NCUR 2020

Student Spotlight

Habiba Ahmed

"I enjoy research because asking questions and seeking answers is such a fundamentally human experience; engaging in both reminds me of how grateful I am to be alive and to have the opportunity to learn freely."

ABSTRACT: As undergraduate institutions implement courses centered on issues of marginalization, bias, and disparities, there is an increasing need for research on how students accommodate and internalize this information. The University of Kentucky offers a course entitled “Cultural Competency in Healthcare” for predominately White undergraduate aspiring healthcare providers. During this course, students produce written reflections before the first class, at midterm, and during the last class. Our team utilized qualitative thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to understand participant thoughts, attitudes, and knowledge regarding diversity, cultural competency, and related topics over a semester. One identified theme is how incongruence influenced student definitions of diversity. Students often experienced incongruence when made aware of their biases such as through small group discussions. This was prevalent during midterm reflections, in which many students either set impossible goals to move towards their ideal selves (i.e. erasing all biases) or attempted to dissociate their professional and personal selves. While analysis is currently being conducted, participant definitions of diversity in final reflections appear to be varied, reflecting individual differences in levels of incongruence and resolution approaches. Several students remained vague, omitted clear personal definitions of diversity, or removed themselves by using impersonal language or focusing on others’ struggles. However, many students directly named their privilege and intersectionality and broadened their personal definitions of diversity to include factors other than race. Generally, students used course language less awkwardly, named race and ethnicity, and honestly articulated their thoughts and feelings. Student responses indicate that experiences of incongruence, when controlled in a safe and open space, greatly influence an initial broadening of student definitions of diversity, which without intervention, remain narrow and otherizing. Further research should be done to investigate how to most efficaciously sustain and enhance student progress in understanding diversity and related topics after such classes have ended.

Emily Andreasson

"I enjoy research because it challenges me, it inspires me, and it teaches me unexpected things."

ABSTRACT: The disciplines of psychology and sociology have identified play as an essential component to healthy child development; however, the discipline of design is only beginning to explore how to create spaces that support healthy play. The impetus of this research is to investigate the developmental needs and challenges of childhood and to explore the evolution of playscapes through time in order to determine how best to create play spaces for children in the twenty-first century. Additionally, this research investigates alternative forms of play, such as contemplative play, risky play, and the importance of environmental connection, which are not supported by the majority of existing playscapes. Play is imperative to the physical, social, and cognitive development of children. Through play children are able to explore the outdoors, make social connections, express emotions and process experiences. Increasing concerns about child safety in recent decades have resulted in uniform playscape designs that emphasize risk reduction over developmental play. Emphasis on durability and ease of maintenance has led to the construction of playscapes devoid of any environmental connection. Designers have a crucial role in the creation of structures that facilitate healthy child development and offer opportunities for alternative play. The research methodology includes analysis of existing psychological and sociological information about play, evaluation of historic and contemporary precedents, and a series of interviews and focus groups with experts in playscape design, early childhood education, child development, and childhood experience. The goal of this research is to prepare designers to create more effective and innovative play structures to address developmental needs of children. The research will culminate in the construction of an experimental playscape. The structure will address issues such as promoting healthy child development through play, providing spaces for risky and contemplative play, and reconnecting children to nature even in urban contexts.

Quinn Andrews

"I enjoy research because it allows you to think in ways you haven't before in order to create something new."

ABSTRACT: United States laws regarding alcohol and drug use have a complicated history of success and failure while ostensibly attempting to protect people from substance abuse. From 1920 to 1933, alcohol was restricted by a Constitutional amendment that forbid the production or sale of alcohol, unless prescribed by a physician. The 1919 Volstead Act prohibited more than one pint of liquor, such as 100 proof whiskey, per prescription every ten days and required all alcohol prescriptions to be written on approved prescription pads to restrict the use of alcohol to medical supervision. It is reasonable to question how and why doctors prescribed alcohol during this time. While much is known about doctors in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, little is known about how rural doctors prescribed alcohol during this time. Analyzing primary sources from this period will provide insight into the issue. Using the 1928 alcohol prescription book in the collection of William E. Adams Papers at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center, research will detail how Dr. Adams provided medicinal alcohol to rural Kentuckians for various ailments. The aim of this research is to elucidate the therapeutic rationale for a physician to prescribe alcohol through analysis of patient names, illnesses, demographics, frequency of prescriptions as well as comparing names from census records compiled in 1920 and 1930. This research is important because it showcases the first time the United States government restricted the prescribing power of physicians, a trend that has continued to this day.

Malik Appleton

Comment unavailable

ABSTRACT: Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the world. There currently only two FDA approved treatments for ischemic stroke, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and mechanical thrombectomy. Leukemia inhibitory factor or LIF, has been shown to improve functional recovery in young rats put under ischemic stroke conditions, but neither the responses of older rats or the gendered rat differences in immune responses have yet been tested with LIF. The purpose of this study is to identify the differences in immune cell infiltration of aged male and female rats subjected to MCAO and treated with LIF. For his study, the rats were subjected to either MCAO surgery or sham surgery, and given an injection of either LIF or PBS at 6, 24, and 48 hour time points after surgery. At the 72h time point the rats had MRI scans done on their brains immediately before euthanisia, and brains, blood, and spleens of the rats were collected for flow cytometry analysis. The spleen, blood, and brain samples were stained and analyzed with a flow cytometer for counts of Macrophages and Monocytes, B cells, and CD4 and CD8 T cells, and the resulting data was compiled using FlowJo and visualized using GraphPad. Results show that while there are some potential differences in the immune cell infiltrations of male vs female rats and PBS vs LIF rats, the deviation in sample levels of immune cells is on high for statistically significant conclusions to be made. A larger sample size for each group (currently n≤4 per treatment group) would be needed in a future study to investigate his further.

Jacob Beavin

"I enjoy research because it allows you to investigate questions no one ever thought to ask. Working in the archives has allowed me to pull history straight off the shelves and attempt bring it to life in new and fascinating ways."

ABSTRACT: In 1920, a 10-year-old white girl named Geneva Hardman was found brutally murdered in a field in Lexington, Kentucky. Soon after the discovery, police arrested Will Lockett, an African American World War I veteran suffering from physical and mental health issues, for the crime. A trial was promptly set, and in the time between his arrest and the trial, Lexington citizens became enraged by the crime. On the day of his trial, a large mob amassed outside of the courthouse in an attempt to break in and lynch the accused. The National Guard was brought in to keep the peace, and Lexington city officials were determined to let legal justice prevail rather than succumb to the mob. Lockett’s trial lasted fifteen minutes before the jury found him guilty and sentenced to death. One hundred years after the verdict, the question remains: was justice truly served for Will Lockett? Using newly processed legal files from Lockett’s attorney available at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center, as well as primary source court records and newspaper accounts, investigation into the legal process is expected to provide valuable insight into the process of justice as it was practiced in 1920. Using a 21st century lens on which to view this century-old case will answer the questions that are commonly held about the case: should Lockett have been sent to his death for the crime and should his mental health have been factored into his verdict? This study will compare the Lockett case to similar, 21st century cases to examine differences in how verdicts have evolved to encompass mental health issues.

Lindsay Beechem

"I enjoy research because it allows me to deeply learn about topics I am interested in, such as sleep and Alzheimer’s Disease, in a hands-on way—I would never understand the mechanisms, pathologies, and modes of analysis for these topics to the extent I do if it wasn’t for my research."

ABSTRACT: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that is defined by amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal death. Previous studies have indicated that increased Aβ and alterations in the daily sleep-wake cycle are early indicators of AD. Decreased clearance of Aβ from reduced sleep may be a contributing factor in the rapid decline of memory in AD patients. Likewise, it has been shown that there is a higher rate of sleep disorders in AD patients. However, limited studies have investigated whether sleep fragmentation accelerates the progression of AD pathology. This study investigated whether chronic disruption of daily sleep-wake cycles with sleep fragmentation (SF) increased Aβ and neuroinflammation in the brains of transgenic AD mice (3xTgAD). Female mice (8 months old) were sorted into two groups, an undisturbed sleep (US) group and an SF group, involving stimulation for one-hour periods during the light phase, 4 times/day, 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Sleep was monitored using a piezoelectric system, which is a noninvasive sleep monitoring system that translates movement into electrical signals for analysis. Sleep data concluded that the US mice slept as expected during the light phase; however, SF mice had greatly reduced sleep during the SF intervals, and this sleep loss was only partially made up during the dark period. Protein analysis showed that levels of Aβ 40 and 42 in the hippocampus were significantly increased in SF compared to US mice. Additionally, gene expression markers of neuroinflammation were significantly elevated in SF mice. These results suggest that Aβ clearance is decreased in SF mice, resulting in increased neuroinflammation and plaque development. If future rodent studies support these findings that chronic SF advances AD pathology, then improving sleep consolidation would be a potential therapeutic strategy for reducing the progression of AD neuropathology in humans.

