Category: Oral Presentation

The Correlation Between Stigma Stemming from HIV and Antiretroviral Packaging: Design Recommendations for Introducing Discrete Packaging for Adolescents in Western Kenya

Presenter(s): Arden Saravis—International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Clare Evans

Session 1: Time for Your Check-Up—Decolonizing Global Health

Failure to adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) persists in exponentially large numbers in the adolescent population in Western Kenya . The presence of stigma surrounding HIV heavily contributes to this immense prevalence in society . Adolescents living with HIV fear premature disclosure to
their peers, so many choose to not bring their ARTs in public and even hide them in their homes . We assessed perceptions of the ART pill bottle/pill to see if this contributes to non-adherence and discussed ideas on changing the bottle or developing a new, discrete pill casing . We conducted nine key informant interviews among professionals who work with adolescents and young adults living with HIV and conducted four focus group discussions with 42 adolescents living with HIV at a hospital in Western Kenya . We found that currently, because of the pill bottle, many adolescents and young adults remove their pills and place them in other items, reducing pill potency, however the results include proposed ideas and designs for an alternative pill bottle that they will use and confirmed that their adherence would increase if these such items were implemented .

Murderess in the Headlines

Presenter(s): Erin Sandvold—English

Faculty Mentor(s): Heidi Kaufman

Session 3: Pens & Clicks are Mightier than the Sword

Crime has permeated society and stimulated generations with stories of mystery, grotesque motives, and gruesome scenes . Crimes from over a hundred years ago still draw our interest as we seek to find answers to the basic question we ask at any tragedy: why? While our modern perspectives have given us tremendous insight into the minds of various criminals and murderers, I wish to explore how journalists of the early twentieth century and contemporary podcasts present these cases to the general public . Murder and storytelling about murder have always been present in society, but the early twentieth century featured these stories on the pages of newspapers with blazing headlines on the front pages . These sensationalized headlines continue to inform researchers and storytellers as they remake true crime stories for new audiences . My project will focus on two murderesses: Belle Gunness (1859-1908) and Amy Archer-Gilligan (1873-1962) . On the surface, these women appeared to live ordinary and productive lives . Yet, in distinct ways, they both pushed against the societal norms of domestic femininity to become sensational figures in the American press . My discussion of these case studies will focus on the role of gender in the legends about their crimes . While I will begin with newspapers published immediately following the discovery of their criminal acts, discussions will extend to later versions of storytelling about these women . Hence, I will subsequently consider the ways that later versions of these legends respond to shifting gender constructions over time .

Defining the roles of conserved DNA repair complexes in maintenance of C. elegans meiotic genome integrity

Presenter(s): Alina Salagean—Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Erik Toraason, Diana Libuda

Session 3: The Substance of Us

Most organisms utilize meiosis, a specialized form of cell division, to produce reproductive cells such as sperm and eggs . Failure to maintain genomic integrity during meiosis can result in serious diseases, including infertility and cancer . The Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes 5/6 complex (SMC-5/6), its E3 SUMO ligase subunit NSE-2, and the BRCA1/BARD1 heterodimer are conserved protein complexes implicated in ensuring accurate meiotic DNA repair and are known to genetically interact . However, the specific mechanisms by which these proteins interact to preserve genome integrity is unknown . To determine the NSE-2 specific and NSE-2 independent meiotic functions of the SMC-5/6 complex in meiotic DSB repair, we utilized immunofluorescence imaging and a mortal germline phenotype assay to assess smc-5 and nse-2 C . elegans mutants . Our findings suggest a separation of function within the SMC-5/6 complex, which performs NSE-2 dependent functions promoting efficient meiotic DSB repair and NSE-2 independent functions in preservation of germline immortality . Finally, to define epistatic relationships between BRC-1/BRD-1, SMC-5/6, and NSE-2 in DNA repair, we assessed the germline sensitivity to exogenous DNA damage by scoring the brood viability of pairwise brc-1, smc-5, and nse-2 double mutants . These data reveal that exogenous DNA damage repair is differentially regulated within meiotic prophase I and implicate SMC-5/6 as a central regulator of both NSE-2 and BRC-1 dependent DSB repair . Taken together, our research defines fundamental genetic mechanisms and interactions preserving genomic integrity .

