12th Annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Conferencehonorsapp.honors.umass.edu/aspnet_resources/conference/2006uc… · 12th Annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Conference

12th Annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate ConferenceFeaturing Presentations on Community Service, Creative Work, Thesis Research, Independent Study, and Study Abroad

The Colonnade HotelBoston, Massachusetts

Thursday, April 27

Registration 8:30-9:20am Welcome Boston Ballroom 9:20-9:50amAM Poster and Oral Sessions 10:00-11:30amKeynote Address Boston Ballroom 11:30am-12:00pmLunch Break 12:00-1:30pmPM Poster and Oral Sessions 1 1:30-3:00pmPoster and Oral Sessions 2 3:00-4:30pm

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Table of Contents

Conference Schedule.......................................................... 1Acknowledgments.............................................................. 4Facility Floor Plans............................................................ 5

Presentations Schedule Oral Presentations ............................................. 6 Poster Presentations .......................................... 9 Abstracts Oral Presentations ............................................. 16 Anthropology 16 ArtHistory 16 Biology 18 Chemistry 19 Communication 20 ComputerScience 21 Economics 22 Education 23 ElectricalEngineering 25 English 25 EnglishLiterature 29 EnvironmentalStudies 32 History 33 InternationalStudies 34 LandscapeArchitecture 35 Linguistics 36 Literature 37 Management 37 Marketing 38 Merchandising&Textiles 39 Music 39 Nursing 40 Philosophy 41 Physics 41 PoliticalScience 42 Psychology 45 ReligiousStudies 48 Russian 48 Sociology 49 Theatre 49 VeterinaryScience 50 Women’sStudies 50


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Poster Presentations .......................................... 52 AnimalSciences 52

Anthropology 52 ArtHistory 52 Bioengineering 54 Biology 54 Botany 63 ChemicalEngineering 64 Chemistry 64 CivilEngineering 67 Communication 68 CommunicationDisorder 68 CommunityorPublicService 69 ComputerScience 72 Criminology 75 Dance 76 Economics 76 Education 77 ElectricalEngineering 79 English 80 EnglishLiterature 81 Entomology 81 EnvironmentalStudies 82 GeologicalScience 87 Geology 87 History 89 Kinesiology 93 LegalStudies 95 Literature 96 Management 97 Marketing 98 Mathematics&Statistics 98 MechanicalEngineering 99 Merchandising&Textiles 105 Microbiology 105 MolecularBiology 108 Multimedia 109 Nursing 110 Nutrition&FoodScience 113 Physics 114 Psychology 116 Radio-Television-Film 138 ReligiousStudies 138 SocialWork 138 Sociology 139 Theatre 140 VisualArts 140

Indexes Index of Primary Presenters by Name ..... 64 Index of Primary Presenters by School ..... 65


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WewouldliketoacknowledgetheColonnadeHotelforofferingtheirfacilitiesatareducedrateforthisyear’sconference.

Thanksalsogotothemanyfaultymemberswhovolunteeredtheirtimeandexpertisetoreviewabstractsandgaveinvaluableguidancetostudentpresenters.

Wewouldliketoexpressgreatappreciationtothefollowingcampuscontactsfortheirtimeandsupportoftheconference:

StacyEvans BerkshireCommunityCollege

SandraNeargarder BridgewaterStateCollege

EllenOlmstead BristolCommunityCollege

JoanBrenner BunkerHillCommunityCollege

ClaudineBarnes CapeCodCommunityCollege

SaraPollakLevine FitchburgStateCollege

DeborahDalton FraminghamStateCollege

DavidRam GreenfieldCommunityCollege

KimHicks HolyokeCommunityCollege

GerryLorentz MassachusettsBayCommunityCollege

JannaLongacre MassachusettsCollegeofArt

DavidLangston MassachusettsCollegeofLiberalArts

BradLima MassachusettsMaritimeAcademy

SusanMartelli MassasoitCommunityCollege

AnneMiller MiddlesexCommunityCollege

SheilaMurphy MountWachusettCommunityCollege

MarceyMarold NorthShoreCommunityCollege

GingerHurajt NorthernEssexCommunityCollege

SusanMcPherson QuinsigamondCommunityCollege

EverestOnuoha RoxburyCommunityCollege

RodKessler SalemStateCollege

DavidWinsper SpringfieldTechnicalCollege

JoyceMorrissey UMassBoston

JanetGardner UMassDartmouth

DoreenArcus UMassLowell

StephenAdams WestfieldStateCollege

KarenWoodsWeierman WorcesterStateCollege

Acknowledgements


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Braemore

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Coat Room

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TO BOSTON BALLROOMSECOND LEVEL(WELCOME & KEYNOTE) Room Men’s RoomPh

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Foyer I Foyer II Foyer III

LOBBY LEVEL

Huuuntington BallroomI II III

Foyer I

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POSTER SESSIONS

Floor Plan of Conference FacilitiesThe Colonnade Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts

BostonBallroom

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Men’s Room

BostonBallroom

SECOND LEVEL

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Poster Board Arrangement Huntington Ballroom


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Schedule of Oral Presentations

BRAEMORE

PANEL PRESENTER FIELD OF PRESENTATION CAMPUS TIME ABST #

1 RebeccaHathaway ArtHistory FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-10:45 3

1 MelissaMarshall ArtHistory UMassAmherst 10:00-10:45 5

1 QuinnHubbell ArtHistory UMassAmherst 10:00-10:45 4

2 SapeckshitaSrivastava Biology UMassAmherst 10:45-11:30 9

2 ElizabethKeane Nursing UMassAmherst 10:45-11:30 58

2 KavitaRadhakrishnan Nursing UMassAmherst 10:45-11:30 59

3 KennethMahfood ComputerScience UMassBoston 1:30-2:15 15

3 RobertHall ComputerScience UMassAmherst 1:30-2:15 14

4 SebastianGutwein LandscapeArchitecture UMassAmherst 2:15-3:00 48

4 JasonMiller LandscapeArchitecture UMassAmherst 2:15-3:00 49

4 KeithZaltzberg LandscapeArchitecture UMassAmherst 2:15-3:00 50

5 MeganMartin Economics WorcesterStateCollege 3:00-3:45 17

5 NicoleTocco Management UMassAmherst 3:00-3:45 53

5 PeterTusi Management UMassBoston 3:00-3:45 54

6 SaiArchanaKrovi Chemistry UMassAmherst 3:45-4:30 10

6 EmileDagher ElectricalEngineering UMassLowell 3:45-4:30 23

6 DarOzer VeterinaryScience UMassAmherst 3:45-4:30 82

FOYER I


1 EmilyCooley Biology FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-10:45 7

1 AndreaDagraca Biology UMassBoston 10:00-10:45 8

1 CarolynCook Biology MassCollegeofLiberalArts 10:00-10:45 6

2 DavidPaulson EnvironmentalStudies FraminghamStateCollege 10:45-11:30 42

2 UlrikeBaigorria EnvironmentalStudies UMassBoston 10:45-11:30 41

3 DawnHengl English WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-2:15 27

3 JaimieMcHugh English SalemStateCollege 1:30-2:15 28

3 DeniseNichols English WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-2:15 31

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4 EricaMena EnglishLiterature UMassBoston 2:15-3:00 37

4 AlisonButland EnglishLiterature FitchburgStateCollege 2:15-3:00 34

4 CaitlinMurphy English UMassDartmouth 2:15-3:00 30

5 DonnaCourchene Women’sStudies MassasoitCommunityCollege 3:00-3:45 84

5 StacyCarvalho Women’sStudies UMassAmherst 3:00-3:45 83

5 MelanieWilcox Women’sStudies WorcesterStateCollege 3:00-3:45 85

6 GerritHagen Literature MassasoitCommunityCollege 3:45-4:30 52

6 NathanLamar EnglishLiterature UMassLowell 3:45-4:30 36

6 SarahPerkins EnglishLiterature WestfieldStateCollege 3:45-4:30 38

FOYER II


1 JayneHaggard ArtHistory FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-10:45 2

1 BrandiCutler Anthropology FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-10:45 1

2 AutumnMcEuen Education UMassBoston 10:45-11:30 20

2 ChantelleJacobs EnglishLiterature UMassDartmouth 10:45-11:30 35

2 StephenWood Education UMassAmherst 10:45-11:30 22

3 MaxSpaderna History UMassAmherst 1:30-2:15 46

3 SarahLeFrancois History WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-2:15 45

3 RachelDayton History MassCollegeofLiberalArts 1:30-2:15 44

4 JessicaUlmer EnglishLiterature WestfieldStateCollege 2:15-3:00 39

4 JoleneWagner EnglishLiterature WestfieldStateCollege 2:15-3:00 40

4 ShawnaMeehan Education WestfieldStateCollege 2:15-3:00 21

5 DianaBillings English SalemStateCollege 3:00-3:45 24

5 CassandraColon English SalemStateCollege 3:00-3:45 25

5 AlenaSinacola English WorcesterStateCollege 3:00-3:45 33

6 CatherineReyes InternationalStudies UMassBoston 3:45-4:30 47

6 ElisabethBudd History UMassAmherst 3:45-4:30 43

6 MatthewLyon ReligiousStudies NorthShoreCommunityCollege 3:45-4:30 78

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FOYER III


1 LauraGaleski Music SalemStateCollege 10:00-10:45 57

1 NissaPerrott Theatre UMassAmherst 10:00-10:45 81

1 AsjahMonroe Sociology UMassBoston 10:00-10:45 80

2 PaulaAden Linguistics UMassAmherst 10:45-11:30 51

2 MarcelaMassarutto Philosophy UMassBoston 10:45-11:30 61

2 TamarLusztig Philosophy UMassAmherst 10:45-11:30 60

3 BevinGoodniss Communication WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-2:15 11

3 IthaiLarsen Communication MassCollegeofLiberalArts 1:30-2:15 12

3 JosephPrezioso Communication SalemStateCollege 1:30-2:15 13

4 JennetteHouston Merchandising&Textiles FraminghamStateCollege 2:15-3:00 56

4 InnaFaktorovich Russian UMassAmherst 2:15-3:00 79

4 DianneCannon Marketing UMassBoston 2:15-3:00 55

5 AmyBaker Economics UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 16

5 HeatherZajac Economics UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 19

5 KeithTaverna Economics WorcesterStateCollege 3:00-4:30 18

6 LucySommo PoliticalScience UMassBoston 3:45-4:30 69

6 LisaScalisi PoliticalScience SalemStateCollege 3:45-4:30 67

6 SabeenSidiqui PoliticalScience UMassBoston 3:45-4:30 68

KENMORE


1 CoryWelch PoliticalScience FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-10:45 70

1 CharlesPeterson PoliticalScience HolyokeCommunityCollege 10:00-10:45 66

2 KennedyOppong PoliticalScience UMassBoston 10:45-11:30 65

2 LindseyMedeiros PoliticalScience UMassBoston 10:45-11:30 63

2 LeahMoyo PoliticalScience UMassBoston 10:45-11:30 64

3 JohnFletcher English WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-2:15 26

3 LuciennePierre English UMassBoston 1:30-2:15 32

3 KarenMiele English WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-2:15 29

4 KatherinePawling Psychology UMassAmherst 2:15-3:00 75

4 JosephCarey Psychology HolyokeCommunityCollege 2:15-3:00 71

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4 ElettraPauletto Psychology UMassAmherst 2:15-3:00 74

5 DuFresneKristin Psychology MassasoitCommunityCollege 3:00-3:45 73

5 MarisaDiFronzo Psychology UMassBoston 3:00-3:45 72

6 MajdMayyasi Physics UMassBoston 3:45-4:30 62

6 Nina-MarieRapozo Psychology MassasoitCommunityCollege 3:45-4:30 76

6 OseSchwab Psychology SalemStateCollege 3:45-4:30 77

Schedule of Poster Presentations

MORNING SESSION - HUNTINGTON BALLROOM

BOARD # PRESENTER FIELD OF PRESENTATION CAMPUS TIME ABST #

1 GracesRodriguez AnimalSciences UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 86

2 VinaLindley Anthropology UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 87

3 MeaghanMcGrath ArtHistory BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 89

4 LillianDignan ArtHistory UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 88

5 MeggieStoltzman Botany UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 112

6 PatrickPho Communication FitchburgStateCollege 10:00-11:30 123

7 JenniferPerkins CommunicationDisorder UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 124

8 AshleyPickering CommunityorPublicService UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 130

9 CaitlinHoey CommunityorPublicService UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 127

10 EmilyO’Brien CommunityorPublicService UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 129

11 JessicaCheung CommunityorPublicService UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 125

12 LeonaClark CommunityorPublicService UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 126

13 LeahMannagan CommunityorPublicService BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 128

14 MelissaPoulin CommunityorPublicService UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 131

15 AycanUysal ComputerScience BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 139

16 JessicaLanzoni ComputerScience UMassBoston 10:00-11:30 132

17 EvanInnis ComputerScience UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 134

18 EricWillard ComputerScience BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 140

19 JamesLang ComputerScience FitchburgStateCollege 10:00-11:30 136

20 LeonKay ComputerScience UMassLowell 10:00-11:30 135

21 MichaelSindelar ComputerScience UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 138

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le22 AlehPlotnikau ComputerScience BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 137

23 MichaelGraves ComputerScience BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 133

24 GabrielSantana Criminology BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 141

25 JillianFesta Dance SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 143

26 NIcoleDagesse Dance UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 142

27 HafidHenamara Economics BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 144

28 JeenaChuisa Education FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 146

29 MeghanHoward Education UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 147

30 StephenNyega Education BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 148

31 KristenBouley Education UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 145

32 AimeeWagner English FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 154

33 LauraDavis English MassasoitCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 153

34 ChristinaCharron EnglishLiterature FitchburgStateCollege 10:00-11:30 155

35 GregMcPhee EnglishLiterature MassasoitCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 156

36 ColinRichardson History UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 183

37 DianeMorgan History FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 180

38 ErinRydgren History SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 185

40 JohnDavis History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 175

41 JeanmarieGaudiello History BristolCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 176

42 FatimaKouskous History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 178

43 NaeemAhmed History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 172

44 ChizobaNgesina History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 181

45 StephenRose History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 184

46 RozaTesfaye History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 186

47 StewartBishop History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 173

48 SilviaHerrera History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 177

49 ShawnLynch History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 179

50 ViolaRamphaul History BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 182

51 katherinenewman LegalStudies UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 191

52 ChristinaThomas Literature MountWachusettCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 193

53 MahwishHashmi Literature BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 192

54 AnthonyNguyen Management UMassBoston 10:00-11:30 195

55 StevenCole Management FitchburgStateCollege 10:00-11:30 194

56 CarolineDavies Marketing FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 196

57 KimberlyWaynelovich Marketing FitchburgStateCollege 10:00-11:30 197


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poster schedule

58 MagdalenaMulherin Merchandising&Textiles FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 212

59 BenjaminNathan Multimedia UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 223

60 KumarDabreo Multimedia MassasoitCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 222

61 BriannaGrohman Nursing UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 228

62 DustinFitch Nursing SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 226

63 HeatherFleming Nursing SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 227

64 KristenBissonnette Nursing FitchburgStateCollege 10:00-11:30 224

65 MelissaMathews Nursing UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 229

66 IngeCosta Nursing UMassDartmouth 10:00-11:30 225

67 AndreaBianchi Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 239

68 AndreaCourtemanche Psychology UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 246

69 AmandaFine Psychology UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 250

70 ElizabethAntista Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 237

71 CatherineStanley Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 279

72 ClaudiaAraujo Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 10:00-11:30 238

73 AndrewSmith Radio-Television-Film UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 291

74 AnneReich ReligiousStudies NorthernEssexCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 292

75 JulieRaposo SocialWork SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 293

76 AmyBaker Sociology UMassAmherst 10:00-11:30 294

77 HannahBarth Theatre SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 295

78 BryceRead Theatre SalemStateCollege 10:00-11:30 297

79 ChristinaMiller Theatre NorthernEssexCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 296

80 EriAllen VisualArts BunkerHillCommunityCollege 10:00-11:30 298

AFTERNOON SESSION 1 - HUNTINGTON BALLROOM


1 PatriciaSlattery Bioengineering MassachusettsBayCommunityCollege 1:30-3:00 90

2 AshleeHanson Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 98

3 AmandaHitchcock Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 99

4 MarianaCherneva Biology SalemStateCollege 1:30-3:00 92

5 CassandraPriddy Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 107

6 DarciFinocchiaro Biology SalemStateCollege 1:30-3:00 97

7 DemaLuyindula Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 104

8 EmilieDuclos Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 95


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le9 ErinDupuis Biology WorcesterStateCollege 1:30-3:00 96

10 EricaAntill Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 91

11 NicoleSyngajewski Biology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 109

12 JacquelineDraper Biology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 94

13 JuliaWilkinson Biology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 110

14 JochebedPink Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 106

15 KatelynWoolfrey Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 111

16 JoanaDosSantos Biology MountWachusettCommunityCollege 1:30-3:00 93

17 LaurenLuongo Biology UMassLowell 1:30-3:00 103

18 HallieLee Biology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 102

19 LaurenKoffman Biology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 101

20 MalcolmMatalka Biology WorcesterStateCollege 1:30-3:00 105

21 MeaganSnide Biology MassCollegeofLiberalArts 1:30-3:00 108

22 MeaghaNHunt Biology WorcesterStateCollege 1:30-3:00 100

23 ElizabethAndrews Entomology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 157

24 AdaBegilman Kinesiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 188

25 AlexanderAustin Kinesiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 187

26 CatherineGariepy Kinesiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 189

27 JeffreySautter Kinesiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 190

28 ChristopherTamburrini Microbiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 218

29 ElizabethBarrett Microbiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 214

30 JensenAuguste Microbiology WorcesterStateCollege 1:30-3:00 213

31 JoannaBybee Microbiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 215

32 KimberlyLay Microbiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 216

33 SarahReiff Microbiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 217

34 KennethRalto MolecularBiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 221

35 LinneaFreeman MolecularBiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 219

36 StephanieMurphy MolecularBiology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 220

37 JoycelynFaraj Nutrition&FoodScience UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 230

38 JessicaMaillet Nutrition&FoodScience UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 231

39 JenniferHaines Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 255

40 JulieMcCarthy Psychology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 262

41 JaredSteinberg Psychology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 280

42 JudithRamel Psychology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 273

43 KalinaWord Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 289


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poster schedule

44 KattrinaMorales Psychology FitchburgStateCollege 1:30-3:00 266

45 KristineMiele Psychology WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-3:00 265

46 KrystalVelazquez Psychology UMassLowell 1:30-3:00 287

47 LauraHallee Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 256

48 LauraSpellissey Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 278

49 RebeccaMorrissey Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 267

50 MarieSillice Psychology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 276

51 MelissaKibbe Psychology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 261

51 NicholRoberts Psychology BunkerHillCommunityCollege 1:30-3:00 274

52 MariaFragoso Psychology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 251

53 StephanieIzzicupo Psychology SalemStateCollege 1:30-3:00 260

55 PreetiPutcha Psychology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 271

56 JessicaChiaretto Psychology WestfieldStateCollege 1:30-3:00 243

57 RebeccaMorrissey Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 268

58 RachelSmith Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 277

59 SadiyaCarr Psychology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 242

60 SandraPynn Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 272

61 ScottMotyka Psychology FitchburgStateCollege 1:30-3:00 269

62 StacyFriedman Psychology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 252

63 ShaunaHarding Psychology BerkshireCommunityCollege 1:30-3:00 257

64 FrancesToto Psychology SalemStateCollege 1:30-3:00 284

65 ErinCleary Psychology FitchburgStateCollege 1:30-3:00 244

66 KathrynDeVisscher Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 248

67 EmilyHiggins Psychology UMassBoston 1:30-3:00 258

68 Amy-LynnRoshinski Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 275

69 TaylorBuckley Psychology UMassAmherst 1:30-3:00 240

70 TessaCordeiro Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 245

71 ErinStevenson Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 1:30-3:00 281


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le AFTERNOON SESSION 2 - HUNTINGTON BALLROOM


1 DawnEriksen ChemicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 113

2 AnthonyDendler Chemistry UMassBoston 3:00-4:30 116

3 ErikDomingues Chemistry UMassDartmouth 3:00-4:30 117

4 JocelynScheintaub Chemistry UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 119

5 KristinBoggio Chemistry UMassBoston 3:00-4:30 114

6 KhanhVo Chemistry WorcesterStateCollege 3:00-4:30 121

7 RichardSenatore Chemistry UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 120

8 StephenCurtis Chemistry UMassBoston 3:00-4:30 115

9 VasiliyDulskiy Chemistry UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 118

10 ChristinaStauber CivilEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 122

11 DavidSmith ElectricalEngineering UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 151

12 JarrodVaillancourt ElectricalEngineering UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 152

13 MatthewBrennan ElectricalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 149

14 ScottJobling ElectricalEngineering UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 150

15 AndrewCrawley EnvironmentalStudies MassachusettsBayCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 161

16 CarlosSzembek EnvironmentalStudies UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 166

17 DanielleNiles EnvironmentalStudies UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 162

18 EvaBrowne EnvironmentalStudies UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 158

19 ElisaCarey EnvironmentalStudies HolyokeCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 160

20 ElvaVasquez EnvironmentalStudies BunkerHillCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 168

21 JamesCarberry EnvironmentalStudies MassachusettsBayCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 159

22 JaredWessel EnvironmentalStudies MassachusettsBayCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 169

23 JeminPatel EnvironmentalStudies BunkerHillCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 164

24 MattSiebecker EnvironmentalStudies UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 165

25 NicholasvanMinnen EnvironmentalStudies BunkerHillCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 167

26 KelliO’Connor EnvironmentalStudies BunkerHillCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 163

27 MichaelLavigneJr. GeologicalScience BunkerHillCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 170

28 LukeTrusel Geology UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 171

29 MariaBeaudin Mathematics&Statistics WestfieldStateCollege 3:00-4:30 198

30 AlexBarbati MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 199

31 AmandaSauer MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 211

32 DerekFerguson MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 204


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poster schedule

33 DouglasMandell MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 207

34 JamieCushman MechanicalEngineering UMassLowell 3:00-4:30 202

35 MichaelMahdavi MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 206

36 MatthewBraden MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 200

37 MichaelNilsson MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 209

38 NishitaNickey MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 208

39 PatrickRyan MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 210

40 RobertDaniello MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 203

41 RobertHoward MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 205

42 StacyCanepari MechanicalEngineering UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 201

43 AlbertKamanzi Physics UMassBoston 3:00-4:30 232

44 GentianRrudho Physics BunkerHillCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 236

45 Huai-TiLin Physics UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 233

46 MattMarzilli Physics UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 235

47 SamanthaLord Physics SalemStateCollege 3:00-4:30 234

48 DanWashington Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 288

49 DavidMendelsohn Psychology UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 264

50 ElizabethMcGlinchey Psychology UMassBoston 3:00-4:30 263

51 LauraGray Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 254

52 ErikaTobrocke Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 283

53 CatherineBurke Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 241

54 SusanHill Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 259

55 HyejinYu Psychology UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 290

56 NicoleCunningham Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 247

57 DavidGorman Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 253

58 MelissaTeixeira Psychology MassasoitCommunityCollege 3:00-4:30 282

59Verena-CatherineNiederhoefer Psychology UMassBoston 3:00-4:30 270

60 VictoriaEllis Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 249

61 ValerieVancollie Psychology UMassAmherst 3:00-4:30 286

62 YoshieTsuda Psychology FraminghamStateCollege 3:00-4:30 285


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Anthropology

1 Foyer II 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Brandi Cutler (Benjamin Alberti), Department of Sociology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Power of Culture: Western Feminism and the Construction of Gender in Anthropology

Thegoalofmypaperistohighlightthepowerofculturalbeliefsandpracticestostronglypersuadeandsometimesdictatebehaviorsandideasaroundgender.Itiswidelyacknowledgedthatgenderisaculturalconstruction.Thishasencouragedadiscourseofgenderaseasilymalleableandopentochange.Iarguethatanactivistfeministanthropologycannotaffordtoignoretheresistanceofgendertochangedespiteitsstatusasaculturalconstruction.Mymethodofresearchinvolvesacriticalreadingandanalysisofearlyfeministanthropologywhengenderwasfirstunderstoodasentirelyseparatefrombiologicalinfluence.Morerecentanthropologicalstudiescontinuethistrend,withimportantexceptions.Thisunderstandingofgenderhasbeenhighlyinfluentialbeyondtherealmofanthropology,includingwithininternationalbodiessuchasUNICEFandtheUnitedNations.Fromitsonset,onepurposeoffeministanthropologyhasbeentobringaboutchangeforWesternwomenbylookingtootherculturesforexamplesofwhytherepressivetreatmentofwomenwasnotduetounderlyingbiologicaldeterminants.Consequently,viewinggenderasculturalratherthanbiologicalhasleadtotheassumptionthatitismalleable.Iargue,however,thatculturecanbejustaspowerful,concrete,andintractableastheWesternideaofbiologicaldeterminism.IconcludethatwhiletheideaofgenderasaculturalconstructionquestionsthedevaluationofWesternwomen,itcanalsohavenegativeconsequencesforfeministactivismbecauseitunderestimatesthepowerofculture.

Art History

2 Foyer II 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Jayne Haggard (Elizabeth Perry), Department of Art History, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The King’s Mistress: The Power of the Nude Image

AnewstyleofartevolvedduringthereignoftheFrenchkingHenriII(1547–1559)atthecourtofFontainebleau.Thisnewstyleconsistedofanidealizedfigureofanudeladyembellishedwithjewelsandplacedinaluxuriouspalacesetting.ThenewidealsoftheRenaissancemadenudeimageryacceptablebyincorporatingtheclassicalformsoftheancientgodswithcourtlyelegance.However,thiseroticandelegantstylemayneverhaveevolvedifnotforthemistressofHenriII,DianedePoitier(1499-1566),whohadtremendousinfluenceandimpactonFrenchcourtlife.ThispaperarguesthatDianedePoitiergreatlyaffectedthearts,particularlyintermsoftheimageoftheKing’smistress.Formalanalysisof“LadyatHerToilette,”(1550–1570),whichisbelievedtobeacopyofanearlierpaintinginthisstylebyFrancoisClouet,iscombinedwithliterarysourcestoshowhowDianedePoitierusedhernudeimagetoportrayherselfnotasameremortal,butasanimmortalgoddess.“LadyatHerToilette”wasnot,asoftenthought,aprivatenudepaintingtotitillatethemaleviewer,butapowerfulimageconveyingfemaleauthorityinamale-dominatedsociety.Usingtheperfectionofaclassicalgoddessmixedwithcourtlyrefinement,DianedePoitier’simagesymbolizesthefemaleroleoffertilitycombinedwiththeinvinciblepowerofaGoddess.


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oral session3 Braemore 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Rebecca Hathaway (Elizabeth Perry), Department of Art History, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Trade, Technique, and Treasures: The Seated Scribe Miniature at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

DuringtheItalianRenaissanceawealthofaestheticandintellectualricheswereexchangedoverburgeoningtraderoutesbetweenVeniceandConstantinople.SultanMehmedII(r.1444-6,1451-81),whocapturedConstantinoplefortheOttomanEmpirein1453,fosteredartisticinteraction,invitingItalianartiststohiscourtandcommissioningtheirwork.TheSeatedScribeminiatureattheIsabellaStewartGardnerMuseumisoneItalianworkcreatedinMehmed’scourt.Traditionalattributionofthispiecehasbeengiventotwoartists,GentileBellini(c.1429-1507)andCostanzodaFerrara(c.1450-1524).ThispapersupportstheattributiontoCostanzodaFerrara,andarguestheartist’ssignificanceinbothWesternandEasternArt.FormalanalysisoftheSeatedScribeconsidersthevarietyofaestheticinfluencesfrombothVenetianandOrientalart.ComparisontoworksbybothBelliniandCostanzoillustratethestylisticevidenceofCostanzo’shandintheSeatedScribe.Historicaccountsofeachartist’svisittoConstantinopledefendthisevidence.EuropeanandPersianartworksdrawingfromCostanzo’soeuvrealsoprovetheimportanceofhiswork,andtheSeatedScribeminiatureinparticular.

4 Braemore 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Quinn Hubbell (Laetitia La Follette), Department of Art History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Translations of Character:

AncientRomanportraitswerenotmerephysicallikenessesoftheirsitters.Theywere,rather,translationsofcharacterintophysicalfeatures.ThepriestessesofVesta:theVestalVirgins,werecharacterizedbytheirchastity,andallthattheRomansbelievethatembueduponthem:wisdom,grace,intelligence,andanotherworldlypower.Theportraitsthatweresetupforthemarecompilationsofphysicalfeaturesattributedtowomenoftheirdescription.Weunderstandthatportraitsutilizedaspecificmethodofcoding,avisuallanguageofbodypartsthatmapsouttheimportantroletheVestalsplayedinRomansociety.IintendtousethisvisualcodetoexploreVestalportraitswithinthecontextofgenderstudiesandtocomparethemtothepublicimagesoftheRomanempresses.Whetheremployedintheinterestsofadynasty(asintheempresses)orheldinreserveforthebenefitoftheRomanstate(asintheVestals),theRomanconceptoffemalesexualpotentialwasthatofagreatforce,onewhichcouldsustainorruinasociety.Thesepublicportraitsexpressthatbelief.

5 Braemore 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Melissa Marshall (Laetitia La Follette), Department of Art History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Manipulating Gender Structures: Female Patronage in the Roman Empire

ThispresentationexaminestheroleofwomenintheRomanempireaspatronsofartand,moreimportantly,architecture.Itfocusesonelitewomenduetothemeageramountofdocumentationregardingworkingclasswomenengagedineverydaycommerce.Gendertheoryaidsinunderstandingidealfemaleandmalesocietalrolesandthewaysparticularwomenorgroupsofwomenmanipulatedthesestructurestoexercisetheirauthority.Ofparticularinterestarethedifferentapproachesthatwomenandmentookwhencommissioningworksofartandarchitecture.


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Biology

6 Foyer I 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Carolyn Cook (Jerry Smosky), Department of Biology, Mass College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA, 01247

Poverty’s attack on brain functions

Povertyisnotsimplyaconditionofeconomicdeprivation;formanypeopleitisalife-altering,behavior-changing,DNA-manipulatingmonsterthatattacksbothadultsandchildren.Growingupinanimpoverishedenvironmentcancausethebrain--themostpowerfulthree-poundobjectweknowof--tobebiologicallydifferent.Childrenraisedinpovertyhaveuniquephysicalandmentalproblemsthatcenterinthebrain:thehippocampuscanshrinkasprolongedexposuretodeprivationkillsitscellsandkeyneurotransmitterslikeserotonin,dopamine,andadrenalinemaybealtered,producingevenmoreunstablephysiologicalandpsychologicalconditions.Stresscanaltergenesthatcauseshortcircuitsincommunicationnetworksandreducedelectricalactivity.Thesemutationscanbepassedonthroughmanygenerations.Statisticsshowthatamongchildreninpoverty,oneinfiveundertheageofeighteenhaslearning,emotional,behavioral,ordevelopmentproblemsattributabletoreorganizedneuralnetworksthathavebeencausedbyphysicalabuse,badparenting,drugs,alcohol,depression,andanxiety.

7 Foyer I 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Emily Cooley (Ben Snyder), Department of Biology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Investigation of Estrogenic CHemicals in Treated Waste Water

Endocrinedisruptivechemicalscanactasestrogeniccompoundsthatcancausenegativehealthaffectsinlivingsystems.ThepurposeofthisstudywastodeterminewhethertreatedwastewaterfromBarre,MAsewagetreatmentplantcontainedestrogeniccompounds.Twentyimmatureratswereovariectomizedandallowedtorecoverforfivedays.Theywerethendividedintothreegroups.ThenegativecontrolgroupconsistedofsevenratsthatweregivennaturalspringwaterfromPetersham,MAtodrinkforfifteendaysandtheexperimentalgroupconsistedofsevenratsthatweregiveneffluentwastewatertodrinkforthesameperiod.Sixratsactedaspositivecontrolsandweregiven35birthnaturalspringdrinkingwaterplusanaqueoussuspensionofCvconcontrolpillcontaining5.8µgofethinylestradioland66.6µgofnorethindronebygavagedailyforfifteendays.Anincreaseinuterinewetweightandthepresenceofkeratinizedcellsinthevaginawereusedasspecificindicatorsofestrogenicactivity.Bodyweightgainwasalsomeasuredasabackupindicatorofestrogenicactivity.Therewasnosignificantdifferenceinuterinewetweightsbetweenthetreatedwastewatergroupandnaturalspringwatergroup.However,theuteriofthetreatedwastewaterandnaturalspringwatergroupsweresignificantlysmallerthanthebirthcontrol-treatedgroup.Bodyweightgainwasaboutfiftypercentlessinthebirthcontrol-treatedgroupcomparedtotheexperimentalandnegativecontrolgroup.Vaginalsmearsshowedthatnoneoftheratsinthewastewaterornegativecontrolgroupshadkeratinizedcellsinthevagina.Incontrast,onehundredpercentofthepositivecontrolgrouphadkeratinizedcellsintheirvagina.Theresultsofthisstudyshowthat,withinthesensitivityoftheassaysused,treatedwastewaterfromBarre,Massachusettsdidnotcontainestrogeniccompounds.

8 Foyer I 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Andrea Dagraca (William Hagar), Department of Biology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Identification of a Food Web for Invertebrates in Freshwater Ponds


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oral sessionNitrogenandCarbonstableisotopecompositionofinvertebratesintwofreshwaterpondswereusedtodeterminetrophiclevelsfortherespectivecommunities.Theheavierisotopes,N15andC13,increasewithtrophiclevel.StableIsotopeAnalysismayexplaintheecologyofafreshwatersysteminmoredetailthanobservationsandgutanalysiswouldpermit.ThestudyconsistsoftwopondswithverydifferentcharacteristicswhichtranslateintodissimilarpatternsofδN15andδC13.MaquanpondhaspristinewaterswhileFurnacepondismoreeutrophicbecauseofhumaninteractions,suchassewageandfertilizerrunoff.Itwasobservedthatthefoodweboffreshwaterinvertebratesismuchmorecomplexthanpreviouslyperceived.ShiftsbetweenδN15rangesofspeciesinFurnacearelessdivergent,indicatingpredationbetweenmanymorespeciesthanformerlybelieved.InMaquantheδN15rangeshavemuchmoredistinctshiftsbetweenspecieswhichmadetrophiclevelsmoreapparent.AfoodwebhasbeenconstructedforthiscommunitybasedonourfindingsofδN15ranges.TheanalysisofCarbon13rangesforeachspeciesbasedonlocationinthepondsupportsthedistinctionbetweenanallochthonousorautochthonouscarbonsourceforthecommunity.TheδC13rangeobservedinMaquanindicatesaclearshiftofabout3δvaluesbetweeninvertebratescollectedattheedgeversusthecenterofthepond.Thisshiftincarbondesignatesachangeincarbonsourceasorganismssettleclosertothecenterofthepond.

9 Braemore 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Sapeckshita Srivastava (Lawrence Schwartz ), Department of Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

A Drosophila model for Inclusion Body Myositis

ADrosophilamodelforInclusionBodyMyositisSapeckshitaSrivastava,ChulKim,LawrenceSchwartz,BiologyDepartment,MorrillScienceCenter,UniversityofMassachusetts,Amherst,MA01003InclusionBodyMyositis(IBM)occursintheelderlyandisthemostcommondegenerativedisorderofmuscles.Thecause(s)ofIBMareunknownbutanatomicalanalysisdemonstratesthepresenceofproteinaceousinclusionbodiesrichinamyloidprecursorprotein(APP)anditsproteolyticproductamyloidAβ.Whilemiceareagoodmodeltostudyphysiologicalprocesses,theyarenotwellsuitedforlargescalegeneticscreens.ToovercomethislimitationwesoughttocreateatransgenicmodelofhumanIBMinthefruitflyDrosophilamelanogaster.Usingatargetedexpressiontechnique,APPunderamuscle-specificdriver,Dmef-Gal4,isspecificallyexpressedinthemusclesoftheDrosophila,andtheeffectsofitsexpressionwereexaminedwithseveraldifferentways.Weuseelectrophysiological,behavioralandanatomicalmethodstocharacterizeage-dependentchangesinnormalandengineeredflies.Whilebothwild-typeandtransgenicadultfliesinitiallydisplayednormalclimbingbehavior,thelattergroupshowedanage-dependentreductioninclimbingthatwasapparentwithinoneweekandbecameprogressivelyworse.Electrophysiologically,bothwild-typeandmutantfliesdisplayednormalsynapticproperties,suggestingthatthedefectswerewithinthemuscleitself.Bothlightandelectronmicroscopyverifiedthisassumption.ThisstudyissignificantbecauseitallowsustocreateanewinvivoIBMmodel,whichwillhelpusforfurtherunderstandingthedisease.

Chemistry

10 Braemore 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Sai Archana Krovi (Vincent Rotello), Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Fabrication of amino-acid functionalized ligands for the development of sequence-specific DNA binding gold nanoparticles

Intheresearchprogram,organicchemistry,materialsscienceandbiologyarecombinedtocreatenanoparticlesthatbindtospecificbiomacromoleculartargets,includingproteins,nucleicacidsandpolysaccharides.ItisextremelycrucialtocreateefficientmultivalentDNA-hostinteractionstoaffectgeneexpression.Synthesisofsuchsuitablescaffoldspresentsachallengeasit


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usuallyproducesarigidscaffoldcontainingseveralfunctionalgroups.Asawaytoavoidthisproblem,amino-acidcappedgoldnanoparticlesarefabricatedforcreatingDNAbindingsystemsthathavetheadvantagesofbeingeasilysynthesizedandhavingapre-organizedstructure.Thedevelopmentofsequence-specificDNAbindingisanimportantrequisitefortheaugmentationofbiologicaleffectorssuchasgeneregulatorsanddrugdelivery.TheDNAbindingeffectofthesemoleculeswillbecharacterizedusingethidiumbromidefluorescencetitration.Isothermaltitrationcalorimetry(ITC)analysiswillprovidebindingaffinityinformation,andcirculardichromism(CD)willassistinthecomparisonofeffectsofeachparticleonDNA’ssecondarystructure.Additionally,thisnewgenerationofparticlescanbeutilizedtoobtainoptimaltransfectioninmammaliancells.

Communication

11 Foyer III 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Bevin Goodniss (Glen Brewster), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Reconstructing the South or Reconstructing Ideologies of Race: The Discriminative Culture of Disney’s The Song of the South

In1946DisneyreleasedthemovieTheSongoftheSouth,basedontheUncleRemusstoriesofJoelChandlerHarris,whohadgrownupinGeorgiaduringtheCivilWarandspentalifetimecompilingthetalestoldtohimbyformerslaves.WaltDisneypurchasedtherightstothefilmbecause,hesaid,“ThereissomethingendlesslyappealingandsatisfyinginJoelChandlerHarris’drollfablesofanimalswhobehavelikehumans,andinthecharacterwhonarratesthem.”IntheendofeveryfableBrerRabbitoutwitsBrerFox,thebrainoutsmartingthebrawn,whichisthebasisofmanystereotypesofthesmartwhiteowneragainstthephysicallyable,butdumb,blackslave.Bogledescribesthekeystereotypesestablishedbythefilm:UncleRemus,“firstcousin”totheUncleTom,thecoon,theminstrel,thepickaninny,andthemammy,amongothers.HenryGirouxstates,“Wemustbeattentivetotheprocesseswherebymeaningsareproducedinthesefilmsandhowtheyworktosecureparticularformsofauthorityandsocialrelations”(Giroux108).TheNAACPobjectedtotherepresentationsinTheSongoftheSouthbeforethefilmwasreleasedin1946andateveryoneofitsre-releasesin1956,1972,1980,and1986.“TheNAACPexpressedregretoverthefilm’s‘idyllicmaster-slaverelationship’whichonlyperpetuatedadangerousglorifiedpictureofslavery”(Campbell152).Iconcludethatthefilmportraysslaveshappilycontinuingtoservetheirwhitemastersaftertheyhavebeen“liberated”fromslavery:andthustheserepresentationsofblackstereotypesandslaveryreproduceideologiesofracism.

12 Foyer III 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Ithai Larsen (Paul LeSage), Department of English, Mass College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA, 01247

Public relations from the White House: comparing Bush and Clinton

AcomparativestudyofthepublicrelationsstrategiesthattheW.J.ClintonadministrationandG.W.Bushadministrationusedvis-à-visIraq.Onewouldexpectvastdifferencesbetweenthetwointermsofpolicyandcertainlytherearedifferingoutcomesontheground.Yetanevenmoreremarkablegapexisted,andstillexists,betweenhoweachrespectiveadministrationtailoredtheirmessagetothepublicinlarge.Whereas,theClintonadministrationstayedonmessageonIraq,andterroringeneral,andbuilttheirpoliciesaroundthemessage;theBushadministrationhadanagreeduponpolicyandshoppedaroundlookingforanappropriatemessagefordeliveryforpublictoconsume.ThiskeydifferenceinpublicrelationsstrategydefinestheirrespectivepresidenciesintermsofIraqandglobalterrorandmayserveasagoodpredicatorofhoweachwillberemembered.


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oral session13 Foyer III 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Joseph Prezioso (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Life Expeirence of Joseph Prezioso, step by step

ALIFE(SOFAR)INPHOTOGRAPHYANDFILMThispresentationfeaturingbothstillphotographyandHDfilmsshowcasestheworkofaphotographerwhowasbytheageofseventeenalreadyworkingasastaffphotojournalistfortheIndependentNewspaperGroupandwho,bytheageoftwenty-one,wasproducinganddirectinghisownfilms,includingdocumentariesandfeaturenarratives.Thepresentationisintendedtoanswerthequestionsofanaudienceinterestedincareersinphotography,photojournalism,orfilmmaking,includingthehow-to’sofeverythingfromgettingstartedatthetownweeklytofundraisingforandpremieringworkinBoston,L.A.,nottoneglectpublicaccessoutlets.

Computer Science

14 Braemore 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Robert Hall (Arnold Rosenberg), Department of Computer Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Analysis of Scheduling Techniques for IC-optimal Computation-dags

Maximizingthroughputandparallelismcanbedifficultwhenusingagridtoperformlargesetsoftaskswithnontrivialintertaskdependencies.Thissituationisworsenedbytemporalunpredictabilityinthegriditself,sincecommunicationisovertheInternetandcomputationalnodesmaynotbededicatedtotheirassignedcomputations.Recentresearchhasyieldedanalgorithmforschedulingrichclassesofcomputation-dags(directedacyclicgraphs)inawaythatmaximizesthenumberofeligibletasksateachstageofthecomputation,therebyincreasingthelikelihoodthatresourceswillbeutilized,allowingforhighdegreesofparallelism.ThisscheduleiscalledIC(forInternetComputing)optimal.Thiscurrentprojectwasinitiatedinordertocomparethenewschedulingalgorithmwithfourcompetingheuristics.AsimulatorwritteninJavawasusedtocomparetheschedulingregimens-usingpreviouslydevelopedmetrics-onrandomlyconstructeddagsandregularmeshstructures,allofwhichadmitIC-optimalschedules.Thefirstexperimentconsiderstherateatwhichschedulesrenderverticeseligibleforexecution.Twobroadclassesofdagsareconsidered;reductivedagsinwhichmanyinputcomputationscombinetoafinalresult,andexpansivedagsinwhichafewinputtasksdivideintomanycomputations.Ondagsthatexhibithighlyreductivetopologies,theIC-optimalschedulerisfoundtorender10-20%moretaskseligibleateachstepoftheschedule,thandoitscompetingheuristics.Onhighlyexpansivedags,theIC-optimalscheduleisfoundtoyieldonlyslightgainsoverthenaivegreedyschedule,butstillachieves5-15%gainsineligibletasksovertheFIFOschedulingalgorithm,thatiscurrentlyusedinactualtools.Thesecondpartoftheexperimentusesastochasticmodeltorepresentagridcomputationcarriedoutinphases,whereeachphaserepresentsthearrivalofsomeclientmachines.TheIC-optimalscheduleisfoundtotakefewerphasesthanthecompetingschedules,overlargerangesofclientarrivalrates.Inreductivedags,theIC-optimalscheduletookupto20%fewerphasesinordertocompletethecomputation.

15 Braemore 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Kenneth Mahfood (Junichi Suzuki), Department of Computer Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Evolutionary Adaptation of Computer Network Applications with the BEYOND Architecture


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Computernetworkapplicationsincreasinglyfacethechallengesofautonomyandadaptabilityastheygaincomplexityandscale.Theyareexpectedtoautonomouslyadapttodynamicnetworkchangessuchaschangesintrafficandresourceavailabilityinordertoimproveuserexperience,expandapplicationlongevityanddecreasemaintenancecost.Basedontheobservationthatbiologicalsystemshavealreadyachievedautonomyandadaptability,theproposedarchitecture,calledBEYOND,employsbiologicalconceptstoachievetheserequirementsinnetworkedapplications.InBEYOND,anetworkapplicationismodeledasadecentralizedgroupofautonomoussoftwareagents.Thisisanalogoustoabeecolony(anetworkapplication)consistingofmultiplebees(agents).Eachagentimplementsafunctionalserviceandemulatesbiologicalbehaviorssuchasreplication,reproduction,deathandmigration.Italsohaspolicies(genes)onbehaviorswhichdefinewhenandhowbehaviorsareinvoked.Agentsevolvebygeneratingbehavioraldiversityandexecutingnaturalselectionamongthemselves.Behavioraldiversity,generatedthroughmutation,crossoverreplicationandreproductioncreatesawiderangeofbehaviorpolicies(genes)amongagents.Naturalselectionisperformedbasedontheconceptofenergy.Eachagentstoresandexpendsenergyforliving.Asbiologicalentitiesgainenergybyseekingandconsumingfood,agentsgainenergyinexchangeforservicesperformed,andexpendenergyutilizingresourcessuchasCPUandmemory.Theamountofstoredenergyinfluencesanagent’sbehaviorandtriggersnaturalselection.ThispresentationoverviewsthedesignoftheevolutionmechanisminBEYOND,andreportsonthecurrentsimulationstudy.

Economics

16 Foyer III 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Alicia Vine Jamie Leehy Michael CzabajAmy Baker (Dan Lass), Department of Economics, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Modeling Retail Gasoline Prices

Whyisitthatwhenthepriceofcrudeoilgoesup,gasolinepricesrisesharply,butwhencrudeoilpricesdrop,gasolinepricesappeartofallonlyslowly?Thispaperexaminesdatafrom1997-2006todevelopaneconometricmodelwhichexaminesthecontributionofvariousfactorstotheretailpriceofgasoline.Giventhatthepetrochemicalindustryishighlyverticallyintegrated,welookedforasymmetricpricingstrategiesofthepetrochemicalindustrywhichwouldleadtoasustainedriseintheretailcostofgasoline.Thedependentvariableisretailgasolineprices,andtheindependentvariablesare:(1)thepriceofcrudeoil,(2)anindexcorrespondingtocostsofprocessingandtransportingcrudeoilintosaleablegasoline,andthewholesalemarkupIDON’TUNDERSTANDTHEINCLUSIONOFTHEMARKUPASANINDEPENDENTVARIABLE,(3)thelevelofstateandlocaltaxes,and(4)anindexcorrespondingtocostsofadvertising,marketing,andretailmarkupSAMEASABOVE.Preliminaryresultsindicatethatthepriceofcrudeoilcontributesbetween33%-47%totheretailpriceofgasoline,federalandstatetaxescontributeslightlymorethan20%oftheprice,anddistribution,marketing,andmarkupconstitutearound30%oftheretailpriceofgasolineLEAVINGABOUT10%FORPROCESSING?.

17 Braemore 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Megan Martin (Bonnie Orcutt), Department of Economics, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

The Deforestation of Nicaragua’s Tropical Dry Forests

ThispaperaimstoexplorethedeterminantsandimpactsofdeforestationofthetropicaldryforestinNicaragua’sPacificlowlands.Thepaperalsodiscussesthedifficultiesofaddressingsuchacomplexissueinadevelopingcountry.EnglishandSpanishlanguageresourceswereconsultedtolearnthefullextentoftheissueandpossiblesolutionsareinvestigated.Thefinalconclusionisa


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oral sessionrecommendationofaholisticapproachtotherelievedeforestationincludingjobtrainingprogramsfordisplacedindividualsandtreeplantingtoreinvigoratethedenudedforests.

18 Foyer III 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Keith Taverna (Bonnie Orcutt), Department of Economics, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

Monetary Policy in an Environment of Technological Advance

Withtheincreasedacceptanceanduseofelectronicmoney,debitcards,andcreditcards,andwiththeintegrationofthefinancialsystem,estimatingthemonetaryaggregatesandconductingmonetarypolicyislikelytohavebecomemoredifficult.Thispaperwillexploretheimplicationsofhowtechnologicaladvances(1)complicatetheestimationofthemonetaryaggregatesinthefinancialmarketsand(2)howthesechangesinfluencetheuseofM1andM2asintermediatetargetsfortheFederalReserveBankasitconductsmonetarypolicy.

19 Foyer III 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Heather Zajac (Supriya Lahiri), Department of Economics, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Environmental and Occupational Health Impacts of Poverty Alleviation Develpoment through Microfinancing

Privateorganizationsthatprovidedesperatelyimpoverishedpeoplewithsmallloansforthestartandcapacitybuildingofincomegeneratingactivitieshavearealimpactonpovertyalleviation.Duetothesmallandunregulatednatureoftheindividualbusinesses,sideeffectsoftheiractivitiesontheenvironmentandtheworkershealtharelargelyundocumented.Thesumeffectsofthesmallbusinessescanhavealargeimpactontheenvironmentandthehealthofthepeoplewithinageographicalarea.Howshouldmicroenterprisesbeeffectivelyandeconomicallyoperatedandregulatedtolimitenvironmentalexternalities?Howcaninformationaboutpropersanitationandhealthyoperationsbeprovidedtoandimplementedwithinthebusinesstodecreaseoccupationalhealthrisks?Throughaliteraryreviewofvariousresearchstudies,thesequestionsaswellastheinfluenceofanationsbankingpolicies,businessregistrationsystem,communicationsinfrastructure,andtreatmentandprotectionofinformalsectorwillbeaddressedinrespecttotheircontributionstothedegreeofmicrofinancesuccessinsustainablepovertyalleviation,communitygrowth,andtheenvironment.

Education

20 Foyer II 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Autumn McEuen (Hannah Sevian), Department of Education, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

An Analysis of Active-Inquiry vs. Traditional Laboraty Activities and Effects on Learning Mitosis and Meiosis

Recentstudiesineducationhaveshownthatstudentslearnsciencebestwhentheyareabletomake“discoveries”inthesame


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mannerscientistsuseinreallife.Bymakingtheirownpersonalscientificbreakthroughs,studentscanbuildbridgesbetweentheknowledgetheyalreadyhaveandtheknowledgetheyareintheprocessoflearning.Thisideaofinquiry-basedlearninghasbecomeapartofcurriculainschooldistrictsacrossthecountry,butregardlessofitspublishedsuccess,hasyettobeemmployedonmanycollegecampuses.Thisstudyusesactive-inquiryinacollege-levelgeneticslabsettingtoaddressspecificmisconceptionsstudentsmayhaveaboutmitosisandmeiosisincomparisontothetraditionallab,whichistypicallybasedonperformingspecificprocedurestoreachapre-determinedoutcomeasspecifiedbythelaboratorymanual.Studentsparticipatinginthisstudywereassessedforpriorknowledgeandthenassignedtooneoftwotreatmentgroups;atraditionallaboratoryoranactive-inquirylaboratory.Resultsonpost-testsandexamquestionswillbecomparedtopre-testscorestodeterminechangesinstudentunderstandingofmitosisandmeiosis.Ifaddressingcommonmisconceptionsimprovesstudentunderstandingofmitosisandmeiosis,studentsintheactive-inquirylaboratorygroupshouldshowgreaterstatisticalimprovementthanstudentsinthetraditionallaboratory.Evidenceofincreasedstudentunderstandingofthesecoregeneticsconceptsthroughactive-inquirymayprovidetheimpetusforre-structuringthelaboratorycurriculumusingsimilaractivitiestoteachotherfoundationalelements.

21 Foyer II 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Shawna Meehan (Beth Ann Rothermel), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Teachers Improved Focus on English as a Second Language Students Will Create Brighter Futures

ManystudentsthathaveEnglishastheirsecondlanguagearefallingbehindthenationalrequirements.ItisextremelyimportantforteacherstounderstandthatinorderfortheirESL(EnglishasaSecondLanguage)studentstograsptheAmericancultureandlanguage,theconnectionbetweenlistening,speaking,writingandreadingneedstobestrengthenedinordertopromotethecontinuationoflearningintheclassroom.Thisstudy,includingresearch,observationsandateacherinterview,examinesthemethodsteacherscaneasilyemploytostrengthentheconnectionbetweenlistening,speakingwritingandreading,whichwillassisttheirESLstudentsinbecomingacademicallyadvanced.Resultsshowthatinclusionofthesestudentsintoeverydayconversation,increasedamountsofcooperativeactivities,freediscussiontimesinclass,journal-keepingandorganizedcommunityandlanguagebuildingactivitieswillhelpESLstudentssucceedmorerapidly.

22 Foyer II 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Stephen Wood (Gary Malaney), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Student Living and Student Learning: Understanding the Connection in the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Southwest Residential Area

Ofalltheconsiderationsthatarebeingmaderegardingtheexperienceoftoday’scollegestudents,onereceivingincreasingattentionisthatofcampusarchitecture,morespecificallyasitpertainstoresidencehalls.Asinstitutionstrytobalanceeconomicswithpositivestudentdevelopment,theymusteventuallydecidewhattypeofresidencehall,complex,orareatheymustdesign.Likewise,institutionsmustreevaluateexistingstructurestodeterminehowtheycanbeadaptedtofacilitatethebestsocialandacademiclearningexperiencesfortheirresidents.Residencehalltowerswereviewedasaneconomicallysavvysolutiontohousingcrunchesinthe1960sand1970s,buthavesincereceivedmuchcriticism.ThisthesiswillpresentthefindingsofacasestudydesignedtoascertainwhythefiveresidentialtowersintheSouthwestResidentialAreaattheUniversityofMassachusettsAmhersthavebeenlabeledfailures,notonlyintheresidentialarea,butinthecontextoftheUniversityasawhole.In-depthinterviewswithrepresentativesfromtheMaintenanceandOperationsdivisionofHousingServicesconstituteaportionofthedata.SupportingdatacomesfromResidenceLifestaffinterviews,ofbothResidenceDirectorswithdirecttowercontact,andaspokespersonfromResidenceLifeManagement.Thefindingswill,despitethefactthattheyarebasedonthestudyofasingleuniversity,neverthelesshaveimplicationstohousingsystemsnation-wide.


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oral sessionElectrical Engineering

23 Braemore 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Emile Dagher (Sam Mil’shtein), Department of Electrical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Dynamic Infrared Imaging for Bioengineering Applications

Thepurposeofthecurrentstudyistoenhanceinfraredimagingofcomplexbiologicalobjectssuchasanimalpawsorhumanarms,legs,palms,fingers,etc.,whichcontainvariedtissuesandstructuressuchasbones,ligaments,bloodvessels,cartilages,andmuscles.ThemethodusedtoenhancetheIRimagesmanagestodisplaytheinsideofmovingbiologicalobjectssuchasahandwithmovingfingers.InresearchconductedbytheUMassAdvancedElectronicTechnologyCenter,novelimaginghasdevelopedalowcostInfra-Red(IR)imagingsystem(hardwareandsoftware)thatallowsonetoscanbiologicalobjects.Someoftheseobjectscannotbedetectedbyconventionalx-rays.Thelightfrominfraredsourcesisnotdamaging,thereforeimagingcanbebothreal-timeandcontinuous.Workhasbeendonerecentlytoenhancetheclarityandcontrastofdynamicimages,suchasamovinghand,byemployingvarioustechniquessuchasFourieranalysis,waveletanalysis,colorization,andredistributionofthebrightnesshistogram.Sincethecostofthehardwareisrelativelylow,broadproliferationofthetechnologyisexpected,forexample,toruralandremotehealthclinicsthatcannotaffordmoretraditionalandexpensivemedicalimagingequipment(MRI,CT-SCAN,etc).

English

24 Foyer II 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Diana Billings (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Memoirs of a First Year EMT

AcollectionofshortessaysreflectingonmyexperiencesasafirstyearEMT.Totalcollectionisapprox.30-40pagesoftype.Theaimofthecollectionistoincorporatemycreativenon-fictionwritingskillswithmyexperiencesasanEMT,whichisafieldIwillbepursuingaftergraduationwithparamedicschool.Themesofthecollectionincludeloss,compassion,whatmakesagoodlife,andlearningexperiencesfromhumaninteractions.Thiscollectionalsodrawsonmoreuniversalthemesfrommyphilosophyminor.

25 Foyer II 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Cassandra Colon (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Silent All These Years:A memoir in words, sights, and sounds

Thememoirisagroupofwritingsinwhichtheauthorcarefullyselectspoignantmemoriestorevealinnercomplexities,resolutions,anddesirestotheirreaders.Mymemoirisdividedintofourmainsections:people,places,events,andreflections,withfivestoriesineachcategory.ThesepiecesareintimaterecollectionsthathaveshapedmeintothepersonI’vebecomeandwillsomedaybe.Thisprojectisverymuchacompilationofmusic,photography,andpersonalessay.Mypersonalessayswereinspiredbyvarioussongs,andeachessayistitledwiththesongandartistthatinfluencedthepiece;andbeginswithalyric.Inpresentation,myreadingwillbe


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accompaniedbyphotographsdepictingplacesinnature,orfacialprofilingthataddfurthermeaningtothewritings.Whileinvolvedinthewritingprocess,IhaveconsultedFactandArtifact:WritingNonfictionbyLynnBloom.Iwouldlikemyaudiencetobeabletovisualizethememoriesasifitwerethereown,andbeabletoidentifywiththepieceusingalloftheirsenses.

26 Kenmore 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 John Fletcher (Michael Filas), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Transcendentalism in our Post-Modern Cyberculture

Foranupcomingcreativeproject,IamresearchingtheviabilityoftheAmericanTranscendentalidealsintoday’sPost-Moderncyberculture.WiththetheorytextsofMargaretWertheimandRalphWaldoEmersonattheforefrontofmyinquiry,IwillattempttodiscoveriftherapidlyexpandingrealmofcyberspacecouldbeanaccuraterepresentationoftheTranscendentalideaoftheOver-Soul.Isthesuccessofhumanityultimatelydependentuponourcompleteabandonmentofourfleshinfavorofbecomingelectronicrepresentationsofourselves,assuggestedbytheoristHansMoravec,oristhereperhapsahappiermediuminembracingthebalanceEmersonsuggestsbetweenthePhysicalandSoul-Spaces?

27 Foyer I 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Dawn Hengl (Stephen Adams), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

England’s Gentry in Jane Austen’s Persuasion

PersuasionisJaneAusten’ssharpcritiqueofthechangingsocialmoresofEngland’slowernobility,thegentry,aftertheNapoleonicWars.Throughthenovel,sheexaminestheoptionsavailabletoafluctuatingsocietythroughhercharacters’actions.WithinthemicrocosmAnneElliot’scircleofacquaintance,theauthoraskswhatEnglishsocietywilldemandofitsmembersonceitstabilizesafterthewar’supheavals.Austenexaminesthedevelopmentofthreemajorcampswithinthegentry:whatwillbereferredtoasthe“oldgentry,”whichisbestcharacterizedbySirWalterElliotbecauseofhisutteruselessness.TheMusgrovesandLadyRussellwiththeiressentialharmlessnessexemplifythemiddleground.Thefinalgroup,the“newgentry”isthemeritocracycomposedofthenavalofficersandtheirfamilies.Eachofthesegroupsisfurthersubdividedbyindividualbehavior.Ofparticularnotearethetwocharactersthatdefyeasyclassification,AnneElliotandMrs.Smith.Theybothobserveandcritiquethebehaviorofthosearoundthem,butfromthecontrastingviewpointsoftheirrespectivesocietalpositions.Ultimately,Austen(andperhapshersociety)demandboth“goodbreeding”andgoodbehaviortotrulybeconsideredgentry.

28 Foyer I 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Jaimie McHugh (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Soul Searching: a creative non-fiction collection

Thiscollectionofcreativenon-fictionisinspiredbythepeopleandexperiencesthathaveaffectedmylife.Thevariousshortpieces,writteninbothtraditionalnarrativeaswellasmoreexperimentalforms,exploresuchtopicsasgrowingupwithaverballyabusiveandalcoholicfather,battlingdepression,andfinallycomingtoasenseofpeacewithmylifethroughfindingChrist.ThecomponentpiecesreflecttheemotionalandspiritualstagesthatIhaveexperiencedandwillleavethereaderwithasenseofanengagedlifeinprogress.SomeoftheessayshavebeeninspiredbythewritingsofAnneLamott,aChristianwriterofbothfictionandnonfiction.


