Tag: Poster 24

Interactions Between ihha and mef2ca in Bone Development

Presenters: Ashlin Larsen, Tyler R. Huycke and Charles B. Kimmel

Mentor: Charles Kimmel

PM Poster Presentation

Poster 24

Bones form through the differentiation of mesenchymal cells into bone-forming osteoblasts, and multiple genes regulate this process in order to ensure proper bone size and shape. Myocyte enhancer factor 2ca (mef2ca) encodes a transcription factor that negatively regulates development of the opercle (Op), a craniofacial bone of the zebrafish. Loss of mef2ca can lead to ectopic bone growth along the antero-ventral edge of the Op, yet the developmental mechanism underlying this process is unclear. We tested whether indian hedgehog a (ihha), a positive regulator of Op development acting in the same region of bone that mef2ca negatively regulates, is required for the complete ectopic bone growth seen in mef2ca mutants. With fluorescent in situ hybridization we show that expression of ihha and ptch1, a downstream target of active Hedgehog signaling, is present in ectopic bone growth of mef2ca mutants, suggesting that mef2ca may regulate Ihha signaling to pattern bone. Furthermore, analysis of mef2ca; ihha double mutant larvae reveals many ventrally reduced bones that resemble ihha single mutants; however, many also display the mef2ca mutant phenotype. Therefore, although Ihha is required for certain mef2ca mutant phenotypes, it is not imperative to induce expansion of bone in mef2ca mutants, and thus mef2ca must im- pose its negative regulation of bone development by acting through distinct gene networks in addition to the Hedgehog pathway.

Reoccurring Goal Monitoring Display Design: Effects on Completion Rates, Motivation, and Emo- tional Affect

Presenter : Molly Martini

Mentor : Sara Hodges

Major : Psychology

Poster 24

Reoccurring goals, such as exercising every other day, are important for health and work-life balance, yet seem to be quickly disre- garded as soon as other deadlines and daily stressors enter our lives. Given that information presentation affects how one processes and acts upon the information, could a different display design other than a standard weekly planner increase an individual’s chances of completing his or her goals? Specifically, could a visual object display lead to increased motivation and more goal completions com- pared to a text based display? Three different goal monitoring tools were created to answer this question: an Android app that shows goals as squares that visually stretch out as goal deadlines approach, another Android app that lists the goals and their deadlines by text, and a paper planner consisting of two calendar weeks. Participants were randomly assigned one of these three tools and asked to monitor their own reoccurring goals for two weeks, completing nightly questionnaires asking about motivation level, goal completion, and affect. It is predicted that the visual app will lead to more goal completions, higher motivation, and higher levels of both positive and negative affect compared to the two text conditions. Data analysis has yet to take place, but will be completed by May 16, 2013. Importantly, the study may suggest new ways in which display design can be utilized to help people achieve personal reoccurring goals.

Captive Female Bonobos (Pan paniscus) Tend to Be More Social during Tool Use than Males

Presenter: Daniel Goodkin-Gold

Mentors: Stephen Frost and Frances White, Anthropology

Poster: 24

Major: Anthropology 

Tool use occurs in several non-human species. Within the genus Pan, chimpanzees (P. troglodytes) exhibit tool use in both the wild and captivity. Tool use in bonobos (P. pansiscus) has been documented in captivity and suggested to occur in the wild. Recent comparative studies of chimpanzees and gorillas propose that social tolerance may facilitate the acquisition of tool use behavior. We previously reported that captive bonobos use tools in smaller social groups than gorillas and chimpanzees, which suggests that the number of neighbors does not play an integral role in tool use acquisition in bonobos. Here we investigate sex and age differences in these small social groups. Data were collected between June and August 2011. Subjects were 16 bonobos housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where an artificial termite mound was placed in their outdoor exhibit and baited daily. All occurrences of tool use at the mound and of the individuals present were videotaped and coded. Party size and composition were later determined for each fishing bout. Females fished in larger groups (avg.=1.8 individuals) than males (avg.=1.3 individuals) (n=9, F=4.38, p<0.05). While there was no difference between adult and subadult males, adult females fished in significantly larger groups than subadult females (n=5, F=26.03, p < 0.0001). These results support previous knowledge of bonobo sociality in that females are more socially cohesive and males tend to be more solitary.

Trends of Female Representation in Disney Princess Movies

Presenter: Anna Lind

Faculty Mentor: John Park, Barbara Mossberg

Presentation Type: Poster 24

Primary Research Area: Design

Major: Digital Arts

The Disney Princess franchise, since its formation in 2000, has become a staple of American girlhood. The princess phenomenon has caused many to question the impact that Disney Princesses have on American culture. Since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Disney Princess films have steadily become more progressive in the ways they portray their heroines. However, because Walt Disney Studios takes a corporate approach to storytelling that prioritizes profitability, Disney Princesses still conform to trends of female misrepresentation in popular media.