Defining the roles of conserved DNA repair complexes in maintenance of C. elegans meiotic genome integrity

Presenter(s): Alina Salagean—Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Erik Toraason, Diana Libuda

Session 6: Interact & React

Most organisms utilize meiosis, a specialized form of cell division, to produce reproductive cells such as sperm and eggs . Failure to maintain genomic integrity during meiosis can result in serious diseases, including infertility and cancer . The Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes 5/6 complex (SMC-5/6), its E3 SUMO ligase subunit NSE-2, and the BRCA1/BARD1 heterodimer are conserved protein complexes implicated in ensuring accurate meiotic DNA repair and are known to genetically interact . However, the specific mechanisms by which these proteins interact to preserve genome integrity is unknown . To determine the NSE-2 specific and NSE-2 independent meiotic functions of the SMC- 5/6 complex in meiotic DSB repair, we utilized immunofluorescence imaging and a mortal germline phenotype assay to assess smc-5 and nse-2 C . elegans mutants . Our findings suggest a separation of function within the SMC-5/6 complex, which performs NSE-2 dependent functions promoting efficient meiotic DSB repair and NSE-2 independent functions in preservation of germline immortality . Finally, to define epistatic relationships between BRC-1/BRD-1, SMC-5/6, and NSE-2 in DNA repair, we assessed the germline sensitivity to exogenous DNA damage by scoring the brood viability of pairwise brc-1, smc-5, and nse-2 double mutants . These data reveal that exogenous DNA damage repair is differentially regulated within meiotic prophase I and implicate SMC-5/6 as a central regulator of both NSE-2 and BRC-1 dependent DSB repair . Taken together, our research defines fundamental genetic mechanisms and interactions preserving genomic integrity .

Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Ensures Robust Skeletal Growth and Patterning During Zebrafish Fin Regeneration

Presenter(s): Bryson Tyler Ricamona—Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Scott Stewart, Kryn Stankunas

Session 5: The Bonds that Make Us

After amputation zebrafish regenerate their fins back to the correct size and shape . Fin bone regeneration is driven by an endogenous “stem cell” population generated by dedifferentiation of mature osteoblasts at the amputation site . The resulting osteo-progenitors both self-renew and re-differentiate until regeneration is complete . Yet it is unknown how mature osteoblasts reprogram and change gene expression patterns upon dedifferentiation . Recent in mammal work links chromatin function and covalent modification of histones to cellular potency and differentiation . Ezh1 and Ezh2 are key subunits of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) that tri-methylates lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) to maintain repressed states of developmental regulatory genes in mammals . To test if PRC2 is required for dedifferentiation during fin regeneration we analyzed regeneration in ezh1 and ezh2 mutant zebrafish . Here we show that, although ezh1-/-; ezh2+/- mutant fins regenerated largely to the same size as wildtype, they display notable defects in bone patterning . These defects, including the formation of large bony plates and the fusion of adjacent rays occur within 5 days post-amputation suggesting PRC2 is needed for a relatively early phase of regeneration . Such defects are exacerbated when PRC2 mutants are subjected to a second round of amputation in the regenerated region, possibly due to an increased amount of cells with abnormal H3K27me3 levels leading to dysregulation of gene expression . This suggests that PRC2 is a necessary regulator in the lineage specific osteoblast pathway during regeneration due to observations of abnormal bony ray morphology .

Utilizing Behavioral and Molecular Techniques to Study Gap Junction Channels in Developing Zebrafish

Presenter(s): Laura Reich—Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Rachel Lukowicz, Adam Miller

Session 5: The Bonds that Make Us

Animal behavior requires coordination between the nervous and muscular systems . These systems communicate at specialized subcellular structures, found within and between systems, that allow the cells to coordinate their activity to achieve movement . One type of communication arises from gap junction channels (GJCs), which are built by the Connexin (Cx) family of proteins that allow for direct ionic and small molecule exchange between interconnected cells . The GJC family is large with up to 20 individual genes encoded in the human genome . Given this complexity, it is unknown how individual Cxs contribute to behavior . We are using the embryonic zebrafish to address this question due to its rapid development, genetic access, and its first behavior, spontaneous coiling, which requires GJCs . We first identified Cxs that were likely to contribute to coiling using a combination of RNA-seq and RNA detection in vivo and found a previously uncharacterized Cx, Cx46 .8, expressed in slow muscle fibers . To understand Cx46 .8’s involvement in coiling, we developed an automated behavioral tracking system, using DeepLabCuts (DLC), to track movement during spontaneous coiling . Using this system, we found that animals lacking Cx46 .8 have defects in coiling, indicating that we have identified a novel Cx that contributes to behavior . Further experimentation will utilize DLC, in addition to molecular techniques, to unravel the molecular and functional mechanisms of Cx46 .8 and other Cxs that contribute to GJC communication in behavior .

