucurbitaceae) over 7 week period. Plant root and shoot surface areas, and biomass were measured. Leaf and root surface areas were measured using digital image analyses. Results of ANCOVA indicated that plant performance differed significantly among light treatments. Plants grown in high light treatment had greatest leaf and root surface areas, had larger biomass, and overall size. Plants grown in low light treatment had smallest biomass, leaf and root surface areas. Light quantum has significant effects on plant parts, entire plants, and may affect changes at plant populations and community levels. Discovery of Bioactive Molecules Using Virtual Screening James Fells, Sr. (Chemistry), Presenter Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive lipid that produces various responses including platelet aggregation, cell migration, proliferation, and survival. The responses are mediated by a family of three G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), LPA1-3. LPA plays both pathological and physiological role. LPA is required for embryonic development but may aid in the spread of various cancers including ovarian, prostate, and breast. Developing subtype specific antagonists could assist in understanding the role of LPA in these diseases. This study uses virtual screening to identify and prioritize potential antagonists for experimental screening. Virtual screening uses both structural and computational information to help guide in which avenues to explore. We have developed pharmacophore models for our LPA receptors that can be used to rapidly screen databases for structurally distinct lead compounds. Elimination of hits matching pharmacophores for different receptors provides us with a qualitative tool to identify selective antagonists. The database hits are virtually screened using rigid docking; where they can be further qualitatively analyzed for potential as new leads. Another data mining technique utilized is similarity searching. This will assist in the combinatorial approach by identifying derivatives of experimentally 36 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum confirmed antagonists. To date we have identified eight antagonists, two of which are selective for single LPA receptors. Computer Simulations of the Adsorption of Macromolecules on Heterogeneous Surfaces Jesse Ziebarth (Chemistry), Presenter Adsorption of macromolecules on surfaces plays an important role in many technological applications and in biological systems. Here, we investigate the adsorption of homopolymers on heterogeneous surfaces using lattice Monte Carlo simulations. The on-off transition of polymers adsorbing onto heterogeneous surfaces was found to depend greatly on the characteristics of the adsorbing surface. Our numerical data closely fit a simple analytical equation, confirming theoretical predictions. These results are useful for developing understanding of protein recognition and other complex macromolecular adsorption processes. Investigation of Crustal Structure in the New Madrid Seismic Zone Using Industry Reflection Data Sharon Browning (Earth Sciences), Presenter The New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ), located in the central United States, has experienced at least three major prehistoric earthquakes in addition to three events estimated at M 7.8 to 8.1 in the winter of 1811-1812. Recent studies suggest seismicity does not extend beyond a proposed eastern margin, leading to conjecture that the margin is accumulating strain, posing unknown seismic hazards for the central U.S. Seventeen seismic reflection lines are located adjacent to this margin and are being reprocessed to delineate crustal structure and fault geometry. Results will potentially further insight into seismic hazards for the central U.S. Crustal Structure at the Southern Terminus of the Blytheville Arch, Eastern Arkansas Juanjuan Cao (Earth Sciences), Presenter Line 61W and Line20A from reflection vibroseis data has been reprocessed to reveal crustal reflectivity in the crust near the southern terminus of the Blytheville Arch. A velocity log of Dow Wilson well #1 was combined with the refraction velocity model developed by Mooney et al. (1982) to conduct velocity analysis to yield the final stack. The prominent reflectors include: the contact of the upper Cretaceous with Paleozoic sediments; the presumed base of the Paleozoic and crystalline basement contact; a ―transparent‖ upper crustal zone from 3-9 second two-way travel time; and a highly reflective lower crust from 9-14 seconds. 37 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Correlation of Potential Fields and Geology Data of the Mississippi Embayment Ivan Rabak (Earth Sciences), Presenter The scientific goal is to correlate available potential field data and surface geology data for the Mississippi embayment and identify prominent features as viable scientific targets. A set of potential field maps is generated using GMT and available USGS data sets. Numerous filters for image manipulation available through Adobe Photoshop are used for a first-run analysis. The appropriate selection of a map color space is chosen not only to enhance already familiar anomalies of the region such as the well-known Bloom field pluton and the Missouri gravity low but also to highlight other, less famous, gravity and magnetic anomalies. The Bloomfield pluton, judging by the gravity maps, together with other anomalies seems to be a part of a larger system of intrusions propagating all the way to the Golf of Mexico. Several larger gravity anomalies, including the Bloomfield pluton, do have