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oral session29 Kenmore 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Karen Miele (Stephen Adams), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

The Generation Gap: Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons

IvanTurgenev’snovel,FathersandSons,maybeanoveldrivenbytheclashingidealsoftwogenerations,butthetruestoryofthenovelrevolvesaroundtheloveandrespectthatthegenerationspossessforoneanother.Bycarefullystudyingthreemainpairingsofcharacters—ArkadyandNikolai,BazarovandPavel,andBazarovandhisparents—thereaderisabletoconcludethatTurgenevdidnotintendforhisnoveltosimplyportraytheconflictbetweengenerations,butratherthathewantedhisreaderstoseetherespectthatdifferinggenerationscanmaintainforoneanothereveninthefaceofturmoil.UnlikeSirIsaiahBerlin’sclaimthatFathersandSonsillustratestheinabilityofgenerationstoloveoneanother,thispaperarguesthattheirproblemssimplystemfromabasicmisunderstandingoftheother’sidealsandbeliefs,butthatthereisanunderlyingthemeofrespectandlovethatthesecharactersfeelforoneanother.

30 Foyer I 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Caitlin Murphy (Janet Gardner), Department of English, UMass Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA, 02747-2300

Tales from my Grandfather’s Knee (and Other Joints) :A Biographical Account of One Man’s Life as a First Generation American

FirstgenerationAmericansholdanexclusivepositioninthiscountry.Aschildren,theyidentifywiththeirroots.Astheygrowolder,theymayidentifywithAmericanculture.Afascinationwiththisassimilationofcultures,alongwithapersonalcollectionoffamilialanecdotes,inspiredmetowritethelifestoryofmygrandfather,afirstgenerationGreek-American.Knowntomeasalovinggrandfatherandalsoaraconteur,mygrandfatherhaspasseddownmanystoriestoyoungergenerationsofmyfamilyinatime-honoredtradition.Thesestorieseachcontaina“lifelesson”thathewishedtoshare.Oneoftheearlystoriesisderivedfromhisname,XenophonLeonidasPapaioanou,andexplainsthecomplicationsthathavingsuchatraditionalGreeknamecausedhimgrowingup.(HewaslaterrenamedBobinordertosimplifyhislife).Bobplayedmanyrolesthroughouthislifetime:medicalstudentandphysician,fatherandson,caregiverandpatient.Hishistoryislargelypresentedinachronologicalmannertofamiliarizethereaderwithhisbackground.However,theemphasisremainsonthe“lifelessons”andnotthetimelineofhisexperience.Thelessonsareoftenthematicallylinked,andoftenoverlap,reflectingthatBob’saccountofhislifeisretrospective.TheprojectisorganizedinthismannertoprovidethemosthonestdepictionofBob’slifeexperience.Theexperienceofwritingmygrandfather’slife’sstoryhasbeenasignificantpointinbothofourlives,andabriefexplanationofmyoriginalinspirationaswellasmypersonalgrowthfurtherenrichthisproject.

31 Foyer I 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Denise Nichols (Stephen Adams), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

History’s effects on Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons

Inhis1862novel,FathersandSons,IvanTurgenevpaintsaliterarypictureofacountryontheedgeofchange.Hisstoryisnotonlyastoryofthegrowingdifferencesbetweengenerationsbutalsooftheincreasinggapbetweenpoliticalideologies,andunfortunatelyforhim,hispictureofRussiansocietyinthemid-nineteenthcenturymetwithunfairdisapproval.ThispaperseekstounderstandthestoryofFathersandSonsthroughanexaminationofRussianhistoryanditseffectsontheauthor’sportrayalsofthedifferingpoliticalideologiesofthetime.ThepaperexaminesTurgenev’srealismbylookingathismostcontroversialcharacter,Bazarovthe


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Nihilist,andhisconflictswithPavel.ThecharacterizationofBazarovwasthelightningrodforcriticismoftheworkatthetimeofitspublication.However,thispaperarguesthatTurgenevwasnotawriterofpolitics,butthroughnofaultofhisown,hischaractersseemedtobeviewedbyothersaspoliticalcommentary.ThepaperfurtherseekstoarguethatTurgenevlookedatthesocietyaroundhim,sawtheresultsofthecurrentpoliticalandsocialchanges,andwroteFathersandSonsashisresponsetothosechanges.ThepaperconcludesthatIvanTurgenevreceivedunfaircriticismforsimplydoingwhatagoodauthorofrealisticfictionshoulddo,whichistocreatearealisticworldoutofyourobservationsoftherealone..

32 Kenmore 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Lucienne Pierre (Louise Penner), Department of English, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Proto-Feminism and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

ThepopularityofdomesticromanceliteratureprovidedJaneAusten,inPrideandPrejudice,withafarreachingmeansofadvocatingfreedomandequalityforwomen.BecauseElizabethBennet’svoiceistheonethatmostcloselyidentifieswiththatofthenovel’somniscientnarrator,itisclearthatAustenintendedforthereadertobeinclinedtoacceptElizabeth’sbeliefsandactionsastrue.Myresearchincludesexplorationintoidentityasaneighteenthcenturyfeministasanindividualversusasonepartofacouple,inrelationtoElizabethBennetasanoutspoken,intelligent,freeandequalsingleyoungwomanasopposedtoMr.Darcy’swife.Also,becauseElizabethandherrelationshipwithMr.DarcyareatthecenteroftheplotlineofPrideandPrejudice,thispaperexplorestwenty-firstcenturyfeministdefinitionsofloveandhowtheyrelatetothepictureof‘truelove’thatAustenpresentsherreadersinthenovel.Consideringthattheeffectofanovel’scontentonareaderispartiallydependentonhowopenthereaderistoreceivingcertainmessages,Austen’ssuccesswithPrideandPrejudicehadtobepartiallyduetothefactthattheproto-feministmessagethatshewasdisseminatingwasoneheraudiencewanted,oratleastwasready,toread.ThispaperpositsthatonereasonAusten’sreaderswerereadytoreceiveafiercelyindependentcharacterlikeElizabethBennetisthattheeighteenthcenturywasaperiodwhenwomenwererethinkingtheirpositionintheworld.

33 Foyer II 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Alena Sinacola (Karen Woods Weierman), Department of English, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

Familiarity and Separation in Genesis and the Iroquois Creation Myth

TheCreation,asrelatedbytheBookofGenesis,isafamiliarstorytomostreaders.ThatoftheIroquois,thoughitsharessomesimilarthemes,isnot.WhiletherearesomeobvioussimilaritiesbetweentheChristianandIroquoiscreationstories–asinglesupremedeity,afall,andanexpulsionoftheoffender–intheinteractionofthetwoculturesduringthetimeofearlyAmericancolonization,therewasmuchdiscord,dueinparttothisclashofreligions.Thesimilaritiesdonotseemtobemerecoincidence,astherearesuchrecurrentthemestobefoundacrossworldreligions.ThemainproblemexistingbetweenChristianityandIndianreligionsatthetimeofthePuritansseemstohavebeentheircontrastinganglesonsimilarspiritualideas,andnotradicallyopposedreligiousconcepts.Anexaminationofthetwotextsevidencesnumerousparallels.TheactionsofGodandtheGreatSpiritareparticularlyimportantandfundamentaltoanappreciationofhowthePuritansandtheIroquoisunderstoodtheirrespectiverelationshipswiththeircreator.TheinsularcharacterofPuritanChristianityandthelessrestricted,familialnatureoftheIroquoisfaithcouldnotbutchafeagainstoneanother.Thedifferencesinworshipandapproachtoreligion,combinedwithmissionarytacticsoftheperiod,whichwereoftenlessthansolicitousoftheirpotentialconverts’contentmentwithChristianity,accountforthedisparateviewsandtroubledrelationsofthetwogroupsinearlyAmerica.


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oral sessionEnglish Literature

34 Foyer I 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Alison Butland (Irene Martyniuk), Department of English Literature, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Losing Pride and Gaining Prejudice

BridgetJones’sDiaryhassoldover10millioncopiesin35countries.HelenFielding’sheroinehasbecomeaneverywoman,emblematicofthetwentieth-centurysingletonstrivingtoloseafewpoundsandtofindahusband.YetonewomannotrepresentedbyBridgetisElizabethBennetofJaneAusten’sPrideandPrejudice.Fieldinghasadmittedto“borrowing”fromAusten.Thus,thenovelshaveaninterdependentrelationship.Therearemanyclassificationsofliterarysymbiosis;thisoneisdefinedasparasiticbecauseBridgetactsasthedetrimentalguesttothehosttext.BridgetdemeanstheclassicRegencynovelbylabelingitasthemotherhenofthechick-litmovement.Readingthetextsandviewingthefilmadaptationsdemonstratestheregressionoftheheroine.ElizabethisrenownedforherintellectandwitwhileBridgetisnotoriousforher“verbalincontinence”andhangovers.Elizabeth’sliteraryoffspringhaslostherprideandprinciples.ReaderscannothelpbutbeprejudicedagainstBridget.Andyet,sheiscurrentlyenjoyingawaveofpopularity.In2004EnglishwomenvotedPrideandPrejudice“themostlifechangingnovel.”Twocenturieslater,thenovelremainsrelevantandrevolutionarytowomen.ThesamecannotbesaidforBridgetJones’sDiary,whichisafadandwillfadefrompublicconsciousness.Inthispaper,IwilldiscusswhyBridgetiscurrentlypopular,howshewillfade,andwhyElizabethBennettwilloutlivethe“childofCosmopolitanculture.”

35 Foyer II 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Chantelle Jacobs (Janet Gardner), Department of English, UMass Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA, 02747-2300

Evaluating the Feminine Voice in John Donne

JohnDonnewroteinaneranotableforitspowerfulfemalemonarchandobsessionwithgenderpolitics.Hiswitty,satiricallovepoetryrepresentshiscontributiontoacontentiousdiscussionofgenderintheperiod.Hiscynicismaboutwomenmakeshimseemaproponentofhisculture’sdominantpatriarchy,butrecentcriticshavearguedthatDonne’spoetryisnotwhatitseems.ThesescholarstheorizethatDonneisanobjectiveandastuteobserverofhissociety,asatiristaimingatacomplexandpluralisticviewofgender.ThispaperwillanalyzeDonne’splaceinhiseraasasocialsatirist,andinquireintohistreatmentofwomenassubjectsbothofcensureandpraise.ViewinghimthroughthislenswilladdanewdimensionofunderstandingtofeministcriticismofDonne.ReadinghisworkassatirewillbettersituatehiminhiscontextasacriticofElizabethansociety,and,throughclosereadingofhislovepoetry,thisprojectwillestablishtherealismanddepthofDonne’sportrayaloffemalecharacters.Whilehisportraitsofwomencanbehighlycritical,Donne’spoetrygivesthemavoicetointroducetheiruniqueconcernsandarguments.Hiscastoffemalecharactersencompassesaspectrumofpersonalities.Throughsuggesteddialogueandactions,hemakesthesecharacters’questions,feelings,andresponsesacriticalpartofgenderinteraction.

36 Foyer I 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Nathan Lamar (Todd Avery), Department of English Literature, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Dragging Bodies: The Ideological Reconstructions in Civil War Fiction


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“Everyimageofthepastthatisnotrecognizedbythepresentasoneofitsownconcerns,”WalterBenjaminwrites,“threatenstodisappearirretrievably.”Thispaperexaminestheconstructionofnarrativeandmanipulationofhistorywhenre-presentingtheCivilWar,specificallyinMichaelShaara’s“TheKillerAngels”,RobertPennWarren’s“Wilderness”,“ColdMountain”byCharlesFrazier,and“TheMarch”byE.L.DoctorowaswellasthefilmadaptationsofShaaraandFrazier’snovels.Inparticular,theresearchhighlightshowthesetextsarepoliticallyandideologicallybasedinaperpetuationoftheLostCausetraditionofthelateNineteenthandearlyTwentiethcentury.ForJubalEarlyandotherLostCauseproponents,theSouthhadnotfoughtforthepreservationofslavery,secessionwasaconstitutionalandjustifiableresponsetoNorthernaggression,andRobertE.LeeandThomasJ.(“Stonewall”)JacksonwerenationalheroeswhoseveryexistencetestifiedtoConfederatenobility.Thepaperhighlightshowtheracial,social,andgenderstereotyping,andfocusonclassenvybycurrentauthorsisbasedinaperpetuationofthehegemonicnormoftheircontemporarytimeframe,failingtobreakfromtheLostCauseideology.Finally,thepaperhighlightsthepossibilitieshistoricalfictionallotsforthealleviationofBenjamin’sconcernofanirretrievablepast.CivilWarfictionpresentstheforumforthedeparturefromhistoriesconnectiontotheLostCauseHeresybythecreationofcharactersthatdonothingeonthevenerationofLeeorStonewallJackson,thatembraceslaveryastheatrocitythatitwas,andfinallythatNortherninterest,althoughmorerootedinmoneythanabolitionism,wasnotaggressionasEarlyandhiscontemporariesclaimed.

37 Foyer I 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Erica Mena (Rajini Srikanth), Department of English Literature, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Towards a Theory of Poetry and Post National Community

In1945,ChileanpoetPabloNerudagaveareadinginBrazilatasportsstadium,drawingover100,000peoplefromallsocialclasses,formostofwhomthepoetwouldbereadinginaforeignlanguage.Recently,PalestinianpoetMahmoudDarwishreadatastadiuminBeirutthatattractedover25,000people,includingtaxidrivers,homemakers,andintellectuals.Itwasnotonlythepleasureofpoetrythatdrewthesecrowds,buttheimpulsetowardscommunity.Thispaperarguesthatpoetryplaysasubstantialrolein“imaginingcommunities”thatarenotonlypost-colonial,butpostnational.Astheworldshrinksinthefaceofglobalization,ameansforparticipatinginandshapingthisnewinternationalsocietyisrequired.Asnarrativeliteratureplayedadefinitiveroleinpost-colonialcommunities,poetryisvitalindevelopingpostnationalcommunity.Theterm“postnational”ratherthan“transnational”willbeusedherebecausetransnationalreliesinitsdefinitionontheboundariesofthenation;notfocusingonconstructingcommunityacrosspreviouslydefinednationalboundaries,butratherbelongingtomultiplenations.Poetryfunctionsuniquelyintheliteraryartsbyallowingthepoettotakeanindividualexperienceandmakeituniversal.Existingina“momentaryeternity,”poetryallowscommunitiestobebuiltoutsideoflineartime/space,wherenarrative(especiallyinpost-colonialstudies)focusesonlinearprogression.ThroughtheworksofPabloNerudaandMahmoudDarwishthispaperexploreshowpostnationalcommunitiesaredevelopedthroughsharedexperienceandusedtocrossthedivisiveboundariesofnationalism.AsDarwishsaidinaninterview:“ThebestwaytounderstandtheOtheristorecognizehiscultureandhispoems.”

38 Foyer I 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Sarah Perkins (Vanessa Diana), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Culture, Healing, Tradition and Medicine in Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day, Bailey’s Café, and The Women of Brewster Place

InGloriaNaylor’scontemporarynovelsMamaDay,Bailey’sCafé,andTheWomenOfBrewsterPlace,sheexploresthemesofmidwifery,healing(bothphysicalandspiritual),family,femalerelationships,sexuality,andresistanceinAfricanAmericancommunities.Hernovelsillustratethelivesofmodernblackwomenstrugglingtoovercomethepositiveandnegativeimpactsthattheirpersonalandculturalhistorieshaveonthem,whiletryingtobesomeonetoberespectedandunderstoodbyAmericansociety.ThehistoryofAfricanAmericanhealingtraditionsandresistancetowhite(Western)medicinestemsfromslaveryintheUnited


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oral sessionStatesandNaylorcarriesthesetraditionswithinthesenovels,allowingthereadertogaininsightfromthesestrugglesandefforts.ThefemalecharactersNaylorportraysarewomenwhopossessahealingpowerandanabilitytofeelthepowerbehindfamilyandrelationships,bothprofessionalandunprofessional.Inmakingacomparisonbetweenthefemaleslavesofthenineteenthcentury,withtheirphysicalandspiritualhealingtraditions,tothecontemporarycharactersofGloriaNaylor,strugglingtoovercometheirdiscriminatedplaceinsocietyandlifesituations,IwillexplainhowtheactsofresistancetowardsconformingtoAmericansocietyfromtheslavestothesefictionaldescendantshasshownthatinreality,theireffortsarenotasdifferentasreadersofallbackgroundsmayinitiallybelieve.

39 Foyer II 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Jessica Ulmer (Glen Brewster), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

A Girl at Best: Young Female Characters in Gothic Fiction, 1790 to the Present

BeginningwithAnnRadcliffe’s_ASicilianRomance_(1790),tracingtherolesandimpactsofyoungfemalecharactersinGothicnovelsprovedtobeeasilyaccomplished,asoneoftheclassicelementsofthegenreistheyoungfemale,whethershebeinnocentandcaringorconnivingandfocused.TheothernovelsincludedinthisstudywereCharlotteDacre’s_Zofloya,ortheMoor_(1806),BramStoker’s_Dracula_(1897),DaphneDeMaurier’s_Rebecca_(1938),AnnRice’s_InterviewwithaVampire_(1976)andToniMorrison’s_Beloved_(1987),aswellasothershortstoriesandcriticalworksusedasreferencepoints.TogetherthesenovelsportraydifferentaspectsoftheGothicspectrum,butmanyoftheclassicelementsholdtrue:thelonehomestead,whetheritbeacastleoraplantationhome;theoverbearingoldergentleman,whetherhebeacountoranaristocraticvampire;aswellastheaforementionedyoungfemale.Byfocusingontheyoungfemalecharactersandwhatpartstheyplayedintheirrespectivenovels,thisessayalsotracestheroleofwomeninsocietythroughoutWesternhistory,andhowthesenovelswereusedasawayfortheirreaderstoescapethestrictconstraintstowhichtheywereheld.

40 Foyer II 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Jolene Wagner (Stephen Adams), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Rebellion in Death: Desdemona, Ophelia, and the Revolution Against Patriarchy

Forhundredsofyears,ShakespeareancriticshaveavoidedwritingaboutthecharactersofDesdemonaandOpheliaintheiressays,seenthemasloyal,subservientandunimportant,orviewedthemasabsolutevictimsofpatriarchaltyranny.However,Iwanttoassertadifferentopinion:byvariousactions,butmostimportantlybytheirdeaths,bothDesdemonaandOpheliareclaimtheirselvesandrebelagainstthepatriarchalsocietiesinwhichtheylived.Desdemona,infact,refusedtobecomepropertydisplayingthewealthofmen.Bygivingherselfwillingly,DesdemonabecomesOthello’sequal,anddoesnotsuccumbtobegivenawaybyherfather.ItistruethatupuntilherdeathDesdemonaissubservientdespiteherresistance,however,herdeathbecomestheultimateactofrebellionagainstpatriarchalsociety.Ophelia,likeDesdemona,rebelsagainstthepatriarchalsocietyinwhichshewasforcedtolive.ThroughoutHamletthereareundercurrentsofsexualitythatimplyOpheliawasnotasvirginalassocietycommandedhertobe.Hermadnessitselfisaresistancetopatriarchalculture,andwhenthatfails,Opheliacommitstheultimateactofrebellion:death.


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Environmental Studies

41 Foyer I 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Ulrike Baigorria (David Levy), Department of Environmental Studies, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Organizational Schemes for Carbon Emission Trading

Carbondioxide(CO2)emissionsareoneofthemajorcontributorstoglobalwarming.Variousgovernments,non-governmentorganizationsandbusinessesaremakingeffortstocurbthecurrenthighlevelsofCO2emissions.OnesuchwaytolessenCO2emissionsisbyimplementingacapandtradesystem,whichlimitsoverallemissionswhileallowingfortrading(buyingandsellingofemissionscredits).WhiletheEuropeanUnionhasaschemethatregulatestheemissionsofitsmembercountriesbylaw,theUnitedStateshasregionalinitiativesthatarevoluntaryanddonothavethesamecentralizedpowergoverningemissionsmitigationefforts.Thispaperwillcompareandanalyzesystemsofcarbondioxideemissionstradingandtheinteractionsofthevariousgroupsinvolvedorinterestedinsuchtrading,focusingontheEmissionsTradingSchemeinEurope(theETS,aregulatory,commandandcontrolstylescheme)andthesmallervoluntaryinitiativeswithintheUSsuchastheRegionalGreenhouseGasInitiative(RGGI).WorldwideeffortssuchastheCitiesforClimateProtection,whichgarnerscommitmentsfromcitiesrangingfromcapitalsoflargecountriestomuchsmallercities,arealsoexamined.ThisgoalofthispaperistoprovideanunderstandingofthebenefitsandshortcomingsoftwodifferingtypesoforganizationalactionregardingCO2emissionsmitigation:thecommandandcontrolstyleversusavoluntaryandmorefragmentedstyle.Oncethefactsofeachapproacharelaidout,itisimportanttoconsiderhoweachstyledoesorpotentiallycouldworkwithinvarioussocietalsettings.

42 Foyer I 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 David Paulson (Ben Snyder), Department of Biology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Assessment of Wastewater Effluent Estrogenicity in The Nemasket River

Endocrinedisruptingchemicals(EDCs)interferewiththeendocrinesystembymimickingnaturallyproducedhormonesandbind,block,andstimulatehormonalcellreceptorsites.EDCscancauseinfertility,developmentproblems,andsexchangesinfish.EDCpollutionhasbeenlinkedtoresidentialandindustrialwaste.Therearenofederallyrequiredprotocolsorfiltrationsystemsinplacetoscreenforthesechemicals,andthereforetheytravelthroughtreatmentplantsuntreated.TheMiddleboroWastewaterTreatmentplantdischargesintotheNemasketRiverdownstreamofMiddleborocenter.ThegoalofthisstudywastodetermineifEDCpollutionwasgreaterdownstreamofthetreatmentplantdischarge.Thebrownbullheadcatfish(Ameiurusnebulosus)waschosenfortheinvestigationbecauseitisabundantandnativetoMassachusetts.Detectionofvitellogenin(VTG)intheplasmaofmalefishisasimpleandsensitivebiomarkerforendocrinedisruptingchemicalswithestrogeniceffects.Vitellogeninistheeggyolkproteinprecursorandisonlynaturallyproducedinadultfemalefish.Ifjuvenileandadultmalefishareexposedtoestrogensorestrogenmimicsexogenously,theywillproduceVTGandthereforetheVTGassaywillindicateifthereisEDCpollutionintheaquaticenvironment.MyresultsindicatedthatthereisnosignificantdifferenceinVTGlevelsoffishcollectedupstreamordownstreamofthetreatmentplant.Therewasnosignificantdifferenceinaveragetotalbodyweightorinthetestismeasurementsofthefishfromthetwosites.TheresultsindicatethattheriverisfreefromEDCpollutionandcouldbeconsideredahealthyriver.


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oral sessionHistory

43 Foyer II 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Elisabeth Budd (Laura Lovett), Department of History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Lost Decade

TheLostDecade,ElisabethA.Budd,UniversityofMassachusettsAmherst,MA01003Inatimelargelyrememberedbythepublicasaperiodofeconomicstagnation,AfricanAmericanswereabletomobilizeduringthedecadeofthe1930s.ThispaperexamineshowgainsmadeduringtheGreatDepressionEra,aidedinpartbyNewDeallegislation,allowedAfricanAmericanstorevamphighereducationintheSouth.ThischangeintheschoolsystemproducedanewgenerationofmotivatedleaderswhowouldlaythefoundationfortheCivilRightsMovementtocome.Schoolreforms,inuniversitieslikeHowardandFiskmadethemmoreeffectivecentersoflearning,despitesegregation.ThisthesisdemonstratestheextenttowhichAfricanAmericanssucceededintheirpursuitforjusticeintheUnitedStatesduringtheGreatDepressionEra.

44 Foyer II 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Rachel Dayton (Robert Bence), Department of Political Science, Mass College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA, 01247

Current spiritual awakening in historical perspective

Youngadultsareevaluatingthesocial,politicalandreligiousidealsoftheirparents’andgrandparents’generationsandaresearchingforanewsortofspiritualfulfillment.However,theymaynotrealizethat,eventhoughtheyaredivergingawayfromthereligiouscultureoftheolderadultsinoursociety,theyarereachingtowardsaspiritualsocietythatbearsastrikingresemblancetoallthereligiousawakeningsinAmericathatoccurredoverthepastnearlythreecenturies.Mystudyanalyzesthecontemporaryspiritualawakeningamongyoungpeopletoday,anddemonstratesthatitsharesfourprimarytraitswithpriorhistoricalperiodsofreligiousenthusiasm:1)ablendingofvaluesandinstitutionstoformneworganizations;2)thegrowthoffellowshipamongfollowers;3)thepublicationofreligiousideasinvariousmediums;and4)anincreaseinpoliticalandsocialserviceactivities.Thispresentationwilldemonstratethateventhoughthereareculturalandtemporaldifferencesbetweenthecenturies,today’syoungpeopleareapartoftheAmericantraditionofcyclicChristianAwakenings.

45 Foyer II 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Sarah LeFrancois (Mark Abate), Department of History, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Human Sacrifice

Humansacrificehasbeenatabooforcenturies,butthereisevidencethatmanyancientculturespracticedit.Myaimistoexplorewhatpurposehumansacrificeservedwithintheseculturesandhowitsurvivedwhilebeingcondemnedthroughtime.IexplorehumansacrificeinafewdifferentcontextsfocusingontheAztec/Mesoamerican,Jewish/Phoenician,andRomancultures.Toexploretheuseofhumansacrificeinthesecultures,Iusematerialswhichdiscussthecivilizationsthemselvesaswellasscholarshipthatinquiresintothenatureofthesacred.IntheAztec/Mesoamericancivilization,murals,worksofart,andaccountsfromthepeoplesareclearthathumansacrificeoccuredandoccuredoften.WithintheJewish/PhoenicianculturesIexploretheconceptofchildsacrificefocusingonthestelaefoundatCarthageandtheAkedahfoundintheTorahandOldTestament.Iresearchhuman


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sacrificeinRome,especiallyasitmanifestedingladiatorialbattlesandotherbloodsports.Ifindthatalltheseexampleshadtheirrootswithinthesacredwhetheritisinsupplicationtoahigherpoweroraceremony/celebration.Humansacrificepracticesweresoingrainedinthereligioussensibilitiesofthepeople;thecivilizationsthatgrewfromthemhavemaintainedtheimportancesacrificingapersonmeant.

46 Foyer II 1:30-2:15 Panel 3 Max Spaderna (Bruce Laurie), Department of History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Political Biography of Charles Wesley Slack

Alivebetweentheyears1825and1885,CharlesWesleySlackwasaMassachusettsstaterepresentativeandnewspapereditorwholivedduringoneofthemostpoliticallytumultuousandinfluentialperiodsinAmericanhistory.AsamemberoftheKnowNothingpartythattookcontroloftheStateLegislaturein1855,hewasthemainforcebehindthedesegregationofBoston’spublicschools.TheschoolintegrationmovementhadtheardentsupportofmanyblackBostoniansandwhiteabolitionists,butitwasdealtaserioussetbackbyan1848courtdecisionandwasinneedoflegislativeassistance.Slack’sreporttotheCommitteeofEducationoutlinedtheimportanceandbenefitsofallowingblacksintowhiteschools,andprovidedapowerfulargumentagainsttheseperate-but-equalpolicythathadbeentherationaleforBoston’sschoolsegregationpolicy.

International Studies

47 Foyer II 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Catherine Reyes (Rajini Srikanth), Department of English Literature, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

A Group Perspective on International Epidemics: AIDS in South Africa

ThispresentationwillbeanaccountofthejourneyundertakenbygroupofUMassBostonstudentsexploringtheimpactofinternationalepidemicsfromacademicstofirst-handexperience;wefocusedonHIV/AIDS,viewedthroughthelensoftheSouthAfricanpeople.WehavelaunchedaneducationalandfundraisingcampaigntospreadawarenessofAIDSandtostrengthentheconnectionsofourlocalcommunitytotheworld.IntheFall2005,weembarkedonathree-stagejourneythroughinternationalepidemics.Webeganwithanin-depth,multidisciplinarystudyofworldepidemicsthroughouttime;ledbyarichvarietyoflocalexperts,weexploreddifferentunderstandingsofhealthandresponsestodiseaseacrosscultures.InJanuary2006,wesetouttoexperiencethesocialimpactofdiseaseinaradicallydifferentsettingtotheUS.WetraveledtothetownshipofKhayelitsha,SouthAfrica,andworkedcloselywiththeactivistgroupTreatmentActionCampaign(TAC),whosemissionistoreducestigmaandensureaccesstoadequateAIDStreatmentforall.TACmembershelpedusexperiencetheirstruggletoeducatethelocalcommunityaboutAIDStreatment,prevention,andlivingopenlywithHIV/AIDS.TACischangingtheresponseofAIDSinSouthAfrica,fromneglectandmisunderstandingtodisclosureandtreatment.Nowweturntoreachourlocalcommunities,challengingourselvestohelpothers.WeareorganizingafundraisertosupportTAC,andaneducationalcampaigntospreadawarenessoftheproblemofHIV/AIDS,athomeandintheworld,throughtheconstructionofacollectiveartproject.


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oral sessionLandscape Architecture

48 Braemore 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Sebastian Gutwein (Patricia McGirr), Department of Landscape Architecture, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Participatory Design Process: Gathering and using input from stakeholders in the Tierra de Oportunidades project.

Participatorydesignisvitaltothesuccessandacceptanceofprojectsthathavemultipleusersandfunctions.Thedevelopmentofa30acreurbanfarm(theTierradeOportunidadesproject)inHolyokeMassachusettswasanopportunitytoimplementandgaugetheeffectivenessofaparticipatorydesignprocess.Thisprocessinvolvedgeneratingalistofelementsandfarmplotsizesthroughconversationswiththestakeholders,namelytheboardmembers,staff,farmers,andmembersoftheyouthproject.Thenwithalargemapofthesiteandscaledmodelsofeachoftheelements(barn,youthcenter,parkinglot,etc.)aparticipatorydesignsessionwasperformedwitheachofthestakeholdergroups.Duringwhichalandscapeplanwasdevelopedbyplacingandmovingtheelementsaroundthemap.Thesescenarioswererecordedusingadigitalcamera.Althoughthesescenarioswerenotdirectlyuseable,duetothecomplexityofthesite,theywere,however,usefulinfurtherdevelopingthedesignandunderstandingthestakeholder’spreferencesandpriorities.Notesweretakenregardingthereasoningfortheplacementoftheelementsandtheissuesraisedbyeachelement.Throughthisparticipatoryprocessthestakeholdersnotonlygainedagreaterunderstandingofthedesigncomplexities,butalsobecameinvestedinthedesign.Althoughtheparticipatorydesignprocessisdifficult,importantbondsarecreatedbetweenthestakeholders,theland,andthedesignersresultingintheincorporationofimportantinformationintothedesign.

49 Braemore 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Jason Miller (Patricia McGirr), Department of Landscape Architecture, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

How Can a Landscape Design Stimulate Cutural Growth?

HOWCANALANDSCAPEDESIGNSTIMULATECULTURALGROWTH?JasonMiller(PatriciaMcGirr),DepartmentofLandscapeArchitecture,UniversityofMassachusetts,AmherstMA.Howdoyouattractpeopletothecanalwhileencouragingculturalgrowth?ThecityofHolyokeisuniqueinthemannerofarichindustrialhistory.Holyokewasthefirstindustrialplannedcity.HolyokeissufferingfromEconomicstruggleatitscurrentstateduetothefalloftheIndustrialrevolution.ThiswasthechallengestudentsintheUniversityofMassachusettsJuniorLandscapeArchitectureStudiofacedwhiledesigningtheareasurroundingtheHolyokeCanalSystem.Thegoalwastodevelopdesignproposalsaimedatincreasingvolumeofvisitors,stimulatingeconomicgrowthand,simultaneously,celebratingthearea’srichculturalheritageandindustrialhistory.Centraltothedesignwasaself-guidedwalkingtourdesignedtoeducatevisitorsabouttheDistrict’srichhistory.Studentsfirstperformedadetailedsiteanalysiswhichincludedastudyoftheexistingarchitectureandphysicalfeatures,aswellastheneighborhoodandregionalcontext.Indepthhistoricalresearchwasalsoconducted.StudentsthendevelopedinitialdesignconceptswhichexploredopportunitiestoconnecttoHeritageStatePark.Thefinalproductwasadetailedmasterplanwithmultipledesignedareas,eachprogrammedfordifferentusesanddifferentdemographicgroups.TheDistricts,whichincludedarts,entertainmentandindustrial,residencesandmarketplaces,reflectedthehistoricorganizationoftheCanalDistrict.TheresultwasadesignwhichwouldprovidetheimpoverishedcityofHolyoketheopportunitytotransformtheDistrictandstimulateaneconomicandculturalrenaissance.


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50 Braemore 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Keith Zaltzberg (Ellen Pader), Department of Landscape Architecture, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

What is and what may be: How site analysis informed (and complicated) the design for an ecologically-minded community farm.

Everyintentionallydesignedlandscaperesultsfromtheinteractionbetweenasetofhumangoalsandthenativecharacterofthespecificsite.WiththelandscapeplanforTierradeOportunidades,athirtyacrefarmonthebanksoftheConnecticutRiverinHolyokeMassachusetts,twostudentssoughttodesignaninteractionthatwasculturallyandenvironmentallyharmonious.Anin-depthinventoryandanalysisoftheland’secological,cultural,andcontextualfeaturesprovidedtheanalyticaltoolsforintegratingthegoalsoftheclientsintothepatternsandprocessesoftheexistinglandscape.Amongthese,aGeographicInformationSystems(GIS)basedmodel,whichwasusedtoorganizefivemonthsofobservationsanddata,wastheprimarytoolforanalysisandvisualcommunication.Theanalysisbothguidedandcomplicatedthedesignprocessbyrevealingtheopportunitiesandconstraintsofthesite.Afteranumberofiterationsthespatialconflictsbetweenagriculture,commerce,recreation,education,andconservationweresettledandadesignwascreatedthatintegratedtheseactivitiesintothepatternsofthesite.Thiswasachievedthroughtheuseofforest-mimicgardensinecologicallysensitiveareas,andwiththesolar-orientationofbuildingcomplexes.Thefinaldesigndemonstratesthesynergisticrelationshipbetweentheexistingconditionsandtheneedsoftheclientachievedwiththeapplicationofanalysis.

Linguistics

51 Foyer III 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Paula Aden (John McCarthy), Department of Linguistics, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Positionally Licensed Extended Lapses

Ternarystresssystems--languageswherestressfallsoneverythirdsyllable--havelongbeenaproblemforthestandardanalysesofstress.Thisisbecausemostlanguageshavebinarystress--stressoneveryothersyllable--oronlyasinglestressperword.Inthispresentation,wewillbelookingatananalysisinOptimalityTheory(OT),whichisaphonologicalframeworkusingranked,violableconstraintsinastrictdominationhierarchy.TripuraBanglaisonelanguagewhichhasthiskindofiterativeternaryrhythm,andisaninterestingcasetostudybecausethecurrenttheorydoesnotprovidethesufficienttoolsfordealingwiththeparticularsofitsstresspattern.Theparticularstructuresofthislanguagerequiresomethingnew;Iproposeanewfamilyofextended-lapseconstraints,synthesizingthequalitiesofpositionallylicensedlapseconstraints(Lapse-at-End,Lapse-at-Peak)andtheusualextendedlapseconstraint(*Extended-Lapse).Specifically,inadditionto*Extended-Lapse,thereareconstraintslicensingextendedlapsesword-finallyandatthewordpeak(Extended-Lapse-at-End,Extended-Lapse-at-Peak).IwillshowthatExtended-Lapse-at-EndisabsolutelyessentialtothesuccessfulanalysisofTripuraBangla;thereexistsnootherwayofproducingtheobservedstresspattern.WithanyconstraintsetlackingExtended-Lapse-at-End,thereisnoconsistentrankingthatcanbereachedtoexplainalltypesofdatafoundinTripuraBangla.Extended-Lapse-at-Endalsoavoidsmanytypologicalproblemsproducedbyotherattemptstothissolution,and--infact--providesaneasyexplanationofthethree-syllablestresswindowinavarietyoflanguagessuchasPirahãandOldEnglish.


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oral sessionLiterature

52 Foyer I 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Gerrit Hagen (David LaFontaine), Michael J Everett Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

Hawthorne’s Ancestral Ties to the Puritans

SomeofNathanielHawthorne’smostintriguingstoriesdealwithcharacterswhoareverysimilartoHawthorneandhisancestors.Hawthornepresentsstoriesofshameandremorsewhichreflecthisownguiltyfeelingsregardingthereputationthathisfamilynamehadaquiredfromhisancestors.DuringtheSalemWitchTrials,JudgeHathorne,anancestorofNathaniel,presidedovertheTrialsandsentencedtodeathmanysuspectedofwitchcraft.Later,thefamilynamewaschangedfromHathornetoHawthorne,inordertodistancethefamilyfromtheactionsoftheJudge.Aparallelmaybedrawnbetweentheauthorandthemotivationsofthemaincharacterin“YoungGoodmanBrown”.BrownstruggleswithhisnegativefeelingstowardPuritanlife.TheDevilinformsBrownthatbothhisfatherandhisgrandfatherhadenteredintodealingswiththeforcesofhell.TheDevilhadhelpedhisancestorscommitgreatcruelty,astheytookoverthenewworldandforcedPuritanlawsonthecitizens.Brownisforcedtoconfronthisowndarksideinthisstory.In“TheMay-PoleofMerryMount”,anotherofHawthorne’sshortstories,theleaderofthePuritaninvasion,Endicott,canbecomparedtoJudgeHathornebecausehecondemnsthetownspeopleofMerryMountasheathensandsentencesmanytodeath.Oneyoungcoupleissparedinordertoconvertthemintogood,God-fearingPuritans.HawthornemakesclearinbothofthesestoriesthathedoesnotagreewiththebrutalityofthePuritans.Heinsistsonreligiousandpersonalfreedom.WasHawthornecompelledtowritethesestoriesbecausehehadtoexplainhisownancestralties?ThispresentationexploresthelineageofHawthorne,theinvolvementofhisrelativesintheWitchTrialsandotherexamplesofpersecution,andHawthorne’spersonalstruggleswithmoralquestions.HiswritingabouttheTrials,hisancestors,andthetownofSalemtakeonanobsessivequalityconsideringthathelivedmorethanonehundredyearsaftertheseeventstookplace.HawthornemovedtoSalemandwrotethesestoriesaboutthetimethathewasexperiencingseveresymptomsofdepression.EvidenceispresentedtoshowthepoweroftheinfluenceofJudgeHathorne,thetownofSalem,andHawthorne’sfeelingsofresponsibility,onthecreationoftheseenduringshortstories.

Management

53 Braemore 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Nicole Tocco (Lawrence Zacharias), Department of Management, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Encouraging Corporate Environmetnal Sustainability

ENCOURAGINGCORPORATEENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITYThispaperlooksattherelationshipbetweenthenatureofthemoderncorporationandsociety’sprogresstowardsenvironmentalsustainability.Thosewhoadvocate“environmentalsustainability”seektomeetsociety’spresentneedswithoutcompromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirneeds.Developingstrategiesforandimplementingenvironmentalsustainabilityisessentialforthefutureoftheplanetandalllivingspecies.Thecorporationisarguablythemostpowerfuleconomicinstitutionofourtime:smallchangesinthedailyoperationsofalargecorporationmayhavethesameenvironmentalimpactaschangesinthelivesofthousandsofindividuals.Thispapercomestogripswiththemosteffectivewaystoencouragecorporatechangesthatwillleadtowardenvironmentalsustainabilitythroughasurveyoftheliterature


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onreformingcorporatepracticesthataffectsustainability.Thispaperaskswhycorporationsaremakingchangestoimprovetheirperformanceintermsofsustainability,andanswersthroughavarietyofmotivationsforreform.Theseanswersincludeexternallydrivenmotivations,suchasconsumerdemandandpoliticalconcerns,aswellasinternallydrivenmotivations,suchasprofitablepublicrelationscampaignsandtheenvironmentalattentivenessoftopexecutives.

54 Braemore 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Peter Tusi (Theodora Welch), Department of Management, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

VoIP Convergence In Business Markets: Future or Fallacy?

Inanerawhereadvancesininformationtechnologyallowbusinessesofallkindstomovecopiousamountsofdataandinformationeffortlessly,whereprocessingspeedsaremesmerizing,andwhereinternetandbroadbandaccessissoreadilyaccessible,wearestillconfinedtoordinarytelephonyservice.Forbusinessesofallkinds,telephonycostsarefartoohigh.Voice-overInternetProtocol(VoIP),suchasVonageisfinallymakingitswayintothemainstream.ThroughVoIP,userscanplacecallsoverpre-existinghigh-speedinternetconnections.Thisallowsbusinessesofallkindstosavetremendousamountsofmoney,whichcouldbewellspentotherwise,nottomentionthewiderangeoffunctionalpossibilitiesVoIPofferscomparedtotheoldtelephonysystems.ThisprojectwillfocusonVoIPaffectingbusinesses,focusingmainlyonthehospitalitysectorofthehealthcareindustry.TheTechnologyAcceptanceModel(TAM)willbeusedtopredictwhetherornotVoIPwillovertaketraditionaltelephonyserviceinbusinessmarkets,especiallyinthehospitalitysector.TAM’scriteriaofusers’perceivedusefulnessandperceivedeaseofusewillbeappliedtodeterminewhetherVoIPwillbesuccessfulinovercomingoldtelephonysystemsinbusinessmarkets.

Marketing

55 Foyer III 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Dianne Cannon (Theodora Welch), Department of Management, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Advertising Revolution: The Emergence of Consumer Controlled Promotion

Manymarketingprofessionalsnowbelievethattherewillbedramaticchangesintheadvertisingindustryinthecomingyears.Astraditionalmediaoutletscontinuetofalter,anewphenomenonwillemerge:consumercontrolledadvertising.Thegoalofthisprojectistoinvestigatethesenew,alternativetechnologiesandtheroletheywillplayinthemediaenvironmentofthefuture.Somekeycomponentsconsideredwillbe:discussionofbuzzmarketingandblogadvertisingtechnologies(whichareconsumer-centricformsofpromotion),investigationofempiricaldatarelatingtothedevelopmentofthisphenomenon,andalibrarysynthesisinvestigationofscholarlyjournalsandprofessionalpublications.ThedataforthisprojectwillbeprimarilyfromonlineresourcessuchaseMarketer.comandthePewInternet&AmericanLifeStudy.Backgroundandtheoryinformationfromindustrypractitioners’publicationswillalsobeutilized.


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oral sessionMerchandising & Textiles

56 Foyer III 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Jennette Houston (Irene Foster), Department of Merchandising & Textiles, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Study of Soldier’s Preferences between the ACU and BDU and Any Change in Mental or Physical Comfort Caused by Having the ACU

Thepurposeofthispaperistodeterminesoldiers’preferencesbetweenthemajorchangesmadeintheBattleDressUniformandArmyCombatUniform,whatcomponents—ex.functionality,appearance,orcost—willsatisfythesoldierwiththeoutcome,andtheeffectofthenewuniformsonphysicalandmentalreadiness.ItisexpectedthatsoldierswillpreferthenewACUfeaturesoverall,butfavorthebuttons,sewonpatchesandthelowercostoftheBDU.Itisalsolikelythathavingthenewuniformswillincreasethesoldiers’physicalandmentalpreparationfordeployment.AdescriptionoftheBDUwasfoundinArmyRegulation670-1whileinformationabouttheACUwascollectedfromthe“ArmyReserveMagazine”andthe“ArmyLogistician.”Thetwentyquestionsurveywasdistributedthroughmailandemailtotwosubjects.ThetwosubjectsthenpasseditouttoothersoldierswithACUsmakingatotaloftwentysubjectsaltogether.Allresultsweregrouped,coded,placedintoStatisticalPackageforSocialSciences12.1,andanalyzed.TheACUispreferredoverallby70%overtheBDU,sewonpatchesandnametagspreferred55%overVelcropatchesandnametags,andVelcropocketflapspreferred55%overbuttonpocketflaps.55.6%saidtheuniformshelpedpreparethemphysicallyfordeploymentand27.8%saidtheuniformshelpedpreparethemmentally.Thehypothesisispartiallyaccepted.Recommendationsforfurtherstudieswouldbetoincreasesamplesize,includeafollowupsurveyforwhensoldiersreturnfromdeployment,andfurtherinvestigatethedurabilitytroublesofthenewuniforms.

Music

57 Foyer III 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Laura Galeski (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Organizing and Performing a vocal recital

Thisperformanceprojectinvolvestheimportantcomponentsofmounting,performing,andrecordingasolovocalrecital.Thepieces,takenfromtheclassical,jazz,blues,andBroadwayrepertoires,includenumbersinfourlanguages.Inadditiontoperforming,Iwillberesponsibleforresearchingcomposersandcomposingtheprogramnotes,writingphoneticspellingsfortheforeignlyrics,andpromotingandadvertisingtheevent.AlastingartifactwillbeaCDofthematerial,withanillustratednarrativeexplainingtheproject.


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Nursing

58 Braemore 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Elizabeth Keane (Jeanne Stacciarini), Department of Nursing, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Competence Development by Cultural Immersion in the Dominican Republic

Thisprojectdemonstrateshownursingstudentscanuseaninternationalimmersionexperiencetodevelopmoreculturalawareness,knowledge,andskills.Inthispresentation,anursingstudentwilldescribeherexperienceintheDominicanRepublic,inwhichdocumentedfieldnotesserveasafocusofself-reflectionandanalysis.ItalsoilluminateshowtheprojectintheDominicanRepublicstrivestostructurementoringactivitiestoinspirestudentstobecomeinvolvedcross-culturally.Thedevelopmentofculturalcompetenceamongourfuturenurseswillleadtoincreasedsuccessinassessing,diagnosing,andcaringforallpatients.

59 Braemore 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Kavita Radhakrishnan (Joan Roche), Department of Nursing, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Effects of Practice on Clinical Performance of Nursing Students with the Human Patient Simulation: A Pilot Study

Background:TheuseofHPSintrainingofhealthcareprofessionalshasbeenvalidatedwithextensiveresearchinthefield.HumanPatientSimulations(HPS),usingelectronicallycontrolledmannequinpatientmodelsarenowincreasinglybeingusedinnursingeducation.ButresearchislackingvalidatingtheeffectivenessofHPSinevaluationofclinicalcompetenceofnursingstudents.Purpose:EvaluatetheimprovementinclinicalperformanceofSeniorNursingstudentsonsafety,basicassessmentskills,prioritization,problemfocusedassessmentandensuinginterventionsinacomplextwopatientsimulatedassignment.Method:Theconveniencesampleconsistingof13SeniorSecondBachelorNursingstudentsofUMASS–Amherstwillberandomlyassignedtoanexperimentandcontrolgroup.TheexperimentalgroupwillparticipateintwopracticesimulationscenariosdevelopedusingtheLaerdalsimulationsoftwarewithafocusonprioritizationandevenlyspacedduringthesemester.Thecontrolgroupwillhavenopracticesimulationsbutwillhaveanonlinediscussionofprioritizationwiththeirfacultyincludingawrittencasewithcompetingpriorities.Bothgroupswillhavesimilarclinicalexperiencesworkingwithapreceptorfortheentiresemester.Results:Onthefinalsimulationdayconductedon25thApril,2006forallstudents,thefacultywillevaluateallstudentsonsafety,basicassessmentskills,prioritization,problemfocusedassessmentandconsequentinterventionsbasedonanumericevaluationtooldevelopedtomeasurethestudent’sperformanceduringsimulations.Theresultsoftheexperimentalgroup’sperformanceevaluationwillbecomparedwiththecontrolgroup’sevaluation.Inadditionfacultywillreviewthestudents’videotapedperformances.Thegroupswillbecomparedusingchi-squaretestonSPSS+tostatisticallyprovesignificantdifferencesinperformance.ConclusionsandImplications:ByprovidingevidencethatHumanPatientSimulatorwillhelpinevaluatingassessment,prioritizationand,problemsolvinginterventionsofnursingstudents,thecasewillbemadeforincreasinguseofHPSinnursingschools.


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oral sessionPhilosophy

60 Foyer III 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Tamar Lusztig (Jeffrey Sedgwick), Department of Philosophy, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Adam Smith’s Liberal Virtue

ThispaperexaminesAdamSmith’sphilosophyinahistoricalcontext.ItlooksattwodifferentinterpretationsofSmith’smoralphilosophy-onewhichtakeshimtobeaclassicalthinkeroftheAristotelianschoolprimarilyconcernedwithmoralvirtueandpoliticalcommunity,andtheotherwhichviewsSmithasadistinctlymodernthinkerchieflyinterestedinjustice.ThispaperattemptstoreconcilethesedisparatevisionsofSmithasaphilosopherthroughacarefulstudyofhistheoriesofvirtueandsympathy.

61 Foyer III 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Marcela Massarutto (nelson lande), Department of Philosophy, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Patient Autonomy and Patient Best-Interest in Non-Voluntary Euthanasia

Centraltobiomedicalethicsisthetensionbetweentheopposingconceptsofautonomy,aperson’srighttodeterminehisorherownprioritiesandwishes,andpatientbestinterest,wherebyadoctororstateagencytakesapaternalstandanddecidesforthepatient.ThesetwoapproachestopatientrightswillbeexploredthroughanalysisofargumentsincasessuchasSuperintendentv.SiankewiczandtheNewJerseySupremeCourtdecisionsregardingClaireC.ConroyandKarenQuinlan,whererequestsweremadetoeitherwithdraworwithholdtreatmentfrompatientswhowerefoundtobeincompetentandtheirwisheswereunknownorunclear.Insuchcasesasubstitutedjudgmenttestisgenerallyappliedwhereasurrogatedecisionmakerisassignedtodecideinaccordancewiththepatient’swishes.Whenthedesiresofthepatientareunknownortheinformationgivenbyrelativesandmedicalstaffdoesnotleadtoaclearnotionofthepatient’spreferences,anet-benefittestisusedwhichfocuseseitherontheconceptofautonomyorthatofpatientbest-interest.Usingtheconceptofautonomy,thecourtassumesthatthereisapointwherearationalpersonwouldsaythattherehasbeenenoughofanencroachmentonpersonaldignity,privacyandqualityoflife.Theconceptofpatientbestinterest,ontheotherhand,assumesasthebaseofallargumentsthatarationalpersonalwayswantstolive.Thispaperwillalsocovertheworksofprominentphilosophersinthefieldofethicswhoseopinionshelpinformthecourt’sandsociety’sview,andintheendbasedontheargumentsanalyzedIwillputforwardmyownsubstitutedjudgmenttest.

Physics

62 Kenmore 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Majd Mayyasi (Tomas Materdey), Department of Physics, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Comparison of Exact and Approximate Solutions via application of Wigner-Ville Function to Parabolic Quantum Dot Impurities


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ThispaperdiscussestheHamiltonianresultingfromon-centerandoff-centerimpuritiestoaquantumdotsystemwithaparabolicpotentialinasphericalconfinement.Twosolutionsforthewavefunctionareproposed:anexactoneandanapproximateone.Bothwavefunctionsdependonvariationalparameters.ResultsfromthevariationalmethodarepresentedalongwithcorrespondingWignerdistributions.Acomparativeanalysisisdonewiththesolutionsandtheiroutcomes.ThisshowsthedetailsintheWignerdistributionversustheregularwavefunction.

Political Science

63 Kenmore 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Lindsey Medeiros (James Ward), Department of Political Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Civil Wars in Africa; Sudan

TheprimaryobjectiveofthisresearchistounderstandthecausesofSudan’sprolongedcivilwars.Itisaconflictthatseemstohavenoend,andnewinsightisneededincurrentpolicytobegintosecurealong-termsolution.PaulCollieroftheWorldBankarguesthatrebelliousgroupsseekingcontrolovervaluablenaturalresourcesdrivemanycivilwarsinAfrica.OthersbelievethatSudan’scivilwarsareconflictsoveridentityandself-determination.AftercomparingthisconflicttoothersinAfricaapatternemerged.Rebellionsarebrokenalongethno-linguisticlinesandoftenstartwherepopulationsdonothaveaccesstothepoliticalapparatusbecauseoneexclusivegroupismonopolizingit.UsingoneprimarysourceandmultiplesecondarysourcesIfoundthattheseconflictshavemuchtodowithidentityandtheideaoftheAfricanstate.Althoughmanyrebellionsbecomeviablebyexploitingnaturalresources,simplygettingridoftheinsurgents’sourceofincomedoesnotfixtheunderlyingissues.ThepostcolonialstateinAfricaisperceivedbysignificantgroupsasanillegitimateentity,andthismustberecognizedbytheinternationalcommunityinorderforthepeaceprocessinSouthernSudanandDarfurtomoveforward.

64 Kenmore 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Leah Moyo (Primo Vannicelli), Department of Political Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Regionalism in Southern Africa: The Use of a Single Currency

Theconceptofinterdependenceisonethathasbeenusedasatoolfordevelopmentandsecuritybyanumberofindividualnations.Regionalorganizationshavebeenformedgloballytotrytoalleviateandimprovesituationssuchaspoverty.InAfricaorganizationssuchastheSouthernAfricanDevelopmentCommunity(SADC),theEconomicCommunityofWestAfricanStates(ECOWAS),theEastAfricanCommunity(EAC)andtheCommonMarketforEastandSouthernAfrica(COMESA)wereformedtoachievethesame.ThispaperwillfocusontheuseofasinglecurrencyanditseffectsontheSouthernAfricanregion.Researchincludesbooks,journalsandinterviewsofexpertsonregionalism.

65 Kenmore 10:45-11:30 Panel 2 Kennedy Oppong (Marc Prou), Department of Political Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Caribbean Community in the Context of Globalization


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oral sessionTheemergenceofCaribbeancommunityinthepostcolonialperiodwasviewedasthedawnofchangefortheregion.Theprospectofcommunityofferedhopeandpossiblesolutions,itseemed,tosomeofthefundamentalproblemstheregionfaced.Unfortunately,differencesandlackofcooperationamongstcountrieswithinthecommunitycontinuetohaveatremendouseffectoneveryeffortintendedtointegratetheregionintoaUnitedStatesoftheCaribbean.ThispaperoffersadetailedanalysisoftheattemptatCaribbeanintegrationanditsdisappointingoutcome,seekingtoshedlightonthedifferencesinlanguages,politicalsystems,andpopulationthatcontinuetohinderanyrealprospectsforatrulyintegratedCaribbeancommunity.Itwillbearguedthatthemainobstacletoregionalintegrationisalackofcommitmenttointegrationbecauseoftheperceivedshortterminterestsofindividualcountries.ThepaperwillexplorethetheoreticalandconceptualsignificanceofintegrationanditsimportancetotheeconomicdevelopmentoftheCaribbean.Economicindependenceisnecessaryinorderforthesecountriestobecomefullyindependentpoliticallyandtocurtailexternalinfluenceinthedevelopmentoftheregion.

66 Kenmore 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Charles Peterson (Mark Clinton), Department of Political Science, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA, 01040

Endless War: An Analysis of Classic and Contemporary Imperialism

MypresentationwillexaminetheclassstruggleinancientRome,particularlyhowtheRomanrulingclass,thepatricians,wereabletousetheircontroloftheRomanstateapparatustofurthertheireconomicends.ThemosteffectivemethodofclasswarfareonthepartofthepatricianswasRome’scolonialpolicyofrelentlessexpansionandendlesswar.Iwilluseprimarytextsfromtheancientworldtodemonstratethesimilaritiesinmethodsofclassrule.Despitetheanti-popularsentimentsoftenexhibitedbyclassicalhistorianssuchasPlutarchandLivy,ifone“readshistoryacrossthegrain,”itispossibletorecognizethesimilarityofresistancefrombelow.RussianrevolutionaryVladimirLeninpointsoutthatmodernimperialismhastheeffectofexportingclassstruggle,sotospeak.Warsbetweendifferentnationshavetheeffectofdividingthetoilersoftheworld,preventingthemfromstrugglingagainsttheiroppressorsathome.Thepresentationwillfocusonthedistinctsimilaritiesbetweenancientandcontemporarymethodsofsubduinginternalresistancetounpopularwars,whiledrawingimportantlessonsforcontinuingresistancetothewarsbeingwagedbythegovernmentoftheUnitedStates.Inthecourseofmyresearch,Ihavecomeacrossaseriesofeeriesimilaritiesbetweencontemporaryandclassicalsociety.Someofthemorecompellingandblatantare:theslanderingofordinarypeoplewhoarefedupwiththeiroppressionas“mob-like”anddangerous;theequationofcriticismsofsociety’sdistributionofwealthwithrevolutionaryintentions;theequationofadesireforandendtowarwithalackofpatriotism.Allofthesesimilaritieswillbemadeexplicitwithcitationsfromclassicalsources.

67 Foyer III 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Lisa Scalisi (David Goodof), Department of Management, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Kelo v. City of New London, CT, Fifth Amendment Takings, and the Effect on American Property Rights

TheFifthAmendmentoftheUSConstitutionguaranteestherighttodueprocessoflaw.Underthisamendment,theTakingsClausevalidatesthegovernment’suseofeminentdomaintotakeprivatepropertyonlyifitisforapublicuseandthelandownerisprovidedwithjustcompensation.However,theinterpretationsofwhatconstitutesa“publicuse”hasledtocontroversialSupremeCourtdecisionsinournations’history,whichhaveinturnledtothemostrecenteminentdomainrulinginKelov.CityofNewLondon,CT.Inthiscase,theSupremeCourtdecidedthatcondemningprivatepropertyandresellingittoprivatedevelopersforthepurposeofeconomicdevelopmentisavalidpublicuse.Throughanalysisofpastcases,legislation,treatises,andmediapublications,thispaperexplorestheKelocase,thebasisforitsdecision,andlegislativeandpublicresponsesatthefederalandstatelevels,aswellastheconsequentialeffectsonpropertyrightsinthedifferentjurisdictions.Whilesomestateshavetakenactiontopreservetheserightsbyquicklyproposingandpassinglegislationinvalidatingtheeconomicdevelopmentrationale,othershaveusedtherulingtotheir


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advantage,utilizingeminentdomaintotakepropertyforamoreeconomicallybeneficialuse.ParticularemphasisisplacedonpasteminentdomainproceedingsinMassachusettsandhowtheKelocasehasandwillcontinuetoinfluenceMassachusettspropertyrightsandthescopeandlimitationsofgovernmentalpower.

68 Foyer III 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Sabeen Sidiqui (James Ward), Department of Political Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Public Policy Options For Life Span Extension Research

Complexmulticellularorganismsdieatpredictableratesthatincreaseexponentiallywithage,resultinginacharacteristicmaximumlifespanforeachspecies--about120yearsforhumans.Althoughimprovedsanitation,safetymeasures,andmedicalcarehaveconsiderablyincreasedaveragehumanlifeexpectanciesoverthelastcenturybyreducingprematuredeaths,themaximumlifespan,whichseemstobegeneticallydetermined,hasremainedessentiallyimmovable.Theresearchfielddevotedtostudyingthemechanismsof“senescencebiogerontology”nowappearstobeemergingasalegitimatescientificpursuit.Ievaluatetheprospectsforsignificantextensionofthehumanlifespanthroughbiotechnologicalintervention;examinethesociological,economic,andpoliticalconsequencesthatmightbeexpectedtofollow;assesstheimpactofpastandpresentgovernmentalpolicy;andconsiderwhatfuturepolicymeasuresmightoptimizethetrajectoryofthistechnologyintermsofitsimpactontheinstitutionsofsociety.

69 Foyer III 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Lucy Sommo (Robert Weiner), Department of Political Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Regional Foreign Policy of the Government of Serbia and Montenegro After the Defeat of Slobodan Milosevic

ThispaperexaminestheforeignpolicyofthegovernmentofSerbiaandMontenegrotowardtheotherrepublicsoftheformerYugoslaviafollowingthedefeatofSlobodanMilosevic.AlthoughSerbiaandMontenegrodroppedoutoftheinternationalspotlightaftertheendofseveralcivilwarsandthefallofMilosevic,thecountriesoftheformerYugoslaviaretaintheirimportance,mainlyasfuturemembersoftheEuropeanUnion.Theresearchforthispapercomesfromprimarydocuments,suchaswrittenSerbianforeignpolicyandmediacoverageofgovernmentandofpublicopinioninSerbiaandMontenegro,andscholarlypapersaboutregionalcooperationonthepeninsulainthepastseveralyears.Astronglynationalisticoppositioninparliament,aswellasasurvivingdegreeofgrievancefeltbyasignificantmeasureoftheSerbianpopulationagainsttheotherrepublicsaffectsgovernmentpolicywithregardtoquestionsofrefugees,theSerbianrepublicinBosnia,andthepotentialseparationofKosovo.ThispaperexaminesallofthefactorsaffectingforeignpolicydecisionmakinginSerbiaandMontenegro,butmoreimportantlylooksatdifferencesinforeignpolicybetweentheMilosevic-eragovernmentandthepost-Milosevicgovernment.Itwillalsoanalyzethelongtermrepercussionsofparticularpolicies,particularlytheimpactofregionalcooperationonEUmembershipandtheeffectofEUmembershiponregionalcooperation.

70 Kenmore 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Adam Silvia Robert DeLeoCory Welch (Dr. Joseph D’Andrea), Department of Philosophy, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Treatise on the Need for Critical Expression in the 21st


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oral sessionTheTreatiseassertsthefundamentalimportanceofcriticalthinkingandcriticalexpression,especiallyuponenteringthecomplexworldofthe21stcentury.AsrecentnationaltestscoresindicateadeclineincriticalthinkingskillsamongAmericancollegegraduates;theTreatisearguesforthenecessityofacademicforumsthatencourageandfacilitatecriticalexpressionandcriticalthought.

