Undergraduate Research Posters

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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.

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  Reviving Project:A Chinese-American culture exchange project

  Yushan Cassie Sun

  Through art exhibitions in Beijing, China and Richmond, Virginia, Reviving project 01 aims to help promote/ revive a craft technique in Qinghai, China that is disappearing due to the urbanized surroundings.

  American artist were invited to collaborate with people from Qinghai to make new pieces incorporating original crafted pieces.

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  Anxiety Reactivity in Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Major Depression

  Sravya Uppalapati

  Transient anxiety is a healthy response to stress. However, constant anxiety elicits negative responses and threatens an individual’s day-to-day living. The onset of anxiety disorders excluding specific phobias is often childhood to late adolescence or early adulthood. Though depression is characterized as a low-energy state unlike anxiety, there is a high concordance between anxiety and depression. “Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder” (“Facts and Statistics”). There are two goals of the study:

  1. To compare the individual response levels between monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for major depressive disorder (MDD) during an anxiety-provoking task.

  2. To evaluate the relationship between self-report measures and physiological responses in adolescent MZ twins discordant for MDD. To identify how physiological responses vary between MZ twins discordant for major depression during a resting baseline and the 7.5% carbon dioxide (CO2) breathing challenge task.

  The data was analyzed using multiple statistical methods including paired samples t-test and correlational models. We expected that MDD affected twins would self-report greater distress in response to an anxiety-provoking laboratory challenge and exhibit reduced physiological arousal. MDD affected twins demonstrated a somewhat reduced skin conductance response during the anxiety provoking task, suggesting blunted physiological response, which is consistent with other biological markers such as cortisol. There was a significant increase in sympathetic-vagal heart variability rate during the physiological baseline for the MDD affected twins. Although we did not observe any statistically significant differences for SUDS ratings assessed during baseline or inhalation of 7.5% CO2 enriched air, MDD affected twins reported higher levels of distress during the recovery period compared to their MDD unaffected co-twin. The results will shed light on the lasting impact of major depression on physiologic and subjective measures during rest and the biological challenge.

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  Organophosphates in Chlorpyrifos Insecticide: Neurobehavioral Development of Children in Agricultural Communities

  Sravya Uppalapati

  The chemicals found in fertilizers and pesticides are known to adversely affect the human nervous system even at low levels of exposure. Neither the agricultural industry nor the EPA can deny scientific findings regarding the toxic qualities of organophosphates in the insecticide chlorpyrifos, but that does not deter pesticide manufacturers from selling harmful products. In fact, Dow AgroSciences, a pesticide company, states on its website that, “Insecticides, such as chlorpyrifos, provide important protection for our food supply and thus safeguard farm and consumer economy.” To understand the health risks associated with pesticide exposure, I studied the influence of organophosphates in the insecticide chlorpyrifos on children living in agricultural communities, primarily in Salinas Valley, California. I performed the review by analyzing a variety of articles and academic sources that focused on organophosphate exposure and child neurobehavioral functioning. The findings indicate that organophosphates found in the insecticide chlorpyrifos block the enzyme acetylcholinesterase and initiate the accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, leading to impairments in attention and cognition. Farm children exposed to the chemicals via the mother during gestation period or who are exposed through inhalation or physical contact may be at higher risks for ADHD and autism than reference children who are typically only exposed to organophosphates through diet. Further study is needed to understand gender-based effects following organophosphate exposure. It is only through understanding the damaging effects of chemicals in pesticides that policies can be constructed to effectively reduce pesticide application and encourage alternatives of crop rotation, intercropping, crop diversity, and the use of pests to fight pests in the agricultural society.

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  Developing a Neuroplasticity-Based Treatment Program for Psychopathy: Treatment Foci and Options

  Mariah Villanueva

  Psychopathy is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is commonly misunderstood as the condition of criminals, and many people believe the best cure is simple confinement for those who ignore society’s laws. Psychopathy, though, is a genuine condition with a genetic basis that manifests itself through neurotransmitter system disruption and hormone imbalances. Psychopathy has a serious neurological impact on an individual, with impairments largely focused in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, as well as overall negatively affecting the limbic system of the brain. Together, the total impact causes issues with that individual’s ability to empathize, to experience emotions normally, to develop a true sense of morality, and other similar consequences to one’s moral and emotional self. Considering the effects of psychopathy, it does not benefit society to undermine its validity as a genuine neurological condition or to simply define it as untreatable. Confinement and traditional treatment options do not prove substantial choices for working with the core problems of psychopathy, either, as prior cases with psychopathic criminals show. For these reasons, a review of research of psychopathy as a condition and of the use of neuroplasticity in treatment shows neuroplasticity as an increasingly valid treatment option that could be applicable to psychopathy. Neuroplasticity, specifically cognitive rehabilitation, non-invasive and deep brain stimulation, and neuropharmacology, has been proven to successfully treat an array of neurological diseases and disorders. Developing a comprehensive treatment program based on neuroplasticity could prove the most effective option for treating psychopathy, and would also have further applications as a modified plan to help treat psychopathic tendencies in children before the condition becomes full-blown psychopathy.

