Undergraduate Research Posters

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  The LEGO System Makes Co-Creation Painless for the LEGO Group

  Seth A. Peacock

  Co-creation is using consumers to help innovate with a product. While the methodology of co-creation has been extensively researched, different products’ relative suitability to co-creation is rarely examined. This research examines the LEGO Group’s co-creation efforts including LEGO Ideas, LEGO Factory, LEGO Mindstorms NXT, and LEGO Architecture. These programs’ reliance on LEGO’s versatility, modularity, adult fan community, and fan LEGO building expertise are evaluated and compared to other firm’s co-creation efforts. The adult LEGO community’s custom LEGO creations, including fan-designed and fan-sold sets, commissioned sculptures, and LEGO robotics development all constitute consumer innovation independent of the firm; the LEGO Group may harness these innovations through co-creation. Because LEGO is a system and not a specific product, LEGO innovations can encompass licensing, new robotic components, and architectural scale models. This diversity of potential innovation allows the LEGO Group to take advantage of the diversity of adult LEGO fans’ expertise. LEGO hobbyists develop knowledge of the LEGO system that can make them skilled at LEGO set design, as designing a LEGO creation and designing a LEGO set are similar processes. LEGO is modular, so co-creation can be used both to develop new LEGO elements and to design LEGO sets composed of preexisting elements. LEGO set prototypes can be easily assembled and modified, and parts palette and parts count are easily understood design limitations. It is recommended that firms whose products are versatile, modular, and consumer-innovated pursue co-creation and co-promotion, and cautions firms without such products to adapt their co-creation and co-promotion accordingly.

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  “Doing Time Long After the Crime: How a Prison Sentence Today is Only the Beginning of a Felon’s Life-Long Sentence as a Pariah to Society”

  Mary C. Pollock

  This research seeks to explore the various difficulties in convicted felons’ life after their transition back into society. The research examines how an ex-convict’s finances, interpersonal relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners, lifetime opportunities, mental health, physical health, and living conditions are affected by the offender’s status as such an offender, as well as to consider ways in which these difficulties can be alleviated for future ex-offenders upon reassimilation into society after a prison sentence. Though indeed a broad topic, this particular brand of research seeks to highlight the exaggerated perception of the ex-con as a permanently damned member of society, condemned to the outer rims of their community, and forced to live a half-life while branded a criminal to all, even their loved ones.

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  Plant functionality across an environmental gradient

  Taylor L. Price and Julie Zinnert

  Community assemblages provide insight into ecosystem processes, both spatially and temporally. They interact with biotic and abiotic factors that vary with habitat structure, influencing community composition. Ecological theory demonstrates that species have the potential for a wide fundamental niche, but habitat range may be restricted by factors exposed to species in their realized niche. In barrier island ecosystems, edaphic and environmental characteristics (e.g. elevation and distance to shoreline) are major drivers determining where and how plant communities establish. Physical stressors, such as salt stress and drought influence community grouping and can alter plant function within the environment. With projected increases in sea level rise and storm disturbance it is important to understand how plant communities are organized across barrier islands, as most studies are limited to dune habitats and not inland plant communities.

  I analyzed plant communities across environmental gradients on a Virginia barrier island from dune to marsh. I established transects on Hog Island and assessed soil characteristics (i.e. carbon, nitrogen, pH), species composition, percent cover and specific leaf area. Elevation and distance to shoreline were obtained using recent Lidar imagery. Bray-Curtis ordination showed that position in landscape is an important driver in structuring dominant species such as the grasses Ammophila breviligulata, Spartina patens, and S. alterniflora. Elevation (r = -0.511) and distance to shoreline (r = 0.551) both show relationships with species composition and distribution across the island. Elevation was important in structuring dominant community types (i.e. dune building and marsh plants). Mantel test was used to determine if relationship exists between species cover and measured edaphic/environmental factors (r = 0.299, p > 0.0001). Percent carbon found in soil within plots was weakly related with distance to the inner portion of the island (r = 0.56). This reflects biotic processes that occur in interior portions of the island. There was no obvious relationship with percent nitrogen due to extremely low levels across the ecosystem. Understanding community structure across coastal ecosystems is necessary for predicting how shorelines and interior communities will be affected with projected sea level rise and increases in storm frequencies. An updated understanding of how biotic and abiotic drivers of community composition will provide information into predictive modeling of plant community and ecosystem level responses to change.

