adelbert gym december 7th, 2012 - Case Western Reserve University

Transcription

INTERSECTIONS
winter poster presentations
DECEMBER 7TH, 2012
ADELBERT GYM
Research and Creative
Projects by Undergraduate
Students including Senior
Capstone Students
Intersections
SOURCE Undergraduate
Poster Session
December 7, 2012
Adelbert Gym
Intersections: Symposium and Poster Session
i
Intersections
SOURCE Poster Session
SOURCE thanks the following for financially supporting
Intersections!
The Center for the Study of Writing
SAGES
ii
Events
Intersections: Undergraduate Poster Session
December 7, 2012
Adelbert Gym
Poster Session
Noon-2:45pm
Celebration of Student Writing
Noon-2:45pm
iii
Table of Contents &
Participants
Name
Major
Title
Quetzi
Abramovitz
Anthropology
Shree
Agrawal
Biology
Barriers to Engagement in HIV
Health Care and Social Support
in Cleveland With a
Concentration on Youth
A Single Institution’s
Experience with Prostate
Brachytherapy Seed Implants
(1999-2009): Sexual Health
Outcomes With and Without
Dose Escalation to Biologic
Target Volumes
Anthropology
Patient attitudes towards
smoking cessation in an urban
Midwestern ED
Vashti
Aguilar
Mohiuddin
Ahmed
Biochemistry
Identification of domain that
promotes Na v 1.5 trafficking to
the cell surface
Priscilla
Ambrosi
Biology
Scaling properties of germ
layers during evolution
Denielle
Anderson
Nursing
Olaide
Apapa
Biology
Rumneek
Bedi
Biology
Developing Healthy
Relationships in At-Risk
Cleveland Youth at The
National Youth Sports Program
Mechanisms by Which Anurans
Avoid Call Overlap to
Influence Female Choice and
Their Relationship with Call
Length in Complex Acoustic
Environments
The Impact of Energy
Expenditure and Maternal
Nutrition on Reproductive
Suppression in Humans
Additional
Presenters
Vidhushei
Yogeswaran
Emma
Cleary &
Angelica
Nieszczur
Mentor
Page
Number
Lawrence
Greksa,
Anthropology
1
Robin Snyder,
Biology
1
Vicken Totten,
Emergency
Medicine
2
Qiuyun Chen,
Cardiology,
Cleveland Clinic
Foundation
Claudia
Mizutani,
Biology
2
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
3
Hilary Walton,
Biology
3
Mark Willis,
Biology
4
2
iv
Michael
Berger
Civil
Engineering
Stormwater Management
Master Plan at Case Western
Reserve
Luc
Bettaieb
Electrical
Engineering
Collision Avoidance System for
Recently Visually Impaired
Individuals
Stephanie
Corbett,
Sustainability
Colin
Drummond,
Biomedical
Engineering
4
Aditi
Bhanja
Biomedical
Engineering
Design and Fabrication of a
Discrete Puzzle Box
Andrew
Blasius &
Quinn Shue
Adam
Gleichsner
&
Christopher
Ryan
Andrew
Blasius
Mathematics
& Physics
Collision Avoidance System for
Individuals
Luc
Bettaieb,
Quinn Shue
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
Colin
Drummond,
Biomedical
Engineering
Exercise and Diabetes
Management, What Do
Children Know?
Breana
Freeman,
Mary Friesz
& Rachael
Suchy
Faye Gary,
Nursing
5
6
Chavon
Brent
Douglas
Brubaker
Morgan
Bulger
Deborah
Burnstein
Nursing
5
5
5
Mathematics,
Applied
Integrative –omics Identifies
Dysregulated Signaling
Pathways in Ovarian Cancer
Gurkan Bebek,
Center for
Proteomics and
Bioinformatics
Management
The Business of Food: Towards
a More Sustainable Food
Supply Network
Bonnie Richley,
Organizational
Behavior
6
Nursing
Nutrition Education in 6th
Grade Students at Michael R.
White STEM School
Thea
Emmons &
Kayla Lang
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
7
"Trich" or Treat: Reproductive
Health in Cleveland-Area
Teenagers
Patient Education Models for
Hypertension in an Outpatient
Clinic
Leah
Epstein &
Elana Satin
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
7
Tracy Ruska
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
7
Barbara Lewis,
Psychological
Sciences
8
Nicole Steinmetz,
Biomedical
Engineering
(SOM)
8
Albert
Canda
Nursing
Nicole
Cantrell
Nursing
Ruth Chao
Communicatio Comparing Early Intervention
n Sciences &
Models for Children with
Psychology
Autism
Biomedical
Kevin Chen Engineering
Engineering viral nanoparticles
for application in medicine:
Developing CPMV as a
platform for efficient
intracellular delivery of
therapeutics
v
Xi Chen
Xin Chen
Rajesh
Cherukuri
David
Chrzanows
ki
Emma
Cleary
Jacob
Cogar
Biology
Identification of Actin-Binding
Protein 5 as a Component of
the Zebrafish Inner Ear Hair
Cell
Brian
McDermott,
Otolaryngology
9
Biology
The influence of the level of
expression of a long nonprotein-coding RNA on
differentiation
Saba Valadkhan,
Center for RNA
Molecular
Biology
9
ThinkSphere: A collaborative
data analytics environment
GQ Zhang,
Electrical
Engineering and
Computer
Sciences
9
Practicality of Consumer GPS
for Positioning of Autonomous
Lawn Mower
Roger Quinn,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
10
Denielle
Anderson,
Angelica
Nieszczur
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
3
Alec David,
Richard Lee
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
10
Angela
Wootan,
Arelis
Roman
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
11
Arnold Caplan,
Biology
11
Elizabeth Banks,
Center of Civic
Engagment &
Learning
12
Barbara
Kuemerle,
Biology
12
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
13
Computer
Sciences
Mechanical
Engineering
Nursing
Chemical
Engineering
Hannah
Collins
Nursing
Megan
Cramer
Biology &
Spanish
Alexis
Crosby
Quanbin
Dai
Taylor
Daiello
Developing Healthy
Creating and Manufacturing a
Revolutionary Flashlight:
Using 3-D Design Software
CREO Parametric and Case
Western Reserve’s Think[box]
Teacher Resource for Health
Education
Inhibition of superoxide
production in mouse retina
under hyperglycemic
conditions
English &
Sociology
Engage Cleveland Capstone
Experience
Biology
Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity
of Edge-Functionalized
Graphene
Nursing
Diabetes and You: Sharing
Education for Better Outcomes
Kathleen
Evers &
Andres
Schriver
Toia
Sylvester,
Loni Wilkes
vi
Alec David
Christine
DeBaz
Nicholas
DeFelice
Biomedical
Engineering
Chemistry
Biology
Immune Response to Tobacco
Mosaic Virus Nanoparticles as
a Vaccine Platform
Defining the expression profile
of the Candida albicans HYR1
and IFF4 proteins in
pathogenesis during
oropharyngeal candidiasis
Carli
Dekeyser
Nursing
Gaston del
Pino
Biology &
Chemistry
Limiting the Number of
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
and Increasing the Number of
Applicants at the Old Brooklyn
Family Service Center
Effect of Environmental
Heterogeneity and Soil Origin
on Phenotypic Plasticity in
Perennial Weeds
LaShanita
Devese
Nursing
Effects of childhood obesity,
pre-hypertension and lack of
knowledge on Cleveland’s
Youth at the National Youth
Sports Program
Joao
Henrique
Do
Nascimento
Biomedicine
(Santa Cruze
State
University)
Keith Dodd
Biomedical
Engineering
Daniel
Doherty
Alayna
Dorobek
Biomedical
Engineering
Biology
Jacob Cogar
& Richard
Lee
10
13
Amy Hise,
Center for Global
Health and
Disease
13
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
14
Jean Burns,
Biology
14
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
15
Sandra Rocha
Gadelha Mello,
Santa Cruz State
University
(Brazil)
15
Kunal Patel
& Isaac
Shyu
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
16
Anna
Gawlik,
Matthew
Gwin,
Previn
Kumar
Alan Riga,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
16
Joseph Koonce,
Biology
16
Grant
Pignatiello,
Ethan
Smith,
Katherine
Thomas
Bryanna
Mayes,
Caitlin
Rudge,
Haley Treier
Critical Evaluation of the
Prevalence of Human
Papilloma Virus (HPV) in
Brazil
3D Puzzle Design
Polymers were ranked for
potential materials of
construction for medical device
development based on
comparing candidates thermal
analytical properties with that
of Poly ether ether ketone
[PEEK]
Variation in Vegetation
Composition Among Ohio’s
NWCA Wetlands
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
Nicole Steinmetz,
Biomedical
Engineering
(SOM)
vii
Phoebe
Edwards
Anthropology
&
Evolutionary
Biology
Phenotypic Plasticity of
Helisoma trivolvis in Response
to Chemical Alarm Cues
Across Taxonomic Levels
Shaylinn
Emery
Nursing
Patient Sexual Health
Education Resources
Nursing
White STEM School
Thea
Emmons
Dale
English
Leah
Epstein
Kathleen
Evers
Matheus
Fernandes
Michael Benard,
Biology
17
Sheneka
Gregory
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
17
Kayla Lang,
Deborah
Burstein
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
7
Nursing
Analyzing Obesity Rates in
Ward 11 of the Cleveland
Metropolitan School District
and Identifying Health Risk
Factors
Nursing
Teenagers
Michael
Koopman,
Jacqueline
Molchan &
Shannon
O'Shea
Elana Satin,
Albert
Canda
Psychology
Experience
Andres
Schriver,
Alexis
Crosby
Mechanical
Engineering
Wind Flow Modeling of the
Area Surrounding the Case
Western Reserve University
Wind Turbine
Andrew
Flagg
Biology
Carrie
Foster
Nursing
Parker
Fowler
Economics &
Theatre
Ashley
Franklin
Nursing
Predictors and outcomes of
Clostridium difficile infections
in cardiac surgery patients
utilizing the 2004-2008
Nationwide Inpatient Sample
(NIS) database
Strategies for Improving
Nutrition in School Aged
Children
A Puzzling Storage Box
Enhancing Smoking Education
at Great Lakes Home
Healthcare and Hospice
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
18
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
7
Elizabeth Banks,
Center of Civic
Engagment &
Learning
12
David
Matthiesen,
Materials Science
and Engineering
18
Edward Soltesz,
Thoracic and
Cardiovascular
Surgery,
Cleveland Clinic
Foundation
19
Tony
Vehovec
Rita Sfiligoj,
Nursing
19
Billy
Littlefield &
Greg
Mercier
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
20
Paulina
Kauzljar
Faye Gary,
Nursing
20
viii
Rebecca
Frederick
Breana
Freeman
Chemical
Engineering
Nursing
Rigoberto
Advincula,
Macromolecular
Engineering and
Science
Wetting Properties and
Electrochromic Behavior of
PVK Nanofibers
20
Management, What Do
Children Know?
Chavon
Brent, Mary
Friesz &
Rachael
Suchy
Faye Gary,
Nursing
5
Breana
Freeman,
Chavon
Brent,
Rachael
Suchy
Faye Gary,
Nursing
5
Mary
Friesz
Nursing
Management, What Do
Children Know?
Charles
Fulco
Systems
Biology &
Biochemistry
Genomewide analysis of
polyadenylation status in
Drosophila using RNA
sequencing
Timothy Nilsen,
Center for RNA
Molecular
Biology
21
Lin He,
University of
California,
Berkeley,
Department of
Molecular and
Cell Biology
21
Justin Gallagher,
Economics
22
Charles
Fulco
Systems
Biology &
Biochemistry
Regulation of Pre-miRNA
Processing in B-cell
Lymphoma
Anthony
Gatti
Economics,
Mathematics
and Political
Sciences
Biomedical
Engineering
Investigating the Correlation
Between Environmental SelfRegulation and Pollution
Output
[PEEK]
Daniel
Doherty,
Matthew
Gwin,
Previn
Kumar
Alan Riga,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
16
Nursing
De-stress Express: Educating
Women on How Stress and
Menopause Affect Health
Deena
Levey
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
22
Anna
Gawlik
Elizabeth
Gibbemeye
r
ix
Aditi
Bhanja,
Christopher
Ryan
Adam
Gleichsner
Polymer
Science and
Engineering
Discrete Puzzle Box
Felipe
Gomez del
Campo
Aerospace
Engineering
and
Mechanical
Engineering
An Analysis of the Effect of
Plasma Injection on Flame
Stabilization in Jet Engine
Combustors
Iwan Alexander,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
22
Biomedical
Engineering
Impact of Sterilization on
Antibiotic Release and
Bioactivity from AffinityBased Drug Delivery Systems
Horst von
Recum,
Biomedical
Engineering
23
Alexis
Schilf,
Christopher
Weddle
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
23
Shaylinn
Emery
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
17
Daniel
Doherty,
Anna
Gawlik,
Previn
Kumar
Alan Riga,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
16
Catherine
Gormley
Juliana
Gregor
Engineering
Sheneka
Gregory
Nursing
Matthew
Gwin
Daniel
Hageman
Christine
Hale
5
Biomedical
Engineering
Patient Sexual Health
Education Resources
[PEEK]
Biomedical
Engineering
Endotoxin Levels Facilitate
Device-Associated
Neuroinflammation
Jeffrey
Capadona,
Biomedical
Engineering
24
Psychology
Does Behavioral Inhibition
Affect Emotion Regulation
Abilities?
