25th Hayes Graduate Research Forum (March, 2011)

Effects of Processing on the Oxidative Stability of Docosahexaenoic Acid Oil

Atnip, Allison — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Effects of Processing on the Oxidative Stability of Docosahexaenoic Acid Oil Atnip, Allison Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for normal brain and retinal development. A deficiency in fetal cerebral DHA content has been associated with preterm delivery, which may lead to higher risks for autism, ADHD, and schizophrenia. Western diets are deficient in DHA intake, making the development of DHA-enriched products a growing facet of the food industry. The poor oxidative stability of DHA has made the development of such products challenging, as the oxidation is rapid and produces off-odors and flavors, making the product unacceptable to consumers. Effects of refining, bleaching, winterizing, and deodorizing on the oxidative stability of DHA (22:6 Ω-3) oil were studied by a combination of headspace oxygen depletion (HOD) by gas chromatography and total volatile compound formation by SPME-GC. Results for both showed that refined oil was significantly (p < 0.05) less stable than bleached, winterized, and deodorized oils. The oxygen content in the refined, bleached, winterized, and deodorized DHA oil samples decreased from 20.9% on Day 0 to 6.7%, 8.3%, 7.8% and 7.8%, respectively on Day 5. The bleached, winterized, and deodorized oils were determined not to be statistically different from each other (p > 0.05), however the refined oil showed significantly more HOD (p <0.05), corresponding to a lower oxidative stability. Refined, Bleached, winterized, and deodorized oils showed average volatile compound formations over 5 days of storage of approximately 4,041,000 electronic counts (ec), 482,100 ec, 437,200 ec, and 405,800 ec, respectively. The refined samples again showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher volatile compound formation, corresponding to a lower oxidative stability. The bleached, winterized, and deodorized samples were not significantly different from each other (p > 0.05). Bleaching proved to be the crucial processing step in increasing the oxidative stability of DHA oil. Optimizing the bleaching process may be an important first step in increasing the oxidative stability of DHA oil. Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (FAES): 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Dynamic Trunk Control Influence on Run-to-Cut Maneuver: A Risk Factor for ACL Rupture

Jamison, Steve — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Dynamic Trunk Control Influence on Run-to-Cut Maneuver: A Risk Factor for ACL Rupture Jamison, Steve ACL rupture is one of the most common serious knee injuries in field and court sports, with an estimated 70% of these being non-contact in nature, often from sudden changes in direction or pivoting. Previous studies have shown that knee abduction and tibial internal rotation moments independently strain the ACL. In collegiate athletes, deficits in dynamic trunk control, measured during an isolated trunk perturbation test, have been correlated to knee injury incidence. The goal of this study was to determine if dynamic trunk control during a run-to-cut maneuver was correlated to the dynamic loading of the knee during the same activity. Thirty healthy subjects performed an unanticipated 45° run-to-cut in the laboratory, planting on their dominant leg. Markered motion capture techniques and inverse kinematics were used to calculate torso angle relative to vertical (outside tilt), torso angle relative to ground reaction force (torso-GRF) and peak knee abduction moment (pKAM) for three trials for each subject. Normalized knee abduction moments were log transformed to meet normality assumptions of the statistical models. A linear mixed model was used to determine the association between log transformed pKAM (Y) and each torso angle (X), with approach speed, cutting angle, and gender considered as covariates. Significant positive associations were found between the log transformed pKAM and outside tilt (p=0.009) and torso-GRF angle (p=0.029). These results suggest that an increased lean, in the frontal plane of the shoulders, away from the cutting direction and away from the GRF would increase peak knee abduction moment, thereby influencing ACL injury risk. Increased lean during an unanticipated task may be an indication of poorer dynamic trunk control or flawed control strategy and should be investigated in future studies. Engineering: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Development of a Primary Care Clinician Intervention in the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescent: A Pound of Cure

Anzeljc, Samantha — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Development of a Primary Care Clinician Intervention in the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescent: A Pound of Cure Anzeljc, Samantha Primary care clinicians, despite regular access to young families, lack a cohesive model for approaching office visits regarding excess weight. Using the 2007 Expert Committee’s Recommendations, a set of clinician guidelines on the standard of care for managing childhood obesity, we developed high quality intervention tools for clinician use to direct behavior modification in families with school-age children. We have developed “A Pound of Cure” (POC), a counseling process and educational materials founded on the ECRs, to provide clinicians with the necessary skill set to approach excess weight in children. POC modular counseling sessions and resources were piloted among physicians in a primary care network. Families and physicians were interviewed on the modular counseling sessions and resources. The feedback obtained guided development of office visit modules and materials. On average, motivated families that returned to the clinic needed to complete only 3 to 4 modules, setting 3 goals per visit, to successfully incorporate the recommendations into the child’s daily life. Of families that returned for follow up visits 38.5%, 47.3%, 8.7%, 5.2%, and 1.7% of families completed two, three, four, five or six office visit modules, respectively. Weight maintenance or weight loss occurred in 57% of patients, with an average weight loss of 1.0 kg. Poster Division: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

What Do Fathers Do? A look into the daily activities of fathers versus mothers using time diary data

Kotila, Letitia — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

What Do Fathers Do? A look into the daily activities of fathers versus mothers using time diary data Kotila, Letitia This study compares levels of mother and father involvement within activity categories that include engagement, responsibility, and childcare, across the transition to parenthood for dual-earner, first time parents. Findings indicate that while fathers are very involved with their children, there remain significant discrepancies in the amount of time mothers spend participating in childcare activities for their children. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. Education and Human Ecology: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Activated microglia from aged mice are less sensitive to anti-inflammatory feedback from IL-4

Fenn, Ashley — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Activated microglia from aged mice are less sensitive to anti-inflammatory feedback from IL-4 Fenn, Ashley Aging is associated with increased inflammatory conditions both peripherally and centrally. Our lab has previously shown that microglia, innate immune cells of the central nervous system, become primed and reactive as a function of age. Following an inflammatory stimulus these primed microglia show exaggerated and prolonged activation associated with an extended sickness response and induction of depressive-like behavior. The purpose of this study was to identify a mechanistic cause for prolonged microglial activation following immune challenge. We report that following a peripheral injection of LPS, microglia from adult mice upregulate both inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2c) gene expression, extending our knowledge of the M2b monocyte phenotype. Furthermore, we demonstrate that activated microglia from aged mice show exaggerated expression of M1, M2a, and M2c related genes, rather than a definitive shift towards M1. Protein expression of the receptors for IL-10 (IL-10R1) and IL-4 (IL-4Rα) were assessed on microglia of adult mice following treatment with LPS. Microglia showed marked upregulation of IL-4Rα after LPS treatment, whereas expression of IL-10R1 did not change. Furthermore, activated microglia from aged mice failed to upregulate IL-4Rα. Treatment of activated microglia ex vivo with IL-4 promoted a down-regulation of M1 related gene, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and an upregulation of M2 related gene, Arginase I (Arg) following LPS treatment in adult mice. Activated microglia from aged mice, however, maintained high levels of iNOS gene expression, though they still promoted Arg expression. Taken together, these results indicate that activated microglia from aged mice show impairments in the receptor and cell signaling pathways necessary for anti-inflammatory feedback from IL-4. Poster Division: Biological Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Atomic Scale Modeling of the Effect of Irradiation on Silica Optical Fibers

