JUNIOR ABSTRACTS
Rachna Burman
Oxygen Levels and the Effects on Hypoxic Tumor Cells
Tumor hypoxia is a pathological condition that occurs when tumor cells have been
deprived of oxygen. As the tumor grows, it rapidly outgrows its blood supply, leaving regions of
the tumor with a significantly lower oxygen concentration as compared to normal tissue. It has
been reported that hypoxia is caused by an increase in the proliferation of tumor tissue, causing a
higher cell density, thus decreasing the oxygen level. Apoptosis, programmed cell death,
typically occurs for these cells. The presence of Hypoxia-Inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) within
these cells measures the amount of apoptosis, therefore monitoring the oxygen level. With this
knowledge, future research will attempt to find a way to manipulate the oxygen level in order to
help cure tumor hypoxia since it is resistant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Kelly Corrigan
Polyamine Depletion in Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a pediatric nerve cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system
(SNS). It is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common
cancer in infancy. Neuroblastomas are neuroendocrine tumors that arise from the neural crest
elements of the SNS. Previous studies have investigated neuroblastomas’ response to polyamine
depletion. Polyamines are organic compounds that have two or more primary amino groups:
purticine, spermidine, and spermine. These molecules are essential for cell growth. MYCN is an
oncogene that is amplified in high-risk neuroblastomas. Future research will investigate
polyamine depletion involving MYCN amplified cells and their interaction with chemotherapy.
Dana Hemlall
Autophagy in T cell Survival and Proliferation
Macrophagy, further known as autophagy, is a well conserved intracellular degradation
process. It plays an important role in the regulation of cell survival, metabolism, and the
lysosomal degradation of cytoplasmic material. Autophagy occurs in T lymphocytes and
contributes to the regulation of their cellular function, including survival and proliferation.
Researchers in the past who examined cells lacking autophagy genes Atg5 and Atg7 have
demonstrated that autophagy plays an essential role in cell survival during starvation. Present and
future studies are testing Atg7 for the survival of mature primary T lymphocytes.
Tino Illiparambil
Alzheimer’s Disease and VEGF
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) gradually deteriorates the brain. Past studies have shown that
plaques and tangles inside the brain block communication, thus killing nerve cells. Vascular
endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important signaling protein in angiogenesis and
vasculogenesis. VEGF, which is stimulated through epilepsy and exercise under normoxic
conditions, has been recognized as an important neuroprotectant in the central nervous system.
Future research will implicate the use of VEGF in animals with AD to determine if the expiring
neurons will be strengthened.
Matthew Kraljic
The Joined Wing Morphing Micro Air Vehicle
One of the goals of modern aeronautical engineers is to develop a small and efficient
aircraft. This small aircraft is referred to as a Micro Air Vehicle. Two radical conceptual
designs have recently been introduced to be incorporated into the Micro Air Vehicle. One of
these is the morphing wing. This system bends or flexes the entire wing in order to allow the
aircraft to turn or pitch up and down, thus eliminating the need for flight surfaces. The other
concept is that of the joined wing. This design maximizes the lifting surface by attaching the
Vertical Stabilizer to the leading edge of the wing. It is believed that this will provide for a more
stable aircraft with a greater lift capability.
Adrienne Kurtz
Nickel: A Human Carcinogen
The high conservation in gene function between yeast genes and their human homologues
has allowed for Saccharomyces cerevisiae to be used as a model organism to deduce biological
processes in human cells. A systematic screen of the entire set of 4,733 S. cerevisiae gene
deletion strains, the entire set of nonessential genes, has been performed to study the cell's
response upon exposure to nickel sulfate. In the screen, 111 genes with human homologues
whose deletion caused sensitivity to nickel sulfate and 72 genes with human homologues whose
deletion conferred resistance were identified. The results shed light on previously underestimated
molecular pathways associated with the cellular response of eukaryotic cells to nickel and
provide potential implications for understanding the toxic and carcinogenic effects of nickel to
humans.
Olivia Leach
The Relationship between the Emergence of Stone-Tool Technology and Human
Dispersal Worldwide during the Stone Age
The Stone Age was a prehistoric time period during which early humans began using
stone tool technology. This tool-crafting ability distinguishes humans from other primates. The
distribution of raw materials in the region in which a group of early humans lived, impacted the
form, functionality and composition of their stone tools. It has been found that a major
population expansion could have caused the emergence of stone tool technology and that early
humans selected materials for stone tools at distances far from their settlements. These factors
could have influenced the dispersal of early humans out of Africa. Future research will further
investigate the relationship between the emergence of stone tool use and human dispersal
throughout the world.
Elizabeth Matamoros
Programming Deoxyribozymes in Interactive Game Play
Molecular automata incorporate deoxyribozymes, which are strands of deoxyribonucleic
acids, in solution to gameplay. These deoxyribozymes act as logic gates by their activation and
inactivation thought the addition of inputs and molecular beacons that inhibit the binding of
substrates. The combination of multiple gates in solution allows for a decision making-like
capability, observable through fluorescence. A human player is able to compete with these
molecules in familiar games like tic-tac-toe. Future research will attempt to incorporate these
logic gates in the human system for disease diagnosis and intelligent drug delivery.
Shraddha Prabhu
Synesthesia: Interactions in Speeded Classifications
Synesthesia means “joined sensation,” in which two or more senses are coupled together.
