2014 IUSB Undergraduate Research Conference

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/20114

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    The Influence of Religiosity on the Types of Health Concerns People Pray About
    (Indiana University South Bend Undergraduate Research Conference, 2014-03-28) Mantiziba, Nyaradzo
    It is only in recent decades that interest in understanding the relationship between religion and health has reawakened in scientific and academic spheres. According to Wulff (cited by Duriez, Soenens, & Hustebaut, 2005), there are four different specific attitudes towards religion that people have. These four attitudes are Orthodox (Literal Affirmation), External Critique (Literal Disaffirmation), Relativism (Reductive Interpretation) and Second Naiveté (Restorative Interpretation) (Duriez et al, 2005). In this study, I examine whether the religious attitudes people have influence the types of health concerns they will pray about.
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    The Effects of the SSRI Paroxetine on Feeding Rates of the Larval Mosquito Aedes aegypti
    (IU South Bend Undergraduate Research Conference, 2014-04-18) Van Do, Alice; Clark, Thomas M.
    Paroxetine is an antidepressant drug that is found in aquatic habitats. It is a serotonin specific reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that increases the amount of serotonin in synapses, mimicking increased activity of serotonergic pathways. Studying the effects of the SSRI paroxetine in freshwater animals such as Aedes aegypti larvae (mosquito larva) may help us see what physical and behavioral impact the drug may have on these animals and how it may affect the ecosystem. The testing of feeding rates of mosquito larvae exposed to paroxetine was conducted because of the known influence of serotonin on appetite. In order to see the influence of serotonin on appetite Aedes aegypti were exposed to different concentrations of paroxetine (1x10-5, 1x10-6, and 1x10-7 mmol/L). The effect of paroxetine on feeding rates are expected to affect growth and development of mosquitoes, suggesting ways that paroxetine and other SSRIs in the environment will likely alter the ecosystem.
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    Embracing the Inevitable Wrinkles
    (IU South Bend Undergraduate Research Conference, 2014-04-18) Lynn, Christina
    Goals: To propose a model for healthy aging that will enforce a more positive perception toward the process of aging. To relate knowledge of contemporary research on how a healthy lifestyle can optimize cognitive capacity in older adulthood, and how such factors can ultimately be beneficial towards continued brain health.
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    Keys to the Retention of College Professors
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-01-01) Althobaiti, Nada
    Retaining teachers in their early professional stages or afterwards is a major issue that raises concerns. The resilience of college professors in respect to what motivates their retention in their various educational faculties is an emerging field that has sparked interest among scholars. Invitation emails were sent to 15 professors who were recommended to the researcher to ask for the interview. Based on interest and availability, the researcher scheduled approximately 1-hour meetings with four of those who responded based on the order that they responded to the invitation. The questions for the interviews were developed based upon the findings of previous research about teacher retention at K-12 and university levels. During coding of the interview data, statements emerged to support the theme of academic freedom. Professors referred to the importance of “academic freedom” as a factor in helping them stay in their job when asked about administrative support for decision-making. Some of the factors that influenced college professor retention were similar to K-12 teacher retention, however, there are other factors that influenced college professors. Participants indicated included enjoying their jobs, creativity, learning how to change their way of thinking, and problem solving. Participants reported that salary is a less-effective factor as compared to the importance of the other factors indicated.
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    Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease and the Singer
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-01-13) Desrosiers, Lauren
    Otolaryngologists are just now beginning to recognize the role reflux has in otolaryngologic disease. Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPR) is a sub-class of Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is defined as symptoms and/or signs of esophageal or adjacent organ injury, secondary to the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus or beyond into the oral cavity or airways. LPR is classified based on organ damage extending up into the larynx and voice box. Because singers place great demands on their voice, they are particularly sensitive to even the slightest change in caused by peptic mucositis in the larynx. This poster presentation discusses exacerbating factors, extra-esophageal symptoms, pathophysiology, treatment and management of LPR for singers.
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    Teacher Perceptions of Cooperative Learning
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-01-13) Borger, Mary E.
    Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy implemented in classrooms in order to prepare students for the future. It enables students to work together to accomplish common learning goals while increasing their understanding of a given topic or concept. The purpose of this research was to learn what cooperative learning methods are most prevalent in elementary and secondary schools and the frequency of their implementation in order to draw correlations and observe trends in student preparation for the future. The researcher used a survey instrument to gather data from a sample comprised of approximately 401 current elementary and secondary teachers within Greenview Community Schools (GCS). In this study, Learning Together (LT) was the most commonly reported cooperative learning method utilized in elementary and secondary classrooms followed by Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT). This data aligned with the outcomes of previous research.
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    Microsatellite Markers for the Study of Mixed Mating in Hibiscus Aponeurus and H. Flavifolilus from Kenya
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-10) Gonzalez, Brenda; Duncan, Brittany; Yelibi, Cyrrille; Yuen, Stephen; Schnabel, Andrew
    In a mixed mating system, plants use both self- and cross-pollination to produce seeds. Observations of pollinator behavior from populations of two Kenyan Hibiscus species suggest that H. aponeurus uses self-pollination at higher rates than does the co-occurring H. flavifolius. To begin testing this hypothesis, we sought to develop a suite of variable genetic loci to use in measuring levels of selfing and outcrossing in natural populations. We tested five microsatellite primer pairs from each of four Hibiscus species for amplification in H. aponeurus and H. flavifolius. Eight loci were subsequently tested for genetic variation, but were found to be monomorphic in both species. Gene sequencing suggested that evolutionary changes within these loci could account for the lack of inter-individual variation.
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    Tackling terms and conditioning confusion: Sexual behavior and applied behavior analysis
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-10-09) Stein, Sorah
    When working within sexual health and with people who engage in varying topographies of sexual behavior, the first thing to remember is that sex is behavior: it’s something we do and it follows the same rules as all other topographies of behavior. The fields comprising sexual health care and sexual behavior research--sex therapy, sexuality education, sex research, and reproductive medicine--maintain a descriptive and evolving vernacular that is used by clinicians and academicians throughout. However, there are precious few who work to operationally define these terms in behavioral ways and then carry out research and treatment with a focus on behavior and its context instead of mental events. Whether considering the human sexual response cycle as identified by Masters and Johnson (1966), the incentive sequence model by Pfaus (1999), or the three- or four-term contingency model of behavior, we can predict the overall sequence of sexual behavior of an organism. While it is difficult for many reasons (Akins, 2004) and we thus typically proceed with caution when generalizing from non-human to human models in our attempts to learn more about sexual behavior (Pfaus et al., 2012), we can identify discrete patterns of activity in which both human and non-human animals engage between sexual arousal and satiety (Akins, 2004; Pfaus, 1999). However, it can become particularly confusing when assessing sexual behavior within the context of behavior analysis because sexual stimuli can serve multiple functions.
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    Rescuing the Function of Mutated Isocitrate Dehydrogenase
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-04-19) Strychalski, Joshua; Rizwan, Ahmed; Lubelski, Ryan
    Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1), an enzyme involved in the conversion of isocitrate into α-ketoglutarate, is an important enzyme in the citric acid cycle—a primary source of energy for the human body. A mutation in IDH1 disrupts its structure and overall functionality, leading to the high probability of developing aggressive brain tumors. In order to assess and repair this impairment, two synthetic binders, or FABs, were used to determine the effect on the activity of mutant IDH1. Comparison of the activities of these two different FABs revealed to what degree the activity of this enzyme was restored. The wild-type activity for IDH1 is greater than the activity of the mutant enzyme without the presence of any FABs. With the presence of FAB4, the activity was increased a significant degree. In comparison, FAB5 exhibits an opposite effect on the activity of the enzyme, lowering the enzyme’s activity considerably. FAB4 helped to bring the activity of mutated IDH1 closer to that of wild-type IDH1; from this result, it’s possible that FAB4 has the potential to lead to the development of a potential therapeutic agent.
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    Tattoos in the Workplace
    (Indiana University South Bend, 2013-04-19) Hilliker, Ashley
    Test the hypothesis that there is a stigma attached to individuals with tattoos in the workplace.