Undergraduate Research Posters

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  ICP-OES Analysis of the Chemical Composition of Hypergolic Mixtures

  Monique Jones

  Hypergolic mixtures involve a chemical reaction between an oxidant and a fuel source. These reactions are self-igniting and can be performed using common household materials. The ease of access to the reactants, and delayed ignition have increased the occurrence of hypergolic mixtures in arson-related crimes and incendiary devices. Currently, few chemical signatures exist to link hypergolic residues to a perpetrator. This makes it difficult to obtain forensically relevant information from evidence during an investigation. A hypergolic reaction of interest to forensic laboratories involves combustion between a glycol-based fuel source and potassium permanganate. Past studies have determined that one can distinguish between the oxidant and fuel used in a reaction based upon the composition of the residues or the extent of the reaction. The aim of this study is to determine the forensic signatures of reactions involving varying glycol fuel sources: brake fluid and antifreeze. Elemental profiles of residues were created using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Results showed that the metal composition of a residue sample was valuable in distinguishing between possible glycol fuel sources in hypergolic reactions, and that the ratio of oxidant to fuel source had minimal effect on the metal composition.

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  Reducing Childhood Obesity in America through National Legislation

  Sailee A. Joshi

  According to the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the American childhood obesity rate has increased threefold within the past 25 years, a trend accompanied by increasing rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and even mortality. Obesity has grown so prevalent, in fact, that Centers for Disease Control estimate that one in three American children is obese. According to the Chan School of Public Health, unless legislation directly targeting America’s spiraling obesity rate is passed, the trend shows no signs of slowing or reversing.

  Passing effective legislation requires a both an understanding of the causes of obesity and the current efforts in effect taken to reduce it. Currently, legislation aiming to reduce certain factors of obesity has been passed at the state and local levels. However, very few laws have been implemented nationally. Thus, millions of children live in an environment conducive to overweight and obesity.

  To combat this, certain strategies can be used. For example, taxing unhealthy foods, revamping national and state regulations for school nutrition and physical education, and even beautifying communities could encourage Americans to lead more healthful lives. Essentially, national legislation to improve physical activity, quality of accessible food, and America’s increasingly sedentary lifestyle will reduce America’s climbing child obesity rate.

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  The relationship between stressful life events and risky sexual behavior

  Hassan Khuram

  This study seeks to examine the relationship between stressful life events and risky sexual behavior in Spit for Science: the VCU Student Survey. Research has shown that when facing a stressful life event, an individual can experience negative and lasting consequences long after the event is over. All subjects used in this study were VCU juniors who entered VCU in the fall of 2011 (n=970). Participants were asked about exposure to different types of traumatic life events (natural disaster, transportation accident or assault). Stressful life events were also measured by creating a sum score based on the total number of stressful life events a person experienced. Risky sexual behavior was measured with a sum score of up to 5 possible different types of risky sexual behavior a person could engage in (e.g., unprotected sex in the last 3 months). Linear regressions were used to test the effect of stressful life events on risky sexual behavior. Results showed that there was a significant relationship between stressful life events and risky sexual behavior: the average risky sexual behavior sum score was higher in those participants who had experienced stressful life event. The possibility of a dose-response relationship also exists wherein more stressful life events could result in more risky sexual behavior. These results suggest that those who have faced significant stressful life events may benefit from sex education training.

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  Factors Involved in the Successful Transition to and Subsequent use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Systems by Individual and Group-Practice Physicians

  Naveen Chandra Kotha

  The use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) by healthcare professionals has been recommended as a way of improving healthcare quality, patient safety, and workflow efficiency, and lowering costs in the long run. While large hospital systems integrate EHRs into their services, individual and group practice-owning physicians, especially those of specialties and subspecialties, are often left wondering whether they should follow the trend and whether the transition from traditional, paper-chart systems or older EHRs to newer, commercial ones will truly benefit their patients and their practice as a whole. These physicians also often wonder whether benefits such as electronic-prescribing, clinical decision support, and patient results tracking outweigh obstacles such as initial costs, reliability, and user adaptability. This investigation sought to provide a more informed perspective in considering the decision to either transition to an Electronic Health Records system or maintain a traditional paper-chart style system. A number of studies examining care quality improvement and physician satisfaction in regards to transitions to EHRs under various conditions, such as specialty type, previous EHR-experience, and difficulty of transition, among others, were investigated to form this perspective. The improvement of care quality and physician satisfaction as a result of adopting EHRs relies heavily on both the efficiency and completeness of the transition and the EHR's degree of customization towards a practice’s specific needs. Since EHRs are continuously being developed and improved, the transition to an EHR system and its subsequent use can be successful with proper preparation for the transition, extended clinician training, and choosing one that is well-tailored to the needs of the specialty and its patients’ medical conditions.