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  The Impact of Urbanization on Mosquito-Borne Viruses

  Nikhita Puthuveetil

  Mosquito-borne diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, and West Nile are rapidly emerging across the globe. Their emergence is often aided by the growth of their vector population, or the organisms that transmit the virus to the host. Urbanization and land use often destroys the habitat of the virus and its vector. However, the virus and its vector often survive despite the changes to its environment. The goal of this paper is to find out exactly how urbanization and changes in land use affect mosquito-borne viruses and how these viruses survive despite the destruction of their habitats. To understand how mosquitoes are affected by urbanization, I analyzed several observational studies on mosquito vector populations in different environments. I also studied several journal articles which specifically evaluated particular mosquito-borne diseases and examined how land use and climate affect the spread of disease. I also considered articles which offered theories on land use and disease emergence and presented solutions to prevent future epidemics. From these articles, I found that mosquito-borne viruses and their vectors are highly adaptable. Due to urbanization, some mosquito species become anthropophilic, they prey specifically on humans, and accordingly, the virus prefers humans over animals as their hosts. Urbanization often promotes mosquito population growth, thereby promoting virus population growth. From understanding how urbanization affects virus and vector populations, we can minimize disease emergence and prevent viruses and their vectors from becoming anthropophilic.

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  Perceptions of harm and addiction among dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes

  Julia S. Rozman

  Background: Tobacco harm perceptions are important factors in why individuals may initiate, substitute, and/or engage in dual or poly-tobacco use patterns. Identifying correlates of these perceptions is important for understanding why these cognitions may exist and help provide intervention targets. The purpose of the current study was to examine perceptions of harm and addiction among a sample of cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) users and examine whether these perceptions differ by demographics, other substance use, and tobacco use history.

  Methods: The current sample consisted of 29 individuals who consented to participate in a clinical laboratory study of dual cigarette and e-cigarette users during 2015-2016. Screening data for this secondary analysis included demographics, substance use, other tobacco use history, and perceptions of harm and addiction. Perception items asked about the health risk level for cigarettes and e-cigarettes and the level of harm compared to regular cigarettes and likelihood of addiction for variety of tobacco products (e.g., e-cigarettes, snus, nicotine replacement therapies [NRT]). Descriptive statistics followed by independent T-tests were used to explore differences in perception items by demographics, other substance use, and tobacco use history (p

  Results: The sample’s mean age was 39 years, and a majority were White males. Half of the sample completed some college or higher. Past 30-day alcohol use (55%) and ever trying marijuana (62%) were prevalent, and most were not concurrently using other tobacco products (79%). A majority (78%) reported that cigarettes were at least somewhat risky to health, while only 48% reported the equivalent for e-cigarettes. Participants rated most tobacco products as about same harm level or higher compared to regular cigarettes except for roll-your-own cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and NRT. All participants perceived regular cigarettes and chewing tobacco as having at least a moderate addiction risk. E-cigarettes and NRT had the lowest addiction risk ratings. Only perceptions of snus addiction risk differed by gender with males reporting higher ratings. By race, ratings for addiction risk for e-cigarettes and NRT differed significantly with Whites reporting lower ratings. Lifetime marijuana users had significantly higher harm perception ratings for e-cigarettes. Perceived addiction risk for regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes was significantly lower among those who used other tobacco products.

  Discussion: Among this sample, perceptions of harm and addiction were lower for e-cigarettes and NRT relative to regular cigarettes and other tobacco products. There were few perceptions that differed by demographics and other substance/tobacco use history. Dual users who used other tobacco products were more likely to perceive lower risks for cigarettes and e-cigarettes. This association may be because lower addiction perceptions drive greater tobacco use or alternative. Current findings support future investigation of harm and addiction perceptions particularly among individuals who use more than one tobacco product.

  Funding: This research was supported by an Internal Grant from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Nursing and the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R21CA184634 and the Center for Tobacco Products of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the Food and Drug Administration.

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  Examining the Psychological Adjustments of Neurotypical Siblings of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Determining the Efficiency of Support Groups

  Swathi Deo Sambatha

  Neurotypical siblings of individuals with behavioral disorders are reported to have complex, complicated psychological adjustments that vary significantly due to a multitude of sociodemographic factors. In addition, these children are at risk of mental health disorders and negative psychological symptoms. Support groups or extensive social support are known to increase intra-communication and create better sibling dynamics between the neurotypical and autistic siblings. This paper investigates such complications to the psychological adjustment of neurotypical siblings of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and determines the implications of the utilization of support groups/social support. The analyzed trends and reportings of multiple studies were noted and compiled to form the current study’s data. The results indicated that nearly all the neurotypical individuals have a definite number of complications in their psychological adjustments despite the socio-demographic factors studied like gender, age, birth order, and family size. In addition, the impact of the support groups/social support was significantly effective amongst neurotypical individuals of all sociodemographic factors in lessening the number of complications present through education and therapy. In conclusion, the psychological adjustment is definitely complicated to an extent, but the complication is lessened with facilitated social support/support groups. This conclusion indicated that monitoring the psychological and behavioral development of the neurotypical children is important when autism is diagnosed in the family, as their psychological adjustments need to be stable and healthy allowing for better relationships and overall well-being. The implications of the data for further research and implementation are overviewed.