Govindarajan, Harish — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Atomic Scale Modeling of the Effect of Irradiation on Silica Optical Fibers Govindarajan, Harish Optical fibers and optically-based sensors find extensive use in instrumentation and control systems in nuclear power plants due to their desirable characteristics and advantages over traditional electrical transmission systems, such as immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Vitreous silica which has a high melting point (~1650°C), is a suitable material for optical fiber and sensor applications within high-temperature reactor pressure vessels. However, although pure vitreous silica-core fibers are transparent over a broad spectrum (ultraviolet to near infrared), irradiation causes the optical fibers to “darken” and form “color centers”. This leads to preferential absorption of light at frequencies specific to the defect type, resulting in the attenuation of signals, and is a major concern for these applications. While abundant experimental information exists on the various defects in silica and their corresponding optical properties, there still needs to be an accurate and predictive modeling approach that can provide useful information about defect evolution in the structure and crystallization effects upon heating and irradiation, and establish the correlation between the local structural defects caused by irradiation to optical transmission losses over typical lengths of the fiber. This paper presents a computational approach using molecular dynamics calculations to simulate irradiation damage, a set of techniques to extract and correlate the structural defects thus created, and ab-initio electronic structure calculations with Hybrid Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods to model the effect of the structural defects on the electronic and optical properties. Poster Division: Engineering, Math, and Physical Sciences: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Lexical Ambiguity in Evolutionary Discourse: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Rector, Meghan — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Lexical Ambiguity in Evolutionary Discourse: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Rector, Meghan This study investigates lexical ambiguity in evolutionary discourse and explores the implications of such language for teaching, learning, and assessment. Specifically, this study investigated what students' mean when they use five terms that commonly occur in evolutionary explanations: pressure, select, adapt, need, and must. The study employed a new technological tool known as the Assessment Cascade System (ACS) to investigate the frequency with which undergraduate biology majors spontaneously incorporate lexically ambiguous language in evolutionary explanations, as well as their definitions and explanations of what they meant when they used such terms. Among the 1282 initial responses, 81% of students spontaneously used a multivalent term at least once in evolutionary explanations. Moreover, the majority of these initial responses were judged to be scientifically inaccurate, and accurate use of some terms was significantly correlated with students' course grade. While the scientific accuracy of the majority of student responses remained the same from initial to follow-up, a sizable minority of student response did not. Responses that were initially ambiguous were more likely to be resolved by use of the ACS follow-up prompts, resulting in an increased understanding of students' evolutionary explanations. Education and Human Ecology: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

(E)MERGING VOICES: UNDERSTANDING CONSTRUCTIONS OF CITIZENSHIP FROM THE ECONOMIC MARGINS

Kock, Stacia — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

(E)MERGING VOICES: UNDERSTANDING CONSTRUCTIONS OF CITIZENSHIP FROM THE ECONOMIC MARGINS Kock, Stacia Using feminist theory as a background, this study explores the relationship between citizenship and economic identities, specifically looking at how those living in poverty define citizenship. Whether political or social in nature, citizenship as both an identity and a political construct influences the lives of all Americans. Feminist theorists (Jaggar, 2006; Kymlicka & Norma, 1994; Lister, 1997; 2003; Young, 2000) have long argued that citizenship excludes certain individuals on the basis of gender, racial, sexual, economic, and national identities. Yet, as this study aims to explore, do those who are thought to be excluded from citizenship understand themselves as excluded? In order to investigate the materiality of the theoretical claims of citizenship’s exclusivity, this study turns to the perspectives of antipoverty activists from two Midwest-based organizations. Pulling from interview data, this paper explores how the participants define citizenship in their own words and whether they aspire to create a more inclusionary approach to citizenship for low-income individuals. Humanities: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Small Arts Organizations: Supporting their Creative Vitality

Chang, Woong Jo — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Small Arts Organizations: Supporting their Creative Vitality Chang, Woong Jo This paper examines how to support the creative vitality of small arts organizations. It incorporates the Multiple Case Narrative on arts administrators at 13 selected small arts organizations and cross-references it with an in-depth case study on an emerging theatre. Highlighting the significant role of SAOs in the arts world, it explores the dynamic ecology of SAOs by focusing on the three key levers that move SAOs along the balancing point between their mission and their money in order for them to maintain their creative vitality: (1) Leadership/Entrepreneurship, (2) Technology, and (3) Support Systems. Conclusively, emphasizing that size consideration for arts organizations is of utmost importance for the creative vitality of SAOs, this paper suggests appropriate and affordable ways to support SAOs so that they can sustain themselves in the challenging environment of the arts world. The Arts: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

In Vitro and In Vivo Inhibition of Human Bladder Cancer by Broccoli Isothiocyanates: Characterization, Absorption, Metabolism and Interconversion

Abbaoui, Besma — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

In Vitro and In Vivo Inhibition of Human Bladder Cancer by Broccoli Isothiocyanates: Characterization, Absorption, Metabolism and Interconversion Abbaoui, Besma Transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is the fifth most common neoplasm and the twelfth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In addition, bladder cancer is estimated to be the most expensive cancer to treat with $3.7 billion in direct costs and is of growing concern due to the expansion of global tobacco use, the main etiologic risk factor. There are two differing variants of this disease: a superficial and an invasive type. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that consumption of a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables, particularly broccoli, is associated with a lower bladder cancer risk. These vegetables contain high concentrations of glucosinolates (GLUs) that are enzymatically hydrolyzed to bioactive isothiocyanates (ITCs) by myrosinase. There is growing evidence that isothiocyanates have anti-cancer effects. Here, we first quantified glucosinolates and isothiocyanates found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts and showed evidence that broccoli and broccoli sprout isothiocyanate extracts can significantly inhibit both non-invasive (RT4) and invasive (J82, UMUC3) forms of human bladder cancer cells, with broccoli sprouts having significantly higher inhibition due to their higher ITC content. Of all the ITCs found in highest concentration in broccoli sprouts, sulforaphane (SFN) and erucin (ECN) have the greatest efficacy in inhibiting both non-invasive and invasive human bladder cancer cells, followed by allyl ITC and then iberin. In addition, normal human urothelial cells are less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of SFN and ECN followed by RT4, J82 and then UMUC3. SFN and ECN are shown to induce cell cycle arrest of both non-invasive and invasive bladder cancer cells in the G2/M phase. There is also a significant induction of apoptosis, as indicated by PARP cleavage and caspase 3/7 activity along with a downregulation of survivin protein. Next, we translated our in vitro findings in vivo utilizing a xenograft model with female athymic nude mice injected with 5 X 105 UMUC3 cells in both flanks. Mice were treated with either 4% freeze-dried broccoli sprouts, 2% freeze-dried broccoli sprouts extract; or gavaged daily with 295 µmol/kg sulforaphane or 295 µmol/kg erucin; for two weeks (n=12/group). Tumor weight of all treated groups was significantly lower than control (40% reduction or greater). A significant decrease in cell proliferation (Ki67) and induction of apoptosis (PARP) was observed in the broccoli sprout treated group. Absorption and bioavailability of sulforaphane and erucin metabolites was determined in mouse plasma by UPLC-MS/MS. Metabolites of sulforaphane and erucin were absent in control mice and present in plasma of all treated groups, with dietary and pure phytochemical treatments, resulting in similar plasma metabolite concentrations (micromolar range). N-acetyl cysteine conjugates were found at highest concentrations, followed by cysteinyl and glutathione conjugates and small amounts of detectable cysteinyl glycine conjugates and free SFN. Evidence of inter-conversion of sulforaphane and erucin was seen. Collectively, our data shows that broccoli isothiocyanates are readily absorbed and metabolized in the mouse and can inhibit human bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo. This supports further preclinical and clinical studies to determine broccoli isothiocyanates potential to help ameliorate the bladder cancer burden. Biological Sciences: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Pharmacologic Restoration of PP2A Activity by FTY720 as a Novel Therapy for Polycythemia Vera

