Undergraduate Research Posters

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  Three Day Dietary Recalls is Equivalent to Five Day Dietary Recalls in Evaluating Caloric Intake and Macronutrients in Person with Spinal Cord Injury

  Tulsi Shah and Letitia Romero

  Background: The detrimental adaptations on body composition characterized by rapid loss in lean mass and accumulation of fat mass are associated with several non-communicable diseases similar to type II diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Accurately evaluating dietary intakes is an essential component in management of body composition adaptations following SCI. We have previously shown that 7 days of diary recalls is an accurate method of capturing weekly caloric intake and providing accurate estimates of macronutrients (% carbohydrate, % fat and % protein). Purpose: The purpose of this pilot work is to examine whether three days are equivalent to five days of dietary recalls and whether it is more efficient than one day of dietary recall in evaluating caloric intake and the percent of macronutrients in persons with SCI. Methods: Three persons with complete SCI were enrolled as a part of a federally funded study investigating the effects of exercise and testosterone on body composition and metabolic profile after SCI (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01652040). Participants were asked to turn in a 5-day dietary recall on a weekly basis for 16 weeks. Data of the first 8 weeks were analyzed using the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR 2012) software. Basal metabolic rate was measured using indirect calorimeter and participants received feedback from the dietitian every 4 weeks. The averages of 5-day, 3-day and 1-day dietary recalls for caloric intake and percentage macronutrients (% carbohydrate, % fat and % protein) were calculated. Results: One-way ANOVA revealed that the caloric intake of 5-day dietary recalls (1231 ± 66 kcal/day) was not different from 3-day (1228 ± 119 kcal/day) or 1-day dietary (1217 ± 166 kcal/day) recalls over 8 weeks (P > 0.05). However, the 1-day dietary recall did not show the same pattern, especially during the first 4 weeks. Percentage macronutrients were not different among 5-day, 3-day or 1-day dietary recalls. Conclusions: Three-day dietary recalls provide an accurate estimate of caloric intake and macronutrients compared to 5-day dietary recalls. The results did not show a difference from a one-day dietary recall; the pattern, however, in caloric intake was clearly not similar to 3 or 5-day dietary recalls.

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  Effects of photoinitiators on intracellular signaling transduction

  Natasha Sheybani

  Photopolymerization has been widely explored in biomedical and tissue engineering applications due to its widely held potentials in the biomedical field. Photoinitiators embedded within crosslinked scaffold materials could potentially serve as a more effective alternative to present uses of gamma radiation for sterilization of implants and biomaterials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cellular toxicity and the intracellular response of three ultraviolet (UV) sensitive photoinitiators including eosin Y, 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2methyl-1-propanone (Irgacure 2959) and dimethoxyphenyl acetophenone (DMPA) as well as the subsequent degree of proliferation of free radicals on HN4 cells. WST-1 assay indicated that HN4 cells can tolerate a wide range of concentrations of eosin Y and low concentrations of Irgacure 2959 (≤ 1 mg/ml) but not DMPA. Consistent with these results, eosin Y displayed no effect on intracellular AKT inactivation, but both Irgacure 2959 and DMPA concentration-dependently induced intracellular AKT inactivation. To initiate free radicals, these photoinitiators were exposed to UV light at 365 nm with an intensity of 100 watts for 30 minutes. In all three photoinitiating systems, HN4 cells failed to maintain cell viability and intracellular AKT activity. To further demonstrate the stability of free radicals on cytocompatibility, cell culture medium was mixed with eosin Y to reach a final concentration of 25μl/ml, and this mixture was exposed to UV light for 30 min. The mixture was kept in the dark prior to exposure to the cells. The results illustrate that the free radicals can be stable up to 48 hours, and HN4 cells failed to maintain cell viability and intracellular AKT activity in the eosin Y photoinitiating system after UV exposure. In summary, these results suggest that eosin Y is able to stabilize intracellular AKT activity and cell viability in a wider range than Irgacure 2959 and DMPA. However, the free radicals introduced by UV light significantly inhibit intracellular AKT activation and induce cytotoxicity. Future studies will aim to overcome the cruciality of removing from or significantly limiting free radicals within the photopolymer before biomedical applications.

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  The Prison Child Dilemma: An Assessment of Human Rights Infringements and Custodial Autonomy in Bolivian Prisons

  Natasha Sheybani

  The primary focus of this study is to assess the healthcare conditions and availability for imprisoned women and children in Bolivia. The international community has recently been faced with an overwhelming dilemma of children being subjected unjustly to prison conditions due to circumstances of parental incarceration. Commonly referred to as prison children, these dependents, ranging from newborns to adolescent minors in age, often follow their convicted mothers to prison due to lack of a better alternative. Research has indicated that while there is a tremendous threat to the safety, development, and general wellbeing of innocent children residing in prison, one benefit includes that of remaining close to their mothers during key early emotional, physical, and mental development stages. Threats to these children persist in the categories of security and protection from abuse and sexual harassment, denial of rights to education, physical recreation, proper nutrition, and most importantly due medical attention. Deterioration of healthcare rights for women and children is currently one of the most significant sectors of human rights violations. Recent proposed legislative resolutions include development of an international prison monitoring system for nations that subject prisoners to sub-humane conditions due to socioeconomic disparities, birthing and childcare provisions for imprisoned mothers, mother-baby units in prisons, gender and child sensitive prison facilities, comprehensive record-keeping systems for children entering prisons, as well as availability of well-trained and more specialized medical staff to attend to the specific needs of women in prisons. A final resolution in this particular study will include that of development of a child welfare system specific to Bolivia that can be later adapted to other socioeconomically disadvantaged countries, modeled after the present system in the United States and nonetheless compatible with nations' respective resource bases.