Amy Przeworski,
Psychological
Sciences
24
Thomas Kelley,
Pediatrics
25
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
25
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
26
Alyssa
Harker
Chemistry
Courtney
Hawk
Nursing
Evan
Hayden
Fabrication of a Puzzle Box in
a 3-D Printer
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
Nursing
HDAC6 Mediated Regulation
of Inflammatory Signaling in
Cystic Fibrosis
Health Education About the
Transmission and Prevention
of STDs in a High Risk
Populations: Southcentral,
Alaska
Increasing New Family
Planning Clinic Visits at the
Cuyahoga County Board of
Health
Jennifer
Kim, Steven
Leusch,
Claire
Vidalon
x
Robert
Minkebige
& Jonah
Pregulman
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
26
David Canaday,
Infectious
Disease
27
Mary
Hazlett
Nursing
Sarah
Hoffman
Biology and
Anthropology
Flashlight For The Future
Relationship between frailty
status and response to the
influenza vaccine in older
adults
Kyle
Householde
r
Biomedical
Engineering
Anti-oxidant Releasing
Mechanically-Adaptive
Materials Improve Neural
Device Tissue Integration
Jeffrey
Capadona,
Biomedical
Engineering
27
Sophia Hu
Biochemistry
& Nutrition
Deleterious Effects of Mdm2
Deletion in Adult Mice
Yun Zhang,
Genetics
28
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
28
Radhika Atit,
Biology
29
Michael Kenney,
Chemistry
29
Stuart Rowan,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
29
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
30
Zuyan
Huang
Biology
Daniel
Janini
Biology
Sarah
Jawhari
Chemistry &
English
Colin Jaye
Polymer
Science and
Engineering
Julia
Johnson
Rachel
Johnson
Engineering Innovation and
Design: Integrating a Puzzle
into a Flashlight Interface
Plasticity in the Motor Cortices
of the Brain Resulting from
Muscle Fatigue - A Brain
Stimulation Study
Chemical Biology at CWRU—
A Trial Run
Jacob
Schimelman
, Nabhan
Karim
Hannah
Shimko &
Dmytro
Vykhovanet
s
Multi-Functional Stimuli
Responsive Materials Using
Dyanmic Covalent Bonds
Biomedical
Engineering
Engineering a Puzzle Box
Robert
Reed,
Adriana
Marrero
Nursing
Effects of Secondhand Smoke
and Use of Smoking Cessation
Websites among Adolescents in
Hong Kong
Nita Kopan,
Jessica
Parker,
Kevin Shui
Mary Quinn
Griffin, Nursing
30
Zuyan
Huang &
Jacob
Schimelman
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
28
Ashley
Franklin
Faye Gary,
Nursing
20
Nabhan
Karim
Biomedical
Engineering
Paulina
Kauzljar
Nursing
Enhancing Smoking Education
at Great Lakes Home
Healthcare and Hospice
xi
Colleen
Kennedy
Jennifer
Kim
Michaela
Klco
Michael
Koopman
Chemical
Engineering
Nursing
Psychology
Nursing
Nita Kopan
Nursing
Emily
Kreiner
Nursing
Victoria
Krogg
Nursing
Previn
Kumar
McFerran
Landis
Biomedical
Engineering
Computer
Engineering
Utilizing 3D CAD Software
and Think[box] to Produce a
Puzzle Box: Creation,
Manufacture, and Design of a
Complicated, Useful, and
Intriguing Puzzle Box
Health
Religious beliefs and practices
in mother-child dyads: Dyadic
flexibility and mutual positivity
and negativity in light of
religious disparities
Factors
Hong Kong
Documentation at the Lorain
County Health Department
Adult Health Clinics
The Importance of Visual
Acuity Screenings in the
Geriatric Population
[PEEK]
Lemerchand's Box
Eric
Sullivan,
Raymond
Yang
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
31
Evan
Hayden,
Steven
Leusch,
Claire
Vidalon
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
26
Arin Connell,
Psychological
Sciences
31
Dale
English,
Jacqueline
Molchan &
Shannon
O'Shea
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
18
Jessica
Parker,
Rachel
Johnson,
Kevin Shui
Mary Quinn
Griffin, Nursing
30
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
31
Shannon
Liauw
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
32
Daniel
Doherty,
Anna
Gawlik,
Matthew
Gwin
Alan Riga,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
16
Austin Mak
& Matthew
Zembas
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
32
xii
Kayla Lang
Nursing
William
Lang
Chemistry
Linda Le
Biology
Richard
Lee
Steven
Leusch
Mathematics
Nursing
Deena
Levey
Nursing
Shannon
Liauw
Nursing
Erika Lim
Nursing
Billy
Littlefield
Undecided
Joseph Liu
Biology &
Philosophy
Austin Mak
Engineering
White STEM School
Isonitrile Synthases (WwisnA
and WwisnB) of Terrestrial
Cyanobacteria: Mechanistic
Insights from Homology-Based
Three Dimensional Structures
Deborah
Burstein &
Thea
Emmons
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
7
Rajesh
Viswanathan,
Chemistry
33
Qing Zheng,
Otolaryngology
33
Craniofacial C57BL/6 Mouse
Index
Jacob Cogar
& Alec
David
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
10
Health
Jennifer
Kim, Evan
Hayden,
Claire
Vidalon
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
26
Elizabeth
Gibbemeyer
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
22
Victoria
Krogg
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
32
Sophie
Malamut
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
34
Parker
Fowler &
Greg
Mercier
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
20
Eric Arts,
Infectious
Disease
34
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
32
De-stress Express: Educating
Women on How Stress and
Menopause Affect Health
The Importance of Visual
Acuity Screenings in the
Geriatric Population
Describing the Perceived
Effectiveness of Acupuncture
and Cupping for Treatment of
Orthopedic Pain Among
Geriatric individuals in Wuhan
China
Twenty-year evolution of the
gp120 envelope protein of
HIV-1 in Belgium and
Cameroon with respect to
fitness and neutralizing
antibody sensitivity
Lemerchand's Box
McFerran
Landis &
Matthew
Zembas
xiii
Sophie
Malamut
Nursing
Adriana
Marrero
Biomedical
Engineering
Bryanna
Mayes
Nursing
Madeline
McMorrow
Nursing
Describing the Perceived
Effectiveness of Acupuncture
and Cupping for Treatment of
Orthopedic Pain Among
Geriatric individuals in Wuhan
China
Erika Lim
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
34
Julia
Johnson &
Robert Reed
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
30
LaShanita
Devese,
Caitlin
Rudge and
Haley Treier
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
15
Kaitlyn
Roudebush
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
35
Billy
Littlefield,
Parker
Fowler
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
20
Stephanie
Corbett,
Sustainability
35
Mary
Hazlett &
Jonah
Pregulman
Shannon
O'Shea,
Dale
English,
Michael
Koopman
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
26
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
18
Brandon
Pach
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
35
Joseph
Plazek &
Marla
Vaughn
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
36
Sports Program
Promoting Awareness of the
Components of Healthy
Relationships in St. Thomas,
USVI
Greg
Mercier
Mathematics
& Physics
Jenna
Millemaci
English &
Green your Lab at CWRU:
Environmental "Treat your lab like your
Studies
second home."
Robert
Minkebige
Nursing
Jacqueline
Molchan
Nursing
Melissa
Moore
Nursing
Zachary
Mufti
Undecided
Factors
Impact of a Transition Nursing
Program on Patient Satisfaction
and Long-Term Readmission
Rates in Individuals with
Congestive Heart Failure
Puzzle Box Fabrication
xiv
Patrick
Murphy
Nursing
Angelica
Nieszczur
Nursing
Elizabeth
Odil
Biology
Medication Assessment and
Documentation in the Public
Health Setting
Developing Healthy
The Role of Soil Heterogeneity
on the Competition and
Coexistence of Invasive
Species
Morgan
Redenshek
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
36
Denielle
Anderson &
Emma
Cleary
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
3
Jean Burns,
Biology
37
Dale
English,
Michael
Koopman,
Jacqueline
Molchan
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
18
Melissa
Moore
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
35
Anirban Sen
Gupta,
Biomedical
Engineering
37
Mary Quinn
Griffin, Nursing
30
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
16
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
14
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
36
Shannon
O'Shea
Nursing
Brandon
Pach
Nursing
Factors
Impact of a Transition Nursing
Program on Patient Satisfaction
and Long-Term Readmission
Rates in Individuals with
Congestive Heart Failure
Biomedical
Engineering
Mimicking Platelet-Cancer Cell
Interactions for Targeted Drug
Delivery in Metastatic Breast
Cancer
Jessica
Parker
Nursing
Hong Kong
Kunal Patel
Chemical
Engineering
3D Puzzle Design
Nursing
Isaac Shyu,
Keith Dodd
Carli
Dekeyser,
Ethan
Smith,
Katherine
Thomas
Marla
Vaughn,
Zachary
Mufti
Victor Pan
Grant
Pignatiello
Joseph
Plazek
Chemical
Engineering
Nita Kopan,
Kevin Shui,
Rachel
Johnson
xv
Jonah
Pregulman
Nursing
Pooja
Rambhia
Biochemistry
Vibha
Ramesh
Biology
Lahiru
Ranasinghe
Biology
Characterization of the Immune
Response to Plant Viral
Nanoparticle Tobacco Mosaic
Virus for HIV Vaccine
Platform Application
ERK Signaling in ASD
Associated with Copy Number
Variation of 16p11.2
Signaling through the HGF
receptor c-Met stimulates
oligodendracyte proliferation
and inhibits astrocyte
proliferation
Lauren
Randolph
Biomedical
Engineering
Jeremy
Rayl
Biology
Biodistribution of Tobacco
Mosaic Virus Rods and Spheres
The stream drift paradox: How
are Northern two-lined
salamander (Eurycea
bislineata) populations
maintained?
Morgan
Redenshek
Nursing
Medication Assessment and
Documentation in the Public
Health Setting
Robert
Reed
Civil
Engineering
Sarah
Richmond
Anthropology
Arelis
Roman
Nursing
Kaitlyn
Roudebush
Nursing
The Influence of Religion and
Geography on the Rituals of
Papua New Guinea and
Aboriginal Australia
Education
Promoting Awareness of the
Components of Healthy
Relationships in St. Thomas,
USVI
Robert
Minkebige,
Mary
Hazlett
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
26
Neil Greenspan,
Pathology
38
Gary Landreth,
Neurosciences
38
Robert Miller,
Neurosciences
39
Nicole Steinmetz,
Biomedical
Engineering
(SOM)
39
Michael Benard,
Biology
40
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
36
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
30
Lawrence
Greksa,
Anthropology
40
Hannah
Collins &
Angela
Wootan
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
11
Madeline
McMorrow
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
35
Patrick
Murphy
Julia
Johnson &
Adriana
Marrero
xvi
Sports Program
Optimization of IndiumLimited Transparent
Conductive Oxides for use in
Organic Photovoltaics
Patient Education Models for
Hypertension in an Outpatient
Clinic
LaShanita
Devese,
Bryanna
Mayes,
Haley Treier
Caitlin
Rudge
Nursing
Shawn
Rupp
Polymer
Science and
Engineering
Tracy
Ruska
Nursing
Christopher
Ryan
Computer
Sciences
Discrete Puzzle Box
Srijita
Sarkar
Psychology &
Biochemistry
Quantitative Comparison of
Gated and Real-Time Cardiac
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Nursing
Teenagers
Aditi Bhanja Patrick Crago,
& Adam
Biomedical
Gleichsner
Engineering
Nicole
Seiberlich,
Biomedical
Engineering
Albert
Canda &
Leah
Jesse Honsky,
Epstein
Nursing
Engineering
a 3-D Printer
Juliana
Gregor &
Christopher
Weddle
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
23
Biomedical
Engineering
Zuyan
Huang &
Nabhan
Karim
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
28
Experience
Alexis
Crosby &
Kathleen
Evers
Elizabeth Banks,
Center of Civic
Engagment &
Learning
12
Gao Liu,
Lawrence
Berkeley
National
Laboratory
(Environmental
Energy and
Technologies
Division)
41
Elana Satin
Alexis
Schilf
Jacob
Schimelma
n
Andres
Schriver
Dhruv
Seshadri
Biology
Polymer
Science and
Engineering
Synthesis of Anode Material
for Lithium-ion Polymer
Batteries via a Two Phase
Synthetic Method
Nicole
Cantrell
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
15
Kenneth Singer,
Physics
40
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
7
5
41
7
xvii
Oluwatosin
Shenbanjo
Psychology &
Spanish
Hannah
Shimko
Chemistry
Yong Mi
Shin
Biology &
Psychology
Quinn Shue
Biomedical
Engineering &
Economics
Kevin Shui
Nursing
Isaac Shyu
Mechanical
and Aerospace
Engineering
Behavioral Inhibition as a
Predictor of Social Competence
in Children
A Trial Run
Determining the efficiency of
antibody specificity against
FadA protein of Fusobacterium
nucleatum using Enzyme
Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Hong Kong
Kendra
Simmons
Anthropology
Sara Sines
Psychology &
Anthropology
Cost and Benefits of Friendship
in Non-Human Primates
Kyle Smith
Samuel
Sprawls
Nursing
Biology
Observed stress-induced
genetic changes in Linum
usitatissimum and how they are
related to Turkish Linum bienne
Mathematics
42
Michael Kenney,
Chemistry
29
Yiping Han,
Dentistry
Colin
Collision Avoidance System for Luc Bettaieb Drummond,
& Andrew
Biomedical
Blasius
Engineering
Individuals
3D Puzzle Design
Costa Rican Health Care
System and Ethical Principles:
A Comparison with the United
States' System
Ethan
Smith
Sarah
Jawhari,
Dmytro
Vykhovanet
s
Amy Przeworski,
Psychological
Sciences
Comfortable and Adjustable 3D
Movie Glasses
42
5
Nita Kopan,
Jessica
Parker,
Rachel
Johnson
Mary Quinn
Griffin, Nursing
30
Keith Dodd
& Kunal
Patel
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
16
Lawrence
Greksa,
Anthropology
43
Cynthia Beall,
Anthropology
43
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
14
Christopher
Cullis, Biology
43
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
44
Carli
Dekeyser,
Grant
Pignatiello,
Katherine
Thomas
Kaveh
Varghai &
Zaiquian
Zhang
xviii
Rachael
Suchy
Eric
Sullivan
Elena
Svenson
Andrew
Sylvester
Toia
Sylvester
Erica
Tangney
Matt
Tedesco
Katherine
Thomas
Amanda
Tong
Haley
Treier
Breana
Freeman,
Chavon
Brent, Mary
Friesz
Faye Gary,
Nursing
Colleen
Kennedy &
Raymond
Yang
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
31
Chemical
Engineering
Management, What Do
Children Know?