Oaks, Joshua — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Pharmacologic Restoration of PP2A Activity by FTY720 as a Novel Therapy for Polycythemia Vera Oaks, Joshua Polycythemia Vera (PV) is an incurable rare myeloproliferative disorder driven by Jak2 V617F with few viable treatment options and no curative therapy available. With the intention of developing a curative treatment modality, we examined the interplay between the known tumor suppressor PP2A and the driver of PV, Jak2 V617F. We found PP2A to be inactivated by Jak2 V617F activity and that forced PP2A activity is produces a loss of Jak2 V617F activity and function. Of particular interest we found that the clinically relevant PP2A activator/immunosuppressant FTY720 (2-amino-2-[2-(4-octylphenyl)ethyl]-1,3-propanediol hydrochloride, fingolimod, Gilenya) to activate PP2A in PV model cell lines and primary patient samples. Treatment with FTY720 produced a reduction in Jak2 protein coupled with reduced cellular proliferation in cells expressing Jak2 V617F. The anti-leukemic effects of FTY720 were found to be independent of immunosuppressive activity. To conclude, we found that PP2A activation in cells expressing Jak2 V617F by FTY720 reduced Jak2 levels and proliferation and did so in a mechanism independent of immunosuppression. Professional Biological Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Parenting Perfectionism as a Predictor of Parental Adjustment

Lee, Meghan — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Parenting Perfectionism as a Predictor of Parental Adjustment Lee, Meghan Perfectionism is conceptualized as the extent to which an individual holds excessively high standards for themselves, and is thought to be multi-dimensional, consisting of maladaptive and beneficial aspects. This paper aimed to examine the new construct of parenting perfectionism, defined as perfectionism specific to the parenting role, through two dimensions: self-oriented, or personal desire for perfection, and societal-oriented, or perceived societal expectations for perfection. Using longitudinal data from a sample of 182 dual-earner couples at the transition to parenthood, as part of the New Parents Project, I investigated the association between parenting perfectionism and parental adjustment. Results indicate that for mothers, societal-oriented parenting perfectionism was associated with reduced parenting self-efficacy; however, self-oriented parenting perfectionism was associated with increased satisfaction with the parenting role. For fathers, societal-oriented parenting perfectionism was associated with higher parenting stress, whereas higher levels of self-oriented parenting perfectionism were associated with increased parenting self-efficacy, less parenting stress, and more satisfaction with parenting. In sum, societal-oriented parenting perfectionism had adverse associations with early parental adjustment, whereas self-oriented parenting perfectionism had beneficial associations with parental adjustment, especially for fathers. Poster Division: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Word Frequency and Processing: Why the Brain Stores Some Words Whole and Others in Parts

Parker, Jeffrey — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Word Frequency and Processing: Why the Brain Stores Some Words Whole and Others in Parts Parker, Jeffrey In this study I show evidence which suggests that how often a word occurs is instrumentally important in understanding how the mind stores and processes words; moreover, I suggest that the mind uses a previously undiscussed process of stripping parts from frequent complex words to recognize simpler and less frequent words found therein. This suggests an important interaction between word frequency and the structure of word storage in the mind. When processing a word, several factors affect how the word will be processed. For example, does the word contain multiple parts like govern-ment or is the word simple like govern? Research into processing of complex words, e.g. govern-ment, has focused on two opposing methods of access: storage and parsing (breaking the word into smaller meaning bearing parts). Most morphological theories assume that morphologically simple bases like govern and discern are stored, as are meaning bearing parts like -ment. Complex words such as govern-ment and discern-ment are therefore believed to be accessed by stripping -ment from the base and computing the meaning based on the two parts (Taft and Forster 1975). However, Hay (2001) argued that this story is incomplete, since words can differ greatly in how frequent they are compared to other related words. For example, government occurs over 107 times more often than govern in the British National Corpus, a collection of 100 million words of English text. On the other hand, discernment occurs only 0.22 times as often as discern. Hay (2001) showed that words that are more frequent than their bases, e.g. government, are likely to be stored as a whole unit. Conversely, complex forms that are less frequent than their bases, e.g. discernment bias towards being broken into parts during processing. Thus, infrequent complex words like discernment are dependent upon their bases in a way that frequent complex words like government are not. Various studies have validated and extended this hypothesis (Hay and Baayen 2002, Taft 2004). While these studies make predictions for how we process words like government, they are silent about how storing these words might affect their morphologically simpler but less frequent bases like govern. In other words, what happens to govern if its complex counterpart government is not dependant on it during processing? In particular, previous work neglects to consider whether less frequent bases like govern should become dependent on their more frequent derivatives like government for access. We might expect this to be the case, based on the prominent role frequency plays in processing. To test the possibility that simple words like govern are dependant of their complex counterparts like government I conducted a lexical decision task with 17 native speakers of Russian. Russian was used because of its rich morphological resources. During the task speakers were visually presented words and were asked to push a ‘yes’ button if the word was real or a ‘no’ button if the word was not. Fake words were intermingled among real words to ensure participants made a decision for every word. Reaction times were measured for each decision. For the words in question, a priming word was shown for 40 milliseconds before the target word appeared. For example, government might be shown before govern. If a word is dependant on another word for processing, a prime will facilitate processing. If the word is accessed independently there will be no facilitation from the prime. Priming was tested in all possible related combinations of simple/complex and frequent/infrequent. My results support previous research in that simple frequent words like discern facilitate the processing of less frequent words like discernment. This supports the explanation that discernment is being accessed in parts, discern + ment. My results also show that complex frequent words like government are stored independent of their bases, i.e. govern does not facilitate the access of government. Interestingly, the opposite was not true because words like government did facilitate the access of their simple infrequent bases like govern. This suggests that even though it is more complex, government acts as the base for govern. This result is striking because no previous study or analysis has suggested that complex words might serve as the base for a simple word during processing. To model this result I posit that the brain is undergoing a subtractive process when accessing these words. For example, as we can say that discernment is processed as discern + ment, we can say that govern is processed as government - ment. Though it has never been suggested for lexical processing, subtractive processes are not unrecognized in linguistics. For example, it is argued that the French feminine adjective blanche ‘white’ is the base of its masculine counterpart blanc (Haspelmath 2002). Likewise in English the word commune was formed by a mistaken analysis of community as complex, i.e. commune + ity, though such is historically inaccurate. Therefore, my proposed model has both theoretical support as well as experimental significance. In summary I show that not all words are stored equally in the mind. Words which are simple and infrequent are dependent on their complex counterparts during processing. To model this innovative finding I suggest that the mind uses a subtractive method during access of these words. This proposed model constitutes a significant contribution to our understanding of how (and what) the brain stores and processes during lexical access. Social and Behavioral Sciences; Social Work; Law: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Insights into the faithful translation of the genetic code by the ribosome