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  Strategies to Improve Oral Health Systems in Rural Vietnam

  Dylan Vu

  Oral health care systems seek to prevent and treat problems related to the mouth as well as restore teeth and the tissues that support the teeth. Oral health is important because it is closely related to general health and affects quality of life, food consumption, and physical appearance (Uetani et al., 2006). Poor, rural areas of the world especially do not have the oral health care system to keep up with the worsening oral health statuses of their people due to a lack of resources and/or infrastructure (Kandelman et al., 2012). Such is the case of Vietnam, where according to the National Oral Health Survey of Vietnam from 2001 and data from the World Health Organization, “large parts of the population of Vietnam must have incomplete natural dentitions” due to a high number of extractions and the average number of dental caries (cavities) is higher than the global average (Bhide et al., 2008; Nguyen et al., 2010, p.1). Rural areas of Vietnam are vulnerable because dental decay is prevalent but access to dental professionals is limited. While the oral health of individuals goes untreated, pain increases and quality of life deteriorates. This paper sought to create a plan for improving the oral health care system in rural Vietnam by analyzing a range of previously performed studies. The studies offered different perspectives and suggestions, which were then evaluated and compared to inspire new oral health strategies. One article provided a historical overview of Vietnam’s health care system as it transitioned from a planned to market economy, and another discussed health care issues that rural areas of Vietnam currently have. Multiple studies investigated the oral health status of Vietnamese people and two others analyzed the effectiveness of national health programs in rural areas. Moreover, several studies gave a general overview on oral health care systems and how to improve them. Results of the investigation reveal that although there are not many resources in rural areas of Vietnam to have a robust and sophisticated oral health system, a combination of preventive, structural, and curative strategies can help improve oral health in rural Vietnam. For example, preventive strategies include promoting school education programs and fluoridation treatment. Structural strategies offer changes to how the oral health system is organized, such as creating regional and local plans or using general health care workers to perform oral health tasks. Curative strategies include trying to restore teeth to a functional state instead of extracting them and emphasizing the importance of anterior teeth. Most importantly, the plan should be cost-effective and suit local priorities. Once an improved model is developed in rural Vietnam, it can be used as a model to improve oral health in poor areas around the world.

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  Foliage as a Modifier of Erotica and Indicator of Politics in Fragonard Paintings

  Michael Walker

  The French Revolution invoked prejudice against the aristocracy and the Rococo works they purchased, including those by eighteenth century artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard whose compositions display erotic subject matter, fluid brushwork, and preference for the natural world. Today that stigma persists; Fragonard’s works, though included in authoritative texts, are described as superficial and banal. This study examines a collection of four of Fragonard’s paintings and, through consideration of over twenty-one expertly written texts, shows that painted flora symbolically modifies the erotic themes of his works. Flowers, trees, and shrubs recontextualize erotic imagery, suggesting that Fragonard’s paintings contain conceits about the French aristocracy. This study calls for a reconsideration of Fragonard’s work in general.

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  Mangrove forest age as a predictor of overwintering habitat quality for migratory songbirds

  Ryan Weaver

  Wetland ecosystems are critical habitats for a host of organisms including resident and migratory birds. Forested wetlands (i.e., mangroves) surrounding Panama City, Panama are currently being drained and cleared to allow for commercial development. Restoration or replacement of mangroves (i.e. younger stands) may not be a sufficient surrogate for existing mature stands. Our main objective was to determine if mature mangrove forests provided higher quality habitat to (wintering) birds compared with younger mangroves. To assess this, we compared the following in mature and young mangroves in Panama (1) Prothonotary warbler and Northern waterthrush body condition, our most abundant species, and (2) feather reflectance criteria (specifically, carotenoid content) in prothonotary warblers occupying both types of mangroves. Carotenoid pigments are an honest indicator of the overall health and condition of a bird. By comparing reflectance of the carotenoid-pigmented breast feathers of prothonotary warbler, we are using feather reflectance as a proxy for an individual bird’s condition. After accounting for sex and age differences in our model, breast feathers from prothonotary warblers in mature mangroves had higher carotenoid content than feathers from prothonotary warblers occupying younger mangrove stands. Site occupancy strongly predicted body condition of prothonotary warblers in our study, such that, mature mangroves supported birds in better body condition than younger mangrove sites. Together, these results suggest mature mangroves offer higher quality habitats for migratory songbirds during their overwintering period.

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  Boxed In: The Lack of Creative Thinking in Engineering Students

  Rachel Wilbur

  The lack of creativity coming from recently graduated engineering students seems to be apparent through my observations of students, standard social stigma, as well as research conducted at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. However, little is known about the reason behind this vastly growing problem. Without a better understanding of the issues, universities will continue to produce engineers lacking innovative abilities and creative motivation. Seven scholarly articles and studies as well as three primary sources were reviewed and analyzed in order to better understand what difficulties universities face within the engineering community. It has come to my realization that not only is the lack-luster curriculum leading to student disengagement, but the professors also have difficulty expressing the value of creativity, as they cannot clearly define what creativity entails in their specific courses and disciplines. Other problems arise when professors who are proficient with the idea of creative teaching are not incorporating it into their classrooms because the courses are material heavy and time-limited. Several solutions such as project-based introductory courses, interdisciplinary study programs, and professor training have been suggested to solve these faults in the engineering curricula. If changes do not begin to occur within the university environment, engineering students may find it difficult to exhibit the main characteristics of a “good” engineer that companies are searching for—becoming an innovator and a thinker.