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  Use of Oxytocin as a Preventative Treatment for PTSD

  Laurel V. Kovalchick

  Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder triggered by experiencing a traumatic event. PTSD causes recurrent flashbacks of traumatic memories that lead to over-consolidation. Memory over-consolidation prevents extinction of emotional and physiological responses to the memory. Because individuals can respond differently to stress and frightening experiences, no measures are currently practiced to prevent PTSD. By studying the changes in the brain during PTSD and after stress, it can be hypothesized that treatments that regulated HPA axis activity may prevent PTSD symptoms if applied soon after stress. Risk of developing PTSD is associated with abnormal cortisol and norepinephrine levels and altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning after trauma. New research on how stress alters the HPA axis over time has opened up the opportunity to prevent PTSD in high-risk patients. Oxytocin has been shown to regulate the HPA axis by inhibiting amygdala activity and the fear response. Oxytocin may also reduce stress by increasing the benefit individuals receive from social support. After reviewing previous studies on oxytocin, PTSD, and the HPA axis, it was concluded that regulation of the HPA axis by oxytocin could prevent PTSD by inhibiting memory over-consolidation and by reducing physical damage to the brain caused by abnormal cortisol and norepinephrine levels. This neurotransmitter is suitable for pharmacological studies because oxytocin can reach the central nervous system safely and effectively through intranasal spray application with minimal side effects. Intranasal oxytocin’s anxiolytic qualities and ability to alter HPA axis function call for more research to evaluate its potential pharmacological applications. More research is needed on regulation of the HPA axis to prevent PTSD and the duration and dosage of oxytocin treatments necessary to achieve sufficient HPA regulation.

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  How Breastfeeding Affects Postpartum Depression

  Elisabeth Lamas

  According to the 2008 CDC report, nearly one out of every eight women are affected by postpartum depression at one point or another in their lives. The purpose of my research was to study the potential effects of breastfeeding on postpartum depression. The objective was to study how breastfeeding affects the occurrence of postpartum depression in mothers in the United States. To understand the relationship between postpartum depression and breastfeeding, I read science journal articles describing the biological background behind breastfeeding and postpartum depression. I read psychology and biology journal articles dealing with possible forms of treatment for postpartum depression and how they may be affected by breastfeeding. Also, I read science journal articles dealing with the cause and effect relationship between the two. From my research, I came to multiple conclusions. First, breastfeeding does help to prevent and reduce the occurrence of postpartum depression. Although this is true, the cause and effect relationship between postpartum depression and breastfeeding depends on the situation. For example, for some individuals, lack of breastfeeding may cause the occurrence of postpartum depression. In other cases postpartum depression may cause the early cessation of breastfeeding. There is no definitive answer. After gathering all my research, there is still much research that needs to be conducted in this field.

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  The Biology of fun: Do birds just want to have a good time?

  Carley J. Langley and Jonathan R. Moore

  The intention of this research project was to delve into the ecological study of playfulness and what appears to be fun in a broad range of bird species. (1) Do all birds exhibit playfulness and use fun? And if so, (2) how have these behaviors contributed to their evolutionary success? Past research has already been underway to biological define what constitutes both “fun” and “play” in animal species. In the past the majority of all test subjects have been mammals, however in the past decade (and especially in the past five years) other vertebrate species such as birds are beginning to be observed as well. The research is still in progress but it seems very obvious from studies so far have concluded that various aviary species do in fact exhibit playful behavior and have fun. Recent hypotheses regarding play in birds, how common it is among various species, and what species have yet to be studied were topics covered in the research. In essence a variety of species of birds are already confirmed to exhibit play behaviors and are used primarily to establish social connects, social hierarchies, and hone predatory and other survival skills.