McClory, Sean — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Insights into the faithful translation of the genetic code by the ribosome McClory, Sean In order to synthesize functional proteins from mRNA, the ribosome must correctly pair each 3 base mRNA codon with the corresponding 3 base anticodon of the cognate (correct) aminoacyl(aa)-tRNA. While this process largely depends upon codon-anticodon base-pairing, the ribosome’s job is complicated by the fact that there exists a large cellular pool of near-cognate aa-tRNAs capable of forming partial matches with the codon being translated, and these vastly outnumber cognate aa-tRNAs. The ribosome maintains high accuracy during translation by breaking the aa-tRNA selection process into two phases, initial selection and proofreading, increasing the accuracy by providing two opportunities for near-cognate aa-tRNA to be rejected. These two phases are separated by the irreversible hydrolysis of GTP by elongation factor (EF)-Tu, which delivers the aa-tRNA to the ribosome. Many potent antibiotics target aa-tRNA selection and increase translation errors. To investigate the mechanism of aa-tRNA selection we used a genetic screen to isolate 34 mutations in the 16S ribosomal (r)RNA that increase translation errors. These mutations cluster around the periphery of the shoulder domain of the small 30S ribosomal subunit, suggesting that a conformational change in this domain is critical for aa-tRNA selection. In vitro, these mutations increase the rate of EF-Tu GTP hydrolysis, similar to error inducing antibiotics. The locations of many mutations are distinct from the binding sites of these antibiotics and may suggest additional areas for drug targets. These findings challenge several conventional beliefs about the mechanism of this ubiquitous process. Additional characterization of these mutations may provide new insights into how the ribosome maintains the accuracy of translation. Biological Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Evidence for a step-wise program of T cell development within the human tonsil

McClory, Susan — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Evidence for a step-wise program of T cell development within the human tonsil McClory, Susan Human T cell development within the thymus is a well-characterized event, and it is known that a functional thymus is required for normal T cell generation to take place. Individuals with poor thymic function, from either congenital abnormality or post-natal injury, have a difficult time mounting a proper immune response and suffer from debilitating immune deficiency. Thus, it would be highly beneficial to identify an extrathymic human tissue that can support T cell differentiation so that we may eventually augment T cell production in these individuals. However, to date, no definitive site of extrathymic T cell development has been established. In this study, we used flow cytometry to identify five populations of putative extrathymic T cell precursors within the human pediatric tonsil. These populations range from an early CD34+CD38dimLin- subset all the way to a CD1a+CD4+CD8+CD3+/- double positive pre-T cell. Each subset identified phenotypically resembles the same population found in the human thymus, suggesting that there is considerable similarity between the cells in each of these two tissues. Furthermore, each putative extrathymic T cell developmental intermediate found within the tonsil retains the ability to develop into a mature CD3+ T cell. Thus, our data suggest that the human tonsil contains a full spectrum of T cell developmental intermediates that are remarkably similar to those found in the human thymus, and that the tonsil may be an extrathymic site which supports complete T cell differentiation. Professional Biological Sciences: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

As Though Heard from Afar: Score Indications in Debussyste Compositions

Harrison, Jane — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

As Though Heard from Afar: Score Indications in Debussyste Compositions Harrison, Jane Since their advent in musical scores during the sixteenth century, composers have used dynamic markings (symbols based on Italian words that conveyed relative volume levels such as the abbreviation p for piano, or soft) and performance indications (more lengthy descriptions of the desired speed, style, or timbre of sound) with increasing frequency and precision. Around 1900 the debussyste composers continued the trend of increasing use and finer nuance of directions in musical scores, but in a unique way. They strongly favored the soft side of the dynamic spectrum and performance indications calling for delicate sounds, such as lointain (far off), perdendo (dying out), très doux (very soft), le plus p possible (as quiet as possible), and à peine (barely audible). These distinguishing and pervasive directions written into their musical scores indicate that Debussy and the composers influenced by him were inspired by similar aesthetic goals. I extract the most common poetic indications in the piano scores of Debussy and Maurice Ravel, two of the most influential debussystes, and situate them as well as the predilection for soft and subdued pieces in aesthetic and philosophical trends of the time. The roots of this stylistic practice trace back to the slightly earlier theories of Francophone Symbolists such as Stephan Mallarmé, Albert Samain, and Maurice Maeterlinck, who sought to create delicate atmospheres of monotony and melancholy, because it was an artist in this state and free of superfluous emotional extremes that could produce the most authentic translations of the soul, or interior mental life. Drawing upon the insights of Jann Pasler and Jessie Fillerup, I further suggest that the debussystes’ musical style responded to theories about the functioning of the human mind that were formulated around 1900 by philosophers such as Henri Bergson and Charles Henry. I argue that the debussystes portrayed in their compositions both philsophers’ descriptions of the mind, which were widely known among artists in early twentieth-century France, and that score indications helped to accomplish this. Scholars have long noted Debussy’s predilection for soft dynamics and melancholy themes, but have not accounted for them. My research explains why Debussy was so attracted to soft as well as slow sounds, and it reveals that his novel score indications inspired dozens of other French composers, who were similarly fascinated by the glimpses into the human mind offered by Symbolist literature and contemporaneous philosophy. The Arts: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Characterizing Vegetable Tissue Under Elevated Pressure Using In Situ Electrical Conductivity Measurement and Instrumental Analysis

Park, Sung Hee — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Characterizing Vegetable Tissue Under Elevated Pressure Using In Situ Electrical Conductivity Measurement and Instrumental Analysis Park, Sung Hee A study was conducted to investigate the pressure-induced textural changes in selected low acid vegetable samples (carrot, potato, and red radish) using in situ electrical conductivity measurements. In situ electrical conductivity of the vegetable samples, as a function of pressure and holding time at 25ºC, was recorded every 30 s for 10 min under elevated pressures (200, 400, 600 MPa) using a custom made electrical conductivity cell. Pressure treatment increased electrical conductivity values of all the processed samples as a function of target pressure and holding time up to a certain threshold level. Beyond this threshold level, the electrical conductivity values did not change further. The tissue disintegration index (Z) was calculated based on the in situ electrical conductivity data of the vegetable samples under pressure and those of raw samples. Sample hardness and stiffness were evaluated using an instrumental texture analyzer, and then calculated to a crunchiness index (CI). The relationship between Z and CI was investigated with empirical model fitting of the first and second polynomial. Z and CI had an inverse relationship within the range of experimental conditions studied. In situ electrical conductivity measurement was a useful tool to document the extent of vegetable tissue damage during high pressure processing. Poster Division: Engineering, Math, and Physical Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Human Growth, Environmental Stress, and the Costs of Reproduction.

Vercellotti, Giuseppe — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Human Growth, Environmental Stress, and the Costs of Reproduction. Vercellotti, Giuseppe Variation in height and body proportions is relatively well understood at the inter-population level, but less is known about variation within groups. This study explores intra-population variation in body proportions among 172 (88 female; 84 male) rural Amazonians. The following hypotheses were tested: 1) stunting is associated with changes in body proportions; 2) males and females respond differently to similar environmental stressors and 3) female growth is negatively affected by the costs of reproduction. Height, sitting height and total leg length were examined in different population subsamples in relation to biocultural factors. Differences in proportions were examined using the Quick-Test (Tsutakawa and Hewett, 1977) on Reduced Major Axis regression plots; correlation analyses were employed to detect associations between anthropometric data and female reproductive history parameters. The results indicate that growth was more compromised among females rather than males, as proven by the existence of significantly different body proportions between sex subsamples (p = 0.01). Specifically, females tended to have relatively shorter legs than males. Within sex samples, stunting was not associated with significant changes in body proportions among males (p = 0.50), while significant differences were found among females (p = 0.01). The differences were due to relatively shorter legs among stunted individuals, in agreement with expectations. Among all reproductive history parameters, only age at first birth was significantly correlated with the anthropometric variables. Specifically, positive correlations were found between age at first birth and height (r = 0.29; p = 0.01), and age at first birth and total leg length (r = 0.41; p = 0.001). Biocultural information and analyses’ results suggest that the less desirable growth outcome in females may be due to the costs associated with reproduction. In particular, early female reproduction appears to compromise growth by increasing nutritional stress (due to the energetic costs of pregnancy and lactation) and impeding catch-up growth. This is the first study that reports the long-term impact of early reproduction on women’s growth outcome. Given the increasing number of adolescent pregnancies, especially among disadvantaged groups, these results stress the importance of providing proper attention and care to adolescent mothers to attenuate growth retardation and its associated health risks.