signatures on both maps of gravity and magnetics. However, this is not a wide spread phenomenon for all strong gravity and magnetic highs. Correlating the maps of the potential fields and geology, together with earthquake locations qualitatively reveals the complexity of the crust's structure and importance of proper visualization of the Mississippi embayment. P and S Wave Velocity Structure and Vp/Vs Ratios for the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone Meredith Dunn (Earth Sciences), Presenter Earthquake arrival times are used to infer velocity structure in the eastern Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ). This method utilizes P and S wave arrival times from 671 earthquakes to find velocity variations in the area that may be interpreted as geologic structures. The most significant velocity anomaly imaged is a region of low velocity that trends parallel to the seismicity. The imaged velocities and Vp/Vs ratios can be attributed to rock lithologies such as gneiss. Anomalously high P and S wave velocities are associated with a prominent mafic intrusion in eastern Kentucky and with portions of the crust in easternmost TN. Structural Modeling and Interpretation of the Mississippi Embayment Ryan Csontos (Earth Sciences), Presenter Landmark and Arc three dimensional software models are currently being produced and focus on the northern half of the Mississippi Embayment. These latest models integrate geologic and geophysical data including surface topography DEM data, stratigraphic tops of the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Mississippi River alluvial sections, faults, and earthquake foci. This geologic model allows viewing and interpretation of the data from any direction and provides the ability to observe and analyze the subsurface geology from a variety of scales. Geologic interpretation within a 3-D environment promotes better interpretations of the relationships among mapped faults, earthquake foci, Reelfoot rift structures, stratigraphic evolution, and tectonic evolution of the northern Mississippi embayment. 38 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Functional Characterization of Nanothin Films: Permeability in Nanocapsules and Electrode Coatings L. Todd Banner and Benjamin T. Clayton (Chemistry), Presenters Our group has been developing methods for the directed synthesis of nanothin (1-3 nm) polymer films with controlled permeability for applications in nanocapsules and nanofabricated sensors. High throughput permeability characterization methods are important to this research. In this presentation, we examine methods developed for studying the permeability of nanocapsules and surface-mounted electrode coatings. Nanocapsule permeability is studied with dye efflux experiments using a mixture of dyes varying in size. Electrochemical methods utilizing redox markers are used for determining the permeability of surface-mounted films. Information obtained from permeability studies drives the development of new fabrication methods. Quaternary Fault Exploration Beneath the City of Memphis, Tennessee Thomas Deen (Earth Sciences), Presenter Previous investigations have identified potential seismic hazards in the N30oE trending down-to-the-west Memphis and Ellendale faults in Memphis, Tennessee. Our current objective is to better constrain the fault locations, identify other faults, and determine when the most recent displacement occurred. Through shallow seismic reflection profiling using both P-wave and S- wave techniques the Memphis and Ellendale faults have been imaged. A third fault, the Shelby Farms fault, has now been imaged and it is believed to be parallel to the Ellendale and Memphis faults. The Shelby Farms fault was imaged to a depth greater than 700 m and is a down-to the-east normal fault that has been reactivated as a reverse fault. Through acquiring electrical conductivity surveys and boreholes in the Quaternary alluvium of the Wolf River, paleoseismic trench targets were identified and excavated on the Ellendale and Shelby Farms faults. Theses trenches revealed minor earthquake liquefaction dikes, but no Holocene faulting. A shallow S-wave seismic reflection line and electrical conductivity surveys acquired across the Memphis fault on the Wolf River flood plain also suggest Quaternary displacement. Ground Motions Induced by Thunder Ting-Li Lin (Earth Sciences), Presenter A variety of atmospheric disturbances (e.g., sonic booms, meteoroid falls, and thunders) can be detected by a seismograph on the ground if the acoustic pressure wave energy is sufficiently strong. The main purpose of this research is to quantitatively define the hypothesis that different kinds of near-surface soil layer structure will show different kinds of seismic responses excited by thunder. We have been building an acoustic/seismic array since July, 2005 in Moscow, TN, which provides observations to control thunder source and receiver properties. The acoustic/seismic array has successfully recorded several thunder events and other acoustic sources. 