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  Greek Involvement and Personality

  Sara Lee, Nikita Amin, Sabbu Bajimaya, and Brandon Love

  Many young college students participate in Greek life to involve themselves with a group of people similar to themselves and to engage in life on campus. The intent of this research is to measure the relationship between Greek membership and/or involvement and personality. Data from Spit for Science: the VCU Student Survey will be examined to analyze this relationship. The participants included freshman fall and sophomore spring survey participants from the 2012 Spit for Science cohort. The measures for the study were the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the UPPS impulsive behavior scales.

  The BFI includes the personality traits of agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and openness. The UPPS scales include the domains of lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, negative urgency, positive urgency, and sensation seeking. Results indicated that individuals who scored higher on traits of extraversion (r = 0.209), sensation seeking (r = 0.108), and conscientiousness (r = 0.098) spent more time involved in fraternity or sorority parties and events. Additionally, individuals who are members of Greek life scored higher on traits of extraversion (r = 0.098) and conscientiousness (r = 0.067), but lower on agreeableness (r = -0.062). We found that personality traits are associated with membership and involvement in Greek organizations. This study provides insight on personality characteristics correlated with the Greek system involvement and highlights areas of research potentially related to previous findings on alcohol consumption in Greek life.

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  The Metabolism of Alcohol: Risk and Protective Factors

  Sydney E. Levan, Amy Adkins, Danielle Dick, and Karen G. Chartier

  Purpose: Abstract for poster submission to VCU Poster Symposium for

  Undergraduate Research and Creativity

  Title: The Metabolism of Alcohol: Risk and Protective Factors

  Background: In 2002, it was reported by the National Institutes of Health that

  60.3% of college aged students (18-22) drank alcohol in the past month of being

  asked, as compared to 51.9% of those not in college. They also found that 20% of

  college students met the criteria for at least one alcohol use disorder (AUDs)1.

  Many genes have been linked to an increased risk for AUDs and how individuals

  with various ethnic backgrounds respond to alcohol. Genes that metabolize alcohol

  are obvious candidate genes for alcohol-related phenotypes. The purpose of this

  presentation is to synthesize information about the key genes involved in alcohol

  metabolism, as documented in the literature.

  Methods: The information about each gene was found through a literature search

  using databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and cited references from

  relevant papers. For database searches, the names of the genes were used as well as

  terms such as AUDs, alcohol metabolism, and alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenase.

  The focus of the presentation will be relevant to college-aged students, but rely on

  research done in college and adult populations due to a lack of sufficient college-

  aged gene-based studies in this area.

  Results: Alcohol metabolism genes affect how individuals process and respond to

  alcohol. The main genes that have been studied are alcohol and aldehyde

  dehydrogenase genes. Alcohol dehydrogenase genes, like ADH1B and ADH1C, first

  metabolize ethanol (alcohol) into the by-product acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde is

  then metabolized by aldehyde dehydrogenase genes, like ALDH2, into the waste

  product acetate2. Many of the adverse effects associated with alcohol consumption

  are due to the build up of acetaldehyde. Some of these effects include facial blushing,

  nausea, headaches, and other similar alcohol sensitivity symptoms3,6. Acetaldehyde

  builds up in an individuals body after alcohol consumption if he or she has a super-

  active isoenzyme from the ADH1B and/or ADH1C genes and/or a slow ALDH2

  enzyme. Individuals with the super-active alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme and

  slow aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme are less likely to develop AUDs due to the

  negative effects from excess acetaldehyde in the body4,5,6. However, this also implies

  that individuals who do not exhibit the described protective phenotype are more

  likely to endorse increased drinking behaviors and AUDs. Spit for Science: the VCU

  Student Survey is currently investigating these genes and their association with

  alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder symptoms. Due to the diverse nature

  of the sample, the researchers are able to explore ethnic differences in these alcohol

  metabolism genes and their effects.

  Implications: In general, the more public knowledge about these genes and

  research findings, the more at-risk individuals can get help and diagnosis. A better

  understanding of aggregate effects of alcohol metabolism genes, as well as more

  information regarding ethnic differences in the distribution of genetic variants

  which impact alcohol processing, will assist researchers and health professionals

  working with those at risk for AUDs.

