Measuring Concordance of Subtype Sulcogryral Patterns in Monozygotic and Dizygotic Twin Pairs

The brain’s surface is made up of sulci (grooves) and gyri (ridges) that together create the distinct folded (sulcogryal) appearance of the brain. It is known that individual differences in the sulcogyral pattern of the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) can lead to variation in social behaviors and psychiatric pathology. Recent research has focused on the sulcogyral folding pattern variations in individuals, specifically within the OFC. Four pattern types have been identified based on the continuity of four distinct sulci, and subtypes within each pattern type have been defined that offer more fine-grained characterization of OFC structure. To date, there have been no analyses of OFC sulcogyral patterns (or subpatterns) and genetic associations. The goal of this project is to categorize the OFC pattern subtypes of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs to explore whether the development of OFC pattern types have a strong genetic component. The study is accomplished using a publicly available structural MRI data set from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We used neuroimaging software to individually subtype 570 subjects in the data set and we are currently investigating the association with genetics.

Investigating Maternal Blood Loss Measurement Methods and Risk Factors Associated with Postpartum Hemorrhages

The Psychological Impacts of COVID-19 and Social Distancing

During the period of March to August of 2020, college students across the country were asked to stay in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented era of social distancing and sheltering in place presents the unique opportunity to explore how college students coped and fared psychologically. Browning et. al (2021) assessed students from seven US universities and found high psychological impact due to sheltering in place, specifically for students who identified as female, people of color, and low income. Through a virtual MTurk survey administered to first-year Bucknell students in the fall of 2020, we intended to examine differences in students’ reactions to and experiences in this quarantine period. This sample included 120 first-year Bucknell students, 70% female. Subject variables included family background, personality, and the perceived support felt by the student within their quarantine environment. Participants completed survey measures on some key outcomes such as parental relationships, loneliness, eating habits, and body image. We have run correlations, regressions and T-tests to determine differences in quarantine experiences and discover any significant outcome variables.

My Experiences Re-immersing into Introduction to Mathematical Thought

Throughout college, most students only have the opportunity to engage with course material once. As a senior, this past fall semester I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Lara Dick as a teacher assistant for the same elementary mathematics course I took my sophomore year. The ultimate goal was to re-immerse myself in both the math content and how children learn math concepts through the lens of a second-time learner, an observer, and a future elementary teacher. When attending classes, I learned both new and old concepts, formed new realizations about those concepts, and noted current preservice teachers’ struggles. In this poster, I share the methodology of conducting my self-study, the sub-categories that developed as a result of analyzing brain dumps I took after each class, and discuss how I will apply this experience to my future as an educator.

A Qualitative Study of Danish Mothers’ Beliefs on Religion & Parenting

This study investigated Danish mothers’ beliefs about parenting and the role of religion in family practices and discussions. Denmark is famous as one of the most secular nations in the world (Zuckerman, 2008), yet religion is, perhaps surprisingly, a component of family discussion, especially about death and morality (Zajac & Boyatzis, 2020). In this study, 15 native Danish mothers, all fluent in English with at least one child between ages of 4 and 14, were interviewed about mothers’ religious beliefs and how they were incorporated into family discourse and practices, especially on issues of morality, religious holidays, death, and the afterlife. Transcripts are being coded by a team creating a coding system using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. Team members individually analyzed transcripts and then met to work toward a shared coding system for interpreting themes in the mothers’ views. Coding is in progress, with these preliminary themes: mothers’ respect for children’s autonomous beliefs (i.e., reluctance to impose their own beliefs), promotion of the child’s character, tolerance for diverse religions (and mothers’ lack of strong commitment to any one faith), mothers’ ongoing reflection and growth, and concern for children’s age-appropriate exposure. Preliminary analyses suggest Danish mothers have a distinctive orientation to the role of religion in the family, one quite disparate from most American families (Boyatzis et al., 2015).