39 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum In Situ Characterization of Amplitude-Dependent Sediment Properties Zack Lawrence (Earth Sciences), Presenter I present a technique to identify and quantify the amplitude-dependent (nonlinear) properties of the near-surface sediments in terms of shear modulus reduction. The technique uses a large Vibroseis (shaker) truck and a small array of accelerometers to characterize the subsurface in situ and non-invasively. Shear modulus reduction is an important parameter for quantifying seismic site response to strong ground motions in the context of seismic hazard analysis. Site specific shear modulus reduction curves found through in situ methods will represent an improvement over laboratory-based curves currently used which have a high degree of uncertainty. Dynamics of Polymer Solutions Confined in Slit-Channels: Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulations Wenhua Jiang (Chemistry), Presenter Polymer chain dynamics in confining geometries are significantly different from those in a bulk solution. Understanding this confinement effect is of great value to applications of micofluidic devices. We applied dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to study chain dynamics of polymers confined in a slit-channel with interactive surfaces. Our simulation results confirmed that DPD has correctly accounted for hydrodynamic interactions within a polymer chain. For purely repulsive surfaces, the dynamics and the static properties of polymers show a broad crossover from a free solution to a confined solution. The attractive polymer-surface interactions were found to retard the chain dynamics significantly. A Computational Investigation of the Mechanism of S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) Jennifer Seat (Chemistry), Presenter Recent advances in theory, algorithmic implementation, and available computational resources have made computational studies of complex chemical systems more realistic and achievable. S-Ribosylhomocysteinase (LuxS) is a bacterial enzyme that catalyzes formation of a diketone that undergoes subsequent non-redox thioether cleavage in the synthesis of the bacterial signaling agent Auto-Inducer II (AI-II), and LuxS is implicated in the expression of virulence proteins in disease causing bacteria. A proposed mechanism in the literature contains unusual transformations of the chelation modes of thecarbonyl oxygen atoms of the substrate and questionable transition states. Also at issue is the identity of the metal center in the wild type active site of LuxS. This presentation will describe the development of a model system and our preliminary computational results into the mechanism utilizing density functional theory calculations. 40 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES The Effect of Fathering on Life Satisfaction in Men Guler Boyraz (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenter The purpose of the present study was to test a model that investigates the effects of fathering on fathers' life satisfaction. We hypothesized that the perceived level of family cohesiveness, adaptability, and flexibility will directly predict the level of life satisfaction of fathers mediating the effects of conflict and hours spent with children. 255 fathers participated in this study. Path analysis via GEMINI software was used to assess the relationships of interest among variables. The results partially supported the hypothesized theoretical model. Family cohesiveness was found to be the strongest variable in the model mediating the effects of all preceding variables on life satisfaction. Transitions: Preparing Hispanic Females for Adulthood Andrea Wheeler, Cynthia Quiroz, Kristen Walker, Ericka Midgett, and Joelle Poston (Psychology), Presenters Increasingly, Hispanic/Latino adolescents are being involved in risk prevention programs. While there are models for implementing such programs with some youth (e.g., African- Americans), it is not clear exactly what these programs should entail for Hispanic/Latino youth. Utilizing focus groups, Hispanic/ Latino women were interviewed about the kinds of experiences Hispanic/Latino females need to successfully transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood as well as their perceptions of the components of a positive youth development program for Hispanic/Latino youth. Results from these interviews and for utilizing this information in developing culturally relevant youth development programs targeting Hispanic youth will be discussed. Holland Code Comparison in Attitudes toward Help-Seeking Behavior and Expectations of Counseling R. William Adams (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenter This study compared the attitudes toward help-seeking behavior and expectations about counseling of 93 internet respondents in an attempt to identify significant differences that might warrant the need for different approaches with individuals with specific Holland personality codes. Significant differences were not found between individuals based solely on their primary personality type and their associated link to gender stereotypes. Implications for future research are presented to address the complexity of understanding why certain populations underutilize counseling and other forms of support services. 