Francisco Beltran

Sophomore, Agricultural & Medical Biotechnology major

Research Mentor: Dr. Lisa Vaillancourt

"Investigating Colletochtrichum’s Antibacterial Potential"

ABSTRACT: Historically, many agricultural products have been the basis of groundbreaking medical innovations. A notable example being the fungus penicillium, invented in the 20th century, this organism is responsible for an entire class of medicine. Colletochtrichum or “Bitter rot”, a widespread plant pathogen in Kentucky, is no different. Through a collaborative research effort between the labs of the College of Agriculture and College of Pharmacy at the University of Kentucky—a novel antibiotic has been discovered. This pharmaceutical compound has been proven to be effective against gram (-) bacteria. In the face of a rising amount of antibiotic resistant superbugs (such as Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), this is ecstatic news. This revolutionary discovery is produced somewhere between the interaction of the fungus and apple media to ward off microbiological competition. Therefore, raw infected apple tissue was extracted for its secondary metabolites and later showed positive results in minimum inhibitory concentration tests (MIC). High Performance Liquid Chromotography (HPLC) readings, meanwhile, show no known links to current antibiotics. Although, this therapy is still in its developmental infancy, the involved research groups hope to manipulate Colletotrichum’s sequenced genome to streamline its production synthetically. The College of Agriculture and Pharmacy aspires that eventually one day this discovery will open up numerous doors of treatment for patients with preventable bacterial infections.

Alex Blose

"I enjoy research because it's exciting to explore the inner workings of the universe."

ABSTRACT: A common problem in algebra is solving systems of equations. Solutions to systems of polynomial equations over a field can be encoded as geometric objects called algebraic varieties. One classical type of algebraic variety is a determinantal variety, in which the system of polynomial equations to be studied consists of minors of a matrix of indeterminates. Our project probed one generalization of determinantal varieties known as double determinantal varieties. Double determinantal varieties are conjectured to behave similarly to determinantal varieties. We explored the toric case. We were able to show that toric double determinantal varieties are smooth projective varieties and that their defining ideals are prime. We then used double determinantal varieties to give some numerical evidence in favor of a conjecture in commutative algebra concerning ratios of colengths to multiplicities of parameter ideals, and we also considered full rank valuations on toric double determinantal varieties of small dimension as a way to describe their associated Newton polytopes.

Tamunoemi Braide

"I enjoy research because it provides a channel for me to learn something new and build my creativity, independent thinking and resilience."

ABSTRACT: The Belize River Watershed has a high density of agricultural activity and is a drinking water source for two-third of the population. Elevated nutrient levels of orthophosphate and nitrates may be an indicator of run-off from fertilizers and pesticides that contribute to eutrophication. For this reason, it is critical to investigate nutrients present in drinking and surface water sources. In July 2019, water samples were collected from two rural drinking water systems along the Belize River. For each drinking water system, water samples were collected upstream, at the intake, and at the drinking water distribution point. These samples were tested for orthophosphate and nitrates using the HACH Surface Water Test Kit. The Department of Environment and Ministry of Health in Belize follows The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) surface and drinking water standards for monitoring orthophosphate and nitrate concentrations. In this study, we compared the measured concentrations with the aforementioned standards. Results show that elevated levels of orthophosphate and nitrate are present upstream and at abstraction sites in two different rural drinking water systems. We found that all drinking water samples had nitrate concentrations below the WHO standard of 10 mg/L. However, surface water samples at both of the abstraction sites were above the USEPA range for orthophosphate and nitrate concentrations at 0.08 mg/L and 4 mg/L respectively. Nitrate and orthophosphate levels were above the range as well at one upstream site at 0.08 mg/L. Our results demonstrate that agricultural surface runoff is most likely occurring in this region and can potentially harm the aquatic ecosystem. We anticipate this analysis as the beginning for detecting nutrients in the Belize River Watershed. Fertilizers and pesticides are heavily used in this region and a quantitative analysis will be relevant for identifying specific agricultural pollutants.

Callum Case

"I enjoy research because it connects us to the past in a way that helps us understand the present and face the future."

ABSTRACT: Mineral severance jurisprudence expounded by the Kentucky Court of Appeals between 1945 and 1977 coincided with the expansion of surface mining in Eastern Kentucky, and offered legal justification for the expansion. While a great deal of scholarship discusses the socioeconomic significance of broad-form deeds in the history of Appalachia, little scholarship broaches the effects of broad-form deed jurisprudence on Eastern Kentucky. This research addresses two questions: why did broad-form deed jurisprudence change in the Kentucky Court of Appeals during the period between 1945 and 1977; how did those changes affect the economy, environment, and culture of Eastern Kentucky over the same period? Identifying how socioeconomic and political realities affect the theoretical landscape of law, which in turn affects material landscapes, can provide insight into the relationship between public institutions, industry, and the population.
Decisions rendered by the Kentucky Court of Appeals dealing with broad-form deeds between 1945 and 1977 are the primary subject of analysis in this research. Reports on coal production and consumption, surveys of regional topography, and accounts of legal and political opposition to broad-form deeds, along with secondary literature examining the social and economic history of the region, provide context and demonstrate the practical effects of the decisions of the Court of Appeals. Two conclusions emerge in this research. First, pressures placed on state institutions after World War II as a result of changes to the national economy could explain the shift in broad-form deed jurisprudence. Second, the drastic expansion of strip mining after changes to the legal relationship between mineral rights and surface-land owners exacerbated socioeconomic inequality, environmental degradation, and federal government intervention in Eastern Kentucky. In addressing the role of the Court of Appeals in the exploitation of Eastern Kentucky, this research sheds light on the role of government institutions in the preservation of inequality.

Carly Coleman

"I love research because I enjoy discovering the root of some of the issues in our society and possibly being able to effect change because of our new found knowledge."

ABSTRACT: Ethnic minority students at predominately White institutions (PWI) are exiting college at higher rates than their White counterparts. One contributor for this academic gap focuses on the social climate of the university. Previous research has shown that experiencing ethnic bias can reduce sense of school belonging; feeling a lower sense of school belonging, in turn, can lead to more negative academic outcomes, such as lower GPA and lower retention. However, ethnic minority students, with a central, ethnic identity may be protected from these experiences with discrimination. The purpose of this study is to (a) examine how perceptions of ethnic bias predict school belonging among first-year ethnic minority college students attending a (PWI), (b) whether those feelings of school belonging predict their retention to their second year of enrollment, and (c) whether ethnic identity buffers or moderates the relationships between perceptions of ethnic bias, school belonging, and academic retention. The sample was drawn from first year college students (N = 5,192; 2,805 females and 2,066 males, Mage = 18.79 years, SDage = 1.26) at a large public university in the US. The sample was 70% White, 8% Black, 5% Latinx, 2% Asian, and 4% Multiracial. Analyses compared White students and students of color (Black, Latinx, Asian, and Multiracial were analyzed together). Students completed measures of perceptions of ethnic bias, school belonging, and ethnic identity at the beginning of their first semester, and at the end of their first and second semesters We predicted that students who report higher perceptions of bias in their first few weeks of college will be less likely to be retained the following year, and that this effect would be mediated by lower feelings of school belonging throughout the school year. It was also predicted that this mediation would be moderated by students’ sense of ethnic identity.

Katelyn Cox

"I enjoy research because I can combine my passions in new ways that excite me."