Triangulate  then  Reconnect:  An  Observation  of  Within   Session Communications

Marchionda, Daria — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Triangulate  then  Reconnect:  An  Observation  of  Within   Session Communications Marchionda, Daria This paper provides evidence to support the efficacy of Ecologically Based Family Therapy in increasing parental direct communications within 6-8 sessions. It also provides some support to show that EBFT results in a slightly significant decrease in parental indirect communications. In addition, this paper also examines the change in within session communications, both indirect and direct, for the adolescent. To test this, this study utilized transcripts from seven families (n=7) who participated in EBFT. Two time points were utilized to monitor change; the first point was session 1, 2 or 3 and the second point was session 6,7, or 8. Transcripts were coded for parental and adolescent direct and indirect communications using the Living in Familial Environments (LIFE) code. Statistics were done on the codes and analysis showed significant results with parental direct communications, slightly significant results with the parental indirect communications, and no significance in either the adolescent direct or indirect communications. Future research is needed to assess the adolescents’ change in positive and negative communications across therapy. Education and Human Ecology: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

The effect of soy addition on the satiety, glycemic index, and insulinemic index of a soft pretzel

Simmons, Amber — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

The effect of soy addition on the satiety, glycemic index, and insulinemic index of a soft pretzel Simmons, Amber The contribution of calories from nutrient-poor snack foods is rising in many Western diets, possibly contributing to the increasing prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Soy offers unique potential to provide high quality protein, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals to snack foods to produce a more healthful nutritional profile. In this study, 27.3% of wheat flour was replaced with soy ingredients in a soft pretzel in order to observe the changes in the product's satiety, glycemic index (GI), and insulinemic index (II). First, the soy pretzel was tested for consumer acceptability by 51 untrained sensory panelists on a 9-point hedonic scale. Second, in a crossover trial, 20 healthy adults consumed soy and traditional pretzels (1000 kJ or 239 kcal each) after an overnight fast. They reported their levels of satiety on a 10 cm visual analogy scale (VAS) for 2 hrs postprandially. Third, 12 healthy, non-diabetic subjects consumed soy or traditional pretzels (50 ± 2 g available carbohydrates) to determine the GI and II of both products. Blood glucose and insulin responses were monitored for 2 hrs after consumption and compared to a glucose reference. It was found that the consumer-acceptable soy soft pretzel has a lower GI than its 2 traditional counterpart [39.1±20.4 (mean±SD) for soy and 66.4±15.3 for wheat, p=0.002]. On the other hand, soy addition did not statistically affect II (p=0.15), or satiety (p=0.91). In conclusion, a soy pretzel formulation with 27.3% of wheat flour replaced by soy ingredients leads to attenuated postprandial glycemia without significantly affecting insulinemia or satiety in healthy adults. Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (FAES): 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Uptake and degradation of natural and synthetic estrogens by maize seedlings

Card, Marcella — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Uptake and degradation of natural and synthetic estrogens by maize seedlings Card, Marcella Runoff from manure-fertilized crop fields constitutes a significant source of natural estrogens (e.g., estradiol [E2] and estrone [E1]) and synthetic estrogen mimics (e.g., zeranol [α-ZAL] and zearalanone [ZAN]) in the environment. However, processes such as sorption to and uptake by plants may inhibit the environmental mobility of hormonally-active compounds. To evaluate the role of plants in the environmental fate of such compounds, we exposed maize seedlings to hydroponic solutions containing E2, E1, α-ZAL, and ZAN. After 12 days of exposure, ZAN concentrations decreased by 78%, E1 and α-ZAL decreased 99.9%, and E2 was undetectable. Exposure to seedlings resulted in both oxidation (i.e., transformations of E2 to E1 and α-ZAL to ZAN) and reduction reactions (i.e., E1 to E2 and ZAN to α-ZAL). Although the oxidation of E2 and α-ZAL may be attributed to plant-associated microbes, the reduction of E1 and ZAN is unlikely to be microbially-mediated. Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (FAES): 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

CD103 blockade reduces CD8 T cell accumulation during GVHD, but does not attenuate GVL effects

Anthony, Bryan — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

CD103 blockade reduces CD8 T cell accumulation during GVHD, but does not attenuate GVL effects Anthony, Bryan Purpose: Every four minutes someone in America is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society estimates that over 50,000 people die of a blood cancer each year1. Many blood cancers are caused by white blood cells that undergo uncontrolled cell division. This uncontrolled replication causes the affected cells to be non-functional. Furthermore, normal white blood cells are crowded out by the malignant cells, leaving the patient highly immunosuppressed. Current therapies for blood cancers include radiation therapy and more than 50 chemotherapy drugs1. However, many of these drugs are ineffectual in treating the disease, thus alternative therapies are desired. Bone marrow transplants represent a curative therapy for patients with blood cancers. Immediately preceding a bone marrow transplant, the patient is treated with drugs and/or radiation to destroy their immune system, thereby killing the cancer cells. The patient is then infused with bone marrow cells from a genetically similar individual. Bone marrow cells are the immune cell precursors, so the bone marrow transplant recipient receives the cancer-free donor immune system. The limiting factor to the broad use of bone marrow transplants as a curative therapy for blood cancers is graft verses host disease (GVHD). GVHD is caused by a mature subset of white blood cells (T cells) present in the bone marrow graft that recognize and destroy host tissue, particularly epithelial cells in the gut. Depletion of mature T cells prior to transplant is not a viable treatment strategy because mature T cells facilitate several beneficial effects that are essential to a successful transplant. These effects include controlling opportunistic infections and preventing cancer relapse. Therefore, the goal of our research is to find a way to separate the T cells that cause GVHD from those that facilitate the beneficial effects post transplant. Integrins are molecules that facilitate adhesion between cells. Integrins present on the surface of T cells help determine where T cells are go and how long they stay in a particular location after transplant. Previous work in our lab has shown that the integrin CD103 is expressed on a subset of T cells called CD8+ T cells2. Our work has shown that CD103 expression on CD8+ T cells promotes the association of CD8+ T cells with epithelial cells3. We hypothesize that CD103 will be required for the retention of CD8+ T cells in the epithelium of the gut during GVHD, but will not be required for effective clearance of a blood malignancy. Research Methods: To test our hypothesis, we used murine models of GVHD. Mice were irradiated to destroy the host immune system. Recipients were then transplanted with donor bone marrow to restore immune function and donor T cells to cause GVHD. Following the transplant, mice were monitored daily for clinical signs of GVHD. At predetermined time points, groups of mice were sacrificed for further analysis of T cell migration and expression levels of CD103. To test whether CD103 was required for effective clearance of a blood malignancy, a genetically modified mouse was used. The genetically modified mouse has a DNA mutation that causes a subset of white blood cells (B cells) to proliferate uncontrolled. The disease course in this mouse is very similar to the human disease chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Recipient mice with murine CLL were transplanted with either normal or CD103 deficient T cells, and the ability to eradicate CLL was compared between the two groups. Findings: Using our model of GVHD, we found that mature donor CD8+ T cells accumulate in the gut of mice with GVHD. Interestingly, CD103 expression levels on CD8+ T cells in the gut increased dramatically over time. Concurrent with increased CD103 expression levels, we noticed progressive intestinal injury in our GVHD recipients. Using transgenic mice, we found that CD103 was required for optimal accumulation of CD8+ T cells in the gut, and without CD103 present, we found dramatically fewer CD8+ T cells in the gut. Studies are underway to determine if the progressive intestinal injury is dependent on CD103. Furthermore, CD103 was not required for clearance of malignant B cells. Both normal CD8+ T cells and CD103 knock out CD8+ T cells were able to clear malignant B cells with the same efficiency. Implications: Our data shows that CD103 promotes accumulation of GVHD causing CD8+ T cells in the gut. We show that CD103 expression levels increase over time, concurrent with severe intestinal injury. This finding suggests that CD103 is promoting the retention of CD8+ T cells in the gut and allowing them to cause more damage. Lastly, our data show that CD103 is not required to kill malignant B cells. Taken together, these data provide insight into the potential of altering integrins as a means to separate GVHD from the beneficial properties T cells possess after a bone marrow transplant. Altering integrin expression can potentially decrease T cell retention in GVHD target organs while maintaining the ability to kill residual blood malignancies and lower relapse rates. Biological Sciences: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Characterization of Enhanced-Fluidity Liquid Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography for the Separation of Nucleosides and Nucleotides