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  Feasibility of Integrating Tripterygium wilfordii into Modern Cancer Therapy for Increased Efficacy and Minimal Toxicity

  Ngoc T. Vo

  Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. and millions of novel cancer cases are being diagnosed each year. While chemotherapy and ionizing radiation are effective treatments against these malignant tumors, the adverse effects that accompany such treatments are devastating. In order to find alternative treatment methods with less side effects, we turn to Eastern herbal medicine. Recent scientific research has found that Tripterygium wilfordii, an herbal medicine traditionally used to treat inflammation in China, contains compounds (triptolide and celastrol) that prevent the growth of solid tumors, induce apoptosis, and prevent metastasis of developed tumors. Investigations on these compounds on various cancer cells lines (in vitro and in vivo) have revealed insight into their mechanism, mode of action, and toxicity. In order to circumvent the potentially fatal side effects of triptolide and celastrol, it was proposed that roots of T. wilfordii, from which the compounds are extracted, be used as a treatment for cancer. Methods for testing the efficacy and toxicity of the roots on the different cell lines previously studied are outlined in this paper. If the results from the proposed experiment conflict with expectation, then future studies on combination drugs using triptolide and celastrol with other non-bioactive compounds within the roots should be done to develop new anti-cancer drugs with low toxicity.

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  Evaluation of TCP Header Fields for Data Overhead Efficiency

  Justin k. Yirka

  Bandwidth across the internet is constricted by monetary factors and hardware development, so researchers are left to improve the efficiency of data transmitted in order to improve internet speeds. The transmission control protocol (TCP) is the primary transport protocol on the modern internet, ensuring reliable delivery of the majority of data transmitted. I evaluated the TCP header fields for efficient use of data overhead so as to determine current waste and to suggest possible areas for revision. I examined original specifications for TCP mechanisms, comparing them to modern implementations as determined by updated standards and modern practices in the networking community, and considered the data overhead that header fields related to these mechanisms entail. Consideration of implementations included evaluation of frequency of use as well as necessity of use. Current inefficiency in the data overhead of TCP should be addressed, because many of the header fields are either clearly wasteful or would be more efficient alternatively implemented. Certain core features of the TCP header cannot be revised without drastic alterations to the protocol, such as the sequencing and acknowledgement numbers. Other features, such as the header checksum, are inherent to the integrity of the header. However, most fields are arguably inefficient, as they either are not a continuing necessity for TCP’s function or they may be more efficiently implemented as TCP options. Further, several fields are no longer widely used, and are effectively totally wasteful. The proposed improvements to TCP overhead could result in a reduction of up to several bytes per segment transmitted. Admittedly, the savings of individual segments are only on the order of several bytes, which is a small percentage of most segments including payload. However, this small savings has the potential to result in savings orders of magnitude greater across the general internet. This potential suggests a need for further research into the viability of TCP header revision, followed by implementation of proposals. Results and methodologies used to reach these conclusions are additionally applicable to a variety of ongoing research (e.g., header compression, acknowledgement frequency reduction).

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  Redefining the Past: Women in Classical Mayan culture

  Lucia Aguilar

  It is important to acknowledge that a majority of research done in archaeology and anthropology or most sciences has had a strong androcentric bias. In my own personal experiences I noticed growing up taking history classes that always taught women in the past were primarily responsible for their household and children or other typical roles women were constantly simplified to. There were always the occasional exceptional women in society that we hear about who “pushed boundaries” or “broke barriers” stepping into male roles, but what about taking a second look at the past without a Western androcentric bias. In some ancient societies, like the Mayans, there were not as many strictly structured gender roles. Through interpreting the variety of roles women played and flexible gender roles in Classic Mayan culture, one can better develop less myopic interpretations of the influence women had on the past and their roles in societies.