41 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum Reasons for Living Mediates the Relationship between Coping and Suicidal Behavior Mei-Chuan Wang (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenter Positive psychological factors that help protect vulnerable persons from suicidal behavior are vital in understanding resiliency and suicide prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine whether positive factors including purpose in life, reasons for living, and coping styles mediate the relationship between stressful events and suicidal behaviors among 416 college student volunteers. Reasons for living inversely predicted suicidal behavior both directly and indirectly via an inverse relationship with depression. Emotion-focused coping indirectly predicted suicidal ideation and behavior both through a direct effect on depression and an inverse effect on reasons for living. These results underscore the importance of augmenting reasons for living and purpose in life among suicidal or potentially suicidal persons. A Malaria Prevention Strategy in Uganda Crystal Ton and Beth DeBlanc (Anthropology), Presenters In an area where malaria is a major threat to life as well as general health, an efficient way to combat this infectious disease is through the dissemination of knowledge about preventative behaviors. Based on previous malaria research conducted in Bushenyi District of Uganda, an educational tool was constructed. The researchers traveled to Bushenyi District where the tool was tested on a number of participants. After initial testing, the tool was reworked to clear up any confusion then handed over to trained community leaders for further dissemination of knowledge in the area. The Adaptation Process of Turkish Individuals in the U.S: An Integrated Framework Ayse Ciftci Uruk (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenter The purpose of this study was to examine psychological and socio-cultural adaptation of Turkish individuals living in the United States. In the first part of the study, 204 participants completed online instruments about psychological well-being, socio-cultural adaptation, acculturation strategies, social support, cultural distance, family adaptability and cohesion, and certain demographic characteristics to examine Searle and Ward's (1990) psychological and socio- cultural adaptation model and Berry's (1997) acculturation model. The second part of the study included nine in-depth phone interviews examining acculturation process from a dialogical view. In the discussion, results from quantitative and qualitative analyses are integrated. 42 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum The Effect of Alcohol and Alcohol Expectancies on Gambling Behavior Damon Lipinski and Trevor Watson (Psychology), Presenters This study was an investigation into the effects of alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancies, and no alcohol on gambling behavior. Thirty-six male students were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions (n=12 per condition) in which they received alcohol, alcohol placebo, or no-alcohol beverages and then gambled on a computer roulette game. Significant differences were found between conditions on gambling behaviors. Results showed the alcohol placebo had a greater effect on gambling behaviors than consumption of alcohol or control beverage. Those in the expectancy condition placed more bets, and bet in a less risky manner than both the alcohol and control conditions. This suggests the significant role that personal and social expectations of alcohol consumption may have on influencing gambling behaviors. Respiratory Rate of Listeners During Conversational Interaction Douglas F. Parham (Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology), Presenter Given the importance of the respiratory system to speech production, it is valuable to consider respiration in any study involving dyadic interaction. Such studies should uncover effects that speakers and listeners have on each other during communicative interaction. At the outset of this study, it was hypothesized that the respiratory rate of the listeners would change in response to experimental manipulation of conditions. The fact that such manipulations affected inspiratory durations of listeners offered support to that hypothesis. However, differences in the participants— not in the experimental conditions—accounted for most of the variance in listener respiratory periods. Adolescent Outcome Expectancies for Gambling Emerson M. Wickwire and Trevor Watson (Psychology), Presenters The current project was an effort to identify what adolescents expect to happen when they gamble and how these outcome expectancies relate to their gambling behavior. Participants included 1076 adolescents (55.9% female, M age =16.2 years, SD = 1.07) recruited from 4 urban high schools. Seventy-seven percent (n = 832) of the sample reported having gambled at least once in their lives, and sixty-six percent (n = 714) reported having gambled in the previous year. Twenty-six percent (n = 283) reported gambling regularly (weekly or daily participation in at least one gambling activity). While a majority of participants (72.7%; n = 782) reported no gambling problems, 14.6% (n = 157) of the sample was classified as ―At-risk‖ gamblers, and an additional 12.7% (n = 137) scored in the ―Problem‖ range. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a 5-factor solution including expectancies in the following domains: grandiosity (―feeling high‖), financial (―win a lot of money‖), social (―make a lot of friends‖), parental (―be punished by parents‖), and self-evaluative (―gain a great deal of self- respect‖). These results were submitted to confirmatory factor analysis, and the dependent variables 43 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum of SOGS-RA score and gambling frequency were added to the model. Model fit was excellent. Expectations of grandiosity and positive self-evaluation were positively related to SOGS-RA score, and positive social expectancies were negatively related to SOGS-RA score. For gambling frequency, grandiosity, parental, and self-evaluative expectancies displayed significant positive relations with this dependent variable, and expectations of positive social outcomes displayed a statistically significant negative relation to the dependent variable. Computers Versus Human's Mind: How