Psychology

71 Kenmore 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Joseph Carey (Kim Hicks), Department of English, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA, 01040

Creativity and the Collective Unconscious

ThepopularAmericanopiniononartandcreativityseemstostatethatifyoucan’tmakemoneyoffit,itisn’tworthanything.Consequently,membersofmodernsocietyhavelosttouchwiththemoreprimordial,creativeaspectofourhumanbeing.Ihavefocusedthemajorityofmystudiesuponthreemajorpoints:First,thetheoryofthecollectiveunconsciousassetdownbyDr.CarlJungandinterpretedbyhisstudent,Dr.IraProgoff;second,theconceptofthecollectiveunconsciousasapossiblesourceofcreativityculminatinginaninquiryoftheartistasvessel;andthird,acommentaryofpersonalexperiencewithintheconfinesofamusicalcasestudy.Inexploringsuchoverlappingarenasasthedisciplinesofphilosophy,psychology,economyandart,Ihopetoprovideformyaudienceanewperspectiveintotheneedforcreativerenewalinmodernwesternculture.Thiscallforrenewalwillbegroundedintwolandmarktexts,Jung’sTheArchetypesandtheCollectiveUnconsciousandProgoff’sJung’sPsychologyanditsSocialMeaning.Jung’sworksuggeststhatunlessweallottimeandenergytocreativepursuits,wewillbuildupwithinusspiritual,orpsychologicaldebris,whichhavingnootheroutlet,willcauseourinternalhealthtobestuntedordistorted.However,thissicknesscanberemedied.Inreturningto,ordiscoveringforthefirsttime,thosecreativeinclinationswithinus,andinassigningthemaworththatgoesbeyondtheperniciousvaluesofthemarketplace,weassertourrighttosanityandtakeamuch-neededstepbackandawayfromthedestructiverulingphilosophiesofourtime.

72 Kenmore 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Marisa DiFronzo (Tiffany Donaldson), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Effects of Isolated and Socially Enriched Housing Conditions in Male Rats Neonatally Exposed to Cocaine

Pre-clinicalmodelsofearlyinsultwithpsychostimulantsinformclinicaldataforinterventionandpostnataltreatment.Behavioraldeficitshavebeennotedinratshousedassocialisolates(SI)comparedtosociallyenriched(SE)rats,andsimilardeficitshavebeenshowninratsprenatallyorneonatallyexposedtococaine.Changestothebrain’smesolimbicdopaminesystemhavebeennotedandmaygovernthesebehavioraldeficits.Thepresentstudywilldeterminetheroleofenrichedsocialhousingonratsneonatallyexposedtococaine.CocaineexposedandcontrolmaleLong-Evansratshousedinanisolatedorenrichedsocialconditionwillbesubjectedtobehavioralmeasurementsofstressintheopenfield(OF)andelevatedplusmaze(EPM).Sensitivitytococainewillbemeasuredvialocomotoractivityandrearinginphotocellboxes.Uponcompletionoftestingallanimalswillbesacrificedtomeasureimmediateearlygeneactivityinthenucleusaccumbens,cortexandstriatumviaimmunocytochemistry.Itisexpectedthatneonatallyexposedanimalswillshowahigherstressresponsecomparedtocontrolanimalsinallmeasures.Itishypothesizedthatneonatallyexposedanimalswillexhibitreducedlocomotoractivity(LMA),increasedrearing,andgroomingbehaviorsintheOFandEPM;demonstrateagreatersensitivitytothecocainechallengeasevidencedbygreaterLMAinmonitoredcages;showgreater


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activationinbrainregionsinvolvedinstress.Finally,itisexpectedthatthedifferentialresponseofcocaine-exposedanimalswillbeattenuatedbytheenrichedsocialhousingcondition.

73 Kenmore 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Kristin DuFresne (Susan Martelli), Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

Reading Between the Lines: The Emotional Impact on Reading to a Child

Readingaloudtoachildcanimproveintellectualandemotionaldevelopment,bringingvisualandauditorystimulustostillmaturingpartsofthebrain.Manystudieshaveattemptedtoprovethatreadingtochildrenincreasestheirintellectualcapacity.However,mostofthestudiesinthisareafocusonlyontheintellectualdevelopment,nottheemotionalaspectsofreadingtoachild.Thisprojectwillexploretheemotionalinfluencethatreadinghasonachild,investigatingboththebuildingofabondwithanadultandtheestablishmentofa“safezone”inwhichthechildcanacquirepre-readingskills.UsingthetheoriesofJimTreleaseasdescribedin“TheReadAloudHandbook”,especiallyhisinsistenceontheformationofa“pleasureconnection”toreadingitself,andMaslow’s“HierarchyofNeeds”asaguide,theprojectwillfollowtheacademicandemotionaldevelopmentofthreeyearoldJulianna.Juliannahasaphysicaldisabilitythatpreventsherfromfullyenteringintoplaywiththeotherchildreninherpreschool.Juliannahasbeenavictimofbullyingandteasing,andhasbeguntoretreatfromherpeergroupatschool.Also,shehasbeguntofabricatestoriesaboutherhomelifeinordertogetattentionfromadultsandtoavoidinteractionwiththepeergroup.Shehaslearnedtohateschoolbecauseofthebullyingandthenegativereactionsshereceivesfromthepeergroup.Readingwillbeusedasatherapeutictooltoenhanceherself-esteem,establishanemotionalbondwiththereader,andencouragehertodeveloppositivecopingskills.Atthesametime,shewillalsoacquirethepre-readingskillsthatwillenhanceheracademicperformanceineveryareaofthecurriculum.Aweeklyreadingsessioninacontrolledenvironmentwillbecarefullydocumentedintheareasofacademicprogress,emotionalreactions,interestinreadingasapasstime,andthegrowthofverbalexpression.ThesefactorswillbemonitoredbyweeklymeetingswithJulianna’smotherandherteacher.Adetailedlogofthebooksused,thelengthofthesession,andJulianna’sreactionswillbenotedandanalyzed.

74 Kenmore 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Elettra Pauletto (Eric Hurley), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Collectivism and Individualism in Education: communal and individual learning of a mathematics fraction task

ResearchhasfoundthatAfrican-Americansaremorecommunallythanindividuallyoriented,andhavehigherin-grouporientationthanEuropean-Americans.Thegoalofthisstudyistodeterminehowstudents’culturalorientationinteractswiththeculturalvaluesreflectedinalearningcontext.SixtymaleandfemaleAfrican-Americanand60Euro-Americanstudentsbetween18and23yearsofagearebeingrecruited.ThenumberwasconstrainedbyavailabilityofBlackparticipants,howeverotherresearchhasfoundcellsizesof15sufficienttoavoidTypeIIerrors.HighandlowcollectiveparticipantswereselectedbasedontheirscoresontheCollectivismscale.Participantsfirstcompleteapre-testfractiontask,thenparticipateinamixedgenderthreepersonstudysessionthatencouragescommunalorcompetitivebehavior.Participantsthencompleteapost-testsimilartothepre-test,andaquestionnairethatmeasurescommunalismandethnicidentity.Meanscoreswillbecomparedina2X2X2analysisofcovariance(ANCOVA),wherethecovariateisthepre-testperformance.Theindependentvariablesareculturalorientation(highandlowcollectivism),learningcontexts(communalandindividual),andethnicities(African-AmericanandEuro-American).Thedependentvariableisperformanceonthepost-test.Wepredictaninteractionbetweenculturalorientationandlearningcontextandperformanceonthefractiontask,suchthatdifferencesinperformancecanbeattributedtocongruitybetweentheparticipants’culturalorientation,andthelearningcontexttheyparticipatedin.Wehypothesizehigh-communalpeopletoperformbetterinalearningcontextthatcontainsthecommunalelementsthatareconsistentwiththisculture.Weexpectlow-communalpeopleto


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oral sessionperformbetterinalearningcontextthatcontainstheinterpersonalcompetitivenessofindividualistcultures.Preliminaryanalysesindicatethepredictionthatculturalorientationandlearningcontextwillinteract.Thisstudyhopestocontributetothegrowingevidencethatculturalvariableshaveimportantimplicationsforeducationalpractice.Futureresearchshouldinvestigatetheserelationshipsinstudentsatotheragesandacrosstime,toassesstheimportanceofdevelopmentaltrends.

75 Kenmore 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Katherine Pawling (Melinda Novak), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Long-term Behavioral Consequences of Appetitive Controllability on Rhesus Infants

Rhesusmonkeys(Macacamulatta)thataresubjecttoappetitivecontrollabilityduringinfancydisplaylowercortisolreactivityandhigherlevelsofexploratorybehaviorwhenexposedtoanovelenvironment.However,littleisknownaboutthelong-termconsequencesofthisexperiencepastthefirstyearoflife.Intheinitialstudy,sixmonkeyscouldreceiveatreatbypressingalevertherebyhavingcontroloveritsdelivery(masters).Eachofthemastermonkeyshadayokedcounterpartwhoreceivedthesamenumberoftreatsbutdidnotcontroldeliveryofthosetreats.Thecontrollabilityexposureoccurredduringinfancyfor14consecutiveweeks(Romaetal.,inpress).Inthisstudy,ninesubjects(3females:2mastersand1yokedand6males:3mastersand3controls)previouslyusedinthecontrollabilitystudy(Romaetal.,inpress)wereobservedattheageofthreeyears.Usingafocalanimal,one-zeroscoringmethod(Novaketal.,1992),wefoundthatmastermonkeysshowedsignificantlylowerlevelsofvisualexploreandhigherlevelsofsocialcontactthanyokedmonkeysbutwefoundnodifferencesinexploration.Itispossiblethathavingcontrolearlyinlifefacilitatesthedevelopmentofhighdominancestatuswhichinturnmayleadtohighercontactscores.

76 Kenmore 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Nina-Marie Rapozo (Kim McKeithen-Franks), Department of Psychology, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

Borderline Personality Disorder and the Direction of Future Treatment

BorderlinePersonalityDisorder(BPD)isachronicdisorderinwhichanindividualevidencespervasiveshiftsinmood,anunstableself-imageandimpulsivity.Historically,ithasproventobeanextremelydifficultdisordertodiagnoseandsubsequentlytreat.ThisstudyexaminedtheeffectivenessofthevarioustreatmentscurrentlyavailablefortreatingindividualsdiagnosedwithBPD,aswellastheevolutionofthesetreatments.Emphasiswasplacedondialecticalbehavioraltreatmentwhichiscurrentlylookeduponasthemostsuccessfultreatmentforthispersonalitydisorder.Futuretreatmentsandtheneedforprimaryandsecondarypreventionarealsodiscussed.

77 Kenmore 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Ose Schwab (Janet Stubbs), Department of Psychology, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Harnessing the Power of Adult ADHD

AdultAttentionDeficitDisorder(ADHD)isacostlydisorder.Itresultsinlostpotential,accidents,brokenmarriages,andmentalhealthproblems.YetbyfocusingexclusivelyonthesymptomsofADHD,weriskoverlookingthepossibilitiesofADHDthinking.ThereisapositivesidetoADHD,accordingtoagrowingnumberofpractitioners,andmanyadultsdiagnosedwithADHDhavebeensuccessful.TherearehighachieverswhoconsiderADHDanasset.Thisperspectiveiscontroversialanddifficulttoclaimconclusively,giventheheterogeneityofADHDandtheabsenceofadefinitiveetiology.Nonetheless,researchershavebeguntoanalyzethe


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factorsthatenablesuchproductiveindividualstoapplyADHDattributesinconstructiveways.FewempiricalstudiesfocusonthispositivesideofADHD.ThemoreoptimisticdiscussionaboutADHDiscoveredinsteadby“popular”literature.Mostofthisiswrittenintheformof“self-help”booksbypractitionerswhohavebeendiagnosedwithADHD.Theseauthorsdrawontheirownclinicalandpersonalexperiencestohelpandtoguide.Althoughgoodresearchcontinues,weneedtobetterunderstandthepotentialpositiveaspectsofADHD.Thispaperwillpresentprofileanalysesofhigh-achievingadultswithADHD.Byapplyingasuccessmodelastheframe,thepaperwillsystematicallyillustratetheADHDattributesthathavefacilitatedsignificantaccomplishmentsinanumberofsuchadults.

Religious Studies

78 Foyer II 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Matthew Lyon (Marcella Marold), Department of English Literature, North Shore Community College, Danvers, MA, 01923

House of Prayer or Cave of Brigands: an Historical Epicrisis of Mark 11

ThecommoninterpretationofMark11issimplewhatscripturalheadingsimply,acleansing,orpurgingofthetemple,andnothingmore.“Thisseemstoowemoretothenineteenth-centuryviewthatwhatisexternalisbadthantoafirstcenturyJewishview.(Sanders,JesusandJudaism,62).ThustheinterestherewillbetotryandbringoutthatfirstcenturyJewishworldviewandunderstandingJesus’Templeactionswithinit.ThistaskwillexaminetheeschatologicalhopeoftheJewishpeoples,imbeddedinpastpropheticliterature,attheadventofthenewmillennium.ItwilllookatthetensionswhicharisewhenthishopeisjuxtaposedwiththeRomanoccupation.Finally,theactionsofJesus,asrecordedintheGospelofMark,willbeconsideredamidstthefrayofJewish/Romanrelations.ItisbelievedthatthisepicrisiswillleadtoamoreradicalunderstandingofMark11:thepossibilitythatJesuswasnotmerelycleansingatemplebutsymbolicallydestroyingit,thusradicallychallengingJewish,indeedIsrael’sselfidentity.

Russian

79 Foyer III 2:15-3:00 Panel 4 Inna Faktorovich (Julie Hemment), Department of Anthropology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Social and Psychological Effects of Economic Change in Post-Socialist Republics

FewthingshavebeensparedtheflowofchangeinwhatwasonceknowntobetheSovietUnion.Thecitizensofthefifteenseparatecountriesthatemergedweresuddenlyinformedthattheirstate-plannedeconomywastobecomeamarket-based,capitalistone.Therunawayinflation,unpaidsalaries,underemployment,unemployment,andseveredegradationofsocialprogramsforcedpeople,toengageinanintensestruggletosurvive.Itwasnotaquestionofmerephysicalsurvival;individualswerefacedwiththedauntingchallengeofmakingsenseoftheworldthatseemedtogomadaroundthem,whilepreservetheirself-conceptsandvalues.ThepresentresearchanalyzesinterviewswithindividualswhorecentlymigratedtotheUnitedStatesfromthepost-Sovietrepublics.Duringtheinterview,participantswereaskedtoansweraseriesofopen-endedquestionsexplaininghowtheirliveschangedastheeconomicconditionsandtheoverallchangeinthestructureofsocietyaltered.Avarietyofliteraturewasalsocloselyexamined.Manyconclusionsweredrawn.Itwasfoundthatascapitalismandthenewvitalityofmoneytookhold,societywasrapidlyre-


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oral sessionstratified.Friendships,ofpeoplewhofoundthemselvesinthenewlyseparatedcategories,oftensufferedasaresult.Thecrimerateandthenewpossibilitiesforandidealofindividualitydramaticallychangedthefabricofsocialrelations.Thisresearchcombinesthedisciplinesofeconomics,anthropology,sociologyandpsychologytogainamoresubstantialunderstandingoftheeconomictransitioninpost-socialistsocieties.

Sociology

80 Foyer III 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Asjah Monroe (Emmett Schaefer), Department of Sociology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Usefulness of Kinship Networks for Recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy Families

SinglewomenwithchildrenwhomustrelyonTANF(TemporaryAidtoNeedyFamilies)arefacedwiththeobstaclesoflimitstoaccesstohighereducation,assetattainmentlimits,lackofchildcare,anddemanding‘workfirst’policies.Welfarerecidivismdependsheavilyontrade-offsbetweenfamilyandworkthatwomenhavetomake.Thesewomenwhodonotrecidivaterelyonotherformsofsubsistenceandontheirextendedkinshipnetworks.TANFunderminestheusageofthesecommunitytiesthatpeopleoflow-incomecommunitiesrelyonforsurvival.Self-determinationinthesewomenisproducedbypromotingassetattainment,highereducation,anduseofcommunityties/resources.Conservativeproponentsofwelfarereformargueforamorepunitivepolicychangewithanemphasisoneradicatingeconomicdependency.Theconservativeideathatworkisthenorm,workisgoodforfamilies,andworkleadstoself-sufficiencyisnotrealisticforthesewomen’slives.Thispaperadvocatesforthedevelopmentofasocialwelfaresystemthatacknowledgesandaccountsforculturalvariationbypromotingcollectivisticresponsestoalleviatingpoverty.

Theatre

81 Foyer III 10:00-10:45 Panel 1 Nissa Perrott (Harley Erdman), Department of Theatre, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

This is my Body: A Work of Interview Theater on Women and Dieting

ForwomenintheUnitedStatesdietinghasbecomethenorm.With80%ofallAmericanwomenondietsandover$300millionspentondietproductsperyearourstandardsofthe“idealweight”continuetobecomethinnerandthinner.StructuredthroughaprocessofInterviewTheater,“ThisisMyBody”,delvesintoissuesofbodyimage,specificallythatofwomenanddieting.Ihaveconductednumerousinterviewsfromwomen,andmenofdifferentages,ethnicities,religions,andsexualpreferences,inordertogiveagencytotheirvoicesonstage.Theseinterviews,nowtranscribedintotheatricalmonologues,alloweachintervieweehis/herownauthorshipwithinthepieceasawhole.Ihavecreatedaperformancefullofamultiplicityofperspectivesinordertoavoiddidacticviewpointsonstage.Theinclusionofexcerptsofreadings,researchstudiesandmedicaljournalswithinthescriptserveasastrongjuxtapositiontothepersonalstories,anecdotesandaccountsofthecharactersonstage.Ibelieveitisimportantnotonlytoincludeindividualperspectivesasqualitativerepresentationbutfactualinformationasquantitativereality.Asayoungwoman,especiallyasanactor,Ihavebeenmoldedbythemedia,diettrends,andmyownself-image.Asatheatricalpractitioner,Iamconstantlyinthepursuitofcreatingandusingtheaterasatoolandcatalystforsocialchange.“ThisisMyBody”andexcerptsfromit,servetodojustthat.


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Veterinary Science

82 Braemore 3:45-4:30 Panel 6 Dar Ozer (Cynthia Baldwin), Department of Veterinary Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Comparison of gene expression of intracellular signaling molecules in two gamma/delta T lymphocyte subpopulations

Comparisonofgeneexpressionofintracellularsignalingmoleculesintwogamma/deltaTlymphocytesubpopulationsDarOzer,CarolynHerzig,JonathanRud,CynthiaL.BaldwinandJaniceTelferDepartmentofVeterinaryandAnimalSciences,UniversityofMassachusetts,AmherstAbstractTlymphocytes(Tcells),comprisedofαβandγδTcells,areamajorcomponentofthecellularimmuneresponses.WhilethesignalingcascadeofαβTcellshasbeenstudiedindepth,notmuchisknownabouttheγδTcellsignalingcascade.SomeγδTcellshavedifferentisoformsoftheWC1co-receptorsuchasWC1.1andWC1.2ontheircellsurface.Itishypothesizedthattheseco-receptorsaffecttheγδTcellsignalingcascade.HerewedeterminedwhethermoleculesidentifiedoftheαβTandBlymphocytessignalingpathwaysarealsoinvolvedintheWC1+γδTcellsignalingpathway.RNAwasisolatedfromcattleperipheralbloodmononuclearcells(PBMC).RT-PCRwasused,usingprimersdesignedagainstbovine,ovine,mouse,ratand/orhumanpublishedgenomicsequences,toamplifygenesinvolvedinthecellsignalingpathway.Theamplifiedproductsweresequencedtoconfirmtheiridentitiesasbovinesequences.Inaddition,RNAderivedfromWC1.1+andWC1.2+γδcellswasusedtodetermineexpressionofgenesstudiedinthosesubpopulations.ResultsshowedallthegenesstudiedinαβTcellshavebeenshowntobeexpressedinbothWC1.1+andWC1.2+γδTcells,exceptforSH2phosphatase-1(SHP-1),whichisnotexpressedineithersubpopulation.ThereisalsoalackofBcellassociatedmoleculeexpression.Overall,ourresultsindicatethatthereisnodifferentialexpressionbetweenWC1.1+andWC1.2+γδTcellswiththeexceptionofincreasedexpressionofNCKadaptorproteininWC1.2+γδTcells.

Women’s Studies

83 Foyer I 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Stacy Carvalho (Banu Subramaniam), Department of Women’s Studies, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Undergraduate involvement in course development and instruction and the impact on educational and personal excellence

Learningandteachingareoftenpositedasoppositionalpositions.Undergraduatestudentsdonottraditionallyoccupyteachingroleswhilepursuingtheirdegreesandrarelyareinvolvedincoursedevelopment.Althoughthisarrangementistypical,thispresentationarguesthatitisnotthemostbeneficialforstudentsandforthelevelofacademicexcellencethataUniversitystrivestoachieve.Manyundergraduatestudentshaveauniqueeducationalperspectivetoofferacoursethatgoesunutilized.ThispresentationwillexaminetheimpactofhavinganUndergraduatestudentaidincoursedevelopmentandinstructionandarguesthatthisarrangementaddsdepthandcontexttoacourse,whilesimultaneouslyprovidingstudentswithauniqueeducationalexperience.Toframemyargument,IwillusemyownexperienceofaidinginthedevelopmentandinstructionofWomen’sStudies290A:BiologyofDifference,anexperimentalcoursewhichwasofferedattheUniversityofMassachusetts,AmherstduringtheFall2005semester.


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oral session84 Foyer I 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Donna Courchene (David LaFontaine), Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

Erin’s Daughters in America

ThispresentationexplorestherichculturalandliterarycontributionsofIrish-AmericanwomenwhoimmigratedtoAmericainthe19thCentury.ManyIrishwomenlefttheircountryinthehopeoffindingfreedomfromanoppressedandimpoverishedsociety.ThoseleavingIrelandforAmericabetween1846and1875numberedmorethantwoandahalfmillionpeople.Themajorityofemigrantswerewomen.In1860,therewere117,000Irishwomenwhoimmigratedaswellas87,000Irishmen.Mostwomenfeltlikeprisoners.Afteraquestforliberationfromacultureimposingrigidsocialandeconomicconstraints,womenfoundthemselvesinasimilarsituationwhentheyarrivedinAmerica.AfterenduringthejourneytoAmericawiththehopeforchange,theyfoundthemselvestrappedinanunwelcomingworld.Formanytheirsituationswerebleakandhopeless.Irish-Americanwomenplayedrestrictedrolesinpubliclife.Themajorityofwomenenduredextremehardshipindomesticservice.Womenmanagedtomaintainstrongfamilytiesandtraditionsdespitethestrainofimmigration,extremeprejudices,andcontinuedpersecution.TherearemanyexamplesofIrish-AmericanwomenwhosucceedintheirquestforfreedombybreakingthroughtheeconomicbarriersbybecomingactiveintheWomen’sSuffrageMovement,theLaborMovement,andbybecomingaccomplishedauthorsandpoets.

85 Foyer I 3:00-3:45 Panel 5 Melanie Wilcox (Julie Frechette), Department of Communication, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

History of Women’s Reproductive Rights in America (Independent Study in Progress)

ThroughoutAmerica’shistory,womenhavecontinuouslystruggledfortherighttocontroltheirownreproductivesystems.Thisindependentstudywillusevariousresourcesinordertoexaminewomen’sstrugglesandapplicableissues.Atimelinewillbepresentedofimportanteventsandrelevantpersonalexperiences.Pointsonthistimelinewillincludethe1973Roev.Wadedecision,examples,ofillegalabortionsandtheirresults.Legal,social,andpoliticalconcernsregardingreproductiverightswillalsobeaddressed.Thispresentationwilldemonstratespecificallyhowandwhywomenshouldnotbedeniedtherighttocontroltheirownreproductivesystems,andlookatwhysomepeoplethink,todifferentextents,whytheserightscanbedenied.


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Animal Sciences

86 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 1 Graces Rodriguez (Rafael Fissore), Department of Animal Sciences, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Quantification of PLCzeta in Sperm of Mouse, Bovine, Equine and Porcine Species

GracesRodriguez,RafaelFissore,ChangliHe,Sook-YoungYoonDepartmentofVeterinaryandAnimalScience,UniversityofMassachusettsAmherst,MA01003Inmammals,eggsareovulatedandarrestedatthemetaphasestageofthesecondmeiosis(MII).Exitfromthisstageispromotedbythefertilizingsperm,whichinducesaseriesofrepetitivechangesintheintracellularconcentrationoffreecalcium([Ca2+]i)thatareknownascalciumoscillations.Theseoscillationsarerequiredfortheinitiationandcompletionofalleventsofeggactivation,includingthepreventionofpolyspermy,promotingmeioticresumptionaswellasforthecommencementofproperembryonicdevelopment.Injectionofsperm-specificPhospholipaseC(PLC)zetaintoeggsofseveralspeciesinitiatescalciumoscillations.PLCsareafamilyofenzymesthathydrolyzephosphatidylinositol4,5-biphosphate(PIP2)intoinositol1,4,5-triphosphate(IP3)and1,2-diacylglycerol(DAG).IP3interactswithIP3receptors,which,inturn,activatethereleaseofcalciumfromtheendoplasmicreticulum.Previousworkhasshownthatinjectionofporcinespermintomouseeggsinitiatesmorerapidandlongerlastingcalciumoscillationsincomparisontomousesperm.Thisdifferencemaybeduetoeithertheactivityortheactualconcentrationofporcinesperm.Hence,inthisexperiment,anequalnumberofspermfrombovine,porcine,equine,andmousewastestedtoseeifthereweredifferencesintheconcentrationofPLCzetaperequalnumberofspermbywayofWesternBlotting.Bandsinthe72kDaregionmarkedourdesiredproteinwhichwereimmunodetectedbytwodifferentantibodies,oneagainstaC-terminus19-mersequenceofmousePLCzetaandtheotheragainstaN-terminus19-mersequenceofporcinePLCzeta.Elucidatingthesignalingmechanismsthatunderliemammalianfertilizationisboundtohavesignificantpracticalapplicationsinemergingreproductivetechnologiesandinthedesignofmolecular-basedtestsformalefertility/infertility.WehypothesizethatinfertilemalesubjectsaremostlikelyunabletoinitiatecalciumoscillationsduetoalackofPLCzeta.Therefore,testingforthepresenceofPLCzetainspermcouldbeusedasthebasisforthedevelopmentofatestforinfertility.

Anthropology

87 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 2 Alison Wilson-Pierce Rachel Linso Jillian M Meade Kristin M Winchell Maureen E Mc Hugh Stephanie E Feuer-BeckVina Lindley (Arthur Keene), Department of Anthropology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Building Connections Between Higher Education and Urban Youth in Holyoke, MA

CommunityDevelopmentinHolyokeisastudentdesigned,studentfacilitated,andstudentadministeredcourseexploringcommunitydevelopment,foodsecurity,andaccesstohighereducationinHolyoke,MA.AllstudentsenrolledarealumniofthecourseGrassrootsCommunityDevelopment.Bothclassesrigorouslyexplorethecomplexconnectionsbetweengrassrootscommunitydevelopment,politicaldisenfranchisement,andracismandidentity.Bothcurriculaexposeparticipantstostrategies


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effectiveinorganizingforchangeandofferopportunitiestoworkwithpeoplewhoareactivelyusingthem.Thissemester,ourclassspentspringbreakcontinuingarelationshipwithNuestrasRaices,anorganizationworkingtowardscommunityfoodsecurityanddevelopmentthroughcommunitygardensinHolyoke.InordertoaddresstheinaccessabilityofUMasstotheneighboringcommunityofHolyoke,thedwindlingminoritypopulationontheUMasscampus,andthebarrierstohighereducationforstudentsfromeconomicallydepressedcommunities,ourclassorganizedandimplementeda“ReverseSpringBreak.”ForthisprojectweinvitedstudentsfromtheHolyokeChapterofYouthBuildtovisitUMASSforaday.Withthem,wetouredtheUniversityandattendedinformationsessionstailoredtotheirinterests.InthispaperwesummarizeouractivitiesandassesstheeffectivenessofourprojectforraisingawarenessabouttheUniversity’sresourcesandforinspiringHolyokestudentstopursuehighereducation.Wethenofferrecommendationsonhowtheprogrammightbeimprovedinthefuture.Wealsoassesshowsuchvisitationprogramscanhelptobridgethegapbetweenhighereducationandcommunitestowhichacessislacking.

Art History

88 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 4 Lillian Dignan (Walter Denny), Department of Art History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Connecting the Public and the Arts: The Role of University of Massachusetts Amhert’s University Gallery as a Public Contemporary Art Venue

Asthegeneralpublicgrowsincreasinglydisconnectedfromtheartworld,majoreducationalinstitutesmustassurethatpropersupportandfundingisallocatedtothevisualarts.ThroughacomparativestudyofAmericanpublicuniversities’museumsandgalleries,focusingonthosewithcontemporaryprintcollections,thispaperestablishesasetofelements—includingfunding,spaceallocation,programming,andpublicoutreachefforts—thatcharacterizepremierepublicartinstitutions,suchastheAcklandMuseumattheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatChapelHillandtheHammerMuseumattheUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles.Theseartgalleriesandmuseumsexcelaseducationalartinstitutionsbyconnectingtheprogressiveartworldwithstudents,faculty,andthegeneralpublic.ThemainanalysisfocusesontheUniversityGalleryattheUniversityofMassachusettsAmherst,whichstrivestorealizeitsfullpotentialastheprincipalartgalleryataflagshipstateuniversity,aswellasthemajorcontemporaryartvenuebetweenBostonandtheBerkshires.AcomparisonoftheUniversityGallerytoforemostpublicartinstitutionsdemonstratesaseriesofchangesandimprovementsthatarenecessarytomaintainandimprovetheUniversityGallery’sroleonthecampusandinthecommunity.ThisassessmentoftheGalleryisparticularlyrelevantastheUniversityiscurrentlyundergoingsystematicreevaluationofmanydepartmentstodeterminestrengthsandweaknessesrelativetocomparablepublicuniversities.TherecommendationsseektostrengthentheGallery’sperformanceasaneducationalartinstitutionthatattemptstobridgethegapbetweenthegeneralpublicandthearts.

89 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 3 Meaghan McGrath (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

The Influence of Art in an Ecologically Changing World

Oneofthemostcomplexandperplexingproblemscurrentlyintheworld,isit’smisuseofenergyresources.Artists’workcanreachaplethoraofpeopleinashortamountoftime,inspirethemandeducatethemsimultaneously.ThisprojectexploresecologicalawarenessthroughGreenArt.Thisprojectwillpresentaseriesofecologicalartworkstoarandomsampleofpeople.Theobservation,surveyandinterviewmethodswillbeusedtocollectdataforresearch.Itisprojectedthatthisprojectwillshowtheeffectsofartoncontemporarysociety.


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Bioengineering

90 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 1 Patricia Slattery (Sarmad Saman), Department of Bioengineering, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02181

Comparison of effectiveness of DNA extraction methods for snow isolated bacteria

Theinabilitytoculturemostmicroorganismsfromenvironmentalsamplesisafundamentalobstacletounderstandingmicrobialecologyanddiversity.TheuseofDNA-basedtechniquescanovercomethislimitationbyallowingthefateofparticulargenesororganismstobemonitoreddirectlyinenvironmentalsamples.Bacteriahavebeenisolatedfromextremeenvironmentssuchasdeserts,wheremostoftheyeartheyexistasdormantspores,snowbanksinAntarctica,bacteriawasisolatedfromtheboilinghotenvironmentarounddeepoceanvolcanoes.Bacteriathatcanlive,surviveandthriveinsuchextremeenvironmentsmusthaveadaptedtoawholespectrumofenvironmentalfactorsthatincludeitscellenvelopcompositionanditsenzymaticactivity.Thisstudyisolatedtwotypesofbacteriafromsnow.Bothhavesomeformofprotectionthataidstheminsurvivinginharshenvironments.ThetwoisolatedbacteriawereBacillus&Pseudomonas.ThisprojectaimsatdeterminethebestmethodsforextractionDNAfromsuchbacteriatakingintoaccounttheiradoptionsthatwillprovidethemwithanextralevelofprotectiontoliveinsuchenvironments.MethodscomparedyieldofDNA,andfragmentationofDNA.DNAyieldvariedwithextractionmethodbasedonwhatwasusedtobreakupthecellenvelops.TimerequiredforextractionwasalsoassessedandthedegreeofpurityoftheisolatedDNAwhichwilldeterminewhatwillitbeusedforsuchasDNAusedforPCRneedstobepureandquantityisnotimportant.However,ifaSouthernblotistobeperformed,themethodusedforDNAextractionshouldbethatresultsinhighdegreeofDNAfragmentation.DNAextracteddirectlyfromsamplesshowedcontrastingphysicochemicalpropertiesbasedonthesourceofsamples.

Biology

91 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 10 Erica Antill (Daniel Cooley), Department of Plant Pathology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Free-living *Pylaiella littoralis* in culture from Nahant Bay, Massachusetts related to population growth, the amphipod *Gammarus tigrinus*, and the parasitic oomycete *Eurychasma dicksonii*.

*Pylaiellalittoralis*inNahantBayhasauniqueplanktonicball-shapedmorphology,whichlacksattachmentandreproductivestructures.Thisalgaisparasitizedby*Eurychasmadicksonii*andprovidesfoodtothegrazer*Gammarustigrinus*.Boththeparasiteandthegrazerhavebeenassociatedwithpropagationofthealgalpopulation,asnoreproductivestructureswereformerlyobservedinthefree-livingmorphologyinitsnaturalhabitat.Thisstudyinitiallyproposedtoinvestigatewhether*E.dicksonii*isanobligateparasiteofthealga,thepreciseinfectionmechanismsof*E.dicksonii*,andwhether*P.littoralis*canagainberegeneratedfromthefecalpelletsof*G.tigrinus*.Inspiteofconsistentobservationof*E.dicksonii*infectionduringtheearly1980’s,severalcollectionsof*P.littoralis*fromthebaythisyearfailedtorecoveranyfungus.Inthecourseofthestudy,twocharacteristicsof*P.littoralis*thathavenotbeenobservedinthispopulationemergedinculture:reproductiveunilocularsporangiaandrhizoidalstructures.Plurilocularsporangiaweresubsequentlyobservedinspecimencollections.Theresultingfociofthisstudyarethegerminationofspores,thegrowthof*P.littoralis*fromexcisedtips,anditsregenerationfrompellets.Manyquestionshavebeenraisedwithregardtothispopulation,butonebecomespredominant:whereisthe*Eurychasma*?


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92 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 4 Mariana Cherneva (Susan Case), Department of Biology, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

High-quality methods for early diagnosis and predicting the risk of breast cancer

BreastcanceristhemostcommonmalignanttumoraffectingwomenfromWesterncountries.Thetumorisbothgeneticallyandhistopathologicallyheterogeneous,withvaryingnaturalhistories.Theaimofthisprojectistosummarizenewhigh-techmethodsfordeterminingwomen’srisksforbreastcancerandtheavailableconventionalandalternativetechnologiesforearlydiagnosis.Includedintheliteraturereviewedareimagingtechniquesandtestsfordetectingandcharacterizingbreastmalignancyinsitu.Topicsconsideredincludehighqualitymammography,sonography,MRI,digitalmammography,PETscans,electricalimpedancescanningandductallavage.Theprojectalsofocusesontherecentlydevelopedtechniqueofmicroarrayandanalysistodescribegeneexpressionprofiles.Thismethodisstillontrialandhasyettobeincorporatedintoclinicaldiagnosis.Theprojectprovidesinformationforalternativescreeningtestsfordetectionofbreastcancerinitsearlystages.TheseincludeCA125,LymphocyteSizeAnalysisandthermography.Overall,thecitedinformationcanbeusedasapublichealthtoolforthedetectionanddiagnosisofwomen’sbreastcancerinsitu.

93 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 16 Caitlin J Barclay Charles E Fisher Colleen N Vera Marianne L Thomas David Marshall Stephanie L Brissette Majella M Filipi Katrin Goerz Kristin M Bergman alia m murphy Emy VazquezJoana Dos Santos (Chris Kisiel), Department of Biology, Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner, MA, 01440

Road to Cancer Awareness

TheRoadtoCancerAwarenessIntheUnitedStates,therewillbe1,399,790newcasesofcancerdiagnosedin2006*.(AmericanCancerSociety,FactsandFigures,2006).Willyouorsomeoneyouknowbeoneofthem?ThepurposeofthisservicelearningprojectwastoincreasecancerawarenesswithintheNorthCentralMassachusettscommunity.AnumberofdifferentoutreachprojectsweredevelopedandimplementedutilizinginformationfromtheAmericanCancerSocietyandfromthehonorscolloquiumcourseentitled“HowCancerWorks”.Theintentionwastoprovidegreatercancerawarenessandpreventiontechniquestothelocalcommunity,particularlytheSpanishspeakingandtoprovideinformationaboutcancerrelatedlegislativeadvocacyissues.Thedualgoaloftheprojectwastoprovidetoolsandinformationforcancerpreventionandtoprovidesupportforthosealreadydiagnosed.Variousmethodswereusedtoachievethesegoals,includingassistingwith“ICanCope”sessionsforcancerpatientsandtheirfamilies,aswellasparticipatingininteractiveinformationsessionsforyoungchildrenandadolescents.InaccordancewiththemissionoftheAmericanCancerSocietytoeliminatecancerasamajorheathproblem,theprojecthelpedsteerthepubliconthe“RoadtoCancerAwareness”.


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94 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 12 Jacqueline Draper (John Byrnes), Department of Biology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Behavioral and Neurochemical Effects of Estrogen Withdrawal in Female Rats

Overthecourseofgestation,levelsofhormonesassociatedwithpregnancyincreasebyafactorof200.Afterparturition,circulatingestrogendeclinesdramaticallywithin24to48hours.Itisbelievedthispostpartumdeclineinestrogenincreasesbraindopaminefunction.Insusceptiblewomen,thisincreaseddopamineactivitymayresultintransientpsychoticillness.Tobetterunderstandthemechanismsofpostpartumpsychosis,thecurrentstudytestedanovelrodentmodelofthecondition.Amodificationofa“pseudo-pregnancy”estrogentreatmentparadigmwasusedinvirgin,ovariectomizedfemalerats.Animalswereprimedwithestradiolimplantstomimicthehighcirculatingconcentrationsobservedduringpregnancyinhumans.Tomodeltheprecipitousdropinestrogenatparturitionandduringtheearlypostpartumperiod,theimplantswereremovedandanimalswereleftinastateofestrogenwithdrawalfor4days.Prepulseinhibitionandlocomotoractivitywerestudiedasthesebehavioralmeasuresaredopaminesensitiveandareusedasindicatorsofpsychotic“symptoms”inrodents.ForebraindopamineD2receptorsensitivityandoverallDAfunctionwerealsostudiedastheultimateevidencethatestrogenwithdrawalhasimpactedtheDAsysteminadirectionthatwouldbeconsistentwithhumanpsychoticillness.Resultsarecurrentlybeinganalyzed.Byunderstandingneuronalchangesnormallyassociatedwithparturition,cluestotheetiologyofpostpartumpsychiatricdisordersandnoveltreatmentapproachesmaybebetterunderstood.

95 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 8 Emilie Duclos (Jeff Blaustein), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Growth Factor and Estrogen Receptor Cross-Signaling in the Modulation of Female Mouse Reproductive Behavior

Intherodentbrainandperiphery,thesignaltransductionpathwaysofestrogenicsteroidhormonesandthegrowthfactorinsulin-likegrowthfactorI(IGF-I)interactintheregulationofneuroendocrineevents,includingonsetofreproductivefunction,sexualreceptivityanduterinegrowth.ApossibleconvergentpathwayexistsbetweenIGF-Iandestrogenreceptor(ER)signaling,andIGF-IisknowntoactivateERsignalingpathwaysinahormone-independentmanner.PhysiologicalandbehavioralmeasuresareusedheretoassessinvivointeractionsbetweenIGF-IandERpathways,throughconvergenceandhormone-independentactivation.TheeffectsofIGF-IonER-mediatedsexualbehavioranduterinegrowthareexaminedinananimalmodel.Adultfemalemicewereovariectomizedandscreenedfornormalreceptivityinresponsetoexogenoushormones.Receptiveanimalswereselectedforexperimentaltreatment,andweresurgicallyimplantedwithminiosmoticpumpscontainingeitherIGF-Ioracontrolvehicle.Halfofeachgroupreceivedestradiolbenzoate(EB),anestrogen,whiletheotherhalfreceivedoil.Sexbehaviorwasevaluatedanduterineweightsobtained.WhileIGF-Ialonedidnotincreasesexbehavior,combinedIGF-IandEBinducedhigherreceptivitythanEBalone.IGF-Ialoneincreaseduterineweight,andcombinedIGF-IandEBinducedgreateruterinegrowththanIGF-IorEBalone.Theseresultsofferstronginvivoevidenceforthehormone-independentactivationofERbyIGF-I,aswellasapossibleconvergentpathwaybetweenERandIGF-Isignaling,inboththebrainandperipheryoffemalemice.

96 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 9 Amy Coman Christina Melvin Katie Dubay Michael Bibik Milos Lasica Erin Dupuis (Steven Oliver), Department of Biology, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602


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Salamader Survey of the Blackstone River Valley

BroadMeadowBrookwildlifesanctuaryispartoftheMassachusettsAudubonSociety(MAS),whichconsistsof400-acresofurbanwildlifeinWorcesterCounty.MASisthelargestconservationorganizationinNewEngland,andBroadMeadowBrookmakesupthelargestprotectedurbanwildlifesanctuaryeastoftheMississippiRiver.Birdscanbeseenmigratingandbreedingseasonally;othersmallmammals,insects,amphibians,andreptilesarequitecommon.Rarefloraarealsoamajorattractionforvisitors.Inaddition,BroadMeadowBrookispartoftheBlackstoneRiverwatershedwhichcontributestoamajordrinkingwatersupply.Thecenterattractshundredsofvisitorspermonth,featureseducationalprogramsforadultsandchildren,employsbothfullandpart-timepersonnel,andprovidesavarietyofregularvolunteerandinternshipopportunities.Duringthefallof2005,WorcesterStateCollegebiologystudentsconductedaherpetologysurveyatBroadMeadowBrookwildlifesanctuarywhichcontributestothefocusofthisreport.AmphibiansandreptileswerethechosenspeciesofthisstudybecausetheyareprotectedinMassachusettsandserveasimportantecologicalindicators.Thegoalsofthisprojectwereasfollows(reference:“ProtocolsforAmphibianSamplingatMASSanctuaries”)1.TodeterminethespeciesdiversityandrelativedensityofamphibiansandreptilesinvernalpoolsandsurroundingareasatBroadMeadowBrookMassachusettsAudubonSanctuary.2.Togatherdatathatcanbeusedtoexaminechangesintheabundanceofdiversityofselectedspeciesofamphibiansinvernalpoolsandforestsonthesanctuariesovertime.3.Toidentifycorrelationsinamphibianandreptilepopulationdensityandspeciescompositionwithhabitatcharacteristicsandchanges.

97 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 6 Darci Finocchiaro (Juditha Burchsted), Department of Biology, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Functional Optimization of the Lumbar Spine in Tetrapods

CharlesDarwin’stheoryofevolutionbyNaturalSelectionstatesthatvariationandoverpopulationoforganismsresultsinacompetitionforresources.TheenvironmentselectswhosurvivesthecompetitionwhichDarwincalledNaturalSelection.NaturalSelectionactsonapopulationtochangethevariationspresent,producingevolution.Thefivelumbarvertebraeofthespinalcolumnareanessentialorganforsupportingthebody’sweightandprovidinglocomotionand,therefore,throughoutevolution,haveadaptedtheirorientationtosuiteachorganism’slifestyleandneeds.Thisraisesthequestion,hasthelumbarspinebeenadaptedforoptimizedfunctioninahorizontalorverticalposture?Inthisstudythelumbarskeletalregionwasstudiedinreptiles,primitivemammals,andadvancedmammalsbyexaminingtheirskeletonsintheSalemStateCollegeComparativeVertebrateAnatomylab.Analysesoftheskeletons’structuresandmorphologyofthelumbarvertebraewerecombinedwithliteraturereviewtodeterminewhetherthelumbarspineisoptimizedforhorizontalorverticalposture.

98 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 2 Ashlee Hanson (Jeff Blaustein), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Effects of Adrenalectomy and Corticosterone Replacement on Mating Enhancement in the Female Rat

Manystudiestodatehaveinvestigatedtheroleoftheadrenalsandtheirsecretionsonsexualreceptivityinfemalerats.Althoughsomestudiesreportlittletonoadrenalcontribution,themajorityoftheliteraturesuggestsafacilitoryroleofadrenalectomyonsexualbehavior.Inaccordancewiththespeculationsthatadrenalectomytendstoincreaseestradiol-inducedsexualreceptivityinthefemalerat,therearedatathatsuggestanadrenalsecretionthatnormallyinhibitsestradiol-inducedlordosis.Themostimplicatedsubstanceinthissituationhasbeencorticosterone(cort),ahormoneproducedandsecretedbytheadrenalcortex.Sincepreviousworkregardingtheeffectsofadrenalectomyandcorticosteronetreatmentisratherunclearandcontradictory,thecurrentstudyaimedtoinvestigatetheeffectsofthesetreatmentsonmatingenhancementinthefemaleratintheabsenceofVCS.Todo


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so,Iusedthreegroupsofanimals:ovariectomized(OVX),OVX/adrenalectomized(OVX/ADX),andOVX/ADXanimalsthatreceivedacortpelletimplantsubcutaneousattheshoulderblade(OVX/ADX/Cort).Theratswereinjectedwith2ugofestradiolbenzoate(EB)andbehaviortestedwithvigorousmalerats,usingarepeatedmatingparadigm.TheresultsshowthattheOVXandOVX/ADXgroupsbecamematingenhancedwhilethecorttreatedgroupshowedsuppressedlevelsofsexualreceptivity.Theseresultswerecontrarytodataobtainedinmylab,wherecorttreatedanimalsbecamematingenhanced.Thelatterstudyemployed5ugofEB,insteadof2ugasthecurrentexperiment.TofurthertestthepossibilityofacortresponsebasedonEBdose,Idesignedasecondexperimentinwhichratsreceivedeither2ugEBor5ugEB.Toincreasesamplesizeandaccountforindividualvariation,thisexperimentwasdonetwice.Thesecondtime,EBdoseswerereversed.Contrarytoexperiment1,theresultsofthissecondstudyshowthecortanimalsthatreceived2ugEBwithelevatedlevelsofsexualbehavior.Thecortanimalsthatreceived5ugEBshowedsuppressedsexualbehavior.TheinconsistenciesintheresultsmaybeduetoaninteractionbetweencortandEB.Furtherstudieswillbeneededtoexplainthediscrepancies.

99 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 3 Amanda Hitchcock (Margery Coombs), Department of Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Dietary reconstruction of creodonts and niche overlap with carnivorans

AmandaC.Hitchcock,EricW.Dewar,andMargeryC.CoombsDepartmentofBiology,UniversityofMassachusettsAmherstLivingcarnivoresfillarangeofecologicalniches.However,“carnivory”isabroadtermthatmasksagreatdealofcomplexdietaryvariation.Identifyingthiskindofvariationisimportanttounderstandingtheecologyandinteractionsofextinctspecies.Inthisstudy,low-magnificationdentalstereomicroscopywasusedtoreconstructthedietaryecologyofcreodonts,inordertolearnabouttheirbiologyandtheirplaceinfossilmammalcommunities.CreodontaistheextinctsistergrouptotheOrderCarnivora.Toreconstructdiet,thetoothwearofcreodontsandfossilcarnivoranswascomparedtothatofmoderncarnivorans.Moldsofteethweremadewithhigh-qualityimpressioncompoundandusedtocreateepoxyresincasts,whichwereexaminedunderastereomicroscopeinordertoquantifythewearfeatures.Theaveragesofthesecountsdirectlyreflectwhatananimalwaschewinginitslastdaysorweeks.Stereomicroscopyhasproventobeavaluabletooltodistinguishbetweendifferentkindsofherbivoryinextinctungulatesandprimates,buthadyettobeappliedtocreodonts.Arangeofcarnivorousnicheswererepresentedhere:Didymictis(Carnivora)hadheavypittingandcross-scratching,whichisassociatedwithhighamountsofgritorboneinthedietandwithcomplexchewing.Didymictisalsohadpuncture-pits,indicativeoffruitinthediet.Hyaenodon(Creodonta)hadintermediatelevelsofpittingandlittletonocross-scratching,indicatingmostlymeatandbonewithlittlevariabilityinchewingstroke.Hesperocyon(Carnivora)hadthesoftestdiet,withthelowestpittingandmoderatecross-scratching.

100 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 22 Ashley G. Lamb Bertha S. Kaneunyenye Meaghan R. Hunt (Ellen Fynan), Department of Biology, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Antibioticsareproducedbybacterialandfungalmicroorganismsfoundinthesoil.Accordingtoarecentstudy,manysoilmicrobespresentinnaturalenvironmentsarealsoresistanttoavarietyofclinically-usedantibioticsandmaycontributetoantibioticresistanceinhumanbacterialinfections(Science311:374-377,2006).Inthisstudy,weareinvestigatingtheprevalenceofantibioticresistantorganismsinlocalsamplestakenfromvariouslocationsinWorcesterCountyinMassachusetts.Fourdifferentlocationsweresampled.Bacteriawereisolatedfromafarm(Charlton,MA),asuburbanyard(Shrewsbury,MA),apondonthecampusofWorcesterStateCollege(Worcester,MA)andfromdifferentdepthsofsoiltakenasacoresamplefromPoutwaterbog(Holden,MA).Originalsoilisolateswereculturedontrypticasesoyagarandincubatedat37oC.Individualcolonieswereselectedandarecurrently


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beingisolatedbyplatestreakingthreetimestoensureapureculture.IsolateswillthenbetestedforantibioticsensitivityusingtheKirby-Bauermethod.SamplesofovernightbrothculturesofeachoftheisolateswillbeplatedontoMueller-Hintonagarandtestedagainstninedifferentantibiotics,representingdifferentmechanismsofantimicrobialactivity.Sensitivityorresistancetoaparticularantibioticwillbedeterminedbymeasuringthezoneofinhibitionsurroundingtheantibioticdisk.Staphylococcusaureus,EscherichiacoliandBacillussubtiliswillbeusedaspositivecontrolorganisms.Thisstudyiscurrentlyinprogressandtheresultswillbepresentedatthisundergraduateresearchconference.TheresultsofthisstudywilldeterminewhetherbacterialantibioticresistanceoccursindiversenaturalenvironmentalsettingsinthelocalMassachusettsarea.

101 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 19 Lauren Koffman (Jeff Blaustein), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Characterization of the Progestin Receptor Antagonist CDB-2914

Estradiolbenzoateandprogesterone,whenadministeredatproperintervals,facilitatefemalesexualbehaviorinrats.Theactivationofprogestinreceptors(PRs)isnecessaryforthefacilitationofsexbehaviortooccur.PRantagonistsallowonetoexaminetherolePRshaveintheregulationofsexbehavior.PRantagonistsblockprogesteronefrombindingtoPRs,andthereforepreventexpressionofsexbehavior.ThecommonlyusedPRantagonistRU-486hasthenegativeeffectsofalsoactingasanantiglucocorticoidandaβ-estrogenreceptorantagonist.CDB-2914isarecentlydevelopedPRantagonistthathasshownlessanti-glucocorticoidactivity,andthereforemaybeamoreusefulantagonistinthestudyofPRs.WeexaminedseveraldosesofCDB-2914todeterminewhichismosteffectiveinsuppressingsexbehavior,measuredthroughlordosisquotients.Ovariectomizedfemaleratswereinjectedwith2µgestradiolbenzoate,followedtwodayslaterwithaninjectionofCDB-2914(1mg,2mg,5mg,or10mg),5mgRU-486,orvehicle.Onehourfollowingantagonisttreatment,allanimalswereinjectedwith500µgprogesteroneandweretestedforsexualbehaviorfourhourslater.The5mgdoseofCDB-2914wasthelowesteffectivedosethatsignificantlysuppressedsexbehaviorinfemalerats.Thelordosisquotientofthisgroupwasequivalenttothe5mgRU-486group,andresultedinsignificantlylessrejectionbehaviorthanthe10mgCDB-2914group.Ligand-independentactivationreferstotheactivationofPRsbyneurotransmittersintheabsenceofprogesterone.WearecurrentlyinvestigatingtheabilityofCDB-2914toblockligand-independentactivationofPRs,intheabsenceofprogesteroneusingmatingenhancementoffemaleratstreatedwithestradiol.

102 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 18 Hallie Lee (William Hagar), Department of Biology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Shifting Food Sources in Vernal Pools as Evidenced by Stable Isotopes Analysis of Flora and Fauna

Vernalpoolsthatdryinthesummermonthsaresubjecttoextremetemporalvariation.Survivabilityforlowertrophicorganismsoftendependsontheirabilitytoadapttoaswiftlychangingenvironment.Changesinfoodavailabilityaswellasfoodqualitycanhaveaprofoundeffectattheprimaryconsumerlevel.Stableisotopesofcarbon(13C)andnitrogen(15N)maybeusedtounderstandtrophicinteractionsinaquaticsystemsbyanalyzingandcomparingconcentrationlevelsbetweenorganisms.Whencomparedtostandardizedvalues,concentrationsareexpressedasδvalues,δ13Candδ15N.δ13Cvaluesarerepresentativeofinitialfoodsourcewhileδ15Nisrepresentativeoftrophiclevel.Highertrophiclevelorganismshavehigheramountsoftheheavierisotopeofnitrogen(15N).Inanongoingstudy,invertebrateorganismsandleafsamplesfromtwovernalpools,VP1andVP2,inNorwell,Massachusettswerecollected,processed,andanalyzedforisotopicconcentrations.Previousdatahasshowndistinctdifferencesinδ13Cvaluesofpredatoryinsectsfromyeartoyear,indicatingashiftintheirprimaryfoodsource.Majordifferencesfoundintheδ15Nvaluesofprimaryconsumersshowedadiscontinuityintheexpectedtrophicorderprogressionfromprimaryproducertoprimaryconsumertosecondaryconsumer.AllochtonousleafcontributionsrepresentthemostabundantfoodsourceintheVPsystemandarecolonizedbyafloraofmicrobialorganismsasbiofilm.Theinteractionsanddifferencesbetweenfloraandfaunainthesetwovernalpoolswillbediscussed.


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103 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 17 Lauren Luongo (Deane Falcone), Department of Biology, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Long distance signal transduction in plants mediated by reactive oxygen species

Nicotineisapotentinsecticidalalkaloidandisoneofthewell-knownsecondarymetabolitesproducedbyNicotianatabacum.Precursorstothesynthesisofnicotineandrelatedalkaloidsaresynthesizedintherootandtranslocatedtotheleafduringbothabioticandbioticstresses.Thecaterpillar,Helicoverpazea,acommontobaccoinsectpest,causesadecreaseinthelevelofleafalkaloidaccumulationwhenfeduponbytheinsect.Glucoseoxidase,anenzymepresentinthesalivaofHelicoverpazea,wasfoundtobethecriticalfactorindown-regulatingthealkaloidlevelsfoundinN.tabacumleaves.Tofurtherinvestigatetheregulatorymechanisminvolvedinthesuppressionofalkaloidsynthesis,geneexpressionanalysiswasconductedonputrescineN-methyltransferase(PMT)genefamily,whichencodesenzymesthatcatalyzethefirstcommittedstepinthesynthesisofthenicotinicalkaloidsintherootsofN.tabacum.Thus,theresearchinvolvestheexaminationofasignalthatistransportedalongdistancetodistinctplanttissues.Leavesofone-month-oldN.tabacumseedlingsweretreatedwitheitherglucoseoxidaseorwaterasacontrol.Aftertenhours,therootsweredetachedandtheRNAwasisolated.Reversetranscriptase-polymerasechainreaction(RT-PCR)wasutilizedtoexaminethePMTgenefamilyexpressionbyglucoseoxidase.ItwasfoundthatthedownregulationofthePMTgenefamilyoccurred,demonstratingthatthesignalinitiatedinleavesandtransportedtorootsoperatesattheleveloftranscriptiontoregulatethekeypathway-specificgenes.

104 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 7 Dema Luyindula (Karsten Theis), Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Crystallization of the N terminal domain of the Thermotoga maritima Mutation Frequency Decline protein

Inahealthyindividual,everycellworksaccordingtogeneticinformationcodedonDNA.Astheorganismdevelopsandregeneratescells,itkeepsatightbalancebetweencelldivision,cellmaintenanceandcelldeath.However,thisbalancecanbedisruptedbyDNAdamagecausedbyspontaneousdecayorbyagentslikeUVirradiationorchemicalsfromtobaccosmoke,leadingtocancerortoneurologicaldisease.AsonelineofdefenseagainstDNAdamageinbacteria,therepairproteinMfd(MutationFrequencyDecline),removestranscriptionalroadblockscausedbyRNApolymerasestalledonDNAdamageandrecruitsotherplayersthatreplacethedamagedDNA.Tounderstanditsmechanismofaction,weareinterestedinsolvingthestructureofMfdbyX-raycrystallography.Thisrequirescoaxingpureproteinsamplesintohighlyorderedsinglecrystals.Often,proteinsoforganismslivingatextremelyhightemperature(thermophiles)areextremelystableandyieldhigh-qualitycrystals.WehavepurifiedtheN-terminalpartofMfdfrom/Thermotogamaritima/,andobtainedcrystalsusingatechniquecalledvapordiffusion.Thecrystalweobtaineddiffractedto3.2Angstromswith98.5%overallcompletenessandhadamosaicityof0.73.WeintendtousethistosolvethestructureoftheN-terminaldomainoftheMFDproteintoprobehowitinteractswithotherDNArepairproteins(specificallyUvrAandUvrB)basedonitsstructure.

105 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 20 Malcolm Matalka (Maura Pavao), Department of Biology, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

Genomic Analysis of the Microsporidium, Enterocytozoon bieneusi

Enterocytozoonbieneusiistheclinicallymostsignificantpathogenofmicrosporiodiosisinhumans.Itisagastrointestinal,


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opportunisticpathogenassociatedwithimmuno-compromisedpatients;inparticular,thosepatientsthatareHIV-positive.ThisprojectutilizesbioinformaticstoolstoanalyzethegenomicsequenceofE.bieneusi,inanefforttoenhanceourunderstandingofthispathogenandidentifydrugtargets.Aspartofagenomesequencesurveyproject,overhalfoftheE.bieneusigenomehasbeenrecentlysequencedandassembledin2,400contigs.TheuseofEMBOSS,severalbioinformaticswebsites,andself-writtensoftwaretoanalyzethesequenceofoneofthelargestcontigstoidentifyhighlyconservedoruniquegenesbasedonBLASTsearchesispresented.

106 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 14 Jochebed Pink (Rolf Karlstrom), Department of Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Pituitary Development: The Role of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling

Discoveringhowthepituitaryformsisessential,sinceitisconsideredtobethemasterendocrineglandandmanyhumandevelopmentalsyndromesresultinpituitarydefects.Oneofthesignalingmoleculesrequiredforpituitaryinductionisthesmall-secretedproteinSonicHedgehog(Shh).ZebrafishwithmutationsintheShhsignalingpathwayexhibitavarietyofpituitarydefectsrangingfromcompletetopartiallossofthepituitary,whichiscorrelatedtoShhsignalingdefectsinhumans.ItisunknownifShhactsdirectlyonpre-placodalcells,orifShhisneededonlyindirectlythroughitsroleinpatterningthecentralnervoussystem.TofurtherdefinetheroleofShh,Shhsignalinginindividualcellsofthezebrafishismanipulatedbyutilizinggeneticconstructs.Eachconstructconsistsofaheatshockpromoter,theDNAthatencodesforeitherthedominantrepressorformoftheGli2geneorthedominantnegativeformofproteinkinaseA,andthegreenfluorescentprotein.ThednPKAconstructactivatestheSonicHedgehogPathway,independentofShhsignaling.Ontheotherhand,Gli2DRconstructindependentlyrepressesShhsignaling.Atparticularstagesduringdevelopment,embryosinjectedwithoneoftheconstructsareheatshockedandscreenedfortheexpressionofGFP,whichindicatestheexpressionoftheGli2DR-GFPordnPKA-GFPfusionproteins.ThenalteredShhsignalingisanalyzedtorevealhowthischangeaffectspituitarydevelopment.ShhsignalinghasbeeninducedindifferentcelltypesandwithcontinuedexperimentationtheroleofShhinpituitarydevelopmentwillbespecified.

107 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 5 Cassandra Priddy (Tobias Baskin), Department of Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Analysis of the relationship between cytokinin and nitrate in the Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, stunted plant1

PreviousworkinBaskinlabdiscoveredthatthismutant,stuntedplant1(stp1),ofArabidopsisthaliana(A.thaliana)showedsomeresistancetocytokinin,aswellasaninsensitivitytolownitrate,andahypersensitivitytohighnitrate.Thispresentpaperfurtherinvestigatestheeffectsofcytokininandnitrateonstp1.Twomethodswereusedtoexaminenitrateuseinstp1;firstbynitratereductaseactivityviaanassaymeasuringopticaldensityat540nm,secondbygeneexpressionviareversetranscriptasepolymerasechainreaction(RT-PCR).Stp1tendedtohaveunusuallyhighlevelsofnitratereductaseactivityincontrolgrowthmediacontaining6mMnitrate,butunusuallylowlevelsofnitratereductaseactivityingrowthmediacontaining60mMnitrate.RT-PCRrevealedthatinstp1,thetranscriptionlevelofthegeneNia1fornitratereductasewasup-regulated,butthetranscriptionlevelsofthegenesforitstransporterswerenotup-regulated.Stp1revealsarelationshipbetweenitsnitrateuseandcytokinin,butitsdwarfismisnotcausedbylackofavailablenitrate.