ABSTRACT: Through modern dance, I will connect the concepts of stem cell differentiation from biology and self-creation from a philosophical lens. Stem cells are young, naive cells that will grow and change into specific tissue types based on chemical markers added to their DNA and other environmental cues. Similarly, but from a vastly different academic lens, people become who they are through a combination of their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. We are products of our environment, just as cellular tissues are products of their environment. Dance offers a unique methodology for examining the connection due to its intrinsic wordlessness. By removing the language associated with each field, people of all backgrounds can perceive the common ideas. To create the piece, Differentiate, I ascribed characteristics to different body systems into which a stem cell can differentiate, based on content in my human physiology class. I used the characteristics as a starting point for translating the concepts into movement. The piece begins with an undifferentiated stem cell, or a young person, and each section represents a different body system, or what the person can become. For example, the cardiovascular system reaches every part of the body, and the heart supplies a constant pulse. The system is expansive, responsive, and has a driving rhythm, all of which I used to generate movement for the associated section in the piece. When viewing the work, a biologist might see the influence of stem cell differentiation, while a philosopher might understand the sense of self-creation. The dance piece provides a vehicle for discussion and fosters connections among people of all backgrounds. Differentiate showcases how multiple disciplines can come together, especially through dance. The mode of interdisciplinary thinking can change the way academia approaches segmented education, inspire creativity among many fields, and promote a more connected world.

Laura Cuevas Melendez

"I enjoy research because it challenges me. There are times when your research does not go as you expected and it forces you to look at your research from a different perspective, question your methods and what you want to achieve with your research. Research allows me to sharpen my problem-solving skills in both my academic and personal life. "

ABSTRACT: While severe isolation, lack of sunlight, and sensory deprivation tactics were employed during the time Silvia Baraldini and Laura Whitehorn were incarcerated at the federal women’s prison in Lexington, Kentucky, during the 1980s. Both of these women maintained their basic humanity and spirit by creating educational opportunities for fellow inmates, advocating for improved conditions, and sharing their experiences through letter writing. They each wrote hundreds of letters to friends, family, and other social activists concerned with their plight. Using the large collection of letters dating from 1987 to 2000 that Baraldini and Whitehorn wrote to the University of Kentucky archivist Kate Black, which now form part of the Kate Black Social Activism Papers at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center, this research will explore the work, activity, and mental health of these women during their incarceration. Whitehorn was concerned with health education, especially regarding the burgeoning health crisis of HIV and AIDS and Baraldini advocated for reform of current incarceration tactics, like the High Security Unit in the Lexington prison. Because of Baraldini’s effort with the support of Amnesty International and the ACLU, the High Security Unit at Lexington’s Federal Correctional Institution was shut down in 1988. This research will also evaluate studies on how prison systems treat women prisoners differently than male prisoners, whether they receive more extreme punishments, and the nature of those punishments. In light of the current prison system, how do the examples of Baraldini and Whitehorn serve to help women maintain their humanity while incarcerated.

Adan Deeb

"I enjoy research because it allows me to be curious about and explore the world around me."

ABSTRACT: All organisms require resources to successfully survive and reproduce, but resources are rarely infinite. Two competition strategies have evolved to obtain finite resources. Contest competition involves direct conflict between individuals, often ending in a winner-takes-all scenario, whereas scramble competition involves gathering as many resources as possible before others deplete the resource. It is important that individuals are able to detect competitors in order to modify their resource use to increase their fitness. Seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) are seed parasites that develop inside dried legume seeds. Populations often exhibit different competition strategies depending on their evolutionary histories with different hosts. We test whether vibrations produced by feeding larvae differ between populations exhibiting contest and scramble competition strategies. We recorded the chewing vibrations of 42 individual larvae from hatching until adult emergence. Across all larval instars, we measured the amount of time it took individuals to resume feeding after a disturbance, and the earliest number of days post-hatching that we could detect feeding vibrations. Vibrations were first detected from 19-24 days post-hatching, and this time did not differ between males and females, nor between the competition strategies. In the scramble strategy population, females were slower to begin chewing after a disturbance than males, but this trend was reversed for the contest strategy population. Overall, we found that larvae of the two competition strategies respond to environmental disturbances in different ways. We plan to expand on this research by evaluating the potential role vibrations have as a signal of regional population density, thereby mediating larval behavioral and life history decisions.

Mitchell Dennis

Comment unavailable

ABSTRACT: AMASE (Affordable Multiple Aperture Spectroscopy Explorer) is a planned astronomy project to utilize commercial-off-the-shelf lenses, CMOS sensors, and optical fibers to build a cost-effective spectrograph and telescope unit that can be replicated by large numbers to achieve high-efficiency observations of extended celestial sources. The primary science goal is to understand how feedback from star formation and supernovae regulates star formation rate, drive galactic wind, and determine properties of the interstellar medium. The project is a collaboration of several universities in the United States and is led by the team at the University of Kentucky. Currently, we are working on the optical design of the spectrograph, testing the viability of the commercial components, and the opto-mechanical design of the spectrograph and the telescope mount. This poster presents an overview of the project with a focus on my contributions to the opto-mechanical design and the optical testing of the commercial components.

Daniel Dopp

"I enjoy research because it allows me to collaborate with others to solve problems no single person could solve or often even come up with on their own."

ABSTRACT: Hyperspectral imaging is a data collection technique which captures a multilayered image of a subject by sampling across a large spectrum of light wavelengths. Hyperspectral images can reveal features of a subject that are difficult or impossible to detect in standard imaging, however this information is often contained as a function of samples from multiple wavelengths and is not readily visible from viewing a single layer alone. To take full advantage of hyperspectral imaging a mapping is often needed to intelligently combine the multiple layers of the hyperspectral image into a single-layer image which best captures the information we seek to visualize. This work presents the results of several such techniques as applied to hyperspectral images of the PHerc118 Herculaneum scroll, with the goal of maximizing the contrast between inked regions and the surrounding scroll to improve ink legibility. PHerc118 provides an ideal use case for such techniques as the carbon ink, written on carbonized papyrus, provides poor contrast and legibility when viewed under any one wavelength. We compare the performance of linear and nonlinear mapping techniques both among themselves and compared to single wavelength layers of our original dataset using quantitative contrast metrics and qualitative analysis. This work shows that mapping techniques provide an effective method for fully utilizing hyperspectral data of Herculaneum scrolls and may provide an avenue for enhancing scholarship and discovery when analyzing these artifacts.

Abigail Fowler and Caitlyn Yost

"We enjoyed our research because it gave us an opportunity to work with a celebrated mentor and investigate research-based literature while broadening our understanding of the importance of STEM education."

ABSTRACT: Much of the work in STEM education, especially since 2013, has been to prepare a STEM-literate workforce; one that will bolster social and economic well-being (e.g., The Committee on STEM Education National Science and Technology Council, 2013; Kennedy & Odell, 2014; National Science Board, 2015) of countries across the world in STEM areas. As teachers and educators, we have a responsibility to ensure each and every student has opportunities to engage in a variety of experiences which will build their STEM literacy as they relate to economic, personal, democratic, and cultural considerations. “STEM literacy is the dynamic process and ability to apply, question, collaborate, appreciate, engage, persist, and understand the utility of STEM concepts and the skills to provide solutions for STEM-related personal, societal, and global challenges that cannot be solved using a single discipline” (Mohr-Schroeder et al., in press). In our research, we aimed to answer the following research question: Why is STEM literacy important for creating opportunity and access for each and every student in society today? For this presentation, we have used our research to design a dynamic, equitable, and process- and content-oriented framework of STEM literacy that holistically captures previously-published work, is outcomes and process-oriented, and honors the individual strengths of each of the STEM disciplines brings, while focusing on integrated STEM as the cornerstone. Integrated STEM (Moore, et al., in press) and Gutiérrez’s (2008) four dimensions of equity - access, power, identity, and achievement guided the analytical framework of our project.