Systems
Biology
Network Effects of TP53 and
PTEN Mutations in
Glioblastoma Multiforme
Patients
Mark Chance,
Center for
Protiomics and
Bioinformatics
44
Biomedical
Engineering
Hyaluronan Oligomer (HA-o)
Delivering Nanoparticles for
Localized In Vivo Elastic
Matrix Regenerative Therapies
Anand
Ramamurthi,
Biomedical
Engineering
44
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
13
Nursing
Taylor
Daiello &
Loni Wilkes
5
Nursing
Biology
Effects of modulation of energy
expenditure on body weight in
mice with cystic fibrosis
Mitchell Drumm
, Pediatrics
45
Biomedical
Engineering
Selecting Polymers for Medical
Applications and Devices
Based on Standard PEEK
Amanda
Tong
Alan Riga,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
45
Nursing
Carli
Dekeyser,
Grant
Pignatiello,
Ethan Smith
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
14
Alan Riga,
Macromolecular
Science and
Engineering
45
Sarah Gueldner,
Nursing
15
Biomedical
Engineering
Selecting Polymers for Medical
Applications and Devices
Based on Standard PEEK
Nursing
Sports Program
Matt
Tedesco
LaShanita
Devese,
Bryanna
Mayes,
Caitlin
Rudge
xix
Arleen
Truitt
Kent
Turner
Kaveh
Varghai
Nursing
Psychology
Marla
Vaughn
Biochemistry
Tony
Vehovec
Nursing
Katarina
Velickovic
Biology
Claire
Vidalon
Alexander
Vu
Dmytro
Vykhovane
ts
Kelli
Watson
Christopher
Weddle
Loni
Wilkes
Barbara Lewis,
Psychological
Sciences
46
Jesse Honsky,
Nursing
46
Samuel
Sprawls &
Zaiqian
Zhang
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
44
Zachary
Mufti &
Joseph
Plazek
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
36
Carrie
Foster
Rita Sfiligoj,
Nursing
19
Ahmad Khalil,
Genetics
47
Gayle Petty,
Nursing
26
Arin Connell,
Psychological
Sciences
47
Michael Kenney,
Chemistry
29
Horst von
Recum,
Biomedical
Engineering
47
a 3-D Printer
Juliana
Gregor &
Alexis
Schilf
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
23
Taylor
Daiello &
Toia
Sylvester
Cheryl Killion,
Nursing
13
Communicatio Infancy Babbling: and relating
n Sciences
it to the acquisition of speech
Nursing
Psychology
and Sociology
Chemistry &
Spanish
Biochemistry
& Psychology
Physics
Nursing
Emergency Preparedness
Within the Shaker Heights
Community
Movie Glasses
Strategies for Improving
Nutrition in School Aged
Children
Identifying long noncoding
RNAs associated with the
pluripotentency factor Oct4 in
human embryonic stem cells
Health
Evan
Hayden,
Jennifer
Kim, Steven
Leusch
Victimization and the Late
Positive Potential
A Trial Run
Sarah
Jawhari &
Hannah
Shimko
Targeted protein knockdown as
an ocular therapeutic
xx
Mary
Wingert
Nursing
Melinda
Wolboldt
Chemistry &
Sociology
Angela
Wootan
Raymond
Yang
Yuchen
Yang
Vidhushei
Yogeswara
n
Matthew
Zembas
Zaiqian
Zhang
Kristen
Zozulin
Nutrition Education and Goal
Setting with High School
Students in Southeast, Alaska
Determining the inflammatory
response profile of
macrophages exposed to the
Fenton reaction and bacterial
antigens
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
48
Dianne Kube,
Biology
48
Marilyn Lotas,
Nursing
11
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
31
Michael Harris,
Biochemistry
49
2
Nursing
Education
Hannah
Collins &
Arelis
Roman
Biomedical
Engineering
Colleen
Kennedy &
Eric
Sullivan
Biochemistry
Probing the connection between
molecular motion and enzyme
catalysis of hepatitis delta virus
ribozyme
Biology
Patient attitudes towards
smoking cessation in an urban
Midwestern ED
Vashti
Aguilar
Vicken Totten,
Emergency
Medicine
Lemerchand's Box
McFerran
Landis,
Austin Mak
Malcolm Cooke,
Mechanical and
Aerospace
Engineering
32
Chemical
Engineering
Movie Glasses
Samuel
Sprawls,
Kaveh
Varghai
Patrick Crago,
Biomedical
Engineering
44
Systems
Biology
Aquatic calcium concentration
and predatory cues alter the
behavior and morphology of
freshwater snails
Michael Benard,
Biology
49
Chemical
Engineering
xxi
Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Writing, SAGES, the Department of English;
Coordinated by the Writing Resource Center
Course/Organization
Title
Introduction to
Composition
Serendipity: Accident
Met with Sagacity
Faculty/Staff/
Representative
Student Participants
Page
Cara Byrne
Dong Tony An, Pablo Griggio, Zefeng
Fang, Yenhsuan Lee, Xi Li, Yu-Hung Lin,
Cheuk Yin Luu, Jia Na Peng, Tianming
Peng, Yun Tang, Kristina Zeinstra, Fange
Zhang
51
Sarah Gridley
Alex Aloi, Bryden Spevak, Andrin Foster,
Bethany Wisinski, Martin O'Brien, Caelyn
Rosch, Joe Sossi, Emily Wixted
51
What is a Museum?
Susan
Dominguez
Ahn Phan, Will Federkie, Connie Min,
Salam Taraben, Sarah Ialacci Nichole
Moomaw, Marina Mijic, Ella Mravec,
Lexie Li, Alyssa Batiancela
51
What is a Museum?
Susan
Dominguez
Alison McKim, Alex Smick, Lex Martin,
Cartier Reed, Maria Madison, Rudolf,
Merick, Ashia Lewis, Rosa Katz, Sammy
Alton, J.P. Choi, Marmeny Infante, Dan
Farnsworth, Julie Murray, Joey Arko
52
Philanthropy in America
Barbara BurgessVan Aken
Jane Amusat, Daniel Bai, Victoria
Bouillion, John Boykin, Aria Bredt, Alex
Cao, Leah Castelaz, Alyssa Daniels, Ellie
Elston, Samantha Fernandez, Jesse
Ferrigno, Keniece Gray, Suneil Kamath,
Kait Kennedy, Josh Rogers, Sean Leonard,
Emma Steele
52
Doc Talk: Language and
Medicine
Kimberly
Emmons
Samantha Buddeymeyer, Yuna Choi,
Steffen Christoffersen, Sei Cole, Nicole
Episalla, Dimitris Gazgalis, Nathan Gilbert
Chandler Holcomb, Daniel Mason, Nana
Afia Mensa, Victoria Robinson, Daniel
Ryave, Alan Thomas, Adam Vianna, Abby
Walker, Maryam Zeinomar, Brook Zhang,
Diana Zhou
52
xxii
Thinking Through
Literature
Writing Tutorial
Paul Jaussen
Stefan Klek, Becky Olson, Cole Thrush
Kate Dunning
Yiqing Jiang, Ning-Yuen Li
Materials and Energy
Susan
Dominguez and
Mark DeGuire
Postcolonialism and
Literature
Greg Weiss
Sewon Min, Ja'nae Morris, William Qu,
Galilea Sanchez, Alexis Attinoto, Kari
Floyd, Basirat Rosenje, Angela
Donajkowski, and Caitlynn Weston
54
Fiction with a New Face:
Adaptation Across
Media, Time and Culture
Rachel Kapelle
Sparsh Agarwal, Yvonne Chueh, Jin
Young Kim, Eric Ma, Annabelle Park,
Jingze Sun, Margo Suryanaga, Iris Tsai
54
Working-Class Heroes
Megan Swihart
Jewell
Gabrielle Brown, Malcolm Perkins, Rachel
Horetzky, Margo Schmiederer, Paige
Klopfenstein, Satvika Mikkilineni, Tarik
Akyuz, Camille Paladino, James Yang,
Thekkethalackal Mammen Kurien, SunMee Kasper
55
Gaby Cage, Kyle Deal, Tom Dietrick, Josh
Hall, Daniel Kernan, Arty Krishnan, Ketav
Majumbar, Mary Manspeaker, James
Marsh, Ling Neoh, Kafre Petiri, Megan
Quinlan, Matt Randall, Philip Sheahan,
Tom Shkurti, Drake Sweet, Alex Williams
53
53
54
xxiii
AWARDS
SOURCE PROVOST AWARD
Students may elect to have their presentations judged by faculty reviewers for our SOURCE Provost
Award. One $200.00 and one $100.00 award will be given in each of seven categories: Arts, Engineering
& Computer Science, Humanities, Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Nursing, Social Sciences, and
Management & Accounting.
Awards will be announced at the Honors Assembly in April of 2013, during the Community Hour.
xxiv
Many Thanks
Thank you very much to our alumni, faculty, post doctorate fellows, and graduate students who
have volunteered to serve as judges for the SOURCE December 2012 competition. Without their
assistance, our competition would not be possible. In addition, many students request copies of
their evaluations to help them better prepare for future presentations.
James Aldridge, Macromolecular Science
Celeste Alfes, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Paul Bakaki, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Jennifer Bartholomew, Social Welfare
Rebecca Carter, Psychology
Ying Chen, Mechanical Engineering
David Corn, Biomedical Engineering
Rebecca Darrah, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Taneisha Deans, Macromolecular Science
Nicholas Dunn, Chemistry
Marjorie Edguer, Social Welfare
Thomas Eggers, Biomedical Engineering
Shirly Espinoza Herrera, Biochemistry
Laurine Gajkowski, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Ulfpeter Guenther, RNA Center
Jeffrey Halpern, Biomedical Engineering
Huijuan Huang, Chemistry
Taylor Jay, Neurosciences
Mark Jones, Pathology
Vasily Igatenko, Chemistry
Damian Junk, Pathology
Chia-Wen Lee, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Joey Mangadlao, Macromolecular Science
Jane Marek, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Mohammad Mofidfar, Macromolecular Science
Shirley Moore, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Laurie Murphy, Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Henry Neilson, Materials Science & Engineering
David Prabhu, Biomedical Engineering
Christa Pawlowski, Biomedical Engineering
Ms. Vincent Perez, Nursing
Susan Perry, University Director of Outcome Assessment
Suparat Phisaiphanth, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Andrea Putnam, Biochemistry
Mary Quinn Griffin, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Mohammed Quatish, Biomedical Engineering
Joseph Racca, Biochemistry
xxv
Madhumitha Ravikumar, Biomedical Engineering
Andrew Reimer, Francis Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Sean Ryan, Pathology
Loren Schmidt, Neurosciences
Andrew Shoffstall, Biomedical Engineering
Maria Smith, Neurosciences
Samantha Stubblefield Park, Center for Global Health & Disease
Josh Terchek, Office of Planning and Institutional Research
Brylee David Tiu, Macromolecular Science
Lynn Ulatowski, Nutrition
Jacqueline Wallat, Macromolecular Science
Kuo-Chen Wang, Biology
Louis Weigele, Social Welfare
Paul Wille, Center for Global Health & Disease
Francis Willett, Biomedical Engineering
Rudy Wojtecki, Macromolecular Science
Elizabeth Woyczyski, School of Law
Daniel Young, Biomedical Engineering
Jennifer Zechel, Genetics
Yu Zhang, Chemistry
Zamir Zulkelfi, Mechanical Engineering
xxvi
Intersections: SOURCE Symposium & Poster Session
April 20, 2012
Arts & Humanities Poster Competition
1st Erik Williams, Passing Through. Faculty Mentor: Professor Sally Levine, Department of Art
History and Art.
Arts & Humanities Oral Competition
1st Emily Sparks, Why Wind? A Comparison of Germany, the U.S. and China. Faculty Mentor:
Professor Jessica Green, Department of Political Science.
Natural Sciences Poster Competition
(Tie) 1st Peter Lee, Genetic Factors in the Progression of Alcoholic Liver Disease. Faculty mentor:
Professor Colleen Croniger, Department of Nutrition.
st
(Tie) 1 Wayne Tse, Synthesis of a Clickable Probe for Electrophiles Formed in Sterol Biosynthesis:
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Michael Kenney, Department of Chemistry
nd
2 Jessica Hwang, Amylin Treatment Regulates Neuronal Signaling Associated with Synaptic
Plasticity. Faculty Mentor: Professor Gemma Casadesus, Department of Neurosciences.
Natural Sciences Oral Competition
1st James Maloy, Design and Development of a Split Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein-based
Yeast Two Hybrid (Y2H) System. Faculty Mentor: Professor Michael Weiss, Department of
Biochemistry.
Social Sciences Poster Competition
(TIE) 1st Scott Tillem, The Social Brain: An ALE Based MetaAnalysis of Social Cognition in the Brain.
Faculty mentor: Professor Anthony Jack, Department of Cognitive Science.
(TIE) 1st Sarah Lukowski, The Etiology of Spatial Visualization and its Relationship with Math
Achievement. Faculty Mentor: Professor Lee Thompson, Department of Psychology.
nd
(TIE) 2 Amanda Brown, Imagery and Expertise: The Use of Visualization in Fencing. Faculty Mentor:
Kensy Cooperrider, Department of Cognitive Science.
nd
(TIE) 2 Meral Tubi, Exploring the Function of the Inferior Pre-Central Gyrus. Faculty
Mentor: Professor Anthony Jack, Department of Cognitive Science.