108 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 21 Meagan Snide (Ann Billetz), Department of Biology, Mass College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA, 01247


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Microscopic comparison of wild type Arabidopsis Thaliana and AT-DPl1 mutants deficient in long chain base phosphate lyase

Sphingolipidsarecomponentsofessentiallyalleukaryoticcells.SphingolipidmetabolismiscurrentlybeingstudiedintheplantArabidopsisthaliana,whosegenomehasbeenmappedpreviously.FromA.thaliana,homozygousT-DNAinsertionalmutantscanbeobtainedwhichallowforthecharacterizationofremovedgenes.RecentstudieshavesuggestedthatSphingolipidsknownasLongChainBasePhosphates(LCBPs)mayplayanactiveroleinsignalingandregulationinplants.LCBPlyaseisthoughttoberesponsiblefordegradingLCBPs,yieldingethanolaminephosphateandalongchainaldehyde.PlantslackingthegenescodingforLCBPlyase,referredtoasDPL1mutants,wereobservedmacroscopicallyandmicroscopically.Thisanalysiswasdonetodetermineifphenotypicdifferencesindicatedwhethertheirphysiologicalprocessesdifferedwidelyfromwildtypeplants.WhileDPL1mutantsexhibitedonlysubtlemacroscopicdifferencescomparedtowildtypeplantsundertypicalgrowthconditions,electronmicroscopyrevealedthatDPL1mutantplantcellsexhibitedsignsofcellulardeath.Indicationsofthisincludedthepresenceofmembranouswhorlsandtheirregularappearanceofchloroplastmembranes.

109 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 11 Nicole Syngajewski (John Ebersole), Department of Biology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Lionfish: An Invasive Threat to the US?

Biologicalinvasionsarerelativelycommonthroughoutmarineenvironmentsduetotheincreasedimpactofmankindonthespreadofnon-nativespeciesviaballastwater,releasefromtheaquariumtrade,orconstructionofaquaticfarms.Theredlionfish(Pteroisvolitans),anativetothewatersoftheIndo-PacificfromtheeasterncoastlineofAfricatonorthernJapan,mayprovetobethenextbiginvasiontotheeasterncoastoftheUnitedStates.Sincetheirapproximatedaccidentalreleasefromanaquariumearly1990s,theredlionfishhasbeensighted,rangingfromadultsnearFloridatothejuvenilesfoundoffLongIsland,NewYork.WithsimilarwaterchemistryandtemperaturesbetweentheIndo-PacificandtheGulfStreamoftheAtlanticandthehardynatureofthelionfish,thenaturalbreedingandfeedinghabitsofP.volitanshavebeenstimulatedintheintroducedrange,resultinginextensivebreedingcoloniesontherockycontinentalshelfoftheeasternUS.Withinexperiencedpreyspeciesandabundantresources,thespecieshasenteredalagphaseoflowgrowthratethatisboundtoexponentiallyincreaseasmorelionfishsurvivetoreproductiveage.PresenceofthepopulationwillinevitablyhaveanimpactuponthefoodwebsoftheeasternUS,althoughtheexactinfluenceremainsrelativelyunknownduetothevarietyofpreyspeciesitfeedsupon.However,ithasbeentheorizedthathumanswillfacethebiggestimpactasthepopulationgrows,withincreasedenvenomationratesandthepotentialofanewcollectiongroundforcaptivemarinefishtanks.Throughconversationswithmarineaquariumownersandevaluationsofresearchdoneonthespecies,itcanbedeterminedifthelionfishisaninvasivethreattothenativeoceanicspecies.

110 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 13 Julia Wilkinson (Brandi VanRoo), Department of Biology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Stress during molt does not affect feather degradation via bacteria

Glucocorticosteroidisatypeofhormonethatisproducedinresponsetoastressor.Corticosterone(Cort)isaglucocorticosteroidfoundinmostmammals,birds,reptilesandamphibians.Corticosteronehasbeenshowntoalterbehavior,increaseserumglucoselevels,andinhibitgrowth,theimmunesystemandreproduction.Corticosteronealsopromotesproteindegradationandinhibitsthesynthesisofproteins.Feathersarelargelymadeupoftheproteinidentifiedaskeratin.Therefore,mostbirdsdown-regulatebaselineandstress-inducedCortlevelswhilemoltinginordertopreventthedegradationandinhibitionofproteinduetoCort.Thereisabacterium,Bacilluslicheniformis,whichcandegradefeathersbyutilizingkeratinasitsonlysourceofcarbon,sulfurandenergy.


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ThisstudyutilizedB.licheniformistocomparefeatherdegradationofprimaryandtailfeathersthatweregrownbybirdswithCortimplantstothosethatweregrownbybirdswithcontrolimplants.TherewasnosignificantdifferencebetweenCortandcontrolgroups,butregardlessoftreatmenttheprimaryfeathersweredegradedsignificantlymorethanthetailfeathers(df=1,F=22.828p<0.001).TheseresultssuggestthatCortdoesnotaffecttheabilityoffeatherstoresistbacterialdegradation,butthetailfeathersareabletoresistbacterialdegradationmorethantheprimaries.

111 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 15 Katelyn Woolfrey (Kathleen Arcaro), Department of Animal Sciences, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Changes in the Expression of 11β-Hydroxylase in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to 17β-estradiol

K.Woolfrey,L.Moffatt,K.ArcaroThereisgeneralconcernovertheunintendedintroductionofhormonallyactivecompounds,includingcomponentsofindustrialbyproducts,householdproducts,pesticides,herbicides,andpharmaceuticals,intoourstreams,rivers,andlakes.MostresearchaimedatdetectingestrogensinaquaticecosystemsisbasedontheeggyolkprecursorgeneVitellogenin(VTG)anditsupregulationinresponsetoestrogeniccompounds.Thisstudyusestheendogenoushormone,17β-estradiol(E2),todetermineifthegene11β-Hydroxylase(P45011β)canbeusedasabiomarkerofestrogeniccompoundsinJapaneseMedaka(Oryziaslatipes).11β-Hydroxylaseisinvolvedintheproductionofapredominantandrogeninmalefish.PreviousstudieshaveshownthatP45011βisfoundinabundanceinthetestisanddecreasesinresponsetoexogenousestrogens.Specifically,weexposedmaleJapanesemedaka,tolowdoseconcentrationsofE2.Thefishwerethensacrificedandthegonadsextracted.Fromthisorgan,theRNAwasisolatedandtheexpressionlevelof11β-HydroxylasewasquantifiedusingQuantitativeRT-PCR.Theresultswillbecomparedtounexposedmalesandreportedwhenalldataarecollected.WethinkthatbyusingP45011βwemayfindamoresensitivegenetouseasabiomarkerofendocrinedisruption.

Botany

112 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 5 Meggie Stoltzman (Lyle Craker), Department of Botany, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Detecting Plant Stress by Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Inanattempttodeterminestresslevelsinnon-symptomaticcropplants,intensityofdynamicchangesinchlorophyllfluorescencefollowingadarkadaptation(Kautskyeffect)weremeasured.Usingaprototypefluorescenceimagingscannerwithcomputerprocessing,applicationofphotosyntheticactiveradiationcouldbequantifiedwithalow-level,near-infraredCCDdetectortoimagethefluorescenceemissionsfrombean(PhaseolusvulgarisL.)leaves.Differencesinsignaturepatternsamongplantsundernitrogen,water,orheatstress,ascomparedwithcontrolplantsnotunderstress,couldbedetectedandquantified.Theintensityofthemeasurementwasdirectlyrelatedtothelevelofstress,althoughinmostcasesnovisualsignsofstresswereapparent.Removingthestressreturnedtheplantstoanon-stressedconditionwithfluorescencemeasurementsthatcomparedwithcontrolplantsnotsubjectedtoastress.Developmentofthetechnologymayprovidearelativelyquick,pre-symptomaticmethodologyfordetectingplantstresswithoutsacrificingplanttissue.


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Chemical Engineering

113 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 1 Dawn Eriksen (Lianhong Sun), Department of Chemical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Lycopene Expression Through the LuxR-LuxI Quorum-Sensing System of Escherichia coli

Lycopeneisanantioxidantthatshowspotentialforsuccessasaneffectivestepincancerprevention.TheindustrystandardforlycopenesynthesisleveragesEscherichiaColibacteriaandmetabolicengineeringtoexpressenzymesthatproducetheantioxidant.However,theprocessisexpensiveandrequirestheintroductionofchemicalstoinducegeneexpressionwhichcompromisesterility.ThisprojectexploresusingQuorumSensingasageneregulatorystrategytoeliminatethenecessityofintroducingchemicalreagentsandcreateamoreefficientlycopenesynthesis.Quorumsensingisachemicalcommunicationbetweenbacterialcellsthatcoordinatespopulation-dependentbehaviors.OncethepopulationsofEscherichiaColicellsreachacriticaldensity,geneexpressionisautomaticallyactivated.Thisnovelself-sufficientbiosyntheticpathwaywouldautomaticallyexpressthelycopenebiosyntheticgeneswithoutaninductionstep,andthereforeimprovethecurrentinduciblegeneexpressionmethods.

Chemistry

114 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 5 Kristin Boggio (Michelle Foster), Department of Chemistry, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Atomic Force Microscopy of MgO and Acid

Cloudsformbymeansofcondensationcenteredonatmosphericdust.Magnesiumoxide(MgO)canbeusedasamodelforthemineraldustintheatmosphere.BystudyingsurfacereactionsonMgOcrystals,thesamereactionscanbepredictedintheatmosphere.Inthisexperiment,theeffectofacidondustsurfacesinrelationtoacidrainisunderinvestigation.ThereactivityofMgOwithacidvaporsofvaryingconcentrations,compositionsandtimescaleswillbeunderinvestigation.FreshlycleavedMgOcrystalswillbeplacedinadessicatorwithareservoirfilledwithanacid.ThesurfaceofthecrystalwillthenbeinspectedbyuseofAtomicForceMicroscopytodeterminetheeffectoftheacidonthesurfacestructureoftheMgOcrystal.Thedataacquiredwillbeusedtodeterminetheroleplayedbyatmosphericdustinthetroposphere.

115 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 8 Stephen Curtis (Michelle Foster), Department of Chemistry, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Examination of Acetone Reactionos with MgO via Thermogravimetric Analysis and FTIR Spectroscopy

ThisstudywillexaminehowacetonedecomposesafterithasbeenreactedwithMagnesiumoxide(MgO)powder.TheMgOisfirstgroundintoafinepowderbymortarandpestleandthenplacedinaglassdesiccatorwhereitreactswithacetonevapors.


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ThereactedpowderisthenanalyzedbyThermoGravimetricAnalysis(TGA)andAttenuatedTotalReflectanceFourierTransformInfrared(ATR-FTIR).TGAmeasuresmasschangesofthemixtureasitisheatedandallowsustoseetheenergyrequiredforcertaindecompositionreactionstooccur.ATR-FTIRspectroscopyisthenusedtodeterminethemolecularstructureoftheMgO-acetonemixturebefore,duringandaftereachdecompositionreaction;togetherTGAandFTIRallowustodeterminewhatdecompositionreactionstakeplaceaswellastheenergyrequiredforeachstep.MgOisacommonlyusedmodelofdustintheatmosphereandacetoneisacommonVolatileOrganicChemical(VOC).LargequantitiesofVOCsareoftenfoundinurbanairbecauseofindustrialpollutionandautoemissions.ElucidatingthereactionmechanismsofVOConatmosphericdustparticleswillleadtoaclearerunderstandingofthecomplexchemicalreactionsthattakeplaceintheatmospherewhichleadtoacidrainandsmogformation.

116 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 2 Anthony Dendler (Jason Evans), Department of Chemistry, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

P. putida KT 2440 Metabolic and Chemotaxtic Proteomic Changes Upon Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Surfactants.

Biodegradationofpolycyclicaromatichydrocarbon(PAH)contaminantsbyrhizosophericbacteriaisapromisingmethodofpollutantremediation.Onesuchbacterium,P.putidaKT2440,possessesmultipletypesoftherequisitePAHdegradingmono-anddi-oxygenases,aswellasotheraromaticdegradingenzymes.Itsgenomehasrecentlybeenelucidatedanditsrelevantportionshavebeenincludedinamicrobialcommunityoligonucleotidemicroarray.However,theseadvanceshavenotansweredfundamentalquestionsaboutproteinexpression,utilizationandsurvivalinP.putidaKT2440withrespecttooxygenasecofactorsynthesis,chemotaxticactuators,oralternatePAHmetabolicpathwaysinresposetoincreasedbioavailabilityofPAHs.Wehypothesizethatmono-anddi-oxygenasemetabolicenxzymesaswellaschemotaxticproteinswillbeupregulatedinresponsetosurfactantincreasedPAHbioavaiability.WeproposetostudytheseaspectsofP.putidaKT2440PAHdegradationusingbottomupLC-MSproteomicsofdifferentiallyradiolabeledsamplesexposedtoarepresentativePAHsampleofanthraceneandnaphthathalenewithandwithoutsurfactants

117 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 3 Erik Domingues (Catherine Neto), Department of Chemistry, UMass Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA, 02747-2300

The effects of Early Black cranberry and cranberry juice extracts on breast cancer cells

Breastcancerisoneofthemostcommonandmostdeadlyformsofcancerintheworldtoday.Priorinvestigationshaverevealedthatpolyphenoliccompoundsincranberries,Vacciniummacrocarpon,suchasanthocyanins,flavonols,proanthocyanidins,andtriterpenoidspossessantioxidantandanti-canceractivities.Thetotalcontentofphenoliccompoundsincludingflavonols,proanthocyanidins,andanthocyaninsinEarlyBlackcranberryandcranberryjuiceextractswasdetermined.Thecomparativeantioxidantcapacityofbothcranberryextractswasdeterminedusinga2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)radical-scavengingactivityassay.IC50valueswerecomparedtothoseofknownpowerfulantioxidantssuchas(-)-epigallocatechingallatefromgreenteaandtheVitaminEanalogueTrolox.ThepurposeofthisresearchwastodeterminewhetherEarlyBlackcranberriesorcranberryjuicereducedtheproliferationofculturedhumanbreastcancercells,MCF-7cellline,butnotnormalbreastepithelialcells,MCF10Acellline.Toexaminetheircomparativeinhibitoryeffects,afluorescentTUNELassaywasperformedtodeterminetherelativenumberoftreatedcellsvs.untreatedcellsundergoingapoptosisinbothtumorandnormalcelllines.Acytotoxicityassayalsodeterminedtheeffectsofwholecranberryandjuiceextractsonoverallproliferation.Accordingtotheresults,polyphenolic-richextractsfromcranberriesandcranberryjuicearegreatantioxidantsandinduceapoptosisinbreastcancercells,whileminimallyaffectingnormalbreastepithelialcells.


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118 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 9 Vasiliy Dulskiy (John Warner), Department of Chemistry, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Quantification of Cyclobutane Crosslink in Solid State Polymers, Using ATR-FT-IR, Computational and Numerical Methods.

Theprojectintegratesthepredictionofvibrationfrequencyusingmoleculardynamicssimulationwithmultivariatestatisticsofinfraredspectrainordertoquantifythephotocyclodimerizationofthymine-functionalizedpolymers.Quantificationofthecharacteristicsignatureofthepuckeringmodeofthecyclobutanecrosslinkinsolid-statepolymershasremainedelusiveowingtoitsverylowconcentrationandresultinglowsignal-to-noiseratio.TheempiricalstudyofthecrosslinkingfeatureusingAttenuatedTotalReflectanceFourierTransformInfraredspectroscopyiscomplicatedbyoverlappingspectraofotherpolymerandsubstratecomponents.Inordertoconfirmtheexpectedregionofobservationofacharacteristiccrosslinkingsignature,computationallyderivedvibrationsusingmoleculardynamicssimulationisemployed.Non-linearleastsquarescurve-fittingusingtheVoigtfunction,aconvolutionoftheGaussandLorentzdistributions,isutilizedforspectraldecompositioninthepresenceoflowsignaltonoiseratio.Thesimulationworkidentifiedanexpectedfrequencyrangeforthecyclobutanesignatureinaregionofthespectrawithcomparativelyweakpeakscloudedbynoise.Themultivariatestatisticswasuseddistinguishthesignalfromthenoise.Finally,correlationofthissignalwithanexpectedincreaseincrosslinkingduetoincreasingthyminecomonomerratioaswellasirradiationledtothefirstdirectquantificationofcrosslinkinginthisphotopolymersystem.

119 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 4 Jocelyn Scheintaub (Dhandapani Venkataraman), Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Diblock Copolymer Templates for More Efficient Solar Cells

Harnessingsolarenergyefficientlyisauniversalgoalastheenergycrisisbecomesmoredesperate.Ideally,anewphotovoltaiccellshouldbebothinexpensivetomakeandhighlyeffective.Priortothisproject,blockcopolymershavebeenusedintheproductionofnanoporousthinfilms.Theremovaloftheminorcomponentfromself-assembledstructures,leavingasturdypolymermatrix,canbeappliedastemplatesforthegrowthoforientedinorganicormetalnanostructures.Currently,chemicaletchingorUVdegradationisthecommonmethodusedtodetachtheminorcomponentstocreatethenanopores.Ourapproachresolvesthelimitationsofthecurrentharshmethodsbyinsteadintroducingalinkerbetweentheblocks.Thislinkerisdesignedtobeinertunderpolymerizationandthin-filmannealingconditions,butmostimportantly,itcanbecleavedrapidlyundermildreactionconditions.Specifically,thisprojectinvolvesthesynthesisofaPS-b-MPEGcopolymer,wheretheamphiphilicblocksarelinkedbytriphenylmethyletherandamethodforrapidscissionofthediblockpolymerintoitsconstituentblocksundermildconditionsleavingananoporoustemplate.ThedepositionofTiO2,asemiconductivemetaloxide,intotheporesisthenextstep.

120 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 7 Richard Senatore (Igor Kaltashov), Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Probing of Haptoglobin and the Haptoglobin-Hemoglobin Complexes by QqTOF Mass Spectrometry

Thefocusofthisresearchprojectistostudythebindingpropertiesofhemoglobin(Hb)tohaptoglobin(Hp).TheimmediategoalistodeterminethecompositionoftheHb-Hpcomplex(es)andtheconditionsfavoringtheirassemblyanddissociation,withthe


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finalobjectiveofonedaydesigninganHb-Hpbindinginhibitor.Thiswouldprovideapowerfultoolinthemedicalfieldbecauseonewouldbeabletogiveapatientwhohaslostalotofbloodatemporarytransfusionofbovinehemoglobinuntilahumanblooddonorcanbefound.Suchatechniquewouldbeveryusefulininnercities,combatzonesandruralareas.Hemoglobinisfoundinredbloodcellsandisbestknownfortransportingoxygenthroughoutthebody.However,free-floatingHbisdangerousbecausetheHbmoleculesaresmallenoughtopassthroughtherenalfilterscausingdamageandultimatelykidneyfailure.Haptoglobinisaproteinthatbindsfreehemoglobinfoundtravelinglooselyintheblood,preventingthehemefromenteringtherenalfilters.MyprimarytoolisaQSTAR,anelectrosprayionizationtime-of-flightmassspectrometer.Normally,NuclearMagneticResonance(NMR)orX-raycrystallographyisusedtoanalyzeproteins;howeverthesetechniqueshavealimitedrangeofwhattheycananalyze.Massspectrometry(MS)allowsonetoovercometheseobstaclesandanalyzelargeproteins.ExperimentsarebeingconductedusingonlyhumansamplesofHp1-1phenotype.Spectrafromearliertestingwereobservedonlyinthepositiveionmode,andtheirspectrawerepoorlyresolved.Currentanalysesofproteinscollectedinnegativeionmodehaveproducedhighlyresolvedspectra,allowingforamorecomprehensivedatainterpretation.Todate,wehavebeenabletoproducehighlyresolvedspectraofhaptoglobinandhemoglobin,whichispromisingbecauseitconfirmsanewtechniquewhichcannowbeusedtoviewthespectraoftheHb-Hpcomplex.Thenextstepistoestablishthestoichiometryofhemoglobin/haptoglobinbindinganddeterminewhatconditionsarenecessarytoinducedissociationofthecompoundinsolution.

121 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 6 Khanh Vo (Margaret Kerr), Department of Chemistry, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

Alternative approach of identifying carboxylic acids and halogenation of alkenes by using greener reagents

Overthepreviousthreeyears,WorcesterStateCollegehasadoptedGreenChemistryintheOrganicLaboratorycurriculum.Whilethereareexcellentexperimentsavailableforthesophomorelaboratorysequence,thereisalackofgreenexperimentsavailableforthenon-majorintroductorycourse,General-Organic-Biochemistry.ThiscourseistaughtatWSCtonursingmajorsandothernon-sciencemajors.Thisposterwilldescribeworkdonetomodifyexperimentsinthislaboratorytomakethemgreenerandsaferforthestudents.Onecommonlaboratoryexperimentisforstudentstoidentifyunknownorganicmoleculesbasedonfunctionalgroupbehavior.Identificationofacarboxylicacidhasbeentypicallydoneusingonlylitmuspaper.Thisisn’tterriblysatisfyingasthepaperonlyturnscolorwhenthestudentteststheunknown.Agreenandmoreinterestingmethodoftestingforcarboxylicacidsistoreacttheunknownwithsodiumcarbonate(Na2CO3).Sodiumcarbonateisawhitepowder,easytoweighoutandhaslowtoxicity.ThestudentsareabletodetectthepresenceoftheacidbyobservingthepresenceofCO2.BrominationofalkenescanbeaccomplishedbyadditionofBr2toanalkene.Br2isdifficulttoworkwithandistoxic.AgreenerexperimenthasbeendevelopedbyDoxseeandHutchisonforthesophomorelaboratorysequenceusingHBrandH2O2togenerateBr2insitu.Thisexperimenthasbeenmodifiedintoalaboratorydemonstrationoralesscomplicatedexperimentforthenon-majorcourse.Additionalworkisbeingdonetoexploretheuseofthisworkinhalogenationofalkanesinthepresenceofheatorlight.

Civil Engineering

122 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 10 Christina Stauber (Sarina Ergas), Department of Civil Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Role of Algae in Natural Attenuation of Acid Mine Drainage


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AcidMineDrainage(AMD)isaworld-widewaterqualityissuethatoccursatabandonedmineswheresignificantlevelsofpyritearepresent.Pyriteisexposedtooxygenandgroundwater,causingoxidationofpyriteintoferrousironandsulfuricacid.AteamattheUniversityofMassacusettsAmhersthasbeenstudyingthenaturalattenuationofAMDattheDavisMine,anabandonedpyriteminelocatedinRowe,Massachusetts.Theareaischaracterizedbyacidic,redstreamwater,highlevelsofmetals,wastepilesofpyriteleftfromtheminingprocesses,andacidophilicplantsandorganisms.Algaearepresentinthestreamwaterintheformofalargealgalmatlocatedunderaspringflowingthroughapyretictailingspile.NaturalattenuationofhighconcentrationsofsulfateandironisoccurringattheDavisMine,andtherolealgaisplayinginremediationofAMDisbeingstudied.AnalgalcolumnwasruntoobservethemetaladsorptionabilitiesofthealgalmatconsistingofKlebsormidiumrivulare,analgaknowntoadsorbmetals.AMDsyntheticwaterwaspumpedthroughatroughcontainingthealgaeandanalyzedforchangeinmetalcontent.Inamicrocosmstudythatwasconductedoverthepastyear,andthealgashowedpotentialasacarbonsourceforbiologicallyreducingsystems.Theresearchhasshownthatthematmayadsorbsignificantlevelsofheavymetalsandalsomaybeausefulcarbonsourceforreducingbacteria.FurtherresearchisneededtofullyunderstandtherolethealgaemayplayinnaturalremediationofAMD.

Communication

123 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 6 Patrick Pho (John Chetro-Szivos), Department of Communication, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Speech Communities: The recognition, development, and acceptance into college culture.

Collegestudentshavealwaysbeencategorizedasauniqueculture.Thestructureandenvironmentofhighereducationplacesyoungadultsinanenvironmentunlikeanythingtheyhaveexperiencedbeforenorwilltheyexperienceafter.Asauniqueculturecollegestudentssharelanguages,symbols,andbehaviorsthatperpetuatethroughtheyears.Itisclearthatcollegestudentsformaspecialcommunity--aspeechcommunity.Thespeechcommunitymodeldefinesthestudentcommunitythroughthewaysstudentscommunicatewitheachother.Thereisanapparentculturethatperpetuatestheentityofthecollegecommunitybeyondtheinfluenceofanyonestudentthatgoesthroughthesystem.Itisthisideathatmakescollegecommunitiessodistinctive.Thispiecewillexaminetheconceptofspeechcommunitiesandhowspecificcommunicationtheoriesapplytonewcollegestudentsandtheiracclimationandeventualacceptanceintotheinnercultureofcollegestudents.Researchquestionstoanswerinclude:Whatroledoescommunicationplayintheculturaldevelopmentoffirstyearstudents?Whatisaspeechcommunityandhowdoesthiscollegecommunityresembleaspeechcommunity?Howdomembersjoinsuchacommunity?Inwhatwaysdofreshmenusecommunicationtojoinanestablishedcommunity?Subjectswillbeinterviewedusinganappreciativeinquirymethodwithcircularquestioning.Theeffectiveuseofthesemethodsoncollegecampusesmakesthesetechniquesalogicalmatchinuseofinterviewingsubjectslikenewcollegestudents.Themethodinvolvestheformationofa“conversationalspace”wherestoriesandexperiencesaresharedamongstgroupsofpeople.

Communication Disorder

124 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 7 Jennifer Perkins (Mary Andrianopoulos), Department of Communication Disorder, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003


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The Acoustic Speech Characteristics of Childhood Apraxia of Speech and Childhood Dysarthria

ThepurposeofthisongoingstudyistoexaminevariousacousticaspectsofChildhoodApraxiaofSpeech(CAS)andchildhooddysarthria.SpeechsamplesfromnumerousstandardizedtestingmeasuresontheVerbalMotorProductionAssessment(VMPAC)willbecollectedandanalyzedonthreehomogeneousgroupsofparticipants.Ahostofover30objectiveacousticparameterswillbeobtainedonthesetofspeechtasksselectedforstudyobtainedfromtheVMPACdatabase.Statisticalanalyseswillincludewithinandbetweengroupanalysesonthedatatodeterminewhetherthethreegroupsofparticipantsexhibitauniquesetoffeaturesthatdistinguishonegroupfromtheother.Asetofcharacteristicsthatdistinguishesonegroupfromtheotherthatcanultimatelybeusedinthedifferentialdiagnosisofthesechildhooddisordershasnotyetbeenidentified.Itistheobjectiveofthisresearchtoanalyzethespeechsamplesinthegroupofparticipants,sothatasetofcriteriacanbeestablishedtoaidindifferentialdiagnosisofCASandchildhooddysarthria.Itisexpectedthatcarefulexaminationofcertainacousticparameters,includingvowelformantvalues,voiceonsettimeofstopconsonants,pitchanddurationmeasurements,willleadtotheformationofanacousticprofileofeachdisorderwhichcanbeusedtodistinguishthetwomotorspeechdisordersbothfromeachother,andfromotherspeechdisorders.

Community or Public Service

125 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 11 Jessica Cheung (William Snyder), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Children, Obesity, and Television: Addressing the Problem of Excessive Screen Time

Maintaininghealthinchildrenintermsofweightandactivitylevelshasbecomeincreasinglymoredifficultinthepastdecades.ThepurposeofthispaperistoexploreresearchandresourcesthatareneededtoequipUMassExtensionwithinformationonthiscriticalissueoftheeffectsoftelevisionwatchingonchildhoodobesity.AstheUniversity’scommunityoutreachgroup,ExtensionwillthenbeabletoprovidethecitizensofMassachusettswithusefultoolstoaddressthisaspectofchildhoodobesityandoverweight.Theresearchpresentedinthispapershowsevidencethattelevisionmayplayaroleinincreasedincidencesofchildhoodobesity;mostsourcesconcurthatboththeactsofwatchingtelevisionandwhatisseenontelevisioncorrelatetothisproblem.Themajorityoftheresearchinthispaperissecondaryresearchgatheredfromscholarlyarticles,popularpressarticles,interviews,programobservations,aswellasadvocacygroupsandstate/federalgovernmentagencies.Becauseresearchonthistopicisongoing,thefaceofthisproblemwillbeeverevolvingasthetruecausesareexposed.

126 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 12 Leona Clark (William Snyder), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Promoting the Concept of Health Literacy through Community-based Health Education Initiatives

Healthliteracyisarecentlycoinedtermmostbroadlydefinedasthecapabilitytoobtain,interpret,andunderstandbasichealthknowledgeforthepurposesofpromotingone’shealth.ThepurposeofthisstudyistoprovideUMassExtension,theoutreacharmoftheuniversitydedicatedtocommunity-basededucationforcommunitydevelopment,asolidbaseofresearchontheissueofhealthliteracy.Thelackofbasichealthknowledgeandtheskillsneededtonavigatethehealthcaresystemhaveadetrimentaleffecton


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individualhealth.ThehealthcaresystemintheUnitedStatesiscomplexanddifficulttonavigate.Thepreventiveaspectofhealthpromotionandcomplicatedtreatmentplansrequireabasicfoundationofhealthliteracyskills.Inadequatehealthliteracyskillsareauniversalproblem.Populationsmostcommonlysufferingfrominadequatehealthliteracyskillsarelowincomecommunities,theelderly,non-Englishspeakingcommunities,andthechronicallyill.Inthisstudy,reviewsofresearchliterature,interviewswithhealtheducators,andprogramobservationswereamassedoveraseven-monthlongperiod.ThisresearchexaminesthestateofhealthliteracyintheUnitedStates,specificallyMassachusetts.Programsandtechniquesusedtoeducatepersonswithinadequatehealthliteracyskillsabouthealthissueswereidentified.

127 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 9 Caitlin Hoey (William Snyder), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Massachusetts

Americansofracialandethnicminoritygroupstendtosufferfromchronicdiseaseandotherserioushealthproblemsatgreaterrates,andaremorelikelytodiefromthem,thanwhiteAmericans.Thereisnocurrentbiologicalexplanationforsuchdisparitiesandthereforethisisoftenperceivednotonlyasahealthissuebutalsoasoneofsocialinjustice.ThepurposeofthisresearchhasbeentoprovidebackgroundforthefiveyearplanningprocessofUMassExtension,aprogramthataddressesnumerousimportantpublicissuesthroughresearch,outreach,andeducationalwork,aboutthestateofhealthdisparitiesinMassachusettsandthroughoutthenation.Thisresearcherexploredthisproblemthroughinterviewswithuniversityandcommunitymembers,popularpressandscholarlyjournalarticles,programobservations,andinvestigatinggovernmentagenciesandactivistgroups.Racialandethnichealthdisparitiesappeartobearesultofvariousfactors,amongwhichareinsufficientculturalcompetenceinthemedicalfield,deeplanguagebarriers,andpastandpresentraceandclassdiscrimination.Whiletherearecertainlyanumberofindividualsandgroupsonthenational,state,andcommunitylevelswhorealizethegravityofthisissueandaretakingimportantstepstoaddresshealthdisparities,thisseemstobeamulifacetedandcomplexhealthandsocialproblemthatwillrequiresubstantialefforttoeliminate.

128 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 13 Leah Mannagan (Pamela Schmidt), Department of Community or Public Service, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Operation ReCUPeration

InthisServiceLearningproject,HumanServices101studentsresearchedvariousorganizationsthatwereprovidingaidtothoseneedinghelpafterHurricaneKatrina..StudentsthendesignedandworkedonacoffeethemedfundraisertoraisefundsforDirectReliefInternational.ThisorganizationwasselectedbecauseitwasoneoftheveryfirstrespondersintheGulfRegiontoprovidehealthcaretopeopleaffectedbyHurricaneKatrina.

129 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 10 Emily O’Brien (William Snyder), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Schools, Families, and Farms Working Together to Build Healthy Communities

Theneedofschoolstoprovidestudentswithnutritiousfoodchoicesandtheabilityforfarmerstoprovidepublicschoolswithfresh,tastyandhealthyproducebreedsthepotentialtodevelopprogramsthatconnectgardenstoclassroomsandcafeteriastolocal


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farms.Titled“FromtheGarden,totheClassroom,totheCafeteria:Schools,Families,andFarmsBuildingHealthyCommunities,”myresearchproject,incollaborationwithUniversityofMassachusettsCooperativeExtension,addressesseveralissuesofpublicinterestandconcern,includingimprovingchildhealth,sustainingenvironmentalintegrity,andpromotingeconomicvitalityincommunitiesacrossMassachusetts.AsamemberoftheNationalAssociationofStateUniversitiesandLand-GrantColleges,anorganizationwithheritageincommunity-basededucationforcommunitydevelopment,UMassExtension’smissionistoaddresspublicconcernsofhighpriorityfortheCommonwealth.Currently,UMassExtensionisonroutetocompletingitsFederalFive-YearPlanofWork,tobesubmittedtotheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureinJune2006.Asapartoftheprocess,facultyandstaffareresearchingandreviewingeightissueareasthathavebeendeemedofcriticalimportanceforfutureprogramdevelopment.Examplesofissueareasincludefoodproduction,healthpromotionanddiseaseprevention,andyouthdevelopmentandengagement.Issueteamsareintheprocessofdevelopingissueplansthatwillserveasthebasisforplannedprograms.ActingasastudentresearcherforUMassExtension,Ihavechosentocomposearesearchreportthatexplores,investigates,andanalyzesmodelyouthdevelopmentandengagementprogramsthatteachnutritioneducationtochildrenwithanapproachthatvalueswholefoodsystems.Suchprogramstypicallyincorporateschoolyardgardens,nutritionworkshops,cookingclasses,andhealthy,preferablylocallyproduced,foodoptionsinschoolcafeterias.Throughreviewingscholarlyjournals,popularpressarticles,andinformationprovidedonnutritionadvocacywebsites,aswellaslookingatmodelprogramsacrossthecountryandwithinMassachusetts,IhavedevelopedacomprehensiveresearchreportthatfocusesonhowtheexpertiseofExtensioneducatorsandtheresourcesofUMassExtensionmaypotentiallyenhancetheeffectivenessofexperientiallearningbasednutritioneducationprograms,bothincurricularandextracurricularsettings.Thisissuebrief,whichwillbesubmittedtotheyouthdevelopmentandengagementissueteam,servesasacomponentofthestakeholderengagementprocess.TheinformationprovidedwillbothcontributetotheFiveYearPlanofWorkFY07-11programdevelopmentprocessandasaresourceforfutureyouthdevelopmentandengagementinitiatives.

130 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 8 Ashley Pickering (William Snyder), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Role of Education in Long Term Care of Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer in Massachusetts

AsthelifeexpectancyofMassachusetts’residentsreachesanalltimehigh,anincreasinginterestinthequalityandyearsofahealthylife,withparticularfocusonthetreatingofchronicconditions,isagrowingconcernamongthecommunityandhealthcareprovidersalike.Manypeoplerequiretreatmentsforillnesses,suchasdiabetes,heartdisease,andcancer,whichhavedevelopedandoftenhavebeenneglectedovermanyyears.Educationalprogramsarepivotalfordecreasingthecost,morbidity,andmortalitythatoccurwitheachsuccessivestageofillness.ThegoalofthisresearchistoenableUMASSExtensionwithinformationtodesigneducationalprogramsforthecitizensofMassachusetts.UMASSExtensionaddresseshighpriorityissuesofpublicconcernfortheCommonwealth,andthisresearchwillbeaninstrumentalsourceofinformationfortheirupcoming5-yearPlanofWork.Researchmethodsforthestudyincludeprogramobservations,interviewswithindividualswhorepresentanimportantperspectiveonthisissue,reviewofstateandgovernmentpoliciesandprograms,andsignificantresearcharticles.Inrecentyears,thetimeaphysicianhastoeducatetheirpatientsoncriticaldiseasemanagementskillshasdecreased.Theresearchhasshownthatpatientself-careisacentralparttocontrollinganillness’seffects.ThisresearchwillprovidecriticalinformationforExtensioneducatorstoteachtheskillsthatdoctorsmaynotbeabletoaddress.Educationalprogramsmayhelpimproveself-careskillsofpatients,whichcanresultinbettermonitoringofthecondition,fewersymptoms,andenhancedphysicalandsocialfunctioning.

131 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 14 Melissa Poulin (William Snyder), Department of Education, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Smart Growth development in MassachusettsOver16,000acresofopenspaceinMassachusettsaredevelopedeachyear.Residentialsprawlconstitutesmuchofthisdevelopment,


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causingenvironmentalproblemsinmanyMassachusettscommunities.Thelowdensityhousingdevelopmentthatischaracteristictosprawlhasledtolessopenspace,poorwaterquality,andthedestructionofwildlifehabitats.ThispaperexploresSmartGrowthlanddevelopmenttechniquesinMassachusetts,howthesecomparetosuburbansprawl,andthemethodsofpubliceducationsurroundingthisissue.Theresearch,whichisstilldeveloping,isbasedoninformationfromadvocacygroups,governmentalagencies,scholarlyarticles,individualexperts,andprogramobservations.InterviewswereconductedwithExtensionstaffmembers,andemployeesoftheMassachusettsExecutiveOfficeofEnvironmentalAffairs(EOEA)andtheMassachusettsWatershedCoalition.AlsoincludedinthepaperisinformationgatheredfromattendanceoflandusemeetingsandworkshopsconductedbytheMassachusettsEOEAtospreadpublicawarenessaboutSmartGrowth.Popularpressarticlesthataddressedthisissueweregatheredtorepresentthepublicperceptionofthisissue.ThegoalofthisresearchistoprovideUniversityofMassachusettsExtensionstaffwithagreaterunderstandingoflandusedevelopmentasitoccursinMassachusetts,andistobeconsideredbyExtensionprogramplannersintheirsubmissiontotheUSDA.TheresultsofthisresearchwillbecomeevidentwhenExtensionplanners,usingthisinformation,determinetheroleofExtension’seducationoutreachprogrammingsurroundingthisissue.

Computer Science

132 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 16 Arthur Meacham Emily Higgins Joelle Skaff Michael Wissell Jessica Lanzoni (Robert Cohen), Department of Computer Science, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

PLUMB: ExPLoring Graphs at UMB

ThePLUMBresearchteampresentsresultsofcontinuingresearchonthecommunicationofrelationalinformationtopeoplewithvisualimpairments.Understandingrelationalinformationisessentialinawidevarietyofacademic,professional,andotherenvironments.Ageneralmodelofrelationalinformationisknownasagraph.Graphspresentedinvisualformarefrequentlyreliedupontoconveyinformation.Forexample,aprofessorofcomputersciencemaydrawagraphbeforehisorherstudentstoexplaintherelationshipsamongsoftwareelements.Thecurrentresearchinvestigatestheuseofsoundtoconveygraphsthatmaybeexploredbystudents,professionalsandotherswithvisualimpairments.WehavedevelopedatabletPCbasedsystemcalledPLUMB(exPLoringgraphsatUMB)thatallowsausertoexploreagraphusingsound.Theresearchisdividedintotwoparts.Inthefirstphaseoftheresearch,errorratesandresponsetimesaremeasuredasparticipantsanswerquestionsaboutsimplesoundgraphs.Inthesecondphase,data-capturingsoftwareisusedtocollectfundamentalinformationabouthowparticipantsnavigateamonggraphelements.

133 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 23 Michael Graves (Biljana D. John), Department of Computer Science, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

WEP versus WPA Standard for Wireless Security

WiredEquivalentPrivacy(WEP)ispartofthe802.11bstandardforencryptingdatatravelingonawirelessnetwork,butsecurityprofessionalsandWEPhackershaveproventhatitisaveryinsecurestandard.ItcanbemademoresecureifcombinedwithVPNsforhomeusersorsmallcompanies.Wi-FiProtectedAccess(WPA),ontheotherhand,isamuchstrongerstandardandisimplementedbasedonasubsetoftheIEEE802.11istandard.WhenWPAisusedwiththeTemporalKeyIntegrityProtocol(TKIP),itprovidesdata


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confidentialitythroughstrongencryptionandtheMIC(alsocalledMichael)cryptographicmessageintegritycheckalgorithm.Allthisprovidesdataintegritybypreventingforgeries(packetsthatattackerscreatetolooklegitimate).TKIPismadeoffourenhancementsoverWEP:MessageIntegrityCheck(MIC),ExtendedInitializationVector(IV)withsequencingrules,Per-packetKeyMixing,andRekeyingMechanism.WPAneedssoftwarechangestoWirelessAPs,wirelessnetworkadapters,andwirelessclientprograms.TheWPAupdatemakeswirelessLANnetworkingsecurethroughafirmwareupgradeto802.11-basedwirelessnetworkadaptersandwirelessaccesspoints.

134 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 17 Evan Innis (Arnold Rosenberg), Department of Computer Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Tessellated Finite Automata for the Control of Autonomous Agents

Weexploretheuseoftessellatedfiniteautomataforthecontrolofautonomousagentsinageographicallyconstrainedenvironment.Inspiredbymodelsofemergentbehaviorininsects,wereformulatethestandardimplementationinanoveldiscretesettingconsistingofalatticeofinterconnectedfiniteautomatawheretheenvironmentisnotjustapassivebearerofinformationbutisitselfthesolecomputationalmedium.Toconductthisresearchweconstructedasoftwaresimulationenvironmentandimplementedaproof-of-conceptalgorithmthatcoordinatesthemovementofanumberofagentstowardadesiredfinalconfiguration.Unliketraditionalimplementations,oursetupallowstheagentstobecompletelydevoidofintelligence.Further,ourfindingsshowthatitispossibletoconstructfiniteautomatawhoseprogramandstatespaceisindependentofthedimensionsofthetiledenvironmentandthenumberofagentsundercontrol.Inadditiontoprovingthecorrectnessofouralgorithm,wepresentquantitativedatathatstronglysuggestsouralgorithm’srunningtimeefficientlyscaleswiththenumberofagentsandenvironmentdimensions.Webelievethatourmodelhassignificantimplementationbenefitswithrespecttopreviouslyexploredimplementationmodelsandthatitwillfindusefulapplicationindesigningcontrolsystemsforautonomousagentsinindustrialsettings.

135 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 20 Leon Kay (Kajal Claypool), Department of Computer Science, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

The effects of resolution, screen size and visual complexity on player performance in a First Person Shooter Game

Thevideogameindustryhashadlittleempiricalresearchonhowparameterssuchasframerateorresolutionaffectplayerperformance.ApreviousstudyontheeffectsofframerateandresolutiononFirstPersonShooter(FPS)gameshasfoundthatframeratehasamarkedimpactonbothplayerperformanceandgameenjoyment,whileresolutionhaslittleimpactonperformanceandsomeimpactonenjoyment.Inthecurrentwork,wehypothesizethatdifferentscreensizesandvisuallycomplexbackgroundswillcauseresolutiontosignificantlyaffectplayerperformance.TheconclusionofthisexperimentwillhaveimplicationsforboththevideogameindustryandmilitaryapplicationsthatuseFPSfortraining.

136 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 19 James Lang (Natasha Kurtonina), Department of Computer Science, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

The Little Networking Helper

Manypeopleusecomputernetworkseverydaywithouttrulyunderstandinghowtheywork,howeverabasicknowledgeoftheir


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functioningwouldallowpeopletomakebetterinformeddecisionsabouttheirownhomeorbusinessnetworkswhenpurchasingnewhardware,connectingtotheinternetortalkingwiththeirinformationtechnologystaff.Toincreasepeople’sunderstandingoftheircomputernetworks,thecurrentpaperdiscusesthebasicsofhowacomputernetworkworksfromthephysicalconnectionstothecomputerinterpretationofthedataandtheinnerworkingsoftheWorldWideWeb.Accompanyingthepaperwillbeanillustratedbookletthatwillfirstdescribevariousaspectsofcomputernetworks,comparingandcontrastingdifferentInformationTechnologies,followedbyaglossaryofcommoncomputernetworkterms.Withthisinformationreaderswillhavethetoolstomakemoreinformeddecisionsabouttheirowncomputernetworks.

137 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 22 Aleh Plotnikau (Biljana D. John), Department of Computer Science, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

And Now Our World Has Become Wireless!

Wirelesscommunicationhasbecomeverycommoninourlives(TV’sremotecontrol,garageopeners,phones…)andyetsomeofustakethisforgranted.Inthispresentation,somekeycharacteristicsofwirelesstechnologywillfirstbedescribedalongwiththecomponentsusedtocreatewirelessnetworks,followedbyadiscussionofpossiblewirelesssecuritythreats,andtheattendantriskmitigation.Methodsforsecuringwirelessnetworkchannelsaswellasmanagement,operationalandtechnicalcountermeasuresusingsoftwarewillbedescribed.Hardwareconfigurationofanaccesspointwillbegivenasanexampleofthewirelesscomponentconfiguration.Additionalhardwareandsoftwaresecuritylevelsforwirelessnetworkswillbeexplained.Stepsofthefuturedevelopmentandupgradeofthewirelessnetworksbasedonthetechnologicalprogresswillbereviewed.ThekeyfeaturesofthedevelopmentofWirelessPersonalAreaNetworkasabranchofwirelesscommunicationtechnologywillbepresented.

138 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 21 Michael Sindelar (David Barrington), Department of Computer Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Lower Bounds in Circuit Complexity

Lower-boundargumentsprovideaconstraintontheminimumamountofresourcesrequiredtosolveaproblem,regardlessoftheactualmethodused.Lowerboundscanalsobeusedtoseparatecomplexityclassesbydemonstratingthatcertainfunctionscannotbelongtoagivenclass.CircuitComplexitygainedagreatdealofinterestduetoseveralsuccessfullower-boundarguments.RazborovandSmolenskyshowedthatfordistinctprimes,thecircuitclassesforconstantdepthusingAND,OR,andmod-pgatesaredisjoint.Howevermanyclassesstilllacklowerbounds,forinstancetherelationshipbetweencircuitfamilieswithmultipledifferentmodulusgatesisstillunknown.Inparticular,theexpressivepowerofcircuitswithmod-2andmod-3gatesisstillunknown.Welookedataparticularsubclassofthisproblembylookingatlowerboundsforfunctionscomposedofsumsofquadraticcharacters,whichcorrelatetothesizeofmod-3-mod-2-binary-andcircuits.Toexplorethestructureofthefunctionsbuiltoutofquadraticcharacters,weutilizedheuristicandexhaustivesearchtechniquestoanalyzethepropertiesofdifferentfunctions.Wehavedeterminedthatthe2-weightofANDisexactly4forinputsoffourvariables.Wehavealsoexploredthespecial2-weight,thesizeofsumsusingonlyaspecificsubclassofthequadraticcharacters,andfoundAND’stobe6forinputsonlength4.Byanalyzingtheexpressivenessofdifferentcombinationsoffamiliesofthequadraticcharacters,wehopetoobservepropertiesthatcanbeusedtoobtaingeneralizedlowerboundarguments.

139 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 15 Aycan Uysal (Biljana D. John), Department of Computer Science, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129


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Cybercrime and Its Multitude of Ways It Affects Us

Cybercrimeisaspecifickindofcrimethatdealswithcomputersandnetworks.Examplesincludehacking,childpornography,cyberstalking,virusattacks,illegalsoftwarecopying,creditcardfraud,phishing,andsoon.Cybercrimeandotherhacking-relatedactivitiescostcompaniesandthegovernmentmillionsofdollars.Accordingtoarecentsurvey,worms,viruses,andTrojanhorsestaxcompaniesthemost,followedbycomputertheft,financialfraudandnetworkintrusion.Nationally,wearetalkingaboutcostsinthebillionsofdollars.Whatdocompaniesdoaboutthiskindofcrime?Howdotheyprotectthemselves?Hasthisnewkindofcrimeforcedthemtobehavedifferently?Wheredogovernmentsofdifferentcountriesandtheirlawenforcementagenciesfitinthispicture?Thesewillbethequestionsaddressedinthisproject.Alsodiscussedwillbethevariousprogramsandmethods,whichcan,atleastforashorttime,counteractthesecrimes.Theracetofightcybercrimeappearstohavenoend-wecanonlytrytokeepupwithitasmuchaswecan.

140 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 18 Eric Willard (Biljana D. John), Department of Computer Science, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Vista: Microsoft’s View of the Future

Traditionally,Microsofthastakenabeatingbythepublicforrealandperceivedshortcomingsinitsoperatingsystems.Securityflawshavebeencommonplace,ashaveshadybusinesspractices,suchasintegratingExplorerintotheoperatingsystemtoforceoutthecompetitionfromotherbrowsers.ItisnomysterywhythepublicandpresstakeswipesatMicrosoftwhengiventhechance;inthepasttheyhavedeservedit.WithWindowsVistaonthehorizon,Microsoftislookingtobuckthetrendandprovethattheylistenwhenconsumerdollars,instaggeringamounts,areontheline.ThisprojectwilldescribeandcritiqueVista,whichhasbeenbuiltonanentirelynewkernelfromtheground-up,andpackedwiththelatesttechnologyinnovations,WindowsVistaissettore-establishMicrosoft’spositionasanoperatingsystemjuggernaut,andnotjusttheonlyviableplayeronthemarket.theline.Builtonanentirelynewkernelfromtheground-up,andpackedwiththelatesttechnologyandbrilliantinnovations,WindowsVistaissettore-establishMicrosoft’spositionasanoperatingsystemjuggernaut,andnotjusttheonlyviableplayeronthemarket.

Criminology

141 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 24 Gabriel Santana (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

How to Make a Criminal

Thisstudyconsiderswhatinfluencesandmotivatesmembersofsocietytobecomecriminals.BasedoninformationcollectedbytheReverendJaredCurtis,throughinterviewswithinmatesintheMassachusettsStatePrisonatCharlestown,between1829and1831,acomparisonwillbemadebetweenreportedcausesofbecomingacriminalwiththemodern-daytheoriesofcriminalbehavior.ReverendCurtismadeanefforttobetterunderstandtheinmatesbyinterviewingthemindividuallyandrecordinghisfindingsintoapersonaljournal.Hadhisdatabeeninterpretedorpublishedatamuchearliertimeinlightofmodernscientificfindings,ReverendCurtis’recordsmayhaveledtomajorprisonreforms.ThroughanalysisofthedatarecoveredfromthewrittenjournalsofReverendCurtis,thisresearchwillcomparehisattemptsatexplanationstothoseofferedbyrecenttheoriesofcriminology.


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Dance

142 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 26 Nicole Dagesse (Billbob Brown), Department of Dance, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Moving Earth: Using Dance to Promote Environmental Awareness

MovingEarthisaperformanceprojectwhosemissionistoincreaselocalawarenessofenvironmentalissuesthroughsitespecificandconventionaldanceperformance.Astheearth’spopulationincreases,itisnecessarytobecomemoreenvironmentallyconscious,touseourresourcestotheirmaximumcapacityandnotignoreMotherNature’swarningsigns.MovingEarthisdesignedtoincreaseawarenessofrainforestspeciesdiversityasareasonforitspreservation.UsingmovementmaterialdevelopedintherainforestsofCostaRica,performancesarebeingheldbothinthetheaterandonthestreet,usingmovementandvideotosharetheverdantlifeoftherainforestwithcommunitymemberswhohaveneverexperiencedit.Thegoalistodemonstratethebeautyandimportanceoftherainforesttoreduceconsumptionofitsproductsandhelpencourageitssustainableuse.Inthelongterm,thisprojectwillgrowintoanenvironmentaldancecompanythatwillcontinuethismissionbyraisingmoneyandawarenessforvariousenvironmentalissuesbothlocallyandglobally.AttheUndergraduateresearchconference,informationabouttheresearchandchoreographicprocesswillbepresentedintheformofaposterpresentationaccompaniedbyavideoincludingrainforestanddancefootage.

143 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 25 Jillian Festa (Jennifer Uhl), Department of Dance, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Forsaken

“FORSAKEN”:ACHOREOGRAPHEDDANCEDancinghasbeenpartofmylifesincetheageofthree,andIhavechosentoexploremycreativelimitsbychoreographingapieceforfivehighschoolagedancers.Thedance,twominuteslong,istothesong“Forsaken,”fromthesoundtrackofQueenoftheDamned,adarkfilmaboutvampires.Thechoreography,combiningtechniquesofbothjazzandballet,straddlesseveralcategories,withelementsofthelyricalaswellasthetheatrical.ThemoodIwishtoevokeisstrong,almostmacabreandchaotic.Iwanttoconveythebuildingupofintensity.Theyoungdancershaveneverbeforebeeninapiecethatdidnotfitintoastandardcategory;Ihopetopushthelimitsoftheirabilityandexploreamoreperformance-basedareaofdanceratherthanastrictlytechnicalone.Mygoalsaretocreateapiecethatisaestheticallypleasingandthatleavesalastingimpression.Ialsohopetopushmyowncreativelimitsandchoreographwithoutboundaries.

Economics

144 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 27 Hafid Henamara (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Decreasing Oil Supply and the Impact on the U.S Transportation and Industry


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Oilisanincreasinglyscarcesourceofenergyandmostoftheenergyexpertsagreethatanoilcrisisisinevitable.Usinggovernmentalandnon-governmentalorganizations’statisticsandresearch,thisprojectwilltrytostresstheextenttowhichtheAmericaneconomyisdependentonpetroleum-relatedtransportation,andhowtheendofoilwillaffecttransportationinfrastructureandsupportingindustries.Thisanalysiswillprovideselectedexamplesofthecurrentfuelsourcesandreviewwhichfuelsarecurrentlybeingusedandtheirviabilityforthefuture.Theprojectwillalsoconsiderwhatalternativescanbedevelopedasalternativestolessentheimpact.

Education

145 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 31 Kristen Bouley (Sigrid Schmalzer), Department of History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Leave a Legacy Conference: Every story has a background...what will yours be? A Conference on History, Leadership, Collegiality and Community Service

Studentswillbesuccessfulincollegeiftheyunderstandtheirpersonalhistoryandtheirpotentialfuturetomakeadifference.Beforeenteringcollegeandencounteringtheplethoraofactivitiesthatareoffered,studentsshouldfirstunderstandthesocialissuesthatsurroundthechallengestheyface.Aneffectivewaytogainsuchunderstandingistostudypeopleinhistorywhofacedsimilarobstacles.Idevelopedacurriculumbasedonthe“legacy”thatPresidentFranklinD.RooseveltandFirstLadyEleanorRooseveltleftonthenationastheyworkedtomakeadifferencethroughtheGreatDepression.Ispecificallyfocusedondesigninglessonsforallthreelearningstyles:auditory,visual,andkinetic.IplantousethiscurriculumtohostaconferenceforcollegeboundhighschoolstudentsatUMassinthespring.Thestudentswillseethemselvesaspartofhistoryandarticulatetheirpassiontomakeadifferenceintheworldaroundthem.Thefortyhighschoolstudentswhoareregisteredfortheconference,scheduledforApril25,willlearntothinkcriticallyabouthistory,specificallyaboutinfluentialfiguresfromthe1930’sandtheirimpactonsociety.TheywilllookatletterswrittentoFirstLadyEleanorRooseveltduringtheGreatDepressionandseethechallengesthatthepeopleofthetimeexperiencedandconnectthemtosocialandeconomicinequalitiestoday.StudentswillalsogainknowledgeabouttheUMasscampusfromtoursandspeakers,getinformationaboutthehonorsprogramatUMassandtheIMPACT!Program(afreshmenprogramwherestudentslivetogetherandparticipateincommunityservicethroughouttheyear),listentoaguestspeakerfromKAPLANaboutsearchingfortherightschool,andattendaleadershipskillsworkshoponhowtosucceedincollege.Thestudentsattendingtheconferencewillbenefitbecauseitwillpushthemtoseeconnectionsbetweenhistoryandtheirlivestoday,aswellasempowerthemtomakeadifferenceintheirowncommunitiesbasedontheirownvalues.Inhostingtheconference,theUniversityofMassachusettswillprofitbecausehighschoolstudentswillbeexposedtothevarietyofopportunitiesthatallstudentsaregivenfromthevariousworkshopsduringthedayandthroughmyexample.Iwillevaluatethesuccessofthecurriculumbasedonmyobservations,feedbackformsthestudentsfillout,andessaysthestudentssubmitaftertheconference.

146 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 28 Tatyana A Monich Jeena Chuisa (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The importance of parental involvement as it relates to reading skills and achievement

Theimportanceofparentalinvolvementasitrelatestoreadingskillsandachievementinchildhoodisatopicofinteresttoeducators.


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Researchsuggestschildrenwhoarereadaloudtowilldevelopanincreaseddesiretoreadforpleasure(Haney&Hill,2004).Further,researchsuggestschildrenwhoreadforpleasurewillhavestrongervocabulariesandcomprehensionskillsthanthosechildrenwhodonotreadforpleasure(Kim,2004;Sabatini,2002;West&Stanovich,1991).Therelationshipsbetweenparentalinvolvementinreadingandacademicsuccesswereexaminedinasampleof120collegestudents.Participantswererandomlyassignedtoreadoneoffourscenariosdepictingauniquecombinationofparentalinvolvement(loworhigh)andchild’sreadingmotivation(nooryes).Next,studentscompletedmeasuresofperceptionsforfuturesuccessofthescenariochild,aswellasself-reportedmeasuresofparentalinvolvementandreadinghabits.AseriesoftwowayANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexaminethestudentperceptionsandtherelationshipbetweentheirownparents’involvementandreadingtotheircurrentlevelsofachievement.Itisexpectedthatthecollegestudentswillperceivehighparentalinvolvementinachild’sreadinghabitsaspromotinghighlevelsofachievementinchildren.Itisalsohypothesizedthatcollegestudentswillperceiveindividualmotivationandenjoymentofreadingtoberelatedtofutureacademicsuccess.Finally,studentswillrecognizetheirownparents’levelofinvolvementasaninfluenceoncurrentlevelsofachievement.Findingswillbediscussedrelativetotheimplicationsforencouragingandmotivatingstudents,bothyoungerandolder,todevelopreadingskills.

147 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 29 Meghan Howard (Ben Smar), Department of Music, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Examining Environmental Variables and Teacher Control in the Elementary General Music Classroom

Educatorsworkingtooptimizestudentlearningarefacedwithseveraltypesoffactorsthatrequireadaptationoraccommodation.Itisimportantforeducatorstobeawareofthesefactorsandtheirvariablessotheycantakestepstoimprovetheclassroomlearningenvironment.Thisresearchexaminedavarietyofthesefactorsintheelementarygeneralmusicclassroom,withfocusprimarilyonthefourenvironmentalstimuliincludingsound,lighting,temperature,anddesignfromRitaandKennethDunn’sLearningStylesModel(2001).Thisresearchalsoexaminedboththeappropriatesteps,andapproachesthatteachersusetocreateanoptimallearningenvironmentdespitetheaffectsofthesefactors.Specifically,thepurposeofthisstudywastouseDunnandDunn’sfourcomponentsasaguideforexaminationofthesefactorsandthewayteachersdealwiththemintheelementarygeneralmusicclassroom.Tomorecloselyexaminethesefactorsandtheeducator’sadaptationsandaccommodationsmade,amultiplecasestudywasdesigned.Throughobservationandinterview,dataweregatheredrelativetocreatinganoptimallearningenvironmentforallstudents.Thefindingssuggestedthatelementarygeneralclassroommusicteachersmustrecognizeandaddressvariablesincludingsoundsfrominsideandoutsidetheclassroom,studentattire,greenhouseaffect,naturalandartificiallightandsizeandtypeofclassroomspace.

148 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 30 Stephen Nyega (Luke Salisbury), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

An Photographic Overview of the Massachusetts State Prison at Charlestown

BunkerHillCommunityCollegeinCharlestownstandsonanhistoricsite,thelocationofoneofthemostnotoriousprisonsinMassachusetts.Thisprojectwillutilizephotographsoftheprison,bothexteriorandinterior,takenbyeyewitnesses,wardens,chaplains,andtheprisonersthemselves.Thesephotographswerelocatedontheinternet,theBostonPublicLibrary,Historic,NewEngland,andtheCharlestownHistoriccenter.Thisprojectpresentstheprisoninaformnotseensinceitsdemolitionin1n1955.Thestudyshowshowtheprisonchangedsince1805,andhelpspreservehistoryandprovidesaglimpseofthisinfamousplace.


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Electrical Engineering

149 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 13 Brian Roberts Jeremy R Vight Mike Ja Matthew Brennan (Tilman Wolf), Department of Electrical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

BuddyBug - Portable Social Networking

TheBuddyBugwillallowpeopletofindotherswithsimilarinterestswhiletheyareataconference,bar,class,oranyotherplacewherepeoplegather.Throughvisualindicators,theBugcanbeusedtofindpeoplewithsharedinterests.Thisknowledgewillallowuserstoinitiateconversationswitheachother.Additionally,ifcontinuedcontactisdesired,userswillbeabletoexchangeinformationviatheBuddyBug.Inthisway,theusefulnessofonlinefriend/datematchingserviceswillbebroughttopeopleastheyaremovingabouttheirdailylives.