Hayden Free

Comment unavailable

ABSTRACT: This study attempts to add new methods of quantifying complexity of undergraduate computer science and engineering programs by utilizing alternative graph drawing algorithms for visualizing course dependencies, chains of prerequisites and other aspect that may affect complexity of the program structure and requirements. In this context, we discuss computational geometry techniques such as minimizing edge crossings and using simulated annealing to determine graph thickness. A number of metrics exist for quantifying the complexity of academic program curricula. Complexity in this case relates the extent to which the structure of a curriculum impacts a student's ability to progress through that curriculum towards graduation. The ability to quantify curricular complexity in this manner allows us to compare and contrast similar programs at different institutions according to their complexity measures. When sharing this type of information with faculty and program administrators, those at programs at the higher end of the complexity scale often speculate that high complexity implies a higher quality program. We illustrate our study with data collected for undergraduate electrical engineering programs and for computer science programs. We also discuss the relation between curricular complexity and program ranking. The methodology employed in this study involved partitioning a large set of undergraduate electrical engineering curricula into three categories (high, medium and low) according to their quality. The curricular complexity variance within and between these groups was then analyzed. Because program quality is a subjective measure, we used the 2018 U.S. News & World Report undergraduate program rankings as a proxy for quality.

Kaitlyn Frick

"I enjoy research because it allows me to explore a new area of science I didn't understand before and gives me a mentor who believes in me."

ABSTRACT: Myonuclei gained during exercise-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy may be long-lasting and could facilitate future muscle adaptability after deconditioning, a concept colloquially termed “muscle memory.” The evidence for this is limited, mostly due to the lack of a murine exercise-training paradigm that is nonsurgical and reversible. To address this limitation, we developed a novel progressive weighted wheel-running (PoWeR) model of murine exercise training to test whether myonuclei gained during exercise persist after detraining. We hypothesized that myonuclei acquired during training-induced hypertrophy would remain following loss of muscle mass with detraining. Singly housed female C57BL/6J mice performed 8 wk of PoWeR, while another group performed 8 wk of PoWeR followed by 12 wk of detraining. Age-matched sedentary cage-dwelling mice served as untrained controls. Eight weeks of PoWeR yielded significant plantaris muscle fiber hypertrophy, a shift to a more oxidative phenotype, and greater myonuclear density than untrained mice. After 12 wk of detraining, the plantaris muscle returned to an untrained phenotype with fewer myonuclei. A finding of fewer myonuclei simultaneously with plantaris deconditioning argues against a muscle memory mechanism mediated by elevated myonuclear density in primarily fast-twitch muscle. PoWeR is a novel, practical, and easy-to-deploy approach for eliciting robust hypertrophy in mice, and our findings can inform future research on the mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle adaptive potential and muscle memory.

Austin Haley

"I enjoy research because of all the wonderful fellowship it has brought into my life."

ABSTRACT: Attention towards the utilization of Ionic Liquids has increased in recent years due to their useful physical and chemical properties. Ionic liquids are characterized as salts which have a melting temperature below 100 degrees Celsius consisting of a cation/anion pair. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations accurately model the structure and dynamics of ionic liquids. Coarse-grained (CG) simulation models can be derived from all atom models; these are more computationally efficient when compared to all-atom simulation. CG models are developed by combining groups of individual atoms into CG beads. Conventional CG modeling methods accurately replicate structure. However, they fail to reproduce accurate dynamic properties due to reduction in the degrees of freedom. Our method, Probability Distribution Function Coarse-Graining (PDF-CG) succeeds at replicating dynamics, in addition to structure. The dynamics are corrected by reintroducing effective friction into the force-fields which are removed during the coarse-graining process. Results from PDF-CG simulations for ionic liquids show that the CG bond structure and non-bonded structure matched that of all-atom data, indicating that structuring and dynamics were accurately replicated. Using the PDF-CG method enables simulations of larger scope under the same computing power; this allows for in depth and accurate analysis of complex phenomenon. The developed CG model is utilized to simulate the ionic liquid-vacuum interface for 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium boron tetrafluoride ([EMIM][BF4]) cation/anion pair. CG molecular dynamics simulation results show that the model accurately predicts the layering phenomenon at the interface which has been observed under experimental conditions.

Usman Hamid

"I enjoy research because it is like solving a puzzle; it allows me to collaborate with others to help tackle some of the major issues around us, such as the drug abuse epidemic that we focus on in our lab."

ABSTRACT: Clinical studies indicate adolescent alcohol use is a risk factor for adult alcohol abuse. However, a recent study from our laboratory demonstrated an ethanol (EtOH) binge-like treatment via oral gavage in adolescent rats resulted in lower adult EtOH consumption. We hypothesize the reduced adult EtOH drinking is related to a procedural issue (i.e, oral gavage route of administration), rather than adolescent EtOH exposure eliciting a protective effect against adult EtOH drinking. The present study will test the hypothesis that administration of an adolescent EtOH gavage results in a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) to EtOH in adulthood. An alternative hypothesis is the adolescent EtOH treatment may create a generalized neophobia (avoidance of novel tastes), rendering the animals hesitant to consume novel substances. Adolescent male and female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 36) will receive no binge, or an EtOH or control (isocaloric dextrose) binge via oral gavage, from postnatal days (PND) 30-32. Adult rats (PND 46) will be tested in a 2-bottle choice procedure. In hour-long daily sessions, rats will have voluntary access to a water bottle and another bottle containing a 15% EtOH solution, a 0.2% saccharin solution, or a 0.2% saccharin/15% EtOH solution. Two-bottle choice tests will occur for 1 week, after which the non-water solution will be switched. Solutions will be administered in a counterbalanced order across sex and adolescent treatment groups. The CTA hypothesis will be supported by EtOH-binged animals displaying lower consumption of the 2 solutions containing EtOH, while the neophobia hypothesis will be supported by lower consumption of all three solutions compared to controls. These results will inform the development of translational models of adolescent EtOH exposure that will aid in understanding the etiology of substance use disorders. Data collection is complete for 10 rats; all rats will finish by February 2020.

Joshua Harry

Junior, Physics major

Research Mentor: Dr. Ron Wilhelm

"Irregular Frequency/Phase Modulation of RR Lyrae Variable Stars"

ABSTRACT: The class of helium-burning stars called RR Lyrae variable stars undergo physical oscillations which alter their luminosity and size, but in some cases, parameters of oscillation like amplitude and/or period can vary with time. Certain RR Lyrae variables have nonperiodic and irregular variation in period, an unexplained effect we have sought to understand through the observation of the RR Lyrae variable RU Piscium (RU Psc), whose period varies from year-to-year by about +/-15 seconds from an average of 9.37 hours. Coinciding with the 28 days of continuous 30 minute cadence observations of the RU Psc field by MIT’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), we took 2 minute cadence data of RU Psc from the MacAdam Observatory of the University of Kentucky and collaborated with Kenneth Carrell of Angelo State University to simultaneously collect high resolution spectroscopic data at McDonald Observatory. We then employed differential photometry on the 2 minute cadence data to make light curves (plotting relative flux versus phase), and we formed radial velocity curves from the spectroscopy data. I will be presenting how the stellar dynamics of RU Psc, via its radial velocity measurements, correlate to the timing/phase of peaks in our light curves. This gives insight into how the phase shift apparent in the period variation of RU Psc ties to the kinematics of the star. In the future, we will compare TESS’s 2018 data to its observations in 2020 to identify if particular RR Lyrae variables have shifted phases, allowing us to find candidates of period-shifting stars to study, via the methods described prior.

Claire Hilbrecht

"I enjoy research because it helps you realize what you are capable of."

ABSTRACT: The Red River Gorge is a unique erosional feature of the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau in east-central Kentucky. It contains a great diversity of flora and fauna, as well as numerous geological formations, making it an important site for ecologists, botanists, and geologists. The area also serves as a sanctuary for outdoor recreationalists, and is called home by many local Appalachian families. In 1962, the Army Corps of Engineers attempted to construct a dam that would have transformed the Red River Gorge area into a large lake, effectively destroying the geological and ecological diversity that exists there. In response, environmental working groups including local activists, academics, and legislators, mobilized to halt the construction of this dam. Finally, in 1993, the Red River Gorge was included in the National Wild and Scenic River system, giving it federal protection under the law. The Cathy Wilson Collection on Red River Gorge located at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center contains primary source correspondence, legislation, and newspaper clippings from 1960 to 1975 regarding this effort to save the Red River Gorge. In analyzing the methods used by these working groups to galvanize support for the protection of the Red River Gorge, one can better understand the cultural shifts that took place throughout this effort. In conducting research on this collection, I hope to develop a comprehensive documentation of this piece of environmental history so that contemporary activists can learn and draw from the successes of those fighting to protect the Red River Gorge, and apply those lessons to future environmental affairs.