Engineering Poster Competition
1st Ross Widenor, The Role of Material Strain in Triboelectric Charging and Charge Transfer.
Faculty mentor: Professors Daniel Lacks and Mohan Sankaran, Department of Chemical
Engineering.
2nd Edward Kreinar, High- and Low-Level Autonomy for Complete Coverage Robotic Path
Planning. Faculty Mentor: Professor Roger Quinn, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Engineering Oral Competition
1st Daniel Hageman, Mechanisms Causing Neuronal Dieback Associated with Cortical Implants.
Faculty Mentor: Professor Jeffrey Capadona, Department of Biomedical Engineering.
xxvii
50
Senior Capstone Students – December 2012
56
SOURCE Summer Programs
57
2012 Summer Program Participants
57
2012 P-SURG Program Participants
58
2012 SURES Program Participants
60
Case School of Engineering – Alcoa Campus Partnership 2012 Participants
61
CWRU – Formal Summer Programs
62
Acknowledgements
63
xxviii
Barriers to Engagement in HIV Health Care and Social Support in Cleveland
With a Concentration on Youth
Quetzi Abramovitz, Department of Anthropology
The HIV epidemic continues to prevail throughout the United States, infecting roughly 1.2 million
Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 5 of these
infected Americans are unaware of their infection. Furthermore, in 2009 roughly 39% of the newly diagnosed HIV
positive population were youths, ages 13 to 29. Although these statistics appear bleak, the beneficial outcomes of
early engagement in medical care and support groups promptly after a positive HIV diagnosis, especially for healthy
youths, can effectively initiate life-saving medication regimens, as well as life-altering behaviors to promote an
improved lifestyle. The purpose of this research, conducted at MetroHealth Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, was to
identify the beneficial attributes as well as discrepancies in medical care and social support utilized within
Cleveland’s HIV healthcare facilities, specifically with youths in mind. The results of this research study can further
be utilized by healthcare facilities to troubleshoot problematic aspects of their HIV patient-resources in order to
provide prompter, more effective and more beneficial care to HIV positive youths.
Project Mentor: Dr. Ann Avery, Department of Infectious Disease of MetroHealth Hospital
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Lawrence Greksa, Department of Anthropology
***
A Single Institution’s Experience with Prostate Brachytherapy Seed Implants (1999-2009): Sexual Health
Outcomes With and Without Dose Escalation to Biologic Target Volumes
Shree Agrawal, B.S. Biological Sciences in the Department of Biology; Bryan J Traughber, Radiation Oncology
University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center; Deborah A Kaminsky, Radiation Oncology University Hospitals
Seidman Cancer Center; Peter F Faulhaber, Radiology, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center; Lee Ponsky,
Urology, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center; and Rodney J Ellis, Radiation Oncology University
Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
To evaluate sexual health outcomes following interstitial brachytherapy seed implant (SI) in a cohort of sexually
active men treated for low-risk localized prostate cancer, for comparison of erectile dysfunction (ED) across two
treatment methods: conventional peripheral loading versus with dose escalation to SPECT/CT defined biologic
target volumes; a 10-year treatment history. We retrospectively reviewed SI records (12/1999-12/2009) at
University Hospitals of Cleveland, analyzing outcomes for hormone therapy (HT) naïve and sexually active patients,
surveyed by sexual health inventory for men (SHIM) prior to and following SI monotherapy, with ≥12-months
follow-up (N=101). SI prescribed doses were either I-125 (145 Gy) or Pd-103 (125 Gy). As previously reported
from our series of 239 patients, 42 (17.6%) HT naïve men were followed (range 24-48 months) by SHIM survey,
having reported No ED (SHIM >21) prior to SI (12/1999-12/2002). All were treated by a single physician utilizing
dose escalation to prostate regions of PSMA focal uptake identified by capromab pendetide on SPECT/CT, thus
defining biologic target volumes for dose escalation (+150% prescribed dose, with minimal margins applied at
noninvolved areas such as surrounding neurovascular bundles) during TRUS guided SI - defined here as molecular
image guided radiotherapy (MIGRT). Subsequently (1/2003–12/2009) the UH brachytherapy service transitioned to
conventional planning for uniform treatment of prostate volumes using TRUS guidance to achieve the commonly
referenced peripheral loading schema (control). From this control group, 59 (49.2%) sexually active and HT naïve
patients had ≥12-months SHIM follow-up (range 12-48 months). We analyzed sexual function following prostate SI,
comparing ED outcomes between the two different treatment schemata.
Project Mentor: Dr. Rodney Ellis, Radiation Oncology University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
Faculty Advisor: Robin Snyder, Department of Biology
1
Patient attitudes towards smoking ces sation in an urban Midwestern ED
Vidhushei Yogeswaran, Department of Biology; Vashti Aguilar, Department of Anthropology; Dr. Steven Suggs,
University Hospitals- Case Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine; Dr. Ata Ulhaq, University
Hospitals- Case Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine; Apoorva Chandar, Case Western School of
Public Health; Dr. Vicken Totten, University Hospitals- Case Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine.
The Emergency Department (ED) is critical to United States Health Care delivery. At only 2% of the nation’s health
care budget, the ED cares for more than 100 million patients annually (CDC, 2008). Over 20.1% of the adult
population in Ohio are smokers. Brief smoking cessation counseling may be effective (Cordeaux, 2005). An
emergency department initiated tobacco intervention showed that 6% of those enrolled in the study quit smoking for
more than 3 months, and 10% moved from stages in smoking. There are CPT codes (99406, 99407, and 305.1) for
billing. The time required for smoking counseling ranges from three to ten minutes and more than ten minutes
(99046, 99407). Therefore, brief, ED-based smoking-cessation counseling should be attempted. Smoking counseling
is an ED-billable procedure, which may be sufficient to offset its costs. This research study is concerned with
analyzing the stage of smoking cessation (according to the Trans Theoretical Model) patients in a Midwestern ED are
in and will analyze the interest in smoking cessation counseling. The information obtained from this study can be
used to implement an interventional study that will track the change in smoking cessation.
Project Mentor: Dr. Vicken Totten, University Hospitals - Case Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine
***
Identification of domain that promotes Na v 1.5 trafficking to the cell surface
Mohiuddin Ahmed, Department of Biochemistry; Qiuyun Chen, Department of Molecular Cardiology
Na v 1.5 is a 220 kD protein encoded in SCN5A on chromosome 3p21. It is essential for initiation of the cardiac
action potential and plays a vital role in maintaining the conduction velocity of electrical impulses in the heart. It is
the pore–forming α subunit of the major cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel, and it is composed of four
homologous domains (DI – DIV), each containing six transmembrane segments. The four domains are linked to
each other by cytoplasmic linker sequences and the linkages are loop I between DI and DII, loop II between DII and
DIII, and loop III between DIII and DIV. The abundance of Na v 1.5 on the cell surface is one of the major
determinants of the sodium channel activity. It is now clear that trafficking of Na v 1.5 to cell surface is regulated by
Na v 1.5–interacting proteins. In order to identify these proteins, a yeast two-hybrid screening was performed and a
20 kD protein, MOG1, was identified. MOG1 interacts with Na v 1.5 at the cytoplasmic loop II and enhanced the cell
surface expression of Na v 1.5. In order to identify a critical domain in loop II involved in Na v 1.5 surface expression,
we are performing deletion analysis using loop II – CD8 reporter system. The CD8 in the reporter construct contains
the extracellular and the transmembrane domains without its cytoplasmic domain. This construct does not express
on cell surface. However, when loop II was fused to its C-terminal, the CD8 could be detected on the cell surface.
We are using this construct to search for a critical domain in loop II that promotes cell surface expression.
Project Mentor: Dr. Qiuyun Chen, Department of Molecular Cardiology
***
Scaling properties of germ layers during evolution
Priscilla Ambrosi1,2, Juan Sebastian Chahda1, Rui Sousa-Neves1, Hillel Chiel1, and Claudia Mieko Mizutani1
1 – Case Western Reserve University, Department of Biology, Cleveland, OH, USA
2 – Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Biomedicine, B.S. Biomedicine, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Drosophila dorsal-ventral (DV) axis development is governed by Dorsal (Dl) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp)
morphogen gradients, which provide positional information for embryonic germ layer specification, establishing the
borders of the mesoderm, neuroectoderm (NE) and ectoderm. Previous work indicated that the number and identity
of NE cells is highly conserved within Drosophilids and divergent insects, independently of egg size or total number
2
of cells in the embryo. There is evidence that such conservation in the NE occurs in the absence of scaling of the Dl
gradient or the mesodermal domain. We are interested in understanding the underlying factors responsible for the
robustness of the NE domain, in order to uncover evolutionary mechanisms employed for germ layer specification.
Our first aim was to establish whether or not the ectodermal layer scale to size in different Drosophila species. We
show that while net numbers of cells expressing dpp increase with egg size, the percent of these cells in relation to
the total number of cells along the DV axis is similar in all species. Furthermore, preliminary results indicate that the
shape of the Dpp activity gradient varies among species. Our second aim was to investigate how the Dl gradient is
modified in evolution. Previous results showed that D. melanogaster mutants with altered nuclear size and density
have distorted Dl gradients. We reproduced a published mathematical model to predict testable hypotheses regarding
the Dl gradient dynamics and discover the mechanism by which nuclear size and density can affect the overall shape
of the Dl gradient. Our results suggest that the DV gradients Dl and Dpp lack scaling and affect the organization of
the mesoderm and ectoderm, respectively, but the cross-talk between them allow for the conservation of the NE.
Project Mentor and Faculty Sponsor: Claudia Mieko Mizutani, Department of Biology
***
Developing Healthy Relationships in At-Risk Cleveland Youth at
The National Youth Sports Program
Denielle Anderson, Department of Nursing; Emma Cleary, Department of Nursing; Angelica
Nieszczur, Department of Nursing
Developing healthy relationships in at – risk Cleveland youth proved to be of vital importance to the
population of adolescents involved with the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP). The National Youth Sports
Program is a summer program held for five weeks for youth age 10 – 16. Frances Payne Bolton (FPB) School of
Nursing has allowed students to participate in this program for the past six years for the Capstone experience.
Nursing students are responsible for teaching health education classes to NYSP participants, as well as coach
athletic workouts. This summer, FPB students analyzed statistical evidence and also observed the lack of healthy
relationship development and maintenance among Cleveland youth. More specifically, research evidenced that the
majority these youth were not taught the skills to manage stress and anger. FPB nursing students concluded that the
skills and techniques for stress and anger management, as well as healthy relationship development and maintenance
were vital skills to be taught to at – risk youth. FPB nursing students initiated a goal for the program: to initiate
healthy relationship development classes two to three times per week for economically disadvantaged greater
Cleveland youth, and to improve students’ ability to cope with anger and stress, improve communication and
promote healthy relationships by 10% in five weeks according to analysis of a pre – education and post – education
survey of the students. Upon post – education survey evaluation, the student’s scored 20% higher on their survey
than in the pre – education survey. Additionally, improved behavior and coping strategies of NYSP participants
were observed.
Project Faculty: Dr. Sarah Gueldner, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Mechanisms by which Anurans Avoid Call Overlap To Influence Female Choice and Their
Relationship with Call Length in Complex Acousitc Environments
Olaide Grace Apapa, Department of Biology
Male anurans chorus to compete with other males and to attract females. With many males signaling
simultaneously, choruses can be of a large spatial scale as well as dense, resulting in a complex
acoustical environment. Acoustic interference, such as call overlap, is not uncommon. Females have been found to
prefer non-overlapped calls, and males use various methods to minimize non-overlapped calls.
Here, I review the literature on the effects that call overlap, call timing, and being a leader in vocal competitions
have on both female mate choice and male-male competition in anurans with pulsative calls. The relationship
between these variables and call length is specifically explored. Long calls have been found to be strongly preferred
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by females in two-choice laboratory experiments. Research has also shown that long calls are more energetically
expensive to produce than short calls and are honest indicators of male genetic quality. Yet, despite multiple
attempts, female mate choice for long calls has never been identified in the field. I therefore seek a mechanism for
the role of long calls in male-male competition and female mate choice in the field, which will resolve this conflict
in findings between acoustically simple laboratory environments and complex field environments. The region and
amount of call overlap is crucial to its attractiveness. Hence males with long call length will be at an advantage of
maintaining acoustic appeal.
Project Mentor: Professor Hilary Walton, Department of Biology
***
The Impact of Energy Expenditure and Maternal Nutrition on Reproductive Suppression in Humans
Rumneek Bedi, Department of Biology
The impact of energy expenditure and maternal nutrition on reproduction in humans is a topic of tremendous debate.
Understanding the relationship of these two variables on female reproductive success is of general interest in any
organism. Questions regarding the correlation between energy balance’s independence from the nutritional status of
the mother in relation to increased or decreased fecundity are the central focus of current research on reproductive
suppression. Two of the most prominent current hypotheses – the “preemptive ovarian hypothesis” and the
“constrained down-regulation hypothesis” – of reproductive suppression will be examined here. Results from recent
studies show that increased energy expenditure, independent of increased energy intake, can suppress female
reproduction. However, no mechanisms have been proposed to underlie this suppression. Ongoing research is
aimed at revealing these unknown mechanisms. Today’s debate lies in the disagreement between researchers on the
mechanisms by which reproductive suppression occurs. The existing studies attempt to narrow the mechanism or
mechanisms underlying ovarian suppression using varying methods. Results from studies presented here will
include the effects of daily ecological stress on reproductive suppression. Other studies will correlate the intense
physical activity of female athletes to the suppression of their reproductive physiology. Recent research has
indicated leptin as the mediator in the physiological mechanisms of reproductive suppression. Furthermore, recent
research also supports the “constrained down-regulation” hypothesis, indicating energy expenditure alone may
suppress reproduction. The purpose of this literature research is to determine the significance of various published
studies aimed at identifying the mechanisms by which reproductive suppression occur.