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  Examining a Link between Paraquat, Alpha-Synuclein Fibrillation and Neurodegeneration: A Review

  Nikhil Ailaney

  Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and chronic disorder that causes motor system dysfunction due to a lack of dopamine in the central nervous system. Although this disorder has been researched extensively, the etiology of Parkinson’s disease remains unknown. Paraquat, a commonly used pesticide, is a known neurotoxin and is used extensively worldwide. In order to determine if people who live in agricultural regions that use paraquat are more susceptible to Parkinson’s disease I examined a possible link between paraquat, the fibrillation of the protein alpha-synuclein and neurodegeneration. To conduct this review, I analyzed epidemiological studies on the correlation between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease, research on the link between pesticides and the protein alpha-synuclein and research on the link between alpha-synuclein and Parkinson’s disease. From this review, I found that areas that are exposed to high levels of paraquat experience elevated rates of Parkinson’s disease in their populations, that paraquat is positively correlated with the aggregation of alpha-synuclein, and that an increase in alpha-synuclein causes neurodegeneration due to an imposed neurotoxicity or through an oxidative stress pathway. This review clearly points to a strong correlation between paraquat exposure and the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. This review leads to the recommendation of future research that solely tests the effect of paraquat on alpha-synuclein fibrillation and neurodegeneration in mice. This work would clarify the definitive link between paraquat and the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease thus informing the practices of those who use pesticides.

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  Prevalence and problematic outcomes associated with dating violence in emerging adults

  Elisabeth Alison and Chrissy Ammons

  Dating violence is a prevalent problem among emerging adults. As young people explore novel romantic relationships, conflicts inevitably arise that sometimes escalate to the point of violence (Salvatore, Collins, & Simpson, 2012). It is important to understand the prevalence of dating violence among emerging adults and the negative implications that may result. The current study explored the predictive relationship between sexual, psychological, and physical forms of dating violence in both perpetrators and victims on internalizing outcomes. Participants included 209 undergraduate students (78% female) at Virginia Commonwealth University enrolled in an Introduction to Psychology course, between the ages of 18 and 25 (M = 19.38). Participants were 50% Caucasian, 23% African American, 15% Asian American, 7.2% multiracial, and 4.8% other; 9% indicated Hispanic ethnicity. Preliminary results indicated that dating violence was a prevalent concern among this sample of emerging adults; 53% of participants experienced at least one instance of dating violence perpetration, and 45% had experienced victimization. In addition, multiple regression analyses indicated that dating violence perpetration significantly predicted internalizing outcomes, F(3, 205) = 5.10, p < .01, R2 = .26. The model for dating violence victimization also significantly predicted internalizing outcomes, F(3, 205) = 8.40, p < .001, R2 = .33. Finally, differential results emerged between the various forms of perpetration and victimization. From our analyses, the results strengthen the notion that we need to examine each form of dating violence separately to understand how different forms of dating violence contribute to problematic outcomes in emerging adults.

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  A collaborative analysis of land use and frog diversity across spatial scales

  Chelsea Althouse, Michelle Arnold, Myles Denardo, Miranda "MJ" Foster, Joseph Green, Kathleen Lau, Philip Louden, Joseph Neale, Nathaniel Stearrett, Alexandrea Stylianou, Alexander Welch, and Julie Charbonnier

  Amphibians are sensitive to changes in land use because they require both upland terrestrial habitat and aquatic wetland habitat to complete their life cycle. Our previous work demonstrates that land-use change including road density, development, and wetland area impact amphibian diversity. We build upon this previous work to examine the relative influences of these factors across different landscape scales. Incorporating scale within our model allows us to explore by which mechanism different factors impact amphibians (e.g. do roads increase roadkill in the immediate surrounding area or do they isolate populations at the larger scale?). North American amphibian monitoring program (NAAMP) compiles data from standardized roadside surveys of calling frogs and toads across the majority of the contiguous United States to examine the impacts of human activity on amphibian populations over time. In this study we used NAAMP call data from 18 eastern U.S. states and National Land Cover Data to address the following research questions 1) How is the impact of road length and landscape change mediated by distance from the habitat and 2) how do species differ in the relative influence of these effects over the landscape? We quantified landscape features (e.g., habitat types, wetland –forest connectivity, road density and arrangement) using a GIS program and calculated amphibian diversity estimates of each survey at six locations ranging from 300 meters (local scale, the core terrestrial habitat) to 10, 000 meters (associations should decline at this distance). This approached allows us to explore the relative influence of factors at the regional level to build a predictive model to answer our research questions. This project is supported by the National Science Foundation, Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science program coordinated by David Marsh and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis.

