Tag: Poster 38

Effect of Loading Rates on Metatarsal Stress Fractures

Presenter: Howey Richard

Mentor: Li-Shan Chou

PM Poster Presentation

Poster 38

Metatarsal stress fractures (MSF) are some of the most common, most debilitating injuries that athletes experience. Most previous studies have focused on calculating the loading rates using the vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), with inconclusive results. The purpose of this study was to compare metatarsal loading rates in runners with retrospective history MSF and runners who have never sustained this kind of injury. This was done with ten runners, five with a history of MSF and five without. Plantar pressure measurements were collected using the FScan VersaTek wireless system. The runner ran on a treadmill at a self-selected speed that approximated their easy training pace. Thirty steps on each foot were recorded. The data was analyzed using the FScan Research software, then run through a custom LabView program that calculated the maximal force (MF), average vertical loading rate (AVLR), and instantaneous vertical loading rate (VILR). There were no differences in any of the dependent variables between the injured and non-injured feet of the MSF subjects and the matching feet of the control subjects. However, three of the five subjects did show significantly higher values for MF, AVLR, and VILR in the injured foot compared to the non-injured foot. Subject 5 also showed a significant difference between feet, but in the opposite way. These individualized responses, in combination with the small sample size, partially explain the lack of significance in the group analysis.

Bullying, Victim, and Aggressor: Past Experience versus Current Behavior

Presenter : Fushu Tan

Mentor : Holly Arrow

Major : Psychology

Poster 38

Bullying is the most common type of violence in American schools, and the consequences can persist into adulthood, affecting school achievement, prosocial skills, and psychological well-being for both victims and bullies. The current study examined whether past experience with bullying affects how likely college students are to intervene when someone they know is bullied. 120 college students (50 males, 70 females) completed a questionnaire that assessed their past experience with physical and relational aggression. They then read a scenario that asked them to imagine a real-life situation of bullying. Next, they decided whether they would intervene by contacting the aggressor, the victim, or both. Over 95% of participants reported some past experience as both aggressor and victim. Unexpectedly, males reported significantly more past experience as relational aggressors than females. Over half the participants said they would intervene by contacting both victim and bully. However, past victimization experience did not increase the likelihood of intervening. In fact, past experience scores tended to be somewhat lower for those who intervened. The only significant past experience predictor was that those who chose not to intervene at all tended to have more experience as a bully. The findings provide additional evidence that exposure to bullying often includes experience as both aggressor and victim, and that can complicate an un- derstanding of how this experience affects future decisions to intervene.

Examination of Foot Strike Patterns and Ankle Muscle Strength

Presenter: Chris Gronseth

Mentor: Li-Shan Chou

Poster: 38

Major: Human Physiology 

Recent research on foot and ankle injuries has initiated debates about the ideal foot strike position in running. This study chose to investigate whether ankle plantarflexion strength (PFS) or dorsiflexion strength (DFS) was related to a runner’s foot strike position at initial contact. Twenty-five subjects, who ran at least 20 miles per week, participated in the study and ran continuous laps of ~40 meters in the UO Motion Analysis Laboratory. Foot strike indices (FSI) were calculated for each limb (n=50) using center of pressure data obtained from three force plates located in series. Isometric PFS and DFS were collected using a Biodex System 3 dynamometer. A one-way ANOVA was used to test for differences between strength among forefoot, rearfoot, and midfoot strikers while a Pearson correlation analysis was used to test the strength of the relationship between FSI and both PFS and DFS. No differences in PFS (p = .44) or DFS (p = .64), were seen among groups. No significant correlations were found between FSI and PFS or between FSI and DFS, which indicates that there was no relationship between ankle muscle strength and foot strike indices. This study was limited by a relatively small sample size and subject self-selection of shoe type. To better understand the relationship between FSI and muscle strength, future studies should consider more subjects and the influence of knee and hip strength on foot strike patterns.

Differences in Functional Recovery Following Concussion between Males and Females

Presenter: Rachel Klas

Mentors: Li-Shan Chou and Quinn Peterson, Human Physiology

Poster: 38

Major: Human Physiology

Concussion, a brain trauma resulted from linear or rotational acceleration to the head, represents a majority of the traumatic brain injuries (TBI) sustained each year. To understand if there are recovery differences between males and females post-concussion, this research examined males and females with matched controls for two months following the injury. In this study, a 3-dimensional motion analysis system was used to observe the trajectory of 29 anatomical locations in order to determine the peak anterior velocity of each subject’s center of mass (COM, the point where the mass is equally distributed) and the medial-lateral COM sway. Symptom severity was assessed based on a 22-symptom inventory and a scale similar to the Likert scale for each symptom (ranking each symptom from 0-6). A three-way analysis of variance, or ANOVA, was performed to analyze the data in order to determine the effect of concussion, sex (male and female), time (72 hour, one week, two week, one month, and two month post-injury), and the interactions between these independent variables. It was revealed that males and females do not objectively differ in terms of the peak anterior COM velocity or COM medial-lateral displacement across the 2-month study, but that females reported more severe symptoms than males. The findings suggest that subjects of both sexes follow the same general gait balance recovery trends and that both sexes report heightened symptoms for at least two months after experiencing a concussion. Across all time points, females reported more symptoms than males, so either males are underreporting their symptoms or females are experiencing more symptoms than males.