Mentor: Dr. Mark Willis, Department of Biology
***
Stormwater Management Master Plan at Case Western Reserve
Michael Berger, Department of Civil Engineering
Every year, nearly 5 billion gallons of sewage is dumped into the Lake Erie watershed in what are called combined
sewer overflows (CSOs). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently required the Northeast Ohio
Regional Sewer District, which serves Case Western Reserve, to reduce this volume to 537 million gallons through a
combination of grey and green stormwater management infrastructure. With this background in mind, the
stormwater management plan describes current stormwater management practices at Case Western and makes
recommendations for future Best Management Practices (BMPs). The author addresses the university’s stormwater
runoff contribution to CSOs in Doan Brook and suggests management solutions ranging from pervious pavement to
green roof technology. Back-of-the-envelope cost analysis is included, giving estimated payback times on
hypothetical stormwater projects, in addition to considering non-monetary benefits, such as educational value.
Lastly, the author makes recommendations for at-home storm water management for community residents.
Project Mentors: Stephanie Corbett, Director of Sustainability; Eugene Matthews, Director of Facilities Services
4
Collision Avoidance System for Recently Visually Impaired Individuals
Andrew Blasius, Mathematics and Physics; Luc Bettaieb, Computer Science; Quinn Shue, Biomedical
Engineering and Economics
Many visually impaired individuals are dependent upon canes or seeing-eye dogs as a means of assistance. These
tools can take years to master and can make the patient feel dependent and noticed. Our device offers a way to assist
those patients that have become recently visually impaired and do not yet have the skills required to use tools such
as canes for assistance. Our device is easy to use, lightweight, and non-intrusive. Our device provides feedback in
the form of vibrations when the wearer approaches objects which may lead to collisions and can be easily shut off to
prevent the device from intruding into the patient's daily person-to-person interactions.
Project Mentor: Professor Colin Drummond, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Design and Fabrication of a Discrete Puzzle Box
Adam Gleichsner, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering; Aditi Bhanja, Department of
Biomedical Engineering; Christopher Ryan, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
The modern conventional safe, although effective and useful in caching valuables, is often bulky, obvious, and
expensive, making them not ideal for consumers who lack free space or have a small budget. Considering that
commonly stored items consist of important documents, such as passports, social security cards, and wills, the need
for such an indiscrete, spacious storage method is miniscule. A feasible solution to this problem would be to create a
puzzle box that is a smaller, cheaper, and more concealable way of hiding valuables than a safe. Using Creo
Parametric 2.0, we will design a modern puzzle box that resembles a common object while still remaining unique
and entertaining. This box will utilize one or more puzzles to secure its contents, and will also be able to withstand
prying or picking methods of opening. Once designed, the device will be manufactured using a Fortus 250mc rapid
prototyping printer located in the Think[box] facility. The final product will be a plastic locking container of
approximately 7” x 4” x 1” with one or more moderately complex puzzles flush with its surfaces. The strength of its
walls will be enough to resist breaking under moderate stress applied by human hands. This object will be
significantly smaller and less noticeable than a typical safe, cost less in materials, and create a unique and interesting
experience for every user.
Faculty Advisor: Professor Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Additional Advisors: Professor Malcolm Cooke, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Professor Denna
Iammarino, Department of English
***
Exercise and Diabetes Management, What Do Children Know?
Chavon Brent, FPB School of Nursing; Breana Freeman, FPB School of Nursing; Mary Friesz, FPB
School of Nursing; Rachael Suchy, FPB School of Nursing
In diabetes education, proper nutrition and carbohydrate regulation are strongly emphasized. However,
exercise is equally important in regulating blood glucose levels for people with diabetes. The purpose of
this project was to teach nine to twelve year olds attending Camp Ho Mita Koda (a summer camp for children with
type-1 diabetes located in Newbury, Ohio) about exercise and the effects it has on diabetes management. While at
camp, the children get more exercise than usual, and as a result their insulin regimens must be adjusted to account
for this extra activity. The children do not always understand why this change must occur because of a lack of
knowledge about exercise and diabetes management. In order to combat this problem, two 15 minute lesson plans
were developed and taught to all nine to twelve year campers at each of the five sessions at Camp Ho Mita Koda
5
over the summer of 2012. A pre and post-test were utilized to evaluate if learning occurred. The project goal was to
observe a 15% overall increase in test scores as a result of the teaching. Analysis of the results shows that the
project was successful because this goal was not only met, but exceeded. Implications of this project include a need
to place a stronger emphasis on exercise in diabetes education programs for elementary school aged children.
Project Mentor: Dr. Faye Gary, FPB School of Nursing
***
Integrative –omics Identifies Dysregulated Signaling Pathways in Ovarian Cancer
Douglas Brubaker, Department of Mathematics; Dr. Gurkan Bebek, Center for Proteomics and
Bioinformatics
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Project aims to improve understanding of how molecular
abnormalities are expressed in cancer phenotypes through analysis of high throughput data types.
Though these molecular alterations may vary between patients, common signaling pathways are often involved. This
motivates the need for an understanding of how specific pathways are dysregulated in cancers as a means to develop
therapeutic targets within those pathways. By enhancing the central dogma of molecular biology to include
microRNA silencing of transcription, genomic data from patient tumor samples can be used to infer differential
activities of pathways and their associated genes. This also permits the identification of microRNA molecules
significant in either tumor growth or suppression. The present work integrates three –omic data types from TCGA,
DNA copy number variations, messenger RNA expression, and microRNA expression, into a discrete factor graph
model for 130 signaling pathways in 441 patients for ovarian cancer. Nodes in the graphs represent genes while the
edges represent their interactions. Using the TCGA data, the nodes are scored and compared against a control
sample to identify significantly altered genes and pathways. Each altered gene is then checked for microRNA
activity. What results is a ranking of pathways and microRNA molecules significant in ovarian cancer.
Project Mentor: Dr. Gurkan Bebek, Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Peter Thomas, Department of Mathematics, Biology, and Cognitive Science
***
The Business of Food:
Towards a More Sustainable Food Supply Network
Morgan Bulger, Sustainability in Business Management
As the debate over the ethics of what we eat rises in prominence and inclusivity, it is important to look at the
complex problem from a whole systems approach. Through holistic exploration, the human food system presents
externalities in the areas of human health, social equality, environmental degradation, and animal welfare. Most
notably, by exploring the chain of interactions that occur from farm to fork, it becomes apparent that the current
industrial design of food processing and distribution causes pressures on farmers to act unsustainably both in regards
to the environment and in regards to their own economic well-being, while simultaneously creating pressures on
consumers to eat in a manner that is detrimental to their personal health. The current human food chain creates a
force working against both producers and consumers, benefitting only the most vertically and horizontally integrated
and concentrated corporations in the supply chain. As a consumer, several alternatives have accelerated in
prevalence and opportunity, offering proposed solutions to the network of negative externalities caused by the
industrial agriculture system. However by discussing the validity of these alternatives, it becomes apparent that these
movements alone may not bring forth transformative change to the system as a whole, but rather true sustainability
requires action from key actors within the web of the current industrial system itself.
Project Mentor: Bonnie Richley, Organizational Behavior
6
Nutrition Education in 6th Grade Students at Michael R. White STEM School
Deborah Burstein, Thea Emmons, Kayla Lang, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case
Western Reserve University
Routine health screening in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has documented levels of
overweight and obesity well above the national and state averages. While the cause of this problem is
multifactorial, one issue may be the lack of education of these students about healthy nutrition and diet choices. The
goal of our research was to provide a group of 6th grade students from Michael R. White STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) School, a CMSD school, with education on nutrition, the science of food
production, and nutritious food choices. With the collaboration of the faculty at the CWRU Squire Valleevue Farm
and funding from the SAGES Capstone Resource Grant and the CCEL Civic Engagement Mini-Grant, two field
trips were made to the farm in October and November. The curriculum at the farm included both didactic, laboratory
and field experiences. The field trips aimed to introduce the students to healthy nutrition, help them understand the
importance of lifelong good nutrition, and educate them on how and where their food grows. A pre-test was given to
the students prior to the first field trip to assess their baseline knowledge. An identical assessment will be given to
the students immediately after the second field trip. Our goal is to see a 25% increase in the scores—evidence that
immersing the students within this environment and educating them with lesson plans designed specifically for this
population is beneficial in developing their knowledge of health and nutrition.
Faculty Mentor: Rita Sfiligoj, School of Nursing
***
“Trich” or Treat: Reproductive Health in Cleveland-Area Teenagers
Albert Canda, nursing; Leah Epstein, nursing; Elana Satin, nursing; Lucinda Farina, Cleveland
Department of Public Health; Zahidah Tunkara, Cleveland Department of Public Health
This community health project was conducted by senior nursing students at Case Western Reserve University
(CWRU) at the Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH). The intervention focused on adolescent
reproductive health. In the city of Cleveland alone, 42.1% of chlamydia and 36.6% of gonorrhea cases reported were
those ages 15-19 (2011 STD Surveillance Report: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, 2012). Using public-health nursing
guidelines and the Problem Solving for Better Health (PSBH) Model, a “good question” was developed to form the
foundation of the project. The good question asks, “Will holding a targeted reproductive health fair with Cleveland-area
teenagers (aged 13-19) at McCafferty Health Center (in Ohio City) for one afternoon achieve an increase knowledge of
20% from pre-test scores to post-test scores?” The health fair was a “Halloween Party” with games, food, and sexual
health education. The participants were nine female adolescents ranging in age from thirteen to nineteen. The evaluating
pre- and posttests gathered quantitative data about sexual health knowledge and demographics such as race and age.
After going through the educational programs at the party, the participants collectively raised their score from a 5.7 out of
seven on the pre-test to a 5.8 out of seven on the post-test. Even though, as a collective group there was only a modest
increase in test score, every participant except one either raised their score or stayed the same after the intervention.
Additionally, seven of the nine participants answered that their understanding of the topic was “better” than before and
eight of the nine would like to see more teen health events in the future. Thus, it can be concluded that the intervention
was successful.
Faculty Mentor: Jesse Honsky, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Patient Education Models for Hypertension in an Outpatient Clinic
Nicole Cantrell and Tracy Ruska Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
This project builds on a 2010 research study on the effectiveness of hypertension education that took place at
Catholic Charities Free Healthcare Center (CCFHC) in downtown Pittsburgh, PA. A Case Western Reserve
University nursing student, found that patient education by registered nurses (RNs), using take home handouts,
7
greatly increased patients’ knowledge about lifestyle modifications for hypertension risk reduction. The population at the
clinic is comprised primarily of patients with chronic health problems, including hypertension, with the vast majority of
patients meeting at least one risk factor for hypertension. At CCFHC patients do not qualify for medical assistance and
have no access to health insurance. Despite the efforts of the RNs in 2010, we found that current patients were not
consistently receiving any formal education about hypertension. Based on the previous study results, we set out to create
a formal education protocol that not only will be effective at increasing patient knowledge, but will also be user friendly
and time efficient for RNs. An effective patient education protocol was created though Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. The
study protocol used RN feedback surveys, patient pre and post test results, chart review for RN teaching notes, and
observations.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cheryl Killion, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Comparing Early Intervention Models for Children with Autism
Ruth Chao, Communication Sciences & Psychology; Dr. Barbara Lewis, Department of Psychological
Sciences
Autism spectrum disorder is a group of developmental disorders that impairs social behavior and
communication. If identified early, children with autism enter Early Intervention (EI) programs specifically
designed for individuals with developmental delays from ages birth to three. EI implements a multi-pronged approach to
therapy, targeting physical, cognitive, communicative, and social development. While all types of EI seek to improve a
child’s functioning, not all approaches to EI are the same. Two differing EI models are Applied Behavior Analysis and the
Hanen Program. Through literature review, interviews, and shadowing experiences with speech-language pathologists, I
will analyze these two forms of EI. During my observations, I will collect data centered around three points of
comparison: positive reinforcement from the therapist to the patient, therapist initiation versus patient initiation, and
parental involvement during treatment. Through my study, I will portray a clear distinction between Applied Behavior
Analysis and the Hanen Program while emphasizing that both therapies teach patients how to overcome their
developmental limitations.
Project Mentor: Dr. Barbara Lewis, Department of Psychological Sciences
***
Engineering viral nanoparticles for application in medicine: Developing CPMV as a platform for efficient
intracellular delivery of therapeutics
Kevin Chen, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Karin Lee, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Ibrahim
Yildiz, Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Nicole F. Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Radiology, Materials Science and Engineering, School of Medicine
Viral nanoparticles (VNPs), such as the plant virus Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), have been used for various biomedical
applications. The nanoparticles formed by CPMV are a robust scaffold for various chemical conjugation methods, and
this allows decoration of the nanoparticle platform with targeting ligands and therapeutics. We have demonstrated the
tissue-specific delivery of VNPs in preclinical mouse models, laying the foundation for targeted drug delivery. In this
study, we describe the loading of therapeutic cargo through infusion into the VNP carrier. Cargo delivery into cancer cells
is studied in vitro. In proof-of concept experiment, fluorescent dyes were loaded inside the VNPs through
infusion/interactions with the encapsulated nucleic acid. In addition, N-hydroxysuccinimide and hydrazone chemistries
were employed to modify the particle surface with different dyes to allow tracking of the VNPs in cells. In these studies,
we showed that chemotherapeutic drugs could be loaded into CPMV. Confocal microscopy allowed to follow trafficking
of the VNPs in cells and to visualize cargo delivery. Further, cell killing was confirmed in vitro. For future studies, we
hope to further engineer CPMV particles for targeted drug delivery. This is accomplished by surface modification of
CPMV with antibodies or peptide ligands that bind to specific receptors overexpressed on cancer cells. Target drug
delivery has potential to increase patient survival while decreasing undesired side effects.