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  Analysis of treatments used for individuals with Rett Syndrome who experience seizures

  Harshita Nangunuri

  Rett Syndrome (RTT) is a severe Autism Spectrum disorder affecting one in ten thousand females. Seizures are a common symptom associated with RTT, as up to eighty percent of individuals with RTT have seizures. Most of these individuals are treated for these seizures with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). However, AEDs are not very effective for treating seizures in all cases, have many side effects such as increasing the risk of vitamin D deficiency for individuals with RTT and do not help with any other symptoms associated with RTT. Because of these problems associated with AEDs, two additional treatments to treat seizures in individuals with RTT are proposed from analyzing and synthesizing the results and conclusions of relevant research articles. A diagnostic tool to identify the effectiveness of the two additional treatments mentioned was created and utilized.

  RTT is caused by a mutated methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) gene, which produces the MeCP2 protein. The MeCP2 protein regulates the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and hence the BDNF protein, which also plays a role in RTT. The mutation in the MeCP2 gene results in decreased amounts of the MeCP2 protein and hence decreased amounts of the BDNF protein in the brains of individuals with Ret Syndrome. Increasing the amount of BDNF present in the brain and increasing the amount of MeCP2 present in the brain can be more effective for treating seizures in individuals with RTT. These two proposed treatments can potentially be given to individuals with RTT before symptoms such as seizures appear and help halt these symptoms from occurring. By using different treatment options or by developing treatments that can potentially halt the symptoms from becoming present can be extremely beneficial to individuals with RTT who also experience seizures.

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  The Increase on Nonconsensual Bride Kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan

  Amna Nawaz

  Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the country of Kyrgyzstan has had an unprecedented jump in bride kidnapping. The number of occurrences has skyrocketed and with that so has the severity of the violence. In this time women are taken, with no prior indication of when or how, and forced to marry their kidnappers. This non-consensual practice has morphed for reasons unknown. To stop the increasingly abysmal state of women’s rights in Kyrgyzstan, and in countries all of over the world, we must discover why people turned towards violence and lack of consent in the 1990’s.

  To determine the cause of the rise in bride kidnapping, I reviewed ten social science journal articles. These articles varied from topics on the bump in bride kidnapping to the nature of familial relations in Kyrgyzstan prior to and after the rise of the Soviet Union.

  I found that after the Soviet Union fell from power, the Kyrgyz people sought to define and reclaim their Kyrgyz identity by clinging to practices they believed were inherently Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz men believe bride kidnapping to be a traditional Kyrgyz practice that not only reaffirms their Kyrgyz background but also their masculinity as they impose their will over women. However, contrary to the beliefs of the Kyrgyz people, bride kidnapping has no substantial history of being a tradition of Kyrgyzstan. This means that the Kyrgyz people have defined their identity and committed crimes against their own women due to an incorrect assumption about their traditions. In order to reverse the trend of increasingly violent and non-consensual bride abduction, further research must be done on why the Kyrgyz people believe that kidnapping women for marriage maintains Kyrgyz heritage.

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  Women Surrealist Photographers and Their Response to the Objectification of Women in Male Surrealist Art

  Lois X. Nguyen

  Objectification of women in Male Surrealist art depicted the male gaze in its darkest form, through the ideas of the uncanny, fetish, and convulsive beauty. Women were treated as objects throughout Surrealist photography and painting instead of as human subjects. Their femininity and beauty were valued to the extent of held belief that a woman’s destiny is to be beautiful and be present for the male gaze. Women Surrealists have gained notoriety in the last sixty years for their presence in the Surrealist movement and for their diligence in providing the female perspective in opposition to the male perspective.

  This study observes the photographic works of the Women Surrealists, Claude Cahun and Francesca Woodman, and their method of response to the objectification of women while also examining the political context of Claude Cahun’s involvement in the Surrealist movement and the influence of Andre Breton, Claude Cahun and other early surrealist artists on late surrealist artist Francesca Woodman. Photographs, surrealist texts, and journal entries are used as primary sources to approach and reason why these two artists chose the medium of photography as their method response, and how objectification, photography, and the self-portrait incited the modern artist-as-subject trend through Claude Cahun and Francesca Woodman.