Jasmin Hugle

"I enjoy research because it exposes me to different nuances of life."

ABSTRACT: Before feminist intersectionality was even a term, Amber Moon Productions, a nonprofit cultural group in Lexington, Kentucky, had an empowering mission of creating intersectional women-centered community in its small southern city in the 1970s to the early 1980s. While Lexington is known as a liberal community within a very conservative state, what Amber Moon Productions did, with community support from businesses, schools, and other institutions, is nothing short of extraordinary. Events typically invited diverse women to sing, perform theatrical performances, and create community to empower all women. Current feminist movements, such as Me Too and Women’s March, struggle with intersectionality and being inclusive to regards to race, sexuality, class, and ability. Research using primary source records from the Amber Moon Scrapbooks at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center will investigate the types of cultural events and how the events appealed to women across the spectrum of race, class, sexuality, and ability. Understanding there is a distinct need for greater inclusivity within current feminist movements, this research will be used to establish best practices for current feminist movements. Looking back at what Amber Moon accomplished in a small city in the South 40 years ago through a 21st century racial, queer, and feminist looking glass of inclusivity will serve to create better pathways for today’s feminist movements.

Haley Jacobsen

"I enjoy research because being able to explore a different curriculum, classrooms all over the country, and various teaching styles will all impact me positively as a future educator."

ABSTRACT: Our research explores a new, non-traditional, conceptual-based, middle-level mathematics intervention curriculum developed by the CPM Educational Program based in California. The curriculum, Inspirations & Ideas (I&I), focuses on collaborative problem-solving, discourse, and the creation of mathematical communities through rich mathematical tasks with high levels of cognitive demand. I&I is meant to be taken concurrent to the students’ regular algebra course, both meeting daily. The purpose of the curriculum is to advance the mathematical knowledge of students in intervention classrooms, increase their readiness for high school mathematics, and empower them to love mathematics. This research strives to focus on how particular enactments of the I&I curriculum, especially in relation to digital curriculum resources, support or hinder student learning along the specific dimensions. The dimensions are the engagement in, and communication about, mathematical sense-making, enhanced student and teacher dispositions towards mathematics, and grade-level mathematics learning. We recorded five I&I lessons from seven teachers throughout the academic year, analyzed classroom interactions using Swivl technology, and conducted surveys and semi-structured interviews on teachers’ and students’ experiences in both the I&I and concurrent mathematics course. By doing this, we have built a rich dataset that we used to evaluate the research dimensions mentioned above. Preliminary results show an increase in the students’ confidence, enjoyment of problem-solving, increased work ethic, beliefs that they are successful in mathematics, and the ability to meet course goals. Matched pair teacher survey results, similarly, reported an increase in students’ motivation, willingness to make and value mistakes, stronger reasoning strategies, and problem solving skills. We are hopeful that this study continues to show positive outcomes of the I&I curriculum such as mathematical engagement and sensemaking in addition to increased dispositions towards mathematics and grade-level learning.

Jenna Jodts

"I enjoy psychology research because of the challenge to generate interventions to make the daily lives of others easier."

ABSTRACT: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes inappropriate levels of hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsivity that often are associated with academic difficulties. Specifically, children with ADHD encounter narrative comprehension problems more often than their peers. Although medications prescribed for ADHD can improve attention, they do not address deficits in higher-order comprehension processes. Understanding and utilizing goal structure to understand stories is one common difficulty among children with ADHD. Goals are what a story character wants to achieve. A goal is followed by attempts to achieve the goal, and positive or negative outcomes of the attempts. These Goal-Attempt-Outcome (GAO) sequences are central to narratives, but children with ADHD include fewer GAO sequences in stories they narrate, create, or recall. In association with academic difficulties, children with ADHD often report lower academic self-efficacy, more negative beliefs about their ability to succeed academically. The current study compares two interventions to examine whether change from pre-test to post-test in comprehension self-efficacy is associated with change from pre-test to post-test in goal-based performance on a storytelling task. The Narrative Structure (NS) intervention targets comprehension difficulties specific to children with ADHD, whereas the Reciprocal Teaching (RT) intervention is effective for comprehension problems of struggling readers but does not target specific narrative structure difficulties experienced by children with ADHD. Children in third and fourth grade who are at risk for ADHD as demonstrated by the Conners Teacher Behavior Rating Scale-Revised are randomly assigned by school to participate in one intervention. Children are pretested on comprehension self-efficacy and use of goal structure in storytelling before taking part in the interventions, then post-tested on the same measures to evaluate improvement. Because the NS intervention teaches use of goal structure, a significant positive association between comprehension self-efficacy and storytelling is predicted in the NS intervention but not the RT group.

Hannah Johnston

"I enjoy research because it encourages curiosity and gives the opportunity to learn from really interesting and knowledgeable people."

ABSTRACT: This composition and painted representation translate the Fibonacci sequence into tone, color, and form, exploring how a unifying concept can be expressed through many mediums. The Fibonacci sequence is a progression of numbers that appears often in nature. Each term is found by adding the previous two terms, creating a sequence that begins 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,....
Translation is structured in a modified sonata form that uses 8 measure phrases as building blocks. The length of each section of the form is determined by the Fibonacci sequence (i.e., the first section is one 8 measure phrase, the second section is one 8 measure phrase, the third section is two 8 measure phrases, and so on). Each section is printed on a square that helps the viewer visualize the proportionality of the form.
Within each section, the melodies are also created using the Fibonacci sequence. Translating each term into a scale degree or interval using modular arithmetic allows a melody to be created from the numbers. Colors are assigned to each term of the sequence so that numbers with closer values are represented by colors closer to each other on the color wheel. The notes are painted based on the term of the sequence they were translated from, giving a visual reference for the connection between numbers and pitch. The rhythm of the opening motive is also based on the Fibonacci sequence. Each note length is found by adding the previous two note lengths.
The key areas of the development section are also determined using the Fibonacci sequence. Washes of color behind each key area illustrate the relation between key and numbers.
The layers of mathematics, sound, form, and color within this composition explore how meaning can be expressed in many mediums simultaneously.

Jack Keady

"I enjoy research because, it allows you to come up with your own questions, and you get to actively work to solve them."

ABSTRACT: Despite cigarette smoking being the leading cause of preventable death in the United States 20% of Americans continue to smoke. We now know that 80% of smokers desire to quit; however, less than 5% of them are successful. The low success rate of smoking cessation is partially due to current pharmacotherapies only addressing a subset of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which is the primary driver of smoking relapse. A prominent, yet unaddressed, symptom of nicotine withdrawal is affective dysfunction. Affective symptoms, such as increased anxiety and reduced emotional regulation, are underpinned by discrete disruption of select brain circuits. For example, the ventral hippocampus (VHIPP) has a well-described role sub-serving the interface between contextual learning and affective responding, suggesting it as a potential circuitry target for examination of molecular alterations during nicotine withdrawal. Therefore, we explored this by treating 18-week-old mice for two weeks with either saline, nicotine (18 mg/kg/day), or 24h withdrawal from nicotine (18 mg/kg/day) via osmotic minipumps (Alzet 2002 model). Following treatment, the subjects were sacrificed and the VHIPP was collected and synaptosomes were prepared. These samples were analyzed via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify changes in synaptosomal protein expression. These results were then analyzed using Enrichr pathway and transcriptional factor databases. Our results indicate changes in the axon guidance, vesicle-mediated transport, and transmission across chemical synapses pathways in both nicotine versus saline and withdraw versus saline synaptosomal protein comparisons. Additionally, RE1 Silencing Transcription Factor (REST) and Transcription initiation factor TFIID subunit 1 (TAF1) were shown to control the expression of many overlapping genes that code proteins in both the nicotine versus saline and withdraw versus saline groups. Further experiments will explore the effect of blocking of TAF1 and REST effects on the aforementioned pathways in the VHIPP of mice exposed to saline, nicotine, and withdraw.

Amy Keith

"I enjoy research because it allows me to creatively apply concepts within my academic discipline!"