150 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 14 Scott Jobling (Charles Thompson), Department of Electrical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Low Voltage Behavior and Electro-Optical Switching Properties of Dual-Frequency Nematic Liquid Crystals

Weinvestigatethebehaviorandswitchingtimesofthedual-frequencyliquidcrystal(DFLC)MLC-2048undervariousappliedACvoltages.TheDFLCresponsetimeaswellastheappliedvoltagecanbeminimizedunderappropriateconditions.DFLChavenaturaltendenciestoturnonandoffinresponsetobothastrongenoughappliedDCfieldsimilartostandardnematicliquidcrystals(NLC),aswellastoanACfield.ThecriticalfrequencyofthisACfieldchangeswithrespecttoitsamplitudeandvisaversa.InthecaseofaDFLCtheswitchingtimeofthischangecanbegreatlyreducedincomparisontostandardNLCsystemswhichrelyonnaturalalignmenttimes.Thechangecanrangefromtheorderof10msinNLCto<1msinDFLC.

151 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 11 David Smith (Joel Therrien), Department of Electrical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Focusing and steering quantum dots in electrospray deposition using ion optics for patterned deposition.

Quantumdotsareapromisingmaterialforquantumelectronics,howeveraprocessfortransferringtheparticlesfromthesolutiontheyaremanufacturedintoasubstrateinacontrolledandhighlyrepeatablemannerhasyettoberesolved.ElectrospraydepositionisusedtoionizeasolutionofCadmium-SelenidedotssuspendedinToluene;howeveritproducesasprayofchargedparticlesinaconicalformation.Ionopticsareusedtofocusthesprayintoabeam.Thebeamisthendirectedtowardsasubstrate.Thesubstrateisthenanalyzedusingnon-contactAFMtodeterminethesizeofthedeposit.Intheseinitialexperimentsthegoalistofocusabeamofnanoparticlesandguideittowardsdesiredpointsonasubstrate.Futureworkwillconcentrateonrefiningthefocusingoftheparticlebeamformaximumresolution.


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152 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 12 Jarrod Vaillancourt (Xuejun Lu), Department of Electrical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

A Thermo-optically Tunable Fiber Ring Laser

Athermo-opticallytunablefiberringlaserhasbeenconstructed.Thelaserisbasedonapolymer-spacedFabry-Perot(F-P)etalonwithacavitylengthof470-μmandanultra-lowpolarizationdependentloss(PDL)of<0.1dB.Aninitialwavelengthtuningrangeof~1.4-nmandhighwavelengthstabilityhavebeendemonstratedwithoutinvolvinganymovingmechanicalparts.Suchanon-mechanicaltunablefiberlaserstructureleadstoareduceddevicesizeandallowseasydevicepackagingduetotheultra-lowPDLofthewavelengthtuningelement.

English

153 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 33 Laura Davis (Susan Martelli), Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

Shaping Children’s Desire to Learn, as Presented in Jim Trelease’s Read Aloud

Literacyisakeytoolinshapingchildren’sminds.Thisprojectdemonstratesthatreadingaloudtoachildcanhelptodeveloptheirabilitytolearn.ThemethodsusedinthisstudyfollowtheoriesofJimTreleaseasexplainedinhisRead-AloudHandbook.Readingaloudtoachildbuildsvocabulary,fostersspellingability,andmotivatesathirstforinformation.Thereadingaloudactivityalsosatisfiesthechild’sneedsforchangeandentertainment,emotionalconnectiontoandattentionfromacaregiver,andtheneedtobelong,aswellasfacilitatingtheacquisitionoflearninginallotherareasofstudy.Thisprojectwilldemonstratetheacquisitionofpre-readingskillsbyapre-schoolchild.Weeklyreadingsessionswillbeheldandthechild’sprogresswillbemeasuredinthefourareasofinterestgainedinbeingreadto,pre-readingskillsdemonstrated,emotionalbondestablishedwiththereader,andcriticalthinking.

154 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 32 Aimee Wagner (Lynn Parker), Department of English, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Anorexia Nervosa as a Rebellion Against and an Adherence to Victorian Ideals Surrounding Women in Charlotte Bronte’s Shirley and Villette

InthenovelsShirleyandVillette,BronteusesanorexianervosaasameansfortheheroinestosimultaneouslyrebelagainstandadheretoVictorianidealssurroundingwomen.ResearchhasbeenconductedinordertobetterunderstandthecomplexrelationshipbetweenthesocialnormsoftheVictorianwomanandtheetiologyofthediseaseanorexianervosa.WhileBrontedoesnotfocusonanorexianervosaasadiseaseperse,researchsupportstheideathatBronte’sheroinesuseanorexianervosaasacommentaryonthepatriarchalsociety’sdemands.Researchareasincludethehistoryofanorexia,characteristicsofthedisease,characteristicsofanorexics,depression,andissuessurroundingthe“womanquestion”duringtheVictorianperiodinEngland.ThethesisissupportedbycarefultextualanalysisofShirleyandVilletteintegratedwithsecondaryscholarlyresearch,includingtheworkofHelenaMichie,HildeBruch,andJoanJacobsBrumberg.TextualanalysissuggestsBronte’sstrongeruseofanorexianervosaasanadherencetoculturalnorms.ThisimpliesthatwhileBronteusesherheroinestoprotestthelimitationsimposeduponwomenshefailstoprovideanexampleofrebellioninwhichthewomanisstillacceptedbysociety.


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English Literature

155 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 34 Christina Charron (Maria Jaramillo), Department of Spanish, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

A Comparison of The Cost of Higher Education: What are we really paying for?

Althoughacollege-leveleducationcanbereceivedatbothpublicandprivateinstitutesofhigherlearning,whenitcomesdowntoit,isthestudentispayingmainlyforthenameofhisorhercollege,ratherthanthequalityofeducation?AcomparisonbetweenEndicottCollege,asmallprivatecollegelocatedinthenortheasternpartofMassachusetts,andFitchburgStateCollege,asmallStatecollegelocatedinthenorthernpartofMassachusetts,testedthehypothesisthatthequalityofeducationdoesnotvarymuchbetweentheseschools.Althoughareasofconcentrationandservicesvariedinsomeareassuchashousingaccommodationsandparking,therewerealsomanyareasinwhichthetwoschoolshadsimilarities.Thesesimilaritiesincludetheformsofaccreditation,NCAAintercollegiatesports,diningservices,etc.However,becauseofstatedictatedcourseworkaswellasotherfactorsrequiredforgraduation,itseemsthatthecollegesvariedlittleintheacademicformat.Thedeterminingfactorwhencomparingthesetwoschoolsistheeffortofthestudent,notthepublicorprivatesector.

156 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 35 Leah Barton Greg McPhee (Susan Martelli), Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

A Study in Children’s Literature

Literacyskillsarethemostessentialtoolshumanscanutilize.Naturally,theirimportancegrowsexponentiallyasstudentsdevelop.Therefore,themostvitaltimetoinstillaninterestandaloveofreadinginchildrenisinthefirstthreeyearsoflife.Thevocabularyacquiredfrombirthtoagethreestronglypredictsthefutureacademicsuccessofthechild.AccordingtobehavioraltheoristAbrahamMaslow,meetingthesevenneedsofthechildisvitaltothedevelopmentoftheirfullpotential.OurpresentationwilldemonstratethatallsevenofMaslow’sidentifiedneedsofthechildmaybemetbysimplyreadingaloudtoachildonaregularbasis.Asanexperimenttoprovethisassertion,Alexis,age4,willbereadtoinregimentedreadingsessions.Hermotherhasbeenreadingdailytoherdaughtersinceshewasborn.OurprojectwillexaminetheeffectsofthesereadingsessionsonAlexis’psychologicalgrowthanddevelopmentaswellasonheracademicprogress.Findingswillbedocumentedinajournalandpresentedinaposterformatfeaturingphotos,text,andevaluationsbyAlexis’teacherandpediatrician.

Entomology

157 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 23 Elizabeth Andrews (Lynn Adler), Department of Entomology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Pollinator and herbivore attraction to the scent of butternut squash volatiles


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Mutualistsandantagonistsmayplaceconflictingselectionpressuresonplanttraits.Therefore,studyingpairwiseinteractionsbetweenplantsandinsectsmaynotgiveusanadequateunderstandingoftheevolutionoffloraltraits.Stripedcucumberbeetles(Acalymmavittatum),herbivoresthatfeedoncucurbitcrops,areattractedtothreecompoundsthatarefoundinthescentofbutternutsquash(Cucurbitamoschata)blossoms,1,2,4-trimethoxybenzene,indole,and(E)-cinnamaldehyde.However,theeffectofthesevolatilesonpollinatorattractionisunknown.Theaimofthisstudywastodeterminewhetherpollinatorswereattractedtothesameordifferentfloralvolatilescomparedtoherbivorouscucumberbeetles.Thethreecompoundsweretestedinafullyfactorialdesignwith8treatmentsandanextracontrol.Wefoundthat1,2,4-trimethozybenzenewasattractivetobothpollinatorsandherbivores,indolewasonlyattractivetoherbivores,and(E)-cinnamaldehydewasonlyattractivetopollinators.Theseobservationshaveimportantimplicationsfortheevolutionofscentinbutternutsquash.Butternutsquashrequirespollinationtosetfruit,soincreasingpollinatorattractionbyemittingmore(E)-cinnamaldehydecouldincreaseitsreproductivefitness.Reducingtheproductionofindolecouldbenefittheplantbymakingitlessattractivetoherbivores.Attractingmutualistsandnotantagonistsisadifficultevolutionaryproblem;increasingvolatileproductionmayruntheriskofattractingunwantedherbivores.Theresultsofthisstudysuggestthatincreasing(E)-cinnamaldehydemighthelpplantstoattractpollinatingsquashbeeswithoutincurringcostsofcucumberbeetleherbivory.

Environmental Studies

158 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 18 Eva Browne (Kathleen Arcaro), Department of Animal Sciences, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Use of Breast Milk to Study Toxicant Load and DNA Damage in Exfoliated Mammary Epithelial Cells

Althoughitisgenerallyacceptedthatexposuretoenvironmentalpollutantsmayplayaroleintheetiologyofbreastcancer,besidesradiation;noenvironmentalexposurehasbeenclearlylinkedtobreastcancer.Inthisstudy,DNAdamageinexfoliatedepithelialcellsisolatedfrombreastmilkanddioxin-likeactivityofamilkextractwereusedasbiomarkersofeffectandexposure.Studyparticipantsdonatedabreastmilksampleandcompletedadietandlifestylequestionnaire.Fromeachbreastmilksample,analiquotwasusedtotestfordioxin-likeactivity,usingacell-basedreporterassay.BreastmilkcellswerecollectedbycentrifugationandepithelialcellswereseparatedfromtotalcellsusingparamagneticbeadsconjugatedtotheantibodytoHumanEpithelialAntigen(HEA-125)(MiltenyiBiotec).Theepithelialcellswereusedinthesinglecellgelelectrophoresisassay(alsoknownastheCometassay)toassessDNAdamage.Fifteenwomenbetweentheagesof26and40yearslivinginHampshireandFranklinCounties,Massachusettsdonatedasinglebreastmilksample.Breastmilksamplesrangedfrom21to140mLandcontainedbetweenfourandfiftymillioncells.Thepercentageofepithelialcellstototalcellsrangedfrom3to23percentandeveninthesmallestofmilksamplessufficientepithelialcellswereisolatedtoconducttheCometassay.A14-folddifferencewasobservedbetweenlowestandhighestlevelsofDNAdamageasmeasuredbythemedianolivetailmoment(1.3and18.6,respectively).WeconcludethatevenasmallamountofbreastmilkissufficienttodetectDNAdamageinexfoliatedductalmammaryepithelialcellsandthetoxicantloadinthemilkusingcell-basedreporterassays.

159 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 21 James Carberry (Sarmad Saman), Department of Environmental Studies, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02181

Soil Toxic Pollutants & Their Effect On The Microbial Ecosystem.


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Soilsamplesfromanumberoflocationsaroundthemetro-Bostonareawerecollectedinanefforttoassesssite-specificchemicalandenvironmentaltoxicityinrelationtoindustrialwaste.Thesecanbeusedasusefulindicatorsforbioscreeningtostudytheeffectsofhumanactivityonincreasinglevelsoftoxicityintheenvironmentanditseffectsontheecosystem.Analyticalchemistry,Ecotoxicological,MicrobiologyandDNAisolationmethodswereusedtodeterminetheeffectsofsuchtoxicpollutantsonthemicrobialcommunitiesthathavebeenexposedtothem.Theconsequencesforgeneticmutationandtheresultingoutcomeonthecommunitymakeupwerestudiedusingselectedisolatedmicroorganisms.Thisincludedchangestoindividualacclimation,geneticorphysiologicaladaptationandeffectsonantibioticsensitivity.Anumberofgrampositiveandnegativebacteriawereisolated.Theseshowedhigherlevelsofantibioticresistancecomparedtotheirusualknownactivity.Resultsalsoindicatedthatpollutantscausednon-pigmentedstrainsofsomebacteriatoacquirepigmentationandvisaversa.Thereisstilltheneedtodeterminewhythatisandifthehighlevelsofsoiltoxicpollutantsincreasedbacteriatoxicity.Therewasaclearcorrelationbetweentheisolatesmutationsandthelevelsofindustrialwaste.TheeffectsofsuchpollutantsoncausingDNAdamagewasinvestigated&theresultingmutation.

160 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 19 Gina M Sciartilli Briget M Osborne Elisa Carey (Brian Hagenbuch), Department of Biology, Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA, 01040

The Impact of Surface Fire On The Structure and Composition of a Mixed Deciduous Forest

InApril,1999,asurfacefireburned20acresofforestsurroundingHolyokeCommunityCollege.Ourobjectiveistodeterminetheimpactoffireonforeststructureandcomposition.Ourhypothesisisthefireimpactedtheunderstoryandherbaceouslayers.Infall,2005,weusedplotsamples(8mdiameter)tomeasurecanopyandunderstoryspeciesandtransectsampling(100m)tomeasuretheherbaceousspecies.Nodifferenceswerefoundbetweenthecontrolsiteandburnedsiteinthecanopy;chestnutoak,redoak,andblackbirchwerefoundinhighestdensitiesanddominance.Intheunderstorythethreespecieswiththehighestdensitieswerewhitepine(17%0,chestnutoak(14%),andhickory(10%).Intheburnedsitethespecieswiththehighestdensitieswerechestnutoak(50%),redoak(17%),andredmaple(9%).Intheherbaceouslayer,speciesrichnessinthecontrolsite(14species)wasdoubletheburnedsite(7species);mountainlaurel,chestnutoakandblueberrywerefoundinhighestdensitiesatbothsites.Basedonourresultsweacceptourhypothesisthatthefirealteredthespeciesrichnessandcompositionoftheunderstoryandtheherbaceouslayers.Thisstudycontributestoourgrowingknowledgeofdisturbancesalteringthestructureandcompositionofaforest.

161 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 15 Andrew Crawley (Sarmad Saman), Department of Environmental Studies, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02181

Organic & Metallic Pollutants & Their Effects On Antibiotic Resistance In Soil Bacteria

Somebacteriathatoccurnaturallyinsoilshavedevelopedhighlevelsofresistancetoantibiotics.Thisstudytriestoestablishanevolutionaryrelationshipbetweenbacterialantibioticresistance&environmentaltoxicpollutants.Manyresearcherssuggestthereisacorrelationsuchasthatbetweenmercurypollutionandtheincreasingresistancetoantibioticsinbacteria.Usingenvironmentalanalyticalchemistrymethodsinassociationwithmicrobiologicalandmolecularbiologicalapproachesinthisresearchaimstodetectsuchcorrelationbetweentoxicsubstancesintheenvironmentandantibioticresistance.Pseudomonassp&Bacillusspbothwereisolatedfromsoilthatispollutedwithlevelsofmetalsandorganicwaste.Bothbacteriashowedhighlevelsofantibioticresistance&wereisolatedfromanumberofsoilsamplesfromareathatareexposedtoindustrialandorganicwaste.Thebacteriaexhibitedhighresistancetoorganicpollutantsandmetallictoxinsalsohaveacquiredhigherlevelsofantibioticresistancethatstrainsofthesamebacteriainnon-pollutantenvironments.Theisolatedbacteriashowedhigheffectivenessingrowthandclearinglevelsofhydrocarbons


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whengrownin-vitro.Thisisausualevolutionarymechanismenablingincreasinglyvirulentstrainsofbacteriaovercomingtheeffectsoforganicpollutantsandtoxins.Thisresearchcontinuesdeterminetheabilityofotherisolatedmicroorganismstocarryoutbioremediationandtodetecttheeffectivenessofreducingtoxicpollutantsinloweringantibioticresistance.

162 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 17 Danielle Niles (Robert Gamache), Department of Environmental Studies, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Adjusting the Intermolecular Potential for the CH4-N2 System

SeveralNASAEOSinstruments,theAtmosphericInfraredSounder(AIRS)onAqua,andtheTroposphericEmissionSpectrometer(TES)andtheHighResolutionDynamicsLimbSounder(HIRDLS)onAURA,willbemeasuringmethaneintheearth’satmosphereinthe3.2to17.76micronspectralregion.Inordertodoretrievalsoftemperatureandconcentrationprofiles,thespectralparametersformanythousandsofmethanetransitionsandtheirtemperaturedependencemustbeknown.Tohelpamelioratethissituation,complexRobert-Bonamy(CRB)meanrelativethermalvelocityapproximationcalculationswillbemadeat225and296KtodetermineN2-,O2-,andairbroadenedhalf-widthsandlineshiftsforthe(0001)<--(0000)transitionsofmethane.ThecalculationsemploythetheoreticalformalismofRobertandBonamy(J.Phys.(Paris)40(1979)923-943).Theformalismisdependentontheintermolecularpotential,whichisasumofelectrostatic,atom-atom,inductionanddispersionterms.Beforecalculationsaremade,theintermolecularpotentialmustbeadjustedslightlytoimproveagreementwiththemeasurementsofPine(JChemPhys1992;97:773-785)andthoseofBenner(JQSRT1993;50;65-89).Herewediscusstheadjustmentofthecoefficientsoftheatom-atomexpansionandthecoefficientsofthevibrationaldependenceofthepolarizabilitytogivetheimprovedagreementwithmeasurementofthehalf-widthsandlineshift,respectively.Wealsodiscusstestsofthreedifferentsetsofwavefunctionsfor(0001)andgroundvibrationalstates.Twoofthesesetsarefromantheisolatedbandmodelandthelastisfromaninteractingbandmodel.

163 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 26 Kelli O’Connor (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Future Predictions on Renewable Energy Sources

Astheworldfacesamajorcrisisintheareaofenergyresources,manypeoplehavebeenspendingtheirtimeattemptingtofindthebestsourceofrenewableenergy.Thesedifferenttypesofresourcesallhavetheirownpositiveandnegativeaspects.Inthisproject,researchwillbedoneonfivedifferentrenewableenergysources.Thosefivewillbe:solarenergy,windenergy,waveenergy,fusionandnuclearenergy.Datahasbeencollectedfrommanydifferentsourcesthatincludejournals,newspapers,magazines,booksandtheinternet.Thestudywillshowbackgroundinformationaboutwhythereisademandforanalternativesourceofenergy.Thestudywillalsoshowbackgroundinformationandtheprosandconsofallfiverenewableenergysources.Inconclusionofthisstudy,theresearcherwillformanopiniononwhichrenewableenergysourcewouldbethebestoption.

164 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 23 Jemin Patel (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Ecologically friendly fuel, Bio-diesel

Thepurposeofthisprojectistostudyarenewableenergysource,Bio-diesel,whichwillreducetheUnitedStatesrelianceonoilderivedfromfossilfuels.Thestudywillreviewavailabilityandeconomicfeasibilityofbio-massfuels.Thisincludesthepresent


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stateofthetechnologyandpossiblefuturedevelopment.Bio-dieseliscomposedofagriculturalresources,whichcanbeproduceddomestically.Asaresult,itwilldecreasethedemandfordiesel,madefrompetroleum,andwewouldbeabletorenewitthroughthecarboncycleprocess.Thedatawillbegatheredthoughvariousresourcessuchascompanieswhohavebegunproductionofbio-diesel,companiesthatareusingit,andNationalBio-dieselBoard.Theconclusionwilldisplaythefeasibilityofusingbio-dieselasasubstituteforfossilfuels.Bydoingso,itwillintensifytheUnitedState’sfutureinterestinthissector.

165 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 24 Matt Siebecker (Om Parkash), Department of Environmental Studies, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Phytoremediation Potential of Crambe Plant (Crambe Abyssinica) for Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils

Heavymetalandmetalloidpollutioniswidespread,andaffectsthehealthofmillionsofpeopleworldwide.Phytoremediation,aplantbasedtechnology,istheuseofgreenplantstoremediatecontaminatedsoils,sediments,andwater,andoffersanenvironmentalfriendly,costeffectivealternativetothephysicalremediationmethods.Ouraimistoidentifyorengineernon-food,fast-growing,high-biomassplantsinordertoavoidaccidentalexposureofpollutiontohumanandanimals.Crambeabyssinica,amemberofBrassicaseaefamily,isanon-foodplantthatmettherequirementstobeeffectivelyusedforphytoremediation.InthisprojectweexploredthephytoremediationpotentialofCrambeforheavymetalsandmetalloids.Throughthreeseparatemethods,Crambewastestedforitsuptakeoftoxicheavymetalsandmetalloids.ThefirstmethodinvolvedCrambegrownhydroponicallyinsolutionsspikedseparatelywithninedifferentheavymetals,including:AsIII,AsV,CrIII,CrVI,Hg,Pb,Zn,Ni,andCd;thismethodwasemployedtodeterminetheamountofmetalCrambecanuptakefromaliquidsolution.ThesecondmethodinvolvestheidentificationofinducedproteinsinCrambefromheavymetalsthroughgelelectrophoresistodeterminepossiblefuturegeneticenhancementsforincreaseduptakeefficiencyandefficacy.Todeterminetheappropriateamountofcontaminantsforresistanceandtoinduceproteins,akillcurveassaywasdesignedfortheninedifferentmetals.ThefinalmethodwasdesignedtodetermineCrambe’sabilitytouptakemetalsfromanactualsoilmatrix;CrambewasgrowninnaturallycontaminatedsedimentfromtheRiceCityPondattheBlackstoneRivernearWorcester,Massachusetts.ResultsfromthekillcurveassayandmethodoneindicatethatCrambecantoleraterelativelyhighconcentrationofthesemetalsexceptNi,whereplantsshowedseveretoxicitysymptoms.WeareintheprocessofanalyzingthetotalmetalcontentsbyICP-OES,andinducedproteinsinplantstissues.Theseresultsandconclusionswillbepresentedattheconference.

166 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 16 Carlos Szembek (Frank Colby), Department of Environmental Studies, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Determination of Stratiform Cloud Formation and its Effect upon Glacial Ablation at Linnébreen, Svalbard (Norway) for the 2005 Summer

Forfourweeksinthesummerof2005,meteorologicalandinsolationdatawascollectedatthehigh-arcticglacierLinnébreeninSvalbard,NorwayaspartofanNSFfundedREU(ResearchExperienceforUndergraduates)program.Thefirstportionofthisprojectinvolvesmodelingtheatmosphericcirculationoverseveralnesteddomains;thesedomainsarescaledfromthewesternAtlanticArcticregiondowntothe1km-scaleresolvingtheglacialmeltwaterbasinusingthePolarFifthGenerationMesoscaleModel(MM5).Modelcaseswereselectedbasedupondatesprecedingsignificantglacialablationevents.Thesecondcomponentofthisresearchfocusesuponcorrelatingglacialablationdatawiththemeteorologicalobservations.OfinterestaretheincreasesinglacialablationoccurringafterthethirdofAugustwhenthetemperaturerecordedontheglacierreflectsasteadydecrease.ThistimeperiodcoincideswithanincreaseinadvectedmoisturefromtheAtlantic.Duetothehighrelativehumidityassociatedwithfog,ablationmayincreaseduringprolongedfogevents.WiththeassistanceoftheMM5itispossibletosimulatetheseoccurrences,whichrevealpersistentandextensivemoistureflowthroughtheKappLinnéregion.Questionsremainregardingtheclimate-forcingrole


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associatedwithdecreasedsea-ice,decreasedalbedoandincreasedcloudformation.Currentlyitispoorlyunderstoodhowthesefactorsaffectradiativetransferbetweentheoceanandatmosphereaswellasoutintospace.TheintentofthisstudyistoclarifytheformationandorganizationofArcticstratiformcloudssincetheymaybeacriticalforcingmechanisminawarmingPolarBasin.

167 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 25 Nicholas Van Minnen (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Building “Green”

HonorsSeminarSpring2006Professors:SalisburyandBrennerBuilding“Green”Afiniteworldwithfiniteenergyresourcesrequiresaprofoundlydifferentwayofusingenergyinthewaybuildingsareconstructed,andalsohowtheyutilizeenergy.BuildingsconsumeonethirdofUStotalenergyconsumption.Theyarestationaryandarethereforemorereadilyamenabletoalternativeenergyschemes.Thisprojectwillconsiderthewaybuildingscanbeconstructedwithregardstosustainabilityandenvironmentalimpact.USCensusdocuments,Worldwatch,greenbuildingswebsites,andUNsiteswillbestudied.Thestudywillreviewthemosteffectivewaytomakebuildings“green”,andtheneedforgovernmenttotakealeadingroll.NicholasvanMinnen

168 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 20 Elva Vasquez (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

How Waste and the Sun Can Save Us from Energy Shortages

Inthepastfewyearsenergyproblemshavebeenincreasinginmanydifferentwayssuchashigheroilprices,expensiveenergybills,etc.Eventhoughthecatastrophicresultshavenotbeenseenyet,theshortageofenergyiscoming.Tolessenthedevastatingeffectofthefutureshortageitwillbenecessarytoutilizesomeoftherenewableenergyresourcesthattheworldhas.Thisstudywilltrytoexplaintheuseofmethaneandsolarenergysystemsastwoalternativerenewablesourcesofenergyusingsomerecentlystudiesandalsosomeinterviewswithpeoplewhouseoneoranothersystem.Methaneistheresultofdegradationoforganicmaterial,anditcanbetransformedtousableenergy.Solarenergysystemsarebecomingapreferredalternativesourceofenergy.Thisstudywillprovideaguidelinetotheaveragepersontounderstandhow,whereandinwhatcasestheycanusethesealternatives.

169 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 22 Jared Wessel (Sarmad Saman), Department of Environmental Studies, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Wellesley Hills, MA, 02181

A Toxicology Study Of Selected Sites Of Lake Waban

Aquaticsedimentsharborcomplexecosystemsthatdiffergreatlyinbiochemistryresultingininteractionsbetweenmicrobialandchemicaltoxinsinsuchenvironments.Somebacteriacanalsobeeffectiveinbiodegradationoforganiccontaminantsinaquaticsediments;however,othersmayleadtoincreasedtoxicitythatwillreducetrophiclevelsandkillsomeorganisms.ThisresearchevaluatedthetoxicityofsedimentscollectedfromLakeWabantodeterminebioaccumulationofcontaminantsandtheireffectsonmicrobiallifethere.Thisaquaticecotoxicologyalsostudiedtheeffectofindustrialdepositsofaknownpaintplantthatwasclosetothelake.Theworkwasconductedwithemphasisonthetoxiceffectsoforganictoxinsandtheirinteractiverolewithbacterialtoxinssuchasthoseproducedbybacteriathatcansurviveinsuchenvironments.Theotheraspectofthisworkwastotrytodeterminetheroleofecologicalprocessesandmechanismsforthesignificanceofthesepollutantsandtheireffectsonthemicrobiallife.


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Usinganalyticalchemistrytechniquestodetectlevelsofsomeelementsandheavymetalsinadditiontolevelsofmercury,cyanideandorganictoxinsplusthoseprotein-andnon-protein-basedorganictoxinswerealsodetermined.DNAextractionwasusedtodeterminetheeffectofsuchpollutantsonmutationontheisolatedbacteriawhichweremostlyBacillussp&Klebsiellasp.Furtherworkistocontinuetodeterminethegeneticeffectsofsuchtoxinsinaquaticenvironment.

Geological Science

170 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 27 Michael Lavigne Jr. (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Earth’s Evolving Carbon Cycles and the Future

ThisprojectwillexploretheEarth’scarboncyclesystemsandtherelationshiptheyhavewithglobalclimatechange.Thisstudywillexaminethehistoric,current,andfutureprocessesofcarboncyclesaswellastheirinteractionswiththeEarth’ssensitiveecosystems.Themanyproposedideasofartificialandunnaturalcarboncyclesystemswillbeexaminedtodefinetheirpurposeasameanstoslowglobalclimatechangeaswellasexposetheirviability.SourcematerielforthisstudywillcomefromtheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangeandtheirscientificaffiliates.TheWoodsHoleOceanographicInstituteaswellastheHadleyCentreinGreatBritainwillbesourcedforvaluablescientificdata.OthergovernmentalscientificorganizationssuchastheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationoftheU.S.DepartmentofCommercewillbeusedasasourceforinformation.Thisstudyshowscurrentcarbondioxideandothergreenhousegaseslevelsandmakespredictionsaboutfuturelevels.Thestudyalsoshowswhatprogressisbeingmadetohelpcontrolglobalclimatechange.

Geology

171 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 28 Luke Trusel (Julie Brigham-Grette), Department of Geology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Fjord Sedimentation Associated with a Submarine Meltwater Jet and Plume Discharging from Kronebreen Glacier, Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norway

Kronebreenisafastflowing(e.g.Hagen,2003),butactivelyretreating,tidewaterglacier(figure1)thatterminatesattheheadofKongsfjordeninWesternSvalbard,Norway.Currently,onemainsubglacialmeltwaterconduitmarkedbyterminusembaymentforcefullyreleasesfreshwaterintothefjordattheicecliff.Basalmeltwateranddebris,evidentfromveryhighsuspendedsedimentconcentrationsofupto0.22gL-1(meanconc.at=10mdepth=0.1gL-1)rapidlyexittheglacier,formingadensity-controlledturbidupwellingfromthegroundinglineatabout60mdepth.Sediment,ascoarseasfinesand,isactivelytransportedtothefjordsurfaceandthenquicklyfallsoutofsuspension.Siltandclay,however,spreadlaterallyabovethepycnoclineat10-12mdepthandistransporteddown-fjord(figure2).Atabout240mfromtheicecliffandnearthemeltwaterupwelling,theminimummeasuredsedimentmassaccumulationrateis39.62±0.01gcm-2a-1(0.66gcm-2d-1;5.0mmd-1verticaldryaccumulationrate),andtheratedecreaseswithdistancefromtheicecliff.Gravitycorestakenatdistances630mand970mfromthecalvingmarginindicateturbiditycurrentactivitybeyondthemodernmorainalbankandadjacentsubaqueousgrounding-linefan;thebaseofeachturbiditeismarkedbyanincreaseinmeangrainsizecoincidentwithanincreasedmagneticsusceptibility.OurresearchinJuly2005waspart


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oftheSvalbardREU(ResearchExperienceforUndergraduates)programandfocusedontworetreatingglaciersintheinnerbasinofKongsfjorden.TheglaciersofSvalbardareofcurrentinterestbecausetheyliealongaclimatologicalspectrumbetweenfullycold-basedglacierssuchasthoseinAntarcticatoday,andwarm-basedglacierssuchasthoseinsoutheasternAlaska(e.g.Cumpstonetal.,2006).Additionally,becauseofpolaramplificationintheclimatesystem(Overpecketal.,1997;CAPEProjectmembers,inpress),studiesofregionalchangeexpressedinglacialprocessesthroughouttheArcticregionareofinterestforunderstandingtheheterogeneousimpactsofcontemporarychange.Samplingmethodsusedinclude:suspendedsedimenttrapping,gravityandboxcoring,CTDandopticalbackscatterprofiling,watersampling,icebergsampling,andsub-bottomprofilingequipment.DataanalysisandlaboratoryresearchwasconductedduringthepastacademicyearintheHartshornQuaternaryLaboratoryatUMassAmherst.Researchmethodshaveincludedhigh-resolutionCoulterLS200particlesizeanalysis,corelogging,x-radiography,computerimageanalysis,GISandbathymetricmapping,magneticsusceptibilitymeasurements,determiningsedimentconcentrationsfromfilteredwatersamples,microfaunalanalyses,andassessingtheaffectoftidalcyclesonsuspendedsedimentrelease.Basedoncomparativeaerialphotography,themainsubglacialmeltwaterconduitisnowrelocatedapproximately500mnorthalongtheiceclifffromits1990position.Furthermore,thepresenticecliffmaybepinnedontheformergrounding-linefanformedattheformermeltwateroutlet(figure1).Theextentofterminusretreatvariesalongtheterminus,butwhereupwellingoccurstoday,retreatislargestatabout270m(figure1).Sedimenttrapsweremooredatthreedepthsinthewatercolumntospecificallycapturetheactivityofthemeltplume.Eachmooringconsistedoffourindividualcylindricaltraps,designedwithalength/diameterratioof7/1basedonthespecificationsofZajaczkowski(2002).Onesedimenttrapmooring,within240moftheicemargin(trapdepthsat10m,20m,and45m),yieldedthehighestsedimentationrates(14.3mmd-1)andthecoarsestmeanparticlediameter(173µm)asmeasuredintheuppertwotraps;bothsedimentationrateandparticlesizedecreasedwithdepth.Thetrapclearlycapturedthemainturbidoverflow,confirmingdatafromfilteredwatercolumnsamplesandCTDcasts.Thedatashowsedimentascoarseasmediumsandisturbulentlytransportedtothesurfaceandcarriedbyoverflowforatleast240mintothefjord.Thesecoarseparticleswerestillbeingtransportedbeyondthislocationbecausetheyarenotpresentinthebottommooring.However,by470mawayfromtheupwelling,meanparticlesizewasonlyveryfinesandat20and30mdepths,andsiltat55m,meaningtheseparticlesrapidlyfalloutofsuspensionbetween240and470mdistance.Minimumannualsedimentaccumulationrateswerecalculatedusingameltseasonof60days(cf.Hodsonetal.,1998),assumingthatistheperiodwhenmostsedimentisdischargedtothefjord.Atabout240mfromtheglacierterminusthisamountedto39.62±0.01gcm-2a-1(0.66gcm-2d-1),andat470mdistancetheratedecreasedto5.95±0.01gcm-2a-1(0.01gcm-2d-1).Incomparison,inJuly1996thehighestsedimentationratesweremeasuredtobe0.0933gcm-2d-1inatrapat15mdepthand300mfromtheKongsbreenicecliff(Zajaczkowski,2002).Althoughthisisadifferingglacier,itgivesareasonableestimateofmeltwater-derivedsedimentationfromanadjacentlargetidewaterglacierininnerKongsfjorden.Todayhowever,obtainingsedimentationratesfromKongsbreenisunfeasibleduetoglacialretreatandnearbyhighsedimentinputassociatedwithterrestrial-basedstreamrunoff.Ourhighestmeasuredmassaccumulationratewas1.91gcm-2d-1;abouttwoordersofmagnitudehigherthanthosemeasurednearKongsbreenin1996.Usinganaverageofourmostconservativenumbersatthistrapandoneat470mfromtheupwelling,weobtainasedimentmassaccumulationrateof0.38gcm-2d-1,stillyieldinga300%highersedimentationrateinthelast9years.Althoughtherearelikelyseveralcontributingfactors,suchhighratesmaybeenhancedfromreceivingahorizontallyconcentratedmeltwaterplumefromtheicefaceembayment.CAPEProjectMembers,inpress,LastInterglacialArcticWarmthConfirmsPolarAmplificationofClimateChange,QuaternaryScienceReviews.Cumpston,R.M.,Trusel,L.D.,Brigham-Grette,J.,Powell,R.D.,2006,Ice-MarginalDeltaFormationandSedimentaryProcessesofKongsvegenGlacierinKongsfjorden,Svalbard,Norway,36thAnnualArcticWorkshopAbstracts.Hodson,A;Gurnell,A;Tranter,M;Bogen,J;OveH,J;Clark,M,1998,SuspendedsedimentyieldandtransferprocessesinasmallHigh-Arcticglacierbasin,Svalbard.HydrologicalProcesses,12:p.73-86.Overpeck,J.,etal.,1997,Arcticenvironmentalchangeofthelastfourcenturies.Science,278:p.1251-1256.Zajaczkowski,M.,2002,Ontheuseofsedimenttrapsinsedimentationmeasurementsinglaciatedfjords.PolishPolarResearch,23:p.161-174.


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History

172 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 43 Naeem Ahmed (Luke Salisbury), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Prison Codes and Guard Conduct at the Charlestown Prison

Lawsandjudicialcodesarethepillarsuponwhichanysocietyisfounded.Thisprojectexplainstheextentsocietyfollowsitsowncodeswhendealingwithitsdeviantpopulations.ThestudyfocusesonthisaspectofsocietalbehaviorbylookingintotheMassachusettsprisoncodesforthelate1830sandearlytomid1840s.Researchwasconductedbystudyingtheprisoncodesofconductincontexttothesocialhistoryandthepoliticalcultureofthetime.Preliminaryresultsrevealariftbetweenthecode’simpartialityandimplementation.Thecodeofconductoftheprisonguardsiswherethemoststrikingcontrastbetweenthelawsandactionisfound,especiallyinregardtominoritygroups.

173 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 47 Stewart Bishop (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Unlawful and Hideous Men

TheoldMassachusettsStatePrisonatCharlestowncontainedsomenotoriousinmates.Thisprojectwilllookathowtheyandcrimeasawholewereportrayedinthemediaduringandprecedingtheirstaysattheprison.InfamouscharacterssuchasTheodoreGreen,JessePomeroy,andRaymondL.S.Patriarcaareexaminedwiththeircrimesandsubsequentincarcerationinthecontextofthemediaandsocietyatthetime.TheprojectwillutilizerecordsfromtheBostonPublicLibrary,theMassachusettsStateArchives,newspapers,andvariousonlineresources.Itwillrevealawidearrayofmediatreatmenttowardscriminalsandpunishment.Thisprojectemphasizestheconsiderablegapbetweenmediacoverage,andexploreswhysomecriminalswereromanticizedandothersdemonized.

174 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board canceled


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175 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 40 John Davis (Luke Salisbury), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Life, Death (and everything in between) - Medical facilities and staff of Massachusetts State Prison at Charlestown

MedicalcareprovidedtotheprisonerpopulationattheMassachusettsStatePrisonatCharlestownwasverydifferenttothemedicalcareprovidedtothegeneralpopulationoutsidetheprison.Thisprojectportraystheday-to-dayoperationsofthemedicalfacilityaswellasthelevelsofpatientcareprovided.Theprojectdetailschallengesfacedbythestaffnotonlyindealingwiththeprisoners,butalsodealingwiththepoliticsofthetime,whileprovidinginsightastowhosomeofthepeoplewerethatprovidedtheseservices.Thisprojectemploysextensiveresearchandanalysisoftheprisonssurvivingdocuments,newspaperarticles(bothlocalandnational),alongwithacademicwritingsonprisonhealthcareandconditionsattheCharlestownfacility.ThisprojectprovesthatthemedicalconditionsattheCharlestownfacilitycouldhavebeenimprovedandifsocouldpossiblyhavesavedthestateofMassachusettsconsiderablerevenue.

176 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 41 Ashley S Ross Delane Rozario Veronica m rodriguez Jeanmarie Gaudiello (Ellen Olmstead), Department of English, Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA, 02720

Ethnic Cooking and Curing: Tradition and Transformation

ThisprojectexploresethniccuisinesandremedieshandeddownintheAfricanAmerican,CapeVerdean,LatinocommunitiesofSoutheasternMassachusetts.The“recipes”forthedishesappearinlocalnewspapers,self-publishedandlocalorganization-publishedcookbooks,andoralhistoriestypedandstoredinlocalarchives,aswellasontheinternet.The”remedies”forthemostparthavenotbeenprinted,butrather,passedonorally.Someofthewaysthatfoodsand“folkrememdies”havechangedreflecttheforcesofassimilationandculturalfusion,aswellastheincreaseingeneralmedicalknowledgeandthegreateravailabilityoftechonologicalresources.Inaddition,someofthetraditionalwayshavebeenlostduetolackofinterestorunavailabilityofspecficingredients.

177 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 48 Silvia Herrera (Luke Salisbury), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Yesterday and Today - Comparison of Crime and Punishment

CrimeshaveexistedintheUnitedStatessincethearrivalofPuritanstothenewworld.Thisprojectwillbebasedonthechangingdefinitionsofcrimefromthe1800’s.Therewillalsobediscussionofpunishmentsthatwereassignedtothecrimescommitted-researchingcrimesfromthe19thcenturyandthecrimesofpresentdayAmerica.TheprojectwilluseresourcesoftheMassachusettsStateArchivesandtheBostonPublicLibrary.CrimeshaveexistedinMassachusettssincethearrivalofPuritans.Thisprojectexaminesthechangingdefinitionsofcrimefromthe1800’stothepresent.ThisstudywilldiscusspunishmentsthatwereassignedtocrimescommittedinthepastandcomparethistocorrelationofcrimetopunishmentinpresentdayAmerica.TheprojectwilluseresourcesoftheMassachusettsStateArchivesandtheBostonPublicLibrarytodrawconclusionsaboutcrimeandpunishmentinthelasttwocenturiesattheCharlestownStatePrison.


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178 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 42 Fatima Kouskous (Michael McSweeney), Department of History, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Oil, Iran, and World War II

ThisprojectconsidersthehistorythatoilresourcesplayedintheinteractionsbetweentheAlliedandMiddleEasterncountriesduringWorldWarII.Inparticularly,theprojectwillfocusontheoilresourcesofIranandthepossibleavailabilityoftheseresourcestoGermanyandItaly.Theinteractionsofthesetwocountries,theAlliedcountriesandselectedoilproducingcountrieswillbeanalyzedhistoricallyandalsorelatedtocurrentworldinteractions.

179 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 49 Shawn Lynch (Luke Salisbury), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Sacco and Venzetti

ThisprojectwillexploretheroleofthecourtsysteminmaintainingstandardsofaccountabilityforpoliceproceduresintheSaccoandVenzetticase.ResearchwasdrawnfromthevastselectionofmaterialavailableattheBostonpublicLibrary,BunkerHillCommunityCollegelibrary,andonthemanyinternetsiresdevotedtoSaccoandVenzetti.Theprojectfocusedonthelegalproceduresofthetrials,consideringboththeconventionalwisdom,andtheperspectivesthatchallengetheverdict.Theprojectrevelsthecontinuingneedofstandardofaccountabilityforpoliceprocedure,andthepotentialforinjusticeinsocietywhenthecourtsfailtoperformthisfunction.

180 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 37 Diane Morgan (Elaine Storella), Department of History, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Elizabeth Blackwell and Florence Nightingale’s Impact on Science and Medicine

ElizabethBlackwellandFlorenceNightingalewerepioneersinthemedicalfieldduringthe19thcenturyintheVictorianera.ThepurposeoftheresearchonBlackwellandNightingalewastocomparethesimillaritiesanddifferencesbetweenthesetwoextraordinarywomenandhowtheybothaccomplishedtheirrevolutionarycontributionsinmedicine.TheresearchwasanIndependentStudytoearnadegreeinhistoryandsecondaryeducation.ResearchwasconductedattheBostonPublicLibraryandWellesleyCollege.Theprinciplefindingsonthesetworemarkablewomenwasthefactthattheybothbelievedina“spiritualcalling”fromGodtoaccomplishtheirgoalsinthemedicalfield.Thespiritualcallingwasevidencedthroughautobiographies,biographies,diaries,journals,publishedletters,correspondence,andarchivalwebsitestoviewactualhandwritingofFlorenceNightingale,actualnewspaperarticlesandmedicaljournalsonElizabethBlackwell.Thesimilaritiesofbothwomenwereimpressive;forexample:theireducationalbackground,determinationtohelphumanity,spirituality,andmoralconvictions.Becauseoftheirspiritualconviction,BlackwellbecamethefirstwomandoctorintheUnitedStates,andNightingaleprofessionalizednursinginEngland.Also,bothestablishedcolleges.In1860,theNightingaleSchoolofNursingCollegeopenedinEngland.In1868,theWoman’sMedicalCollegeoftheNewYorkInfirmaryofficiallyopenedinNewYorkCity.Theybelievedthattherevolutionarycontributionstothemedicalandnursingprofessionwereinspiredbytheirspiritualcalling.Bothhadalife-longfriendship,dedicatedtheirlivestohumanity,anddiedattheageof90yearsold.Theirmissioninlifepavedthewayforwomentopursuearespectablecareerasadoctororacertifiednurseandchangedthemedicalfieldforever.


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181 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 44 Chizoba Ngesina (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Nigeria’s People and its Oil

NigeriaisAfrica’smostpopulatedcountry(about130millionpeople)andthecontinent’slargestoilexporter.ThisprojectwillprovideanoverviewofthehistoryofoilinNigeria.Itwillinvestigatehowthedomesticoilcriseshasaffectedtheeconomyandgeneralwellbeingofitspeople.Inforamtionwillbegatheredfromacademicwebsitesandarchives.Thisstudywillshowhow(being)anoilproducingcountrycanaffecttheoverallinfrastructureofthenation,andpredictthefutureofNigeria’senergysources.

182 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 50 Viola Ramphaul (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

The Evolving Oil Industry in South Africa

ThisprojectwillbeacriticalanalysisoftheSouthAfricanoilindustry.Historyofoil,oilsources,consumptionofoil,effectofoilonpoliticsandtheenvironmentwillbeconsidered.Datahasbeencollectedfromarchives,interviews,newspapers,publishedreportsandreliableinternetresources.ThisstudyexaminesthehistoryandfutureofSouthAfricanoilindustries.

183 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 36 Colin Richardson (Christian Appy), Department of History, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Revolution and Political Radicalism in America: The Black Panther Party and the Weather Underground Organization in the 1960s and 1970s

RevolutionaryattitudesandradicalpoliticsasareactiontodomesticracismandthewarinVietnamweremajorpartsoftheAmericanlandscapeinthelate1960sandearly1970s.TheWeatherUndergroundOrganizationandtheBlackPantherPartybothclaimedtowantacommunistrevolutionwithintheUnitedStatesandespousedsimilarradicalpolitics,yetthetwogroupswentaboutitindiametricallyoppositeways.TheWUOwentundergroundandengagedinacampaignofclandestinebombingsofpoliticallysymbolictargets,whiletheBPPcreatedpopulistsurvivalprogramsforpoorAfrican-AmericansinpredominantlyAfrican-Americanneighborhoods.Theuseofprimarysources,suchasinterviewsandmemoirs,allowtheactualthoughtsandfeelingsofself-titledrevolutionariesandradicalstobeclearlypresented.Secondarysources,suchasarchivednewspapersandbooksbyhistorians,helpgiveabroaderandmorecompletecontexttotheresearch.ResearchingthroughthesechannelsrevealsthattheWUO’ssecretiveandsmall-scaleoperationslimitedthemtolittlemorethanmoralinspirationfortheNewLeft,butitkeptthemhiddenfromthegovernmentallawenforcementthatsoughttoapprehendthem.TheBPP’spopulismandopennessmadethemamoreeffective—certainlyamorevisible—edificeofresistance,butitwasthissamepopulismandopennessthatledtotheirdestructionatthehandsoftheAmericangovernment.Understandingradicalpoliticsandthephilosophyandmeansofrevolutioncanillustratethemosteffectivewaystocreatesocietalchangeduringtimesofpoliticalrepressionandsocialupheaval.

184 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 45 Stephen Rose (Luke Salisbury), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129


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Prisonment and Its Effects

Thisresearchprojectaddressestheissueofimprisonmentanditseffectontheindividualprisoner.ThiswasfocusedonanexaminationofthelifeofBobbyBarons,who,asayoungmanwasimprisonedattheCharlestownpenitentiaryfortwentyyears.AnaccountofMr.Barros’lifeandtheeffectprisonhadonitwasprovidedbyhisson.Emphasisisputonlivingconditionsofprisonerstoestablishwhatday-to-daylifemayhavebeenlikeattheCharlestownprison.AdditionalinformationwasgatheredthroughphotographsbelongingtoMr.Barrros’son,aswellasnewspaperarticlesandletterswrittenbyMr.Barrosandhiscontemporaries.Theprojectshowshowoneman’sexperiencewithimprisonmentaffect3dtherestofhislife.

185 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 38 Erin Rydgren (Alexandros Kyrou), Department of History, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Christina of Sweden: Genuine Catholic or Attention-Seeking Drama Queen?

ThefocusofthisprojectisChristinaWasa,QueenofSwedenfrom1632-1654,theonlyfemaleheadofstateinthatcountrytobeofficiallyrecognizedasking,andahistoricalfigureofinterest,inpart,becauseofthecircumstancesofherabdicationafteranofficialreignofonlytenyearsin1654,andherimmediateconversionfromthestatereligionofLutheranismtoCatholicism.Washerconversionagenuineactoffaithorwasitmerelyafarcetogainmoreattentionandrenown,whileprovidingherwithanopportunitytoleavethenationthatshedetested?RelyingonsuchprimarysourcesasthelettersandwritingsofChristinaherself,andsecondarysourcesincludingseveralacclaimedbiographiesofChristina,thisinvestigationseekstogainanunderstandingofthetrueintentionsofherconversionandofwhetherherfaithinCatholicismwasgenuine.

186 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 46 Roza Tesfaye (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

An Electric Chair in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Usedin65executions,theelectricchairintheCharlestownstatePrisonhasterrorizedsuspectsandpunishedtheguiltyforclosetohalfacentury.Yet.des[otethefrequencyofuseitremainsoneoftheleasttalkedaboutaspectsoftheprison.Thisprojectexaminesthelifeandtimesoftheelectricchair,startingwithitsintroductionin1901andendingwithitsdeparturein1950.TheprojectwillinvertigatehowtheuseoftheelectricchairreflectssocialtrendsinAmericansociety.Researchusednewspaperaccounts,publicrecordsandpersonalaccountofprisonersandprisonofficials.Theprojectwilldiscusstheconditionsthatnecesssitatedtheintroductionoftheelectricchairandlatermadeitsdepartureinevitable.

Kinesiology

187 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 25 Alexander Austin (Priscilla Clarkson), Department of Kinesiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

AKT and Muscle Atrophy


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Whenthebodyisatrest,thebodytriestomaintainhomeostasis,orabalance,bycarefullyregulatingboththeatrophyandsynthesisofskeletalmuscle.TheAKTpathwayinskeletalmuscleisresponsibleforcoordinatingthisbalance.AKTisaserine/threonineproteinkinasethatactsasthecentralregulatoryproteinthatcoordinatesthesignalingofdownstreammoleculesthatwillleadtoeitheratrophyorhypertrophyofmuscletissue.ThepurposeofthisresearchistoidentifyhowcomponentsoftheAKTpathwayareaffectedinresponsetospinalcordinjury(SCI).TotestthehypothesisthatdecreasedactivationoftheAKTpathwayaccompaniesSCI,musclesamplesfromsettimeintervalsfollowingspinalcordinjurieswillbeanalyzedfrompatientswhoexperiencedtheseinjuries.ImmunohistochemistrywithantibodiesspecificforAKTpathwaycomponentswillbeusedtolocatespecificstructuresinthemusclesamplesandalsotohelpdifferentiatebetweenthevaryinglevelsofAKTactivity.WhenAKTisinactivated,thisallowsfortheexpressionofatroginandotheratrophyrelatedgenes.

188 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 24 Ada Begilman (Priscilla Clarkson), Department of Kinesiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with body fat and energy expenditure

AdaBegilmanAbstractSinglenucleotidepolymorphismsassociatedwithbodyfatandenergyexpenditureObesityisaseriousproblemintheUnitedStates,andmaysoonbealeadingcauseofmortality.Inrecentyears,themolecularapproachtoobesityhasexpandedthecausesandthemechanismsofthedisease.ThepurposeofthepresentstudyistoinvestigateIL-6C174Gsinglenucleotidepolymorphism(SNP),andtodetermineanassociationbetweenelevatedfatmassandlowenergyexpenditureinwild-type(CC)group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)isexpressedinmanytissuesincluding:adipose,skeletalmuscle,andhypothalamus.Allofthesetissuesareinvolvedinregulationofenergybalance.Theallelefrequenciesarenotequallydistributedinthepopulation,andthefrequenciesareasfollows:homozygouswildtype(CC)26%,heterozygous(CG)44%,andhomozygousnormal(GG)36%.Isuspectthatsubjectswhopossessthewild-type(CC)willhavegreaterbodymasscompositionandlowenergyexpenditure.170volunteers18-40yearsoldingoodhealth,andwhohavenotliftedweightsintheprevious6monthswillberecruitedforthestudy.ThesubjectswillfilloutInternationalPhysicalActivityQuestionnaire(IPAQ)togetanestimateofenergyexpenditure.AnthropometricmeasuresandDualEnergyX-RayAbsorptiometrywillbeconductedtomeasurebodycomposition.IL-6C174GSNP,willbedeterminedwithablooddraw.Theexpectedresultsare:subjectswhopossessthewild-type(CC)willhavehighfatmassandlowenergyexpenditure,andsubjectswhoposseshomozygous(GG)orheterozygous(CG)willhavelowtonormalfatmassandhighenergyexpenditure.Inconclusion,ifthereisanassociationbetween–C174GSNPitwillincreaseunderstandingofobesity,allowtotargetindividualswhoarepredisposedtothediseaseaheadoftime,andmoreresearchisneeded.

189 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 26 Catherine Gariepy (Gary Kamen), Department of Kinesiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Effect of Training on the Bilateral Deficit in Novice Rowers

Abilateraldeficit(BLD)isobservedwhenthesumoftheforcesproducedindependentlybybothlegsisgreaterthantheforceproducedbybothlegs.ThepurposeofthisstudywastomeasuretheBLDinnovicerowerstoseeiftherewasadecreaseobservedasthetrainingincreasedandastheywereapproachingtheirracingseason.Bothnovicerowersandthecontrolgroupwereaskedtovisitthelabfourtimes(eachvisitseparatedby7weeks)toperformthreeisometriccontractionswiththeirleftleg,threewiththeirrightlegandthreewithbothlegssimultaneously.Theirforcewasmeasuredbyforcetransducersandtheirrightvastuslateralis’EMGactivitywasrecordedusinganelectrode.WeexpecttoseeareductionintheBLDsinceeliterowersareknowntohavenoBLDbutinstead,abilateralfacilitation.AninsightontheeffectoftrainingontheBLDcouldproviderowingcoachesastrongbasisaroundwhichtheycoulddeveloptheirweightliftingandtrainingprograms.


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190 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 27 Jeffrey Sautter (Barry Braun), Department of Kinesiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Effects of Meal Timing Surrounding a Bout of Exercise on the Adipoinsular Axis

Introduction:Theadipoinsularaxisdescribestheinteractionsbetweeninsulinandleptin.Datafromtheliteraturesuggestthatleptinconcentrationmediatesthesensitivityofperipheraltissuestoinsulin.Thisstudywasdesignedtoinvestigatewhetherleptinconcentrationsstronglycorrelatedwithinsulinsensitivityafteralteringmealtimingafteraboutofexercise.Methods:Insulinsensitivitywasexperimentallymanipulatedwithasingleboutofexercise“bracketed”bymealsdesignedtoaccentuateorblunttheindependenteffectofexercise.Ninevolunteersparticipatedineachoffourtrialsofmealtimingandexercise:(1)a“control”trialinwhichnoexercisewasperformed(CON);(2)themealwasconsumedimmediatelybeforetheexercisebout(PRE);(3)themealwasconsumedimmediatelyfollowingtheexercisebout(IMMPOST);and(4)themealwasconsumedthreehoursaftertheexerciseboutwasfinished(3HRPOST).Thefollowingmorning,insulinsensitivity,fastinginsulin,andfastingleptinconcentrationsweremeasuredandcomparedacrosstreatmentsusingANOVA.Linearregressionwasusedtocomparebetweenfastingleptin,andinsulinconcentrationandsensitivity.Results:NosignificantchangesfromCONwerefoundinfastinginsulinorfastingleptin.Asignificantcorrelationwasseenbetweenfastingleptinandfastinginsulinsensitivity(r=.70,p<.05),butnotbetweenfastingleptinandsteadystateinsulinsensitivity.Conclusions:Theredoesappeartobearelationshipbetweenfastingplasmaleptinconcentrationandfastinginsulinsensitivity.Furtherresearchwillleadtoabetterunderstandingoftheroleofleptininmediatinginsulinsensitivity/resistanceinresponsetoexerciseandnutritionalinterventions.

Legal Studies

191 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 51 Katherine Newman (Alan Gaitenby), Department of Legal Studies, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Clean Streets, Dirty Results: An Examination of the Consequences of Gentrification on Heroin Trafficking

AperfectstormisbrewinginHyannis,Massachusettsandtheresultisanexplosionofheroinuseacrossawiderdemographicspectrum,withattendantsocialandeconomiccosts.Thisisnotasimplecausalstory;therearemanycontributoryelementsworkingtogether.ThisprojectseekstosituatethecasestudyofHyannisagainstthebackdropofageneralgentrificationtrendinAmerica.Oneofthattrend’sfirsttargetsisthepublicspacewherepeopleassembleforrecreation,vacation,orotherconsumptivebehaviors.CurrentMassachusettslawcontributestogentrificationinitscitiesandtowns.Impactsincludefranchisedchainsandnewlylandscapedparks.Consequently,localshopsarelessabletocompeteandhavedecreasedinnumber.Asfederalandstatetaxcutshavemeantlessmoneyformunicipalities,there’sbeenascrambletobringingreaterrevenuegeneratingenterprises.Theseupscalebusinesseshavemobilizedthelocaldrugusersandloitererstolocateelsewhereduetofranchizescomplainingtothetown’spoliceregularly.The“loiterers”andbusinessdeterrents,oncemovedbypolicehabitually,settleonparallelstreets.Theretheycanuseanddealheroinsomewhatundisturbed,thereforefosteringherointrafficking.Thisprojecthypothesizesthataprimaryramificationofthetown’schangesandanalteredmunicipalfiscalsituationhasbeenanexplosionofheroinuse.Thisalsoworksinconjunctionwithheroin’scurrentlyincreasedpurityanddecreasedcost.Inthewakeofthesetransformations,thedisplacementofdruguserstosidestreetsandtheouterperipheryoftownoccurred.It’sproposedthatHyannishasastrengthened,undergroundherointraffickingnetworkasaresult,contributingtoheroinbecomingmoreaccessibletoawiderdemographicofusers(includingupperclasses)who,priortothesechanges,wouldnothavepurchaseddrugsonMainStreetandrisktheirsocialstanding.However,currenttechnology,increasedheroinpurityanddemand,andalessvisibledrugmarketmakeiteasierforawiderarrayofsocialactorsto


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purchaseheroin.BydrawingfromtheDEA’srecordedriseinheroinuse,personalexperiences,Barnstabledrugtaskforceinterviews,theoreticalscholarshiponcomparablesubjectmatter(e.g.NewYorkCity’sBrokenWindowsTheory),andarchivalresearch,thistheory’sstrengthened.Itisaperfectstormofwithdrawingfiscalfunds,businessturnover,newlyenforcedpolicing,andbetterplacestodealresultingfromrelocatingthatarecontributingtoheroinuse.Thisdemandsagreatdealofattentionbecauseit’sbecomerapidlyrelevanttocitiesacrossAmerica.

Literature

192 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 53 Mahwish Hashmi (Patricia Collela), Department of English, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Contemporary Fiction by Writers from the South-Asian Diaspora

Creativewritingspringsfrombothanauthor’spersonalexperiencesandimagination.ThisstudyexamineshowtheimmigrantexperienceinrecenttimeshasaffectedcertainwriterswhoareapartoftheSouth-Asiancommunity.Theobjectofthisstudyistoanalyzeselectedworks,suchasshortstoriesandnovels,thatreflectboththeauthors’homecultureandtheiradjustmenttosocietiesotherthantheirown.Thisprojectsurveysthewriters’ownworks,biographies,criticalmaterials,andinformationavailableonInternetsites.Theresultingthesisaimstodemonstratehowtherichnessoftheseaward-winningliteraryworksisaproductofnotonlythewriters’origin,butalsotheirexperiencesinsettlingandadaptingtodiversecultures.

193 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 52 Christina Thomas (Alan Dernalowicz), Department of Literature, Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner, MA, 01440

Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendental Philosophy Continue to Inspire

RalphWaldoEmersonwasaMassachusettsnativeandakeyfigureinagroupofradical,mid-nineteenthcenturythinkersandwritersknownasTranscendentalists.ThisresearchprojectfocusedonRalphWaldoEmerson’slifeandthetranscendentalmovementinliterature.Transcendentalistsbelievedhumanswereessentiallygood,thatalllivingthingsareboundtogether,andthatinsightismorepowerfulthanexperienceasasourceofknowledge.Animportanttranscendentalthemewastheunderstandingofselfandwhatitmeanstobeasuccess.ThisprojectexaminedtheseintellectualcontributionstoAmericanliteratureandthelastinginspirationcreatedbyRalphWaldoEmerson.Theseobjectivesweremetthroughthestudyoflibrarymaterials,textbooks,internetsourcesandasitevisittoConcord,Massachusetts.Transcendentalismcombinedreligion,philosophy,intuition,andethicstoreformnotonlyliteraturebutalsoreligion,educationandthesocialissuesoftheday.WorkssuchasHenryDavidThoreau’sCivilDisobedience,publishedin1849,contributedprinciplesthatwereutilizedinthenon-violentcivilrightprotestsofthe1960’s.Althoughthetranscendentalmovementonlythrivedforashorttimeinhistory,itsliteraryworkscontinuetoinspiretoday.Emerson’spowerfuloptimisticmessagecontinuestomakehisreadersaspiretodomorewiththeirlivesandwiththeirworld.