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  Fluorescent Biosensors to Measure Endothelial Cell Responses to Fluid Shear Stress

  Natalie Noll

  The response of endothelial cells, innermost layer of blood vessels, to blood flow is thought to be critical in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis in the human body is non-random and is highly correlated to vessel sites which experience oscillatory and reversing blood flow. Endothelial cells (ECs), the inner most cell layer of blood vessels are highly responsive to the drag force from blood flow, known as shear stress. To study endothelial cell responses to shear stress we used a parallel plate flow chamber in which we exposed endothelial cells to defined fluid shear stress. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensors we examined both how zinc levels change in response to fluid shear stress, as well as the mechanical forces applied onto the nucleus. Previous work by the lab suggested that zinc levels were increased following exposure to 24 hours of fluid shear stress. To better understand these changes we utilized four zinc-FRET sensors specific to zinc levels in the nucleus, Golgi, endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoplasm. Although our control experiments indicated the sensors were working properly, we did not observe consistent changes in zinc levels in any of these four subcellular locations for ECs exposed to 24 hours fluid shear stress as compared to static controls. Next we investigated how fluid shear stress affects forces applied to the nucleus. Our laboratory recently developed a nesprin-2 force sensor that has provided the first direct evidence that the nucleus of a cell is subject to mechanical force. Additionally, the rare advanced aging disease Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome (HGPS), is associated with rapid onset of atherosclerosis despite the absence of standard risk factors (obesity, high cholesterol, etc). HGPS results from a mutation in lamin A that creates an altered nuclear shape. Therefore we hypothesize that forces on the nucleus are a critical mediator of the EC response to shear stress, and that HGPS cells may have altered mechanotransduction that promotes atherosclerosis. We have shown that HGPS cells grown in static culture have reduced mechanical force on the nucleus. Additionally we have shown that ECs expressing the HGPS mutant lamin A do not respond properly to shear stress. We are currently using the nesprin-2 tension sensor to measure mechanical forces on ECs subjected to shear stress.

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  The Role of Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in the Breakdown of the USSR

  Ezoza Nomazova

  The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 was one of the biggest historic events of XX century. Much like the Roman Empire, the USSR breakdown was due to an aggregate of factors, some internal, and some foreign. Unlike, the Roman Empire, the Soviet Empire collapsed suddenly. Among the reasons for the fall of the Union, the invasion of Afghanistan was one of the poorest decisions that was made by the Soviet government. What factors did this event contribute to the fall of the USSR?

  The Russian invasion of Afghanistan had big impact on the attitude of the developing countries and third world against Russia. And for years the Soviets were preaching that they were supporting the developing countries to maintain their freedom. However, when the USSR invaded Afghanistan, people found that Russia was not a reliable ally. The same way Soviets invaded Afghanistan they could invade any country as well. The occupation of Afghanistan caused irreversible internal conflicts between the Soviet republics and the Soviet government. By the time Mikhail Gorbachev took position of general secretary in Community Party and ordered the Red Army to withdraw from Afghanistan, the economic and military resources for the invasion were drained.

  Four following categories were identified as the effects of the war: domestic conflict, economic crisis, political situation, and military confrontation. The analysis exposed a number of issues and controversies relevant to the topic at hand, and the further study is required in order to figure out whether it could have been achieved to save the USSR.

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  Disproportion of Women in General Surgery and Obstetrics-Gynecology Professions

  Nidhi H. Patel

  An increasingly number of women have been enrolling in U.S. medical schools recently and the field of obstetrics-gynecology has become predominantly female, but the profession of general surgery still remains largely unequal between the two genders. There is an observable pattern of gender inequality in both of these specialties, which is a result of several different factors which affect all women regardless of their profession. I studied how the stark difference in the percentages of female surgeons versus the percentages of female obstetricians-gynecologists compared to men has been created due to the prescribed gender roles of women in society. I looked at articles in medical journals in the two individual specialties for articles dealing with the different factors, such as family, marriage, social trajectories, to existing stereotypes, that could influence a woman to choose a particular medical profession. I found that although more women have been enrolling in general surgery over the last couple of years, there is still a large difference in the number of women in general surgery and those in obstetrics-gynecology, due to certain factors which have not been publicly addressed. The decrease of women in general surgery has paralleled with an increase of women in obstetrics-gynecology in the same time span, due to the social factors that women are often forced to consider before entering a career field. Societal expectations about motherhood are often the main reason why women really venture into long, strenuous, and demanding careers like general surgery. However, there are other influences that women experience that deter them from general surgical training, such as the existing negative perceptions and stereotypes, gender-based discrimination, and the lack of motivation by same-sex mentors. Since there is a need to address the gender inequality in general surgery, actions need to be to be taken. Increasing the number of women in surgical faculty, providing flexibility with maternity leave, and adjusting rigorous residency curriculum are possible steps to help encourage women to pursue the career.