Past experiments, implements reaction time as a means to study this rare condition. Reaction
time is the time between the presentation of a stimulus and its response. In one experiment,
subjects had to respond to a tone and the positioning of a dot. It was found out that classification
by positioning was faster than classification by pitch. In another study, subjects received a
sound-light stimulus. It was concluded that as the pitch increased and the light got brighter,
reaction times increased. Future research will focus on investigating one stimulus concurrently
presented with another. This will ultimately contribute to an understanding of the interaction of
stimuli and its effect on human response.
Shelly-Ann Rohitsingh
The Origin and Significance of Communication and Social Bonding between Mother and Child
Social bonds are made up of numerous subsystems mediating the overall social
relationships that develop between infants and their caretakers. One subsystem, the value and
response of communication, has been an unknown factor throughout the research and study of
social relationships. Past studies reveal that infant rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USV’s) in a
variety of situations, including a response to isolation, physical manipulation, and thermal
olfactory challenge. Although the definition may seem of narrow interest, future research lies in
the growing belief that studying ultrasonic vocalizations has applicability for the study of the
origins of early life social relationships in many species.
Kathyrn Ruffini
Perceptions of ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that mostly occurs in
young children between the ages of seven to eleven years old. ADHD prohibits a person from
staying focused for long periods of time. It has recently been found that ADHD can occur in
young adolescents as opposed to only younger children. Past studies have shown that college
students with symptoms of ADHD tend to be more aggressive toward peers in their environment.
Current studies are investigating professor, peer, and parent perceptions of adolescents in
conjunction with ADHD. Future studies will examine how these perceptions correlate to other
factors such as varied familial and social interactions.
Carlos Sanchez
Synthesis and Incorporation of Unnatural Amino Acids into Cyanovirin
Proteins are the result of polypeptide synthesis through amino acids during the process of
mRNA translation. Varied sequences of amino acids yield different proteins, each with distinct
chemical and physical properties. Scientists are now looking to broaden the scope of possible
proteins synthesized from amino acids by creating unnatural amino acids with similar and
different chemical properties to natural amino acids. Cyanovirin is the protein that binds the
sugar structures on the outside of the HIV virus and prevents cellular entry. By synthesizing and
incorporating unnatural amino acids into the cyanovirin and creating a “chain” of them, scientists
may perhaps yield a more efficient and effective method for HIV inhibition.
Kathy Schnurr
Music Cognition and the Human Brain
The human brain is a complex machine, the product of millions of years of evolution that
enables carbon-based life-forms to think, feel, and act. Two of its many advanced capabilities are
to produce and to be affected by music. Specific areas of the brain have been indicated in
processing and understanding musical auditory input, those of which are also known to process
language and higher reasoning subjects like logic and math. Music can therefore fully engage the
brain intellectually, but is unique in its ability to capture intellect, psyche, and auditory
awareness. Through analytical tests of pitch, memory, logic, language and mathematical
reasoning, individuals can be tested in the future to determine if this potentially higher
neurological functioning truly exists. By exploring these abilities, it is perhaps possible to
harness the horsepower of this intricate machine to positively affect human beings.
Rita Tautonico
The Relationship between Childhood Fears and Learning Experiences
Nighttime fears are normal reactions to real or imagined threats at night, and have been since
460–370 BC. Most children and adolescents appear to overcome or outgrow fears; however,
others experience persistent and severe fears that interfere with their daily functioning and cause
much discomfort for both the child/adolescent and family. In relation to the origins of childhood
fears, there is convincing evidence for the contribution of a genetic factor. Although it was
originally thought that fears occurred predominantly in very young children, recent research has
shown that these fears are also reported frequently by older children. Rachman’s three pathways
theory may provide a useful framework for studying the origins of children’s fears. According to
this theory, there are three types of discrete yet overlapping learning experiences that may play a
critical role in the acquisition of fears: [1] aversive classical conditioning, [2] modeling (i.e.,
vicarious learning) and [3] negative information transmission. These pathways imply that parents
can really affect the fears of children. Future research will investigate the role of a family’s
lifestyle on the type and severity of childhood fears and nightmares.
Stephanie Tuminello
Co-sleeping and the Associated Risks: Implications for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, is the sudden and unexplainable death of an
infant under 1 year of age. A SIDS death is believed to be the culmination of 3 separate criteria,
a critical developmental period, a vulnerable infant, and a hazardous environment. New research
indicates that the practice of co-sleeping with an infant is indeed dangerous for a baby, especially
one with biological sensitivity to hypoxic stress. Bedsharing leads to a higher thermal
temperature and increased CO2 inhalation, risks associated with SIDS. Also dangerous is the
physical presence of the mother, who while sleeping with her baby, poses a threat of overlaying,
leading to the infant’s suffocation and death. Future research will focus on reported cases of
infant deaths that are associated with bedsharing, highlighting specific events and trends
implicative of sudden infant death. Such data and its analysis will hopefully give credence to the
growing school of thought, which states that bedsharing is a risk factor for SIDS and, in doing so,
help to initiate a preventative campaign against it.
Tiffany Varughese
Sickle Cell Disease and its Relationship to Pulmonary Hypertension and Hemolysis
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin,
which results in sickled cells and the consequent adhesion of blood to endothelial walls. Past
research has proven that pulmonary hypertension (PH) in SCD is a major cause of morbidity and
mortality. Hemolysis, which is the breakage of the red blood cell’s membrane, causes the release
of the hemoglobin and other internal components responsible for delivering oxygen throughout
the body. Elevated tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRJV) was found to be significantly
increased by hemolysis and to predict high systolic pulmonary artery pressure and early
mortality in adults with sickle cell disease. These findings and future research may help
researchers to determine the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension and to address whether
elevated TRJV may indicate future complications.