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Management

194 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 55 Steven Cole (Kwahng Kim), Department of Management, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Offshore Outsourcing: Its Advantages, Disadvantages and Effect on the American Economy

TheUnitedStateshastrainedsomeoftheworld’sbestcomputerprogrammersandtechnologyexperts.Despiteallofthistraining,manybusinessesdonothaveafullunderstandingofinformationtechnology.Astheimportanceoftechnologyinthebusinessworldgrows,manycompaniesarewastingmoneyonextensivetechnologyprojects.Whenproblemsarise,theyexpectthatfurtherinvestmentwillsolvetheseissues.Topreventsuchproblems,manycompanieshavebeguntooutsourcethesefunctionsinanefforttoreducecostsandimproveperformance.Themajorityoftheseoutsourcedinformationtechnologyandcallcenterjobsaregoingtolow-wagecountries,suchasIndiaandChinawhereEnglish-speakingcollegegraduatesarebeinghiredatsubstantiallylowerwages.ThepurposeofthisstudyistoevaluatethepositiveandnegativeaspectsofoffshoreoutsourcingwithafocusontheoutsourcingmarketsinIndiaandChina,arguablythetwomostpopulardestinationsforoutsourcers.Thecostsavingsassociatedwithoffshoreoutsourcingwillbeevaluatedinrelationtothesecurityrisksandotherweaknessofoffshoreoutsourcing.Inaddition,ananalysisofthenumberofjobssentoverseasversusthenumberofjobscreatedintheUnitedStateswillbeusedtoassesstheeffectsthatoutsourcingishavingontheAmericaneconomyandjobmarket..Finally,thevalueofjobslostfromtheAmericaneconomywillbecomparedtothevalueofjobscreated.Thegoaloftheseanalysesistocreateaclearpictureofthisincreasinglypopularbusinessstrategy.

195 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 54 Anthony Nguyen (Theodora Welch), Department of Management, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Managing Creativity

Intoday’sbusinessworld,theabilitytoinnovateisbecomingmoreandmoreofanecessity.Butmoreimportantthantheabilitytoinnovateistheabilitytocreateandtheabilityofmanagementtosuccessfullyfosterandmanagecreativity.Whathasseparatedcompaniessuchas3M,Apple,andGooglefromtheircounterpartsintheirrespectiveindustriesistheirabilitytosuccessfullyutilizecreativityamongtheiremployees.Manycompaniespridethemselvesontheirlonghistoryofcreatingandunderstandtheimportanceofcreativityinallowingthemtoprosperandthrive.Thisprojectwillfocusontheroleofleadershipinmanagingcreativitywithinanorganizationandthetoolsandtheoriesthattheycanutilizeinordertodosoeffectively.Acomponentialmodelofcreativitywillbeusedtoexamineaframeworkforcreativityintheworkplaceinordertoincorporatetheroleofleadersinpromotinganorganizationalstructurethatsupportsthenecessaryinputswithinthemodelofcreativity.TheprojectwillutilizeworkdonebyTeresaAmabileandotherscholarlyauthorswhohaveperformedextensivestudiesonthesubject.Theprojectwillexaminetheusefulnessofcertaininputs,suchasrewardsystems,andtheirimpactoncreativitybasedonbothempiricalandconceptualdataandspecificcasestudiesoncreativecompaniesandleaders.Theendresultwillfocusononeortwospecificinputsintoworkplacecreativitythathavethegreatest,positiveimpactthatmanagerscanuseinordertoeffectivelymanagecreativity.


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Marketing

196 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 56 Caroline Davies (Irene Foster), Department of Merchandising & Textiles, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

A Comparative Study of the Web Atmospherics of Multiple Retail Websites.

Thepurposeofthisstudyistoobserveandcomparethewebatmosphericsandelementsofretailwebsites.Thesampleevaluatedconsistsofbusinessesthatsellapparel,homefurnishings,orgiftwareonline.Fiveofthe“Top400”retailwebsites,asdeterminedbyInternetRetaileronlinemagazine,arecomparedwithwebsitesoffivesmallbusinessesinMassachusetts.Comparisonsaremadebetweenthewebsitesofbusinesseswithcorrespondingtargetmarkets,merchandise,andbrickandclickatmospheres.WebsitesareanalyzedusingaLikertscaletoratenavigability,speed,clarity,customerinteraction,abilitytolocatethesitefromasearchengine,productinformation,layout,abilitytosearchwithinasite,onlineincentives,andsecurity.Thecriterionforratingeachelementwasdevelopedasaresultofthereviewofliterature.Thecomparisonbetweenahighlysuccessfulwebsiteandlesser-knownwebsite,allowsforabetterunderstandingofwhichelementscanbeaddedtoasmallbusinesswebsiteinordertoproducehigherprofitsinthee-retailingmarket.

197 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 57 Kimberly Waynelovich (Louis Zivic), Department of Marketing, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Case Study: Ja’Duke Center for the Performing Arts

ThegoalofthisprojectwastoestablishaonetothreeyearexpansionplanfortheJa’DukeCenterforthePerformingArts(JCPA).JCPAisafamilyownedcorporationestablishedin2004andiscurrentlylookingforwaystoexpandtheircompany.Usingcasestudyresearchandpresentationmethods,variousrecommendationscanbemadeofhowtogoabouttheexpansion.CaseStudymethodbeginsbyresearchingthehistoryofthecorporation,whichthenaidsindevelopingpertinentfactsaboutthebusiness.ThenS.W.O.T.analysisisperformedwhichfocusesonthestrengths,weaknesses,opportunitiesandthreatsofthecompany.Finally,fromthefactsandS.W.O.T.analysisrecommendationsaremadeinordertosolvetheproblemofhowtosuccessfullyexpandthecompanyinaonetothreeyeartimespan.ThiscasestudyfocusesonrecommendationsbasedontheManagementbyObjectivestheorydevelopedbyPeterDrucker.Thismeansthattherecommendationsaremadebasedonspecificgoalsratherthandifferentareasofbusiness.Someofthegoalsinclude:increasingenrollmentatthecenterby20%eachyear,designingandbuildinga8,000squarefootfacility,increasingstaffingby2parttimeemployeesperyear,diversifyingrevenuebyaddingprograms,andfinallyfindingaffordablehealthinsuranceforownersandemployees.

Mathematics & Statistics

198 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 29 Maria Beaudin (Stephen Adams), Department of English, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Women in Mathematics


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Thisprojectasksthequestion:Whatdrawswomentothestudyofmathematics?Iamexploringtheissueofgenderinselectingmathematicsasanareaofconcentrationincollege.Thisprojectwillexaminetheschoolhistory,thepresentschoolexperiences,andtherelectionsofthreewomenwhoheavedecidedtobecomemathematicians.Thisexaminationwillinformusabouttheinfluenceschoolexperiencesandgenderhadontheirdeisiontoenterthefieldofmathematics.IwillbeinterviewingeachofthesewomenthreetimesandthenIwilllookforcommonthemeswithintheinterviewstoexplainwhyeachofthemchosetostudymathematics.

Mechanical Engineering

199 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 30 Brian M Sherman Douglas Rich Alex Barbati (Sundar Krishnamurty), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Reliability Analysis of Avid 1.0 Braking System

Aforce,stress,andreliabilityanalysiswasconductedontheleveroftheAvid1.0Brakingsystemtodeterminethereliabilityofthemechanismfornormaluse.Themanufacturer-suppliedleverwasanalyzed,aswellasaredesignedleverbuilttoimprovethereliabilitywhensubjecttostaticandcyclicloadsconsistentwithoperatingconditions.TheFiniteElementAnalysis(FEA)packagePro/Mechanicawasusedtoanalyzestresseswiththecomplexgeometryofthepart,andtheresultswereconfirmedwithsimplifiedmodelsandhandcalculations.Twoloadingconditionswereconsidered.Conditiononeconsistedofamaximum(worst-case)loadappliedtothebrakeinthedirectionoftheuser.Themaximum(worst-case)loadwasdeterminedfromanonlinereference[1].Conditiontwowasdeterminedfromconsultationwithridersandperformingexperimentstodeterminethetypicalload.Themaximumstressesontheleverinconditiononewerefoundtobe929.2MPaand206.4MPainthesecondcondition.Theleveryieldswhensubjecttotheconditiononeload,andexhibitsareliabilityof99.99%withasafetyfactorof2.48whenfatigueloadingisconsidered(106cycles).Theredesignedleverexhibitsmaximumstressesof604.1MPainconditiononeloading,and134.4MPainconditiontwoloading.Theredesignedleveralsofailsbyyieldingwhensubjecttoconditiononeloading,butexhibitsareliabilityof99.999999901%withasafetyfactorof3.81whenfatigueof106cyclesisconsidered.ItisconcludedthatwhiletheAvid1.0Brakeexhibitsamoderatedegreeofreliability,smalldesignchangesincreasereliabilitywhilekeepingproductioncostscomparabletothepartsuppliedbythemanufacturer.

200 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 36 Matthew Braden (Robert Hyers), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Aerodynamic body design for the Super Mileage Vehicle

EveryyeartheSocietyforAutomotiveEngineers(SAE)holdsacompetitionforengineeringstudentstocreatethemostfuelefficientvehicle.Thiscompetitionteachesstudentstoworkasateamwhileimplementingtheirengineeringskillsanditisagreatlessonintimemanagement.TeamsfromallovertheworldconvergetotheEatonProvinggroundsinMarshall,MIinearlyJunetotakepartinthiscompetition.MypartontheUniversityofMassachusetts,Amherstteamistoperformresearchanddevelopmentofthebody’sshellwiththegoalofmakingitasaerodynamicaspossible.Themoreaerodynamicabodyisasitmovesthroughafluidsuchasair,thelessdragitwillhave.Sincedragisessentiallytheopposingforcethefluidexertsonthebodyithasanegativeimpactonthefueleconomy.Byusingcomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)software,Ihavebeenabletobuildseveral3-Dmodelsofthevehiclewithvaryingshapesandrunthemthroughavirtualwindtunnel.However,beforeIwasabletoconstructmodelsofthe


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carIneededtovalidatethesoftwarebyconsistentlyreproducingdragcoefficientsfrompreviouslypublisheddata.Thismethodofdevelopingthemostaerodynamicshapeundergivensizeconstraintsisfarmoreefficientandcosteffectivethanbuildingseveralmodelsandrunningtheminarealwindtunnel.Myplanistoconstructseveralmodelsmodifyingthenoseandtailofthevehicletoseewhichdesignsproducetheleastamountofdrag.Thesemodelswillbefurtheranalyzedforanyhighpressurespotswhichmaybemodifiedtoreducethedragevenmore.Iftimepermitsactualmocksupswillbemadeandplacedintoalivewindtunneltoverifythecomputerdragresults.

201 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 42 Stacy Canepari (Shantikumar Nair), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Creep Behavior of Nylon Composites

Nylonisavitalmaterialthatisusedinmanyimportantengineeringapplicationsfromtextilestoenginemanifolds.ItisthereforeimportanttounderstandthedeformationbehaviorofNylon,especiallyunderaconstantload,whichisknownascreep.CreepofNylon6,6,glass-fiberreinforcedNylon6,6,Nylon6andnano-clayreinforcedNylon6werestudied.Eachmaterialwastestedunderthreedifferentstressesbelowitsyieldstrength.Itwasobservedthatatlowloadsthecreepresistanceofglass-reinforcedNylon6,6exhibitedabell-curvebehaviorwithincreasingcreepload.Thebehaviorwasattributedtotheintermolecularbondingbetweentheglass-fibersandNylon6,6matrix.Additionaltestswereconductedon1%,5%,10%,20%,and25%glass-reinforcedNylon6,6athigherloadstodeterminetheeffectofincreasingglass-fibersonthecreepbehaviorofNylon.Itwasobservedthatincreasingamountsofglass-fiberreinforcementsgenerallyprovidedgreatercreepresistance.Forthe20%fiberreinforcedmaterial,however,thecreepratewasnearlyequaltothe10%glass-fiberreinforced.Inordertocharacterizethebehaviorofincreasingamountsofglass-fiberreinforcements,thecreepmodulusofeachmaterialwasgraphedversustheelasticmodulus.Ingeneral,stiffermaterialsweremorecreepresistant.Initiallyitwasassumedthattheglass-reinforcedNylon6,6sampleswouldexhibitalineartrendwithincreasingglass-fiberreinforcements,buthigherglass-fiberreinforcementsshowedthatanexponentialcurvewasabetterfit.Withouterroranalysis,itcouldnotbedistinguishedwhichcurvemoreaccuratelyfitthetrendofthedata.ItwasconcludedthatNylon6hadalowercreepresistancethanNylon6,6.BoththeglassandclayreinforcementsreducedthecreepofNylon.Theglass-fibersshowedagreaterresistancedespitethedifferentmatrixmaterials.NeatNylon6,6and10%glass-reinforcedNylon6,6werealsodriedandcreeptested.Itwasobservedthatthewetsampleshadagreaterresistancetocreep,thanthedriedsamples.ThisfindingcontradictedpreviousstudiesthatfoundthatmoistureincreasedthecreepofNylon6,6.Creeptestresultswereanalyzedusinganexperimentallydevelopedlogarithmicstrainlaw,whichdefinedthecreeprateofpolymersaslogarithmicallydecreasingwithstrainandcharacterizedaparameterB,knownasthecreephardeningcoefficient,asbeingproportionaltotheelasticmodulusofamaterial.ThecreepbehaviorsofNylon6andNylon6,6supportedthelaw.Itwasconcludedthatthecreephardeningcoefficientwasalsoproportionaltocreepresistance.

202 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 34 Jamie Cushman (Julie Chen), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Manufacturing and Functionality of Braided Synthetic Blood Vessels

Thedevelopmentofafunctionalanddurableartificialbloodvesselhasbeenagoalofvascularsurgeonsandphysiciansfordecades.Coronaryandperipheralarterybypassgraftingiscurrentlythemostcommonprocedureforrelievingsymptomsofvasculardeficiencies,butthesupplyofautologous(fromthepatient)bloodvesselsmaynotbeappropriateoradequateformultiplebypassorsubsequentprocedures.Thustheuseofothermaterials,theirproperties,andnewfabricationtechniquesforartificialvesselsmustbefurtherresearched.Artificialreplacementsmusthaveproperstructuralandfunctionalitycharacteristics,includingsustainabilitytohydrodynamicpressure,lowimmunogenicity,resistancetothrombosisandinfection.Artificialreplacementsmustbecomparabletoautologousbloodvesselswhenbeingsurgicallymanipulatedandsutured,aswellasbeingrelativelyeasytomanufacture.


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Oneapproachistocloselymimicthestructureofanautologousbloodvesselbysyntheticallyconstructingthehelicaldesignandstructureofthecollagenfibrilsandembeddingthemintoanelastintypematrixthatcouldsupportpropercellinteraction.Forexample,braidingyarnsoveramandrelwithadiameterbetween1mm-10mm,theangleofthehelicaldesigncanbecontrolledtofindtheoptimalstructuraldesignandfunctionality.Inthisresearch,resultsfromapreliminaryapproachtomanufacturingaprototypeofanartificialbloodvesselwillbepresented.Inaddition,futureresearchisneededtodeterminetheproperyarnparameters(e.g.,material,fiberdiameter,yarnsize),matrixproperties,andappropriatetestingmethodswillbediscussed.

203 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 40 Robert Daniello (Robert Hyers), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Design of Highly Efficient Continuously Variable Transmissions for the Supermileage Vehicle

Theintentofthisprojectisthedesignandconstructionofacontinuouslyvariabletransmission(CVT)foruseinthehybriddriveoftheUniversityofMassachusettsSupermileageVehicle.TheSupermileageVehicle(SMV)isanundergraduatecompetitiontodesignandconstructahighlyefficientvehiclesponsoredbytheSocietyofAutomotiveEngineers.Thehybriddriveprovidesameansofmanagingthevehicle’senergy,increasingtheoverallefficiencyofthesystem.Thetransmissionwillbeusedtoconnectaflywheeltothevehicle’sdrivetrain,allowingittostoreandreleaseenergythroughregenerativebrakingandduringengineburns.Thisisdesirableasameansofregulatingspeedanddecreasingenginestartstoimprovethefuelefficiencyofthevehicle.Theuniquedemandsofthisapplicationrequireatransmissionwhichishighlyefficientoveralargerangeofratios.AlthoughmanytypesofCVTsexist,onlythosewhichtransmitpowerthroughfrictionalcontact,beltCVTsandtractiondrivesaresuitablefortheapplication.Metalonmetaltractiondrivesarefavoredduetotheirpotentialtotransmitpowerathighefficiency.TractiondrivespresentdesignproblemsuniquetothistypeofCVT.Aprototypeofthecompleteddesignwillbeproducedandtestedonadynamometertoevaluateitsperformanceforcomparisonwithothertransmissiontypes.Thecompletedtransmissionwillallowthesupermileageteamtoimplementthehybriddriveinthevehicle.FutureSMVteamsmaybeabletousetheCVTforthevehicle’sprimarytransmission.

204 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 32 Derek Ferguson (Robert Hyers), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Electronic Valve Control and the Otto-Atkinson Cycle Engine

FordecadesnowgasolineengineshavebeenlimitedtorunningOttocyclesdictatedbyvalvesinanunchangingcycle.Theintroductionofelectronicvalvecontrolallowsenginestobeoptimizedinwaysneverapproachedbyconventionalvalvetrains.Therealityofcontinuouslyvariablevalvetimingintroducesunlimitedfreedomtothebreathingcharacteristicsofanengine.Smallcontinuouschangestotimingeventscanbeusedtothrottletheengine,controlemissions,increasefueleconomy,andevencompletelychangethethermodynamiccycleoftheengine.TheOtto-AtkinsoncycleisahybridcycledesignedtooperatewithinatraditionalOttoengine.ThishybridcyclecombinesthepowertheOttocycleatfullloadwiththefueleconomyoftheAtkinsoncycleatpartloads.ThesuccessfulimplementationoftheOtto-Atkinsoncyclerestsonthecombinedeffectsofvariablevalvetimingandvariablecompressionratiosystems.Experimentsonthesetwotechnologiescombinedhavebeenshowntoincreasefueleconomyasmuchas20%overstockOttoengines.Theresearchanddevelopmentofanelectronicallycontrolledvalvesystemperformedwillbeavailableforimplementationonfuturecompetitionvehicles.ImplementingthistechnologyintheSocietyofAutomotiveEngineer’sannualSuperMileageVehiclecompetitionwouldprovidetheUniversityofMassachusetts’SuperMileageVehicle(SMV)teamwithacompetitiveadvantageoverotheruniversities’vehicles.


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205 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 41 Robert Howard (Robert Hyers), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) Technology

Overthepastseveralyearsasfuelpriceshavecontinuedtoclimbhigherwhilewarningsofdwindlingoilsuppliesareconstantlybeingissuedfueleconomyhasrisentothezenithofautomobileresearch.Whileconvertingtoalternativefuelsourcesmaystillbedecadesawaythereishopeforimprovingfuelefficiencytoday.Amajorareaofresearchduringthepastdecadehascomeinthefieldofdirectinjectionengines.Duringthe1990smanycompanies,includingMitsubishiandNissan,wereactivelyengaginginmeasuresthatwouldeventuallyleadtothemassproductionofgasolinedirectinjection(GDI)engines.ManypublicationshavebeenwrittenonthesubjectincludingsomebymembersofMitsubishiMotorsCorporationandNissanMotorCompany.InthepastcoupleofyearsVolkswagen,Audi,Mazda,andLexus,aswellasmanyotherleadingautomobilemanufacturersbroughtthisresearchtofruitionwiththeunveilingoftheirrespectiveGDIautomobiles.Theresearchconductedwillprimarilyfocusonaquantitativecomparisonbetweena2-strokeGDIengineproducedbyOrbitalEngineCorporationandtheBriggsandStrattonenginecurrentlyinuseontheSMV.Atthesametime,anextensiveanalysiswillbeperformedwiththeintentofexposingthedifficultiesofimplementingGDItechnologyontheSMVandtoalsorecommendwaysinwhichtheseproblemscanbealleviated.ThepurposeofthisresearchistoeventuallyallowfortheuseofGDItechnologyonfutureSuperMileageVehiclesproducedbytheUniversityofMassachusettsSuperMileageVehicleteam.Whilethetechnologyisstillrelativelynew,earlyresultshavedisplayedasignificantincreaseinfuelefficiencyoverthestandardportfuelinjection(PFI)enginesthatarepresentinalmosteverycarcurrentlyontheroad.ItisthisincreaseinfuelefficiencythattheUniversityofMassachusetts’SuperMileageVehicleTeamispresentingtryingtotakeadvantageofonitsSuperMileageVehicle(SMV).Whilesuchadrasticchangeintechnologywillnotbeintegratedintothevehicleintimeforthisyear’scompetition,itishopedthattheknowledgegainedfromtheresearchputforthcanbeusedbyteamsinthefuture,andprovideacuttingedgeadvantageovertherestofthecompetition.

206 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 35 Michael Mahdavi (Shantikumar Nair), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Influence of Nano-scale Reinforcements on Crack Tip Deformation and Fracture in Thermoplastics.

Theobjectivesofthisstudyweretoexplorethechange(s)incrackpropagationbehaviorassociatedwiththereinforcementofNylon6withclaynanoparticles,aswellastosynthesizenanocrystallinehydroxyapatitepowder.TheJ-integralandmicrohardnessmethodswereusedtoquantifymaterialmechanicalbehavioraheadofstressconcentrationsandcracktips.X-raydiffractionandSEMmicroscopywereusedtoidentifytheresultsofhydroxyapatitesynthesis.ItwasfoundthatclaynanoparticlesinNylon6increasedtheresistancetoplasticdeformationbutdecreasedtheresistancetocrackpropagationandfailure.Theincreaseinmicrohardnessattheindentationsitewasstatisticallydifferentfromthemeasuredbulkyieldstressincreaseduetotheclaynanoparticlereinforcement.Theproductofthechemistryperformedwasidentifiedtobehydroxyapatitepowdercontaininghighlevelsofrawingredientsthathadnotreacted.Nanocrystallinitywasnotobservedinthematerial.

207 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 33 Anthony Santamaria Andrew D Theriault Douglas Mandell (Sundar Krishnamurty), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003


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In Depth Analysis of High Performance Bicycle Braking System

Thepurposeofourstudywastoexaminetheforcesandstressesinahighperformancebicyclebrakingsystemanddeterminethefatigueandreliabilityofthesystem.Theresearchwaspartofanundergraduatemechanicalengineeringclassthatchallengedstudentstoexamineamechanicalsystemforareasofhighstresscombinedwithrepeatedloadingthatcouldcausepotentialfailure.OurresearchwasbasedoncomputermodelsofthesystemusingPro-Engineering.Pro-Mechanicawasutilizedtocomputethestressesonthesystemandhighlightthecriticallystressedareas.Theseresultswereconfirmedwithhandcalculationsbasedonsimplifiedmodels.Theresultsfindthatapartofthebrakingsystemcouldfailduetobothyieldingandfatigue.Thefindingswerebasedoncomputermodelsandthusaretheoretical.Inthemodelofthepart,criticallystressedareaswereredesignedtoimprovereliabilityandpreventyieldingfailure.Thisstudyislimitedbytheaccuracyofthemodels.Althoughourresultsarenotfarreaching,themethodsusedtoobtainourresultscanbeappliedinothercontexts,specificallytheuseofcomputersindeterminingtheeffectsofdesignchanges.

208 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 38 Jeffrey Eisenhaure Marisa Theroux-Jones Nishita Nickey (Sundar Krishnamurty),Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Reliability and Cost Analysis of the Linear Motion Derailleur System

TheWhiteIndustriesLinearMotionDerailleurSystem(LMDS)wasanalyzedtoseeifitislikelytofailundernormalridingconditions.Aforceanalysiswasdonetodeterminetheexternalandinternalforcesactingonthedifferentcomponentsofthederailleursystem.Thebolthasthelargestresultantforceactingonit,withamagnitudeof231N.Thebolthousingalsohasasignificantresultantforceactingonit,whichturnedouttobe200N.Forthefiniteelementanalysis(FEA),whichwasusedtodeterminethestresses,therailswereincludedbecauseoftheirimportancetothefunctionofthederailleur.Themaximumstressonthemwasfoundtobe83.9MPa.Sincetheboltandbolthousinghadsuchlargeforcesactinguponthem,theyalsohadsignificantvaluesofstresswhichwerecalculatedthroughProMechanicaas130MPaand260MPa,respectively.Thefailureanalysiswasdoneonthesamethreepartsbecauseoftheirimportanceandlargelevelsofstress.Yielding,buckling,impact,andfatiguewereconsideredasoptionsthatthesystemmightfailunder.Noneofthepartsexceededthecriticalvaluesforstressinanyoftheseconditions,sotherewasnofailureundertheconditionsbeinganalyzed.Eventhoughtherewasnofailure,thereliabilityofthesystemwastakenintoconsideration.Thebolthousingwascalculatedtohavethesmallestreliabilityof99.95%,whichtranslatestothereliabilityofthewholesystembecauseifonepartbreaks,thenthewholesystemisrendereduseless.Oneineverytwothousandderailleurswouldthusfail.Consideringindustrystandards,thisreliabilityisnotsufficientinacompetitivemarketwhere6σissetasastandard.Therefore,thediscontinuationoftheWhiteIndustriesLMDSisjustified.TofurtherjustifythedecisiontodiscontinuetheLMDS,acostcomparisonanalysiswasconductedonthissystemandanothermoregenericmodel,theShimanoSISTX-30.Bothwereanalyzedintermsofeaseofassembly,materialsused,andtoolsandequipmentneededformanufacturing.ThroughtheaidoftheAssemblyAnalysisandLineBalancingSpreadsheet,itwasdeterminedthattheLMDShada15%increaseintimeovertheShimano.ThisiscreditedtothefactthattheLMDShas22intricatepartsandsubassemblies,whiletheShimanoderailleuronlyhas14partsandsubassemblies.TheLMDSismadeof2014-T6aluminumalloythatcosts1.812dollars/kg,whiletheShimano’ssteelhasapriceof.821dollars/kg.TheequipmentneededtomanufacturethemorecomplicatedLMDSwasfoundtobemoreexpensive,bothinitiallyandovertimethroughmaintenance.Throughthesedifferentcriteriaofanalysis,theLMDSwasdeterminedtobeamoreexpensivemodel,atapriceofabout$300,incomparisontoitscompetitor,themoregenericShimanoderailleur,withapriceofaround$130.Therefore,itwasdeterminedthatthediscontinuationoftheLMDSwasbeneficialtothecompanybecauseitmaynothavegeneratedtheprofitneededtosustainitsproductioncostsandmaintainitsnicheinthemarket.


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209 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 37 Michael Nilsson (Robert Hyers), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Examining the Effect of a Cowling on Bicycle Wheel

Indesigningasupermileagevehicle,reductionofaerodynamicdragforcescanimprovegasmileage.Typically,frontwheelsarelocatedinsidethebodyofthecar,oftenincreasingthefrontalarea,andconsequentlytheformdrag.Ifthewheelsareoutsidethebody,itallowsforareductioninfrontalarea,butpresentsnewissuesforconsideration.Thisprojectaimstodeterminethereductionofdragthatcowlingsoverthefrontwheelscanoffer.Windtunnelexperimentswillbeperformedforheadwindconditionsanddifferentyawangles.Computationalfluiddynamicswillattempttoverifythewindtunnelresults.Aliteraryreviewwasperformed,andprovidedusefulinsightandempiricaldatabywhichtogaugeandcompareresults.Withthedataprovidedbythisproject,thesupermileagevehicleteaminthefuturecanmakemoreinformeddecisionsonthechassisandbodydesign.

210 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 39 Daniel Goncalves Patrick Ryan (Sundar Krishnamurty), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Analysis of a V-brake Bicycle Braking System

Thereportisastudyofarearbrakingsystemfoundona1978Columbiaracingbicycle.ThisreportanalyzesaV-brakerearbrakingsystem,commonlyusedonbicyclesproducedtoday.Force,stress,fatigue,andreliabilityanalysesareincluded.TheresultsarecomparedtothosefromtheoriginaldesigninordertodetermineiftheV-brakehasimprovedthereliabilityofthebrakingsystemAscenariothatinvolvedrepeatedloading,typicaltoeverydayuse,wasanalyzedtopredictthereliabilityagainstfatiguefailure.Thissamescenariowasusedfortheboththeoriginaldesignaswellastheimproveddesign.FiniteElementAnalyses(FEAs)wereconductedandtheresultswerestatisticallyanalyzed.Theresultsofthestudyshowthatoriginaldesignwas99.94%reliable,correspondingtofailurein6outof10,000parts.Thenewdesign,however,maintainsgreaterthan99.99%reliability,orlessthan1in10,000parts.Thenewdesignisgreaterthansixtimesmorereliable.Thisimprovedreliabilitywastheresultofminimizingthemomentsexperiencebythecaliperbyshiftingthepivotpoint.Anewcalipershapealsoreducedthestress,increasingthereliability.

211 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 31 Amanda Sauer (Robert Hyers), Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Mechanical and Thermal Design of an Electromagnetic Levitator

Electromagneticlevitation(EML)isaprocesswhichusesinducedcurrentstogenerateamagneticfieldandsuspendamaterialintheair.Themagneticfieldscanbealteredbyadjustingtheelectricalcurrents.Thesealterationsallowtheforcesontheobjecttobecontrolledandinturntheobjectcanbelevitatedinafixedposition.EMLhasmanyusefulapplications,buttheoneofmostinterestinthisstudyistheheatgeneratedbythecurrents.Duetothisheat,thelevitatorcanalsoactasameanstomeltmetalwhilesuspendingitintheair.Theprojectcarriedoutinvolveddesigningandconstructingthecoppercoilusedtolevitateasteelball.Manufacturingtoolsweredesignedtoproducehighprecisioncoilsinarepeatabletechnique.Throughanumberofcalculations,thecoildesignwasdeterminedincorrelationwithdesiredelectricalvalues.Inaddition,acoolingcyclewasconstructedtocoolthecoilaswellastheelectricalcomponentsusedinthedesign.Thecyclewasdesignedusingknowledgeofthedesiredheatremovalofthesystemandthencalculatingthespeedofthewaterthroughthecoolingcyclesandthedesiredinputtemperatureandvolumeofwater.Theresultsofthecalculationswillbeclearoncethelevitatoristestedandsomealterationsmaybemade.


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Merchandising & Textiles

212 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 58 Magdalena Mulherin (Judy Flynn), Department of Merchandising & Textiles, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Observation of Baby Boomers When Purchasing Retail Brands for Business Wear

TheresearchobservedBabyBoomers’behaviorwhenpurchasingretailbrandsforbusinesswear.Twentywomenbetweentheagesof41and56whoshopatmultiplechannelretailstoreswereselectedbynon-probabilitysampling.Womencompletedaquestionnairethatincluded38LikertScalequestionsandfivemultiplechoicequestions.AninstrumentwasdevelopedbytheresearcherandfourquestionswereadoptedfromtheShimandKoh(1997)ConsumerDecision-Makinginstrument.DatawasanalyzedfordescriptivestatisticsusingSPSS12.5.HypothesisonepredictedthatBabyBoomerspurchaseretailbrandsofgoodquality,youngstyle,comfort,andeasycareandwasaccepted.HypothesestwopredictedthatBabyBoomersenjoyshoppingforbusinesswearinretailbrandstores,wouldfindretailstoresfriendlyandeasytoshopin,andofferqualityclothing,similartodesignernamesatanaffordableprice.Hypothesistwowaspartiallyaccepted.Resultsindicatedthatretailstoresshouldoffercomfortable,qualityclothingwitheasycarepropertiestokeepBabyBoomersastheircustomers.VarietiesofbrandedclothingstylesofferedattheretailstoreswillbringmoreBabyBoomerstotheirstoresandincreasesales.ReferenceShim,S.&Koh,A.(1997).Consumerdecision-makingscaleandreliability.ClothingandTextileResearchJournal,15(21),53.

Microbiology

213 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 30 Jensen Auguste (Peter Bradley), Department of Biology, Worcester State College, Worcester, MA, 01602

Isolation of bacteria from a Sphagnum peat bog in Holden, Massachusetts.

PlantmaterialhasaccumulatedinthePoutwaterPondpeatbogforthousandsofyears.Theareahasacidconditionsandathick(5meter)accumulationofslowlydecomposingplantmaterial.Bacteriawereisolatedfromacorecollectedatthepeatbogandbroughtintothelaboratory.Samplesfromdifferentdepths(66-256cmdeep)wereculturedontypticasesoyagarandincubatedat25oC.Astreakplatemethodwasusedtoisolatesomecoloniesofbacteria.TheBIOLOGEcoPlateTMtechniqueusedformicrobialcommunityanalysisshowedthattheassemblageofmicroorganismsremainssimilaratdifferentdepthsofthepeatbog.GramstainingshowedthatGramnegativerodswerethemostcommontypeofbacteriapresentinthecultures.TheBIOLOGidentificationsystemwasusedtoidentifyoneofthebacteriaasAlcaligenesdenitrificans.Otherbacteriahavenotyetbeenidentified.Theresultsofthisstudywillbeusefultostudytheorganismsthatliveundertheseconditions.

214 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 29 Elizabeth Barrett (Allen Tsang), Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

How OmpR and OmpK protein Regulate Fe(III) reduction and Electricity Production in Geobacter sulfurreducens


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Previousstudieshavesuggestedthattheouter-membranec-typecytochrome,OmcS,constitutesthemostimportantenzymetoestablishtheelectricalcontactbetweentheoutersurfaceofG.sulfurreducensandelectrodes.ThepurposeofthisstudyistounderstandthemechanismbywhichOmcSisregulated.ThetranscriptionalregulationofomcSwasproposedtobeunderthecontrolofatranscriptionalregulator,OmpR(outermembraneproteinregulator).OneapproachfordeterminingtherelationshipbetweenOmpRandomcSwasthroughtheuseofalacZ+reportergeneinvivo.AnotherapproachwastodeterminethebindingspecificityofOmpRfortheomcSpromoterinvitrothroughtheuseofanelectrophoreticmobilityshiftassay(EMSA).TheresultsofthelacZ+reportergeneindicatedthatOmpRwasacriticalcomponentintheactivationofomcStranscription,astranscriptionofthelacZ+geneincreasedby15foldinthepresenceofOmpR.StudiesonthespecificbindingabilityofOmpRtoomcSpromoterarecurrentlybeingconducted.InadditiontoOmpR,anotherprotein,OmpK,issuggestedtobenecessaryfortheregulationofomcS.InordertofurtherstudythepossibilitythatOmpKactsasaco-regulatorforOmpR,OmpKwillbeoverexpressedusingaT4overexpressionsystem.TheroleofOmpKwillthenbedeterminedinanEMSA.StudiesonOmpRandOmpKwillprovideinsightintotheregulationofomcSinordertoincreaseelectricityproductioninG.sulfurreducensandsuggeststrategiesforengineeringGeobacterwithenhancedcapabilityforelectrontransfertoelectrodes.

215 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 31 Joanna Bybee (Michael Dolan), Department of Geological Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Phylogenetic affinity of bacterial symbionts on, and description of hindgut protists in Cryptotermes cavifrons and Neotermes mona [Isoptera: Kalotermitidae]

ThemicrobialconsortiaassociatedwithCaduceiaversatilisandStaurojoeninaassimilisserveasmodelsformicrobialendosymbioses,includingthoseinvolvedintheearly,anoxicevolutionofeukaryotes.Staurojoeninaassimilis,ahindguthypermastigoteparabasalidsymbiontfoundinNeotermesmona,isassociatedwitharodbacteriumadheringtothesurfacesofitscells.CaduceiaversatilisisalargedevescovinidtrichomonadfoundinCryptotermescavifrons.Itisassociatedwiththreedistinctbacterialsymbionts(twoepicorticalonesandoneendobioticformsurroundingthebaseofitsparabasalbodyorGolgicomplex).Littleisknownofthephylogeneticaffinityofthesebacteria.Inaddition,thefullcomplementofhindgutprotistshavenotbeenidentifiedinN.mona.ThisprojectwillincludetheidentificationofprotistswithinthehindgutofN.monausinghematoxylinandprotargolstaining,andtheDNAfluorescentstainDAPI.InsituhybridizationusingDNAprobesoftheBacteroidesgroupofbacteriawillbetestedontheS.assimilisepibionts.Thisworkwillcontributetothealphataxonomyofthewoodeatingtermitesandtheirmultiplelevelsofsymbioses,andprovidethebasisforstudyingthelevelofintegrationbetweenthebacteriaandtheireukaryotichosts.

216 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 32 Kimberly Lay (Wilmore Webley), Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Caesarean Section vs. Vaginal Birth: Examination of the Prevalence of Chlamydia in Pediatric Patients with Asthma

Chlamydiapneumoniae(Cp)andChlamydiatrachomatis(Ct)areobligateintracellularpathogens.Cpcausesrespiratoryconditionssuchaspneumoniaandisassociatedwithasthma.Ctistheleadingcauseofsexuallytransmittedinfectionandpreventableblindness.ResearchsuggeststhatCtfrominfectedmothersmayinfectthelungsofinfantsatthetimebirth.WeexaminedtheprevalenceofChlamydiaamongpediatriccohortofpatientswithasthmaandotherchronicrespiratorydiseasestodetermineifmethodofbirthhadanimpactontheprevalencerate.TodetectthepresenceofChlamydia,weutilizedthepolymerasechainreaction(PCR)usinggenusspecificprimersforbothCpandCttoamplifyisolatedDNAfrombronchoalveolarlavage(BAL)samples.SampleswerealsosmearedontoglassslidesandimmunostainedforChlamydia.Thestudyconsistedof187pediatricpatients;133werediagnosedwithasthmawhile54hadvariousrespiratoryconditions.CtDNAwasdetectedin47(43.5%)patientsdeliveredvaginallycomparedto17(22.9%)deliveredbyC-section.CpDNAwasfoundin47(43.5%)patientsdeliveredthroughthevagina


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comparedto11(14.8%)deliveredbyC-section.Seventyeightpatients(72.2%)bornvaginallywerediagnosedwithasthmawhile18(58.1%)weredeliveredbyC-section.Weconcludethatbothorganismsarepresentinthelungsofchildrenwithvariousrespiratoryinfections,withanincreasedprevalenceinasthmatics.Furthermore,patientsdeliveredviathebirthcanalweremorelikelytoharborChlamydiaDNAthanthosedeliveredbyC-section.PresenceoftheseorganismswithintheBALmayexacerbatesymptomsinthepatients.

217 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 33 Sarah Reiff (Michele Klingbeil), Department of Microbiology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

A Potential Mitochondrial DNA Repair Polymerase in African Trypanosomes

TheparasiticprotozoanTrypanosomabruceibelongstoaclassofearlydivergingeukaryotescalledthekinetoplastids,sonamedfortheiruniquemitochondrialDNAcalledkinetoplastDNA(kDNA).Insidethecell’ssingletubularmitochondrion,thekDNAisarrangedinanetworkconsistingofseveralthousandconcatenatedcircularDNAs.ThekDNAiscondensedinaspecializedregionofthemitochondrionandrepresentsabout10%ofthetotalcellularDNAcontentmakingkDNAanidealsystemtostudymitochondrialDNArepair.IncontrasttoothereukaryoticmitochondriathatcontainasingleDNApolymerase(Pol),theT.bruceimitochondrioncontainsatleastSIXDNAPolsforkDNAreplicationandrepairprocesses.Sinceonlyoneofthese,PolIA,wasfoundtobenon-essentialwehypothesizethatPolIAisakDNArepairpolymerase.HydrogenperoxideassaysonPolIAdoubleknockoutcelllineshavesuggestedthatPolIAhasaroleintherepairofkDNAdamageduetooxidativestress.WearenowtestingtheroleofPolIAintherepairofUVdamageusingbothRNAinterferenceanddoubleknockoutsofPolIA.Inanotherexperiment,wetaggedPolIAwithGFPtodeterminewhetherlocalizationchangesunderUVDNA-damagingconditions.NormallyPolIAlocalizesthroughoutthemitochondrion,butunderdamagingconditionsitmayformfociatthekinetoplast.TheseexperimentswillfurtherourunderstandingofhowmitochondrialDNArepairworksintheseorganismsandpossiblyacrossdifferentphyla.

218 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 28 Christopher Tamburrini (Alejandro Heuck), Department of Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Injecting Bacterial Toxins into The Target Cell via Translocon Formation

Pseudomonasaeruginosaisanopportunisticpathogenthatisresponsiblefortheinfectioninimmunocompromisedindividualsandchronicrespiratoryillnessesincysticfibrosispatients.P.aeruginosaemploysatypeIIIsecretionsystem(TTSS)fortheinjectionoftoxinsintothehostcellcytoplasmthroughapore(translocon)onthetargetmembrane.Twodifferentproteinshavebeenimplicatedintheformationofthetransloconcomplexinthemembrane,PopBandPopD.Todate,nostructuralinformationisavailableregardingtheTTSStransloconforanypathogenicsystem.WehaveclonedthesesproteinsintoexpressionvectorsfromgenomicDNAofP.aeruginosaPAO1andwehaveoptimizedtheoverexpressionconditionsforPopDusingdifferentE.coliexpressionstrains,growthconditions,andco-expressionPopDwiththechaperonePcrH.Co-expressingthehis-tagged-PcrH/PopDcomplexatlowtemperaturesproducedthehighestyieldofproteininasolubleform.Inordertoreconstitutethetransloconcomplexinmembranebilayers,wearenowcharacterizingthedissociationoftheprotein-chaperonecomplexbyhighsalt,pH,orchaotropicagentsandtheinsertionofPopDintoliposomalmembranes.


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Molecular Biology

219 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 35 Linnea Freeman (Lila Gierasch), Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Equilibrium Folding Intermediates of a β-Clam Protein

Proteinfoldingistheprocessbywhichalinearsequenceofaminoacidsadoptsathree-dimensional,biologicallyfunctionalstructure.Theprocessofproteinfoldingoccursonatimescaleofmillisecondstosecondsandthereforeitisdifficulttocharacterizeanyintermediatestatesalongtheproteinfoldingpathway.Equilibriumunfoldingstudiescanbeemployedinordertogainmoreinformationaboutthenatureofthetransientintermediatestatesalongtheproteinfoldingpathway.Theequilibriumunfoldingstatesofcellularretinoicacidbindingprotein(CRABPI),amainlyβ-sheetprotein,havebeenstudiedinordertobetterunderstandthefoldingpathwayofthisprotein.Whilemanystudieshaveexploredtheintermediatestatesofα-helicalproteinsandα-helical/β-sheetproteins,theintermediatestatesformainlyβ-sheetproteinsarenotwellunderstood.Becauseoftheircorrelationtoaggregationanddisease,understandingthefoldingoftheseproteinswouldhaveagreatimpactondrugdiscoveryandcuresformisfoldingdiseasessuchas:Alzheimer’sdisease,Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease,andcysticfibrosis.ThefirstequilibriumnonnativestateofCRABPI(theA-state)isahydrophobicallycollapsedintermediatewithasubstantialamountofsecondarystructurethatmimicsthe10mskineticintermediate[Liuetal.,Biochemistry33,134-142(1994)].ThisstateisinducedbylowpH(inthiscaseHClisused).Uponadditionofsalt(inthiscaseNa2SO4isused),amorestructuredstate(theS-state)developswhichmimicsthe100mskineticintermediate[Liuetal.,Biochemistry33,134-142(1994)].Theemissionmaximafortryptophanfluorescencerevealwhethertheproteinisfolded(325nm),unfolded(350nm),oranintermediatestate(340nmfortheA-stateand335nmfortheS-state).Oncethesestateshavebeendetermined,thenonnativestatesarefurthercharacterizedfortheirsecondarystructureusingcirculardichroism,andthesolventaccessiblesurfaceareaismeasuredusingiodidequenchingofTrpfluorescence.AdditionalinformationhasbeenobtainedthroughtheuseofmutantversionsofCRABPIinwhichoneormoreTrpresidueshavebeenremoved.TheseequilibriumnonnativestatestudiesonCRABPIhaveledtofurtherevidencetosupporttheideathatexcesshelixrelativetothenativestateoccursintheearlyintermediate.

220 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 36 Stephanie Murphy (Daniel Hebert), Department of Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Investigating Co-Translational Protein Folding With Influenza Neuraminidase

Inthisstudy,themoleculareventsthatoccurduringtheco-translationalmaturationprocessofInfluenzaANeuraminidaseN9(NA)wereinvestigated.Thehighefficiencyofproteinfoldingintheoxidizingenvironmentofthecellularendoplasmicreticulum(ER)isattributedbothtoco-translationalfoldingandtointeractionswithmolecularchaperonesandfoldasespresentwithintheERlumen.Tworecentstudieshavecharacterizedthemoleculareventsthatoccurco-translationallyduringthesynthesisofInfluenzaHemagglutinin(HA)andtyrosinase,bothtypeImembraneglycoproteins.Togainamorecompleteunderstandingofco-translationalglycoproteinmaturationingeneral,NA,ahomotetramerictypeIImembraneprotein,wasselectedforcharacterization.Previousstudiesontheco-translationalmaturationofglycoproteinshaveledtothefollowinghypothesis:N-linkedoligosaccharidesarelocalizedtoareasonglycoproteinsthatarepotentiallyproblematictoproteinfolding.Furthermore,itishypothesizedthatN-linkedglycansdirecttheinteractionoflectinchaperoneswithnascentglycoproteinsinspecificspatialandtemporalpatternstofacilitateproperproteinfolding.NAmakesaparticularlyattractivesubstratebecauseitdisplaysglycosylationsitesnearareasthatourhypothesisidentifiesaspotentiallyproblematicforefficientfolding.ExperimentswithNAmutantslackingspecificN-linkedglycanshavedemonstratedthefullrecognitionofallglycosylationsitesonNA.Also,aseriesofribosome-arrestedNAtruncationswasusedtorecapitulatetheco-translationaleventsthatoccurduringsynthesisofNA.Thisworkhasrevealedthetemporalorderof


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interactionofNAwiththelectinchaperonescalnexin(CNX)andcalreticulin(CRT).TogetherwithinformationaboutthematurationoftypeImembraneglycoproteins,knowledgeabouttheco-translationalmaturationofNAmayhelptoestablishamoregeneralpathwayforglycoproteinfolding.Itisbelievedthatmorethanhalfofalleukaryoticproteinsareglycoproteins;additionally,manyhumandiseasesresultfromglycoproteinmisfolding.Researchonco-translationalproteinfoldingmayprovideinsightsintotreatingsomeofthesediseases.

221 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 34 Kenneth Ralto (Karsten Theis), Department of Chemistry, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Equilibration rates of vapor diffusion experiments in high-throughput crystallization chambers

Hangingorsittingdropvapordiffusionisthemostsuccessfulmethodofcrystallizingproteinsandothermacromolecules.Diffusionofwatervaporoccursinasealedchamberbetweenasampledropandareservoirsolutionofdifferentcomposition,causingvolumeandconcentrationchangesinthedropoverthecourseofdays,untilequilibriumisreached.Thekineticsofthisprocesshavebeenstudiedexperimentallyfortraditionalexperimentalsetupswithdropvolumesof8-32microliterssuspendedincylindrical3mlchambers.However,high-throughputcrystallizationsetupsnowroutinelyemploylessthan2microlitersofsampleinsmaller,96or384-wellplateswithavarietyofchambergeometries.Here,wemeasuretheratesofequilibrationof0.1-4microlitersampledropsincommerciallyavailablecrystallizationplates.Theequilibrationratesaremeasuredusingakineticassaythatemploysdifferentsaltsolutions,whichreachtheirsaturationpointandformsaltcrystalsatthepointinwhichthedrophaslostexactlyhalfofitsvolume.Foragivensampledropvolume,equilibrationratesdifferbyafactorof2.5betweendifferentchambergeometries.Foragivengeometry,equilibrationratescanberelatedtodropvolumebyasimplepowerlaw,withexponentsrangingfrom0.7to0.9dependingonchambergeometry.Theexperimentaldataisrelevantforthechoiceofcrystallizationchambersanddropvolumesininitialexperimentsaswellasforplanningscale-upexperimentswhenoptimizingcrystalsize.

Multimedia

222 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 60 Kumar Dabreo (Susan Martelli), Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

Propaganda: 21 Ways to Fool the Fools

Thispresentationexaminesthevariousmethodsandpracticesofpropaganda.Researchdetailingdefinitions,psychologyofmotivation,andtherecognized21differentusesareexploredforthepurposeofrevealingdeceptionsinherentinthesemessagesandthepsychologicalandbehavioralgoalofthepublishers.Stylesofpropagandausedinadvertising,photos,andartfromthe1940’sthroughthepresentdemonstratethehiddenandovertmessagesusedbygovernmentagenciesandprivatecorporationsattemptingtocontrolthethoughtsandbehaviorsoflargegroups.Examplesincludethegoverment’sPSIOPsbranchandtheiruseofpropagandatoenhancemorale,andtheU.S.consumeragenciesuseofadvertisingtechniquestoincreaseprofitsandcompanyimage.

223 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 59 Benjamin Nathan (Marcia Curtis), Department of Literature, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003


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Ne’emanut (Fidelity): the making of a feature-length independent film

Theobjectiveof“Ne’emanut(Fidelity):themakingofafeature-lengthindependentfilm”isthedevelopmentofanabridgedversionofafeature-lengthscreenplay.Thisabridgedversionwillserveastheshootingscriptforaselectionofsceneswhichwillfunctionasanextendedtrailerforthefeaturefilm.Filmingofthetrailerwilltakeplaceduringthesummerof2006intheUnitedStates,CanadaandIsrael.Thefilmisanarrativestorycenteredonthemesofconflictingloyalties;itlookscriticallyata)currentMiddleEasternandEuropeanpolitics,b)internalrelationsbetweenvariedJewishsects,c)Jewish-Arabrelations,andd)thecomplexitiesofthefamilialfather-sonrelationship.Thestoryencouragesaudiencememberstoexaminetheirownlivesandconvictions,espousingthebeliefthatsuchmoralandpersonalstock-takingisacrucialattributeofasocietythatwishestoco-existpeacefullywhilesimultaneouslyevolvingandmaintainingindividuality.©2005byBenjaminR.NathanStoryOutline:YosefYitzchakBarakistheex-ChassidfromBrooklynturnedMossadagentinParis.AfterrunningawayfromyeshivaandjoiningtheIsraeliArmy,thespyAgencyoftheyoungnation-stateselectsYoseftoinfiltratetheChassidiccommunityofParis.Hismission:tobecometheapprenticetothereligiousleaderofthecommunity,aright-wingrabbithatthegovernmentfearswillinspireanotherYigalAmir*.Yosefhasnotroublegettingclosetotherabbi,butmustconfrontthewakingnightmaresthatplaguehim:memoriesofhimselfat6yearsold,clutchinghisfather’sdeadbodyafterhehassufferedamassiveheartattackintheritualbath;fearsofbetrayalbylovedones;turmoilabouthisJewish-Israeliidentity;andtheultimateconflictofbetrayingtherabbi(anewfather-figure),whilelivingwithhislovefortheclergyman’syoungestdaughterRivka.*YigalAmiristheextremistreligiousIsraeliassassinofPrimeMinisterYitzchakRabin.Heiscurrentlyservingalifesentenceplus14yearsinprisonforhiscrime.

Nursing

224 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 64 Kristen Bissonnette (Robert Dumas), Department of Nursing, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Childhood Obesity

ChildhoodobesityhasreachedepidemicproportionsintheUnitedStates;over30%ofchildrenages6-19areconsideredoverweight,and[ofthese,15%areconsideredobese.]Afterperformingaliteraturereviewofchildhoodobesity,dataanalysisdeterminedthatachild’sweightisadirectresultofhisorherenvironment,dailyactivities,andfamily’slifestyle.Therefore,thefocusofthisresearchprojectisonchangingthefamily’slifestyleasawhole.Thepurposeofthisresearchprojectistoprovideinformationforparentstouseinmodifyinglifestylesandinunderstandingthecause,complications,andtreatmentsforchildhoodobesity.Inanefforttoreducetheprevalenceofchildhoodobesitythroughouttheregionaweb-sitewasdevelopedandaninformationalpamphletwasdistributedtolocalmiddleschools.Thepamphletisaneducationaltooltargetingparentsinattemptstodefinechildhoodobesity,identifythecausesanddangers,andillustrateinterventionstopreventunhealthylifestyles.Theweb-siteincludesthreedomains:education,etiology,andaffectingbehavioralchanges.Theeducationdomain’sobjectiveisforparentstogainaworkingknowledgeonthedefinitionsandprevalenceofchildhoodobesity.Theetiologydomain’spurposeisfortheaudiencetobetterunderstandthecausesofchildhoodobesityindividualtoeachfamily.Thegoalofthebehavioraldomainistosuggestwaysthatuserscouldmodifytheirownlifestylesinordertodecreasetheprevalenceofchildhoodobesity.Bybringingchildhoodobesityintotheawarenessoffamiliesthereisadecreasedincidenceofitoccurringinthefuture.Althoughchildhoodobesitycannotbecuredovernight,parentsandchildrencanmodifytheirlifestylesbymakingonechangeatatime.

225 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 66 Inge Costa (Kristin Sethares), Department of Nursing, UMass Dartmouth, N. Dartmouth, MA, 02747-2300


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Differences in Adaptation to the Nursing Home

Problem/JustificationandPurposeStatement:By2030therewillbeseventybillionpeopleovertheageof65intheUnitedStates.Asignificantpercentofthispopulationmayrequirelongtermcareinanursinghomeorassistedlivingfacility.Thetransitionfromhomecanbeadifficultdecisionpotentiallycausingdistressforsomepeople.Thisprojectexploredhowpeoplecopewiththetransitionfromtheirownhometoanursinghomeandwhysomepeoplegiveupallhopedespitethefactthatfamilyandfriendsoffertheirsupport,helpandlove.Thepurposeofthisstudywastodiscoverwaysthatmighthelpnursinghomestaffandfamilymembersreinstateasenseofhopeandlifeinterestintheseresidents.MethodsorProcedures:Nursinghomeresidentswereinterviewedaspartofaclinicalexperience.Astandardquestionnairewithfivequestionswasusedtocompiledata.Qualitativeanalysisofcommonthemesidentifiedduringtheinterviewswasdone.Findings/Results:Themajorityofresidentsinterviewedhadmadeaconsciousdecisionaboutlivinginanursinghome,eitherafterthedeathofaspouseorafterbeingdiagnosedwithachronicillness.Residentswhomadeaconsciousdecisionadjustedbettertolifeinanursinghomeandshowedmoreenthusiasminparticipatingindailyactivities.Theyfeltsaferbeingsurroundedbypeoplewhocaredforthem.Implicationsfornursing:Overalltheresearchshowedthatpeoplewhomakeaconsciousdecisiontoliveinanursinghomeadaptmorereadilytolifeinthenursinghomeandarewillingtoacceptresponsibilityfortheirownhealthonadailybasis.

226 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 62 Dustin Fitch (Marueen McRae), Department of Nursing, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Experiences of Men in Women’s Health Rotation at Salem State College

Thisstudyinvestigatesfactorsinfluencingthedecisionofmalenursingstudentstopursuecareersinwomen’shealth.ArecentstudybyMcRaesuggeststhat“nurseeducatorsmustrecognizethepotentialnegativeimpactofattitudesimposedonmeninacademia.”Giventheexistenceoftraditionalsex-rolestereotypinginnursingandhealthcare,educatorsshouldworktoremovebiasesthatmightexistamongnursingstudents,nursingfacultyandothernursesontheclinicalfloorinordertoopendoorsformentoenterthefieldofwomen’shealth;indeed,togiveallthosewhowishtoenternursing,regardlessofgender,anequalchancetobeskilledprofessionalsacrossallfields.Thisstudyreportsonaconveniencesampleoffivemalenursingstudentswhohavecompletedthewomen’shealthrotationrequiredoftheSchoolofNursingatSalemStateCollege.Throughtape-recordedinterviewsincluding10open-endedquestions,datawillbecollectedassessingoverallimpressionsoftheirexperiencesasmalesinthewomen’shealthrotation.Ifresultssuggestthatexperiencesinthisclinicalrotationdoindeedaffectmen’sdecisiontoenterwomen’shealth,educatorsandclinicianswillbenefitfromreviewofthisdata.

227 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 63 Heather Fleming (Marueen McRae), Department of Nursing, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Career Longevity And The Expert Nurse

Inthehighlydemandingfieldofhealthcare,itappearsthatnursesmayeitherchoosetoremainintheprofessionorchangetheircareerpathsduetohindrancesintheirjobsatisfaction.Nevertheless,manynursesremainintheprofessionformanyyears.Thepurposeofthisstudyistoidentifyvariablesthatcontributetocareerlongevityidentifiedbyexpertnurses.Forthisstudy,PatriciaBenner’scriteriaoftheexpertnursewereused.Intheliteraturetoday,thereseemstobealackofinformationonthesubjectofcareerlongevity;insteadthereisasignificantamountofthoughtinthetopicofburnout.ParticipantswererandomlyinvitedtoparticipateinthisstudyfromalistgeneratedfromHumanResourcesatBeverlyHospitalofnurseswhohadtwentyormoreyearsofnursingexperience.Meetingswerearrangedwiththerespondentswhoparticipatedinatenquestioninterviewwhichwasaudiorecordedandcompletedademographicworksheet.Sixty-threepercentoftheinviteesrespondedwhichresultedinasamplesize


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oftwelveparticipants.Thenursesdescribedtheirsatisfactionwiththeircareeraswellasaspectsofnursingthatweredislikeable.Overall,theparticipantsenjoyedtheirjob.Perhapsnurseswhohavebeenintheprofessionfortwentyormoreyearsenjoynursingsomuchthatnothing,expecttime,willevercausethemtobecomeburnedout.Thisstudywillpotentiallyaidthenursingprofessioninidentifyingfactorsthatpromotelongevityinnursingcareers.

228 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 61 Brianna Grohman (Jeanne Stacciarini), Department of Nursing, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Focus group interviewing in the jail setting: Exploring inmates’ perspectives on health and health education

Considerablehealthdisparitiesexistbetweenpopulationsincorrectionalfacilitiesandthegeneralpublicincludingdisproportionatelyhighratesofcommunicablediseases,substanceabuse,andmentalillness.Timesofincarcerationcanprovidevaluableopportunitiesforassessingthehealthneedsofhigh-riskpopulationsandimplementinghealthpromotionprogramsincludinghealtheducation.Thepurposeofthisstudywastoconductafocusgroupinterviewwithmaleinmatesinshort-termincarcerationatacountyjailtoexploretheirperspectivesonhowjailhasaffectedtheirhealth,andtheirviewsandexperienceswithhealtheducationtohelpguidefutureprogramming.Thefocusgroupinterviewprovidedarangeofperspectivesonpersonalandenvironmentalfactorsimpactinghealthinthejailsettinginpositiveandnegativeways.Theoverwhelmingconsensusofthegroupwasforhealtheducationtobeprovidedbyeitherpeersinthejaileducatedonhealthtopicsorbymembersofthecommunitywhohave“livedthelife”ofvarioushealthconditions.Theparticipants’responsessuggestadesiretogainknowledgeabouthealth,forinmatestobemoreactiveparticipantsinlearningandteachingofhealthinformation,andforhealtheducationtoaddressthelivedexperienceofincarceration.Theresultssupporttheuseandenhancementofpeereducationhealthprogramscurrentlybeingimplementedinthejailandalsocallforexpansionoftopicsaddressedbyexistinghealtheducationprogramstoincludenotonlycommunicablediseasesbutalsocancer,steroiduse,exercise,andmentalhealth.Theeffectivenessandlimitationsoffocusgroupinterviewingtoassessperspectivesonhealthandhealtheducationinthejailsettingarediscussedaswellasrecommendationsforfutureresearch.

229 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 65 Melissa Mathews (Donna Zucker), Department of Nursing, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Barriers and Facilitators for BSN Prepared Nurses in their Pursuit of Graduate Nursing Education

Purpose:Thepurposeofthishonorsthesiswas(1)toperformanextensivereviewoftheliterature(ROL)regardingbarriersandfacilitatorstoBSNstudentspursuinggraduateeducationinnursingand(2)toperformasecondaryanalysisoftheNACNEP’s2000NationalSampleSurveyofRegisteredNurses.ThespecificaimsoftheROLwereto:(1)discusstrendsinnursingrelatedtoeducation,employment,andtheshortage,(2)outlinetheroleandimportanceofgraduatepreparednursesinhealthcare,(3)discusstheeffectsoftheshortageofgraduatepreparednursesintheworkforce,and(4)identifybarriersandfacilitatorstoBSNgraduatespursuinggraduateeducation.Methods:Thisthesisbeganwithareviewofarticlespublishedbetween1980and2005.Stateandnationalreportsrelevanttothetopicwerealsoincluded.Thesecondphaseofmyresearchincludesasecondaryanalysisofanexistingnationaldatasettodrawconclusionsaboutthecharacteristicsofnurseswhodo/donotpursuegraduateeducation.Results:Fifteenarticleswereobtainedandmajorbarrierstothepursuitofgraduateeducationinnursingincluded:a)lackoffaculty,b)financialrestrictions,c)jobstress/dissatisfaction,d)incorrectbeliefsregardingtheroleofgraduatepreparednursesintheworkforce,e)familyresponsibilities,f)lackofincentiverelatedtocareeradvancement,g)unsupportivecolleagues,h)timemanagement,andi)demographicrestrictions.Facilitatorstothepursuitofgraduateeducationinnursingidentifiedintheliteratureincluded:a)experiencewithadvancedpracticenursesasfaculty,mentors,andpreceptors,b)provisionofchildcare,c)flexibleclassschedules,


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d)financialhelp,e)familyunitsupport,andf)personalvalues.Conclusions:LiteraturesupportstheneedforthegraduatepreparedRNtonotonlyprovideadvancednursingskilltoapatientpopulationwithanincreasingcomplexityofcare,buttoalsoeducatethefuturenursesofthiscountry.Barrierstothepursuitofgraduateeducationinnursingincludemainlyexternal,institutional,andsituationalbarrierswhereasfacilitatorsincludemainlyinternalanddispositional/attitudinalbarriers.MoreresearchisneededintheareasofidentifyingandsolvingbarrierstotheBSNgraduatenursepursuinggraduateeducation.