Project Mentor: Professor Nicole F. Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering
8
Identification of Actin-Binding Protein 5 as a Component of the Zebrafish Inner Hair Cell
Xi Chen1, Carol A. Fernando2, Brian M. McDermott, Jr. 1,2
1
Department of Biology; 2Deparment of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western
Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44106
Inner ear hair cells have ordered arrays of stereocilia, which are responsible for sensing auditory stimuli for the
process of mechanotransduction. Hair cells convert sound vibrations into electrical signals, and transmit these
signals to neurons that connect to the brain, which results in hearing and balance. It is suggested that various genes
may be involved in the function of auditory hair cells. To identify candidate genes involved in hair cell cytoskeletal
function, we determined the hair cell transcriptome. Among the hair cell expressed genes is actin-binding protein 5.
In order to determine all of the tissues that express actin-binding protein 5 mRNA, whole-mount zebrafish RNA in
situ hybridization experiments were performed. Here we demonstrate that actin-binding protein 5 expression is
highly specific for the ear of zebrafish, suggesting that the cognate protein is highly relevant to hair cell
morphology.
Project Mentor: Dr. Brian McDermott, Department of Otolaryngology
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Brian McDermott, Department of Otolaryngology
***
The influence of the level of expression of a long non-protein-coding RNA on differentiation
Xin Chen, Department of Biology; Bing Zhang, Department of Biochemistry; Dr. Saba Valadkhan,
Center for RNA Molecular Biology
Previous research performed in the lab suggested that the expression of long non-coding RNAs was
critical to neuronal differentiation. However, how the level of expression of a long non-protein-coding
RNA affects differentiation is unknown. My project is to investigate the relationship between the expression level of
a long non-coding RNA, “BORG”, and the level of change in the pattern of neuronal differentiation. A plasmid
vector containing the long non-coding RNA BORG was introduced into retroviral packaging cell lines via viral
transfection. Then the produced viral particles were collected and used to transduce the BORG gene to deliver the
long non-coding RNA into mouse myoblast cell lines that can be reprogrammed into neurons using the BORG
RNA. As the expression of BORG RNA can change myoblasts into neurons, the changes in the expression pattern of
both myoblast and neuron-specific genes was monitored in addition to the level of BORG RNA itself using RTPCR. The cycle of viral transduction was repeated five times to obtain five cell populations that had a gradually
increasing level of BORG expression. Finally a comparison of the level of expression of BORG in each cell
population and the expression pattern of neuronal and myoblast genes was made. The finding of the relationship
between the amount of long non-coding RNAs and the change of the pattern of gene expression can help future
research on understanding the mechanism of function of long non-coding RNAs in general and BORG RNA in
particular in addition to the developmental and differentiation processes of higher eukaryotes.
Project Mentor: Dr. Saba Valadkhan, Center for RNA Molecular Biology
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stephen Haynesworth, Department of Biology
***
ThinkSphere: A Collaborative Data Analytics Environment
Rajesh Cherukuri, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
We introduce ThinkSphere, a research tool for Big Data analytics intended to enable real-time
collaboration, data exploration, user-friendly workspace, and data analysis. ThinkSphere achieves these
goals by focusing on the flow of data and providing a user-friendly interface to interact with the data. It
allows users to perform data analysis tasks without having to have prior programming experience, provide insights
9
into the dataset to fellow researchers, and lower the barrier of entry for others who wish to understand their datasets.
These features are achieved by connecting the application to the desired data source, after which ThinkSphere
indexes the data and related assets to create a living data dictionary. This data dictionary can be utilized by the user
by performing operations on the data, sharing the results of the analysis, utilizing the built-in federated search, etc.
Researchers can rapidly create visual representations of their information from the data dictionary such as heatmaps, histograms, and time series without the use of R or other tools. These visualizations and associated
information can be readily shared with fellow collaborators. While the spirit of ThinkSphere is to be a collaborative
workspace, users can control who views/manipulates their datasets via permissions. To enable personalization,
developers can use ThinkSphere’s REST-API to create their own user interfaces or modify the existing interface,
available as an MIT-license open source project on Github.com. Comprehensively, ThinkSphere delivers a fast,
efficient & secure workspace environment with an emphasis on enabling the freedom to collaborate with anyone and
create their own personalized workspaces.
Project Mentor: Professor GQ Zhang, Biomedical Informatics Core, CTSC
***
Practicality of Consumer GPS for Positioning of Autonomous Lawn Mower
David Chrzanowski, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
The CWRU Cutter robot is a self-guided lawn mower with the ability to drive a pre-determined path laid on a global
reference frame. The robot is also capable of robustly avoiding both stationary and moving obstacles and then
returning to its course. CWRU Cutter is an attempt to improve upon commercially available automatic mowers that
use difficult-to-install techniques such as a buried wire (think invisible-fence) to identify yard boundaries.
Accomplishing this requires that the robot be aware of its position globally. Historically this is been achieved using
a Kalman filter with data inputs from wheel encoders, a Christa IMU, and most importantly, a Novatel Differential
GPS system. With a price tag around $20k, the Novatel system is not use in a commercial lawnmower. The focus of
this project was to determine if a cheaper alternative was feasible. Real Time Kinematic techniques are a recent
advance in the field of GNSS technology and provide for the possibility of cheap high-accuracy systems. Open
source software utilizing this technology was implemented on data received from two $300 Ublox GPS units. The
position solution was implemented into the positioning algorithm and the lawnmower was allowed to run. Various
antennae were also tested. Though our current positioning algorithm provided a much lower accuracy with the new
system, the level of performance was promising. Our new platform will be developed to switch back and forth
between the two GPS systems for further development.
Project Mentor: Professer Roger D. Quinn, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
***
Creating and Manufacturing a Revolutionary Flashlight: Using 3-D Design Software CREO Parametric and
Case Western Reserve’s Think[box]
Jacob Cogar: Department of Chemical Engineering, Alec David: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Richard
Lee: Department of Mathematics
Flashlights are defined by Merriam Webster’s dictionary as “small, battery-operated portable electric lights;”
however, our design group believes that flashlights should include more than simply light to appeal to varied
consumer preferences. Our design group wishes to provide consumers with a “revolutionary” flashlight that includes
extra tools that would appeal to engineers, construction workers, and average patrons: screwdriver bits,
scissors/pocket knife, and a small compartment for storage of screws or extra batteries. To create this contemporary
design, our group will be using three-dimensional AutoCAD computer software called CREO Parametric to outline
the shell of the flashlight. The computer model will exclude volumes of material from the flashlight in accordance to
a space in the side for the scissors/pocket knife, a compartment in the bottom for storage, and a hexagonal hole in
the top for the screwdriver bits, which will include a magnet to secure the metal bit. After the computerized model is
complete, our design group will fabricate the flashlight in Think[box] using the three-dimensional printer which
10
utilizes ABS plastic as its primary material of construction. After fabricating the flashlight, our design group will
utilize Sears Electronics Design Lab to acquire LED lights and condensed circuitry to fit the design. Ultimately, this
“revolutionary” fabrication is meant to improve the overall design of flashlights so that it has additional uses and
appeals to more users. Ideally, its aesthetic design and additional functions will revolutionize the design of a
standard flashlight.
Project Mentors: Malcolm Cooke: Department of Mechanical Engineering; Patrick Crago: Department of
Biomedical Engineering
***
Teacher Resource for Health Education
Hanna Collins, Nursing; Angela Wootan, Nursing; Arelis Roman, Nursing
The Prentiss Grant is a collaboration between the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and the Cleveland
Metropolitan School District (CMSD). One purpose of the grant is to contribute to the development of a
healthier school day in one demonstration school. One strategy identified is to strengthen health education in
the schools. Health education is a recommended but not required part of the curriculum and at the elementary level is the
responsibility of the K-8 science teachers. Because of competing demands for their time, the science teachers are
frequently unable to include the health curriculum in their classes. Both teachers and administrators identified resources
for the health curriculum as a need in the CMSD. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to create six health modules
accessible to the CMSD grades K-2 teachers via the CMSD teacher resource website. These resources will include lesson
plans, content information, online resources and interactive activity ideas for each grade level. These easy to access
resources will enhance teachers’ ability to teach the recommended K-2 health curriculum. Teachers will be asked to
evaluate the modules which can then be revised as necessary. We will then provide feedback and suggestions for future
nursing students to build upon these modules, to provide lessons correlated to the health curriculum for all grades K-8.
Project Mentors: Kathleen Davis RN, BS, Nursing; Patricia Breslin RN BSN, Nursing; Dr. Marilyn Lotas PhD RN,
Nursing
***
Inhibition of superoxide production in mouse retina under hyperglycemic conditions
Megan Cramer, Biology and Spanish at CWRU; Yupeng Du, Div. of Molecular
Endocrinology/Medicine at CWRU School of Medicine; and Timothy Kern, Div. of Molecular
Endocrinology/Medicine at CWRU School of Medicine
Oxidative stress is one of the symptoms of diabetes that contributes to the condition of diabetic
retinopathy. To better understand the signaling pathways behind this symptom, this research investigated the
possible mechanism of superoxide production in mouse retina and, more specifically, the photoreceptors cells under
hyperglycemic conditions. One proposed pathway is that the high blood glucose levels due to diabetes cause the
production of superoxide and signal the photoreceptors to also produce superoxide. One possible signaling
mechanism between the white blood cells and the photoreceptors is that diabetes increases G protein-coupled
receptor (GPCR) activity, which leads to an increase in protein lipase C (PLC) activity, which causes an increase in
nicatinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) activity, which leads to an increased production of
superoxide. Increased superoxide production has also been linked to malfunction of the electron transport chain in
the mitochondria, and it has been suggested that there could be possible interactions between the two pathways.
These proposals were tested in vivo and in vitro in both hyperglycemic conditions and “normal” conditions. In vitro
661 W cells (photoreceptor-derived cells) were treated with an α 1 -adrenergic inhibitor, an α 2 -adrenergic inhibitor,
an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, or with mitochondrial therapy. These same treatments were used in vivo on
streptozotocin-diabetic mice (2 months). In both, the superoxide levels were measured using a superoxide assay.
Project Mentor: Timothy Kern, Div. of Molecular Endocrinology/Medicine at CWRU School of Medicine
Faculty Sponsor: Arnold Caplan, Department of Biology at CWRU
11
Engage Cleveland Capstone Experience
Alexis Crosby, Department of English and Department of Sociology; Kathleen Evers, Department of
Psychology; Andrew Schriver, Department of Biology
This community-based capstone provided a unique opportunity for students to learn about and become
involved in community issues in greater Cleveland. Over the summer, students participated in an 8-week
internship at a local organization for at least 20 hours per week to gain hands-on experience. During the fall, the
group met in seminar to discuss and investigate issues that relate to the community and their individual sites. Each
student chose a topic to explore and research, utilizing their summer experience at their partner organization to
further their understanding and analysis of the issue.
•
•
•
Alexis Crosby interned with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, working with the Foundation's
Good Samaritan Grant Program. Alexis's project entails a program evaluation of the Good Samaritan Grant
Program and significant research on high impact grant-making and funding of basic needs.
Kathleen Evers served at Inner City Tennis Clinics (ICTC), a five-component recreational summer camp
that includes tennis, wellness, fitness, literacy, and poetry. These components work together to form an
interactive program designed specifically for urban youth in Cleveland. Her project investigates the design
of summer recreation programs to discover which aspects are vital in yielding positive results. She will use
this research to address ICTC's program structure and their ability to provide the most secure and enjoyable
experience for their participants.
Andrew Schriver worked with the Ohio Democratic Party on the Senator Sherrod Brown re-election
campaign. Some of his responsibilities included organizing canvass efforts and community meetings, along
with "get out the vote" efforts and voter registration. His capstone project consists of a research paper
focused on the motivations of young voters across the country.
Project Mentor: Elizabeth “Betsy” Banks, Center for Civic Engagement & Learning
***
Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Edge-Functionalized Graphene
Quanbin Dai, Department of Biology
Carbon is an essential part of living organisms. From an engineering perspective, carbon is of great
importance because of its ability to exist in many structural forms (e.g., graphite, diamond, carbon
nanotubes). The Noble-Prize-winning discovery of graphene created a great interest in the research and
development of water-soluble graphene derivatives for biomedical applications (e.g., bio-sensing, drug delivery,
biomedical imaging). Although the widely reported acid oxidation of graphite allows the mass production of watersoluble graphene oxide, exfoliating the solution requires the involvement of hazardous strong oxidizing reagents
(e.g., HNO 3 , KMnO 4 and/or H 2 SO 4 ) that often cause severe damage to the carbon basal plane and can introduce a
large number of chemical and topological defects. By ball milling graphite in the presence of dry ice (solid phase of
carbon dioxide), a new method for a simple, but effective and eco-friendly, mass production of edge-functionalized
graphene sheets without the basal plane oxidation has recently been developed. The resultant edge-carboxylated
graphene (ECG) was shown to be highly dispersible in water, which is very useful for biomedical applications. For
this purpose, it is essential to ascertain the potential hazards of ECG to humans and other biological systems at both
the cellular and molecular levels. Certain carbon nanomaterials have been demonstrated to cause DNA damage
(genotoxicity) even though they exhibited limited or no toxicity at the cellular level. In this project, I will carry out
studies on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of ECG.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Mei Zhang Department of Biomedical Engineering
12
Diabetes and You: Sharing Education for Better Outcomes
Taylor Daiello, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing; Toia Sylvester¸ Frances Payne Bolton School
of Nursing; Loni Wilkes, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Diabetes management is a constant challenge for healthcare practitioners and their patients. Evidence
has shown that patients experience improved outcomes when educated about their chronic disease in a
shared medical appointment (SMA). A SMA is an appointment which involves several patients learning together
about a condition they all have in common. In this group meeting, patients are allowed the opportunity to provide
input and encouragement to others with the same condition. A three part diabetes education course was offered at
the Otis Moss Jr. Health Center to approximately 20 African American participants ages 30 and older, who were
primarily women. Patients were selected for the class by their Hemoglobin A1C level. All participants had a
Hemoglobin A1C level of 5.7% or greater. Before and after each of the hour long meetings, patient knowledge was
measured through the administration of pretests and posttests. This research analyzes whether a 10% increase in
knowledge was obtained after each course.
