POSTER ABSTRACTS
Poster Abstracts (Alphabetical by last name of presenter)
Anthony Allen (Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Oberlin College)
“A photochemical method for the construction of 2-azanorbornane scaffolds from N-cyclopropylsulfonamide derivatives”
The work described below is from doctoral studies at the University of Michigan (completed June 2023)
2-azanorbornanes represent a class of saturated bicyclic amines with immense potential for medicinal and agrochemical chemists. Their use as a proline peptidomimetic has recently been demonstrated in Ledipasvir, the frontline treatment for Hepatitis C. However, general synthetic methods to substituted derivatives of this privileged scaffold remain limited. This work details the development of a photochemical method for the construction of 2-azanorbornane scaffolds from N-cyclopropylsulfonamide derivatives. Access to the radical cation of the cyclopropylsulfonamide is promoted by a Lewis acid additive which enables strain-driven homolysis of the cyclopropane to initiate a cascade radical cyclization sequence towards the bicyclic core. Notably, the method allows selective access to substitution at all but one carbon center in the norbornane core. A1,3 stereocontrol with complete endo diastereoselectivity is observed for C3 substituted derivatives. Elaboration of the products has enabled the synthesis of valuable C1 and C3-endo a-amino acid derivatives. Scale-up of the reaction under continuous flow conditions is also demonstrated. Mechanistic investigations suggest an integral role for the Lewis acid additive in facilitating single- electron transfer. In all, this new method constitutes a modular, mild, and operationally simple approach to a privileged saturated aza- heterocycle in order to support its future utilization in biologically active molecules.
Joseph Pierre Anderson (Asst. Prof., Department of Physics and Astronomy, Carthage College)
"A Language for Scientific Excellence: virtue ethics in the science classroom"
The goal of university science education is the formation of scientists, not a simple transfer of knowledge. This goal, however, requires a framework for understanding what makes a good scientist: which particular qualities of a scientist are conducive to the practice of science? This poster will facilitate discussion on Thomistic virtue ethics as a framework for teaching students about the scientific project per se as well as the practice of science within a community. That is, the Thomistic enumeration of particular virtues as well as further distinctions within individual virtues can provide students with concrete areas to pursue improvement toward the otherwise nebulous goal of ‘scientific excellence.’ This poster will present the importance of the intellectual virtues (understanding, knowledge, and wisdom) and particular cardinal virtues (fortitude and prudence) for the scientific project considered abstractly as well as the importance of the cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude) for the communal practice of science. Although a Thomistic anthropology is best understood in a theological context, these concepts underlie the practice of science even as a secular endeavor. As a result, this poster will discuss steps toward the creation of secular course materials on this theme. Nonetheless, the potential for the intersection of philosophical anthropology and the scientific project as a certain type of preamble to faith will be discussed. Implementation of instruction on prudence in the context of an open-ended physics laboratory course will serve as a case study on the utility of this pedagogical framework.
Dennis J. Baumgardner, MD (Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health)
“What Makes Freshwater Shorelines a Place to Acquire Blastomyces, the Etiologic Agent of Blastomycosis?”
Clinical cases of the potentially life-threatening pulmonary and disseminated environmentally- acquired fungal disease, blastomycosis, and Blastomyces, the dimorphic etiologic agent have been long associated with freshwater. We and others have shown that residing near waterways is a risk factor for blastomycosis; shoreline frontage may be a particular risk. The near shoreline terrestrial environment, a natural “corridor for movement of fauna, “is typically complex, highly diverse and changing.” The latter due to water level and weather changes (including seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations and wet-dry cycles), variations in pH, light and oxygen tension, wave (and ice) brake, organic washup (wrack), leaching, animal deposits, detritus, etc. Ammonia may accumulate, especially in sand soils (which we have shown to be associated with Blastomyces). We have previously reported significant in-vitro ammonia tolerance of Blastomyces, utilizing an ammonium sulfate, basic salts, low glucose agar. Similarly, we reported the ability of Blastomyces metabolize or tolerate a variety of wood and animal waste by-products which would be anticipated on shorelines, including allantoin, a water-soluble purine degradation molecule excreted by non-primate mammals. The ability of Blastomyces (generally ‘a survivor, not a thriver’) to utilize or tolerate potentially inhibiting chemicals and changes in the microenvironment may afford a temporary selective advantage to this otherwise slow-growing and poorly competitive fungus, compared to many neighboring species of fungi and bacteria. Taken together, certain shorelines may provide the right microenvironment at times in (presumably) small areas for mold form Blastomyces to temporarily ‘bloom’ and spread conidia which can be inhaled by humans (and dogs and other animals). Once in the lungs at body temperature, the conidia undergo a complex transition to much larger yeasts. This form can more easily evade the immune system, multiply and cause infection. Intersections of this research and faith are also discussed.