Nutrition & Food Science

230 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 37 Joycelyn Faraj (Kathleen Arcaro), Department of Animal Sciences, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Breast Milk and Lifestyle: Determining the Relationships among Diet, Body Composition, Toxicant Load and DNA Damage.

JoycelynFaraj(a),(b),EvaBrowne(c),KathleenArcaro,Ph.D(d),AlayneRonnenbergSc.D.(a)(a)NutritionDepartment,(b)MicrobiologyDepartment,(c)EnvironmentalScienceDepartment,(d)VeterinaryandAnimalScienceDepartmentSeveraltoxicants,suchasdioxins,furansanddioxin-likepolychlorinatedbiphenyls,areknowntoaccumulateinanimalsourcesoffoodandhumantissues,includingbreastmilk.Researchhasfoundthatmorethan90%ofhumanexposuretodioxinsandfuransoriginatesfromfoodsources1.Apositivecorrelationhasbeenfoundbetweenintakeofdietaryfatsandbreastcancerrisk2.Thepurposeofthisstudywastoinvestigatetherelationshipsamongdiet,bodycomposition,toxicantloaddetectedinbreastmilkandDNAdamageinexfoliatedbreastepithelialcells.Studyparticipantsdonatedabreastmilksample,completedadietandlifestylequestionnaireandwillundergoabodycompositionscan.Fifteenwomenbetweentheagesof26and40yearslivinginHampshireorFranklinCounty,Massachusettsdonatedasinglebreastmilksample.ThecellportionofthebreastmilkwascollectedviacentrifugationandthebreastepithelialcellswereisolatedwithparamagneticbeadsconjugatedtotheantibodytoHumanEpithelialAntigen(HEA-125)3.Analiquotwascollectedfromeachbreastmilksampletotestfordioxin-likeactivityusingcell-basedreporterassays.DNAdamageoftheexfoliatedbreastepithelialcellswasdetectedbysingle-cellgelelectrophoresis(alsoknownastheCometAssay).BodycompositionwillbedeterminedbyaDualEnergyX-rayAbsorptiometryscan(DEXAscan).WehypothesisthatdietandbodycompositioncanbecorrelatedwiththeamountoftoxicantsfoundinbreastmilkandDNAdamageintheexfoliatedbreastepithelialcells.1.Liem,A.K.;Furst,P.;Rappe,C.Exposureofpopulationstodioxinsandrelatedcompounds.FoodAddit.Contam.2000,17,241-259.2.AlothaimeenA,EzzatA,MohamedG,MuammarT,Al-MadoujA.DietaryfatandbreastcancerinSaudiArabia:acase-controlstudy.EastMediterrHealthJ.2004Nov;10(6):879-86.3.Http://www.miltenyibiotec.com/index.php?site=MACS-principle

231 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 38 Jessica Maillet (Nancy Cohen), Department of Nutrition & Food Science, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Development and Evaluation of a Community Garden Program: Effect on Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Physical Activity of Adult Participants

Thepurposeofthisresearchwastodevelopandevaluateacommunitygardensitewhichwasestablishedduringthesummerof2005todeterminetheeffectsonfruitandvegetableconsumption,leisuretimephysicalactivity,communityacceptance,andoveralloutcome.Twentyparticipantswereprovidedwithafreegardenplotand100gardenplants.Eightsubjectsparticipatedinpre-test,mid-test,andpost-testsurveyingduringJune,JulyandSeptember,respectively.Subjectsconsistedofcommunity-residingindividualslivinginandaroundLeominster,Massachusetts.UsingMicrosoftExcel2000asastatisticalanalysistool,totalfruit


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consumptiondecreasedsignificantly(p=0.01)fromtheearlysummertothemidsummer,aswellasfromtheearlysummertothelatesummer.Asignificantincreasewasalsoseeninvegetableconsumption,specificallytomatointake(p=0.05)fromtheearlysummertothemidsummerandtheearlysummertothelatesummer.Therewerenosignificantchangesinleisuretimephysicalactivity,butpaireddatashowsthattherewasasmallbutnon-significantdecreaseinnon-leisuretimephysicalactivityandasmallbutnon-significantincreaseinleisuretimephysicalactivity.Thecommunitygardenprogramservedasanadequatecommunityoutletforcommunitymemberstogrowtheirownproduce.Qualitativeparticipantresponsesindicatethattheprogramwassuccessfulandwillcontinueforthe2006season.

Physics

232 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 43 Albert Kamanzi (D.V.G.L.N Rao), Department of Physics, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Nonlinear Transmission Characteristics of Azopolymer Films

Theuniquepropertiesofnonlinearopticalstructuresallowustobuildsmall,lowcostall-opticalsystemssuchasall-opticalswitchesforthenext-generationall-opticalnetworks,opticalparalleldataprocessorandgogglesforprotectingeyefromlaserradiation.Photorefractivecrystals,chromophoresandbiopolymersareusedforsomeoftheapplications.Recentlyazobenzenedopedpolymerfilmshavebeenusedtodemonstrateopticalpowerlimiting.Theprincipleisbasedonthealignmentofazobenzenemoleculesusingapolarizedopticalbeam(actinicbeam)andscramblingthealignmentusinganotherpolarizedbeam(pumpbeam).Whenthefilmisplacedbetweencrossedpolarizersandtheactinicintensityiskeptconstant,powerlimitingbehaviorisobserved.Thelimitingthresholdlevelcanbevariedbytheactinicbeam.Butitisintriguingtoseewhathappenstothetransmissionofthepumpbeamwhentheactinicbeamintensityisvariedsystematically.Theresultsoftheexperimentsarepresented.

233 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 45 Huai-Ti Lin (Monroe Rabin), Department of Physics, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Force Measurement by Induced Dynamic Impulse (Fmidi) and Its Application to Studies of Mammalian Locomotion

Amongthevarioustypesofanimallocomotion,fossoriallocomotion,ordigging,isperhapstheleaststudied,mainlybecauseitsdynamicsinvolveinteractionwithnon-uniformsurroundings.Inanattempttoovercomethetechnicalobstacleofmeasuringfossoriallocomotorforces,aperturbationmethodisproposedasanewapproachtoforcemeasurementforobjectsinmotion.Anyconductiveobjectissensitivetothemagneticfluxitexperiences.Achangeoffluxinduceslocalcurrentsintheobject,whichinturninteractwiththeoriginalnon-uniformfieldandresultinaforcebetweentheexternalfieldproducerandtheobject.Byintegratingthisforceoverthetimecourse,weknowthetotalimpulsegivenbyaspecificinduction.Thisprojectseekstoutilizethisknownimpulseasadynamicperturbation.Byattachingsmallconductiveobjects(orimpulsors)ontherigidpartsofthedigginganimals,wecanintroduceperturbationsintotheirlocomotionwithoutlayingourhandsonthem.Ifwecanmeasuretheeffects(changeinvelocity)oftheseperturbationsintroducedatgiventimeperiodsduringthelocomotion,wethenhaveasenseoftheinertia(m=Fdt/dv).Basedonthisinformation,theindigenousforcesfromagivenpartoftheanimalcanbeestimated(F=ma).Theinductioncanbeaccomplishedbychangingtheimpulsor(geometryorposition)relativetoastaticB-fieldoremployingachangingexternalfield.Inthisstudy,asimplifiedtheoreticalschemeisbeingtestedonafree-fallingmetalball(impulsorbyitself).Theeffectoftheperturbationisevaluatedthroughkinematicsdatacollectedbyahigh-speedcamera.Specificallywemeasurechangeinthefreefallvelocityoftheimpulsorcausedbyaretardingforce(aresultofthecurrentsinducedintheimpulsorbyanexternalmagneticfield).Themeasurementisdoneby


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imageanalysisonthefallingimpulsor.Combiningtheimageanalysisandmagneticimpulsecalculationproducesanestimationofthegravitationalforce.Itisfoundthatsuchmeasurementisaccuratewithinacertainrangeofvelocityforcertainforces.However,muchofthelimitationcanbeattributedtotheinstrumentalconstraintswhichshouldloosenwhenbetterinstrumentsbecomeaccessible.

234 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 47 Samantha Lord (Ronald MacTaylor), Department of Physics, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

The Physics of Skydiving

Thisprojectleapsintotheintersectionofelementaryphysicsandtheever-more-popularsportofskydiving.UsingaPROTRAKtomeasurespeedor“fallrate”atvaryingaltitudes,thisexperimenter,anexperiencedskydiver,comparesthreeskydivingbodypositions,“belly-to-earth”,“sitflying”and“head-downflying”,demonstratingmeasurabledifferencesinspecificaccelerationanddrag.AcomponentoftheprojectistheproductionofaDVDrecordofthejumpsintendedforusewitharelatedworksheetasaneducationaltoolforuseinintroductoryphysicsclasses.

235 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 46 Matt Marzilli (Narayanan Menon), Department of Physics, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Crumpling of Thin Polymer Films

CrumplingofThinPolymerFilms.MEGANJUSZKIEWICZ,MATTHEWMARZILLINARAYANANMENON,DepartmentofPhysics,UniversityofMassachusetts,Amherst,YAOLIN,T.P.RUSSELL,DepartmentofPolymerScienceandEngineering,UniversityofMassachusetts,Amherst,WIMH.DEJEU,FOM-InstituteforAtomicandMolecularPhysics,Amsterdam.Bydevelopingpolymersheetswithathickness,h<100nmandlateraldimensions,LXL~1cmx1cmweareabletostudythegeometryofsheetsofveryhighaspectratio(L/h~10^5).Thesepolymerfilmscanbemechanicallycrumpledorforcedintoasmallervolumewithoutsignificanttearingordistortions.Oneoftheissueswehavefocusedonisthecharacterizationofthe3-dimensionalgeometryofacrumpledsheet.Oureverydayexperiencewithcrumpledsheetstellsusthatthecurvatureinthincrumpledsheetsisconcentratedalonglinesthatwerefertoasridges.Opticalmicroscopyonuncrumpledpolymerfilmsshowsthatthefilmsstillshowastrongnetworkofridgesformedduringthecrumplingprocessthatcanbecharacterizedbyimageanalysis.Through3-dimensionalconfocalmicroscopywearealsoabletostudyastill-crumpledfilmcontainedinahydrogelmoldandanalyzethenetworkofridgesthatresultfromthecrumplingprocess.Wewillshowourcurrentimageanalysisofthese2and3dimensionalapproaches.Thesewillrepresentthefirst3-dimensionalstructuralstudiesofacrumpledfilm.

236 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 44 Gentian Rrudho (Joan Brenner), Department of Physics, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Solar Energy and Policymakers

Scientistshaveraisedseriousquestionsregardingthefutureofenergyavailability.Solartechnologymayhaveconsiderableimpactinincreasingenergyproductioninthefuture.Thisprojectwillexplorepresentsolarenergyproduction,whatmaybedonetoincreasefutureproduction,andestimatewhatthatproductionmaybe.Theprojectwillalsofocusontherelationshipbetweensolarenergy’ssupportersandpolicymakers.Sourceswillbescientificstudies,governmentalandindustrywebsites,andenvironmentaljournals.Theprojectwilldemonstratethenecessityofgovernmentalinvolvementinthefutureimplementationofsolarenergy.


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Psychology

237 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 70 Anelle M DeFranzo Alicia R Rountree Elizabeth Antista (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Internet versus Face-to-Face Encounters: The Effects of Shyness on Relationship Formation

Theabilitytomeetanddatepeopledecreaseswhenonegraduatesfromcollege.Asaresultofthisdifficulty,bothpopularandscientificliteraturedemonstratesagrowingtrendofadultsformingrelationshipsonline.However,personalitycharacteristicssuchasshynessmaystronglyinfluencetheuseofcomputerversusface-to-face(FTF)strategies.Weexaminedthedatingstrategiesusedbycollegestudentsandperceptionsoftheeffectsofshynessonpeople’spreferencesofformingrelationshipsthroughinternetandFTFencounters.Collegestudents(120)wererandomlyassignedtoreadoneoffourscenariosdescribingeitherashyornotshy,maleorfemale.Afterreadingthescenario,measuresofsocialavoidanceanddistress,likelihoodofusingtheinternettoformrelationships,internetdependency,shynessandself-esteemscaleswerecompletedforboththescenariocharacterandtheparticipants.AseriesoftwofactorANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexaminehowtheroleofshynesscontributestoformingrelationshipsineitheraFTForinternetencounter.Itispredictedthatcollegestudentswillperceiveshypeopleasmorelikelytousetheinternettoestablishrelationshipsthanthosewhoarenotshy.Inaddition,theywillperceivepeoplewhoformrelationshipsthroughFTFencountersashavinghigherself-esteemthanthosewhoforminternetrelationships.Further,shycollegestudentswillreportgreaterinternetusethanthosewhoarenotshy.Resultswillbediscussedastheyaddresstheissuesfacingasocietythatisgrowingevenmoredependentontechnologyandtheinternettoformrelationshipsindailylife.

238 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 72 Carol Casey Claudia Araujo (Anna Flanagan),Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Perceived Effects of Biological Sex and Dating Behavior on College Students’ Academic Achievement

AbstractThisstudywasdesignedtoexaminecollegestudents’perceptionsoftheeffectsofdatingstatusandbiologicalsexonacademicachievement.Academicachievementwasassessedbyanumberoffactors:AcademicSelf-Efficacy(academicself-conceptandacademicmotivation),CourseOutcomes(numberofstudyandcurrentandprevioussemester’sGPAs),andFutureAcademicOrientation(likelihoodofgraduatingfromcollegeandattendinggraduateschool).Asampleof180collegestudents(80%women)wasrandomlyassignedtoread1of6scenariosconcerningacharacter’sbiologicalsexanddatingstatus(Steady/Serious,Frequent/NotSerious,andRare/NotSerious).Participantswerethenaskedtocompletemeasuresassessingtheirperceptionsofthescenariostudent’sacademicachievement.Resultsindicatedthatacrossallmeasures,participantsperceivedfemalescenariostudentstohavehigheracademicachievementthanmalescenariostudents.Inaddition,scenariostudentswithasteady/seriousdatingstatuswereperceivedtoexperiencehigheroverallacademicachievementthanthescenariostudentsinallotherdatingstatuses.Implicationsofthisstudyincludecollegestudents’perceptionsofseriousdatingrelationshipsfunctioningasalegitimatesourceofsupport,andnotahindranceordistractiontoasuccessfulacademiclife.


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239 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 67 Andrea Bianchi (Pamela Ludemann), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Perceptions of Preferred Social Environments: The Impact of Interpersonal Style on Individuals’ Motivation to Initiate Internet Relationships

Avarietyoffactorsmotivateindividualstoseeksocialinteractionsandtoforminterpersonalrelationshipsinaninternetenvironment.Thisstudywasdesignedtoexaminetheimpactofinterpersonalinteractionstyle,introversionandsocialanxietyonindividuals’motivationtosocializeandinitiateinterpersonalrelationshipsontheinternet.Participantsincluded120adults,ages18to69,68%ofwhomwerewomenand90%Caucasian.Eachwasaskedtocompleteaquestionnaireconsistingofscalesassessinginterpersonalinteractionstyle,degreesofintroversion,levelsofsocialanxiety,andinternetexperience.Inaddition,toassessperceptionsoftheinternetasapreferredsocialenvironment,participantswererandomlyassignedtoreadingoneoffourscenarios.Withinthefourscenarios,characters’levelsofintroversionandsocialanxietyweremanipulated.Resultsshowedaperceivedinternetsocialenvironmentpreferenceforintrovertswithandwithoutsocialanxietyaswellassociallyanxiousextroverts.Interestingly,findingsindicatedthatonlythenon-sociallyanxiousextrovertswereperceivedaspreferringsocialinteractioninaface-to-facesocialenvironment.Thesefindingsareconsistentwithpastresearch.Overall,itappearsthattheinternetmayaffordintrovertsandsociallyanxiousindividualstheopportunitytosatisfysocialinteractionneedswithouttheinhibitionassociatedwithface-to-facesocialinteractions.Useoftheinternetsocialenvironmentasatooltofacilitatesubsequentface-to-faceinterpersonalrelationshipsisdiscussed.

240 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 69 Taylor Buckley (Michael Constantino), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Relationship Quality in Young Adults

GeneralRelationshipIdealsandIntimacyinCollegeStudentsasafunctionofparentaldivorceandconflict.TaylorL.Buckley(Dr.MichaelConstantino),DepartmentofPsychology,UniversityofMassachusetts-Amherst,AmherstMA01003Thepresentstudywillinvestigatethedirectandinteractiveeffectsofparentaldivorceandparentalconflictduringmarriageonthechild’srelationshipqualityinyoungadulthood.Inparticular,thestudywillassessparticipants’currentexperienceswithintimacy,relationshipsatisfaction,commitment,trust,love,andpassion.Theseassociationswillalsobeassessedtakingtheindividual’sattachmentstyleintoaccount,asthismayhaveabearingonthelonger-termimplicationsofdivorceandmaritalconflict.Thestudywillbeconductedinonelaboratorysessioninwhichparticipantswillanswerseveralquestionnairesonacomputer.TheRelationshipQuestionnaire(Bartholomew&Horowitz,1991)willbeusedtoexamineattachmentstylebothcategoricallyandalongcontinuousdimensions;theFearofIntimacyScale(Descutner&Thelen,1991;Doi&Thelen,1993)measuresanxietyexperiencedincloserelationshipsincollegestudents;thePerceivedRelationshipQualityComponentsQuestionnaire(PRQC;Fletcher,Simpson&Thomas,2000),whichisan18-iteminventorywhichmeasuresRelationshipSatisfaction,Commitment,Intimacy,Trust,Passion,andLoveinpersonalrelationships;andtheMaritalConflictScale,asubscaleoftheFamilyStructureSurvey(Lopez,1991)whichmeasureslevelsofparentalconflict.Datawillbeanalyzedusingaregressionanalysismodeltostudytheinteractionsofthevariablesofdivorceandparentalconflictonintimacyandrelationshipideals.Resultsandfurtherimplicationsforstudywillalsobeaddressed.

241 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 53 Eileen A Velasquez Catherine Burke (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702


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The Effects of Viewing Pet Images on Stress Reduction in Women and Men

Severalstudieshavefoundthatpet-assistedtherapycanhelpreducepatients’anxiety.However,peopledonotalwayshavetheaccessibilitytobewithapetineverystressfulsituation.Therefore,thegoalsofthecurrentstudyaretoseeifsimplyviewingpetimagesreducesanxietyinastressfulsituationandtoexploregenderdifferencesinanxiety.Datacollectionhasbegunandthefinalsamplewillconsistof180collegestudents,ofwhom90willbewomenand90willbemen.Thisstudywillbeconductedinthreephases.Thefirsttwophaseshavedetailedinformedconsentprocedurestoensurethatparticipantsfeelcomfortablewithdrawingatanytime.Phase1willconsistofgatheringbaselineanxietyinformationandidentifyingparticipantswithastrongfearofspiders(togivethemamoreprivateopportunitytowithdrawfromPhase2).Phase2willexposeparticipantstoananxiety-provokingstimulus(alivetarantula).Afterwardstheywillthencompletethesecondanxietymeasure.Inphase3,participantswillexperienceoneofthreeexperimentalmanipulations:petimagery,natureimagery,ornoimageryandademographicsurvey.Theywillthenbeadministeredthefinalanxietymeasure.Itishypothesizedthatviewingpetimageswillreducestressmorethanviewingnatureimagesorviewingnoimages.Itisalsohypothesizedthatmaleswillhavelowerlevelsofanxietyattheendofthestudythenfemales.Ifthisstudyfindsthepetimagerycanhelpreducestressthenitsuggestsatherapeuticalternativetoliveanimals.

242 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 59 Sadiya Carr (Sheree Conrad), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Measurement of State Dissociation

Dissociationisanadaptiveresponsetoextremestress,whichcanbecomepathologicalwhenindividualsengageinchronicdissociationinresponsetocurrent,lesserstressors.Currently,withinthefieldofpsychology,thereareinstrumentstomeasuredissociationinindividuals,buttheyonlyinquireabouttraitdissociation;thatis,theyinquireaboutpastdissociativeexperiences.Whenanindividualundergoesthedissociativeprocesss/heisexperiencingstatedissociation,butthereareasyetnoinstrumentstomeasurestatedissociation.Thereforedevelopmentofastatemeasureisnecessarytoassesswhetherornot,andtowhatextent,individualsaredissociatingatagivenmoment.Thisstudyinvolvedthedevelopmentandvalidationofapaperandpencilmeasureofstatedissociationtobeusedforresearchpurposes.TheDissociationStateScaleisa50itemquestionnaireinquiringaboutdistortionsofmemory,sensation,perceptionandidentityexperiencedatthetimeoftesting.Thestudyuseddatacompiledfrommultiplesamplestodemonstrateinternalreliabilityofthescale,scalestructureanditscorrelationwithmeasurementsoftraitdissociationandtraumasymptoms,twoconstructstheoreticallyrelatedtostatedissociation.

243 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 56 Jessica Chiaretto (Lynn Shelley), Department of Psychology, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Resilience

Resilienceisaconceptusedtoexplainhowindividualsthrivedespiteexperiencingseeminglyimpossiblesituations.Assomeresearchershavenoted,thedataconcerningresilienceareunclearandunfocused.Anextensiveliteraturereviewofscholarlyjournalarticlesandbookswasconductedtoorganizetheexistingresearchandcreateaclearandcomprehensiveunderstandingoftheprocessofresilienceinchildrenandadolescentswhohaveexperiencedchronicadversity,suchaspovertyormaltreatment.Thispopulationisespeciallyvulnerable,andbystudyingtheirsituations,effectivepreventionandinterventionplanscanbedevelopedtohelpat-riskchildrensucceeddespiteunfavorablecircumstances.Comprehensivedefinitionsofkeyconceptsandrelatedtheoreticalperspectivesarediscussedbecausetheyareessentialtoexpandingtheknowledgebaseandfacilitatingfutureresearchinthisfield.Inaddition,researchonspecificpopulations,suchasfemalesandminoritygroups,isanalyzedtoprovideawell-roundedfoundationforthecomprehensionofresilience.Generalinterventionstrategiesandspecificprogramsdesignedtofosterresilienceinat-risk


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childrenandadolescentsareidentifiedanddiscussed,also.Theinformationpresentedisusedtodrawconclusionsontheexistingdataandtosuggestfuturedirectionsforresearchinthisfield.

244 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 65 Erin Cleary (Jannette McMenamy), Department of Psychology, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Sleep Disorders in College Students; The Causes, Treatment, and Prevention of

Thepurposeofthispaperistoaddresstheproblemofsleepdisordersincollegestudents.Duetorigorousschedules,collegestudentstendtohavedisruptedsleeppatternsandtoviewthemasnormal.ThispaperdrawsfromacollectionofstudiesandarticlesonthetopicsofthepossiblerelationshipbetweensleepandGPA’s,sleepdisordersincollegestudents,whysleepisnecessary,andhowmuchofitisappropriate,theoveralleffectsofsleeponanindividual’sdailylife,typicalcollegesleeppatterns,andsleepinrelationtoacademicperformance.Muchofthedatareviewedcomesfromcorrelationstudiesthatdemonstraterelationshipsbetweensleepandimportantfactorssuchasacademicperformance.Thetheorythatitsupportsiscollegestudentsarelackingknowledgeaboutboththebenefitsofsleepaswellasthewaystoimprovetheirqualityofsleep.Thepaperdescribesahelpfulandinformativepamphletandpresentationdevelopedtoassistcollegestudentsinlearningmoreaboutthebenefitsofsleep.Thepamphletwilloutlinebadsleephabitsandhowtochangeorpreventthemfromdeveloping.Itwillalsoshowthemhowtomaintainaregulatedsleeppatternofhighqualitysleep,andthusincreaserestandpromoteahigherleveloffunctioninginacademicarenas.

245 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 70 Caitlin E Shay Tessa Cordeiro (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

College Students Perceptions on the Effects Parental Mental Illness and Parental Alcoholism have on a Child’s Academic, Emotional and Behavioral Development.

IntheUnitedStates,manychildrenlivewithparentaldysfunction,asaresultofsubstanceabuseand/ormentalillness.Whileresearchsuggeststheremaybeseriouseffectsonchilddevelopmentasaresultofthedysfunction,littleisknownaboutcollegestudentawarenessofsuchissues.Thecurrentstudyexaminedcollegestudents’perceptionsontheeffectparentalmentalillnessandparentalalcoholismonacademic,emotionalandbehavioraldevelopmentofoffspring.Asampleof120collegestudentswasrandomlyassignedtoreadoneoffourscenariosaboutachildlivingwitheitheramaleorfemaleparentsufferingfromeitheralcoholismormentalillness.AseriesANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexamineperceptionsoftheeffectsofparentaldysfunctiononchilddevelopment.Itispredictedthatstudentswillperceivethatpaternalalcoholismwillhavemoredetrimentaleffectsonachilddevelopmentthanpaternalmentalillness.Inaddition,theywillperceivechildrentoholdmorenegativeattitudetowardsdysfunctionalfathersthanmothers.Finally,itispredictedthatcollegestudentswillperceivethatmaternaldysfunctionwillhavegreaternegativeeffectsonachild’sdevelopmentthanpaternaldysfunction.Resultswillbediscussedrelativetodevelopingeducationalprogramsforyoungadultsregardingtheeffectsofparentaldysfunctiononyoungchildren.Theimplicationsforcollegewideprogramsregardingtreatmentforbothofsubstanceabuseandmentaldysfunctionwillalsobediscussed.

246 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 68 Andrea Courtemanche (Jerrold Meyer), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Adolescent MDMA (Ecstasy) Exposure and its Effects on the 5-HT2A Receptor


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3,4methylendioxymethamphetamine,MDMA,aringsubstitutedamphetamine,isnowthesecondmostabusedclubdrugamongadolescents(ages17andyounger).ThishighuseofMDMAhasleadresearcherstoinvestigateitseffectsontheadolescentpopulation.Recentresultshaveshownthatafteranadolescentdosingregimeninrats,theserotonin1Areceptor(5-HT1A)becamedesensitized;howeverthedensityofthereceptordidnotchange.TheseresultshavesparkedresearchtestingtheeffectsthatMDMAmayhaveonotherserotoninreceptors.ThepresentstudyaimstodeterminetheeffectofMDMAuseduringadolescenceonthe5-HT2Areceptor,whichhasbeenlinkedtoemotionandcognition.Inthisstudy,48maleSprague-DawleyratswereadministeredMDMAorsalineeveryfivedaysfrompostnatalday(PD)35-60(agedeterminedtobeadolescenceinrats).OnPD67,animalswerechallengedwithDOI,a5-HT2Areceptoragonist,todeterminetheeffectsthatpretreatmentwithMDMAhadonthefunctionofthereceptor.Afterthechallenge,onPD69,animalsweresacrificedandbrainsampleswereassayedtodeterminethedensityofthereceptor.ItispredictedthatanimalspretreatedwithMDMAwillhaveacompensatoryupregulationofthe5-HT2Areceptorduetoadecreaseinlevelsofserotonincausedbylong-termMDMAuse.ItisalsoanticipatedthattheelevationinthereceptorlevelwillleadtoanincreaseinthebehaviorsinducedbyDOIcomparedtosalinepretreatedanimals.

247 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 56 Nicole Cunningham (Robert Donahue), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Alcohol’s Effects on Risky Sexual Behavior in College Students

Theuseofalcoholhasbeenshowntoincreasethelikelihoodofparticipationinriskysexualbehaviors.Thisstudywasconductedtodeterminetheeffectsofdrinkingoncollegestudentsperceptionsofriskysexualbehavior.Participantswere111womenfromasmallNortheasternStateCollege.Participantswerepresentedwitheitheramaleorfemalescenariocharacterwhohadengagedinunprotectedsex.Scenariocharactersvariedinlevelofalcoholconsumption.Participantsthenratedthepromiscuityofthescenariocharacters;finally,participantsansweredquestionsabouttheirownalcoholuseandriskysexualbehaviors.Resultsshowedthatmalescenariocharacterswerejudgedtobemorepromiscuousthanfemales.Resultsalsoindicatedastrongposetivecorrelationbetweenparticipants’personalalcoholconsumption,andtheirownriskysexualbehaviors.

248 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 66 Ian M Rugg Kathryn DeVisscher (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Gender, Religious Beliefs, Risk-Taking, and Attitudes toward Sexual

Sexualeducationplaysavitalroleinprotectingone’shealth.Withoutthepropereducationthereisagreaterriskofengaginginhigh-risksexualbehaviorwhichcanthenincreasetheriskofsexuallytransmitteddiseasesandunplannedpregnancies(Baldwin,Whiteley&Baldwin,1990).Collegestudentsareparticularlyatriskbuttherearenostudieswhichhavelookedattheirattitudestowardsexualeducation.Therefore,onegoalthisstudyistoexaminecollegestudents’attitudestowardssexualeducation.Asecondgoalistoexploretherelationshipbetweengender,religion,risktakingpersonality,andhigh-risksexualbehaviors.Datacollectionhasbegunanditisexpectedthattheparticipantswillbe120collegestudents(50%female).Participantswillberandomlyassignedtoreadaflyerforasexualeducationcourse(comprehensiveorabstinenceonly)andtheywillthenbeaskedabouttheirattitudestowardthecourse.Theywillalsocompleteself-reportmeasuresofreligiosity,sexualattitudes,sensationseekingbehavior,andhighrisksexualbehavior.Itisanticipatedthatfemaleparticipantswhoreadthescenariofeaturingthecomprehensivesexualeducationcoursewillhavethemostfavorableattitudetowardsexeducation,whilemaleparticipantswhoreadthescenariofeaturingtheabstinenceonlycoursewillhavetheleastfavorableattitudetowardsexeducation.Inaddition,religiositywillbenegativelycorrelatedwithhighrisksexualbehaviorwhilesensationseekingwillbepositivelycorrelatedwithhighrisksexualbehavior.Resultsofthestudywillhelpleadtoanimprovedunderstandingofhowtobettereducatestudentsonsexuality.


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249 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 60 Lindsay Mele Victoria Ellis (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

An Archival Study of Facial Prominence in Male-Female Dyads

Previousresearchhasfoundthatpicturesofmenoftenfocusontheirfaceswhilepicturesofwomenoftenfocusonalargerportionoftheirentirebody.Thisphenomenon,knownasface-ism,orthefacialprominenceeffect,hasbeenfoundinstudiesofprintadvertisements,newsarticles,andevenart.Face-ismisaconcernbecauseotherresearchhasfoundthatperceptionsofpowerarehigherinpictureswherethesubjects’facesareprominentcomparedtopicturesthatshowthesubjects’entirebody.Therefore,face-ismmaybecontributingtothestereotypethatmenaremorepowerfulthanwomen.Todate,face-ismresearchershaveanalyzedindividualpicturesofeithermenorwomen.Thecurrentstudycontributestotheliteraturebyinvestigatingwhetherornotface-ismpersistsinpictureswheremenandwomenarepicturedtogetherinoneimage.Approximately300pictureswereobtainedfromavarietyofmagazines.Eachpicturewascodedindependentlybytworesearchers.Theresearcherseachcalculatedaface-ismscoreforthemenandwomenineachpicture.Theface-ismscoreswillbecompareduntilaninter-coderreliabilitycoefficientof.99isreached.Basedonpreviousresearch,itisexpectedthatmenwillbepicturedwithahigherdegreeofface-ismthanwomen.Ifface-ismpersistsinpicturesofmale-femaledyads,itholdsimportantimplicationsforunderstandingthepervasivenessofgenderstereotypesportrayedinthemedia.

250 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 69 Amanda Fine (Nilanjana Dasgupta), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Effect of Ultra-thin Media Images on Women’s Implicit Self-Esteem and Perceived Attractiveness

Currently,inAmericansociety,womenarepressuredtocomformtoanultra-thinidealthatis,forthemostpart,unattainableforthemajorityofwomen.Thisstudyexamineshowultra-thinmediaimagesaffectwomen’sself-ratingsandself-perceptions.135femaleparticipantsfromtheUniversityofMassachusettswererecruitedforthisstudyandwereselectedbasedonpre-determinedlevelsofappearancefocus,orhowmuchtheyinternalizethethinideal.Participantswerethenexposedtooneofthreeconditions-theyeitherreadanarticleportrayingdietingandthinnessasattainable,ortheyreadanarticleportrayingitasunnatainable(AdoptedfromMillsetal.,2002).Finally,thethirdgroupofwomenreadacontrolarticlefromNationalGeographics.Participantswerethensupraliminallyexposedtoultra-thinmediaimagestakenfrompopularmagazines(e.g.Victoria’sSecret).Participantsweretoldthatduringeachtrial,anumberofstimuliwillappearonscreeninrapidsuccessionandtheirtaskwillbetoattendtothelaststimuluspresentedonscreen(apatternofdots)andguesswhethertherewasanoddorevennumberofdots.Aftertheprimingmanipulation,participantsfilledoutaself-perceptionofattractivenessrating(adaptedfromStapel&Blanton,2004),andthenimplicitself-esteemwasmeasuredusinganImplictAssociationsTest.Resultsarestillbeinganalyzed.

251 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 52 Maria Fragoso (Michael Milburn), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Effects of Semantically Driven Selective Attention on Visual Memory Encoding

Selectiveattentiontheoriesexplainhowemotionalassociationsincreaseobject-basedvisualencodingviathebottom-upcognitiveprocess.Experimentsinthistheoreticaldomainhavereliedonimageidentificationorrecallofemotionallyvalancedimages


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tomeasureselectiveattention.Thehypothesispredictsthatnegativelyvalancedemotionalsemanticsasprimingcantriggeraselectiveattentionresponseintheencodingofvisuallyneutralinformationasmeasuredbyartisticexpression.TwogroupswillbetestedbyhavingthemreplicateVanGogh’slastpainting.Group1ismadeawareofthefactthathecommittedsuicidejustaftercompletingtheimage.Group2isgivenneutralinformationabouttheimage.Theimagebyitselfisofanemotionallyneutrallandscape.Color,texture,contrast,andoverallcontextualaccuracyofthepaintingsarebeingmeasuredusingthevisualanalysissoftwareprovidedbytheNIH,MacOSXJImagesoftware.Abriefsurveyisusedtotesttoidentifyanyrelationshipbetweenpersonaleducational/psychologicalexperiencesofeachsubjectandthepaintingtheyhavereplicatedfrommemory.Astrongermemoryencodingforobject,spatial,andcoloraspectsfromthesubjectswhohavebeenemotionallyprimedisanticipated.Specifically,theexperimentalgroupispredictedtoproducemoreaccuratepaintingsasdeterminedbyt-tests.Thisfindingwillbeexplainedbyefficientobject-basedvisualmemoryencodingviacognitivebottom-upassociationsmadebyselectiveattentionthatwastriggeredbynegativelyvalancedsemanticpriming.

252 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 62 Stacy Friedman (Linda Isbell), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Failing to Make the Grade: Anxiety Suppression and the Relationship between Stereotype Threat and Math Performance

Stereotypethreatisthefearofconfirminganegativestereotypeaboutone’sgroup,whichthennegativelyimpactsone’sperformance.Anxietyisthoughttoplayaroleinstereotypethreat,buttherehasbeenmixedevidencetosupportthisbelief.Thisstudyinvestigatedwhetherpeopleunderstereotypethreataretryingtosuppresstheiranxietiesratherthanreportthem.Inthisstudy,participantswereeitheraskedtosuppresstheiremotions,expresstheiremotions,orgivennospecialinstructionsbeforetakingamathtestunderstereotypethreatornostereotypethreatconditions.TheEmotionalStroopTaskwasusedtoindirectlymeasureanxiety.Inthistask,ifparticipantsarefeelinganxious,theyareslowertonamethecolorofanxiety-relatedwords,becausethecontentoftheworddistractsthem.Resultsindicatethatwomen,regardlessofcondition,showedimpairedperformanceontheEmotionalStroopTaskforanxietyrelativetoneutralwords,indicatingthattheywerefeelinganxiety.Womenintheemotionalexpressionconditionperformedbetteronthemathtestthanthoseinthecontrolandemotionalsuppressionconditions.Also,womenperceivedtheydidbetteronthemathtestundernostereotypethreatiftheywereaskedtosuppresstheiremotionsrelativetothoseinthestereotypethreatcondition.However,thoseintheemotionalexpressionconditionperceivedtheydidbetteronthemathtestunderstereotypethreatcomparedtothenostereotypethreatcondition.Theresultsarediscussedintermsoftheimplicationsforanxietyandstrategiestoovercomethisanxietyinstereotypethreat.

253 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 57 Jennifer DeManche David Gorman (Robert Donahue), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Actual and Perceived Parental Styles and The Ramifications on Adult Child-Parent Relationships

Child-parentrelationshipshaveaprofoundeffectondevelopmentandbehaviorthroughoutachild’slife.Thisstudywasdesignedtoexaminelateadolescents’andyoungadults’relationshipswiththeirparents.Specifically,basedonself-reportsofpastandcurrentparentchildinteractionsandevaluationsofhypotheticaladultparent-childinteractions,parentalstylequalitieswereexamined.Parentalstyleanditsbearingonthechild-parentrelationshiponcetheadult-childhasbecomeindependentwerealsolookedat.Thevolunteers,ages18-23,wererandomlyassignedtoreadingoneoffourscenariosportrayingdifferentparentalstyles(authoritative,authoritarian,permissive,andneglectful).The94participantswereaskedtoratethedepictedchild-parentrelationshipwithrespecttocontact,supportiveness,familycloseness,andsimilaritytotheirownfamilystyle.Participantsalsocompletedaquestionnaire


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toestablishtheirparents’parentalstyle.Theythenreportedontheircurrentchild-parentrelationship.Resultsindicatedthatauthoritativehouseholdswerenotonlyperceivedashavinghigherparentalsupportandcontactbutalsoprovidedmoreactualsupportandcontact.Contactinauthoritativehouseholdswasalsofoundtobemoredirect(face-to-face,phonecalls,andIM)thanthatofotherparentalstyledhouseholds.Resultsindicatethattherelationshipbetweentheadult-childandtheparentsevolvesandthrivesthroughthetransitionalstagethatoccurswiththeonsetofcollegeandearlyadulthood.Implicationsalsoshowthelonglastingimpactthechild’sexperiencehasonaadult-childparentrelationship.

254 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 51 Laura Gray (Anna Flanagan), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Immediate Effects of Musical Genre and Song Type on Mood

Toexaminetheimmediateeffectsofmusicalgenresandsongtypesonmood,collegestudentvolunteers(n=103)wererandomlyassignedtooneoffourstimulusconditionsthatincludedtwomusicalgenres,AlternativeRockorCountry,andtwosongtypes,Happy/LoveorDepressed.ThemusicalstimuluswaspresentedintheformofaneightminutesegmentofrecordedmusicplayedonasmallCDplayer,accompaniedbyprintedsheetsofthesongs’writtenlyrics.Theparticipants’moodwasmeasuredbothbeforeandafterhearingthemusicbyaselfreportquestionnairecalledtheDepression-HappinessScale(Joseph&Lewis,1998).Contrarytothehypotheses,theresultsofamixeddesignMANOVAshowedthatneithermusicalgenrenorsongtypehadanysignificanteffectonchangesintheparticipants’immediatemood.Thedatafromthisstudyindicatethatalthoughmusicdidnotseemtoimprovetheparticipant’smood,itdidnotnegativelyimpactiteither.Thatis,evenwiththepresentationofhighlydepressivesongs,theparticipants’moodsdidnotplummet.Thisfindingshouldbeveryencouragingtothosewhoworryaboutsadmusiccausingorcontributingtodepressivefeelings.Exploratoryanalysesinvestigatingrelationsamongparticipant’sweeklylisteninghabits,gradepointaverage,andmoodarealsodiscussed.

255 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 39 Nicole B Gardner Emily K Stickney Jennifer Haines (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Perceptions on Discipline

Researchsuggeststhatcorporalpunishment,asamethodofdisciplineforchildhasbecomeaverycontroversialtopicinpopularculture.Duetothepossiblenegativesideeffectsofcorporalpunishment,thepracticeofspankinghasbeenatopicofdebateamongsociety.Yet,studiesshowthatover90%ofparentshavespankedtheirchildren.Thecurrentstudyexaminedcollegestudents’viewsoftypesofdisciplineappropriateforchildrenspecifictogender.Participantsincluded240volunteercollegestudents,120men,whorangedinagefrom18-25years.Studentswererandomlyassignedtoread1of4scenariosdescribingachildmisbehavingandthesubsequentpunishment.Next,theycompletedaseriesofquestionsregardingthescenariochildandthedisciplinereceived.Finally,theycompletedseveralself-reportmeasuresofcontrolandaggressionaswellasashortdemographicquestionnaire.Aseriesofbetweenfactors,twowayANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexamineperceptionsoftheeffectsofspankingonchilddevelopmentaswellasperceptionsofappropriatemethodsofdisciplineforchildrenandadolescents.Itishypothesizedthatcollegestudentswillperceivethatboyswillbespankedmorethangirlsaspunishmentfortheirbehavior.Itispredictedthatmenwillviewspankingasamoreappropriatemethodofdisciplinethanwomen.Menarealsoexpectedtoreporthigherlevelsofaggressionthanwomen.Findingswillbediscussedrelativetoimplicationsofspankingandstrategiesforeducatingcollegestudentsaboutthoseimplicationsforparentinglaterinlife.


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256 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 47 Hanna Brezinski Herrman Virginia Antonio Laura Hallee (Deborah McMakin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Effect of Supervisor Gender and Job Status on Male and Female Self-Esteem in the Workplace

Theliteraturehasindicatedthatdifferentaspectsofemployee’sexperiencesimpacttheirlevelsofjobsatisfactionandself-esteem.Findingssuggestthatpeopleinhigherstatusjojbsindicategreaterjobsatisfactionandhigherself-esteemthanpeopleinlower-statusjobs.Otherresearchhaslookedattherolethatthegenderofasupervisorplaysinaffectingjobsatisfactionandself-esteem.However,thecombinationoftheseelementshasnotbeenexaminedinonecomprehensivestudy.Thecurrentstudyexaminedperceptionsoftheeffectsofemployeegender,jobstatusandsexofsupervisoronjobsatisfactionandself-esteem.Asampleof240collegestudentsread,andimaginedthemselvesin,ascenariothatdepictedthemineitherahighorlowstatusjobwitheitheramaleorfemalesupervisor.Afterimaginingthemselvesinthisscenario,thestudentsansweredquestionsrelatingtotheirexpectedjobsatisfactionandlevelofself-esteem.AseriesofANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexaminetheinteractionsamongtheseworkplacefactors.Wearepredictingthatmen,imaginingthemselvesinahighstatusjob,willreporthigherjobsatisfactionandhighersel-esteemthanwomeninahighstatusjob.Howeverwomen,imaginingthemselvesinalowstatusjob,willreporthigherjobsatisfactionandhigherself-esteemthanmeninalowstatusjob.Overall,meninahighstatusjobwithafemalesupervisorwillreportthegreatestamountofjobsatisfactionandhighestlevelsofself-esteem.Findingswillbediscussedinrelationtotheimportanceofpreparingcollegestudentsforavarietyofdifferentworkenvironments.Inaddition,resultswillbediscussedastheyclarifyearlierfindingsabouttheinteractionofthesefactorsintheworkplace.

257 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 63 Liza M Valenti Shauna Harding (Wayne Klug), Department of Psychology, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield, MA, 01201

The pecking order: School structure and social pressure

Doeighth-andninth-gradersfacecomparablesocialpressures?Amongninth-gradersalone,isschoolstructurerelatedtothesalienceoftheseexperiences?Thisstudyhypothesizedthatninth-graderswouldreportmoreintensesocialpressuresthantheireighth-gradecounterparts.Itfurtherhypothesizedthatninth-gradersattendingafour-yearhighschool(9-12)wouldreportmorethanthoseattendingasix-yearsecondaryschool(7-12).Twohundredthirty-four8th-and9th-gradersinpublicschoolsrespondedtoavalidatedquestionnairemeasuringawarenessofpeerpressure,popularity,andconformityissues.Contrarytothefirsthypothesis,eighth-andninth-graderspostednosignificantdifferenceinthesescores.Supportingthesecondhypothesis,ninth-gradersenteringa9-12schoolscoredsignificantlyhigheronthesemeasuresthandidtheircounterpartsata7-12school.Inaddition,theauthorsexaminedninth-gradedataforpossiblegender-baseddifferences,findingthatthegirls’scores,butnottheboys’,weresignificant.

258 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 67 Emily Higgins (Marc Pomplun ), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Guidance of Eye-Movements During Color Search


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Itiswellknownthatcolorcanguideeye-movementduringvisualsearch.However,thiscolorguidancehasnotpreviouslybeensystematicallyquantified.Inthisresearch,weuseaneye-trackingheadsettomonitortheeye-movementsofparticipantsastheysearcharraysofcolorsforagiventargetcolor.Resultsarethenusedtodevelopasurprisinglysimplemodelofcolorguidance.Theeye-movementsof40participantsarerecorded.Eachtrialbeginswiththepresentationofatargetcoloronacomputerscreen.Thisappearsbeforetheparticipant,fillingtheentirescreen,for2seconds.Afterthis,anarrayof64coloredrectangles,oneofwhichisofthetargetcolor,ispresented.Participantsaretosearchthearrayforthetargetcolorand,whilefixatinguponthiscolor,topressabuttononahandset.Inthecourseofanexperiment,eachparticipantperforms256trials.

259 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 54 Susan Hill (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Parental Gambling Participation, Alcohol Use, and College Student Gambling

Researchsuggeststhatgamblingisprevalentincollegestudentsandthatgamblinghabitshaveastrongtietoparentalgamblingandsubstanceabuse.Todate,mostresearchongamblinghasreliedexclusivelyonself-reportmethodology.Thisstudywasdesignedtocontributetothegamblingliteraturebyincludingexperimentalscenariosaswellasself-reportmeasures.Datacollectionhasbegunanditisexpectedthat120collegestudentswillberandomlypresentedwithoneoffourscenarios.Eachscenariowilldescribeamalecollegestudentwhodoesordoesnotgamble,aswellashisparentswhoalsodoordonotgamble.Afterwards,participantswillcompletemeasuresoftheiropinionofthecharacter’sgamblinganddrinkinghabitsaswellasseveralself-reportscalesregardingtheirowngamblinganddrinkinghabits.Itisanticipatedthatthecharacterwhogamblesandwhoseparentsgamblewillbeperceivedasmorelikelytoengageinsubstanceabuseandgambleinthefuturethanthecharacterwhodoesnotgambleandwhoseparentsdonotgamble.Fortheselfreportmeasures,itisexpectedthattherewillbeapositivecorrelationbetweenalcoholuseandgamblingactivity.Inaddition,itisexpectedthatparticipantswhohaveparentsthatgamblewillgamblemoreoftenthanparticipantswhoseparentsdonotgamble.Theseresultswillhelpexplorewhetherperceptionsofpeoplewhogambleareconsistentwiththeresultsofself-reportstudies.

260 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 53 Stephanie Izzicupo (Timothy Eddy), Department of Psychology, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Sex differences in physiological response to hypothetical infidelity

Evolutionarypsychology,byusingknowledgeofhumans’ancestralenvironment,seekstodeterminewhichaspectsofbehaviormayrepresentunderlyingpsychologicaladaptations.Awell-knownstudyinthefieldbyBussetal.(1992)usedthisperspectivetoexaminesexdifferencesinjealousy.Theyfoundthatsexualinfidelityevokedmorejealousyinmalesthanemotionalinfidelity,whiletheoppositewastrueforfemales.Thesefindingswouldappeartoreflectthedifferentrolesplayedbythesexesintheprocessofreproduction,butsubsequentstudieshaveyieldedwidelyvaryingresults,whichhaveoftenconflictedwithBussetal.andeachother.Thisstudywillcontributeadditionaldatawiththeintentionofestablishingmoreconsistencybetweentheseresults.Participantswillbeaskedtoimaginescenarioswhichdifferbytheirinclusionofeithersexualoremotionalcontent,andeitherinfidelityornon-infidelity.Themeasuresofpulserate,bloodpressure,andelectrodermalactivitywillthenbeusedtocompareanysexdifferencesinphysiologicalarousal.Thespecificnatureoftheresultswillelucidatetheroleofjealousyinsexualreproduction,anditssignificanceasapossibleevolutionaryadvantage.


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261 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 51 Melissa Kibbe (Zsuzsa Kaldy), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Infants’ Attention To Color- And Motion-Defined Objects: Detectability Does Not Predict Salience

Basicvisualfunctionsdeveloprapidlyduringthefirstyearoflife.Sinceinfants’endogenousattentionsystemisnotyetquitematured,saliencehasanalmostexclusiveroleincontrollingtheirvisualattention.However,therehasbeenlittleresearchontherelationshipbetweendetectabilityandsalienceininfants,orontherelativesalienceofdifferentvisualfeatures.Wefirstmeasureddetectionthresholdsandthentherelativesalienceofiso-detectablestimuli,usingaforced-choicepreferentiallookingtechnique.Detection:Stimuliconsistedofadense20x20arrayofGaborpatches,wherea3x4regioneitherdifferedfromthebackgroundelementsin‘color’(redsaturation:6-31%,background:0%)orin‘motion’,withGaborsintheregionphase-shiftedwithaconstantvelocity(0.3-1.2Hz,background:static).Thisregionappearedeitherontheleftortherightsideofthearray.Salience:Iso-detectable(atthe70%and80%level)stimuliwerepittedagainsteachother(onthesamebackgroundasinthedetectiontask).Gazedirectionswerecodedinbothexperiments.Resultsarebasedondatacollectedfrom5-,6-,and9-month-oldinfants.Detectionthresholdsweresuccessfullydeterminedwithourparadigm.Intermsofrelativesalience(ofiso-detectablestimuli),preliminaryresultsindicatethatcolorstimuliweremoresalientthanmotionstimuli.Weconcludethatdetectabilityisnotsufficienttopredictsalience.Theinputsofdifferentfeaturesintothecomputationofsaliencevaluesareweighteddifferently.

262 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 40 Julie McCarthy (Marvin Daehler), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Perceptions and Effectiveness of Individual Educational Plans in a Therapeutic Milieu for Abused Children with Behavioral Difficulties

Thisprojectisdesignedtoinvestigatehowwellchildrenwithahistoryofphysicalorsexualabuseorneglectrespondtoatherapeuticmilieu.Thefocusisonevaluatingtheeffectivenessofindividualizededucationalplans(IEPs)forthesechildren.IEPsareclassroom-basedinterventionsforchildrenwithpsychiatric,learning,behavioralandemotionaldifficulties.Onepartoftheprojectwillassesshowthisabused/neglectedpopulationexperiencestheimplementationofthePsycho-educationalTreatmentModel(PEM),whichinvolvesamotivationallevelsystemforbuildingtherapeuticrelationshipsandenvironments(NOTSUREWHATTHISLASTPARTMEANS-MOTIVATIONALLEVELSYSTEM?)Anotherpartofthisprojectwillprovideinformationaboutthepersonalexperiencesofparticipantsinclassroom-basedinterventionsandwillinvolvedirectobservationandinteractionofparticipantsinthetreatmentsetting.Atypicaltreatment-centerclassroomofpre-adolescentmalesisobservedandeachstudentisaskedtorespondtoinquiriesabouttheirdegreeofsocial,educational,andemotionaladjustmentandtheirdegreeofmotivation.Involvedstaffmemberswillbeinterviewed,andstudents’filesanalyzed,todetermineeachparticipant’sdegreeofadjustmentandmotivationuponadmissiontothetreatmentcenter.Itisanticipatedthattheindividualeducationalplans,inconjunctionwithPEM,willyieldasignificantimprovementinadjustmentcomparedtothedegreeofadjustmentuponadmission.Previouspublishedresearchinthisareawillbeconsultedtoprovideevidence-basedbackgroundinformation.Resultsfromthisprojectareexpectedtohavepositiveimplicationsforfutureimplementationofindividually-tailoredpsycho-educationalmodelsintreatmentsettings.

263 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 50 Elizabeth McGlinchey (Michael Milburn), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Sexual Attitudes and Experiences


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Thisstudybuildsonpastresearchon“sexualintelligence”(Conrad&Milburn,2001)andaffectdisplacementtheory(Milburn&Conrad,1996;MilburnandLiss,inpress).ThefocalpointofthisstudyistodeterminewhetherahigherSexualIQin18-and19-yearoldspredictsalowertendencytoengageinortoleratesexualharassment.Datawillbecollectedanonymouslyfrom200participantsintheUniversityofMassachusettsBoston.Theparticipantsinthisstudycompletedaquestionnairethatcontainsamodifiedversionofthesexualintelligencequestionnaireappropriateforresearchusingadolescents.Sexualharassmentcanvaryfromverbalassaultsuchasanyunwantedsexualremarks,looks,oradvancestophysicalassaultsuchasrape.Bothmalesandfemalesarevictimsofsexualharassmentcarriedoutbypeersandnon-peers.Actingoutunwantedsexualbehaviorasaresultofchildhoodexperiencesemploysamodelofdisplacement.Displacementiswhenaperson’semotionalinfluencesdictatetheirsexualbehavior,i.e.:usingsextomeetotheremotionalbutnonsexualneeds.Thenonsexualneedsmoreoftenareaneedtohavesocialpower,control,andassignedgenderroles.Theresultsidentifyvariablesthatpredictacceptanceofsexualharassment,replicatingfindingsthathaveshowntheimportanceofemotionaldisplacementandsexualintelligencepredictingsexualharassment.Participantswhotookthisstudyexperiencedincreasedawarenessoftheirsexualattitudesandopinions.

264 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 49 David Mendelsohn (Maureen Perry-Jenkins), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Influence of Parental Sex-Role Ideologies On Their Children’s Knowledge And Acquisition Of Gender Stereotypes.

Researchontheinfluenceofparentsonsex-roledevelopmentinchildrenhasproducedconflictingresults.Thecurrentstudyexaminedparentglobalgenderroleideologies(beliefsabouttherolesthatmenandwomenshouldholdinlargersociety,aswellasbeliefsspecificallyaboutwhoshouldtakeontheroleofproviderinone’sownfamily,inrelationtochildren’sknowledgeandacquisitionofgenderstereotypes.Tothisend,153dual-earner,working-classcoupleswereinterviewedfivetimesacrossthetransitiontoparenthood,withasixthfollow-upvisitoccurringwhenthechildwasinfirstgrade.Itwaspredictedthatparentproviderroleideologies,asaspecificareaofgenderideology,wouldhaveastrongerrelationshipwithchildren’sgender-stereotypingthanparents’moreglobalsex-roleideologies.Theproviderrolemeasureusedbeingcategoricalinnature,aone-wayANOVAwasperformed,whilecorrelationswereusedforthemeasureofglobalsex-roleideology.Inaddition,mothers’workhourswereexaminedtodetermineifmaternalemploymentwasrelatedtochildren’sgender-stereotyping.Itwaspredictedthatasmothers’workhoursincreased,childrenwouldshowlessknowledgeofgenderstereotypes.Correlationswereperformedinordertoexaminethisrelationship.Resultsofthisstudymayhaveimplicationsforthewayinwhichtherelationshipbetweenparentgenderideologiesandthedevelopmentofchildren’sgender-relatedstereotypesisstudied.

265 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 45 Kristine Miele (Janet Gebelt), Department of Psychology, Westfield State College, Westfield, MA, 01086

Bullying and Parenting Style

Thestudyofadolescentbullyingisrelativelynew.ItwasnotuntiltheColumbineshootingsof1999thattheseriousimplicationsthatbeingabullyoravictimduringadolescencecametotheforefrontofpsychologicalresearch(Limber&Small,2003).Inparticular,thereislittleresearchregardinghowbeingavictimorabullycorrelateswithparentingandparentingstyle.Thispresentationwillexaminethecurrentresearchregardingbullyingduringadolescence,anditwillhelptoexploretheissueofwhetheroneparentingstyle,authoritative,authoritarian,neglectful,orpermissive,asdefinedbyDianaBaumrind(1971),correlateswithbeingeitheravictimorabully.Whileitisknownthatchildrenwhoseparentsareauthoritarian,permissive,orneglectfultendtohavechildrenwhoaremoreaggressivethanchildrenfromauthoritativehomes(Duncan,2004),itisunknownwhetherthesechildrencouldalsobeclassifiedasbullies.Also,researchsuggeststhatvictimshaveparentswhotendtomonitortheirbehaviorsclosely(Olweus,1978),whichfollowscloselywithBaumrind’sdescriptionoftheauthoritarianparent.However,itisunknownwhetherauthoritarian


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parentsalsohavechildrenwhoaremorelikelytobevictims.Byadministeringaquestionnairetoapproximately200adolescents,thisstudywillinvestigatewhetheraparticularparentingstylesdoescorrelatewithvictimorbullystatus.

266 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 44 Kattrina Morales (Cheryl Armstrong), Department of Psychology, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

Misinformation, Gender, and Gender-congruent Items

Theproposedresearchwillexaminetheeffectsofmisleadinginformation,gender,andgender-congruentitemsonmemory.Researchsuggeststhatpresentingparticipantswithmisleadinginformationafterviewinganeventcanimpairmemoryfortheactualevent.Researchalsosuggeststhatmalesandfemalesexhibitbettermemoryforgender-congruentitems.Itmightthenbeexpectedthat,whenmisleadingposteventinformationispresentedtomalesandfemales,memoryimpairmentwillbelessforgendercongruentinformationthanforgenderincongruentorneutralinformation.Theindependentvariablesinthisstudywillbethepresenceofmisinformation,thegenderoftheparticipant,andthetypeofinformation(congruentorincongruent).Misinformationwillbemanipulatedintheformofbiasedquestionsaskedtotheparticipantsbytheresearcher.Thestimulusinformationwillbeshownintheformofpicturescontainingfemale-typical,male-typical,orgender-neutralobjects.Questionnairesassessingmemoryforobjectsintheslideswillserveasthedependantvariable.Itispredictedthatmisinformationwillimpairthesubject’smemoryfortheoriginalobjectwhentheobjectsaregenderincongruentorneutral.Misleadinginformationisnotexpectedtoimpairmemoryforgendercongruentinformation.Theconclusionsdrawnfromthisfuturestudycouldhavefurtherimplicationsforeyewitnesstestimonyandsusceptibility.Resultscouldsuggestthatthegenderofthesubjectmayhaveaneffectonhowwelltheactualeventisremembered.

267 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 49 Michele McKinnon Rebecca Morrissey (Anna Flanagan), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Perceived Effects of Parental Attachment and Students’ Sex on Homesickness, Contentment, and College Adjustment Among College Freshmen

Thisstudywasdesignedtoexaminecollegestudents’perceptionsofscenariocharacters’parentalattachmentstyleandsexonhomesickness,contentment,andcollegeadjustment.Participantswere180undergraduatestudents,80%ofwhomwerefemale,whowererandomlypresentedwithoneofsixscenarios,thenaskedtoansweraseriesofquestionsaboutthescenario.Eachscenariopresentedacollegestudent,describedasafreshman,eithermaleorfemale,livingatcollegeforhisorherfirstsemester.Eachalsodescribedthestudentashavingadifferentattachmentstyletohisorherparents,eithersecureattachment,anxiousattachment,oravoidantattachment.Participantsthencompletedsurveysmeasuringtheirperceptionsofthescenariocharacter’sfeelingsofhomesickness,contentment,andadjustmentsincemovingtocollege.Resultsindicatedthatsecurelyattachedmalestudentswerepreceivedtohavemorehomesicknessthansecurelyattachedfemalestudentsandstudentswithinsecureattachmentstylesandthatsecurelyattachedstudentswereperceivedtobemorecontentthanstudentswithavoidantparentalattachment.Finally,thisstudyindicatedthatneitherparentalattachmentstylenorsexinfluencedstudents’perceptionsofthesenariocharacter’scollegeadjustment.