Humans Evaluate Linguistic Dimensions Identified By Computers Fang Yang and Lun Mo (Psychology), Presenters The multidimensional model of register variation presented by Biber has identified five dimensions in a variety of texts: informational versus involved production, narrative versus non- narrative concerns, elaborated versus situation-dependent reference, overt expression of persuasion versus overt argumentation and persuasion, and abstract versus non-abstract style. The present study provides experimental evidence to show that humans can identify some textual dimensions resulted from computational methods. The result indicates that the computational output can be consistent with human's cognitive activities. The study provides a unique way to build the bridge between psycholinguistic and computational areas. The Siblings Beliefs Questionnaire: Assumptions and Expectations About Children's Sibling Relationships Caroline Stanley (Psychology), Presenter The present research (University IRB approved) examines the psychometric properties of the Siblings Beliefs Questionnaire (SBQ), a measure devised to assess adult beliefs about children's sibling relationships. The SBQ was designed to examine assumptions (i.e., beliefs about the ways siblings are) and expectations (i.e., beliefs about the ways siblings should be) about the positive (e.g., sharing) and negative (e.g., quarrelling) aspects of children's sibling relationships. Results suggest that the SBQ is a reliable measure for examining adult beliefs about children's sibling relationships. Successes and Challenges of Providing Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims in Memphis, Tennessee Elizabeth Pulver (Anthropology), Presenter An estimated 15,000 Hurricane Katrina evacuees took shelter in Memphis, Tennessee after leaving their homes in New Orleans, Louisiana and coastal Mississippi. While many of these evacuees resided with family and friends, a majority sought refuge in shelters facilitated by churches and non-profit organizations. Based on in-depth interviews with participating 44 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum administrators, staff, and volunteers, this paper will focus on the successful approaches and limiting factors in providing disaster relief services and shelter. These challenges include insufficient preparation time, lack of qualified personnel, limited funds, logistical problems, and bureaucratic and regulatory issues. In such situations, organizations respond to these challenges with resourceful solutions to meet the needs of their clients. The experiences and lessons learned from Memphis' response to Hurricane Katrina will help provide useful insight for disaster relief efforts on local, national, and international levels in the future. The Analysis of Associations in Multimodal Conversations Patrick Jeauniaux and Mohammed Hoque (Psychology), Presenters Multimodal conversations involve the occurrence of communicative events on various channels, including speech, eye gaze and facial expressions. This study focuses on situations involving pairs of participants, whereby one individual must guide another one through a map. We address the question of the relation of events occurring across channels, within and between individuals. A particular emphasis is put on finding relations between non-simultaneous events. Among other results, eye gaze of the giver on the follower is shown to correlate with facial expression denoting interest by the giver, as well as with the fact to ask a question to the follower. The study sheds light on multimodal communication in humans and gives guidelines for implementation in animated conversational agents. Effects of Summary Knowledge of Results (KR) and Error Estimation in Motor Learning Tiffany Liggins (Health and Sport Sciences), Presenter Research suggests motor skill learning is influenced by both external and internal factors during practice. While most previous related studies have exclusively used performance outcome (e.g., accuracy) measure, the present investigation used surface electromyography (EMG) to assess how well a simple force production task was learned under summary KR (external) and error estimation (internal) conditions. A data acquisition tool, BIOPAC-MP35, was incorporated allowing for simultaneous analysis of force production and muscle activity using a hand dynamometer. It is hypothesized that summary KR in conjunction with verbal error estimation during initial training would enhance skill retention with increased performance accuracy. An Exploration of Gender, Income, and Dialect on Derived Word Stress Production Valentina L. Taran (Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology), Presenter Children's decoding ability is strongly related to accurate stress production of derived words formed with stress-changing suffixes (e.g., -tion, -ic, -ity). Despite the well-established relationship between oral language and reading, little is known about how dialectal differences between speakers affect these skills. The present study extends this work by exploring whether socio- 45 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum demographic factors affect the production of stress in derived words. The socio-demographic factors of interest were: the presence and degree of a non-mainstream dialect (i.e., African- American English and Southern-American English), gender, and parental income. Results indicated that the degree of non-standard dialect had an effect on stress production accuracy. Katrina 400 Miles Onshore: Providing Support and Combating Compassion Fatigue in Care