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  The Origins of Mesoamerican Civilization

  Oliver Aurand

  This research project will attempt to unravel the various threads of cultural influence that existed in Archaic Mesoamerica. Of particular interest will be to test the validity of the theory that there is a “mother culture,” usually posited as the Olmec, which was responsible for the innovations that led to the social complexities of later cultures such as the Mayans and Aztecs. Alternately, it is possible that innovations developed by several different cultures were shared through diffusion due to strong trade networks and other methods. This research question is important because it deals with the evolutionary development of advanced social structures and complex societies. Historical data will be examined to see if there is any bias towards one of these competing viewpoints. Of particular interest will be to look for parallels between the development of these civilizations and ones that developed around the same time in the Middle East and Asia. Finally, several archaeological case studies will be examined to attempt to fit the evidence within one of these theoretical frameworks and show how archaeological evidence can facilitate theory formation.

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  Beta-Testing of an Intervention Workbook to Promote Humility

  Fatemeh Barghamadi

  A Beta-Testing of an Intervention Workbook to Promote Humility Fatima Barghamadi and Caroline Lavelock Abstract Background: Humility is a virtue that minimizes the importance of the self in the interest of others. It has been associated with a host of benefits, including better self-rated physical health, better relationship quality, higher academic performance, higher patience and empathy, and higher ratings of job performance (Davis et al., 2013; Krause, 2010; Peters, Rowatt, & Johnson, 2011). Lavelock et al. (under review) tested a workbook intervention to promote humility, and in its inaugural efficacy study, this workbook promoted trait humility in its participants over and above alternative virtue workbooks, a positivity workbook, and a non-action control group. Objective: The present study seeks to replicate the results of Lavelock et al. (under review) with an updated version of the same humility workbook intervention. We hypothesized that this 8-hour self-directed workbook would produce higher levels of trait humility than in positivity workbook or a non-action control condition. Method: Participants (N = 72) completed a workbook intended to promote humility (n = 24) or enhance general positivity (n = 24), or they were assigned to a non-action control condition (n = 24). Assessment occasions occurred at pre-test and two-week follow-up. Results: The humility workbook did indeed significantly increase trait humility between pre-test and follow-up. Participants in the positivity and non-action control condition participants did not improve in trait humility. Conclusion: We conclude that this workbook intervention to promote humility appears efficacious in its beta-testing. Keywords: virtues, interventions, workbooks, humility, positivity

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  Combined manipulation of leaf litter and microbial larvicide enhances local control of Culex mosquitoes

  Katie Bellile

  Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is a naturally occurring insect pathogen widely used as a microbial larvicide for mosquito control. The toxicity of Bti is specific to mosquitoes and a few other dipterans. It is applied to aquatic habitats colonized by mosquitoes and produces proteins that paralyze the digestive system of larvae that consume it. While Bti is an effective larvicide, it can also deter oviposition by female mosquitoes. Thus, reduced production of adult mosquitoes at the local (i.e., pond) scale may reflect both reduced colonization and reduced larval survival. It is important to distinguish between these mechanisms. While deterring oviposition can reduce local mosquito production, these eggs may be redirected to other suitable habitats and contribute to adult recruitment at the landscape scale. In contrast, larval mortality reduces both local and regional recruitment. Thus, to maximize mosquito control across spatial scales, we should attract rather than deter oviposition to Bti treated habitats, creating mosquito “sinks”. As mosquitoes often preferentially deposit eggs in aquatic habitats rich in organic matter, we hypothesize that increasing leaf litter to attract oviposition will increase the efficacy of Bti treatment. We tested this hypothesis using a 2 x 2 factorial experiment in which we manipulated litter abundance and Bti presence and quantified Culex spp. mosquito oviposition, larval abundance, and adult emergence. Each treatment was replicated 7 times in aquatic mesocosms arrayed in an old field at the VCU Rice Center. Bti had no effect on mosquito oviposition or larval abundance. In contrast, increasing leaf litter 50% resulted in a fivefold increase in egg rafts and mosquito larvae. The effect of Bti on adult emergence depended upon leaf litter. Bti reduced emergence by 75% in high litter treatments, but had no effect in low litter treatments. In summary, high litter combined with Bti application increased mosquito colonization fivefold but produced no more adults than low litter treatments. Thus, even though we found no evidence that Bti deterred oviposition, attraction to litter resulted in increased efficacy of Bti application. Our results suggest a potential cost effective, chemical insecticide free approach to enhanced mosquito control.