Mary Regina Boland (Asst. Professor, Department of Mathematics, Saint Vincent College)
“Holy Multiples: Stories of Fifteen Twin/Triplet Saints and the Science Behind Twinning, Gender and Survival”
In the United States of America, twin births constitute around 4% of all births. The purpose of this investigation is to explore previously canonized twin and triplet Saints from the Eastern and Western Catholic Traditions and compare the prevalence of these Saints to the survival statistics for multiple birth. Our investigation revealed 15 pairs of ‘Holy Multiples’ (14 pairs of twins and 1 set of triplet Saints). We found one pair of fraternal twins (Benedict and Scholastica), and the remaining were identical male Saints with two exceptions – Saint Catherine of Siena who was a female identical twin (her sister died early), and Saint Thomas the Apostle whose twin was not recorded in history. We found that the incidence of one triplet set amongst the number of canonized Saints in the Catholic Church fits well with the prevalence of identical triplets today and also the representation of a twin among the first twelve Apostles fits rather nicely with the incidence of twins today (8% or 1/12 versus 4% twins born in the USA). We discuss some factors that increase the likelihood of survival among our twin Saints (e.g., coming from a family with older siblings) and how that compares with our twin Saint pairs who hail mainly from working class families (e.g., hay-makers, shoe-makers, stone-masons). We also discuss the changing survival rates among twins with increased survival among male twins in the earlier periods of history, and how this flipped in the 1900s with increased survival now among female twins. This suggests that the majority of twin male Saints appears to fit well with the prevalence of male twins during those periods. In conclusion, we explore the role of twinning, gender, and survival through the lens of these twin and triplet Saints while learning from their diverse stories and history.
Kathryn R. Brewer (Grad student, Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University)
“Science and Salvation History: A Case Study In How Studying Human Diseases Reveals the Impact of the Fall and Opportunities to Participate in Christ’s Restoration”
With the fall of Adam and Eve, death and disease were woven into the fabric of our lives. We experience the consequences of it every day, from our regular aches and pains to catastrophic genetic illnesses. Through scientific research, it is possible to gain an articulate understanding of just how deep the impact of the Fall truly is, going down even to the atomic level. In the case of the cardiac arrhythmia disorder Long QT syndrome (LQTS), any of over 250 genetic mutations in the KCNQ1 potassium channel may be sufficient to cause cardiac arrest, even though the mutation changes approximately 0.1% of the atoms in the protein. Using an integrative analysis assessing protein thermal stability, trafficking to the cell surface, and channel function, we explored the molecular mechanisms that cause LQTS. 64 mutations spanning all KCNQ1 protein domains were assessed, revealing seven classifications of molecular disease mechanisms. Misfolding-induced mistrafficking was common in KCNQ1 cytoplasmic domains, while transmembrane domains demonstrated greater mechanistic variety. These classifications were then used to test several pathogenicity prediction tools, providing a benchmark for how well we can predict disease and provide life-saving care to at-risk patients. Prediction accuracy correlated to the underlying genetic sequence conservation of a particular class, indicating that additional features need to be considered to improve pathogenicity prediction. Thus, this work not only provided molecular insight into how LQTS manifests in the human person, but an avenue through which scientists and physicians can improve patient health, bringing Christ’s restoration into the physical world through medicine.
Kathryn R. Brewer (Grad student, Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University)
“Integrative analysis of LQTS-relevant KCNQ1 variants reveals unique molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis”
The human potassium channel KCNQ1 produces the slow delayed rectifier current that aids repolarization during the cardiac action potential. Loss-of-function mutations in KCNQ1 predispose patients to cardiac arrhythmias, particularly Long QT syndrome (LQTS), a common mechanism for sudden arrhythmic death. While preventative treatments are available for at-risk LQTS patients, variants of unknown significance preclude risk assessment and administration of potentially life-saving care. Accurate prediction of mutation pathogenicity risk is critical to properly assess and protect LQTS patients. Towards this end, an integrative approach of biophysical, functional, and trafficking analysis has been developed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying LQTS in KCNQ1. Previous analysis of 51 KCNQ1 mutations in the voltage sensor domain (VSD) revealed that misfolding-induced mistrafficking is a common disease mechanism. The present work sought to determine if this mechanism holds true across KCNQ1 domains. To expand stability analysis beyond the VSD, a novel application of the cellular thermal shift assay was used to analyze 64 mutations spanning all protein domains. The temperature of aggregation (Tagg) of the analyzed mutants generally coincided with surface expression, indicating that the misfolding-induced trafficking mechanism observed in the VSD is also applicable in other domains. However, thermal stability and surface expression only modestly coincided with electrophysiology measurements, pointing to heterogeneity in LQTS molecular mechanisms. LQTS mutations in the HD helix domain demonstrated a particularly unique mechanism, failing to reach the cell surface and yet exhibiting wildtype-like total protein levels. From this integrative analysis, seven classifications of molecular disease mechanisms were developed. Misfolding-induced mistrafficking dominated cytoplasmic domains, while transmembrane domains demonstrated greater mechanistic variety. These classifications were then used to test several pathogenicity prediction tools, including AlphaMissense. Prediction accuracy correlated to the underlying conservation of a particular class, indicating that additional features need to be considered to improve pathogenicity prediction.
Kate Bulinski (Associate Professor of Geosciences, Bellarmine University)
“The Scientific and Social Dimensions of Natural Disasters: exploring the themes of Catholic social teaching through an undergraduate seminar course.”