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  A National Scan of Psychiatric Involuntary Hold Policies

  Evan D. Peters

  Psychiatric involuntary holds are initiated when an individual suffering from mental illness is deemed a danger to themselves or others. Each state and the District of Columbia has its own legislation outlining the process for involuntary holds and the assessments that take place during a hold. A variety of individuals, professional and non-professional, can be involved in the process. Each state also sets a time limit during which a person can be held, and specific language that details the behavior of individuals that are eligible for psychiatric involuntary holds. This information was gathered by examining each states' codes involving psychiatric involuntary hold policy and tallying the number of appearance of certain categories of language. National trends in this important process within the American psychiatric system were recorded and visualized using maps.

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  Decreased Pain Severity and Differential Gene Expression Following Calmare Therapy

  Jeffrey Petraco, Angela R. Starkweather, and Amy Heineman

  We present the results of a double-blinded randomized sham-controlled research study of a non-pharmacologic low back pain intervention. Calmare therapy is an neurocutanous electrical stimulation approach for pain management. The intervention group received Calmare therapy and the other received sham. Differences in pain severity and interference scores, pain sensitivity measures and gene expression profiles are reported. Patterns of downregulated gene expression suggest that Calmare may alter proteins involved in pain transduction may have implications for the treatment of other chronic pain conditions.

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  Effect of Maternal Sensitivity on Language Acquisition of Multiples

  Madhuri Prayaga

  The purpose of this study was to examine language acquisition and development in multiple birth children compared to singleton children in order to examine how decreased maternal sensitivity amongst mothers of multiple compared to mothers of singletons affects language acquisition skills in children.. The first phase of research for this study started with research on maternal sensitivity, specifically differing levels of it amongst mothers of different types of children, either by singletons of multiples, and potential causes for these differing levels of maternal sensitivity. The second phase focused on language skills of multiple and singletons at a young age and comparing them together. The third phase looked at exactly how maternal sensitivity could affect language development and correlations between the two. The final phase detailed implications for the results found. The results of the study revealed that there are significant correlations between maternal sensitivity and language acquisition. Maternal sensitivity is markedly decreased in mothers of multiples due to stress of raising multiple and the overall inability to give as much time to each child in a multiple as a mother of a singleton would be able to which researchers have seen to lead to language delays amongst children of a multiple. By identifying that decreased maternal sensitivity is inevitable amongst mothers of multiples and the important of it to language development, we can find more ways to support the mothers to overcome some of the stress and create special language programs for multiple to overcome any early language acquisition delays to aid their transition in grade school.

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  Indie Rock and Mainstream Pop are Thematically, Instrumentally, and Structurally Analogous

  Sean D. Pritchard

  Millennials have inconsistently defined indie rock since it was thrust onto the mainstream in 2004 with the breakout success of Modest Mouse’s Float On, Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out, and Zach Braff’s Garden State. Indie rock is not defined by its sound, thereby disqualifying it as a pure genre. Indie rock is defined by its aesthetic qualities: anti-mainstream appeal, style, promotion, etc. Indie rock is flexibly defined person to person as they perceive it. Consumers define indie rock by its themes being implicitly anti-mainstream and a less-produced sound while producers define indie rock by a musician’s creative control over the music’s creation, distribution, and marketing. Millennials are experience-based, aesthetics driven customers and are, therefore, drawn to indie rock so that its image may be projected onto them. Businesses have noticed that marketing an experience yields higher sales and are now marketing experiences to the Millennial demographic. Independent musicians have often deluded their music with pop themes and production in order to appear more marketable and attractive to major record labels, thus blurring the line between indie rock and mainstream pop. I conducted research on the top 5 year-end songs according to Billboard and Pitchfork from 2014-2004, Billboard representing mainstream pop and Pitchfork representing indie rock. I analyzed these accepted indie rock songs against accepted mainstream pop songs to find that there is no distinct overarching difference between what is deemed indie rock and what is deemed mainstream pop. Business are adept and finding their target audience and always being able to sell what someone may want to buy. Indie rock has a consumer base who values the individuality and perceived authenticity of indie rock, however, indie rock is just a product marketed to this section of the consumer base and perceived authenticity is perceived after all.