Philibert, Gwenaelle — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Characterization of Enhanced-Fluidity Liquid Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography for the Separation of Nucleosides and Nucleotides Philibert, Gwenaelle While polar analytes such as peptides, nucleic acids or nucleotides are essential in biochemistry and pharmaceutical research, their separation has long been a challenge. The development of Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC) in the last 20 years has revolutionized the separation of polar biological compounds and has become a widely used chromatographic technique in pharmaceutical and biochemical research. HILIC, also referred to as aqueous normal phase chromatography, is similar to normal phase in that the analytes are eluted in increasing polarity order, but the mobile phase is quite different as it uses a portion of aqueous phase mixed in a miscible solvent instead of a pure organic solvent. It is believed that when a mobile phase composed of water and water-miscible organic solvent is used on a polar stationary phase, a water-enriched layer is immobilized at the surface of the stationary phase; polar analytes will be retained longer than less polar analytes within that water-layer. The partitioning between the immobilized layer (at the surface of the stationary phase) and the bulk of the mobile phase will cause the compounds to be eluted in different fractions. Acetonitrile is an ideal solvent for HILIC because it is water-miscible yet possesses very weak hydrogen bonding properties, allowing for the water-enriched layer to form at the surface of the stationary phase. While other solvents have been studied, none has achieved the same quality of separation: it is believed that alcohols are too polar and disrupt the formation of the water layer, hence preventing the partitioning of the analytes. HILIC separations using alcohol as a weak eluent often show lack of retention and thus, poor resolution. Nevertheless, acetonitrile is ranked by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a hazardous solvent for its waste produces nitrogen dioxide which is responsible for acid rain. Furthermore, following a recent significant shortage of acetonitrile, its price has increased eight-fold, making it an expensive solvent to use. Finding an alternative solvent to acetonitrile in HILIC would be crucial to solve both economic and ecological issues.3 To date, a cleaner solvent which proves to be as universal and efficient as acetonitrile has not been found. In the work presented here, CO2 is studied as an alternative weak solvent for HILIC in enhanced-fluidity liquid chromatography (EFLC), which uses an enhanced-fluidity liquid (EFL) as mobile phase. These distinctive liquids are mixtures that contain high proportions of liquefied gases such as carbon dioxide. EFLs display the combined advantages of both liquids and supercritical fluids: they have higher diffusion coefficient and lower viscosity than liquids, resembling supercritical fluids. However, unlike supercritical fluids, the solvent strength of EFLs, which corresponds to the ability of the solvent to elute an analyte and is often directly related to its polarity, is comparable to commonly used liquids. Maintaining the solvent strength is essential to maintain the interaction between the mobile phase and the analytes during separation. Nucleosides and nucleotides will be used as an example of a possible application of Hydrophilic Interaction enhanced-fluidity liquid chromatography. These building blocks of nucleic acids play an important role in the regulation of hormone or enzyme activity as well as metabolic processes. Separation and quantification of these compounds are crucial in biochemistry and pharmaceutical research in order to understand their role in biological systems. Their analogs are also used in numerous medical applications including chemotherapy, thus highlighting their substantial value in healthcare and the biotechnology market. The separation of Adenosine, Cytidine, Guanosine, Uridine and their monophosphate nucleotides was optimized by modifying the proportion of CO2 and salt added to the methanol/aqueous mobile phase. Excellent selectivity and resolution was reached and the eight compounds were separated in 10 minutes only. This successful separation proved that the ternary mixture methanol/CO2/water used as the mobile phase in HILIC is a valid alternative to acetonitrile/water. Hydrophilic Interaction EFLC is highly promising as it provides similar or superior selectivity and efficiency as current techniques and is, at the same time, more economical and environmentally-friendly. Further study and separation of a higher number of compounds will be done to further support the usefulness of this new technique. Mathematical and Physical Sciences: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

The Synthesis of Biodegradable Polycarbonates and Polyesters from Renewable Resources Using Highly Active (Porphyrin)Cr(III) Chloride Catalysts

Chatterjee, Chandrani — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

The Synthesis of Biodegradable Polycarbonates and Polyesters from Renewable Resources Using Highly Active (Porphyrin)Cr(III) Chloride Catalysts Chatterjee, Chandrani A series of porphyrin metal(III) compounds of general formula LMX (where L = tetraphenylporphyrin, tetrakispentafluorophenylporphyrin and octaethylporphyrin, M = Al, Cr, Co, and X = Cl- and OEt) has been synthesized and studied as catalysts for the ring opening polymerization of propylene oxide (PO) as well as copolymerization of PO with CO2 to produce polypropylene oxide (PPO), polypropylene carbonate (PPC) and propylene carbonate (PC), respectively. The electronic nature of the porphyrin ligand and the addition of Lewis basic cocatalysts e.g. DMAP and PPN+Cl- showed a dramatic influence on the catalytic TOF, product selectivity and polymeric microstructure. The origin of these effects was attributed to the electronic factors associated with the individual reaction steps and equilibriums. Mathematical and Physical Sciences: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

CEO organizational identification, inter-party cooperation and IJV performance

Zhong, Bijuan — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

CEO organizational identification, inter-party cooperation and IJV performance Zhong, Bijuan The literature on cooperation in the alliance literature has traditionally focused on external and structural factors. In this study, we examine how an internal, psychological factor – CEO organizational identification – may impact cooperation and the performance of international joint ventures (IJVS). We argue that while IJV CEO identification with the venture has a direct positive effect on venture performance, identification with the parent firms enhances IJV performance indirectly through the positive influences on the cooperation between the IJV and the parent firms. Business: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Spinal Loading and Immune Responses to Personality and Mental Load During Repetitive Lifting - Evidence for a New Low Back Pain Injury Model