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  Ethnic Diversity of Boards of U.S. Companies: Business Sustainability and Group Dynamics

  Saajan Sappal

  Ethnic minorities are significantly underrepresented on the Board of Directors of large US firms. White males comprise nearly twice the proportion of directorships of Fortune 1000 companies as they do the total US population. Ethnic diversity in corporate governance is valued as an asset per two prominent theories: Resource Dependence theory and Agency theory. However, Ethnic diversity on the Board of Directors can also impair the group process per Status theory and constraints such as tokenism and marginalization. This paper is aimed at developing both a theoretical and empirical understanding of the value of ethnic minorities on the Board of Directors of Fortune 500 Food Service and Production firms as it relates to financial performance. Analysis of Fortune 500 Food Service and Production firms finds a positive correlation between ethnic diversity on Board of Directors and market value, return on assets, and return on investment. As a result, empirical evidence suggests that future pressures aimed at increasing diversity in corporate governance may prove financially valuable.

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  The Implementation of Memantine for Recovering Stroke Patients

  Keerthana Shankar

  Recovering stroke patients go through rehabilitation to fix the paretic limbs and adapt to the nerve damage. Recovery consists of repetitive tasks that are designed to guide the plastic brain to adapt to new movements and gain muscle memory in those movements. Rehabilitation is strongly dependent on the brain’s plasticity, which is enacted through increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF has been proven to be increased through aerobic exercise, a common element found in rehabilitation programs. It is vital that the exercises performed in rehabilitation result in higher brain plasticity due to the limited time window of the critical period. Certain requirements such as maximum heart rate and frequency of exercises performed must be met to increase the plasticity in brain. These requirements are not always possible for every patient going through rehabilitation due to their differing activity levels. Understanding the relationship between time, exercise, plasticity, and recovery is essential to finding alternative treatments to exercise that can be used to increase brain plasticity. Memantine, an Alzheimer’s drug tested in rats regarding motor function, is a viable drug to increase plasticity. In several rat models, memantine was proven to increase cognitive function and BDNF levels in the brain, which is vital for the recovery of stroke patients. For patients that are not physically or mentally capable of meeting the requirements needed to increase plasticity, memantine can be administered as an alternative or conjoined treatment, so that patients may go through rehabilitation training and recover with a positive functional outcome.

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  The Effects of Eastern versus Western Cultures on Women's Perceptions and Disclosure of Mental Illness

  Whitney Roxanne Sherrick

  Mental illnesses and the stigma that surrounds them have caused societal unrest since the development of the modern human. However, there remain differences in the way individuals perceive mental illness, allowing various levels of stigma to arise. The focus of this research is to determine the contrast between the views of Western and Eastern cultures concerning mental health status - exploring how cultural expectations for women affect their perception, and disclosure, of mental illnesses. This research involves studies that examined societal expectations for Western and Eastern cultures, and experiments measuring the perceptions of mental illness from individuals with various heritages. Articles concentrating on the factors that influence one’s disclosure of mental illness were included, as well. My research has discovered that there is a strong correlation between culture and one’s perception of mental illness. Western cultures are more likely to embrace, and thus, treat psychological ailments, due to the increased levels of social acceptance and available treatment options. Eastern cultures, however, are less likely to seek treatment or disclose their mental state at all, because of the social stigma associated with having a mental illness. More intensive research must be completed to determine the direct implications upon women. Uncovering the principal reasons for the existing stigma will expose it directly, and create opportunities for populations to become educated on the realities of mental illness. This will allow for disorders of this caliber to be more widely accepted, and thus, cause the social stigma associated with them to eventually dissipate.