Virtually all of humanity has experience with natural hazards. If one is fortunate, those experiences are limited to the inconveniences of a power outage, some hail damage, or cancelled events. Sometimes however, the results can be much more catastrophic. Because the experience and threat of hazards is universal, it is a rich topic in which to explore many aspects of society ranging from social inequity, economic development, community health and safety, along with theological questions concerning the problem of evil. In the spring semester of 2024, a new course entitled “The Social and Scientific Dimensions of Natural Disasters” was launched for senior honors students at Bellarmine University, a Catholic liberal arts institution in Louisville, Kentucky. This course was co-taught by a Catholic geoscientist and a meteorologist from a local television news station. Through the semester, students explored the topic of natural disasters through many different lenses. By analyzing the scientific causes of disasters, and the way in which humans proactively and reactively respond to them, students were able to recognize that we have a moral imperative to thoroughly and equitably prepare for these so-called “Acts of God.” By exploring case studies of past disasters, students recognized that effective hazard mitigation must take into account the life and dignity of the human person, the needs of the poor and vulnerable, and our call to care for God’s creation, each of which are central tenets of Catholic social teaching.
Maria Camarca (Graduate student, Divison of Geological and Planetary Sciences, Caltech)
"Surface properties of Jupiter’s moon Callisto: ALMA & JWST Perspectives"
Callisto is one of Jupiter’s four large Galilean moons. This satellite is most well-known for its impressive collection of exotic impact features and its near total lack of evidence for geologic activity. Although its sibling moons Io, Europa, and Ganymede all bear evidence for past surface activity, Callisto has seemingly only collected and degraded impact features over its ~4.5 billion year life. As such, Callisto’s canonical geologic maps are relatively simple, however new telescope observations using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are identifying new regions of interest that do not always map to known geologic units. In this poster, I will share final results of our ALMA Callisto survey sampling three subsurface depths obtained at 343, 223, and 97 GHz . Moreover, I will show that some consistent thermal anomalies in our ALMA data may be correlated with certain features in a new water ice map from JWST.
Patrick Carzon (Asst. Professor of Physics, Franciscan University of Steubenville)
"Analyzing Writing across STEM Curricula for Scaffolding of Instruction"
Technical knowledge is core to preparing students for a career in STEM, but communication skills are equally essential and often not explicitly taught. The Writing Across Engineering and Science (WAES) collaboration was a multidisciplinary attempt to support STEM faculty in incorporating writing pedagogies and practices from writing studies research. The multidisciplinary nature of the collaboration led to a deeper understanding of the scope of writing and writing practices, which proved useful in identifying gaps in STEM curricula. Though STEM programs may contain writing assignments or a technical communications course, instruction could be more effective by scaffolding across the entire curriculum. Analysis of writing assignments across the curriculum, effectiveness of writing instruction, and support of continual pedagogical revision provide a robust basis for student success.
Peter G. Chirico (U.S. Geological Survey, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center)
“The geomorphological mapping paradigm as applied to “integral ecology” sustainability and equity frameworks”
Human civilization is intricately linked to the Earth’s crustal surface, which hosts the water, vegetation, soil, and the energy and mineral resources, on which humanity depends. Recently, major integrated frameworks advocating a multidimensional approach to global societal sustainability and equity challenges have been published. These include the UN’s Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Holy See’s Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, and the US Government’s Environmental Justice initiative (Executive Orders 12898 and 13990). Laudato Si’ uses the term “integral ecology” in recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic systems and that integrated approaches are necessary to address sustainability and equity of the coupled human-earth system. The geoscience discipline of geomorphology, and its mapping paradigm, studies Earth’s surface processes, materials, and landforms to understand their past, present, and future. Considering the global environmental challenges and the geoscience needs to develop sustainable solutions, a question that emerges is how the geomorphological mapping paradigm might best be applied to address the goals of the “integral ecology” frameworks. This poster first presents a matrix considering similarities and differences between the respective goals outlined by the three “integral ecology” frameworks and second, translates these goals to the corresponding geomorphological mapping paradigm as evidenced by supporting literature of mapping applications. The result of this work proposes that the geomorphological mapping paradigm is well positioned to studying the relationships between landscapes and the social and economic systems they support and could be an example of an “integral ecology” approach to geoscience. This presentation takes steps towards identifying a geomorphological mapping research agenda focused on the coupled human-earth system and the framework goals identified by providing essential information for sustainable land management; energy and mineral resource management; urbanization and equitable development; environmental health; disaster risk reduction; conservation; and climate change adaptation
Wojciech Chrosny (Chief Scientific Officer, TreeAge Software LLC.)
“Analogical thinking and health care survival modeling”
In my June 2023 Conference of Society of Catholic Scientists poster on “Epistemic boundaries as guideposts to transcendence” I posed the question: Can Analogical thinking enrich the sciences? In the proposed presentation I will trace how my reflections on Theology of Everything and on the differences between God’s Love and human love, led me to a recognition of analogies between hazards and velocities. This resulted in a new modeling capability using an idea of a graphical hazard editor. As a chief scientific officer of TreeAge Software LLC, I oversee scientific, and engineering activates within our company. Our software, TreeAge Pro has been used by healthcare professionals for over 30 years to model disease progressions and treatments using various methods and including Markov models. A perennial problem for the modelers is how to use clinical data to obtain transition probabilities for their Markov models. Hazard editor helps modelers to approach the problem correctly starting with hazard functions to match survival data and then to derive the transition probabilities from the hazard function. The state of the art of health care modeling uses statistical regression methods, which have limitations which are often not recognized. In January 2020, The British National Institute for health and Care Excellence (NICE) – issued a technical support document advising modelers to pay more attention to hazard function profiles in their work. Rather then simply “pay attention” to hazard profiles as an afterthought, the new editor allows for actual modeling of hazard functions from the beginning. I presented the feature at several Medical Decision conferences and will give an update on how the adoption of this new method is progressing. This talk will show how the theologically inspired feature allows healthcare professionals to create more realistic healthcare models.