ABSTRACT: Students undergo many changes during college, including conceptualizing diversity for themselves. It is well researched that White students have a difficult time including themselves in diversity initiatives; however, this study focuses on the development of students’ definitions of diversity. At the University of Kentucky, a Cultural Competency course incorporated service-learning, small group discussions, and experiential activities aimed at expanding pre-healthcare students’ understanding of diversity. The data in this project was gathered from three assignments throughout the semester. At time one, participants were asked how they contribute to diversity.  At the midterm, participants were asked to state two personal goals for the course. At the end of the course, students were asked to reflect on the class and elaborate on their understanding of diversity. These responses were qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), starting with initial coding, progressing to focus coding, then grouping codes into themes and subthemes. This project focuses on the theme of perceived discomfort students experienced conceptualizing diversity for themselves. This took shape in the ways students discussed race, sexuality, ethnicity, and other identities. In some cases, individuals seemed to adopt institutional language to accommodate for their lack of experience in discussing this topic, or they avoided the topic altogether. Additionally, many White students excluded themselves from the idea of diversity; possibly due to seeing themselves as the norm or default. As longitudinal analysis continues, preliminary results indicate discomfort shifted from avoiding the topic of diversity to the discomfort of cultural competence as a lifelong process. Discussion will include tying these themes to Growth Models, White Fragility, and a broader look at the nature of dialogues surrounding the topic of diversity. Contextualizing this data within the learning experience of undergraduate healthcare students will provide better insight towards how discomfort is embodied and ultimately changes perspective.

Katie Land

"I enjoy research because it allows me to connect what I learn in the classroom with doing real science!"

ABSTRACT: Phthalates are chemicals used as solvents and plasticizers in many common consumer products such as cosmetics, food/beverage containers, etc. They are known endocrine-disrupting chemicals and reproductive toxicants, in which exposure could possibly inhibit ovulation and reduce fertility in women. The luteinizing hormone (LH) surge initiates the ovulatory process, which includes differentiating the preovulatory antral follicle into a progesterone producing corpus luteum (CL) via LH-induced increases in steroidogenic genes (Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1 Parm1, Pgr). Progesterone signaling is essential for downstream processes required for ovulation and fertility. We hypothesized that an environmentally relevant phthalate mixture inhibits ovulation via disrupted progesterone production. Antral follicles were isolated from CD-1 mice and were cultured for 96hr in media supplemented with follicle-stimulating hormone to stimulate pre-ovulatory development, and treated with vehicle control (dimethylsulfoxide, DMSO) or phthalate mixture (PHTmix; 1-500μg/ml). The media was then replaced with maturation media ± hCG (an LH analog) to induce ovulation and treated with DMSO or PHTmix. Ovulation was assessed, and media and follicles/CLs were collected for progesterone measurements and gene expression analysis, respectively, at time-points across the ovulatory period (0hr, 4hr, 11hr, 18hr, ovulation occurs at approximately 12hr) (n=3-10, p≤0.05). The PHTmix inhibited ovulation in a dose-dependent manner. Progesterone levels were decreased at 4hr and 11hr by the 1 and 500μg/ml doses but were increased at 4hr and 18hr by the 10μg/ml dose when compared to hCG controls. This altered progesterone production was mediated by alterations in expression of Star, Cyp11a1, and Parm1 compared to hCG. Further, altered progesterone levels reduced expression of progesterone mediated downstream regulators of ovulation (Il6, Adamts1) in comparison to hCG. These data suggest that phthalate exposure inhibits ovulation by altering progesterone steroidogenesis, and therefore potentially contributing to the negative health effects associated with infertility in women. Supported by P01HD071875, K99ES028748.

Elizabeth Massie

"I enjoy research because I can make connections to the past with a present mind and make a better future."

ABSTRACT: The women’s suffrage movement will be celebrated in 2020, 100 years following the passing of the 19th Amendment granting all American citizens the right to vote, regardless of sex. This achievement can be largely attributed to the popularity of suffragette publications, which were written to be persuasive to men and women alike to gain support for suffrage. The language of these publications relies on gender and racial essentialism to persuade men to support the vote, as suffragettes knew appealing to patriarchy would be their greatest chance in gaining the vote. How did the use of essentialist rhetoric in the suffragette movement appeal to -patriarchy to persuade men to support woman suffrage? A study of the language used in discussing gender, as well as race, in the suffrage movement will uncover how white suffragettes intended to appeal to patriarchy in the United States to gain the right to vote. Utilizing primary sources from the Laura Clay Papers at the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center, I will examine the language of published suffrage literature, including newspapers, pamphlets, and newsletters. These primary sources, ranging from the years 1900-1920, will be entered into a text mining software in order to examine the relationship between essentialist rhetoric and woman suffrage in the United States. It is expected the data will illustrate how public suffrage literature used essentialist concepts to convince men that the power structures of society would be unchanged, even reinforced, if suffrage was granted to white women. A study of suffrage rhetoric and its relationship to essentialism will give a greater insight into how social movements can often reinforce societal power structures in order to meet their specific goals.

Sydney Mullins

"I enjoy my research with handmade books because I get to connect with individuals whose work was being done long before mine, and I am even able to hold their masterpieces in my hands, decades later, to admire them."

ABSTRACT: To change the font of one’s typing on a computer, all one must do is highlight a certain block of text and change the font setting. Not much thought is given to this mundane task; changing Calibri to Arial or sizing up Times New Roman is as simple as two clicks. Before the advent of digital printing, however, great effort was given to cleaning, changing, setting, and especially choosing different typefaces. Kentuckian printmaker and librarian Carolyn Reading Hammer describes ruining typeface with lye and the need to collect dozens of sets of Goudy Old Style in her manuscript “Remembering the Bur Press: Before and After.” The Bur Press’s exclusive use of Goudy Old Style typeface begs the question, what typefaces and fonts were predominantly being used in early twentieth-century printing presses? When fonts were still physical pieces of type, how did printers like Hammer working in Kentucky engage with these different typefaces? Using selections from an archival collection of the Bur Press’s records and an extensive collection of nearly 500 examples of fine press books made in Kentucky during the twentieth century held at the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center, research into font choices will uncover which typefaces found popularity in twentieth-century Kentucky and how they were applied in their respective contexts.

Abigayle Parham

"I enjoy research because it allows me to grow in knowledge and helps prepare me for my future as a teacher doing classroom research."

ABSTRACT: All across the United States, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs are being funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Previous research regarding REU programs typically evaluates the effectiveness of the Principal Investigator’s (PI) individual programs, whereas our study examines a sample of REU programs across the country. This study explores the effect these programs have on the research fellows (as reported by the PIs of each program) and how the fellows’ development was measured. The research question for this study is: How are REU programs measuring success of their REU fellows? To answer this question, we conducted 25 minute interviews with ten PI’s of twelve different REU sites across eleven states. Sites were selected from the NSF database based on topics that closely align with our research team. The sites ranged in topics from Chemical Engineering to STEM Education and were all 8-10 week summer programs. Even though REU programs are funded in three-year periods, many of the PI’s had received continued funding of their programs for as much as twenty years. In efforts to analyze the interview data, we conducted a qualitative study using “category construction” to investigate relevant themes (Merriam, 2016). It was found that the most common measure of success of REU fellows was whether the fellows later pursued graduate school. PI’s also reported that REU fellows experienced gains in research knowledge and skills throughout the summer programs. In addition, some PI’s claimed presentations, publications, other fellowships, awards, and eventual STEM careers were also measures of success. For example, one PI who was funded for 20 years reported 140 fellows participated in their program publishing a total of 105 papers, producing six Morgan prize winners and six Schafer prize winners, and two Rhodes Scholars.

Adam Peters

"I enjoy research because it has given me opportunities and connection I would not have had otherwise."

Lesley Phillips

"I enjoy research because it pushes me to my limits and helps me achieve things I never thought I could achieve."