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  The Relation Between Infant Construction Strategy and Language Development in Toddlers

  Gullnar Syed, Emily C. Marcinowski, Stacey C. Dusing, George F. Michel, and Eliza L. Nelson

  Infants learn from interaction with physical objects in their environments. Object construction, or merging individual objects into a single structure, has been linked previously to language. Items and toys can be structured and combined with similarity to word combinations (Greenfield, 1991). Infants initially combine 2 objects and then graduate on to combine 3 pieces or more. Words are put together in comparable ways, with each word corresponding to an object, and a sentence corresponding to a single structure. The purpose of this project is to explore how construction ability in infants affects language ability in toddlers. We hypothesize that the more advanced the infant’s construction ability at 14 months, the more advanced their language ability will be at 24 months. Methods: At 14 months of age, 47 infants were given 2 sets of nesting cups to assess construction strategy while video-recorded (Greenfield, Nelson, & Saltzman, 1972). Construction strategies coded included “nothing,” (no cup combination), “pairing,” (one cup placed on or inside another cup), and “potting,” (two or more cups placed in or stacked on a third cup). Expressive and receptive language was assessed at 2 years of age using the Preschool Language Scales, 5th edition. Data was analyzed with a regression model, using Hierarchical Linear Modeling 7 (Student version). Results: Infants who combined objects scored higher on expressive language (βs 9.52-14.3, ts(44) 2.19-2.62, ps 0.01-0.03), than infants who did not combine objects at 14 months (β₀₀=92.82). No differences were found for construction strategy and receptive language (βs 5.49-11.79, ts(44) 1.67-0.98, ps > 0.102). Conclusion: The ability to combine cups at 14 months is related to higher expressive language scores. We speculate that the ability to combine toys lays a foundation for combining words into sentences, while language comprehension may originate from other mechanisms. Further studies may assess the number of objects paired successfully and the complexity of construction with success and complexity of sentence structure at different time points throughout early childhood.

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  How and Why has American Media Shifted the On-Screen Image of Asian Americans from Stereotypical Roles to Lead Roles?

  Sohail A. Syed

  Growing up as an Asian American, I never really had a role model of sort that I could relate to entirely. There were the general characters in movies that I looked up to but there was never that one character that I could possibly see myself as because there was never any lead characters that looked like me. Every time an Asian character was showed on-screen they were never a normal relatable person; they were always rather a living stereotype or unrealistic. Asians are always portrayed as intellectuals that are very awkward and geeky or one who has a very thick ethnic accent. Apart from Aladdin and Jackie Chan there never was a core Asian character who I looked up to as a role model. So, growing up there was always a stigma towards me that I had to be very Asian or very smart.

  Ever since Asians immigrated to the United States, they were being portrayed by the media in one form or another. The portrayal was often stereotyped extensively which affected the public’s viewpoint towards Asian Americans. But in the recent decade the portrayal of Asian Americans has shifted to a more positive and everyday image. So, I wondered about how this happened and asked my research question, “How and Why has American Media Shifted the On-Screen Image of Asian Americans from Stereotypical Roles to Lead Roles?”

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  Can A Metallated Cyclen Species be used to Prepare New Odorants?

  Jalynn Taylor-Farmer

  Scientists in the fragrance industry are constantly searching for new odors to create as well as new, more efficient processes to create them. Scientists mainly look for new ways to synthesize fragrances that will reduce the impact on the environment, produce them at lower costs, produce higher yields, and sometimes to produce a more potent odor [4]. In this research, we investigated the use of metallic macrocycles and/or metal-dioxygen chemistry to prepare new fragrances.

  Cyclen (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) has significant uses in many pharmaceutical and medicinal research developments such as advances in targeted cancer and Alzheimer’s agents. Macrocyclic amines like cyclen are valuable because of their highly selective metal ion chelation. Cyclen was used as a ligand in this research to coordinate a central chromium ion. A similar reagent was employed in the synthesis of a similar intermediate found in the Chemistry and Biodiversity book for the synthesis of (-)-b-Santalol. The (-)-b-Santalol compound was reported to be the “most interesting” component of East Indian Sandalwood Essential Oil . The characteristics of reactivity and odor of the odorant synthesized with the metal-cyclen species were compared to literature with the use of GC and H-NMR data results. We aim to investigate whether the metal-bound cyclen scaffold can be used to influence the stereochemical outcome of a Diels- Alder reaction relevant to the synthesizing of a sandalwood fragrance.