Relieving Ukrainian Energy Reliance on Russia: Working with Wind for Prosperity to Encourage Energy Reform and Support New Relations with Western Europe

Presenter: Priscilla Sol

Faculty Mentor: Patricia Curtin

Presentation Type: Poster 38

Primary Research Area: Social Science

Major: English, French

The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia following the 2014 invasion of Crimea and other eastern Ukrainian territories has garnered attention and interest throughout the world. This project utilizes tenets of Public Diplomacy to strategically target problems of Ukrainian energy supply and dependence, and to help the country continue its gradual divestment from Russian resources. Through cooperation between Wind for Prosperity—a program which connects with investors and builds wind turbine mini-grids in rural locations—the US State Department, and federal and local governments in Ukraine, citizens will have access to reliable renewable energy and economic ties with Western Europe will be strengthened.

The first section of this project is a white paper establishing political, social, and economic history in Ukraine and clarifying the context for a renewable energy project. The second section is the strategic plan for the project which includes: overall goals, analyses of audience reception, long term objectives, strategies for garnering attention and support, and actual on-the-ground tactics to be implemented.

Ukraine is struggling to maintain its sovereignty over its people and territory. This project intends to support the movement towards economic independence from Russia, foster citizen involvement in developing renewable resources, and provide for energy needs in rural regions of Southern Ukraine.

Energetic Loss From the Use of Hole Scavengers to Measure Photoelectrochemical Cell Efficiency Limits

Presenter(s): Adrian Gordon − Chemistry

Faculty Mentor(s): Shannon Boettcher

Poster 38

Research Area: Natural/Physical Science

Funding: Vice President for Research and Innovation (VPRI) Undergraduate Fellowship

Photoelectrochemical cells, which split water into hydrogen, a clean fuel, and oxygen, have shown great potential for efficiently storing solar energy. In these cells, the oxygen evolution half reaction (OER) limits the efficiency of the entire solar water splitting process. Therefore, accurate OER efficiency measurements are critical in evaluating electrode catalyst materials. Currently efficiency is measured using solution species known as hole scavengers. These species are assumed to collect all photogenerated holes, and thus indicate the energy conversion efficiency of the system. However, this assumption does not hold true for an entire class of OER catalysts, including two promising catalysts, nickel and iron, because of their “conductivity switching” behavior. Hole scavengers introduce energetic losses in these electrodes.
To quantify these energetic losses, in situ electrical measurements were taken to isolate electronic properties of the catalyst from those of the semiconductor on model photoanodes. Dual Working Electrode technique was used to collect data on two model systems: silicon and hematite coated with impermeable and permeable catalysts, respectively. It was found that hole scavengers hold surface catalysts, such as Ni, in their reduced state, thus creating an extraction barrier for holes generated in the semiconductor, and lowering the efficiency of electrochemical cells.

The Influence of Fatty Acids on Maternal Behavior: Kearns NC, Heierle JA, Gustafsson HC, Nousen EK, Nigg JT, Sullivan EL

Presenter(s): Jessica Heierle

Co Presenter(s): Nora Kearns

Faculty Mentor(s): Elinor Sullivan & Hanna Gustaffsson

Poster 38

Session: Sciences

Several human studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acid intake is associated with positive mental health outcomes in young mothers, though their influence on maternal behavior remains unexplored. Recent rodent research on omega-3 adequate and deficient mice showed that omega-3 adequate mothers displayed more nurturing behaviors. Omega-3s are known to have anti-inflammatory properties which is a potential mechanism for their effect on mental health. Limited evidence exists on the influence of anti-inflammatory FAs and maternal behavior. This study tested the hypothesis that plasma omega-3 FAs and a high omega-3:6 ratio would positively influence maternal behavior. Ten minute free-play interactions from 62 mother-infant pairs were videotaped and maternal behavior was coded using a well-validated scheme. Maternal FA levels were measured in plasma collected during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Spearman’s correlations were calculated using SPSS. We found significant positive correlations between omega-3 FAs and maternal sensitivity/responsiveness (r=0.533, p=0.004) and the composite sensitive parenting score (r=0.366, p=0.047). We also found a significant positive correlation between the omega-3:6 ratio and sensitivity/responsiveness (r=0.451, p=0.031), and a negative correlation between total PUFA levels and intrusiveness (r=-0.454, p=0.020). These results indicate that omega-3 consumption and a high omega-3:6 ratio may contribute to improved maternal mood and behavior. If supported by additional studies, these findings suggest that a diet high in omega-3s could benefit maternal mental health and, through improvements in maternal behavior, the infant offspring.