Splittstoesser, Riley — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Spinal Loading and Immune Responses to Personality and Mental Load During Repetitive Lifting - Evidence for a New Low Back Pain Injury Model Splittstoesser, Riley Objective. To demonstrate an immune response to multiple low back pain risk factors as well as to interactions between risk factors. Background. Biomechanical, individual and psychosocial risk factors for low back pain have been identified. However our understanding of how these risk factors act and interact to contribute to the etiology of low back pain is still poorly understood. Methods. This study quantified the immune and spinal load responses of twenty subjects split evenly between the sensor and intuitor personality types when they were exposed to repetitive lifting tasks with a high and low mental workload component. Results. Spinal loads and immune responses were altered in response to mental load, personality and the combination of mental load and personality. Some immune responses were still significantly different the day following exposure. Conclusions. An immune inflammatory response to low back pain risk factors is present following exposure for up to 20 hours. This suggests a potential cumulative effect that may influence the development of low back pain. Engineering: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

The Physics of Massive Star Death

Pejcha, Ondrej — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

The Physics of Massive Star Death Pejcha, Ondrej Neutrino heating may drive explosions of massive stars (core-collapse supernovae). Although it is known that the stalled accretion shock turns into explosion when the neutrino luminosity reaches critical value (L_crit), the reason for existence of L_crit as well as its dependence on parameters of the problem are unknown. We find that there is a direct correspondence between the isothermal accretion flow bounded by a shock and L_crit. We provide an accurate condition for explosion. We find that the luminosity from the cooling of the flow is sub-dominant to the core luminosity for driving the explosion. We suggest that the reduction in L_crit as a function of dimension is due to less efficient cooling in higher dimensions. Mathematical and Physical Sciences: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Why Couldn't Bert Williams Play Othello: The Denial of Self-Definition of a "Nobody"

Blasenak, Andrew — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Why Couldn't Bert Williams Play Othello: The Denial of Self-Definition of a "Nobody" Blasenak, Andrew Why Couldn’t Bert Williams Play Othello?: Belasco, Bert and Blackface Bert Williams is often a controversial figure in the history of Blackface performance. As he was of West Indian descent, he crafted his blackface character as an outsider: "I have studied him; his joys and sorrows…I must study his movements. I have to. He is not in me." However, he was a staunch supporter for expanded opportunities for African Americans. His productions with George Walker produced shows for mostly African American actors and dancers. He founded a movie studio for the production of African American films for African American actors. He was the first dark-skinned performer to appear with an all-white-skinned cast through his performances at the Ziegfield Follies. But still, his progress is tainted by the perception that he perpetuated white stereotypes of African-Americans. Williams’s repeated and frustrated ambition throughout his career, however, was to portray a character with his skin town with honest pathos. Bert Williams almost had the opportunity to fulfill this dream when David Belasco recruited him to star in a play that he would develop specifically for Williams. Belasco noted how Ira Aldrige’s performance of Othello inspired him to consider using an African American in a dramatic role as part of his quest for "novelties," as he had done with David Warfield to make a sympathetic Jew. But, during the process, Williams became anxious, to the point of illness, and quit. Little else is said, but several of his friends conjectured that he did not want to break his contract with Flo Ziegfield. Belasco’s intense, Pygmalion-style training, however, may have been at odds with Williams’ aim of self-definition. I propose that Belasco may have, like the rest of white society, demanded that he play a role that simply was not true to his experience. Bert Williams was a particular product of the early Harlem Renaissance and the budding acceptance of a talented, professional, African American performer in 1910s New York. He forged pathways for other African Americans to portray non-comedic characters of their own race, but because he did so within a white hegemony he maintains the stigma of a man who "sold-out." His encounter with David Belasco may illustrate the incredible pressure he had not to offend anybody, but it may reveal the inability of Belasco to see past the exoticism of the blackface tradition and conceptions of African Americans to allow Williams to develop his own dream role. The Arts: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Accessing the Academy: Origins of the Disabled Student Movement, 1955-1973

Patterson, Lindsey — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Accessing the Academy: Origins of the Disabled Student Movement, 1955-1973 Patterson, Lindsey This essay traces the development of disability rights consciousness and the formation of activist networks, providing a revision to the literature on student movements. Reconstructing five case studies from universities in California, Illinois, and New York that experienced high levels of disability activism in the 1960s, my investigation reveals the influence of disabled student activism in reshaping university policies and locates the training grounds of the future leaders of the national disability rights movement. Rehabilitation centers and summer camps for physically disabled adolescents offered unhindered access, disabled role models, and a sense of community that was an escape from their everyday lives. The utopian environment transformed young students’ understanding of accessibility—both physically and socially. As disabled students entered higher education they relied on networks formed at rehabilitation centers to form coalitions of activists on college campuses. Students with disabilities fought to have access to a formal education, to live in regular dormitories, and to play college sports, gaining a critical training in public activism. As students graduated, they carried with them their experiences, tactics, and rights consciousness, and became leaders of major organizations such as Disabled in Action and lobbied for national antidiscrimination legislation, including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Humanities: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Vibration of a Helicopter Planetary Gear: Experiments and Analytical Simulation

Ericson, Tristan — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Vibration of a Helicopter Planetary Gear: Experiments and Analytical Simulation Ericson, Tristan Planetary gear vibration is a major source of noise and may lead to fatigue-induced failures in bearings or other drivetrain components. Gear designers use mathematical models to analyze potential designs, but these models remain unverified by experimental data. This paper presents experiments that completely characterize the dynamic behavior of a planetary gear by modal testing and spinning tests under operating conditions, focusing on the independent motion of planetary components. Accelerometers are mounted directly to individual gear bodies. Rotational and translational accelerations obtained from the experiments are compared to the predictions of a lumped parameter model. Natural frequencies and modes agree well. Forced response also agrees well between experiments and the model. Rotational, translational, and planet mode types presented in published analytical research are observed experimentally. Engineering: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Structural Determinants of a Positive Campus Climate for Sexual Minorities

Fine, Leigh E. — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Structural Determinants of a Positive Campus Climate for Sexual Minorities Fine, Leigh E. Most studies of the interaction between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons and the American college campus environment have been confined to the micro-level. However, little is known about factors at the institutional level that could affect the campus climate. By merging data from three sources, variables from 1,432 institutions were analyzed, with 221 uncensored observations on the dependent variable. A Heckman selection model, which controls for selection into the voluntary survey instrument used to measure the dependent variable, was run to determine the link between institutional factors and a school’s climate toward sexual minorities as measured by the Campus Climate Index. Results indicate that a higher percentage of women, a more liberal political milieu, and a lower student-to-faculty ratio are associated with a more positive climate for LGBT persons, suggesting that macro-level factors exert an influence. Social and Behavioral Sciences; Social Work; Law: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Maximizing Wealth and Happiness: Improving Investor Decisions Through Improved Affective Forecasting

Easwar, Karthik — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Maximizing Wealth and Happiness: Improving Investor Decisions Through Improved Affective Forecasting Easwar, Karthik Investor behavior has long been plagued by a conservatism that keeps individuals from maximizing their wealth. We examine how experience and explicit feedback can reduce two of the main impediments to successful investor decision making: loss aversion and myopia. Consistent with Kermer’s et al. (2006) claim that loss aversion is a symptom of poor affective forecasting, we are able to demonstrate that poor affective forecasting undermines investor decision-making by fueling loss aversion and inspiring myopic and suboptimal investment decisions. Importantly, we are also able to show that explicit feedback illustrating the gap between an individual’s affective forecast and actual affective response reduces affective forecasting errors. Once investors become better affective forecasters, they are less inclined to fear a temporary setback, which is observed through reduced loss aversion and investment decisions that focus on maximizing long-term earnings. In other words, improving affective forecasting can help consumers maximize both wealth and happiness. Business: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Influence of Packaging Material and Storage Conditions on the Quality Attributes of Pressure-Assisted Thermally Processed Carrots