Project Mentor: Dr. Cheryl Killion, PhD, RN, FAAN, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Immune Response to Tobacco Mosaic Virus Nanoparticles as a Vaccine Platform
Christine DeBaz1, Sourabh Shukla2 , and Nicole F. Steinmetz 2,3,4*
Department of Chemistry, 2Department of Biomedical Engineering, 3Radiology, 4Materials Science and
Engineering, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106,
USA
*correspondence: [email protected]
1
Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) derived from plant viruses are promising platforms for vaccine applications resulting
from their highly repetitive proteinaceous architecture and particulate nature. VNP coat protein subunits can be
modified chemically or genetically to present multiple copies of antigenic epitopes resulting in an enhanced epitopespecific immune response. This study deals with evaluation of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a potential antigen
carrier. As a first step towards developing TMV based vaccine platforms, we have characterized the immune
response to TMV itself using a series of immunization of C57BL/6 mice via subcutaneous and intraperitoneal
administrations in presence or absence of adjuvants. Post-immunization, mouse sera were evaluated for IgG, IgM
and IgA antibodies titers. Also, livers and spleens from immunized animals were harvested at the end of
immunization schedules and immunofluorescence analysis were carried out on these tissue sections to observe
stimulation and colocalization of TMV with different classes of immune effector cells. Serum titers indicate a
predominantly IgM response in the immunized mice and a minimal IgG response which is consistent with a thymus
independent immune response. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrates sequestering of TMV within the B220+
B-cell follicles in the spleen while no T cell response was observed. Further studies involving multiple booster doses
and various other adjuvants will be undertaken for detailed analysis of TMV-specific immune response.
Project Mentor: Nicole Steinmetz PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Defining the expression profile of the Candida albicans HYR1 and IFF4 proteins in pathogenesis
during oropharyngeal candidiasis
Nicholas DeFelice, Center for Global Health and Disease; Hema P. Narra, Center for Global Health and
Disease; Jeffrey Tomalka, Center for Global Health and Disease
The goal of this project was to define the expression profile of the Candida albicans HYR1 and IFF4
GPI anchored cell wall proteins in pathogenesis during oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). C. albicans is an
opportunistic dimorphic fungus causing painful mucosal infections and is a leading cause of hospital acquired blood
13
infections due to biofilm formation on catheters and implanted medical devices. Previous studies indicate that GPI
proteins such as HYR1 and IFF4 may play an important role in both adhesion and the carrying of important
antigenic determinants required for virulence and colonization. My project, conducted in the lab of Dr. Amy Hise in
the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s Center for Global Health and Disease, aimed to design
and optimize gene specific primer pairs for the HYR1 and IFF4 genes to study their expression during (a) biofilm
formation and (b) interaction with immune cells in vitro, using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Preliminary data
indicates a positive relationship between the gene expressions of IFF4 as the fungus changes into its hyphal form.
Once the results from my project are fully obtained, they will provide crucial data in the understanding of the role of
the HYR1 and IFF4 genes during morphogenesis and host-fungal interaction and will contribute towards the
development of therapies designed to limit fungal infections.
Project Mentor: Dr. Amy Hise, CWRU School of Medicine Center for Global Health and Disease
***
Limiting the Number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and
Increasing the Number of Applicants at the Old Brooklyn Family Service Center
Carli DeKeyser, Senior Nursing Student; Grant Pignatiello, Senior Nursing Student; Ethan Smith,
Senior Nursing Student; Kate Thomas, Senior Nursing Student
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cuyahoga County reported the 17th highest
national incidence of Chlamydia infections in 2010. Several factors contributing to this condition include an
insufficient community knowledge base and a scarce supply of treatment options for sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs). In an attempt to improve community awareness of available treatment and educational resources, we have
partnered with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to promote, utilizing the widespread distribution of flyers,
pamphlets, and business cards, Cuyahoga County’s Title X Family Planning Clinic. We targeted our promotional
efforts towards Brooklyn, Ohio and other nearby Cleveland suburbs. When patients visit the Family Planning Clinic,
a portion of their educational dialogue involves governmental health and service benefit application consultation.
The clinic then refers appropriate individuals to visit the Old Brooklyn Family Service Center for the application
process. To measure the success of our outreach, we plan to compare 2011 and 2012 Medicaid application rates at
the Old Brooklyn Family Service Center. In addition to increasing the number of applicants for government
beneficiary services, the long-term goals of this project are to increase awareness of the Family Planning Clinic,
decrease community health disparities, and to increase utilization of the Family Planning Clinic which will lead to
increased government funding.
Project Mentor: Jesse Honsky, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Effect of Environmental Heterogeneity and Soil Origin on Phenotypic Plasticity in Perennial
Weeds
Gaston del Pino1, Angela J. Brandt2, Xiaoni Zhao2 and Jean H. Burns2.
SPUR Fellow, Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
2
Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
1
Community assembly, which is defined as the process of filtering and competition that leads to the realized
biodiversity in a community, in plants is dependent on individual’s responses to their environment. These responses,
which are crucial due to the sessile nature of plants, can include phenotypic plasticity, which is the variation
amongst individuals of the same genotype. This plasticity may be generated in response to heterogeneity in light
and soil conditions, as well as the origin and conditioning of the soil that the individual grows in. In the current
experiment, two congeneric pairs of perennial weeds were grown in a factorial design that included soil
heterogeneity, light heterogeneity and soils of various origins. Using roots-to-shoots (RS) ratio and specific leaf area
(SLA) as a measure of resource allocation, this experiment attempted to discern the relative effects of these factors
14
on plant traits. For Rumex species, RS ratio was significantly influenced by the origin of the soil in which they grew.
SLA for the Rumex congeners was significantly affected by the light treatment. This leads to some interesting
possibilities of community coexistence, either from nutrient competition or through microbe conditioning in the soil,
as well as the impact of shading an light heterogeneity in a system.
Advisor: Jean H. Burns, Department of Biology
***
Effects of childhood obesity, pre-hypertension and lack of knowledge on Cleveland’s
Youth at the National Youth Sports Program
LaShanita DeVese, FPB School of Nursing; Bryanna Mayes, FPB School of Nursing; Caitlin Rudge,
FPB School of Nursing; Haley Treier, FPB School of Nursing
This poster explores our public health nursing project in which we wished to positively impact obesity,
lack of exercise, and poor nutrition in Cleveland, Ohio, among the participants of the National Youth Sports
Program. The program includes boys and girls ranging in age from 10 to 16, most of who are living in the
University Circle and East Cleveland areas. We worked with the children to broaden their health and nutritional
education, and improve upon their overall wellness, while concurrently assessing the public health status of
Cuyahoga County. In targeting health education, particularly the importance of exercise and proper nutrition, we
aimed to show the participants how important it is that they begin to take initiative and improve upon their own
health status. Our overarching goal for this project was to increase the participants’ knowledge of how to lead a
healthier lifestyle. We attempted to accomplish this through daily lessons over a 2.5-week period, and various
sports activities over the duration of the 5-week camp. We measured our success by administering a pre and posttest
to students, as well as evaluating them while participating in their sports activities. Our data indicated that we were
able to positively impact the participants’ health knowledge, and that the children grew to be more interested in their
overall wellness, as well as more comfortable with completing physical activities.
Project Mentor: Dr. Sarah Gueldner, FPB School of Nursing
***
Critical Evaluation of the Prevalence of Human PAapillomavirus (HPV) in Brazil
Joao Henrique Fonseca do Nascimento, Center for Global Health and Diseases; Diana Matos Matos Viana Soares,
Graduate Student (Brazil).
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted pathogens associated to malignancy,
infecting 12% of sexually active women worldwide and responsible for 99.7% of cervical cancers. Cytology and
colposcopy are the recommended diagnostic methods by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and are the most
frequently tests done during routine screening exams. In this regard, it was performed a critical evaluation of HPV
prevalence in women in the southern region of the state of Bahia, correlating with results of meta-analysis of data
shown by DataSUS. In addition, the virus was detected by PCR. It was analyzed 195 samples from March, 2011 to
March, 2012, in the Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Molecular Epidemiology (LAFEM) of the State
University of Santa Cruz - Ilheus/BA (Brazil). The proposal was developed in partnership with ongoing research in
the Basic Health Units and in the Family Health Program. The statistical analyses were performed using the MetaAnalyst Beta 3.13 software. Data of literature showed that the estimate of the overall prevalence of HPV infection in
Brazilian women is 36.1%. South, southeast and northeast presented prevalence of 43.9%, 32.2% and 29.9%,
respectively. The prevalence in Bahia is 43.9%. Besides that, we had detected a prevalence of 47.7% by PCR.
Importantly cervical cancer mortality has increased by 2.15% per year. The use of molecular diagnostic can increase
the sensitivity and specificity when applied with cytology. In the absence of strategies for surveillance, deploying
relevant public actions in control and early detection of cervical cancer remain compromised.
Project Mentor: Professor Sandra Rocha Gadelha Mello, Department of Biology, State University of Santa Cruz
(Brazil).
15
3D Puzzle Design
Isaac Shyu, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Keith Dodd, Department of Biomedical
Engineering; Kunal Patel, Department of Chemical Engineering
A puzzle box offers a form of concealment for an object and a method of secure storage. To create the box, a series
of puzzles must be designed and each moving part needs to be made separately and assembled into a finished
product. The method of producing such a product includes the use of Computer-Aided Drawing (CAD) programs
and the 3D printer in Think[box] to create a prototype. As a result, in order for the user to access an inner
compartment, a series of steps must be taken to open the box properly. This involves removing parts from the box
itself to access another puzzle. These removable parts contain holes in which an additional combination lock can be
attached. Under these parts is a cube shape that only be opened after a rotating certain parts. Finally, inside is a
sphere that can open and reveal a secret compartment. By successfully designing and constructing the puzzle box,
our team has created a mentally stimulating and entertaining process of hiding items.
Project Mentors: Professor Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Professor Malcolm Cooke,
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Professor Iammarino, Department of English
***
Polymers were ranked for potential materials of construction for medical device development based on
comparing candidates thermal analytical properties with that of Poly ether ether ketone [PEEK].
Daniel Doherty, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Anna Gawlik, Department of Biomedical Engineering;
Matthew Gwin, Department of Biomedical Engineering; and Previn Kumar, Department of Biomedical
Engineering; Michelle Song, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Thermal analytical properties are quality signatures values when compared directly with the gold standard of device
polymers Polyether ether ketone, PEEK. This polymer has a high Tg [170oC] and melting peak temperature [345oC]
that are necessary for device construction and durability. The following polymers were characterized by Differential
Scanning Calorimetry [DSC] and Thermogravimetric Analysis/Differential TGA [TGA/DTGA]: PEEK, High and
Low Density Polyethylene, Homopolymer and Copolymer Acetal, Nylon 6 and Transparent Nylon 6, High Impact
and Transparent Styrene-Acrylonitrile Butadiene [ABS] as well as an ASTM HDPE Dynamic Mechanical Analysis
standard. Fundamental thermal analytical properties were determined along with the Oxidative Onset Property
[OOT] ASTM E2009 and/or Oxidative Induction Time [OIT] ASTM E1859 in air. The maximum peak in the
Derivative Thermogravimetric Analysis [DTGA] is the maximum rate of volatilization of degradation, or the
relative stability. We observed that the SPE HDPE and the DMA ASTM HDPE were the same quality polymers.
The DMA HDPE standard is known to be a very high molecular weight HDPE and was 3 to 5oC more stable than
the SPE sample by DTGA. The acetal crystalline polymers after heat cycling at high temperatures maintained their
thermal melting crystallization properties. The Acetals were thermally stable maintaining their crystalline structure.
The literature melting and fusion values for LDPE and HDPE were repeatability measured. ‘Nylon 6 transparent’
was in fact an amorphous polymer with a predominant Nylon 6 phase. These observations maintain that the SPE
Resin kit is a quality source for 50 different polymers. Thermal Analysis is a quality characterization tool for
defining polymers for medical devices.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan Riga, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
***
Variation in Vegetation Composition among Ohio’s NWCA Wetlands
Alayna Dorobek, Department of Biology
The National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA) project was developed by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the ecological integrity of our nation’s wetlands as
16
an effort to improve, protect, sustain, and restore the health of natural habitats and ecosystems. Ohio EPA conducted
this study for two field seasons obtaining data on soil properties, vegetation, bryophytes, water chemistry, and
characteristics of the habitat in or surrounding the wetland. While the data collected in the field under the NWCA
project might provide some indication of wetland health, the qualitative data is limiting. The observations made in
the field lack an accurate measure of disturbance, especially when considering adjacent land-use characteristics.
Through the use of pre-existing, freely accessible data sets, I developed a set of attributes in order to look for
correlations of wetland hydrology and land-use features with different vegetative indices. The aim of this study is to
determine some of the major factors impacting wetland condition. The results suggest that wetland vegetation is
affected by land-use characteristics at varying spatial scales. Anthropogenic disturbance is negatively impacting the
biological community comprised of the wetlands. This research further demonstrates that remote geospatial analyses
can provide further insights into ecosystem health. Using mapping and modeling techniques must be incorporated
into ecological monitoring and assessment programs because they allow us to obtain information of important
factors affecting condition that cannot be measured directly in the field. Having a better picture of how a wetland
functions among varying land-use practices will assist in the development of informed and effective management
practices.