268 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 57 Rebecca Morrissey (Anna Flanagan), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702


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The Use of Music Therapy to Decrease Agitated Behavior and Ease Discomfort in Patients With Dementia

Thepurposeofthispaperwastoexaminetheresearchinvolvingtheuseofmusictodecreaseagitatedbehaviorandreducediscomfortinpatientssufferingfromdementia.Manycurrentresearcharticleswerelocatedusingcomputerizeddatabases.Theliteraturereviewsuggestedthattheuseofmusictohelpdementiapatientscopewiththeiragitatedbehaviorisasuccessfulformoftherapy.However,manylimitationstotheresearchexist,whichmakeitdifficulttoapplythefindingstopatientsoutsideofthestudies.Thoroughresearchdesignsareneededtomoreclearlyexamineboththeimmediateandlong-termeffectsofmusictherapyontheagitatedbehaviorsofdementedpatients.Thus,recommendationsareofferedforpossiblefutureresearch.

269 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 61 Scott Motyka (Thomas Schilling), Department of Psychology, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA, 01420

The effect of conflict between peer pressure and expert credibility as observed in mathematical estimation

Thereportedstudyisbaseduponanchoringandadjustmenttheory,Asch’s1946studyofsocialpressureandpreviouslabresearchreplicatingthesestudies.Thestudyseekstounderstandhowstudentsrespondtotheconflictofpeerpressureandthe“prestigefactor”.Researchershypothesizedthatuponviewingestimatesmadeby“students”and“professors”that(a)conflictbetweenpeerpressureandexpertcredibilitywouldresult,(b)participantswouldputgreateremphasisontheperceivedexpertcredibilityofthe“professors”.Datawasgatheredfrom24studentsenrolledinaChildPsychologyclass.Participantsviewed24cityslideswithfake“students”and“professors”averageestimationsofannualtemperature.The“students”scoresdisplayedweretheactualmeantemperature,whilethe“professors”scoreswereoverestimatedorunderestimatedby2%,10%or30%.Resultswereanalyzedusinga3(sizeofdisparity:2%,10%,30%)by2(directionofdisparity:professorsoverestimate,professorsunderestimate)within-groupsANOVA.Analysisindicatedamaineffectforthedisparityvariable;pairwisecomparisonsusingaBonferonnitestrevealedsignificantdifferencesbetweenthe2%and30%levels,aswellasthe10%and30%levelsofdisparity.Nomaineffectwasfoundforthedirectionofdisparity.Thelackofasignificanteffectforthedirectionofdisparityvariablemaybeduetopreconceptionsassociatedwithcertainstimuli,suchas“ChristmasIsland”whichappeartohaveskewedestimates.

270 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 59 Verena-Catherine Niederhoefer (Erik Blaser), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

The Functional Units of Visual Working Memory: Objects or Locations?

ThepurposeofthisstudyistoaddressthecontroversysurroundingtheorganizationalprincipleofVisualWorkingMemory(VWM)bycriticallytestingobject-versuslocation-basedorganization.ManyrecentstudieshaveclaimedthatVWMis‘object-based’;thatis,thatittakesnomoreeffortforapersontoremember,forinstance,thecolor,sizeandshapeofanobjectthanitdoestojustrememberanysinglefeature.However,innearlyallofthesestudieseachobjectoccupiedauniquelocation.ItispossiblethenthatVWMmayactuallybe‘location-based’.Wedistinguishedbetweenthesetwopossibilitiesbyaskingobserverstomakejudgmentsabouttwoobjectsinonelocation.Inthe500msecmemoryphase,observersviewedtwospatiallysuperimposedGabors(circularsine-wavegratings),whichweresufficientlydifferentsoastosegmentintotwoobjectsaswasreportedbythislaboratoryin2000.Aftera900msecblankdelay,thetwoobjectsreappeared.Independently,thecolorand/ororientationofoneorbothoftheobjectspotentiallychangedtoanewvalue.Werequiredobserverstomakesame-differentjudgmentsonbothdimensions;eitherbothwithrespecttooneofthesuperimposedobjects(‘within’condition)oronejudgmentaboutoneobjectandthesecondabouttheotherobject(‘between’condition).IfVWMisobject-based,performanceinthewithinconditionshouldbesuperiortoperformance


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inthebetweencondition.Datacollectionisongoing,butresultsthusfararesuggestive:thereisnosignificantdifferencebetweenperformanceinthewithinandbetweenconditions,supportinglocation-basedorganization.

271 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 55 Preeti Putcha (Lisa Sanders), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Selective Temporal Attention during Speech Processing

Whenfacedwithoverwhelmingamountsofinformation,peoplehavetoselectonlypartsofitfordetailedprocessing.Bothbehavioralandevent-relatedpotential(ERP)studiesshowthatimagesandsoundsplayedatattendedlocationsareprocessedmoreefficiently.Lessisknownabouttemporallyselectiveattentionandhowitinfluencesperception,althoughsomestudiessuggestthatselectiveattentionissimilarlyappliedacrossspaceandtime.Listenersmayselectivelyattendtospecificpointsintimetopreferentiallyprocesspartsofrapidlypresentedauditoryinformationlikenaturalspeech.Thecurrentstudyinvestigatesthedistributionoftemporallyselectiveattentionduringnaturalspeechprocessing.Tomeasureattentiontopointsintime,probeswillbeinsertedatintervalsbeforeandafterwordonsets.Itishypothesizedthattemporallyselectiveattentionwillbefocusedonwordonsets.Ifso,ERPselicitedbyprobesatattendedtimes(nearwordonsets)andunattendedtimes(fartherawayfromwordonsets)shoulddiffer.Thecurrentprojectfocusesonpreparingexperimentalstimuliforthisstudy.Whilespeechprocessingisanimportantandfrequentlyusedskillthatislikelytorequiretemporalattention,usingcontinuous,naturalspeechinexperimentsrequirestheselectionofacousticallymatchedspeechsegmentssuchthattheconditionsofinterestonlydifferwithregardtotimeofprobeinsertion.Iftemporalattentiondoesinfluencespeechperception,furtherexplorationintothisrelationshipcouldprovehelpfulinimprovinglanguageimpairmentinterventions,secondlanguageacquisition,andlanguageprocessinginperceptuallychallengingenvironments.

272 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 60 Sarah E Mowatt Sandra Pynn (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Relationships between Gender, Depression, Self-Esteem, Parenting Styles, and Body Image in College Students

Negativebodyimageisanever-growingproblemintheUnitedStatesandisoftenaprecursortoeatingdisorders.Whilemanyvariableshavebeenstudiedinrelationtobodyimage,therelationshipbetweenparentingstylesandbodyimagehasnotyetbeeninvestigated.Thegoalsofthisstudyaretothereforeinvestigatetherelationshipbetweenparentingstylesandbodyimageaswellastoreplicateexistingresearchontherelationshipbetweenbodyimageandgender,self-esteem,anddepression.One-hundredandninety-onecollegestudents(109women,82men)completedasurveycontainingmeasuresofparentingstyles,self-esteem,depression,andbodyimage.Correlationalandregressionanalyseswillbeusedtoinvestigatethehypotheses.Itishypothesizedthatfemaleswillhavelowerbodyimagesatisfactionthanmales.Furthermore,itishypothesizedthattherewillbeanegativerelationshipbetweendepressionandbodyimage.Itisalsohypothesizedthattherewillbeapositivecorrelationbetweenself-esteemandbodyimage.Finally,itishypothesizedthatchildrenofauthoritativeparentswillhavehigherlevelsofbodyimagesatisfactionthanchildrenofotherparentingstyles.Byincludingmeasuresofparentingstyles,thisstudycouldhelpfurtherexpandourunderstandingofbodyimagesatisfaction.

273 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 42 Judith Ramel (Susan Whitbourne), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003


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Measuring Personality in College Students and Midlife Adults: Psychosocial versus Trait-Based Approaches

Thisstudycomparestwomeasuresofpersonalitydevelopment:theInventoryofPsychosocialDevelopment(IPD)basedonErikson’s(1963)psychosocialmodelof“change,”andtheNEOPersonalityInventory(NEO-PI-R)basedonCostaandMcCrae’s(1992)FiveFactorModelof“stability.”ThequestionnaireswereadministeredtoundergraduatestudentsfromtheUniversityofMassachusetts(n=40)andmidlifeadults(n=80).Theresponsestoeachmeasurewerecorrelatedtodeterminetheirrelationship.Participantsalsocompletedademographicsquestionnairethatinquiredabouttheparticipant’seducational,maritalandoccupationalhistories,andahealthquestionnaire,whichassessedparticipants’healthinthepast12months.Althoughbasedondifferenttheories,theIPDandNEO-PI-Rappeartoevaluatesomeofthesamepersonalityattributesbutdifferinsignificantways.IhypothesizedthatthequestionnairestapthesamepersonalityattributesontheIndustryvs.InferioritystageoftheIPDandthefacetsdealingwithConscientiousnessontheNEO-PI-R,astheybothmeasureaperson’sdiligenceandproductiveness.However,themeasurestapdifferentattributesontheremainingstagesoftheIPDandNEO-PI-Rtraitscalesthatdonotcorrespondtoeachother.Thusthequestionnairesmeasuredifferentaspectsofpersonalityalongthesedimensions.ThisisthefirsttimethattheIPDandNEO-PI-Rwereadministeredtothesamesamples;thefindingscanhelpdeterminetheextenttowhichtheIPDmeasuresErikson’stheoryindependentlyofpersonalitytraitsandwillbeusefulininterpretingpreviousstudiesthathaveusedtheIPD.

274 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 51 Ahmed Salad Chizoba Ngesina Nichol Roberts (Shirley Cassara), Department of Psychology, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

E. L. Thorndike on Practice Makes Perfect

Mostofushaveheardthephrase“practicemakesperfect”.ThroughtheresearchofE.L.Thorndike,theextenttowhichthatphraseiscanbeaccurateisexaminedinthispresentation.Wewillexaminethedynamicsofoperantconditioning,accordingtoThorndikeandwillapplythatdiscoverytothelifeofthecollegestudent/learner.Manypeoplehavebeenexposedtotheconceptofreinforcementbutmanythinkofitstrictlyasextrinsicreward(s).Veryfewunderstandthatalltheeventssurroundingthepresentationofanewstimulusorstimulitobe“learned”providetheanimal(readhuman)withamultitudeofbitsofinformation,someofwhichreinforcelearningandsomeofwhichisdetrimentaltolearning.Thepresenterswillrevealtheirvoyageofdiscoveryastheysearchforthefactorswhichinfluenceeachofusinourattemptstolearnnewandadvancedinformation.

275 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 68 Amy-Lynn Roshinski (Pamela Ludemann), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Percieved Effects of Sleep Hours on the Academic Performance of College Students

Thisstudywasdesignedtoexaminehowstudentsevaluateahypotheticalpeerwhowasdescribedatgettingeithersevenorthreehoursofsleepandasearningeitherpoororgoodgrades.Asecondpurposewastoexaminestudents’sleephabitsanditsactualandperceivedeffectsonstudents’well-being.Ofspecificinterestwaswhethercollegestudentsaregettingenoughsleepandareawareoftheimportanceofadequatesleephours.Participantswere100collegestudentssolicitedfromavarietyofcampuslocationswhoratedahypotheticalpeer’ssleepiness,academicperformance,andlifequalitygiventhefourcombinationsofsleepandgradedescriptions.Theyalsoreportedontheirownacademicbehaviorsandsleephabits.Theresultsshowedthatstudentsrealizedthatacharactergettingfewhoursofsleepwouldbetired,butdidnotappeartorealizethatlackofsleepaffectedcourseperformanceorlifequality.Self-reportssuggestedthatstudentsmaybeindenialgiventheirownpoorsleephabits.Ratingsshowedhighsleepdebt


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andeveningness-typestyles.Atleast50%ofthestudentsindicatedmoderatetohighsleep-debt,anEvening-typelifestyle,andengagementinpoorsleep-wakehabits.Theseresultssuggestthatcollegestudents’mayneedhelprealizingthattheyneedmoresleepthanwhattheyaregetting,informationonwhatconstitutespoorsleephabits,andhelpwithdevelopingbettersleep-timemanagement.Additionally,thebenefitsofsleepandhowitaffectsacademicsandlifequalityarediscussed.

276 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 50 Marie Sillice (Roxanne Donovan), Department of Psychology, UMass Boston, Boston, MA, 02125

Have Things Changed? Stereotypes of Black Men by White College Participants

In1933,KatzandBralyfoundthatWhiteparticipantsheldverynegativeviewsofBlackAmericans.Outof84positiveandnegativetraits,thetoponeschosenforBlackAmericansweresuperstitious,lazy,happy-go-lucky,ignorant,musical,ostentatious,veryreligious,stupid,andphysicallydirty.AlthoughrecentstudiessuggestthatovertprejudiceagainstBlackAmericansisdeclining(Dovidio&Samuel,2004),theremaystillbeanegativeviewofBlackAmericans,particularlyBlackAmericanmen.However,thereisapaucityofresearchthataddressescontemporaryviewsaboutBlackAmericanmen.ThisstudyattemptstofillthisgapbyassessingwhetherstereotypesofBlackAmericanmenhavechangedsince1933.UsingarevisedversionoftheKatzandBralychecklist(1933),Whitecollegestudentsareaskedtolookat92positiveandnegativetraitsandlistthetopfivetraitstheybelievearetypicalofBlackAmericanmen.TraitschosenwillbecomparedtothosereportedbyKatzandBralyin1933.WepredictthatthetraitschosenforBlackmenwillprobablynotbeexactlythesameasthosechosenin1933,buttheywillcontinuetobemostlynegativeinconnotation.

277 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 58 Amber Davis Rachel Smith (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Effects of Gender on Perceived Intimacy in Friendships

Previousresearchhasfoundthatmenandwomendifferintheirperceptionsofintimacyinromanticrelationships.Thisstudyextendstheliteraturebyexamininggenderdifferencesintheperceptionsofintimacyinfriendships.Inaddition,itcontributestothescantliteraturecomparingsame-sexfriendshipstocross-sexfriendships.Onehundredandeightyfiveundergraduatecollegestudents(93women,92men)wererandomlyassignedtoreadoneofthreescenariosdepictingafriendshipbetweentwopeople(twofemales,twomalesorafemaleandamale).Afterwards,participantsansweredquestionsabouthowintimatetheyperceivedthescenariofriendshiptobe.Participantsalsoprovidedinformationabouttheirownfriendshipsanddemographiccharacteristics.Analysesofvariancewillbeusedtotestthehypotheses.Itisexpectedthatfemale/femalefriendshipswillbeseenasthemostintimate,whilemale/malefriendshipswillbeseenastheleastintimate.Second,itishypothesizedthatfemaleparticipantswillperceiveallfriendshipsasbeingmoreintimatethanmaleparticipants.Finally,thefemaleparticipants’perceptionsoffemale/femalefriendshipsareexpectedtohavethehighestintimacyratingwhilemaleparticipants’perceptionsofmale/malefriendshipswillhavethelowestintimacyrating.Thequalityofone’sfriendshipscanhaveanenormouseffectonone’swellbeing;therefore,thisstudywillcontributetotheimportantbutsmall,bodyofresearchonfriendships.

278 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 48 Renee Muise Laura Spellissey (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702


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The Relationship Between Drug Use, Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, Stress Gender and Depression in College Students

Whileseveralstudieshaveinvestigatedtheindividualrelationshipbetweendepressionandsuchvariablesasgender,locusofcontrolandself-esteem,fewstudieshavelookedattherelationshipbetweenmultiplecorrelatesofdepressionsimultaneously.Thegoalofthisstudythereforewastoinvestigatewhichoffivevariableshasthestrongestrelationshipwithdepression.Twohundredcollegestudents(60%female,40%male)completedmeasureoflocusofcontrol,self-esteem,druguse,stress,genderanddepression.Itisanticipatedthattherewillbeapositivecorrelationbetweendepressionanddruguseanddepressionandstress.Incontrast,anegativecorrelationisexpectedbetweendepressionandself-esteemanddepressionandlocusofcontrol.Womenarealsoexpectedtoreporthigherlevelsofdepressionthanmales.Regressionanalyseswillbeusedtoexplorewhichofthesefivepredictorscorrelatesmoststronglywithdepression.Thisresearchwillcontributetotheliteratureondepressionbyexploringtherelativestrengthofseveralcorrelatesofdepressioninonesample.

279 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 71 Greg J Forrest Catherine Stanley (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Body Image and Self-Esteem: A Closer Look at Meida Influence on Body Image

Bothpopularandscientificliteraturehasindicatedthedramaticinfluencethemediahasonwomen’ssatisfactionwiththeirbodies.Overwhelmingly,thefindingssuggestthatexposuretoimagesofunrealisticallybeautifulandwomenhavedetrimentaleffectsontheself-esteemandbodyimageofbothyoungerandolderwomen.However,themajorityofresearchhascomparedtheeffectsofsuchmediaexposureonmenandwomenseparately.Thisstudycomparedtheeffectsofmediaexposureoncollegemenandwomen.Asampleof140collegestudentswererandomlyassignedtoviewgendermatchedidealbodyimagesconsistingofeitheranentirebodyorbodyparts.Priortoandafterviewingtheimages,measuresofself-esteem,body-esteem,bodypartsatisfactionanddesireforidealbodywerecompleted.AseriesoftwofactorANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexaminedifferencesinreactionstomediaexposureformenandwomen.Itispredictedthatmenwhoviewidealbodypartswillreportgreaterdesireforselfimprovementandlowerlevelsofself-esteemmenwhoviewwholeidealbodyimages.Inaddition,womenwhoviewthewholeidealbodyimageswillreportlowerlevelsofself-esteemandagreaterlevelofdesireforself-improvementthanwomenwhoviewidealbodyparts.Overall,menwillreportgreaterlevelsofbody-esteemthanwomen.Findingswillbediscussedrelativetostrategiestoinsulateyoungmenandwomenfromtheharmfulmessagessentbythemediaregardingbodyimage.

280 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 41 Jared Steinberg (Nilanjana Dasgupta), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Recreating Prejudice from Thin Air by Inducing Anger and Disgust

Emotionscanhaveaprofoundimpactonourimplicitjudgmentsofothers.Desteno,Dasgupta,Bartlett,andCajdric(2004)foundthattemporarilyexperiencingangerengendersfarmoreimplicitprejudicetowardfictitiousoutgroupsthanwhenpeopleareinaneutralmood.ThecurrentprojectexpandsuponDestenoandDasgupta’sworktoexploretheinfluenceofothertypesofnegativeemotionsonpeople’simmediateevaluationsofaknownrealgroup,suchasgaymen.Specifically,thisstudylookedatwhetheranindividualexperiencinganemotionsuchasdisgustorangerwouldbemorelikelytoexpressimplicitprejudicetowardhomosexuals,comparedtoothersinaneutralstate.Participantscompletedanumberoftaskstoinduceoneofthesethreeemotions.Participants’implicitattitudeswerethenassessedbymeasuringthespeedwithwhichtheyassociatedpicturesofgaymenwithgoodvs.badwords,usingtheImplicitAssociationTest.Resultsshowedthatallparticipantsdisplayedanimplicitbiasagainstgaymenrelativeto


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heterosexuals.However,feelingsofangerordisgustdidnotincreaseimplicitbiasrelativetotheneutralcondition.Theunexpectedresultsmayhavebeenduetotheparticipantdemographic.Furtherpotentialexplanationsarediscussed.

281 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 71 Sarah Sarmento Erin Stevenson (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Perceptions of Victim Responsibility as a Function of Victim Gender and Coping Style in Sexual Assault

Pastresearchinvolvingsexualassaulthasrevolvedaroundwomenassaultedbymenwiththeemphasisofstudyfocusedmoreontheattackitself.Thisstudywillcontributetothisliteraturebyexaminingperceptionsofbothmaleandfemalevictims.Italsoexploreshowvictimcopingstyleafteranassaultinfluencesperceptionsofthevictim.Onehundredtwenty-fivecollegestudentsparticipated.Eachparticipantwasrandomlyassignedtoreadoneoffourscenariosdescribingasexualassault.Thescenariodescribedamaleorfemalevictimandaninternal(self-blame)orexternal(chance)victimcopingstyle.Afterreadingthescenario,participantsansweredquestionsabouthowresponsibletheyfeltthevictimwasfortheassault,aswellasdemographicsandattitudestowardrapevictims.Itishypothesizedthatmalevictimswillbeseenashavingmoreresponsibilityfortheassaultthanfemalevictims.Inaddition,victimswhoblamethemselvesfortheattackarehypothesizedtobeperceivedasmoreresponsiblefortheassaultthanvictimswhobelievetheassaulthappenedbychance.Thisstudy’sresultswillprovideabetterunderstandingaboutperceptionsofmalerapevictimsandhowpost-assaultvictimbehaviorsaffectattitudestowardsexualassaultvictims.

282 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 58 Melissa Teixeira (Elizabeth Marconi ), Department of English, Massasoit Community College, Brockton, MA, 02402

The Effects of Ritalin on Children

Thetreatmentofchildrenforthepsychologicaldisordersofattentiondeficit,ADD,andattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder,ADHD,hascontinuedtoincreaseasmoreschoolagechildrenaretestedanddiagnosed.Teachersandparentsreportgreaterattentionspandisplayedbythesestudents,butthesideeffectsofthedrugsusedtotreatthedisordersposeotherseriousthreatstohealthandgrowth.ManyscientistshavelinkeddrugsmarketedunderthebrandnamesofAdderal,Ritalin,andStratteratodepression,suicide,anddeath.Thosepractitionerswhofavorchangesinbehaviorsuchaslimitingexposuretotelevisionandvideogames,modifyingschedulestoallowforgreaterphysicalactivity,andgreaterattentiontonutrition,havesoundedanalarmtotheharmfulandevenlethaleffectsofmedicatingotherwisehealthychildren.Thesebehavioralproponentssuggestthatschoolsfavortheconvenienceofdrugtherapyovermodificationsinschoolroutine.Parentsandphysicianswhochoosethequickapproachofmedicatingchildrenareaccusedofself-interest.RitalinisthemostpopularofallthemedicationsusedtocontrolADHDeventhoughshortandlong-termdangershavebeenwell-documented.Estimatescite200deathsdirectlyrelatedtoRitalinuse,yetphysicianscontinuetoprescribeandparentstogiveittotheirchildren.Thisprojectoffersevidenceforthedangerouspropertiesofthesedrugs,andsuggestsalternativetherapies.Thosealternativesincludebehavioral,nutritional,andemotionalfactorsthattreatthedisorderseffectivelywhileenhancingtheentirephysicalandpsychologicalhealthofthechild.

283 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 52 Stephanie A Donahue Sarah Silva Erika Tobrocke (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702


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College Student’s Reports of Stress and Different Coping Strategies Used by Males and Females

Enteringfreshmanaswellasupperlevelcollegestudentsareforcedtodealwithmanystressorsintheirlivesandusedifferentcopingstylestodealwiththosestressors.Muchoftheliteraturesuggeststhatalcoholuseisoneprevalentstrategyusedbybothmalesandfemales.Moreover,theuseofalcoholasacopingmeasureisalsorelatedtoalcoholabuseoncollegecampuses.Whilegenderandstatusdifferenceshavebeenrevealedinalcoholabuseoncollegecampuses,lessisknownabouttheuseofotherstressreducingoptionsamongcollegestudents.Tothatend,wesurveyed200collegestudents(meanageof22years,100women)regardingstressandthieruseofavarietyofcopingstrategies.Studentscompletedmeasuresassessinglevelsofstress,alcoholuseandmeasuresassessingdifferentcopingstrategies,includingspiritualitymeasures.Resultsareexpectedtoshowthatmendrinkalcoholmorefrequentlythanwomenandreportusingalcoholasacopingmeasuremorefrequently.Wearepredictingastrongnegativecorrelationbetweenhigherlevelsofalcoholuseanduseofspiritualityasacopingmeasure.Studentswhoreporthigherlevelsofspiritualityarealsoexpectedtoshowlowerlevelsofstressintheirlives.Thesefindingswillbediscussedinlightofprogramdevelopmentoncollegecampusesfordealingwithalcoholabuseandtheneedforalternativecopingstrategiesavailabletocollegestudents.

284 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 64 Frances Toto (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Unwanted Pregnancy

FouroutoftenAmericanteenagers,itisestimated,willbecomepregnantatleastoncebeforetheyturntwenty.Eventhoughpregnancynumbersaredropping,theUnitedStatescurrentlyhasthehighestrateofteenpregnancies,birthsandabortionsamongdevelopednations.Whydoesourcountryhavethehighestnumbers?Whatdowemeanbyunwantedpregnancy,andwhatcanwelearnfromthevaryingconceptualizationsofthephenomenon?Whatarethefactorsunderlyingunwantedteenpregnancy,aproblemthataffectsusonafinancial,emotionalandsociallevel?Thisstudy,drawingonbothareviewoftheliteratureandonpersonalreportsofsubjects,explorespossibleanswersandconsidersinterventionstrategiesforpreventingunwantedpregnancyandthehostofproblemsassociatedwithit.

285 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 62 Lori E Hannon Yoshie Tsuda (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

The Effects of Impression Management Tactics and Perceived Cultural Similarity on Liking

Researchsuggeststhatpeopleengageinimpressionmanagementtoappearmoreattractiveandlikeable.Inadditiontoimpressionmanagementtactics,likingalsoappearstobeinfluencedbyperceivedsimilarity.Todate,however,nostudyhasexploredtheinfluenceofculturalsimilarityonliking.Thegoalofthisstudyistoinvestigatethecombinedinfluencesofimpressionmanagementandculturalsimilarityonliking.Datacollectionhasbegunanditisexpectedthat120collegestudents(90%Caucasian,60%women)willberandomlyassignedtooneoffourexperimentalconditions.Eachconditionwillcontaineitheranative(fromAmerica)ornon-native(fromJapan)femaleexperimenterwhowillengageineitheringratiation(flatteryofothers)orself-enhancement(flatteryofself)whenintroducingthestudy.Afterwards,studentswillcompletemeasuresofhowmuchtheylikedtheexperimenteraswellastwootherdistracterscales.Itishypothesizedthatthenativeexperimenterengaginginingratiationwillbeperceivedasthemostlikeable,whilethenon-nativeexperimenterengaginginself-enhancementwillbeperceivedastheleastlikeable.In


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today’sincreasingglobalandmulticulturalsociety,theseresultswillfurtherexpandourawarenessoftheeffectsofimpressionmanagementandperceivedculturalsimilarityonliking.

286 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 61 Valerie Vancollie (Jerrold Meyer), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

The Effects of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) Administered during Adolescence on the Rat Serotonin System

ValerieE.VancollieandDr.JerroldS.MeyerDepartmentofPsychologyandNeuroscienceandBehaviorProgramUniversityofMassachusetts,AmherstMA010033,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine(MDMA)istheactivecomponentintheillegaldrugknownasEcstasy.Previousstudieswithratshaveshownthattherearelong-lastingdecreasesinthelevelsoftheserotonintransporter(SERT)protein,serotonin(5-HT),and5-HTmetabolitesinvariousbrainareasduetodrugadministration.Thesedecreasesaretakentomeanthattheserotonergicfibershavedegenerated,butnostudieshavelookedattheactualserotonergicfiberdensityinadolescentrats.ThegoalofthisprojectistovisualizetheserotonergicfibersinadolescentratsadministeredeitheramoderatedoseofMDMAorsaline,andtocomparethedensitiesbetweenthegroups.ItisexpectedthattherewillbeareductioninthefiberdensityoftheMDMAanimals.Sixteenmaleratswererandomlydividedintotwogroups.Onegroupreceiveda10mg/kgdoseofMDMAtwiceadayeveryfifthdayfromPD35toPD60,whiletheothergroupreceivedsalineinjectionsonthesameschedule.Theratssubsequentlyunderwenttranscardialperfusionsbeforetheirbrainswerecollectedandsliced.Thebrainsamplesarebeingpreparedwithimmunocytochemistryforvisualizationatwhichpointcomputersoftwarecanbeusedtocalculateandcomparethefiberdensitiesbetweenthegroupsforeachchosenbrainarea.Theweightdatacollectedontheratsareconsistentwiththewelldocumentedresultsfromotherstudies.TheexpecteddecreaseofserotonergicfibersinMDMAratsisbasedonasimilarstudyperformedonneonatalrats.

287 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 46 Krystal Velazquez (Mary Duell), Department of Psychology, UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854

Body Image and Its Relationship to Eating Attirudes, Depression, Anxiety, and Self-Discrepancy

Thepresentstudyexaminedbodyimage,depression,anxiety,eatingattitudes,andself-discrepancyin169undergraduatemalesandfemalesattheUniversityofMassachusettsLowell.Thesubjectswereaskedtocompleteaquestionnairewhichconsistedofdemographicquestionsandseveralothermeasures,includingtheMultidimensionalBody-SelfRelationsQuestionnaire(Cash,1990),theBeckDepressionInventory-II(BDI-II)(Beck,1996),theState-TraitAnxietyInventory(STAI)(Spielbergeretal.,1979),theMeasureofSelf-Discrepancies(Hardin,2002)andtheEatingAttitudesTest(EAT)(Garner&Garfinkel,1979).ThereweresignificantcorrelationsfoundbetweenEATscoreandbothtraitandstateanxiety.Thereweresignificantcorrelationsbetweenundesiredselfandbothtraitandstateanxiety.TherewasalsoasignificantcorrelationbetweenoughtselfandBDIscore.

288 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 48 Jacob Hirata Dan Washington (Bridgett Perry-Galvin), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

Beats vs Lyrics


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Seriousconcernshavebeenraisedabouttheviolentorsexualexplicitnessoflyricsinthemusicteenspurchase.Thesalesofmusicreachedahighof38.1billiondollarsfortheyearof1997,withtheU.S.representing33.8%ofsalesworldwide.However,littleresearchexiststhathasmeasuredwhichaspectsofmusic,thelyricsorthebeat,havethemostinfluenceonthelikeabilityand/ornotorietyofasong.Weexaminedcollegestudent’sawarenessofthelyricsandbeatofrapmusic.Collegestudents(120)wererandomlyassignedtooneoffourexperimentalconditionsinwhichthey:listenedtothefullsong/withlyrics,thefullsong/withrandomwords,theinstrumentalversion,orreadthelyricsonly.Measuresoflikeabilityofsong,interpersonalviolence,aggression,genderstereotype,andmusicpreferencewerecompleted.AseriesoftwofactorANOVAsandcorrelationswillbecomputedtoexaminedifferencesinreportedlikeabilityandacceptance.Itispredictedthatmenwholistenedtothesongwithoutreadingthelyricswillreportlikingthesongmorethanwomenwholistenedtothesongwithoutreadinglyrics.Inaddition,menwhoreadthelyricswillalsoreportlikingthesongmorethanwomenwhoreadthelyrics.Findingsshouldclarifythequestionofwhetherornotteensactuallylistentothelyricsoraresimplyrespondingtoabeattheyfindenjoyable.Inaddition,strategiestoinsulateyoungmenandwomenfrompossibleharmfuleffectsoflisteningtoviolentandmisogynisticrapmusicwillbediscussed.

289 Huntington Ballroom 1:30-3:00 Board 43 Kalina Word (Cynthia Prehar), Department of Psychology, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA, 01702

A Gender Comparison of Condom Use based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

Whileseveralstudieshavefoundgenderdifferencesincondomuse,fewstudieshaveemployedatheoreticalframeworktounderstandthesedifferences.ThecurrentstudyemploystheTheoryofPlannedBehavior(Ajzen,1991)toexploredifferencesinmenandwomencollegestudents.One-hundredeighty-twocollegestudents(80men,102women)completedmeasuresoftheirintentions,attitudes,subjectivenorms,perceivedbehavioralcontrolanddemographicsinregardstocondomuse.Usingcorrelationalandregressionanalysis,itishypothesizedthatattitudes,subjectivenorms,andperceivedbehavioralcontrolwillbepositivelyrelatedtotheintentiontousecondoms.Regardinggenderdifferences,itispredictedthatwomenwillhavestrongerintentionstousecondoms,amorepositiveattitudetowardusingcondoms,andfeelmoreinfluencetousecondomsbasedonsubjectivenormsthanmen.Incontrast,itishypothesizedthatmenwillperceivemorebehavioralcontroloverusingcondomsthanwomen.Theseresultswillprovideabetterunderstandingofwhymenandwomencollegestudentsusecondoms.Thiswillhopefullyleadtomethodologicalimprovementsinsexualeducation.

290 Huntington Ballroom 3:00-4:30 Board 55 Hyejin Yu (Geert de Vries), Department of Psychology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Development of Galanin and Vasopressin Expression in Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis of Mice

Sexdifferencesinthebrainrefertostructuraldifferencesbetweenthemaleandfemalebrain.Forexample,thebednucleusofstriaterminalis(BNST)containsahighernumberofArgininevasopressinimmunoreactive(AVP-ir)cellsinmaleratsthaninfemalerats(DeVries&Buijs,1983).Thesameregionofmaleratsshowgreaternumberofcellsthatco-expressbothAVPandgalanin(GAL)thanfemales(Planasetal.,1995).However,galanincellsarenotsexuallydimorphicinBNSTregioninratsatpubertyandadulthood(Planasetal.,1994;Planasetal,1995).OurprimaryaimwastoinvestigatetheontogenyofneuronsthatexpressmRNAforGalaninandVasopressintoexplorethepossibilitythatAVPcellsarisefromGALcellstheBNSTregionofdevelopingmice.Whilesexualdifferentiationstudiesonvasopressinareextensivelybasedonrats,mousemodelsarenotasfrequentlyused,despitetheiradvantagesintransgenicresearch.Fivemalesandfivefemaleswerecollectedfromembryonicdays15,19,andpostnatalday3(p3).Thesexofeachanimalwasdeterminedbythepresenceofsrygenelocatedontheychromosome.Inthisstudy,brainsofembryonicandpostnatalC57/BL6miceweresubjectedtoinsituhybridizationusingprobesforAVPandGAL.Sincethegestationperiodofmiceisshorterthaninrats,wepredictedthatgalaninexpressionwillbeobservedearlierinmicethaninratsandthatnosexdifference


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willbefound.AVPwillbevisibleatleastbyP3andwillbeexpressedmoreinmalesthaninfemales.

Radio-Television-Film

291 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 73 Andrew Smith (Don Eric Levine), Department of Communication, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Pentax: An Exercise In The Art Of The Short Film

‘Pentax’isashortfilm,writtenanddirectedbyAnhedrewSmith,tobefilmedduringthespringof2006.Theproductionisanexerciseintheartoftheshortfilmformat,andisanattempttocreateanAvantGardeshortfilmthatraisesthebarforstudentproductionsbytellingastrikingstorythroughtheuseofbeautifulimagery,sound,andbymaintainingaprofessionalfilmmakingstandard.

Religious Studies

292 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 74 Anne Reich (Meredith Gunning), Department of Philosophy, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA, 01830

Rama and Jesus: The Parallels

ThisprojectisacomparisonofHinduism’sRamaandChristianity’sJesus.TheparallelsarebasedonValmiki’sTheRamayana(translatedbyRameshMenon)andTheBible.AlthoughtherearevastdifferencesbetweenRamaandJesus,therearemanysignificantparallels.ThesimilaritiesthatarefoundmayhavebeeninfluencedbyMenon’stranslationofTheRamayana.TheparallelsbetweenRamaandJesusareimportantbecausetheyshowtworeligions,oneEasternandoneWestern,basedondivinefiguressavinghumanity.AlthoughmanyWesternerstendtofearcomparisontoEasternersespeciallyintheareaofreligion,therearemanycommonalitiesinbeliefs.TheintentofthisprojectistoillustratetheseparallelsbetweenHinduismandChristianitythroughthecharactersofRamaandJesus,respectively.

Social Work

293 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 75 Julie Raposo (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

A Students Guide to the Washington Center for Internships

ThisStudent’sGuidetotheWashingtonCenterforInternshipsisintendedtopreparestudentsforaninternshipintheDistrictof


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Columbia,fromtheapplicationprocessatthestarttothetransmissionofgradesbacktocampusastheend.Theprojectgrewinpartfrommyownexperiencesasanintern,specificallytherealizationthat,despitetheusefulorientationmaterialsprovided,thereweresomethingsthatIwishIhadknownbeforegoingtoD.C.,eveninrespecttotheappropriateitemstobringandtotheamountofmoneyIwouldneed.Thispresentation,availableinPowerPointorposterformatandrelyinguponsourcematerialfromtheWashingtonCenteritselfandinconsulationwiththeCenter’srepresentativetoSalemStateCollege,shouldallowstudentstobetterunderstandwhatisrequiredandwhatwillbeexpectedofthem.TheGuidepresentsfutureinternswithsomethinglikeachecklisttouseinpreparingthemselvestohaveanenhancedexperienceasaWashingtonintern.Theproject,intendedtobeuseinthecollege’sCareerServicesCenter,willbeavailabletotheWashingtonCenteraswell.

Sociology

294 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 76 Amy Baker (Nitasha Sharma), Department of Sociology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003

Multiracial Group Identity Formation Zine

Iamcreatingfourissuesofazinecalled,“HiptobeHapa”tobecompiledintoasecondvolume.Thefirstvolume,“HardtobeHapa”wascreatedinthefallof2004.Mygoalistoencouragemultiracialpeopletobeconfidentin,proudof,andunlimitedbytheiridentities.Myzineexaminesthedevelopmentofmultiracialpeopleasagroup,andtheir“racerelations”withothergroups,expandingtheresearchIhavedoneintoculturalidentity.Publishedasfourseparatezines,thisvolumeaskstheimpliedquestionsfromthefirstzine:Withoutonerace,whatculturalhistorydomultiracialpeoplehave?Canmultiracialpeopleasagrouphaveasharedmultiracialracialidentity?Howdomultiracialpeoplerelatetootherracialgroups?Myresearchmethodsincludepersonalinterviews,workingwiththeMultiracialStudentAssociationatUMass,interviewswithscholarsandactivistsworkingonmixedraceissues,andinformationdrawnfromaclassinAsianAmericanstudies,aclassinHapaIssues,andtwogroup-writtenplaysexaminingracialidentity.Itisdividedintofoursectionsentitled,LegalizedFamilyTree,PuertoRicoMestizo,Nicetomeetyou,I’mblacktoo,andYou’renotamutt.Thezinefocusesonminority-minoritymultiracialpeople,oncohesiveculturalgroupsofmultiracialpeople(likePuertoRicans),andthestateofracerelationsbetweenmultiracialgroupsandracialgroupswhicharenottheirheritagegroups.Althoughraceisabiologicalfallacy,theeffectsofracearerealandtheyshapethewayweliveourlives.

Theatre

295 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 77 Hannah Barth (Patricia Buchanan), Department of Theatre, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Sexuality in Shakespeare’s Troilus & Cressida

Theargumentadvancedisthatthemajorcharactersin‘Troilus&Cressida’aredefinedbytheirsexualityandresponsestoothers’sexuality.Andyet,theyarerepulsedbysexualitywornonthesleeve,andstrivetoidentifythemselveswithalovethatdoesnotexistintheplay.Shakespearechallengeshisaudiencenottobejustasrepulsedbythethoughtoftheirownsexualityasthecharactersintheplayare,andPandarus’epilogueconfirmssexualityistheever-presentforcedrivingtheworld.


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296 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 79 Christina Miller (James Murphy), Department of Theatre, Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA, 01830

Greek Acting and Theater

ThepurposeofmyprojectwastoexamineGreekactingandtheatre.Ihadmanyquestionsgoingintotheproject,suchaswhydramacameabout,howitwaspracticed,andthepurposeitservedinGreeksociety.Ialsowantedtolearnhowitwasrelevanttocontemporaryacting.Theactorsworehugemasksandlong,heavy,elaboratecostumes.AGreektheatrewashuge,seatingthousandsmorethantoday’stheatres.Howeverifonelooksintothethemespresented,onecanseehowsimilarplaysthenaretoplaysnow.Theatrebeganasamethodofachievinginsightintothehumancondition,anditstillservesthatpurposetoday.

297 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 78 Bryce Read (Rod Kessler), Department of English, Salem State College, Salem , MA, 01970

Grandma’s Third Leg Presents: A Smorgasbord of Improv Comedy

Inacompetitiveanduncertainjobmarket,oneofthemostimportantskillsthatatheaterpractitionercanlearnishowtocreatehisorherownwork.Inthisvein,Iwillbetheproducer,andmasterofceremoniesforanightofimprovisationalcomedyfeaturingmyowntroupe,Grandma’sThirdLeg,aswellastwoorthreeothergroupsbasedintheBostonarea.ThevenueshalleitherbeoneofSalemStateCollege’sperformancespaces,oranoutsidevenuedependingoncostandavailability.Thisprojectwillrequiremetolearnanumberofskillssuchasnetworkingwithothergroups,advertising,planningashowformat,andbookingaspace,aswellashostingandperformingintheactualshow.Itismyhopethatmyexperiencewiththisprojectwillhelpmetobesuccessfulinmyfieldaftergraduation.Presentationincludesavideo.

Visual Arts

298 Huntington Ballroom 10:00-11:30 Board 80 Eri Allen (Mark Diamond), Department of Visual Arts, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA, 02129

Casual Observation of the Ordinary

Apersonoftenoverlookstheall-too-commonviewinhisdailylife,butwhenhecapturesitthroughacamerahefindsitshiddenbeauty.TheCasualObservationofOrdinaryprojectseekstodevelopmoreartisticstyleincapturingtrivialsubjects.Twoapproachesareusedforexpressingtrivialsubjectseffectivelyinphotography:Approach1-Learningdifferentwaysofcapturingsubjectsbyviewingclassicphotographsandpaintings;andApproach2-ManipulatingtoneofphotographsbyusingtheAdobePhotoShop.Photographsaretakenwitha2.0megapixelscamera,FujiFinePix2650,anda5.0megapixelscamera,CannonPowerShotS2IS.AllphotographsareprintedonHahnemühlePhotoRag308gsm.


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Name Abstract # Aden,PaulaS. 51 Ahmed,Naeem 172 Allen,Eri 298 Andrews,ElizabethS. 157 Antill,EricaC. 91 Antista,ElizabethT. 237 Araujo,ClaudiaF. 238 Auguste,JensenO. 213 Austin,AlexanderC. 187 Baigorria,UlrikeE. 41 Baker,AmyJ. 16 Baker,Amy 294 Barbati,AlexC. 199 Barrett,ElizabethA. 214 Barth,Hannah 295 Beaudin,MariaA. 198 Begilman,Ada 188 Bianchi,Andrea 239 Billings,DianaP. 24 Bishop,Stewart 173 Bissonnette,KristenM. 224 Boggio,KristinJ. 114 Bouley,KristenM. 145 Braden,MatthewR. 200 Brennan,MatthewD. 149 Browne,EvaP. 158 Buckley,TaylorL. 240 Budd,ElisabethA. 43 Burke,CatherineM. 241 Butland,AlisonM. 34 Bybee,JoannaM. 215 Canepari,StacyM. 201 Cannon,Dianne 55 Carberry,James 159 Carey,JosephE. 71 Carey,ElisaD. 160 Carr,Sadiya 242 Carvalho,StacyL. 83 Charron,ChristinaM. 155 Cherneva,MarianaY. 92 Cheung,JessicaW. 125 Chiaretto,JessicaY. 243 Chuisa,JeenaE. 146 Clark,LeonaE. 126 Cleary,ErinT. 244 Cole,Steven 194 Colon,CassandraO. 25 Cook,Carolyn 6 Cooley,EmilyA. 7 Cordeiro,Tessa 245 Costa,Inge 225 Courchene,DonnaM. 84 Courtemanche,AndreaB. 246 Crawley,Andrew 161 Cunningham,NicoleL. 247 Curtis,StephenE. 115

Cushman,JamieA. 202 Cutler,BrandiL. 1 Dabreo,KumarE. 222 Dagesse,NIcoleB. 142 Dagher,EmileM. 23 Dagraca,AndreaM. 8 Daniello,RobertJ. 203 Davies,CarolineK. 196 Davis,LauraA. 153 Davis,John 175 Dayton,Rachel 44 Dendler,Anthony 116 DeVisscher,KathrynA. 248 DiFronzo,MarisaA. 72 Dignan,Lillian 88 Domingues,Erik 117 DosSantos,JoanaM. 93 Draper,JacquelineT. 94 Duclos,EmilieB. 95 DuFresne,KristinM. 73Dulskiy,VasiliyV. 118 Dupuis,ErinE. 96 Ellis,VictoriaE. 249 Eriksen,Dawn 113 Faktorovich,Inna 79 Faraj,JoycelynM. 230 Ferguson,DerekL. 204 Festa,JillianM. 143 Fine,AmandaS. 250 Finocchiaro,DarciL. 97 Fitch,DustinS. 226 Fleming,HeatherK. 227 Fletcher,JohnE. 26 Fragoso,Maria 251 Freeman,LinneaR. 219 Friedman,StacyL. 252 Galeski,LauraA. 57 Gariepy,Catherine 189 Gaudiello,Jeanmarie 176 Goodniss,Bevin 11 Gorman,DavidC. 253 Graves,MichaelJ. 133 Gray,LauraJ. 254 Grohman,BriannaM. 228 Gutwein,SebastianC. 48 Hagen,GerritK. 52 Haggard,JayneE. 2 Haines,JenniferL. 255 Hall,RobertJ. 14 Hallee,LauraG. 256 Hanson,AshleeL. 98 Harding,Shauna 257 Hashmi,MahwishA. 192 Hathaway,RebeccaA. 3 Henamara,Hafid 144

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Hengl,DawnM. 27 Herrera,Silvia 177 Higgins,EmilyC. 258 Hill,SusanE. 259 Hitchcock,AmandaC. 99 Hoey,CaitlinP. 127 Houston,JennetteL. 56 Howard,Robert 205 Howard,MeghanE. 147 Hubbell,Quinn 4 Hunt,MeaghaNr. 100 Innis,EvanD. 134 Izzicupo,StephanieJ. 260 Jacobs,Chantelle 35 Jobling,ScottM. 150 Kamanzi,Albert 232 Kay,Leon 135 Keane,ElizabethJ. 58 Kibbe,MelissaM. 261 Koffman,LaurenM. 101 Kouskous,Fatima 178 Krovi,SaiArchana 10 Lamar,NathanD. 36 Lang,JamesR. 136 Lanzoni,Jessica 132 Larsen,Ithai 12 LavigneJr.,MichaelP. 170 Lay,KimberlyT. 216 Lee,HallieH. 102 LeFrancois,SarahL. 45 Lin,Huai-Ti 233 Lindley,VinaE. 87 Lord,SamanthaL. 234 Luongo,LaurenA. 103 Lusztig,TamarE. 60 Luyindula,DemaS. 104 Lynch,Shawn 179 Lyon,MatthewP. 78 Mahdavi,Michael 206 Mahfood,KennethB. 15 Maillet,JessicaL. 231 Mandell,DouglasM. 207 Mannagan,LeahF. 128 Marshall,Melissa 5 Martin,Megan 17 Marzilli,Matt 235 Massarutto,Marcela 61 Matalka,MalcolmN. 105 Mathews,MelissaA. 229 Mayyasi,Majd 62 McCarthy,JulieC. 262 McEuen,Autumn 20 McGlinchey,ElizabethA. 263 McGrath,MeaghanE. 89 McHugh,JaimieM. 28 McPhee,GregM. 156 Medeiros,LindseyD. 63 Meehan,ShawnaM. 21

Mena,Erica 37 Mendelsohn,DavidM. 264 Miele,KarenE. 29 Miele,KristineA. 265 Miller,Jason 49 Miller,ChristinaT. 296 Monroe,AsjahC. 80 Morales,Kattrina 266 Morgan,Diane 180 Morrissey,RebeccaS. 267 Morrissey,RebeccaS. 268 Motyka,Scott 269 Moyo,Leah 64 Mulherin,MagdalenaD. 212 Murphy,StephanieR. 220 Murphy,CaitlinA. 30 Nathan,BenjaminR. 223 Newman,KatherineG. 191 Ngesina,ChizobaO. 181 Nguyen,AnthonyS. 195 Nichols,DeniseM. 31 Nickey,Nishita 208 Niederhoefer,Verena-Catherine 270 Niles,DanielleL. 162 Nilsson,MichaelA. 209 Nyega,StephenB. 148 O’Brien,EmilyM. 129 O’Connor,KelliA. 163 Oppong,KennedyY. 65 Ozer,Dar 82 Patel,Jemin 164 Pauletto,ElettraJ. 74 Paulson,DavidJ. 42 Pawling,KatherineE. 75 Perkins,SarahA. 38 Perkins,JenniferJ. 124 Perrott,NissaL. 81 Peterson,CharlesT. 66 Pho,PatrickT. 123 Pickering,AshleyE. 130 Pierre,Lucienne 32 Pink,JochebedA. 106 Plotnikau,Aleh 137 Poulin,MelissaR. 131 Prezioso,Josephs. 13 Priddy,Cassandra 107 Putcha,Preeti 271 Pynn,SandraL. 272 Radhakrishnan,Kavita 59 Ralto,KennethM. 221 Ramel,JudithL. 273 Ramphaul,Viola 182 Raposo,JulieT. 293 Rapozo,Nina-MarieC. 76 Read,Bryce 297 Reich,AnneE. 292 Reiff,Sarah 217 Reyes,Catherine 47

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Richardson,ColinM. 183 Roberts,Nichol 274 Rodriguez,GracesY. 86 Rose,Stephen 184 Roshinski,Amy-Lynn 275 Rrudho,Gentian 236 Ryan,PatrickJ. 210 Rydgren,ErinL. 185 Santana,GabrielJ. 141 Sauer,AmandaM. 211 Sautter,JeffreyM. 190 Scalisi,LisaM. 67 Scheintaub,JocelynR. 119 Schwab,Ose 77 Senatore,RichardD. 120 Sidiqui,Sabeen 68 Siebecker,Matt 165 Sillice,MarieA. 276 Sinacola,AlenaR. 33 Sindelar,MichaelA. 138 Slattery,Patricia 90 Smith,RachelA. 277 Smith,AndrewB. 291 Smith,David 151 Snide,Meagan 108 Sommo,Lucy 69 Spaderna,Max 46 Spellissey,Laura 278 Srivastava,Sapeckshita 9 Stanley,Catherine 279 Stauber,ChristinaL. 122 Steinberg,JaredN. 280 Stevenson,ErinM. 281 Stoltzman,MeggieA. 112 Syngajewski,NicoleM. 109 Szembek,CarlosD. 166 Tamburrini,ChristopherM. 218 Taverna,Keith 18 Teixeira,Melissa 282 Tesfaye,Roza 186 Thomas,ChristinaJ. 193 Tobrocke,ErikaJ. 283 Tocco,NicoleA. 53 Toto,FrancesK. 284 Trusel,LukeD. 171 Tsuda,Yoshie 285 Tusi,PeterJ. 54 Ulmer,Jessica 39 Uysal,Aycan 139 Vaillancourt,JarrodN. 152 vanMinnen,NicholasJ. 167 Vancollie,ValerieE. 286 Vasquez,ElvaE. 168 Velazquez,KrystalA. 287 Vo,KhanhM. 121 Wagner,Jolene 40 Wagner,AimeeL. 154 Washington,DanC. 288

Waynelovich,Kimberly 197 Welch,Cory 70 Wessel,Jared 169 Wilcox,MelanieM. 85 Wilkinson,JuliaG. 110 Willard,Eric 140 Wood,StephenL. 22 Woolfrey,KatelynE. 111 Word,KalinaF. 289 Yu,Hyejin 290 Zajac,HeatherS. 19 Zaltzberg,KeithA. 50

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Berkshire Community College Harding,Shauna 257

Bristol Community College Gaudiello,Jeanmarie 176

Bunker Hill Community College Ahmed,Naeem 172 Allen,Eri 298 Bishop,Stewart 173 Davis,John 175 Graves,MichaelJ. 133 Hashmi,MahwishA. 192 Henamara,Hafid 144 Herrera,Silvia 177 Kouskous,Fatima 178 LavigneJr.,MichaelP. 170 Lynch,Shawn 179 Mannagan,LeahF. 128 McGrath,MeaghanE. 89 Ngesina,ChizobaO. 181 Nyega,StephenB. 148 O’Connor,KelliA. 163 Patel,Jemin 164 Plotnikau,Aleh 137 Ramphaul,Viola 182 Roberts,Nichol 274 Rose,Stephen 184 Rrudho,Gentian 236 Santana,GabrielJ. 141 Tesfaye,Roza 186 Uysal,Aycan 139 vanMinnen,NicholasJ. 167 Vasquez,ElvaE. 168 Willard,Eric 140

Fitchburg State College Bissonnette,KristenM. 224 Butland,AlisonM. 34 Charron,ChristinaM. 155 Cleary,ErinT. 244 Cole,Steven 194 Lang,JamesR. 136 Morales,Kattrina 266 Motyka,Scott 269 Pho,PatrickT. 123 Waynelovich,Kimberly 197 FraminghamStateCollege Antista,ElizabethT. 237 Araujo,ClaudiaF. 238 Bianchi,Andrea 239 Burke,CatherineM. 241 Chuisa,JeenaE. 146 Cooley,EmilyA. 7 Cordeiro,Tessa 245

Cunningham,NicoleL. 247 Cutler,BrandiL. 1 Davies,CarolineK. 196 DeVisscher,KathrynA. 248 Ellis,VictoriaE. 249 Gorman,DavidC. 253 Gray,LauraJ. 254 Haggard,JayneE. 2 Haines,JenniferL. 255 Hallee,LauraG. 256 Hathaway,RebeccaA. 3 Hill,SusanE. 259 Houston,JennetteL. 56 Morgan,Diane 180 Morrissey,RebeccaS. 267 Morrissey,RebeccaS. 268 Mulherin,MagdalenaD. 212 Paulson,DavidJ. 42 Pynn,SandraL. 272 Roshinski,Amy-Lynn 275 Smith,RachelA. 277 Spellissey,Laura 278 Stanley,Catherine 279 Stevenson,ErinM. 281 Tobrocke,ErikaJ. 283 Tsuda,Yoshie 285 Wagner,AimeeL. 154 Washington,DanC. 288 Welch,Cory 70 Wilkinson,JuliaG. 110 Word,KalinaF. 289

Holyoke Community College Carey,JosephE. 71 Carey,ElisaD. 160 Peterson,CharlesT. 66

Massachusetts Bay Community College Carberry,James 159 Crawley,Andrew 161 Slattery,Patricia 90 Wessel,Jared 169

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Cook,Carolyn 6 Dayton,Rachel 44 Larsen,Ithai 12 Snide,Meagan 108

Massasoit Community College Courchene,DonnaM. 84 Dabreo,KumarE. 222 Davis,LauraA. 153DuFresne,KristinM. 73 Hagen,GerritK. 52

Index of Primary Presenters by School


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McPhee,GregM. 156 Rapozo,Nina-MarieC. 76 Teixeira,Melissa 282

Mount Wachusett Community College DosSantos,JoanaM. 93 Thomas,ChristinaJ. 193

North Shore Community College Lyon,MatthewP. 78

Northern Essex Community College Miller,ChristinaT. 296 Reich,AnneE. 292

Salem State College Barth,Hannah 295 Billings,DianaP. 24 Cherneva,MarianaY. 92 Colon,CassandraO. 25 Festa,JillianM. 143 Finocchiaro,DarciL. 97 Fitch,DustinS. 226 Fleming,HeatherK. 227 Galeski,LauraA. 57 Izzicupo,StephanieJ. 260 Lord,SamanthaL. 234 McHugh,JaimieM. 28 Prezioso,Josephs. 13 Raposo,JulieT. 293 Read,Bryce 297 Rydgren,ErinL. 185 Scalisi,LisaM. 67 Schwab,Ose 77 Toto,FrancesK. 284

UMass Amherst Aden,PaulaS. 51 Andrews,ElizabethS. 157 Antill,EricaC. 91 Austin,AlexanderC. 187 Baker,Amy 294 Baker,AmyJ. 16 Barbati,AlexC. 199 Barrett,ElizabethA. 214 Begilman,Ada 188 Bouley,KristenM. 145 Braden,MatthewR. 200 Brennan,MatthewD. 149 Browne,EvaP. 158 Buckley,TaylorL. 240 Budd,ElisabethA. 43 Bybee,JoannaM. 215 Canepari,StacyM. 201 Carvalho,StacyL. 83

Cheung,JessicaW. 125 Clark,LeonaE. 126 Courtemanche,AndreaB. 246 Dagesse,NIcoleB. 142 Daniello,RobertJ. 203 Dignan,Lillian 88 Duclos,EmilieB. 95 Eriksen,Dawn 113 Faktorovich,Inna 79 Faraj,JoycelynM. 230 Ferguson,DerekL. 204 Fine,AmandaS. 250 Freeman,LinneaR. 219 Friedman,StacyL. 252 Gariepy,Catherine 189 Grohman,BriannaM. 228 Gutwein,SebastianC. 48 Hall,RobertJ. 14 Hanson,AshleeL. 98 Hitchcock,AmandaC. 99 Hoey,CaitlinP. 127 Howard,Robert 205 Howard,MeghanE. 147 Hubbell,Quinn 4 Innis,EvanD. 134 Keane,ElizabethJ. 58 Koffman,LaurenM. 101 Krovi,SaiArchana 10 Lay,KimberlyT. 216 Lin,Huai-Ti 233 Lindley,VinaE. 87 Lusztig,TamarE. 60 Luyindula,DemaS. 104 Mahdavi,Michael 206 Maillet,JessicaL. 231 Mandell,DouglasM. 207 Marshall,Melissa 5 Marzilli,Matt 235 Mathews,MelissaA. 229 McCarthy,JulieC. 262 Mendelsohn,DavidM. 264 Miller,Jason 49 Murphy,StephanieR. 220 Nathan,BenjaminR. 223 Newman,KatherineG. 191 Nickey,Nishita 208 Nilsson,MichaelA. 209 O’Brien,EmilyM. 129 Ozer,Dar 82 Pauletto,ElettraJ. 74 Pawling,KatherineE. 75 Perkins,JenniferJ. 124 Perrott,NissaL. 81 Pickering,AshleyE. 130 Pink,JochebedA. 106 Poulin,MelissaR. 131 Priddy,Cassandra 107 Putcha,Preeti 271

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Radhakrishnan,Kavita 59 Ralto,KennethM. 221 Ramel,JudithL. 273 Reiff,Sarah 217 Richardson,ColinM. 183 Rodriguez,GracesY. 86 Ryan,PatrickJ. 210 Sauer,AmandaM. 211 Sautter,JeffreyM. 190 Scheintaub,JocelynR. 119 Senatore,RichardD. 120 Siebecker,Matt 165 Sindelar,MichaelA. 138 Smith,AndrewB. 291 Spaderna,Max 46 Srivastava,Sapeckshita 9 Stauber,ChristinaL. 122 Steinberg,JaredN. 280 Stoltzman,MeggieA. 112 Tamburrini,ChristopherM. 218 Tocco,NicoleA. 53 Trusel,LukeD. 171 Vancollie,ValerieE. 286 Wood,StephenL. 22 Woolfrey,KatelynE. 111 Yu,Hyejin 290 Zaltzberg,KeithA. 50

UMass Boston Baigorria,UlrikeE. 41 Boggio,KristinJ. 114 Cannon,Dianne 55 Carr,Sadiya 242 Curtis,StephenE. 115 Dagraca,AndreaM. 8 Dendler,Anthony 116 DiFronzo,MarisaA. 72 Draper,JacquelineT. 94 Fragoso,Maria 251 Higgins,EmilyC. 258 Kamanzi,Albert 232 Kibbe,MelissaM. 261 Lanzoni,Jessica 132 Lee,HallieH. 102 Mahfood,KennethB. 15 Massarutto,Marcela 61 Mayyasi,Majd 62 McEuen,Autumn 20 McGlinchey,ElizabethA. 263 Medeiros,LindseyD. 63 Mena,Erica 37 Monroe,AsjahC. 80 Moyo,Leah 64 Nguyen,AnthonyS. 195 Niederhoefer,Verena-Catherine 270 Oppong,KennedyY. 65 Pierre,Lucienne 32

Reyes,Catherine 47 Sidiqui,Sabeen 68 Sillice,MarieA. 276 Sommo,Lucy 69 Syngajewski,NicoleM. 109 Tusi,PeterJ. 54

UMass Dartmouth Costa,Inge 225 Domingues,Erik 117 Jacobs,Chantelle 35 Murphy,CaitlinA. 30

UMass Lowell Cushman,JamieA. 202 Dagher,EmileM. 23 Dulskiy,VasiliyV. 118 Jobling,ScottM. 150 Kay,Leon 135 Lamar,NathanD. 36 Luongo,LaurenA. 103 Niles,DanielleL. 162 Smith,David 151 Szembek,CarlosD. 166 Vaillancourt,JarrodN. 152 Velazquez,KrystalA. 287 Zajac,HeatherS. 19

Westfield State College Beaudin,MariaA. 198 Chiaretto,JessicaY. 243 Fletcher,JohnE. 26 Goodniss,Bevin 11 Hengl,DawnM. 27 LeFrancois,SarahL. 45 Meehan,ShawnaM. 21 Miele,KarenE. 29 Miele,KristineA. 265 Nichols,DeniseM. 31 Perkins,SarahA. 38 Ulmer,Jessica 39 Wagner,Jolene 40

Worcester State College Auguste,JensenO. 213 Dupuis,ErinE. 96 Hunt,MeaghaNr. 100 Martin,Megan 17 Matalka,MalcolmN. 105 Sinacola,AlenaR. 33 Taverna,Keith 18 Vo,KhanhM. 121 Wilcox,MelanieM. 85

Index of Primary Presenters by School


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12th Annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Conferencehonorsapp.honors.umass.edu/aspnet_resources/conference/2006uc… · 12th Annual Massachusetts Statewide Undergraduate Conference

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