Providers Laura Battle and Mardi Smith (Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research), Presenters School counselors and teachers, as far as 400 miles inland from Hurricane Katrina, were assessed for vicarious trauma and compassions fatigue symptoms experienced after counseling evacuee students that had relocated and enrolled in their schools from the New Orleans area. Pre- Katrina and Post-Katrina assessments were completed. Factors studied included changes in Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue. Risk factors associated with counselors and teachers who show the highest indicators of compassion fatigue were identified. Actions are taken to help alleviate compassion fatigue symptoms. Comparative Risk Assessment in a Midsouth Superfund Site Stasa Plecas and Beth DeBlanc (Anthropology), Presenters This project explored community perspectives on risk in a neighborhood bordering a superfund site. The site was chosen for its grassroots environmental activism. Residents were questioned about the comparative risks of pollution vs. lifestyle posed by living in this neighborhood. Questions also explored demographics, length of residence in the site, social networks, family and personal illness history, cognitive maps of community assets, and behaviors that contextualize views about risk. Results were surprising, as most respondents expressed ambivalence about the risks posed by environmental hazards. Winning the Fight for Title IX Compliance: Giving Women the Opportunity to Play Emily Bates (Sociology), Presenter This research examines the determinants of Title IX compliance through the measure of substantial proportionality at 1,317 four-year colleges and universities in the United States for the 2003-2004 academic year. I identify a national level of compliance based on proportionality and analyze the relationship and affect of specific institutional and athletic department characteristics on the proportionality measure. Research findings suggest a national lack of gender equitable opportunities in athletics and recognize certain institutional and athletic department characteristics which have significant negative and positive effects on the measure of proportionality. Theoretical reasoning behind these findings offer hope for future progress of gender equity in athletics. 46 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum PARTICIPANTS UNDERGRADUATES Afolabi, Titilola ......................................13 Russ, Clifton ............................................14 Bardakova, Valentyna ............................12 Scott, Jacquelyn ....................................... 7 Benedetti, Robert .....................................9 Seward, Molly .......................................... 7 Brown, Karen ............................................7 Slakans, Bradley ...................................... 9 Callegari, Jonathan .................................12 Smith, Carlesia D. ................................. 11 Carpenter, Andrea ..................................10 Solis, Adrienne ........................................ 7 Combs, Amy ..........................................17 Spencer, Stephan ................................... 15 Crocitto, Dominique ..............................17 Stamps, D. Sarah .................................... 15 David, Joe A..............................................8 Stillman, Fallon ....................................... 9 Delong, Natasha .....................................16 Strickland, Eddie ..................................... 9 Ensley, Trenton ......................................15 Tapp, Kristy .......................................... 16 Fienup, Katie .............................................7 Wallick, Angela ....................................... 7 Filsinger, Erik ........................................11 Webb, Christa A. ..................................... 7 Girsch, Laura M. .......................................7 Woolls, Heather ..................................... 10 Gopalakrishnan, Anusha ........................12 Griffis, John ...........................................14 Hauther, Christine ..................................11 Hillard, Laura ............................................7 Hochstein, Daniel .....................................8 Karl, Jeffrey G. ........................................8 Lee, Melissa ...........................................12 Liggins, Tiffany .......................................7 Magallon, Iranzu ....................................12 Nahmias, Zach .......................................13 Neeley, Nikita ........................................13 Nyindodo, Lillian ...................................12 Osibodu, Folarin ....................................14 Patel, Niki ...............................................16 Revalee, Joel ..........................................15 Roland, Donna .......................................18 47 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum GRADUATES Adams, R. William .................................41 Furxhi, Orges ........................................ 21 Allen, Brandon .......................................25 Gage, Karla ....................... 12,13,30,31,36 Allen, Jessica Lynn .................................28 Gandhi, Neel ......................................... 26 Banner, L. Todd ......................................39 Garrett, Deon ......................................... 33 Bates, Emily ...........................................46 Griggs, Melonne D. ............................... 29 Battle, Laura ......................................20,46 Hall, Fatima ........................................... 