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  Differentiating Sleep Problems Most Related to Depression and Anxiety in College Students

  Emily C. Rowland, Lizna Khimani, Tess Drazdowski, and Wendy Kliewer

  Sleep problems, anxiety and depression are common amongst college students. Researchers examined the specific sleep problems correlated with anxiety and depression. These sleep problems included sleep duration, sleep disturbances, sleep latency, daytime dysfunction, habitual sleep efficiency, overall sleep quality, and use of sleep medication. Researchers predicted that daytime dysfunction was the most important sleep problem related to greater anxiety symptoms, followed by overall quality of sleep, and sleep duration. Meanwhile, it was also predicted that daytime dysfunction would be the most important sleep problem and sleep latency the second most important sleep problem related to greater depressive symptoms. The study consisted of 561 undergraduate students (55% White, 69.9% female).

  Two multiple regression analyses were conducted. The first examined the most pertinent sleep problems related to greater anxiety symptoms in college students. The seven sleep problems described above were simultaneously entered into the model. The overall model showed significantly greater anxiety symptoms, F(7, 513) = 19.19, p < .05. Together, these sleep problems accounted for 20.7% of the variance in greater anxiety symptoms. Daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness was the most strongly related to greater anxiety symptoms t(513) = 6.25, p < .05, followed by overall sleep quality, t(513) = 2.27, p < .05, followed by habitual sleep efficiency, t(513) = 2.26, p < .05.

  The second multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between sleep problems and depression symptoms. The same sleep problems were simultaneously entered into the model. The overall model showed the sleep problems significantly predicted depressive symptoms, F(7, 512) = 34.89, p < .001. Together, these sleep problems accounted for 32.3% of the variance in depression symptoms. In order of importance, sleep duration, t(512) = 2.84, p < .05, sleep disturbances, t(512) = 3.82, p < .001, daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness, t(512) = 8.90, p < .001, and overall sleep quality, t(512) = 2.14, p < .05, were all significantly related to depression symptoms.

  These findings suggest that for individuals with anxiety or depressive symptoms targeting treatments that focus on daytime dysfunction and overall sleep quality may lead to a reduction in these symptoms. Additionally, specific to anxiety, we should focus on ameliorating habitual sleep efficiency by improving the amount of sleep individuals consistently receive. Conversely, in relation to depressive symptoms, future work should focus on increasing the amount of time people sleep and decreasing how much people awake while they are sleeping.

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  Physician Role in Enhancing Patient Communication

  Tamanna Sahni

  Communication in the in-patient environment is crucial, and the relationship between a patient and physician enhances patient health and wellness. Patients should feel confident with their abilities to feel comfortable conversing with physicians, which would thus treat symptoms more effectively. This communication has decreased over time, hence patients are often are unable to obtain medical information from their healthcare providers. What is the relationship between psychological factors, such as self-esteem, and quality of patient-physician communication? And can physicians ensure increased patient comfort in the medical environment?

  Various factors can affect the patients’ comfort with their physicians, and when addressed, these factors can help improve patient-physician communication. I explored articles that analyzed the effect of language barriers, the role of familial support in the mental strength of the patient, and the effect of increased time spent online on communication. All of these aspects lead to a disparity between the patient and the physician as the patient cannot adequately communicate himself as a result of a lack of confidence and support, thus putting the responsibility on the part of the healthcare provider. Physicians have the ability to create a comforting environment for the patient and need to take a more active role in patients’ lives and provide more resources to communicate their concerns effectively to help the patient feel secure and comfortable in the medical environment. This change will thus enable patients to work alongside their physicians in managing their health to allow improvement of communication as well as overall patient health.

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  Smoking Patterns Among VCU Students

  Jasmine Saini

  For some individuals, college can be a high risk time for the development of problems associated with alcohol use and other substances. The purpose of this study is to examine these initiation and use patterns as they relate to nicotine use among college students 18 years of age and older enrolled in Spit for Science: The VCU Student Survey. The Spit for Science research project evaluates how genetic and environmental factors contribute to substance use and emotional health among college students at VCU. This study uses data from the Spit for Science 2011 cohort (n=2007) to investigate smoking patterns among males and female and how they change over the course of their college careers. Starting with a baseline cigarette use (lifetime) question in their freshman fall survey, we will compare this to participants’ sophomore spring and junior spring surveys to assess smoking initiation rates and smoking patterns during college. Initial analyses show that 63% of participants had never had a cigarette by the time of their entry to VCU. This research will shed light on initiation and use patterns at VCU and lay the groundwork for future studies involving prevention and intervention programming.