For my honors college thesis project I decided to track how the fairy tale heroine is depicted over time. Looking at a total of nine films that span from Snow White to Tangled, I created my own set of criteria to quantify the main character’s agency in her own story. These categories include total percentage of screen time, number of Progressive Actions, and how many times the protagonist rescues other characters or herself. Female representation in Disney’s animated princess movies did get better over time, however, the trends that have persisted correlate to the broader struggles of female representation in the media. The princesses still conform to a very rigid standard of beauty and are out spoken by the male characters in their films. To respond to this lack of positive representation I will be responding to my research with concept art for a Disney-esque animated fairy tale adaption. Fairy tale adaptions have the power to reinforce cultural conventions or break them down, and my retelling will challenge current conventions by showing an example of female representation I would like to see in future of Disney films and popular media.

The Effects of a Fatiguing Run on Hip Abductor Muscle Strength and Pelvic Kinematics

Presenter(s): Hao Tan − Human Physiology

Co Presenter(s): Colin Lipps

Faculty Mentor(s): Li-Shan Chou, JJ Hannigan

Poster 24

Research Area: Natural/Physical Science

Funding: UROP Mini-Grant, Sue Grigsby Scholarship, William and Marjorie Shearon Memorial Scholarship

Existing literature has identified several risk factors for the development of lower limb pathologies in recreational runners, including hip abductor muscle strength deficits as well as abnormal patterns in pelvic running kinematics. Studies have indicated that hip abductor muscles play a role in stabilizing the hip during running and that hip abductor strength deficits are associated with the development of overuse injuries as well as abnormal pelvic kinematics while performing tasks upright. However, the relationship between hip abductor strength deficits and abnormal pelvic kinematics while running remains unclear. This study intends to clarify the relationship between hip abductor muscle fatigue and associated pelvic kinematic changes in healthy runners by implementing a novel 30-minute lactate threshold treadmill run as a fatigue protocol while investigating pelvic kinematic changes at 7 equidistant time points over the course of the protocol. In terms of analyzing pelvic kinematics, this study implemented a dynamical systems approach, analyzing the variability of Trunk-Pelvis and Pelvis- Thigh segment couplings in the 3 anatomical planes, as well as an analysis of individual pelvic kinematic variables, specifically pelvic drop, hip adduction, trunk lean, and hip internal rotation. 23 subjects, between the ages of 18 – 40 who have not sustained major running related injuries and regularly run at least 20 miles a week, participated in this study. Participants performed a triplet of hip abductor muscle maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) to establish a baseline and a post-fatigue strength assessment before and after a 30-minute fatiguing run, during which kinematic changes were assessed. Using a significance threshold of 0.05, it was found that hip abductor strength decreased significantly following the fatigue protocol (p < 0.0001) while pelvic drop significantly increased following the fatigue protocol (p < 0.001). No significant changes were observed in trunk lean, hip adduction, or hip internal rotation. The results of a repeated measures one-way ANOVA used on the entire participant pool indicated that there were no significant changes in variability between the 7-time points for both Trunk-Pelvis and Pelvis-Thigh coupled segments in the three anatomical planes. However, paired t-tests indicated that female participants experienced a significant decrease in variability within the sagittal plane of Pelvis-Thigh (p < 0.001) coupled segments and the frontal plane of Trunk-Pelvis (p < 0.01) coupled segments following the fatigue protocol. The experimental results indicate that a 30-minute lactate threshold treadmill run is an effective method of inducing hip abductor fatigue and potential increases in pelvic drop. Additionally, the findings of the dynamical systems approach used implicates that females may be more prone to lower limb overuse pathologies, which is consistent with the experimental findings of past studies.

Preliminary Identification of fungi presenting on the surface of decomposing porcine heads

Presenter(s): Jennifer Nelson

Faculty Mentor(s): Jeanne McLaughlin

Poster 24

Session: Sciences

Taphonomy is the study of events and processes that affect remains of an organism after death. It is an essential component of medico-legal death investigations and can be used to reconstruct the events leading up to the death as well as time since death. Although fungus is a known decomposer, very little research has been published in relation to the identification and morphology of fungi found on decomposing flesh, which is a potential source of data for estimation of PMI (post mortem interval). The purpose of this study is to identify and indicate the morphology of the fungi found on three Sus scrofa (pig) heads, as pigs are a commonly used proxy for human cadavers in the field of forensic taphonomy. Skin samples with visible fungal growth were taken from the heads of three separate pigs in the same outdoor enclosure, however, each head has exposure to differing amounts of sunlight. Methodology for identification includes culture media for growth and microscopic examination to identify and compare morphological features. The identification of numerous different fungi and growth patterns on decomposing flesh may be useful as an independent line of evidence for establishing PMI and gain ecological information regarding a scene. There has been limited attempts to identify saprophytic fungi on decomposing flesh, and none to this researcher’s knowledge in the Pacific Northwest. This study attempts to identify potentially significant species for further study.

Primary results pending.

Primary conclusion pending.

Significance pending.