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  Abating Prejudice With Presence: Dispositional Mindfulness Increases Interracial Helping Behavior

  Justin Tubbs, Daniel R. Berry, and Kirk Warren Brown

  Helping behavior is less frequently shown toward members of social out-groups (Cikra, Bruneau, & Saxe, 2011). Race defines a common source of social division in America and other countries, and although most condemn racial discrimination, helping is undermined in interracial interactions (Saucier, Miller, & Doucet, 2005). Recent theory suggests that mindfulness, a receptive attention to one’s present experience, can attenuate the conceptual boundaries that typically separate and distance oneself from others (Trautwein, Schmidt, & Naranjo, 2014). We designed an experiment to examine whether dispositional mindfulness would be associated with increased helping behavior in interracial contexts. Self-identifying White participants (N = 139) witnessed a confederate in need of help while waiting to participate in a study, and experimenters observed whether participants helped them or not; self-identifying White or Black confederates were randomly assigned to each experimental session. Three-block sequential logistic regression models were constructed to identify predictors of same-race and interracial helping. Overall, dispositional mindfulness, agreeableness, and lower racial prejudice predicted greater helping behavior in same-race interactions (all ps < 0.05). Interestingly, mindfulness moderated the help-reducing effects of racial prejudice in the interracial interactions (p < 0.05). More specifically, high mindfulness was associated with increased helping behavior among those high in racial prejudice. This correlational evidence is consistent with mindfulness theory, which suggests deploying mindful attention dampens psychological barriers between self and others. This study highlights the potential for mindfulness in reducing defensive attitudes and increasing prosocial responsiveness across social lines.

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  Subjective Measures of MZ and DZ Twins during Anxiety-Provoking Tasks

  Sravya Uppalapati

  Temporary anxiety is a healthy response to stress; however, continuous anxiety can threaten an individual’s day-to-day living by eliciting negative responses. In the study, monozygotic 84 (MZ) and 153 dizygotic (DZ) adolescent twins pairs, ages 15 to 20 years, participated in anxiety-provoking tasks and subjective experiences of anxiety were measured using subjective units of distress (SUDS). The twin participants were recruited through the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR) at Virginia Commonwealth University. The twins participated in a carbon dioxide (CO₂) breathing task and a trier social stress task (TSST). The study aims were to evaluate the relationship between anxiety-provoking tasks and subjective experiences of anxiety in MZ and DZ adolescent twins and to compare SUDS ratings in the CO₂ task to SUDS ratings in the TSST to determine which task produces greater anxiety. The data was analyzed using correlational models. MZ twins reported more similar SUDS in both the CO2 task and trier task than the DZ twins, however, not at significant values. The mean SUDS ratings for MZ twins and DZ twins were higher in the trier task than the CO₂ task, suggesting that the trier task was a better inducer of anxiety than the CO₂ task. The goal of the research was to characterize etiological pathways involved in the development of internalizing disorders and to set the stage for advancement of effective intervention and prevention programs, specifically by determining the relationship between SUDS ratings and anxiety-provoking tasks in MZ and DZ twins. Further study is needed to evaluate the heritability of anxiety response.

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  Promoting Prosocial Responsiveness across Racial Divides through Mindfulness

  Chris J. Wall, Paul E. Plonski, Daniel R. Berry, and Kirk W. Brown

  In interracial and other intergroup interactions, prosocial emotions and actions are often undermined (Cikara & van Bavel, 2014). Perceiving psychological separateness between “us” and “them” – which is often an automatic, unintentional process – is psychological kindling for lower prosocial responsiveness that leads to prejudice, discrimination, aggressive conflict (Cikara, 2015). Recent research has shown that mindfulness, an open and unconditional attention to one’s present experiences, is associated with decreased automaticity and racial bias (Kang, Gruber, & Gray, 2013; Lueke & Gibson, 2014), barriers that hinder prosocial responsiveness (Trautwien, Schmidt, & Naranjo, 2014). Two experiments investigated whether brief mindfulness training promoted prosocial responsiveness toward an ostracized person of another race. Before witnessing a person of another race being excluded in an online ball-tossing game (Cyberball), participants in both studies were randomized to either an audio-recorded mindfulness training (MT), a structurally-equivalent attention control training (CT), or a no instruction control (NT). MI participants in Study 1 (N=124) showed trends towards higher empathic concern (p=.065), while MI participants in Study 2 (N=131) reported higher empathic concern for the excluded player (p<0.05). MI participants in both studies wrote more comforting emails to them (p<0.01), as coded for prosociality (c.f., Masten et al., 2011). Only in Study 2 did MI participants passed the ball more to the victim in an ‘all play’ game (p<.05), presumably because their identity was less “known” than in Study 1; specifically, players’ photo images were loaded into the game in Study 1, but only first names were shared in Study 2. These studies underscore the potential for mindfulness training to foster sensitive attitudes across social and cultural lines within increasingly growing anonymous (i.e., online) contexts.

