GSC Scholars Forum 2013 Abstract Guidelines PRESENTERS MUST FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES, NO EXCEPTIONS ABSTRACTS DUE FEB 1, 2013 11:59 PM CST Abstract Format Title Name of authors (First Name Last Name) (Asterisk (*) after the name of the presenting author) Department, College (College of Engineering, etc. not Auburn University) Email ID of presenter only Introduction/Objective of investigation: Methods used: Results: Conclusion: PLEASE SELECT THE ABSTRACT CONTENT AND MAKE SURE THE CHARACTER COUNT (WITH SPACES) IS BELOW 2000 DO NOT INCLUDE THE HEADINGS IN ABSTRACT (i.e. Introduction, Methods, etc.) NO IMAGES CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE ABSTRACT THE GSC SCHOLARS FORUM IS OPEN TO ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS. YOU SHOULD WRITE YOUR ABSTRACT FOR A VERY GENERAL AUDIENCE. ACRONYMS SHOULD BE DEFINED. Sample Abstract Epstein-Barr virus particles in squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus. Peter J Baloyi*, James M Nkosi, Sarah Mathibi. Department of Pathology, College of Medical Sciences baytiri@124.wt.aa The Epstein-Barr virus, frequently referred to as EBV, is a member of the herpesvirus family and one of the most common human viruses. This study was undertaken to determine the presence of Epstein-Barr (EBV) DNA in squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded blocks of bronchial squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2000 and 2006 were retrieved from the files of the Department of Pathology at the University of Azania. Sixty cases were selected that showed normal appearing overlying epithelium, the submucosa of which were infiltrated by a squamous cell carcinoma. All patients gave a history of tobacco use for longer than 10 years. A control group consisted of 40 wax blocks of biopsies taken of non-neoplastic epithelial lesions of the bronchus in long term tobacco users. The PCR sensitivity was adjusted to detect one EBV genome per reaction. All results were confirmed with Southern blotting using the EBV BAM HI W-fragment as a probe. EBV DNA was demonstrated in 14/60 (23%) in the carcinoma group and 2/40 (5%) in the control group. This difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.01) Stratification of the experimental group according to age, showed a significantly higher rate of positivity (40%) in patients younger than 40 years (p<0.05) The results demonstrated that EBV DNA was present in significantly more cases in the squamous cell carcinoma group than in nonneoplastic epithelium. EBV may be an etiological factor in bronchus carcinomas in the population studied, particularly in the age group below 40 years. Abstract preparation instructions: In order to achieve a uniform style for all abstracts published in the program for the GSC Scholars Forum, authors are requested to conform to the following: Font size: 10 Font Style: Times New Roman Margins: Normal (all margins 1 inch) Alignment: Justified Spacing: Single Title Block Title: Limit your title to as few words as possible and type in bold. Must be a concise description of your work. Authors: Starting after the title, list the first name followed by the surname. Place an asterisk (*) after the name of the presenting author. Asterisk only one name per abstract. Institution/Department: The name of the department(s) and college(s) should follow the last author’s name. Contact Address: Include the e-mail address of the presenter at the end of title block. Content of the Abstract Abstract must be written for a general audience. All text of the abstract must be 2000 characters or less. The character count includes spaces. Title and author details are not included in character count. Incomplete abstracts will be rejected. The content of the abstract must contain the following subsections: Introduction/Objective of investigation: A general statement introducing the audience to your topic and a brief statement on the objectives of the investigation. Keep in mind, the abstract must be written for a general audience. This should be followed by: Methods used: A brief description of the experimental method used. Results: Essential results including core data and, where appropriate, statistics should be clearly stated in the abstract content. Conclusion: The conclusion(s) of the study should be underlined. Requirements: 1. The abstract must conform to the outline given above for publication in the program as well as participation in the GSC Scholars Forum. The submission of an abstract to this event may classify as a public disclosure in some cases. So please check with your advisor and/or patent lawyer before submission. The GSC Events Committee will use its discretion for final decisions regarding all aspects of the Forum. 2. 3. Poster Presentation Guidelines: Size: 30 X 40 inches DO NOT mount posters on a poster board. We will provide the poster boards for you. Lamination is optional For more details regarding creating a good poster, please refer to these links: Better Posters - A resource for improving poster presentations An Effective Poster - Creating Effective Poster Presentations Oral Presentation Guidelines: Time Limit: 15 minutes per presenter (including questions) Laptop will be provided MORE INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED AS THE EVENT APPROACHES!! *The sample abstract and guidelines are adopted from www.mrc.ac.za/conference/ahsc/example.doc