ABSTRACT: In the early 20th century, settlement schools were established to provide education and tools to communities experiencing social and educational disparity. The hills of Appalachia, with its remote regions, poverty, and lack of education, proved a rich area for establishing settlement schools. Pine Mountain Settlement School (PMSS) in Kentucky was founded in 1913 by Katherine Pettit, a wealthy woman from Lexington, Kentucky, and Ethyl DeLong, a native of New Jersey, with the purpose of providing an integration of outside educational skills while harnessing already established Appalachian culture. Much has been stated about the female-headed school and its feminist implications, however, the fact that many of the educators and workers came from outside of the region has not been researched. How was it possible to curate a balanced educational experience that is equally intertwined with local culture and the outer world? The balance is clear through the work of artist and educator John A. Spelman III, who worked at PMSS from 1937 to 1941. Spelman was capable of using his interest in depicting mountain landscape and culture in a way that provided tools for students to advance their skills and education. Using the John A. Spelman III Papers at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center and the collection of Pine Mountain Settlement School Archives, this study will look at how outside influencers impacted students and culture at the school. By examining these collections and the history of PMSS, this study will show how a school nestled in the Appalachian Mountains was capable of garnering a genuine and local cultural experience through a staff of outsiders.

Emily Punzal

"I enjoy research because it leads to discovery and inspiration. People build off ideas from one another and these ideas are what carry our future."

ABSTRACT: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders encompass a range of behavioral and structural consequences following exposure to ethanol in utero. The goal of this study was to develop a rodent model of voluntary ethanol consumption during pregnancy. Rats were given access to 5% ethanol in a sweetened saccharin solution for 4 hours daily, during the dark cycle. Exposure began prior to breeding and was continued until 48 hours prior to birth. A pair-fed and non-treated control group were also included. Two behavioral tests were used to measure anxiety: a marble burying task during adolescence (postnatal days (PND) 42-46) and an open field in young adulthood (PND 75-85). Offspring were placed in a cage with 20 marbles and the number buried was recorded. Increased marble burying is significantly correlated with increased anxiety. In the open field test, offspring were tested in a round open-field (OF) chamber with a video-tracking system recording their activity for 20 min over 2 test days. An important measure of anxiety in the OF is the number of entries into the center of the chamber which is inversely correlated with anxiety. Data from both of these experiments suggested that females exposed to low doses of ethanol during development were more anxious than controls as measured by more marbles buried and fewer entries into the center of the OF. This pattern was not observed in males but does suggest that exposure to low doses of ethanol during prenatal development may increase anxiety in the female offspring that persists across different test paradigms and ages. These results provide further support for including both males and females in tests of ethanol on development. Furthermore, very little data is currently available on the consequences of low dose ethanol exposure and so further work is clearly needed.

Kaitlin Robertson

"We enjoy research because it allows us to think outside the box, and gain insight as to how we can shape our future as educators."

ABSTRACT: Technology integration in teachers’ lessons is becoming more evident as technology develops. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a computational technique to represent emergent phenomena and complex systems that students would not be able to investigate in a regular classroom. When using this technique, relevant technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) needs to be identified and the present study aims to achieve this goal. This collective case study examined how seven in-service science teachers used ABM simulations to support their students’ learning. Each teacher was given pre- and post- surveys about their perceptions and TPACK about ABM simulations. Each teacher was observed teaching ABM-supported science lessons and was interviewed post-observation. Content analyses were performed on the transcribed interviews. The preliminary results reveal that teachers perceive ABM as a powerful tool to 1) visualize the processes that are not practically accessible for students, 2) allow students to manipulate and modify variables, 3) connect to the real-life scenarios, and 4) provide data visualizations. They report that ABM-supported science lessons can explicitly involve students in three-dimensional learning defined by The Next Generation Science Standards. In particular, five of eight science and engineering practices and all seven crosscutting concepts are identified by the teachers. The identified knowledge related to the integration of ABM into the science classroom includes 1) technological knowledge (TK) for embedding technology into the science classrooms to support students’ understanding of abstract concepts and processes, 2) technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) for giving freedom for students to explore an abundance of scientific principles within a single simulation, and 3) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of using ABM as a supplemental teaching tool to support teaching practice in the traditional classroom by providing students with proper data representations, fostering the ability to manipulate and modify variables, and connecting science content to real-life scenarios.

Anna Romaniuk

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ABSTRACT: The issue of creating feminine forms for title and occupation nouns has plagued many gendered languages as more women have become active in traditionally male sectors of the workforce. Historically, academic discussion of the subject in Poland has focused primarily on the linguistic theory behind the phenomenon. This has begun to change in recent years, with the appearance of more studies of word-formation and usage by contemporary speakers. The goal of this project was firstly, to investigate the acceptance of new feminine forms of titles and occupations as grammatical in contemporary modern Polish. In this project, we sought to address the morphological, phonological, and above all semantic, motivators in the acceptance of feminine forms. We began with a thorough review of the existing literature on the subject, both theoretical and empirical. We then defined the derivational (and in some cases inflectional) processes taking place to create new feminine forms in contemporary modern Polish. Finally, we conducted a study, in which, by building a corpus of data from a range of digital sources, we sought to quantify how and how often new feminized forms are actually used in contemporary modern Polish. We built our corpus based on the idea that due to semantic factors involved in the process of feminization, there would be differing levels of usage and acceptance depending on the formality register of the source text. For this reason, we collected data from three online sources, which we believe are conducive to different formality registers (informal – Twitter, semi-formal – “Wysokie Obcasy” women’s magazine, formal – necrologies). This data was then analyzed for what forms appeared (types) and with what frequency (tokens). Preliminary results indicate an ongoing gradual societal shift in Poland towards wider acceptance of feminized form into the lexicon, with considerable potential for further research into this process of acceptance.

Frannie Salisbury

"I enjoy research because it has given me the opportunity to extend my learning experience outside the classroom and into more real-world type of science."

William Chase Sanders

"I enjoy research because I like being able to learn with hands on experience."

ABSTRACT: Glycogen Storage Diseases (GSDs) are debilitating and even fatal diseases that are the result of the body’s inability to properly metabolize glycogen, the main carbohydrate storage molecule in humans. Each GSD is caused by mutations in genes that are involved in carbohydrate metabolism leading to accumulation of aberrant glycogen inside of cells. The Gentry lab studies Pompe Disease1 (GSD II), Cori’s Disease2 (GSD III), and Lafora Disease3 (GSD IV). While the mechanism for each disease subtype is known, evidence is lacking as to how perturbed glycogen metabolism impacts other aspects of cellular metabolism. Our hypothesis was that impaired glycogen metabolism would translate into perturbations in other aspects of cellular metabolism, specifically central carbon metabolism.
We investigated cellular metabolism from Lafora, Pompe, and Cori disease mouse models using novel methods that employed gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS). Five- and 12-month mouse models of each GSD and their respective wildtype control were euthanized, and both brain and skeletal muscle tissues were collected. The tissues were instantly frozen in liquid nitrogen and pulverized to <10mm size prior to extracting the metabolites in 50% methanol and processed through our metabolomics workflow4. Each sample was analyzed by GCMS and data was batch processed.
Both Pompe Disease and Lafora Disease mice exhibited an increase in overall metabolite quantity at both ages in comparison to wild type. The Cori Disease mouse model had elevated metabolites at five-months, but twelve-month animals showed lower intensities compared to age matched wild type controls. Utilizing our novel metabolomic profiling system, we defined the central carbon metabolism at two different ages in three murine models of GSDs. Future direction should include expanding this study by exploring different subtypes of GSDs.

Claire Scott

"I enjoy research because it allows me to apply my knowledge from lectures and creativity to investigate something new."

ABSTRACT: The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), diverged from the vertebrate lineage roughly 550 million years ago, prior to the evolution of several major morphological features such as jaws and paired fins/appendages. Lamprey therefore provides a comparative perspective that can be used to study the evolution of differences in genome regulation, including epigenetics and programmed genome rearrangement (PGR). Programmed genome rearrangement is a unique regulatory mechanism wherein specific genes are effectively turned off by completely eliminating their sequences from the genome. Through PGR, lamprey delete approximately 20% of their genome from all somatic cells, with these specific sequences being only retained by germline cells. The mechanisms of PGR have yet to be fully understood; however, we hypothesized that two genes (SUV420H1/2 and SUV39H1) might be involved in the process. The gene SUV420H1/2 encodes a methyltransferase that trimethylates Histone 4 at Lysine 20, a site important for recruitment of factors necessary for DNA damage response and DNA repair, which could plausibly be involved in the elimination of DNA during PGR. The gene SUV39H1 transcribes a methyltransferase that is responsible for catalyzing di- and tri-methylation of Histone 3 at Lysine 9, a significant marker for heterochromatic DNA. Due to its function, it is suspected that PGR levels might decrease in CRISPR-mediated knockouts because the embryos will be lacking a marker for chromatin packaging and deletion. Results from light-sheet microscopy demonstrated that both SUV420H1/2 and SUV39H1 significantly affect levels of PGR. These results indicate that additional genes within the suppressor of variegation family should be further investigated for potential contributions to PGR. These genes were further analyzed through immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and RNA sequencing to more directly observe the effects of knockouts on histone methylation and further precisely characterize impacts on PGR.