36 Beliaev, Igor ...........................................33 Hall, Micah ............................................ 21 Bordelon, Dwight ...................................25 Hamilton, Benjamin .............................. 21 Boyraz, Guler .........................................41 Helms, Laurel ........................................ 29 Brahmandam, Nayana ............................25 Honeywood, Beverly ............................. 29 Browning, Sharon ..................................37 Hoque, Mohammed E. ..................... 23,45 Camp, Jonathan W. ................................28 Hudson, Shari ........................................ 31 Cao, Juan Juan .......................................37 Huey, Whitney Ellen .............................. 27 Chen, I-Jane ...........................................24 Jacob, Beth ............................................ 28 Chen, Jeff G. ..........................................19 Jeauniaux, Patrick ................................. 45 Chesnutt, Betsy ......................................22 Jiang, Wenhua ....................................... 40 Chiu, Shu-Chioung ................................25 Johnson, Andre ...................................... 29 Cirtain, Margaret ....................................31 Johnson, Kimberly P. ............................ 29 Clayton, Benjamin T. .............................39 Kimes, Cheri L. ..................................... 30 Clifford, Anna ........................................20 Kolli, Sai Revanth .................................. 34 Creasy, Andrea .......................................32 Lawrence, Zack ..................................... 40 Csontos, Ryan ........................................38 Lee, Melissa ..................................... 30,31 DeBlanc, Beth ...................................42,46 Liang, Chuntao ...................................... 36 Deen, Thomas ........................................39 Liggins, Tiffany ..................................... 45 DeWitt, Michaela ...................................29 Lin, Ting-Li ........................................... 39 Dunn, Meredith ......................................38 Lipinski, Damon .................................... 43 Fells, Sr., James .....................................36 Liu, Jianxiong ........................................ 30 Fernandes, Sanjit M. ..............................31 Liu, Ying ............................................... 26 48 18 t h Annual Student Research Forum GRADUATES (cont'd) LoSicco, Tino .........................................25 Vanteru, Bhanu Chander Reddy ............ 24 May, Maranja .........................................28 Vaughn, Ashley ..................................... 32 Medapati, Sudhir Reddy .........................26 Walker, Kristen ..................................... 41 Miao, Qingwen ......................................35 Wang, Mei-Chuan ................................. 42 Midgett, Ericka ......................................31 Watson, Trevor ...................................... 43 Mills, David ...........................................41 Wheeler, Andrea ................................... 41 Mo, Laura ...............................................28 Wickwire, Jr., Emerson M. ................... 43 Mo, Lun ..................................................44 Wolfe, Robyn ........................................ 29 Narayanan, Nithya .................................21 Wu, Jie ................................................... 34 Nathani, Ranikanth ................................31 Yang, Fang ............................................ 44 Nguyen, Jennifer T. ................................23 Ziebarth, Jesse ....................................... 37 Niter, Jennifer ........................................28 Zook, Justin ........................................... 24 Noel, Scott ..............................................26 Norowski, Peter ―Drew‖ ........................22 Oldenburg, Christopher ..........................28 Otsuki, Amanda .....................................19 Parham, Douglas F. ................................43 Pieraccini, Brittany ................................29 Pierce, Andrew .......................................32 Plecas, Stasa ...........................................46 Poston, Joelle .........................................41 Price-Griffin, Olivia ...............................29 Pulver, Elizabeth ....................................44 Quiroz, Cynthia ......................................41 Rabak, Ivan ............................................38 Ramanand, Rajesh ..................................33 Ravi, Sireesha ........................................34 Richardson, Sir Walter ...........................21 Rozar, Diane ..........................................29 Seat, Jennifer ..........................................40 Shaik, Jahangheer Shareef .................24,27 Sharma, Shweta ......................................22 Smith, Mardi .....................................20,46 Smith, Webb ..........................................19 Stanley, Caroline ....................................44 Steinberg, Stephanie C. ..........................19 Sweeney, James .....................................20 Taran, Valentina L. ................................45 Ton, Crystal ............................................42 Tracy, Janet Patton ..................................28 Uruk, Ayse Ciftci ....................................42 Utturkar, Gangadhar ..............................23 49

subset: commoncrawl