Lobodon carcinophaga: Evolutionary constraints on the spatial variability of crabeater seal postcanine teeth for successful filter-feeding foraging strategies

Presenter(s): Megan Pollak—Earth Sciences—Paleontology

Faculty Mentor(s): Kellum Tate-Jones

Session 6: The Earth, Sky & Everything In Between

Pinnipeds, the group that includes true seals, eared seals, and walruses, generally display highly variable tooth spacing . Previous studies have credited this variability to the typical pinniped feeding mechanism, a combination of suction feeding and pierce feeding known as the “grab-and-gulp” method, which does not require precise dental occlusion . However, the crabeater seal (i .e ., Lobodon carcinophaga) is unique among pinnipeds as a filter-feeder . The distinct sieve-like postcanine tooth processes such as high-cuspation and intricate trellis-like morphology allow the crabeater seal to effectively strain small krill from the water . I hypothesize that individuals in this group with unevenly spaced teeth are unlikely to survive ecological pressures and are thus removed from the population by natural selection, leading to lesser variation in crabeater seal tooth spacing than in grab-and-gulp feeders . I test this hypothesis by assessing whether the distinctive feeding method of the crabeater seal constrains tooth spacing by comparing the variability in tooth gaps of crabeater seals to that of bearded seals (i .e ., Erignathus barbatus) . I measured the tooth gaps between the postcanine teeth of 21 specimens of L . carcinophaga and 11 specimens of E . barbatus . I then performed an F test of equal variance on these two datasets . I found that crabeater seal tooth gaps are significantly less variable in spacing than those of bearded seals . This result supports my hypothesis that natural selective processes have generated evolutionary constraints for lower variability in tooth spacing in the filter- feeder, L . carcinophaga, than in grab-and-gulp feeders such as E . barbatus .

Meeting Needs and Reclaiming Communal Autonomy: Post-Conflict Community Organizing in Rural Colombia

Presenter(s): Sarah Pishioneri—Political Science

Session 4: Cultural Considerations—The Other

This presentation details community organizing practices that work to rebuild a social framework devastated by armed conflict in Caño Berruguita, a rural village in the Montes de Maria region of northwestern Colombia . Through an exploratory analysis of this particular community’s post- conflict experience and by looking more broadly at the rural reform efforts by governmental bodies and nongovernmental organizations, this presentation highlights local organizing efforts as the primary means of Colombian communities to reclaim their communal dignity and assert their territorial autonomy . The findings of this work are primarily sourced from a 10-day field study in Caño Berruguita, and secondarily from varying peace and conflict contexts provided in a 4-week intensive study program in Cartagena, Colombia . Results show that while structural organizations, projects, partnerships, and goals of informal and formal community groups not only rebuild, but embolden rural communities, community leaders themselves face significant risk by engaging in this work .

Characterizing the relationship between bacterial motility and range expansion

Presenter(s): Noah Pettinari—Physics

Faculty Mentor(s): Raghuveer Parthasarathy

Session 5: To the Moon and Back—Relativity Matters

Self-propelled organisms were first observed under the microscope over 300 years ago . Since then, great strides have been made in characterizing the mechanisms behind motile behavior in bacteria, but current models relating cellular motility to bulk range expansion have not been rigorously tested . To better characterize the relationship between these micro- and macroscale patterns, our research is focused on the analysis of images collected via light sheet fluorescence microscopy of bacterial cells and macroscopic imaging of range expansion . Preliminary results have suggested disagreements between predicted rates of range expansion and cellular motility . Further data and analysis is needed to confirm these results . These findings may highlight the need for the consideration of spatial structure or the possibility of unknown mechanisms in current models .

Hogs and Hazelnuts: resolving conflict between oak conservation and organic agriculture

Presenter(s): Calvin Penkauskas—Environmental Science and Biology

Faculty Mentor(s): Alejandro Brambila, Lauren Hallett

Session 2: Oregon Trails

The Oregon hazelnut industry makes up over 99% of domestic production and 4% worldwide . The key economic pest of hazelnuts in the Pacific Northwest is filbertworm and population sinks are located in nearby oak habitat . This is of concern because there is only 5% of oak habitat left in the Willamette Valley, which is mostly on private agricultural land, and oaks are an important keystone species . Here, I present a case study of a novel strategy to reconcile this conflict by using domesticated pigs (hogs) to reduce pest pressure in surrounding native oak habitat . I investigated the use of hogs to glean filbertworm infested acorns from an oak woodland floor, the effects on the mating population, and the subsequent proportion of infested acorns . My results demonstrate that grazing in oak patches can be an effective method to reduce filbertworm pest populations . While hog silvopasture has potential to be an effective biological pest control method, this practice will only be implemented widely if hazelnut farmers are receptive to the benefits it can provide . Furthermore, in addition to supporting diverse and sustainable farm operations, silvopasturing hogs in oak patches can benefit oak conservation goals by converting them from a landowner’s liability into an asset . Since this novel pest management approach seeks to regionally benefit both environmental concerns and farmers, this example provides a model for similar challenges and conflicts where agricultural and wildlands interact in the same landscape .