Henryk Fukś (Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Brock University)
"Phases of the Ecclesiastical Moon"
On February 24, 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued the bull “Inter gravissimas” introducing the new calendar, later called Gregorian. It is well known that the calendar reform corrected the average length of the year to make it closer to the astronomical solar year, but it is not so widely known that the Gregorian reform also corrected the way moon phases are calculated for the purpose of determining the day of Easter and for other liturgical purposes, such as pronouncing the age of the moon at the beginning of the daily reading from “Martyrologium Romanum”. We use contemporary mathematical notation to describe the method for determining the age of the ecclesiastical moon as mandated by Pope Gregory XIII and elaborated in the book of Christopher Clavius, “Romani calendarii explicatio". Then we construct the recurrence equation for the epacts, derive its solution, and give a simple expression for the age of the moon on a given day of the year. We also consider the problems which were not foreseen by Clavius, which can occur at the transition from December 31 to January 1 of the next year, when there could be a “jump” in moon’s age (saltus lunae) in years when the epact corrections are applied. We propose a simple solution which fixes these problems.
Dana Garcia (Dept. of Biology, Texas State University)
“Development of salamanders of the genus Eurycea: A comparative study”
[Co-authors: Miranda Contello (Texas State Univ.); Ruben Tovar, Thomas J. Devitt and David M. Hills (Univ. of Texas at Austin); Katherine Bockrath (San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center)]
The Edwards Trinity Aquifer in Texas provides subterranean habitats of freshwater-filled caves and surface habitats of bubbling springs and rivers for salamanders of the genus Eurycea. The Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni) dwells underground, while the closely related San Marcos salamander (E. nana) resides in the headwaters of the San Marcos River. We are interested in describing the development of these two species to lay a foundation and framework for on-going studies aimed at understanding the evolutionary and developmental processes that lead to the strikingly different phenotypes seen in the adult subterranean and surface-dwelling animals. Texas blind salamander embryos initiate eye development only to abandon it in later development, resulting in the characteristic eyeless adult salamander. In addition, as juveniles Texas blind salamanders display pigmented melanocytes within its otherwise translucent skin – melanocytes which are not present in adults. The San Marcos salamander, in contrast, seems to follow a more typical developmental route, producing fully functioning eyes and pigmented skin as an adult. We have begun cataloging morphological features at various stages of development for each species. Here we describe the morphological changes in embryonic stages 21 to 31 of development, using diffusible iodine-based contrast enhanced computed tomography to produce images of the embryos. Through these developmental stages, the Texas blind salamander and San Marcos salamander appear essentially similar, including both developing eyes and lenses. These snapshots provide a means to compare differences at each developmental stage between sighted and blind salamander species, including development and regression of eyes. We plan to continue cataloguing the similarities and differences between the two species with the goal of providing a reference text for development of this interesting group of animals.
Nathaniel Hanson (Technical Research Staff, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory)
“Let There Be Light! Spectroscopic Sensing in Robotics for Enhanced Mobility and Reasoning”
Materials are essential parts of our lived experience. By “materials,” we mean the physical-chemical composition of matter that can be given form. Traditional robot perception has focused on recognizing an object’s semantic purpose as proxy to understanding ideal interaction strategies. However, semantic recognition does not include implicit understanding of the material composition of these objects or their properties (weight, friction, deformability). Towards this goal of reasoning about materials we introduce a new paradigm for robotics. Material Informed Robotics refers to the means to perceive, and the actions derived from, material as a fundamental skill within robotics. Instead of thinking about problems solely in terms of semantic purpose (such as bowl, cup, book, road, sidewalk), we posit robots ought to consider the material of objects as they plan trajectories and execute actions in an environment.
Our work introduces new sensory approaches and processing for the identification of material makeup in objects and scenes composed of heterogenous materials via the incorporation of near infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) into robotics. Spectroscopy is analogous to human color vision, but it exceeds human capabilities to finely distinguish material and offers enormous potential for machines to understand the world through richer data and simpler machine learning models. While existing classification methods make additional simplifying assumptions, such as a reduced number of classes, or clear segmentation boundaries – assumptions which do not translate well the complex, unstructured nature of the real world, our work offers promise for non-contact material understanding in a rich set of application domains such as food processing, assistive robotics, and autonomous driving.
John Herr (Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, Butler University)
“The Trinity, St. Thomas, and the distinction between real identity and logical identity”
The most difficult challenge in explaining the dogma of the Trinity to non-believers is a simple question: “How can the Father be God, and the Son be God, and yet the Father not be the Son?” The doctrine prima facie seems to defy the transitivity of identity. Even experienced apologists and theologians fail to give a clear and convincing answer. By disentangling the thought of Thomas Aquinas and the distinction between real identity and logical identity, we add clarifying detail to the Athanasian Shield and eradicate the misconception that the doctrine represents a contradiction. The thought of Aquinas is put into precise mathematical terms using the concept of a relation.
Jeffrey W. Herrmann (Professor of Engineering, The Catholic University of America)
“Saint Abbo of Fleury: A Medieval Astronomer”
Saint Abbo of Fleury was a tenth century monk. He studied logic and astronomy, constructed sophisticated poems, wrote a biography of St. Edmund, taught in England and in France, and mastered computus, the mathematics of calculating the dates of Easter and other feasts. This poster provides information about the life of Saint Abbo and includes figures based on his work as an astronomer, including the location of the moon in the zodiac, planetary courses in the zodiac, planetary orbits and the rising and setting of the zodiac signs, celestial zones, and astronomical representations and explanations based on works by Calcidius and Pliny. These figures show us some of what was known in the Middle Ages about the movement of the stars and planets.
Warren V. Johnson (Departments of Human Biology, Biology, and Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay)
“Thermodynamics and the Certainty of a Transcendent Creator”
The first two laws of thermodynamics have been known since the mid 1800s. These two laws are among the scientific discoveries for which there is the highest level of confidence that they are objectively true descriptions of reality. The first law is referred to as the law of conservation of energy. Energy can change into different types (radiant, kinetic, potential), but does not come from nothing or cease to exist. The second law states that energy spontaneously dissipates, energy does not spontaneously concentrate. Because of these two laws, perpetual motion machines are considered impossible. Yet, these two laws appear to contradict each other concerning the origin of the universe. The first law implies that the universe has always existed. The second law implies that the universe had a beginning where energy was very concentrated and has been decaying ever since. The only reasonable way to reconcile this apparent conflict is if the universe was created out of nothing by a transcendent creator. Thus, materialism is false and statements of confidence in materialism are not scientific statements. They are philosophical statements of belief in a false idea that science has proven false to the highest confidence level.
Jack Lovell (Harvard Medical School)
“Mapping Sub-Second Behavior in Rat Behavior”
Tim Marin (Professor of Physical Sciences, Benedictine University)
“The Faith and Science Heart of Benedictine University Education”
For over a century, Benedictine University in Lisle, IL has demonstrated dedication to excellence in the sciences and science education. Hearkening to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the University’s monastic teacher-scholar academic program founders intentionally embedded the complementarity of faith and reason into the genes of an evolving institution of higher education. Furthermore, a strong science education was promoted as crucial to our times. A history of the early years and mission of Benedictine University is presented to contextualize a faith and reason flavor of Benedictine pedagogy as the heart of an education that imparts the love of learning and the desire for God to guide a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.
Robert McCarthy, Michael Wulffe (Department of Biological Sciences, Benedictine University)
“Effect of captivity on forelimb enthesopathies in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)”
“Bushman,” a western lowland gorilla from Cameroon, was the first gorilla successfully held in a zoo west of the Mississippi, spending 21 years at Lincoln Park Zoo. His taxidermied pelt is a popular display at the Field Museum of Natural History, but his skeletal remains are in the collections of the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum at Benedictine University. Despite over a century of gorilla captivity, breeding, and rearing in zoos, little is known about how captive conditions affect skeletal morphology. In this study, we focused on enthesopathies, pathologies that affect areas where tendons, ligaments, and muscles insert onto bone (i.e., “musculoskeletal stress markers”). We hypothesized that mechanical stresses and other factors associated with a captive lifestyle promote the development of enthesopathies in large-bodied captive animals like gorillas. To test this hypothesis, we compared bones of Bushman’s forelimb (scapula, clavicle, humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges) to forelimb bones of six wild and six captive male western lowland gorillas at the Field Museum. Heightened incidence and severity of enthesopathies in Bushman and other captive gorillas supported the hypothesis that zoo environments affect skeletal morphology. We explored functional and biomechanical explanations for enthesopathies (knuckle-walking on concrete surfaces, reduced climbing exercise), but could not rule out the influence of other factors (e.g., age, diet, obesity) that differ between zoo and wild animals. Future research will attempt to parse out these factors by increasing sample sizes and explicitly comparing caged gorillas to wild gorillas and captive gorillas reared in modern, naturalistic zoo settings.
John Milanovich (Founder, Optimal Aviation: Brain Fitness for Pilots (OA))
“Online, Non-invasive, Structured Cognitive Training (CTr) in the Aerospace (including Microgravity) Environment: What’s not to like?”
Over the past 25 years, reliable CTr programs have proven themselves useful in promoting brain health while enhancing neurocognitive functions in various groups. Such programs have been shown far superior to crossword puzzles or learning a new instrument, and when completed with a trained specialist lead to generalizable effects with a neurophysiological basis, particularly as related to enhancing white matter and dendritic extensions within the human brain. CTr has more recently, by the current author and his organization (OA), been applied to the aerospace environment with scientific data gathered in conjunction with faculty of The Ohio State University, Kent State University, and FlightSafety International. Breakthroughs were discovered in both pilot selection methods, based on the present author’s concept of “Aviator Cognition,” as well as using CTr to help pilots safely get back into the cockpit after either aggressive insults, such as TBI’s or CVA’s, or slower, long-term neurophysiologic changes, including viral infection, toxic effects, alcoholism, and aging. The current poster reviews three studies using the OA CTr program, as well as the online OA Assess, the latter of which was able to account for 72% of the variance in the number of hours student pilots required to complete their training – something unheard of in the past, of which 25% of the variance using much more labor-intensive means has been the most observed. Brain health in outer space is of critical importance, while OA’s CTr platform is a likely countermeasure that could enhance the ongoing safety and maintenance of neurocognitive systems of the human brain during long-haul missions that would otherwise be at the mercy of hostile non-atmospheric settings. Other forms of brain health and maintenance, such as direct stimulation techniques and neurofeedback, will also be reviewed in this context. Finally, brain and behavioral health of long-haul astronauts will be examined from both cybernetic and monastic perspectives.
Rachel Morin, Margaret McCaffrey, Odalys Campos, Pramila Pokhrel (Catholic University of America)
“Sharing faith and science on social media: expanding our audience”
Although social media is primarily female dominated, a closer investigation of faith and science accounts revealed a distinct lack of a female engagement. In particular, only 1.3% of the views on the Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) YouTube Channel over its lifetime came from women. This surprising statistic prompted a more thorough investigation of similar channels on different platforms. Specifically looking at Facebook and Instagram data, we consistently found that approximately 1/3 of the audience is female across several faith and science accounts. For a proper comparison, we looked at general statistics in the US for the percentage of women who: (1) use different social media platforms, (2) say they are Catholic, and (3) received degrees in the sciences. Using these statistics, we derived an expected value for female interaction with faith and science media, which predicted higher engagement than observed. Given these disproportionate statistics, we have developed a marketing plan to reach more women of faith in the sciences through social media.
Christopher J. Payne (Asst. Professor of Biology, Franciscan University of Steubenville)
“Tracking the arrival and spread of the costly invasive Spotted Lanternfly into the Midwest and proposing Catholic-informed mediation in the face of a dynamic invasion”
The spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, is an invasive planthopper insect from China that has spread to more than 19 states since arriving in Pennsylvania in 2014. The insect is both a nuisance pest for property owners and a costly agricultural pest known to feed on more than 50 woody plant species, including grapes, fruit trees, and timber trees. Due to the costly outcomes of infestation, local, state, and federal monitoring efforts have been enacted to slow the insect’s spread. Given Ohio’s proximity to Pennsylvania and Ohio’s national transportation centrality, we initiated a survey program along the then-known western extent of the SLF invasion in 2021 to monitor for the eventual arrival and spread of SLF into Ohio. Survey sites were placed along high-traffic roadways and rail-lines along the Ohio-West Virginia border in anticipation of the lanternflies’ tendency to hitch rides on vehicles and trains, and these sites were monitored for 3 years (2021-2023). The results of more than 5000 surveys resulted in 1 SLF being found in 2021 (the 3rd ever in Ohio), 31 SLF found in 2022, and 8,568 SLF found in 2023. These results suggest rapid infestation of this costly insect only a few years after initial establishment, likely expediting earlier models of rates of spread further into the Midwest and throughout the U.S. The results also demonstrate the need for thorough monitoring in un-infested locations to inform quick elimination and control measures. The current establishment of this difficult-to-eradicate pest insect in Ohio also presents a case study to explore Catholic moral principles as applied to a temporally dynamic biological system with various impacts on human and non-human ecologies and economics. As such, I explore various rationale for proposing ongoing conservation and control decisions informed by a Catholic environmental “Creation Care” ethic.
David Poister (Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science, St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wisconsin)
“On Earth as it is in Heaven - Understanding Christianity and Human Evolution”
In recent decades, research from the natural and social sciences has created an understanding of the evolutionary process that is more complex and less hostile to religious world views than previous models. This progress has fueled a science-religion dialogue focused on understanding the evolutionary implications of Christianity. An important component of this dialogue is the insight that the process of aggregation is critical to the evolutionary genesis of complexity. The sequential appearance of eukaryotic then multicellular organisms on earth are examples of such evolutionary aggregations. In these events, aggregates were created through natural selection due to the increased fitness of the aggregate relative to the individual components. Aggregation is particularly relevant to the current state of human evolution in which individuals are becoming increasingly dependent on others for their survival. The increased fitness conferred on cooperative individuals has contributed to our success as a species. Research into the evolutionary origins of the pro-social tendencies of humans has also revealed specific limitations to these behaviors that continue to influence the human condition.
By recognizing the link between religions and evolutionary progress and by understanding the nature of this relationship we can enhance the effectiveness of the Christian message to foster human progress. On an individual level, this recognition can support religious growth in multiple ways: it can deepen our appreciation for religious traditions and rituals, it can cultivate a sense of purpose, and it can provide a framework to cope with loss and suffering.
The Catholic tradition has long remained open to the implications of biological evolution. Catholic scientists are particularly well-positioned to appreciate and share the religious benefits of living in an evolving world. We should not hesitate to embrace these ideas with enthusiasm.
Edmund G. Seebauer, (J. W. Westwater Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
“Lectio Divina with the Book of Nature for Scientists and Engineers”
Jesus came for people to have life to the full, implying that authentic Christian living enables better practice of science and engineering than a secular approach can sustain. “Better” technical work pursues the Beatitudes and occurs when the work itself becomes a form of prayer. The ancient concept of the Book of Nature, adapted to the longstanding tradition of contemplative Lectio Divina (“divine reading”) offers a framework. Encyclical letters of recent popes have revived the Book of Nature metaphor after centuries of dormancy. Moreover, Dei Verbum of Vatican II recommends Lectio Divina with Scripture for all laity. It seems logical that the Book of Nature can also provide a vehicle for Lectio Divina, with four analogous components of reading, meditation, verbal prayer, and contemplation. Technical “reading” involves examination of experimental data and computational results with a mindset ordered toward helping to build God’s New Creation. “Meditation” entails analyzing what is read to infer the consequences – formulating hypotheses, generating engineering designs, or operating manufacturing processes – ordered toward God’s New Creation. For “verbal prayer,” Dei Verbum teaches, “prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together.” All people are created in the image of God; the eyes of faith therefore perceive the wisdom of God through communications with colleagues, team members, conference attendees, and the larger technical community. The Latin root of “contemplation,” means to gaze attentively, often with no specific thought or feeling. The concrete mindset of the technically educated may fail to resonate with seemingly ethereal contemplative prayer. Yet the saints concur unanimously that contemplative prayer is a gift from God whose authenticity is assessed by growth in the Beatitudes, not by felt experiences. Scientists and engineers may therefore resonate with the detached “hidden ladder” contemplation described by St. John of the Cross.
Chris Stoughton (Senior Scientist, Fermilab)
"Gravity"
From Aristotle to Einstein our description of gravity has improved. An open problem in modern physicis the reconciliation General Relativity and Quantum mechanics. GQuEST (Gravity from Quantum Entanglement of Space Time) will measure “side-effects” of one such attempt.
Laura Suttenfield (Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
"Lysogen Evolution and Autoimmunity"
The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is naturally infected by a large class of viruses which upon infection may integrate their genetic material into that of the bacterial host at some low frequency. The resulting virus-bacterium composite is called a lysogen, and the integrated virus may rarely spontaneously induce to lysis, killing the cell. We examined the genotypic and phenotypic diversity of P. aeruginosa PA14 populations as they resolve this relationship in the presence of autoimmunity. We show that lysogen evolution is profoundly impacted by autoimmunity and phage movement around the chromosome. After 12 days of evolution, we measured a decrease in spontaneous induction. We observed that variation in spontaneous induction rates corresponded to the type of CRISPR self-targeting resolution, mediated either by host mutation or phage movement. We observed coexistence in evolved populations of single lysogens that maintained CRISPR immunity to other phages and polylysogens that have lost immunity completely. This work highlights a new dimension of the role of lysogenic phages in the evolution of their hosts.
Michael W. Totaro, O.P. (Assoc. Professor of Computing and Informatics, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
“Artificial Neural Networks: Thomistic Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Realism”
In June 2022, Dr. Blake Lemoine, a Google engineer, publicly declared that Google LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) was sentient, a claim that was rejected by Google. Lemoine was ultimately dismissed from the company. News about this event spread quickly, not only by the media, but also by those who believe that AI technologies will ultimately meet or exceed human intelligence, possibly becoming sentient. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are software abstractions that employ mathematics and algorithms to mimic human intelligence. An artificial neural network consists of an input layer, one or more hidden layers, and an output layer, with each layer containing a set (vector) of neurons. The ANN must be “trained,” which is analogous to “learning,” such that new inputs (i.e., not part of the training data) are received by the ANN, which should then issue outputs (e.g., images, audio, text, and so on) that are accurate and correct. With the advent of large language models (which are themselves artificial neural networks) such as LaMDA and ChatGPT, there is both excitement and fear about “intelligent,” and possibly sentient, computers. But is sentient AI even possible? Does this notion align with the Roman Catholic Faith? To answer these and other related questions, we turn to Saint Thomas Aquinas as both a resource and frame of reference. Although St. Thomas could not consider the possibility of AI, we can refer to his epistemology, metaphysics, and realism as a guide to correct thinking about so-called “intelligent” and sentient machines.
Saint Thomas Aquinas claims that true knowledge is acquired when the active intellect abstracts concepts from images received from the senses. In this talk, we examine his epistemology, metaphysics, and realism to show that sentient AI is not possible.
Michael V. Tripepi, (Asst. Professor of Physics, Hillsdale College)
“Raising Atheists: Science Education as an Obstacle to the Faith”
“Science” is often cited as one of the reasons why people do not subscribe to religious belief and indeed, much work has been done to argue against this perception. Nonetheless, it persists in the wider culture and can even lead people of faith to become suspicious of science itself. Here, it is argued that our instruction of science in schools can reinforce an image of science that lends itself more to scientism than a harmony between faith and reason. This manifests itself in innocuous ways such as the memorization of facts and conclusions about the natural world or an emphasis on science to solve “real-world problems.” While these methods are not problematic in-and-of themselves, they instill a popular view of science as the only discipline capable of understanding and fixing the world. An alternative is to instruct students on the limits of scientific inquiry and the contingency of scientific knowledge. However, this tends to produce and reinforce the unfriendly attitudes towards science in support of more “humane” pursuits. At the heart of this issue is the need for an education adapted to what C.P. Snow called “The Two Cultures,” a science education that remains true to nature as well as the nature of scientific knowledge, balancing awe and humility towards the advances of modern science.
Kyle Valentino (Graduate Student, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto)
“Update in the Field: CRISPR and Related Gene Editing Applications”
CRISPR is a revolutionary gene editing tool that allows for human enhancement and disease prevention. Understanding its latest developments and foreseen applications can help the Church develop strategies to guide its congregation in this new age of biotechnology. By exploring leading edge data on CRISPR-Cas system evolution, therapeutic applications, and faith and secular based moral perspectives; I will demonstrate the diverse range of CRISPR systems applications and their associated ethical and theological implications. Ranging from the revival of extinct hominin species, human cloning and the production of fully biological offspring from same sex couples, to the creation of selected children made in the image of oneself. Following this, drawing from St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, Genesis and divine intention and design, and papal documentation [related to human evolution], I will showcase relevant philosophical perspectives that will assist audience members in grounding the importance of the human person and approaching the latest in human bioengineering research.
Reinhard Vehring (Dept. of Mech. Engineering, Univ. of Alberta; Access to Advanced Health, Seattle)
“Capacity Building for Local Pharmaceutical Development: The Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science (BIRS) Research Center – Sustainable Medicines in Africa Program”
[Co-authors: Kari L. Clase (Dept of Agricultural Biological Engineering, Purdue Univ.); Stephen R. Byrn (Department of Industrial & Physical Pharmacy, Purdue Univ.); Zita Ekeocha (Medical Missionaries of Mary, Arusha, Tanzania)]
Globally, the highest burden of disease is in low- and middle-income countries and it is mostly caused by communicable, maternal, and neonatal diseases and malnutrition. Due to increasing antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics and the threat of global pandemics, a renewed focus on prevention and treatment of infectious diseases is warranted. However, most pharmaceutical interventions are developed in and for high-income countries. This makes many products ill- suited for resource-poor settings. Consequently, only a small fraction of the world’s population (~15%) makes use of almost all available medicine (>90%) and many diseases prevalent in developing countries remain untreated. The principles of solidarity and subsidiarity motivate technology and knowledge transfer via capacity building efforts to ensure access and affordability of locally manufactured, essential medicines. This poster presents the pan-African Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory Science (BIRS) program that offers Purdue University certificates, Master’s degrees and Ph.D degrees through teaching components online and face-to-face in Tanzania. The curriculum includes many competencies necessary to develop biotechnology-based products, such as biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology, drug development process, regulatory aspects, quality control and project management. Since its inception in 2006 the program has awarded over 100 certificates, over 150 Master’s degrees and several PhD degrees to participants from 12 African countries who work mostly in local regulatory, industry and health care sectors. If suitable funding can be secured, it is planned to expand the BIRS program by building dedicated teaching facilities and a demonstration laboratory with capacity for sterile compounding, e.g., for mRNA vaccine or bacteriophage products, at a five-acre local site in Arusha which was kindly donated for this purpose by the Catholic Archbishop of Arusha.
Samuel T. Wilkinson, MD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Associate Director, Yale Depression Research Program)
“The evolutionary origin of the emotionally rewarding nature of personal relationships: psychological and theological implications”
Abundant evidence indicates that relationships are the most important factor for mental health and well-being. What is less clear is why this is the case. Converging lines of evidence from multiple disciplines suggest that the emotionally rewarding nature of relationships results from the way that evolution shaped social interactions. In specific, evidence from attachment theory, kin selection and (to a lesser degree) group selection, suggest that the psychological abilities and emotional states that underlie relationship formation (trust, loyalty, affection) were instrumental in the development of cooperation (which was critical to survival during the Pleistocene era). As one example (from attachment theory and kin selection), human infants are utterly helpless when they are born and are totally dependent on their parents for survival for many years. This is in contrast with most other animals (foals can gallop when only a day old). As a result, human parents have evolved an incredibly deep feeling of love and attachment toward their children. If this is the case, then it would be expected that the strongest feelings of love and affection are found within family relationships. Abundance evidence supports this hypothesis. As one example, a recent Pew Research Foundation survey of 18,850 adults from 17 countries concluded that the factor most closely linked to leading a satisfying and meaningful life is family relationships. This is a function of the way nature created us. The theological and psychological implications of these findings are explored.
Gerard M. Williger (Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Louisville)
“The GALEX Extragalactic Spectral Database”
[Co-authors: John Pritchard (Purdue Univ.), L. Bianchi (Johns Hopkins Univ.), J. Lauroesch (Univ. of Louisville), J. Ribaudo (Univ. of Providence)]
The GALaxy Evolution eXplorer (GALEX) satellite imaged the sky at ultraviolet wavelengths over 2003-13, making a well-cited catalogue. It also took wide-field spectra of 125,000 objects over 0.75% of the sky, which are under-exploited. To make the spectra useful, we present results from a project to categorize and collect complementary multiband data for approximately 11,000 extragalactic sources in 211 GALEX spectroscopic fields which overlap the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We will provide a useful searchable database of GALEX UV spectra (R~100-200) of extragalactic sources. For all extragalactic sources (known or classified by us) with GALEX spectra, we have assembled complementary images and photometry in FUV+NUV from GALEX, in ugriz from the SDSS, in JHK from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) and in W1-W4 from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and created spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We have also logged SIMBAD and SDSS object classification, redshift and angular size information, and provide some indication of spectral data quality, since it largely varies across the sample and even across the wavelength range of individual spectra, owing to the grism observing strategy (Bianchi et al. 2018,Astrophys. Space Sci., 363, 56). The UV spectral database consists of 1820 quasars, 2274 star-forming galaxies, 6327 quiescent spirals and 386 ellipticals. The mean redshifts for quasars, star-forming galaxies, quiescent spirals and ellipticals are 0.99, 0.07, 0.35 and 0.05 respectively. We will show representative spectra, SEDs and color-magnitude diagrams. The database (Pritchard et al., in preparation) will be made publicly available from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (STScI's MAST) as a High-Level Science Product (HLSP), as well as from Vizier.
Geoffrey Woollard (Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of British Columbia)
"Quantifying heterogeneity in cryo-EM: Two metrics for probability distributions on continuous conformational space"