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  Of Shining Sea and Rising Sun: cultural storytelling in the genre of horror in video games

  Anna C. Webster

  In the modern era, video games are hardly the simple, mindless medium that they used to be. Rather, they are now being used as a vehicle for artistic expression and storytelling worldwide, creating a colorful and comprehensive new approach to the storytelling experience that was previously reserved for books or movies. The immersive nature of the medium provides for a richer and more stimulating experience, from which the genre of horror greatly benefits. Rather than the more passive experience the viewer gets from watching a movie or reading a book, video games allow for the player to be completely immersed, experiencing the story rather than just witnessing it. This general aspect combined with the opportunity for unique artistic expression and storytelling, provides for a better overall horror experience. Within the horror genre, there are two schools of storytelling: the Eastern Style (primarily from Japan and countries in the Far East), and the Western Style (particularly the United States). These styles are both unique with their approaches to the genre, begging the question: what do different cultures find scary? Through careful analysis of the Eastern and Western styles, we can understand the characteristics and unique components, identifying the reasoning behind them. An examination of broader social implications in the areas of religion, history, and psychology, will expand the scope of the digital media studies, providing a greater understanding of the continued evolution of human storytelling. The evolution and future possibilities of storytelling are explored in this study by examining the techniques and implications specific to these two identified schools within the horror genre of video games.

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  Modeling ATP-Binding Cassette G2 (ABCG2) Substrate Specificity

  Raghav D. Acharya, Aurijit Sarkar, and Glen E. Kellogg

  How well can we predict efflux by ATP-binding cassette G2?

  It is estimated that there will be about 1.6 million new cases of cancer and half a million cancer deaths in the US during 2015.ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters such as ABCG2 are overexpressed in chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells. Anticancer drugs are prone to efflux by these transporters. Being able to identify drugs that are effluxed is of great interest in drug discovery.The current arsenal of methods used to detect efflux are not easily adaptable to high throughput formats and are limited in scope, making experimental analysis an expensive prospect. Hence, computational analysis of efflux is of interest. We accumulated a dataset of ABCG2 substrates and non-substrates which contains 179 substrates and 110 non-substrates. This dataset forms the basis for all studies reported herein. We attempted to identify descriptors capable of segregating substrates and non-substrates, ending up with Log P, Polar Volume, Atom Count, Radius of Gyration, Binding Energy, Length, and Width. They had significant differential distribution that could be used to build mathematical models to fulfil our goals. A statistical learning method that creates non-linear models called Support Vector Machine generated the best predictive models. This model demonstrated between 75-80% accuracy in identifying substrates and non-substrates. Importantly our model suggests mechanistic details of the efflux process; previous reports have suggested that Arg482 in ABCG2 is critical for transport of substrates. In conclusion, we were able to address efflux of chemotherapeutic agents by the ABCG2 efflux pump using a mathematical modeling approach.

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  The Fall of Teotihuacan

  Elizabeth P. Ale

  In this project I present a survey of multiple theories regarding the dissolution of the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan. This complex city-state was established around 100 BCE and became one of the largest and most powerful sites in Mesoamerica. Located about 25 miles northeast of what is today known as Mexico City, Teotihuacan was home to many advanced technological and social structures, including a pyramid called The Pyramid of the Sun that boasted a base as large as the Great Pyramid of Giza’s. At some time between the 7^th and 8^th century CE, Teotihuacan went into decline. On this poster, I highlight a few of the most prominent theories regarding the cause of this decline and then conclude with my own observations.

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  Asthma-Related Anxiety and Quick-Relief Medication Use in Urban Children with Asthma