Fluoroquinolone-based therapy and onset of functional gastrointestinal disorders in human subjects

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are a broad class of antibiotics typically prescribed for several infectious diseases, including common infections for which the use of FQs is discouraged. Indeed, the FDA has proposed the existence of a permanent disability (Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability; FQAD), which, despite being fairly common after FQs use, has yet to be formally recognized by healthcare professionals worldwide. Previous studies suggest that FQs act as selective inhibitors of GABAA receptors, preventing the binding of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in the central nervous system. GABA is a key regulator of the neural circuit regulating gastrointestinal function. In order to assess whether there is a correlation between the use of FQs and the onset of functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, a questionnaire was sent to 367 individuals who were prescribed FQ addressing their gut health in the last year. Survey participants were divided into three groups based on the type of FQ they were prescribed. Chi-square analysis revealed that while all participants had a significant degree of functional GI disorder, certain FQs are associated with more severe and more frequent gastric pain, difficulty producing a bowel movement and harder stools. Lastly, a significant portion of respondents also reported frequent swelling or bloating. In conclusion, these data indicated that permanent functional GI disorders may present after FQs administration, and that certain FQs produce more severe symptoms than others. Our study highlights the need to revisit current guidelines for the administration of FQs for individuals already potentially at risk to develop functional GI disorders.

What happens when you cross plant species with two distinct sexual systems? An ex situ hybridization approach

The transitions from the hermaphroditic sexual system to the andromonoecious and dioecious sexual systems have been an area of intrigue in biology since Darwin’s time. While the vast majority of angiosperms display the hermaphroditic sexual system, both dioecy and andromonoecy are observed in Australian Solanum, in addition to hermaphroditism. Australian Solanum are therefore particularly useful for understanding the evolution of these sexual systems. Hybrid offspring of Solanum dioicum (dioecious) and Solanum ultraspinosum (andromonoecious) crosses were used to study hybridization boundaries within the two different sexual systems. Our main goal was to understand how the differing sexual systems manifest in hybrids, especially relative to their role as the pollen donor and pollen recipient. Morphometric analyses currently indicate that the pollen recipient exhibits the greatest influence on morphology in the F1 generation. In hybrids with S. ultraspinosum acting as the pollen donor, the andromonoecious breeding system manifested, indicated most importantly by the architecture of the inflorescence and the absence of inaperturate pollen in hermaphroditic flowers. The F1 generation was unsuccessful with S. dioicum acting as the pollen recipient. With the F1 generation appearing so similar to the pollen recipient, it is not yet possible to recognize early-generation hybrids, although hybridization is occurring. We are currently continuing crosses between the F1 generation hybrids to observe whether the pollen donor may have effects on hybrids in less immediate generations, particularly looking for whether inaperturate pollen will manifest, indicating changes in the sexual system incurred from the pollen donor.

Solanum ‘Deaf Adder’, a New Bush Tomato Species from the Australian Monsoon Tropics

Australia is a unique island continent with many endemic species. Ongoing research and estimates suggest that over 70% of the flora and fauna have yet to be described across the continent. We are currently investigating one such potential new species currently known to field botanists as Solanum ‘Deaf Adder’, which is named for its only known location in the remote Deaf Adder Gorge within Kakadu National Park. It is currently designated as a localized variant of Solanum asymmetriphyllum, and is a close relative to Solanum sejunctum. However, based on the numerous morphological differences between these three solanums, as well as their geographical separation within the national park, it is more than likely that ‘Deaf Adder’ is a distinct and separate species. More than 30 morphological characters were measured on a greenhouse-grown female ‘Deaf Adder’ specimen, including leaf length, prickle density of the calyces, and seed count per fruit, and then used to document the differences among ‘Deaf Adder’, S. asymmetriphyllum, and S. sejunctum. Future research for this project will include using ImageJ to gather more information and measurements such as leaf area, and conducting data analyses between ‘Deaf Adder’, S. asymmetriphyllum, and S. sejunctum, which will include principal components analyses (PCA), analyses of variance (ANOVA), and post-hoc testing. The objective of this research is to determine if Solanum ‘Deaf Adder’ is its own species, and if so, to describe and name ‘Deaf Adder’ in order to introduce it to the scientific community and to protect it.