Category: 2020

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 .

Assessing Typology of Pre-Mazama Corner-notched Points in the Northern Great Basin

Presenter(s): Shelby Saper—Anthropology

Faculty Mentor(s): Dennis Jenkins

Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation

Some researchers support a “long-chronology” for corner-notched points in the Great Basin, with these points dating to as old as 8,500 cal BP . Opponents support a “short-chronology”, suggesting corner-notched points are younger than 5,000 cal BP . This debate suffers from the use of a variety of typological schemes, regional variability, and lack of buried sites . Corner-notched projectile points exhibiting atypical morphology from traditional types have been found in a well-stratified context associated with cultural features at the Connley Caves, Oregon . In this poster we apply a variety of typological schemes to these points and others found in contexts below Mount Mazama tephra (ca . 7630 cal BP) in Oregon to provide information on the typology and age of pre-Mazama corner-notched points in the northern Great Basin .

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 .

New Capabilities for Self-Driving Networks

Presenter(s): Nolan Rudolph—Computer Science

Faculty Mentor(s): Ramakrishnan Durairajan

Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation

Granted the annual trends in increasing internet usage, the University of Oregon Networking Research Group preemptively researches the concept of Self-Driving Networks (S-DNs) to create a self-remediating, high-performance network . In efforts of accomplishing this project, the lack of S-DN compatible software compels new research to be conducted on new capabilities for a self-driving network . In this project, we accomplish a light-weight visualization framework for flow level data accompanied by a scalable flow to packet generator usable by S-DNs .

Digital Infrastructure and Physical Displacement in Portland, Oregon.

Presenter(s): Marcella Rosen—Art and Technology

Faculty Mentor(s): David Rueter

Session 3: An Unprecedented Creative Work

In June 2018 the Portland City Council adopted Resolution 37371, which aims to implement programs that will transition Portland, OR, into a smart city . This thesis investigates Resolution 37371’s obscured relationship to large tech conglomerations such as Google and AT&T . It explores the financial incentives that drive corporations to hide their influence over the urban built environment, and the digital facades that are created in order to do so . Employing the work of contemporary artists such as Mishka Henner, Guy Debord, and Hito Steyerl, as well as contemporary theorists such as Shoshana Zuboff, Shannon Mattern, Maros Krivy and Orit Halpern . This thesis will build a framework for understanding the dangers of hidden profit-driven cybernetic urbanism that will inform better conceptualization of Resolution 37371, as well as contribute to the methodology of a web and video art piece that will be accessible and digitally circulatable .

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 .

Perception of Language and Gender

Presenter(s): Ava Reisman—Exploring

Co-Presenter(s): Cece Locati, Nico Sorensen, Hannah Hannley Faculty

Mentor(s): Melissa Baese-Berk

Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation

Communication is one of the main ways humans perceive one another . By engaging in a conversation, more detail is likely to form one’s perception of an individual . Linguistically, we can display a specific message to an audience and have it understood, but what are the other factors involved in one’s interpretation of the information received and how is it linked to gender? Throughout history, the physical form has been used to deplete the voice of intelligent speakers through societal bias against genders . Our focal point is an individual perception which we believe to be a product of traditional gender roles and most recently the pressures that outside sources like the media place on gender today . The end goal of our research is working towards an explanation of the biases that men and women face in both professional settings and in everyday life . By conducting our study we hope to help the community search for deeper equality between genders .

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 .