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  A solution to poverty in the Republic of Guatemala

  Brandin T. Samuel

  In the Republic of Guatemala, poverty is a widespread and ongoing problem. Approximately 51 percent of the population lives in the rural area, and the rural population is responsible for a large majority of the countries poorest people. Spending time in this completely underdeveloped country has been truly humbling experience. From my time at the preschool, realizing that their bathrooms were out-houses to eating several meals in the homes of the families realizing that they hardly have electricity, I got to understand exactly how this population lives on a daily basis. Young people are the most at risk and the most vulnerable in these highly concentrated among these indigenous countries. They account for over 40 percent of the total population. A recent government figure indicates that 7 of 10 people of indigenous decent live in poverty. Solving the problem of poverty has been a long unsuccessful process however if the problem were to get solved, it could open up completely new doors for the civilization.

  The purpose of this research is to find a potential solution to the ongoing problem of poverty in Guatemala. Guatemala is currently ranked 131 out 187 countries on the United Nations Development program. This program is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and general standards of living for countries around the world. I think by attacking these aspects individually it would be a great start to solving this problem. Currently Guatemala has been capitalizing on its substantial natural resources and its climate advantages. Technoserve has been strengthening the coffee value chain, which has significantly helped existing agricultural businesses. This in turn has generated more jobs and steady incomes for poor rural producers. By partnering with over 12,000 small producers, Technoserve has promoted change across the coffee, biodiesel and vegetable markets in Guatemala. By utilizing the strengths of this country, they can continue to grow and stabilize their economy opening up endless possibilities.

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  Queer-baiting on the BBC’s Sherlock: Addressing the Invalidation of Queer Experience through Online Fan Fiction Communities

  Cassidy Sheehan

  Fans of a particular media source often write fan fiction to build on, deviate from, and transform original source material. The BBC’s Sherlock is not exempt from this common practice; in fact, the homoerotic subtext which persistently endures within the show lends itself to the production of slash fan fiction. Many perceive this subtext as a method of queer-baiting, or an ultimately harmful tactic used by writers and producers to lure in queer viewers. In this paper, dialogue and scenes from the show itself are compared to excerpts from works of fan fiction in order to explore reactions to queer-baiting within fan communities. Commentary from creators of the show, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, is also examined to show how queer possibility has been denied on Sherlock. It will become apparent that quality television representation of queer individuals is necessary for healthy queer identity development; it will also be seen how young queer fans create communities on the internet—such as those for reading, writing, and critiquing fan fiction—as safe havens for exploring their identities free from typical stigmatization. These internet fan communities become spaces for queer discourse and activism, especially in drawing attention to and subverting heterosexual norms, such as those which exist on Sherlock and in our society. By challenging these heteronormative standards, queer fans are addressing the invalidation of their lived experiences, as well as other issues they face every day, and may have a hand in inducing larger cultural change.

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  Changes in Malaria Prevention and Incidence Due to Political Restructuring of Mozambique and South Africa

  Nirmala K. Shivakumar

  The UN’s current Millennium Development Goal puts pressure on many countries to decrease malaria incidence by 2015, including Mozambique and South Africa. While Mozambique and South Africa have continually worked to decrease malaria incidence for the last five decades, neither country can claim elimination of disease by UN standards. This study analyzes the changes in political structure and the simultaneous changes in the malaria prevention programs of Mozambique and South Africa after the end of their respective civil wars in 1992 and 1994. This study analyzed public health, historical, and social science journal articles. This study examined political power distribution, primary healthcare, and malaria prevention strategies, and community perception of healthcare to identify the different political dynamics affecting malaria incidence control in Mozambique and South Africa. This study identified that while Mozambique heavily financially dependent, strong community structure, and general malaria outbreaks compared to South Africa’s economic independence, phasing out of private health care, and localized strong malaria epidemics, showcase the difference between the status of the two countries in malaria elimination. As bordering countries, the elimination of malaria in the two countries is tied together. The migration of people in between and the pre-existing organizations working in between the two countries showcase that South Africa and Mozambique must work together to eliminate malaria. A potential international cooperation agreement between South Africa and Mozambique that allows the two countries to help each other financially, through research, and management of malaria prevention resources would help eliminate malaria, while keeping the countries moderately independent of external aid.