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  A Review of Life Stories for Themes of Agency and Communion Within an Undergraduate Population

  Courtney Jane Belmonte and Jennifer Wartella

  Career decision-making and exploration are important activities for graduating undergraduates, yet previous studies reveal many students have not initiated this process in part due to lack of identity formation at this stage of development. A life story review exercise has been identified as one possible strategy for solidifying identity formation and increasing career decision-making and exploration. The Life Story exercise is a writing project that prompts students to write about key experiences that shape their identity. Previous research has demonstrated that these stories often revolve around themes of agency and communion. A recent study indicated that students that completed the Life Story exercise demonstrated significant increases in career decision-making and trend toward increased identity formation as well. This current study seeks to further understand the relationship of these variables. Further analysis for the presence of life stories themes (agency and communion) revealed that students who included themes of agency (the agency theme achievement in “High Point” stories, t=6.59, p<.05, and status/victory themes in “Turning Point” stories, t=4.39, p<.05), but not communion, in their stories were related to higher scores on career decision making and exploration. As such, students who wrote about these themes indicated greater career decision-making and exploration than students who did not; differences in communion themes were not related to career decision-making or exploration scores. Inadequate power may explain the lack of additional thematic statistical findings.

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  Using the Life Story to Promote Identity Formation and Career Decision-Making in an Undergraduate Population

  Courtney Jane Belmonte and Jennifer Wartella

  Career decision-making and related preparation can be problematic for undergraduates approaching graduation. Previous studies reveal lack of identity formation can be an important barrier that partially accounts for challenge. Accordingly, this study explores whether a written project that prompts students to look at key experiences that shape identity can strengthen identity formation and career-decision-making in this group. Students completed an LS paper as well as questionnaires before and after paper submission. It was expected that undergraduate identity formation and career decision-making would increase following paper completion. Results partially confirmed this hypothesis. Statistically significant differences were found in career decision making (students endorsed greater career decision-making upon LS completion), t(19)=2.37, p<.05 but not identity formation, although a trend toward increased identity formation emerged. Accordingly, the LS paper could be a viable activity for increasing career readiness in college undergraduates.

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  Public College or Private Business? Virginia’s Higher Education Problem

  Samantha Bentley

  With the financial consequences of the Great Recession still impacting states heavily, Virginia’s ability to economically support its 15 public higher education facilities has become a massive challenge. As Virginia pushes forward in its attempts to combat these outcomes, access to higher education should be at the forefront of their agenda. Equal access to higher education for all students in Virginia cannot be met through the state’s current economic policies. The inadequate amount of money spent on funding for Virginia’s public universities is only the beginning of the state’s inability to sufficiently support its higher education programs. Research of Virginia’s budget and policies regarding higher education shows a sharp decrease in the amount of state spending per full time student, ultimately hurting low-income and middle class student’s ability to access higher education. Through a close examination of federally and state funded investigations of higher learning institutions, along with scholarly studies done by individuals and groups, such as the College Board, prominent in the field of education, I have found that within the state of Virginia, significant portions of Virginia’s budget have been taken away from higher education over the past 20 years. This finding is in addition to Virginia’s inability to fund the vast number of students entering college and the current amount of power Virginia’s legislators and governor allow each university’s board of visitors to have over their schools budget.

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  Detecting Changes in Coherence in Trauma Narratives Using Latent Semantic Analysis

  Rose Bono

  Repeatedly writing about a traumatic event can be therapeutic. This may be due to fuller cognitive processing of the traumatic memory. Greater written coherence, or the degree to which ideas relate to one another within a document, is one potential marker of cognitive processing. This investigation set out to determine how assigned writing topic affects coherence in a set of personal narratives (n=246). Participants were asked to come into the lab three times to write about either their daily activities (neutral condition) or the most traumatic event of their lives (trauma condition). The resulting narratives were submitted to a program called Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), a corpus-based method of detecting meaning from text based on the interrelationships of all words in a series of documents. LSA can assign ratings of textual coherence similar to those of human judges and was used to analyze how the coherence of these narratives changes over the course of three 20-minute writing sessions. An ANOVA revealed that neutral narratives were more coherent than trauma narratives overall, but that from the first session to the third session, neutral narratives decreased in coherence while trauma narratives increased in coherence. This meaningful increase in coherence for trauma narratives suggests that participants were cognitively processing the trauma between writing sessions, creating a consistent and intelligible mental representation of the event. This may be a mechanism by which expressive writing about a traumatic event produces mental and physical health benefits.