Hailey Siegel

"We enjoy research because it allows us to think outside the box, and gain insight as to how we can shape our future as educators."

Binit Singh

"I enjoy research because it challenges my potential in every step."

ABSTRACT: Painting is one of the sophisticated and expensive process in automobile industry. Currently, most of the automobile industry uses the Electrostatic Rotary Bell (ESRB) for panting car body. ESRB cup is rotated at high RPM which gives the paint particles inertia in tangential direction and shaping air drives it further to the target body. Sometimes, High potential difference is applied in ESRB which charge the paint particles, while the target body is kept ground. This helps to increase the transfer efficiency.
In this study, we evaluated the fundamental physical behavior during droplet formation and flow from a rotary bell spray in the absence of an electrostatic field. The impact of a wide range of operating parameters of the rotary bell sprayer, such as flow rates, rotational speeds, and spatial positioning, on droplet sizes and size distributions using a three-dimensional (3-D) mapping was studied. The results showed that increasing the rotational speed caused the Sauter mean diameter of the droplets to decrease while increasing flow rate increased the droplet sizes. The rotational speed effect, however, was dominant compared to the effect of flow rate. An increase in droplet size radially away from the cup was noted in the vicinity of the cup, nevertheless, as the lateral distances from the cup and rotational speed were increased, the droplet sizes within the flowfield became more uniform. This result is of importance for painting industries, which are looking for optimal target distances for uniform painting appearance. Furthermore, the theoretical formulation was validated with experimental data, which provides a wider range of applicability in terms of environment and parameters that could be tested. This work also provides an abundance of measurements, which can serve as a database for the validation of future droplet disintegration simulations.

Peyton Skaggs

"I enjoy research because it empowers me to investigate the unknowns in life while leading my Commonwealth to a brighter future."

ABSTRACT: Transcranial direct current brain stimulation (tCDS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that delivers electrical current to the brain via electrodes. Both an anode and cathode electrode are used to facilitate the depolarization of neurons by lowering the threshold voltage required for an action potential to occur. Our study stimulates the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC), an area key for self-control. tCDS has frequently been used to improve behaviors but a preliminary study done at the University of Kentucky stimulating the rVLPFC showed that tCDS had reverse effects on impulsive people during a Stop Signal Task. This impulsivity was believed to be linked to higher dopamine levels in some participants. The present study attempted to examine this phenomenon by increasing participants dopamine levels via caffeine, although nonsignificant results were found. This suggests there is still more to learn about tCDS and reverse effects.  However, sub-analyses suggested that tDCS is strongly influenced by an individual’s personality and neurochemistry.

Oscar Skean

Senior, Computer Science Engineering major

Research Mentor: Dr. Jerzy Jaromczyk

"Improved Shellsort Sequences for Specific Array Sizes"

ABSTRACT: Shellsort is a known sorting algorithm for arrays of numbers. It requires linear space complexity and is often used on memory-constrained embedded systems. It provides practical improvements to insertion sort by running several independent sorts on the subarrays of elements spaced at gaps specified by a sequence. The number of comparisons performed by Shellsort depends on the quality of the gap sequence used and is known to be difficult for theoretical analysis.
We propose a methodology for generating new gap sequences that are best suited for arrays of a specific size. New gap sequences are created from a template function in which modifying the function’s parameters affects the generated sequence. The template function is derived from the properties that made previously proposed sequences successful. Specifically, it emulates geometric growth while also dampening the rate of growth to maintain a logarithmic number of elements in the gap sequence. By trying different combinations of function parameters, new gap sequences can be generated for a specific array size and their efficiency can be measured. A method is shown for effectively selecting parameter combinations from the large number of possibilities.
We will show our implementation and an experimental analysis that visualizes our new gap sequences compared to existing gap sequences. For many of the new sequences that we tested, we achieved performance improvements that were marginal but meaningful for large inputs and interesting from a theoretical viewpoint. Computing systems that use Shellsort can utilize our new gap sequences to improve sorting speed while maintaining the low memory cost.

Will Taylor

Junior, Computer Science Engineering major

Research Mentor: Dr. Jerzy Jaromczyk

"Matrix Game"

ABSTRACT: Project Description: The Matrix Game is a game where two players compete to get the most points. At the start of the game, a matrix of user-determined size is filled with random integers between (and including) 1 and 9. Player 1 is given the option to select any one of four numbers found in the matrix. On turn one, these four numbers correspond to the corners of the matrix. Over the course of the game, the numbers available to the players will move away from the corners until all the numbers have been selected.
Project Purpose: Is there a strategy that always wins or, at worst, ties? The purpose of this project is to answer that question. To create a game where the winning algorithm is hard to find, and then finding it.The project is based on a simpler counterpart, where each player has only 2 options. In that game, the player who moves first can always win or, at worst, tie, by forcing his opponent to choose certain moves.
Expected Results/Conclusion: The goal is to discover and implement the winning strategy. Since the Matrix Game is more complex than its counterpart with two options, the strategy may require a more sophisticated invariant. We will discuss various approaches and show experimental results.

Abigail Tignor

"I enjoy research because it allows me to challenge myself while being able to make valuable contributions to the field of psychology, especially in areas that may be lacking proper attention or research."

ABSTRACT: Maternal age is often a strong predictor of qualities of the home environment, such as disorganization and chaos, which can be seen in previous research. However, this is most often looked at in terms of teenage or adolescent pregnancies. The relationship between advanced maternal age and facets of the home environment during infancy is not as well researched. This is surprising considering the recent increase in mean maternal age, potentially due to a desire for higher educational attainment and financial stability before having children. Thus, the current study looked at whether there was an association between maternal age and the home environment. Caregivers with 3.5-month-old infants were brought in and asked to complete the Confusion, Hubbub, and Order Scale (CHAOS), which measures the level of disorganization and chaos in a household. Maternal ages ranged from 19 to 42, which was obtained through a general background information questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis revealed that advanced maternal age was associated with higher scores on the CHAOS questionnaire beyond the effects of maternal education, the presence of siblings/other children in the home, and whether the mother was a stay at home parent. These results suggest that maternal age is positively correlated with the mother’s perception of disorganization and chaos in a child’s home environment. This prompts further research questions such as: how this difference may impact infant development, whether this effect is merely the mother’s perception of the home environment or an objective difference, and why said effect occurs.

Madison Von Deylen

"I enjoy research because it offers me a platform to actively engage with science, the community, and issues that matter to me. As a freshman, I never dreamed that I would be able to be part of a project with such an important message, but now, as a graduating senior, I can look back on my research experience and know that I have made a difference in the scientific community."

ABSTRACT: The human ovulatory cycle lasts an average of 28 days and is highly variable both within and among women, making ovulation and the fertile window difficult to estimate in humans. Commonly used methods for estimating fertility assume length consistency during various cycle phases, an assumption that often miscategorizes women as fertile when not and vice versa. This experiment analyzes several of the common methods used to estimate fertility, including forwards and backwards-counting methods and actuarial methods, and compares them against hormonal testing to determine the most accurate method for fertility identification. Additionally, we used hormonal ovulation tests combined with daily journaling reports to determine the degree to which fertility affects sexual desire, likely sexual engagement, and general happiness, as well as a woman’s belief that she is fertile. We hypothesize that women will not be able to accurately predict their fertility and will show increased sexual interest and general happiness during the fertile window. We also hypothesize that estimation methods will have different results than those using confirmed fertility, but that the closest estimation will be the backwards-counting method estimating fertility as the six-day window ending at thirteen days from the start of menses.

Andrea Weidman

"I enjoy research because it challenges me to dig deeper and never give up on looking for an answer."

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