Ayvaz, Huseyin — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Influence of Packaging Material and Storage Conditions on the Quality Attributes of Pressure-Assisted Thermally Processed Carrots Ayvaz, Huseyin The influences of barrier properties of packaging materials and storage conditions on selected quality attributes of carrot samples processed by pressure-assisted thermal processing (PATP) were investigated. Baby carrots were packaged in three different pouches made of multilayer films (Nylon/EVOH/EVA, Nylon/EVA and MetPET/PE) and processed at 600 MPa and 110 °C for 10 minutes. Processed pouches were stored at 25 and 37 °C and withdrawn over 12 weeks of storage on a periodical basis and analyzed for color, β-carotene, and total mesophilic aerobic count. Oxygen transmission rates (OTR), water vapor transmission rates (WVTR), melting point and enthalpy of fusion of the packages were also evaluated. Scanning electron microscope images were utilized to document the impact of processing on the packages. Results showed that the chosen processing parameters resulted in shelf stability of processed carrots during 12 weeks storage at 25 and 37 °C. Packaging type, storage temperature and time significantly influenced (p < 0.05) product color and β-carotene content. Nylon/EVOH/EVA laminate pouch best preserved color and β-carotene. PATP increased OTR of the MetPET/PE, which might have caused considerable change in color and β-carotene content of carrot samples after 12 weeks storage. After 12 weeks of storage at 37 °C, Nylon/EVOH/EVA, Nylon/EVA and MetPET/PE lost 36, 100 and 100 % of β-carotene content, respectively. The red color of carrot samples was reduced by 20, 87 and 72 % for Nylon/EVOH/EVA, Nylon/EVA and MetPET/PE, respectively. Thermal analyses indicated a structural change in the packaging polymers following PATP treatment. In summary, our study demonstrated the importance of utilizing high barrier packaging material for preserving quality attributes of PATP-treated carrots. Poster Division: Engineering, Math, and Physical Sciences: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Time Not Ripe: Black Women’s Quest for Citizenship and the Battle to End Jim Crow at The Ohio State University

Steward, Tyran — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Time Not Ripe: Black Women’s Quest for Citizenship and the Battle to End Jim Crow at The Ohio State University Steward, Tyran In the early 1930s, Jim Crow practices at Ohio State University prevented African American students Wilhelmina Styles and Doris Weaver from taking a mandatory course for their Home Economics major. The Home Management Laboratory class required a one-quarter residency at the Grace Graham Walker House, an all-white women’s dormitory. Admitting Styles and Weavers would have resulted in the integration of the residential hall, an act prohibited by the University’s policy against racial intermingling. This essay depicts the racialized and gendered social order maintained by Ohio State University in the early 1930s as well as the political and legal challenges launched by Styles, Weaver, and their supporters throughout the state to protest the school’s version of Jim Crow. The previously unstudied cases of Styles and Weaver offer three significant insights regarding race and gender relations. First, the efforts to prevent Styles and Weaver from fulfilling their educational requirements expose how institutions in the North maintained separate and unequal practices without the legal underpinnings that existed in Southern states. Second, the opposition that Styles and Weaver faced illuminates how white women actively engaged in constructing racial barriers to prevent African American from achieving what Alice Kessler-Harris has termed “economic citizenship.” Finally, the resistance efforts of Styles, Weaver, and their supporters reveal how black women defined citizenship during this bigoted era, how they came to imagine the role Home Economics training could play in their pursuit of that citizenship, and how black and white communities began to mobilize legally and politically in an effort to foster racial integration. Humanities: 2nd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Growth in Reading and Math Ability: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis

Vincent, Pamela — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Growth in Reading and Math Ability: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis Vincent, Pamela Background: Research shows that mathematics and reading abilities are associated, and while there is evidence showing that individual differences in reading growth are due to environmental influences, this is the first study to examine the genetic and environmental influences on the growth of math ability, and whether or not they are similar to growth in reading ability. Methods: Participants were drawn from the Western Reserve Reading and Math Project, a study of 314 twin pairs based in Ohio. Twins were assessed at three annual home visits at approximately ages 10, 11, and 12. Assessments included two measures of mathematics performance from the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement III: Calculation and Fluency. Measures were analyzed using a quantitative genetic latent growth curve model. Results: Just as was found for growth in reading ability, genetic and shared environmental influences were significant on initial performance (latent intercept) for all three math measures. Shared environmental influences on growth were significant for Fluency and Calculation, while there was no significant influence attributable to genetics. Finally, none of the observed outcomes showed significant genetic or environmental overlap between the intercept and slope. Conclusions: Genetic influences are important for initial performance, but are not related to growth in mathematics performance. The significant growth observed for Calculation was due to environmental influences. This matches exactly with what was found for reading growth, implying that the two abilities may share influences and should be further studied as such. Poster Division: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Exosomes: Mediators of Pregnancy-associated Immune Modulation and Neuroprotection in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Williams, Jessica — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Exosomes: Mediators of Pregnancy-associated Immune Modulation and Neuroprotection in a Model of Multiple Sclerosis Williams, Jessica Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system (CNS) thought to be initiated by myelin-specific T cells. MS is characterized by inflammation and myelin damage within the CNS. MS disease relapses are markedly reduced during pregnancy, the greatest suppression in disease activity observed during the third trimester. Exosomes are small lipid-bound vesicles that function as facilitators of intercellular communication and are augmented in the serum during pregnancy. Exosomes are able to modulate cells of the immune and central nervous systems by relaying molecular signals from their cell of origin to target cells. Therefore, the goal of this study is to elucidate the role of serum exosomes in pregnancy-associated MS suppression. In a murine model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), disease severity is significantly reduced when pregnancy is induced during active EAE. Interestingly, pregnancy-derived serum exosomes administered to mice with EAE reduced clinical severity following a single treatment. Further, exosomes are able to suppress the activation of myelin-specific T cells measured by a reduction in proliferation and interferon-gamma expression. We have also demonstrated that serum exosomes enhance the proliferation and maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPC) in vitro and that migration of OPCs to CNS lesions is mediated by pregnancy-derived serum exosomes. To determine proteins expressed in pregnancy- versus control-derived exosomes, we performed differential gel electrophoresis. Proteins enriched in pregnancy exosomes facilitate the local action of corticosterone, scavenge oxygen-derived free radicals, and provide survival signals to oligodendrocytes. These data suggest that serum exosomes are critical modulators of both the immune and central nervous systems during pregnancy and govern suppression of EAE and MS. Harnessing the mechanism by which exosomes suppress immunity, enhance the function of OPCs, and consequently suppress clinical EAE, can provide valuable insight into therapy development in MS. Professional Biological Sciences: 1st Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)

Interpersonal relationships at work: An examination of dispositional influences and organizational citizenship behavior

Dachner, Alison — 2011-03-01T00:00:00Z

Interpersonal relationships at work: An examination of dispositional influences and organizational citizenship behavior Dachner, Alison Positive interpersonal relationships at work foster a variety of beneficial outcomes for individuals and organizations. Past research has examined contextual and demographic antecedents of friendships at work. Forming interpersonal connections should have strong dispositional roots. The authors use structural equation modeling to analyze data from 438 front-line service employees from a casual dining, national restaurant chain in the United States. Results from this study support the hypotheses that extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability are each positively related to forming valued interpersonal relationships at work. In addition, interpersonal citizenship behavior is hypothesized and supported as an outcome of positive interpersonal relationships at work. Testing a full model of all the hypotheses enabled us to identify valued interpersonal relationships as an intermediary variable of the relationship between personality and interpersonal citizenship behavior. Business: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum)