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  Evaluation of Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonists PG01037, PG01042, and VK4-116 Against D1R-induced Dyskinesia

  Evan D’Almeida, Ashley Center, Mike Coyle, John Glinski, Michelle Terry, and Sophie Cohen

  Parkinson’s Disease (PD) results in motor deficits that can be relieved with L-DOPA, a dopamine (DA) replacement therapy. Unfortunately, chronic treatment often leads to L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), a debilitating side effect characterized by abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs). Overactivity of the direct striatonigral pathway is seen in LID and is characterized by potent changes in D1 and D3 receptors (D1R, D3R). Further, D1R and D3R may physically and functionally interact to form D1R-D3R heteromer thereby potentiating LID. This D1R-D3R heteromer uniquely switches from G-protein dependent to G-protein independent signaling, allowing for an avenue to manage LID. To uncover the role of these pathways in LID, Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered hemi-parkinsonian and treated daily for 2 weeks with L-DOPA (6 mg/kg; s.c.) to induce stable LID. In a within subjects, counterbalanced design, they were then split into treatment groups that received D3R antagonists: PG01037 (10, 30 mg/kg; i.p.), PG01042 (5, 10 mg/kg; i.p.), or VK4-116 (10, 20 mg/kg; i.p.). PG01037 (PG1) is a mixed D3R antagonist, acting at both the G-protein dependent and independent pathways. PG01042 (PG2) acts as an antagonist on G-protein independent signaling and VK4-116 acts as a G-protein dependent antagonist. All drugs were tested against D1R agonist-induced dyskinesia with SKF38393 (2mg/kg; s.c.). The only effects found were with PG2 which implicates promotion of the D1R G-protein dependent pathway as contributing to D1R-induced dyskinesia. Future studies with these drugs and L-DOPA treatment should unveil the importance of D1R, D3R, and D1R-D3R influences in the presence of the natural ligand DA.

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  Workplace Immigration Enforcement and Undocumented Immigrants' Continuing Presence in the Low-wage Labor Market

  Erin Delargy

  Despite extensive and ongoing immigration enforcement efforts, undocumented workers continue to have a place in the United States’ economy, primarily in the low-wage labor market. I argue that this is a result of immigration law and enforcement reducing undocumented workers’ workplace rights. First, I draw on court cases and legislative history to illustrate how laws such as the Immigration Control and Reform Act have been interpreted and expanded to limit undocumented workers’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Second, I examine the meatpacking industry to illustrate how immigration enforcement has reduced undocumented workers’ willingness to access workplace rights, which has only made undocumented workers more desirable to employers who seek a compliant and manipulable workforce. I use newspaper articles, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports, and think tank reports to demonstrate how immigration enforcement tactics, including workplace raids and employment verification programs, have heightened undocumented workers’ fear in meatpacking plants but not reduced their presence in the industry. I incorporate past research concerning behavioral trends among undocumented workers, as well as studies concerning the conflict between immigration and labor laws, to explain why immigration enforcement has compounded undocumented workers’ exploitation in the workplace and cemented, rather than disturbed, their presence in the United States’ workforce.

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  Student Environmental Conservation and Awareness on College Campuses

  Olivia Lopes DeSilva

  In the midst of a climate crisis, it’s crucial to question how our younger generations view their role in environmental conservation, activism and awareness, and how they implement greener values into their day-to-day lives. This research analyzes student perspectives on their role in environmentalism on their college campuses and if it’s changed through the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, this research questions how universities and higher education play a role in shaping these views and ideals among their student body. Through a series of interviews and surveys dispersed to students at both Binghamton University and SUNY Stony Brook, I will draw comparative conclusions regarding student views on their role in making a difference through environmental awareness and activism. This includes both day-to-day actions as well as involvement in campus initiatives, education, and promotion of these ideals. I will also investigate the impact that universities themselves have on these views through promotion of greener ideals, support for student led initiatives, and other influences. My results will demonstrate the level of awareness of environmental issues among college students, and if they have a willingness to address them and work towards change through both university and student led initiatives. My results could show if and how the Covid-19 pandemic has influenced student action in recent months. Overall, this study is important in analyzing how my generation values our planet and how they work towards and promote more eco-friendly values and lifestyles on their campuses.

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  Evaluating Sustainable and Cost-Efficient Alternative Processes for Dye Application and Adherence in the Fashion Apparel Industry

  Jane Dexter

  The fashion apparel industry relies on highly pollutant industrial processes that are a major contributor to environmental problems ranging from climate change to human health issues. Processes involved in applying textile dyes are some of the most toxic, energy consuming processes involved in the production of fashion textiles. This research aims to identify, evaluate, and compare various alternative methods of applying and adhering dyes to textiles that are less pollutant in nature, consume fewer natural resources, are cost-efficient for the industry, and are viable for reproduction and application on an industrial scale. Literature discussing and reviewing sustainable dye application methods will be analyzed to evaluate methods that fulfill the aforementioned criteria. It is evident in scientific findings that there are many promising alternative dyeing processes that are less pollutant and use fewer resources than traditional methods, while also being cost-efficient and viable for industrial use. My research will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches and will also evaluate ways in which the fashion industry can be incentivized to invest in the adoption of these new, economically and environmentally beneficial, technologies and processes. With proper motivation from scientific data, public demand, designer’s prioritization, and so on, a path can be realistically conceptualized along which the industry can proceed toward implementing these processes as it moves towards sustainability.

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  ClusterCat Algorithm: Supervised Subcategory K-Means Clustering

  Paul DiStefano

  K-means is an unsupervised clustering algorithm that tries to partition a given dataset into k clusters, where each point belongs to only one cluster. The point of this algorithm is to classify data into different categories which may help provide structure to otherwise complex data sets. Although K-means is simple to implement and generally effective in categorizing data, there is no guarantee that objects will be correctly grouped together. This poster proposes a new supervised clustering algorithm, ClusterCat, that utilizes K-means. Supervised classification algorithms select training items and categorize test points based on that training. Unsupervised classification algorithms generate clusters based on feature characteristics. ClusterCat is unique as it is a supervised algorithm that leverages an unsupervised technique. ClusterCat first divides the dataset based on known category labels (supervised categorization) and then runs the K-means algorithm on each category (unsupervised categorization). This process creates smaller subcategories which are then used to make classification decisions. A test point is placed in a subcategory based on feature similarity, which allows the overarching category membership to be deduced. ClusterCat shows promise to improve classification decisions and could help demystify complex data structures.

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  Hispanic Immigrants' Access to Health Care in the United States: Through the Lens of Ethnicity, Income, and Length of Stay in the U.S.

  Katie Dullaghan

  This presentation discusses documented adult Hispanic immigrants and their access to healthcare in the United States. Immigrants have lesser access to health care and poorer quality care than their natural-born counterparts. This is due to many different factors that I discuss here, such as income level, how long they have been in the United States, country of origin, and ethnicity. A lot of research has been done on the topic of immigrant health care access, but each study tends to focus on one variable that affects access or quality of care. By using surveys such as the National Health Interview Survey, I argue that all of these factors intersect and negatively impact immigrants and their health care experience in the United States. Lower income levels mean lesser access to health insurance and to quality physicians, medications, and treatment. The longer an immigrant is in the United States, the more accustomed they are to the American healthcare system and culture as a whole, making it significantly easier for them to navigate. An immigrant’s country of origin can put them at a higher risk for certain diseases and illnesses and can also greatly affect the level to which an immigrant can trust health care workers. Hispanics immigrating to the U.S. often face multiple of these barriers at once, making it almost impossible to receive adequate care. Equal access to health care for immigrants is important to everyone in their area, as their health affects the community as a whole. All things considered, health care is a basic human right and there are significant barriers between immigrants and quality health care that U.S.-born citizens do not have to face.

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  Synthesis and characterization of LiNi 0.85 Mn 0.075 Co 0.075 O 2 cathode for Li-ion batteries

  Nicholas Du and Anshika Goel

  Li-ion batteries have played a very important role in the commercialization of HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and EVs (electric vehicles) in the past few decades. With major companies like Ford promising to go fully electric within the decade, research into battery materials have become more extensive. Originally, lithium cobalt oxide has been one of the main cathode materials (still used extensively in smart devices), but this material has low energy density, since it is able to intercalate only half of the Li while cycling. LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 (or NMC for short) are currently being utilized by many EVs due to their high energy density. Current battery research is more focused on increasing the Ni content in the NMCs which further increases energy density. With NMC811 recently commercialized, our studies focus on LiNi0.85Mn0.075Co0.075O2, which is the next step. In this study, we will present the synthesis process for LiNi0.85Mn0.075Co0.075O2 by co-precipitation method (adopted industrially), which is optimized very carefully with respect to pH, temperature, as well as concentration of the reactants, etc. This material has been engineered to have a better capacity and capacity retention using the optimization of the calcination temperature. This material was further characterized by PXRD (powdered x-ray diffraction), ICP-OES (inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), and electrochemical performance using galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling technique.

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  Ups and Downs: Readers’ Simulation of a Story Character’s Movement

  Christopher Dunne, Zhiqian Zhang, Kenneth Houghton, Andrew Cook, and Rachel Poirier

  It has been shown that readers comprehend stories through mental simulation of characters’ experiences and, in some cases, the embodiment of characters’ actions and perceptions. Reading about a story character’s movement leads readers to mentally simulate the same movement. For example, research by Dils and Boroditsky (2010) has suggested that readers' perception of the orientation of ambiguous images was influenced by the direction story characters travelled. In the current experiment, participants will read a story describing a character watching a glass elevator moving either up or down. The story will be presented on a computer monitor, with the first line being presented at the bottom of the screen and each successive line appearing above the last. In other words, reading will be from bottom to top. Reading times will be recorded. If the movement of story characters is simulated by readers then reading times should be faster when the elevator is described as moving upward rather than downward. In the upward condition, the movement described in the story is congruent with reading direction, facilitating comprehension.

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  Analyzing the Relationship Between COVID and Amateur Painting

  Noelle Dutch

  The COVID-19 pandemic has left many at home, looking for something to occupy their time. People have used social media platforms to share how they use their time with ample posts about baking, sewing, and painting. This project is particularly interested in the increasing popularity of painting, evident not only on social media, but also on television, for example, PBS’s “The Joy of Painting,” hosted by the much loved Bob Ross. While many young adults enjoy watching Bob Ross for its quiet tranquility, and the ironic pleasure of his distinctive mannerisms, there are those, perhaps, who are actually inspired to take up painting themselves. This research focuses on business reports from the art supply industry, that give a history of sales and sales projections, to support my contention that there has been a significant increase in amateur painting as a result of the pandemic. There have been earlier periods during which amateur painting has flourished, and I will compare the prevailing conditions that fostered increased creative activity historically, with the circumstances of confinement that we have recently been subject to. Keywords: amateur painting, amateur art, art supply industry, Bob Ross, pandemic recreation

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  The Role of Apparent Competition in Facilitating Ecological Release of a Range-expanding Insect

  Serena Feldman, Rachel Chen, Aly Milks, Dylan Jones, Leslie Huang, Jenna Ross, Lilly Griffen, and Will Smisko

  Due to anthropogenic climate change, species are expanding their historical natural ranges. However, interacting species will not shift synchronously and range-expanding species are likely to lose interactions and pick up novel ones in their expanded range. If antagonistic interactions, such as with competitors or enemies are lost, range-expanding species may experience “ecological release” and have impacts in their expanded range. Of the parasitoid wasps that attack phytophagous insects, some are specialists and some are generalists attacking alternative hosts (competitors). Range-expanding species may lose enemies if their specialists fail to follow from their native range and if generalist enemies fail to switch from competitors in the expanded range (“release from apparent competition”). We study a poleward range-expansion of a phytophagous gall-forming insect Neuroterus saltatorius that expanded its range from mainland western North America to Vancouver Island, BC, where it is outbreaking on its plant Querucs garryana. N. saltatorius co-occurs with several other gall-formers on its host, including Andricus opertus, throughout its native and expanded range. Here, we ask if A. opertus acts as an apparent competitor (shares enemies) with N. saltatorius, and if apparent competition is weaker in the expanded range. These two host species were collected from 18 sites that span the range of Q. garryana. We reared parasitoid wasps from them and identified parasitoids to morphospecies using taxonomic keys. We identified 16 parasitoids from N. saltatorius and 39 from A. opertus. Of these, 13 species of parasitoids are shared between the two host species in all regions, and we will calculate the rate of shared overlap to see if there are fewer shared species in the expanded range. This result would suggest that release from apparent competition contributes to ecological release. Understanding how biotic interactions change under range expansions is important to predict species responses to climate change.

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  The Aestheticization of Politics in Socialist Realism

  Lisa Foreman

  In the early twentieth century, the dominant art style of the Soviet Union was Avant-Garde. Its experimentalism in both form and materials was revolutionary in spirit and its radical aesthetics were championed by the state following the Russian Revolution of 1917. However, with the rise of Joseph Stalin and a more oppressive regime, a suspicion of abstract forms and intellectualism associated with the movement emerged and the state began to regard this art as dangerous and censored it. Instead, state-sponsored artist unions promoted Socialist Realism, which was embraced insofar as it idealized the USSR and promoted ideologies of nationalism, socialism, and conformism. The primary way Socialist Realism served the state was that it appealed to viewers through emotions and sentiment. In so doing, it can be seen as an aestheticization of politics. Instead of deploying political rhetoric or making policy arguments, it supported Soviet authority by fostering a sense of unity and belonging, and by portraying scenes that furthered the objectives of the state. The aestheticization of politics has the effect of doing political work without people being aware of it, and in this way political debate becomes displaced by feelings of patriotism and community. Scholars have studied this phenomenon in relation to Soviet Realism and fascist politics, but we can observe similar practices today. It is important to consider that modern politics do not only operate through policy and legislation but also through aesthetics and powerful non-rational emotional appeals and symbols. This project will analyze exemplary Social Realist paintings that were particularly favored by Stalin, to reveal the ways in which they function as a subtle yet very powerful instrument of politics. Then it will apply these insights to current instances of the aestheticization of politics, to show both how it functions and how pervasive it is.

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  Calling Binghamton Our Home: A Housing Market on the Rise, Leaving Many Behind

  Trevor Fornara

  For every 100 extremely low-income households in Broome County, New York, there are 17 affordable housing units. This deficit in low-income housing in the City of Binghamton and greater Broome County has been persistent for over 20 years. Despite this, hundreds of units of luxury student housing are constructed each year that are too expensive for low-income households. The question I aim to answer is whether or not the Binghamton low-income housing market is overpriced for its value? I hypothesize that the answer is yes and that the university has dramatically affected the market. Through a series of interviews, I will investigate the Binghamton low-income housing market, specifically how Binghamton University has affected its recent growth. These interviews will be conducted with community leaders, landlords, tenants, and local politicians. I plan to compare the quality of housing units as described by tenants to their listed prices to establish a concept of worth. The impact caused by Binghamton University may be largely due to the plans to expand the university’s student body to twenty thousand. Binghamton is far past the maximum supply level for student housing, although hundreds of new units are built every year. Meanwhile, there is a severe shortage of low-income housing. Contractors know that they can make more money off competing in the over-saturated student housing market rather than the growing low-income housing market. The city has been slow to enact policy to encourage contractors to build affordable housing as these housing projects and the university’s growth bring money to the area.

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  Food Insecurity Within Broome County And Its Effect on Academic Performance in Children

  Aidan Gajewski

  Food insecurity is a growing concern among children within the US, as the number of households who are food insecure has grown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food insecurity in children can lead to a multitude of cognitive complications. My research investigates the relationship between food insecurity and academic performance in elementary schools in Broome County. To uncover how food insecurity and academic performance are linked, interviews were conducted with school staff (teachers, administrators, a food service manager), the socioeconomic status of the area was analyzed, standardized testing scores were compiled, and the food offerings in the area were explored. The results indicate that an area with higher food insecurity and higher poverty could result in lower academic performance, as observed through test scores and observations of school staff. The results could also highlight that an area with lower food insecurity results in higher academic performance. This demonstrates the need to provide supplementary food for children in schools to maximize their ability to succeed academically.

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  Unlawful Combatants or Prisoners of War?: The Ambiguous Language of Guantánamo Bay

  Maya Gamer

  In January 2002, when the first group of detainees arrived at the United States Navy base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the U.S. Department of State announced that the men detained at Guantánamo Bay were to be “characterized as ‘unlawful combatants’ rather than prisoners of war.” (U.S. Department of State, January 11, 2002) By describing detainees with the intentionally ambiguous term “unlawful combatants” instead of prisoners of war, they are excluded from the protections granted by the Third Geneva Convention. With this designation, the United States government established a precedent of treating Guantánamo Bay and the men detained there as existing in a space outside of federal and international law. In the following years, the terminology used to designate Guantánamo as separate from the rest of the American legal system has expanded to include ‘detainees’ instead of ‘prisoners’, and ‘temporary’ instead of ‘indefinite’. Each of these changes has significant implications for detainees’ rights to share their artwork, access medical care, and advocate for their release in court. "Unlawful Combatants or Prisoners of War?: The Ambiguous Language of Guantánamo Bay" begins by tracing the efforts of the Bush administration to circumvent the international laws regulating war by defining detainees as “unlawful combatants” rather than what they are: prisoners of the War on Terror. In an analysis of the language used in legal frameworks and historical records, this study will examine the impact of the “unlawful combatant” designation on detainees’ right to ownership of art made while at Guantánamo as well as the right to identification documents upon release.

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  Experimental Group Differences in Children’s Bracing Ability

  Sophia Geisser, Samantha Cintron, Sophie Criss, Kara Gately, Zoe Geisser, Samanta Herlands, Ariel Kachuro, Vanesa Uhteg, Kimberley William, Danielle Wolfe, and Kayla Yim

  Science education research investigates young children’s understanding of materials in technological settings linking the concept of matter to tangible properties such as weight or heaviness. Children’s comprehension of elements enables them to support and reinforce the structural stability of towers when presented with wobbly structures. Young children understand the relationships between the properties of materials, stability, and bracing during construction. Sixty-eight families (M child age = 5.5 years) were recruited at the entrance of the Skyline building construction exhibit at a children’s museum and were randomly assigned to two conditions. This consisted of the demonstration group (experimental group) and the non-demonstration group (the control group). Children were then tasked with strengthening a wobbly structure of a skyscraper or a bridge, first with their parents followed by the second task to be completed independently. We will analyze the effect of the cross-bracing demonstration on children's building behavior in an engineering exhibit. We will discuss the ratio of functional to total pieces used, such as cross-braces or triangle pieces. We predict that children who received the cross-bracing demonstration will exhibit greater success at properly using functional pieces to create a stable structure compared to children in the control group.

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  The Relationship Between Small Businesses and Gentrification

  Abigail Gifeisman

  Gentrification is a process of displacement of marginalized or lower-class communities to make room for more affluent communities. While gentrification affects many areas of life, such as price of rent and the job market, this research focuses on small business and the effects gentrification has on them. Small businesses on Main Street and the surrounding downtown in Binghamton, NY will be defined and their role in the community will be explored. This research seeks to understand the latest developments in those areas. In the last six years the area has seen a large boom in new small businesses, giving the area a “fresh look”. The area has been made more walkable, removing businesses or landmarks that could be considered “eye sores” or unsavory such as sex stores or dive bars. To address the relationship between small businesses and gentrification, interviews and surveys will be conducted. The interviews will include business owners, consumers and different members of different religious and racial communities, making sure to interview people from lower income communities assumed to be most affected. Surveys will be passed out to participating businesses to distribute to customers. Street surveys will also be conducted both on Main Street and downtown. Street survey questions will be broader pertaining to the area while the store surveys will be geared more towards the specific store and the relationship the customer has with the store. This research will provide insight on the relationship between small businesses and gentrification.

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  Consent During the Growing Age of Virtual Sexuality

  Phoebe Goldberg, Aubrey Doyen, Skyler Powers, Justin Chen, Brianna Manginelli, Moyosola Adeyemi, Rebecca Appel, Maya Kovic, and Cassandra Puglisi

  The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020 resulted in limited social and sexual interactions with potential sexual partners. Through the use of virtual methods, individuals have increasingly searched for ways to engage with others in a safe manner. However, online interactions can be fraught with miscommunication, and unsolicited behaviors may lead to dating violence and cyberbullying. Additionally, training and guidelines for obtaining consent during a sexual encounter often focus on face-to-face interactions, leaving online sexual encounters largely ignored. A survey was released to a mid-sized northeastern university in the fall of 2020. Participants (N=692) completed an online questionnaire using the Qualtrics survey software that asked open-ended questions about their attitudes and behaviors regarding consent in an online dating interaction. We focused on the question “When talking to someone virtually that you are interested in, what sexual behavior would make you feel uncomfortable,” in order to explore how students define and obtain consent in virtual encounters. Researchers analyzed the data using a thematic approach, developing codebooks to organize the data by themes. Results showed that individuals look for signs of consent in their virtual conversations and encounters with potential partners. Common unwanted experiences included: “sending nudes,” “sharing my messages without my permission,” and “pushiness.” Additionally, a number of responses discussed unsolicited messages and pictures, which illustrate individuals' negative reactions to non-consensual behaviors in a virtual environment. Results from this qualitative analysis suggest that obtaining consent for sexual experiences in a virtual sphere is a complex phenomena that does not have clear scripts. Based on the study’s findings, data collected can be used to make further changes to sexual assault and prevention training on college campuses, including discussions of how to give and obtain consent in virtual interactions.

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  Assessment of Oxytocin-Receptor Modulation of Social Recognition Following Adolescent Ethanol Exposure

  Matthew Goyden

  Adolescent alcohol consumption is prevalent in the United States. Studies report that adolescents ages 12 to 20 consume alcohol at and exceed binge levels, which is defined as 4 drinks for women and 5 for men over two hours. Rodent-model studies considering adolescent intermittent alcohol (ethanol) exposure (AIE) have shown that consumption results in long-term deficits in memory, cognition, social and nonsocial anxiety, and other behaviors into adulthood in part due to the vulnerability of late-developing brain regions such as the frontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. Recent developments have indicated that oxytocin receptor activity is diminished following AIE and that restoration of oxytocin activity can reverse atypical social anxiety, but it is unclear whether oxytocin modulates other AIE-related behaviors. In the current study, Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to ethanol 4 mg/kg during early adolescence from postnatal days (P) 25-45 and then went undisturbed until adulthood (P70-75). During adulthood, a social recognition task was performed to assess short-term memory. We predict that social recognition impairment should be evident in AIE animals compared to non-AIE control subjects. Additionally, as oxytocin receptors are found in multiple brain regions involved in social recognition, we further predict that administering the oxytocin receptor agonist (WAY-267464) will reduce the effects of social recognition impairment in AIE animals. Data is currently being collected and analyzed. Pending results will be presented.

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  Tobacco and Nicotine Use in the Perinatal Period: A Postpartum Video Intervention

  Sophia Guiliano, Gabriella DiMuro, Arielle Goldschmidt, Lauren Katz, Francesca Nugnes, Jessie Rosenbaum, Sara Shaw, and Valerie Cruz

  Tobacco and nicotine exposures in the perinatal period continue to negatively impact the health of women and their families. This is of particular concern in Broome County, where 20% of women reported using tobacco at some point in their pregnancy. It is crucial that nurses have effective tools to intervene and address this health threat during routine care. The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of our newly developed postpartum educational video related to tobacco and nicotine exposure. This pre- post-test study is designed to measure changes in knowledge and self-efficacy after viewing the video in a postpartum hospital setting. These variables, along with demographics, nicotine use behaviors, and attitudes will be collected electronically, using a 22-item survey. The survey, video, and consent for participation will be delivered via iPad or iPhone using the Qualtrics Survey platform. After we provide an orientation to the study, postpartum nurses will recruit women and provide access to the intervention. Participants will include 25 women who are over the age of 18, fluent in English, and have delivered a baby during their current hospital stay. Nurses will be asked for feedback during and at the conclusion of the study as part of a process evaluation. This study will provide preliminary results related to the efficacy of the video and will also allow us to refine our methodology before conducting the study on a larger scale. The ultimate goal is that women who view this video will show increased quit rates related to nicotine use.

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  The Study of mpValCitGlyPro Linker for Alcohol Payload Release

  Jillian Handel, Justin Howe, Kelsey Watts, Jared Miller, and Samantha Benjamin

  Antibody-drug-conjugates (ADCs) are a class of drugs that deliver potent payloads to specific cells or tissues via cell-specific uptake. ADCs are composed of an antibody that is specific to the intended target which is tethered to a payload by a cleavable linker. They are unique because they have the ability to deliver extremely cytotoxic payloads to only certain areas of the body without harming non-targeted tissues. There are currently ten ADCs that are FDA approved, most of which release amine-containing payloads. There is very limited technology that is effective for releasing alcohol-containing payloads. We have designed a tetrapeptide linker referred to as ”ValCitGlyPro” that has shown success when compared to a simple ester linker (“mc”). We demonstrate that the mc linker is not readily cleaved by lysosomes, while the ValCitGlyPro linker is. Further, we demonstrate that this linker has modest stability in mouse and human serum. Finally, we have evaluated various breast-cancer-targeting ADCs with both the mpValCitGlyPro and the mc linker and have measured the intracellular payload concentration in a breast cancer cell line. Together, this data is being used to evaluate whether the ValCitGlyPro linker system is a suitable technology for the delivery of alcohol-containing payloads.

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  The Effects of the Great Migration on Chicago

  Brianna Hansen

  After the Civil War, African Americans were freed from slavery and in the following years, there were many civil rights successes made for the black population of America. While there were successes, there were also drawbacks leading to stark inequality. These disadvantages ultimately led to the Great Migration which spanned about 50 years. This study investigates the causes, effects, and long term results of the Great Migration on African Americans, specifically in Chicago, Illinois. To examine the relationship between the push and pull factors of the Great Migration, many primary and secondary sources were analyzed. Scholarly journals aided in providing an outside view of the movement from historians. Primary sources include many newspaper clippings from the Chicago Defender. There were many letters with accounts of travels and experiences, which greatly contribute to the context of the Great Migration. The motivation to move from the South to the North was encouraged by constant discrimination, low wages, and poor education systems. Cities in the North, like Chicago and Detroit, were popular destinations for African Americans because of employment opportunities. Factories were in need of workers and the black population was willing because of the higher wages. However, discrimination was not obsolete in these areas. In summer of 1919, also known as the Red Summer, there were race riots on the South Side of Chicago because of rising racial tensions. The research conducted exposed multiple first hand accounts, as well as data, and the opinions of some historians. The information gathered suggests that extreme discrimination and overall poor living conditions were the main causes of the Great Migration, resulting in a huge shift in the demographic of certain areas.

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  Motivation to Serve: What Drives People to Serve in the United States Military

  Nicol Haywood

  The Department of Defense (DOD) must convince several hundred thousand people to join the military each year while, at the same time, retain thousands of personnel to sustain its active duty, reserve, and National Guard forces (Stewart, 2005). While some research endeavors have been conducted into the reasons people join the military (e.g., Woodruff et al., 2017), less is known as to the motives that people choose to leave or continue to serve in the military (e.g., Woodruff, 2017). The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand why people choose to enlist in the military, as well as to understand why people decide to stay or leave the military after serving their committed time. Data will be collected by conducting interviews with ten individuals who served in the U.S. military. The interviews will be analyzed to understand similarities and/or differences in how participants formulated their decision to join, their decision to stay or leave, and how this decision may have shifted during their time in the military. By analyzing reasons as to why people choose to join, and then stay or leave the military, the military can adapt their recruitment strategies in hopes of better fulfilling the massive recruitment quotas.

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  Be Still My Racing Heart: An Analysis of Worry Content and Stress Responses in Hookups

  Abbegail Herkel, Juan Riestra, Diana Riestra, Anta Noor, and Julia Schildwater

  The original conceptualization of a stress response revolves around the concept of “fight or flight,” but work led by Shelley Taylor illuminated a unique response to danger called “tend and befriend.” Taylor’s theory posits that some people, especially women, exhibit behaviors related to the protection of offspring (“tending”) the seeking out of social support and affiliation for the purpose of mutual protection and comfort (“befriending”). While this theory has been applied primarily to life-threatening dangers, it can also be applied to sexual situations, including hook-ups, which have the potential to turn violent or forceful, triggering a stress response. Through this lens, differences in the nature of responses to stressful hook-up situations were analyzed to evaluate their relationship with the content of one’s worries related to hook-ups. A large sample of young adults completed a survey on hookup behavior that included questions about how worried they were during hookups and questions about the nature of stress responses. Results indicated that there is a range of responses that includes fight or flight responses, tend and befriend responses and freezing responses. Results are discussed in relation to Taylor’s theory and gender roles.

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  Where Paths Diverge: Exploring the Differing Socioeconomic Outcomes of Immigrant Groups from the Indian Subcontinent

  Zarnaab Javaid

  Immigrants to the United States from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, the three major countries of the Indian subcontinent, share international borders, a common history of colonial rule, and many cultural and religious customs. But upon immigrating to the United States, the socioeconomic outcomes and experiences of immigrants from each country diverge significantly. Data from the Migration Policy Institute, World Bank, and U.S. Census shows that Indian immigrants enjoy the highest average income and education levels among all immigrant groups in the United States, Bangladeshi immigrants experience the lowest, and Pakistani immigrants lie somewhere in the middle. This paper argues that three main factors contribute to this observed difference in socioeconomic outcomes: economic conditions in the sending country, selection criteria, and the different cultural and societal norms new immigrants have to navigate. India’s booming international economy, political capital, and population allow it to send high numbers of educated professionals to the U.S. at rates other countries cannot match. Immigrants from all three countries face a selection process prior to even applying for a green card, as there are barriers to entry in the U.S. immigration policy that require time and resources to overcome. Lastly, Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants, by virtue of their religion, also face added discrimination and difficulties adopting American customs, both of which can negatively impact socioeconomic outcomes in complex ways.

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  The Relation Between Spatial Language During Informal Learning and Children’s STEM-Related School Readiness Scores

  Ariel Kacharo, Samantha Cintron, Sophie Criss, Sophie Geisser, Zoe Geisser, Samantha Herlands, Danielle Wolfe, and Kayla Yim

  Young children’s interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) can develop through everyday experiences; often in science-related informal settings and museums. Verdine et al. found that parental spatial language is important in creating a foundation in STEM learning. The relation between children’s school readiness scores, informal play at home, and spatial language use during caregiver-child play with an open-ended block task was examined. The first hypothesis was that families who use more spatial language during informal block play will report playing more with the spatial, STEM-related toys at home, which may be related to school readiness scores. The second hypothesis was that there will be a link between spatial language and STEM-related school readiness scores in which families who use more spatial language will have children who score higher in school readiness. The third hypothesis was that over the course of the school year, school readiness will increase during the children’s enrollment in the Head Start program based on previous results by Kachuro et al. The quantity of spatial language was determined using transcripts of the videos of the dyads’ interactions. School readiness was conducted through an observational assessment that was performed at the beginning and end of the program. At home play was measured through caregivers’ self-report on a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 23 children (12 females) who participated with their parent (12 females) and were recruited at Family Engagement events held monthly at the Sciencenter for families enrolled in Head Start. A correlational analysis along with descriptive statistics will be presented between school readiness scores, play questionnaire, and spatial language analysis. Finally, we will examine measured variables for emerging sex differences.