  Sarah E. Astrab and Robin Everhart

  Among children, asthma is the most common chronic illness. Although not curable, asthma is manageable with the use of both daily controller medication and quick relief or rescue medication. Anxiety has been found to increase asthma symptoms in children. Caregivers who are anxious about their child’s asthma symptoms may perceive their child’s asthma as more severe or doubt their ability to manage their child’s asthma, which can result in the misuse of asthma medication. This study focused on the association between asthma-related anxiety and the use of quick-relief asthma medications in a low-income, urban sample in Richmond, Virginia. Child participants range in age from 7 to 12 years old (M=9.5 years, standard deviation (SD) =1.5). Data were collected from 53 families and 89% of the child participants from these families were African American/Black (8% Caucasian/White, 3% mixed/multiracial). Caregivers and children completed questionnaires at an initial baseline visit. Caregivers then completed surveys on a cell phone and measured their child’s lung function with an AM2 device for two weeks. We had three main hypotheses: 1) If a parent had high levels of asthma-related anxiety, then their child would have higher levels of asthma-related anxiety 2) If the parent had high levels of asthma-related anxiety, then the parent would provide the child with higher levels of quick relief asthma medications, and 3) If the child had high levels of asthma-related anxiety, then the child would receive a higher number of quick relief puffs. Hypotheses were analyzed while controlling for asthma control. Findings suggested that there was no significant association between parent and child asthma-related anxiety. A significant association was found between parent asthma-related anxiety and number of quick relief puffs such that higher levels of anxiety was associated with more rescue medication. However, this association was not significant when controlling for asthma control. The association between child asthma-related anxiety and number of quick relief puffs was also not significant. These findings are important to consider when looking at a child with asthma because poor asthma management could be associated with parent asthma-related anxiety. Other studies have suggested that if physicians are made aware of parent and child asthma-related anxiety levels, they could work with the families to determine the most appropriate way to approach asthma management techniques to best fit their specific circumstances. Further, our results suggest the importance of focusing on child anxiety in addition to parent anxiety as children and parents may be reporting different levels of anxiety related to asthma.

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  The Effects of Part-Time Work on Sleep Quality in College Students

  Katherine A. Beachy, Candace Moore, and Magda M. Smith

  Part time work can negatively affect sleeping patterns, resulting in poorer academic performance and a diminished sense of overall well-being. 521 undergraduate students working at least 20 hours per week were surveyed and self-reported post-work experiences and sleep quality. Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that a block of four post-work experiences (psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control over leisure time) were predictive of self-reported sleep quality. Completion of more mastery experiences and greater control over choosing post-work activities were both statistically significant predictors of higher sleep quality (Sonnentag, Binnewies, & Mojza, 2008).

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  Progression of the Representation of Female Protagonists in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Genres

  Dakota S. Becker

  Broadcast television has been plagued by the misrepresentation and absence of progressive female protagonists. Contemporary television programs have begun to address issues of diversity and empowerment, but it is questionable whether substantial strides in the representation of women have truly been made. The science fiction and fantasy genres in particular are infamous for perpetuating rampant sexism and the objectification of female characters. I analyze aspects of the television shows Orphan Black and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, two broadcast television series which aired over ten years apart, to broadly evaluate whether the science fiction and fantasy genres have progressed or regressed in terms of feminist values in the past decade. The criteria by which the two series are evaluated include the presence of the postfeminist “Girl Power,” the appropriation of “masculine” heroic power in conjunction with femininity, the presence of empowered sexuality, and heteronormativity. The research reveals that, according to the above criteria, Orphan Black, which has not previously been studied academically and which is an ongoing television series, surpasses Buffy in terms of empowered sexuality and the presence of heteronormativity. However, while it is clear that the representation of female protagonists have attained a greater degree of diversity in Orphan Black, it is difficult to identity clear boundaries by which to assess the feminist value of these characters. The Girl Power motif is present in both shows, an element of its feminist potential realized with the series’ emphasis on collectivity.

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  Stand-Up Comedy and Self-deprecating Humor

  Amelia M. Bell

  Stand-up comedy has been around for centuries, making people laugh for generations. Through the years the forms and techniques stand-up comedians use have shifted back and forth. Self-deprecation humor is one of these forms of humor, where the comedian pokes fun at his or herself, and it has recently become more incredibly popular in today’s society. Stand-up comedians like Louis C.K. have risen to newfound popularity by using self-deprecating humor almost completely in their sets. This paper attempts to answer the question of why audiences respond so positively to stand-up comedians who use self-deprecating humor. It does so by arguing that there are several reasons for this, including how self-deprecation is trending in other aspects of society and how self-deprecating humor rises and falls in popularity but always remain present in American humor. However the audience also feels more comfortable laughing directly at the comedian than at a certain controversial demographic, and although it is the comedian’s performance, by using self-deprecating humor, the comedian relinquishes some of his/her authority and power on stage to the audience because the audience has the power to decide whether to participate by laughing.

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  Combination of Music and Aromatherapy to Improve the Efficiency of Motor Functions and Speech in Patients Paralyzed From Stroke.

  Mounica Bevara

  With the rapid development of medical technology, millions of dollars are being spent on discovering innovative methods of treating fatal diseases such as stroke that may also result in temporary paralysis. Physiotherapy treatments aimed at restoring brain function in patients paralyzed following a stroke is subjective to the patient and does not guarantee complete rehabilitation. While many practitioners have attempted to employ complementary and alternative methods of treatment such as massage therapy, acupuncture therapy, siddha, and marma therapy, none of them proved to be equally as effective as physiotherapy. However, prior studies support the notion that aromatherapy used in combination with music therapy showed promising results. Aromatherapy, defined as using extracted oils from plants and herbs to naturally treat the body through oral or skin absorption, has been effective in halting the process of apoptosis, or programmed cell death in cells. The inhibition of apoptosis may be principal in delaying the degeneration of brain cells. Music therapy, on the other hand, uses a process known as entrainment to access a paralyzed brain for rhythmic perception. These two processes are connected through transduction, which elaborates the relationship between the olfactory and auditory system that improves the efficiency of memory retention through familiar scents and sounds. Using aromatherapy in combination with music therapy is more effective because it is a self-paced treatment that does not require the administration of a trained professional. This alternative treatment for paralyzed stroke patients will be applicable to the general public if administered in reasonable doses under appropriate conditions.

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  Beyond the Horizon: The Limitless Potential of 3D Technology in Archaeology

  Rebecca Bowman

  My research started during the summer of 2014 with a joint internship at VCU’s Virtual Curation Lab and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources under the supervision of Dr. Bernard K. Means and Katherine Ridgway. The purpose of my research was to conduct a comparative study between the virtual and physical process of mending, or repairing, artifacts. I was granted access to three different vessel fragments which were improperly mended in the 1960s. It was my goal to remove the previous adhesive adhered to the sherds and replace it with a safer adhesive. Simultaneously, I brought the previously mended sherds into the Virtual Curation Laboratory to scan them into the three-dimensional computer software using the NextEngine 3D scanner. I used three-dimensional technology to experiment with different additive and subtractive methods in order to virtually mend the sherds and print out interactive replicas. I continued to take advantage of the interactive potential of three-dimensional technology to connect the public to my findings on a kinetic level. I used 3D technology to print puzzle games of various difficulty in order to allow the public to attempt physical mending themselves and then compare their results to the virtual mends. The first workshop I conducted using the interactive potential of my research received an enormously positive response from the public, whom had previously not shown much interest in my studies. Instead of reading about research, the community was able to learn, hands-on, the same way I learned. This process granted all individuals the ability to draw the same conclusions I drew myself. Three-dimensional technology allows for a deeper comprehension of the research process which makes learning more fun and memorable. Additionally, it evolves the current standards of research presentation methods into a tangible, interactive relationship with the public. With 3D technology not only are more research questions available to answer, but the educational benefits of kinetic learning are also applicable for all ages. With credit to three-dimensional technology, transforming the presentation of my archaeological research from primarily an academic audience to a public audience has expanded the communal comprehension of my findings. This allows for better communication and interaction with those in both academic and non-academic fields and broadens the potential for future use of three-dimensional technology in archaeology.

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  Queer Mysticism in the High Middle Ages: Pain, Love, Earth, and the Female Body in the Illustrations of Hildegard of Bingen’s Scivias

  Becky Bushnell

  Many view Hildegard of Bingen as one of the most important female theologians of the 12th century, and her writing and sphere of influence is remarkable considering her gender. Many scholars, like Barbara Newman, Caroline Walker Bynum, and Carolyn Worman Sur, agree that Hildegard’s portrayals of God in Scivias are distinctly feminine. Scholars like Karma Lochrie, Sheryl Chen, and Flora Lewis have written on Christ’s wound as a metaphor for the womb or vulva. Yet what scholars don’t seem to focus on, as Lochrie writes in “Mystical Acts, Queer Tendencies,” is the ways that the work of many female mystics in the 12th and 13th centuries falls outside of modern conventions of normal gender and sexuality. According to Lochrie, there exists a false “master narrative” which presents mystical interactions with God as indefinitely heterosexual and sometimes even ignores or twists evidence to fit this narrative. I claim that one could consider Hildegard’s visions in Scivias “queer” due to: her focus on the physicality and femininity of Christ through the figure of Caritas, the distortion of sexual gender norms through the feminization of Christ, and the conflation of pain with love and with the female body through maternal and/or erotic metaphors. By examining the text and illustrations of Scivias and the relevant research, I explore Hildegard’s feminine depictions of God in relation to sapiental tradition, courtly love and “love noir,” and the writings of female mystics in the 12th and 13th centuries. By examining Hildegard’s work in these ways, I have found elements that defy convention and the master narrative and that may further our understanding of female mystical sexuality in the high Middle Ages.