Project Mentor: Dr. Joseph Koonce, Department of Biology
Project Sponsor: Dr. Jean Burns, Department of Biology
***
Phenotypic Plasticity of Helisoma trivolvis in Response to Chemical Alarm Cues Across Taxonomic Levels
Phoebe Edwards, Departments of Anthropology and Evolutionary Biology, Dr. Mike Benard, Department of
Biology
Prey use a wide range of cues to detect predation risk and alter their behavior and morphology advantageously in
response. These include two types of general cue: (1) chemical cues generated by predators (kairomones) and (2)
alarm cues released by injured or consumed prey in their environment. Many studies focus on the adaptive responses
of prey to alarm cues released by members of their own species. However, this raises a question: do prey respond to
alarm cues originating only from members of their species, or can prey respond to alarm cues generated by other
prey species? We focused our research on the freshwater snail Helisoma trivolvis, which is known to develop
behavioral and developmental responses to the presence of different predator’s kairomones and conspecific alarm
cues, and is an ideal study organism to test this question. We aim to determine whether H. trivolvis will respond only
to alarm cues from conspecifics or whether it will also pick up on alarm cues from more distantly related taxa. This
will be done by examining behavioral, morphological, and reproductive changes in H. trivolvis exposed to H.
trivolvis alarm cues, cues from other snails, insect alarm cues, and no alarm or predator cues. If H. trivolvis is only
able to receive alarm cues from members of their own species, we would expect a difference in response between
the conspecific treatment and all others. Conversely, if H. trivolvis can receive cues from other species of snails, we
would expect a difference in response between both snail treatments and the insect and no predator treatments.
Project Mentor: Professor Michael Benard, Department of Biology
***
Patient Sexual Health Education Resources
Shaylinn Emery, Department of Nursing, Sheneka Gregory, Department of Nursing
This paper reviews 100 surveys that measure the effectiveness of the educational methods on
sexually transmitted diseases and prevention at Cleveland Department of Public Health’s Thomas
McCafferty Reproductive Health Clinic in the Detroit-Shoreway district of Cleveland, Ohio. It also
analyzes the current educational methods used at T. McCafferty, which includes verbal, written, and
video education. We wished to achieve a goal of 10% increase in post-test scores to evaluate the effectiveness of the
education provided. We thought that education was important, due to the frequency of patients returning to the clinic
with re-infection. In the state of Ohio, the total number of diagnosed STD cases for one year is 65,632. The Center
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are 19 million new infections every year in the
17
United States. After researching these statistics, we designed tests and they were implemented over the course of 6
weeks to any patients that came to the clinic with STD-related ailments. We did not achieve the goal of 10%, though
there was an 8% increase in post-test scores. This is reflective of the educational methods at the clinic and the need
for change. With further research through implementing a variety of new educational methods and continuing the
survey, it may provide further insight to what intervention should be utilized.
Faculty Mentor: Faye Gary, Medical Mutual of Ohio Kent W. Clapp Chair and Professor in Nursing
***
Analyzing Obesity Rates in Ward 11 of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Identifying
Health Risk Factors
Dale English, School of Nursing; Michael Koopman, School of Nursing; Jacqueline Molchan, School
of Nursing; Shannon O’Shea, School of Nursing
The Prentiss Grant is a collaboration between the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and the
Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). The purpose of this grant is to improve the health of school-aged
children by the creation of a healthier school day in one demonstration school and by the identification of health risk
factors through a district wide health screening program. The purpose of this project was to complete a secondary
analysis of the 2011 health screening data to identify social, ethnic and/or environmental correlates to the incidence
of overweight and obesity in CMSD children. An analysis of these data determined that Cleveland’s Ward 11 has
the highest percentage of overweight and obese Kindergarten and Third Graders. Further analysis investigated the
factors within Ward 11 that could contribute to the increased rates in obesity in this particular ward. These factors
include a lack of healthy food choices, and little to no recreation centers the school-aged children can take advantage
of. This data will be presented to the CMSD faculty and staff in each of the schools in Ward 11, to the CMSD
Administration and to the CMSD Wellness Committee. In addition, the information will be made generally available
through a link to the CMSD health education website. The report will include statistical information regarding the
demographic data that could potentially be impacting the students' wellbeing. This website will include information
on nutrition, health habits, hygiene, and the immune system and other topics related to analysis findings.
Project Mentor: Doctor Marilyn Lotas, School of Nursing
***
Wind Flow Modeling of the Area Surrounding the Case Western Reserve University Wind Turbine
Matheus Fernandes, Department of Mechanical Engineering
The Case Western Reserve University Wind Turbine (NorthWind 100kW) is a research turbine located in the heart
of a large urban campus in Cleveland, Ohio. Due to the tall surrounding buildings, this location may create
turbulence, resulting in a possible loss in energy generation. This research attempts to answer the question of
whether the wind flow into the wind turbine is affected by the buildings or not. Depending upon the direction of the
wind, the surrounding buildings, which vary in height from 20 to 40 meters, may affect the wind patterns at the hub
height of the turbine that is 37 meters from ground. In order to investigate this issue, a CFD (Computational Fluid
Dynamics) model using COMSOL Multiphysics of the immediate area was generated. The analysis which used a
CFD model included prevailing wind directions and analyzed the outcomes of the wind flow around the turbine. The
model also took into account building heights, locations, and dimensions. Reasonable agreement was found when
the validity of the model was tested and compared against real wind measurements. These measurements were made
using cup anemometers placed at three different locations and heights throughout the surrounding area.
Project Mentor: Professor David H. Matthiesen PhD, Department of Material Sciences and Engineering
Faculty Sponsor: Professor David H. Matthiesen PhD, Department of Material Sciences and Engineering
18
Predictors and outcomes of Clostridium difficile infections in cardiac surgery patients utilizing the
2004-2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database
Andrew Flagg, Department of Biology
The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical outcomes and prevalence of Clostridium difficile
among different groups following cardiac surgery, and determine predictors. The impacts on mortality, length of
stay, and cost by C. difficile on these patients was examined. The Nationalwide Impatient Sample from 2004-2008
was examined, and records were identified from patients receiving coronary bypass, aortic or valvular surgery over
these five years. Various demographic, preoperative, and outcome variables were analyzed. Logistic analysis were
run to determine the influence of each variable, and various Elixhauser comorbidity measures were examined in
detail. Over the five years that were studied, 349,122 records were found from patients on which coronary bypass,
thoracic aortic surgery, or valve surgery were performed. Of these patients, 2,581 (0.7%) were diagnosed with C.
difficile. Patients with C. difficile were significantly more likely to be female (40% vs. 31.5%, p<0.01), black (7.6%
vs. 6.3%, p<0.015), on Medicare of Medicaid instead of private insurance (75.2% vs. 56.6%, p<0.01). In-hospital
mortality rates, average length of stay and hospital charges were all more than doubled in patients with C. difficile.
Significantly higher rates of congestive heart failure (17.3% vs. 6.3%, p<0.01), valvular disease (9.4% vs. 4.6%,
p<0.01), coagulopathy (17.8% vs. 10.9% p<0.01), and fluid and electrolyte disorders (33.1% vs. 17.8%, p<0.01)
were found among surgery patients with C. difficile, among others. C. difficile affects a relatively small number of
cardiac surgery patients, but significantly increases mortality, length of stay, hospital charges, and complications in
those patients. Further investigation into ways to curb the spread of C. difficile in surgery could be beneficial to both
patient health and hospital systems.
Project Mentor: Edward Soltesz, Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Jean Burns, Department of Biology
***
Strategies for Improving Nutrition in School Aged Children
Tony Vehovec, FPB School of Nursing; Carrie Foster, FPB School of Nursing
Health screenings at the Cleveland Metropolitan school district (CMSD) have shown levels of overweight
and obesity well above the national and state averages. To address this issue, this project, a part of the
Prentiss Foundation funded project, “Nurses in Cleveland Schools”, has developed and piloted three main
interventions designed to improve nutrition in CMSD children at the Michael R. White Elementary School. The
first strategy implemented was to increase healthy food choice marketing throughout the school. This was achieved
through the addition of healthy food posters in the each class room and lunch room. The second strategy was a
healthy food demonstration by Bon Appetit open to the parents and members in the Michael R. White Stem School
community. The demonstration will provide simple and healthy versions of dishes commonly made. A cookbook of
the recipes was provided to everyone who attended. The effectiveness of the demonstration was evaluated by a post
survey asking the parents about the current frequency of healthy cooking in their household and the likeliness of
incorporating the new healthy recipes. The third strategy was to conduct a plate-waste study. The aim of this study is
to see what types of foods the children enjoy eating by assessing how much of each type of food is wasted.
Evaluation of these strategies will provide the bases for recommendations to the CMSD school board on ways to
improve the nutrition of the children in the schools.
Faculty Mentor: Rita Sfiligoj, FPB School of Nursing
19
Greg Mercier, Math and Physics; Parker Fowler, Economics and Theater; Billy Littlefield, Undecided
Most storage boxes are boring and do not incorporate an effective locking feature. By designing a puzzle box we not
only satisfy the objective to store objects, but we incorporate an entertaining locking feature and a storage box with
multiple and sometimes hidden compartments that can only be unlocked through the proper sequence of moves. We
are going to construct a “puzzle box,” as to enhance the aesthetic value of a container and add a mechanical locking
feature. By incorporating a standard storage box into our design we can further hide the puzzle box inside. The
unique design will be a compilation of various puzzle box designs to contain multiple hidden compartments. We do
not want the puzzle to be too complicated and to avoid this, we will limit moving parts and the number of moves
needed to solve the entire puzzle or unlock every compartment. Our completed puzzle box will have the illusion of
being a normal storage box, while it will contain an internal puzzle which contains multiple compartments and some
hidden compartments. We will construct this puzzle box using the available machinery in Think[Box]. The puzzle
box will contain wooden and thermoplastic materials fabricated using the Laser Cutter, Shop Bot and the 3D Printer.
The completed storage box will give someone a place to keep regular items that one wants to be immediately
accessible, while also safely locking items one wants to keep safe or invisible from wandering eyes inside.
Project Mentor: Dr. Malcolm Cooke, Department of Mechanical Engineering
***
Enhancing Smoking Education at Great Lakes Home Healthcare and Hospice
Ashley Franklin, FPB School of Nursing, Paulina Kauzljar, FPB School of Nursing
Our research and clinical experience have revealed that cigarette smoking is a significant problem among
the population of patients receiving home health care in Erie, Pennsylvania. The aim of our project was
to implement an intervention with the goal of improving patient knowledge regarding the harmful effects
of smoking, inhaling second-hand smoke, and smoking while receiving oxygen therapy. Research has shown that
smokers with a higher education level were more likely to intend to quit, to make an attempt to quit, and to be
abstinent for at least one to six months as compared to those who have less education and are not well-informed
about smoking. To address this problem, we created educational pamphlets that consisted of information outlining
the harmful health effects of tobacco and second-hand smoke. Theses pamphlets provided information, written in
“patients’ language” that should help them to understand the dangers of smoking cigarettes. The focus of the
information was community-based, and presented from the perspective of promoting the health of the entire
community. A pre-survey to measure baseline knowledge of the health effects of smoking was administered to
patients at the first home visit. The pamphlet was then given to the patients to review and study. During their
subsequent home visit, the same survey was administered to the patients. Our goal was to demonstrate a 25 percent
increase in knowledge regarding the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. The goal was achieved with 73.33 percent
of the patients reporting enhanced knowledge about smoking and health.
Project Mentor: Dr. Faye Gary, FPB School of Nursing
***
Wetting Properties and Electrochromic Behavior of PVK Nanofibers
Rebecca Frederick, Department of Chemical Engineering; Brylee David B. Tiu, Department of Macromolecular
Science and Engineering
Conjugated poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) nanofibers with superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity have been
fabricated via electrospinning. Due to the random stacking of micrometer-thick fibers, the microscale roughness of
the material complemented the inherent hydrophobicity of the polymer to improve overall wetting properties. The
resulting superhydrophobic film also demonstrates high adhesion towards the water droplet, which has potential
20
applications for non-loss fluid transportation, in-situ localized chemical reactions or oil-water separation. Moreover,
the electrochromic behavior of PVK was demonstrated by crosslinking its carbazole moieties via solid-state
oxidative crosslinking and electrochemically switching between oxidized and neutral states.
Project Mentor: Dr. Rigoberto Advincula, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
***
Regulation of pre-miRNA processing in B-cell lymphoma
Charles Fulco, Case Western Reserve University, Departments of Biology and Biochemistry; Erich Sabio, Virginie
Olive, Ph.D., and Lin He, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Cancer is characterized by the corruption of normal cellular growth control towards uncontrolled proliferation. In
many human cancers, particularly B-cell lymphomas, the polycistronic microRNA (miRNA) cluster mir-17-92 is
overexpressed and contains both oncogenic miRNAs (mir-19a and -19b) and a miRNA that antagonizes the
oncogenic character of the rest of the cluster (mir-92). Though the entire cluster is transcribed together, levels of the
mature miRNAs differ markedly, with the oncogene-antagonist miRNA especially lowly expressed in lymphoma
cells. Thus, the rate of miRNA maturation through processing by the enzymes Drosha and Dicer is likely an
important regulatory step in the abundance of each miRNA. Two approaches were used in parallel to characterize
the regulation and functional outcome of post-transcriptional processing in the mir-17-92 cluster. First, the gene
expression regulation due to mir-92 was determined by quantitative-PCR of cells virally infected with strongly
expressed mir-92, and mir-92 was found to upregulate cell cycle and proliferative genes, leading to induction of
tumor suppression. Second, to localize the sequence elements responsible for differential processing, hybrid premiRNAs combining parts of multiple miRNA were constructed and the loop region of the miRNA was found to
predict Dicer processing kinetics. Together, these approaches seek potentially drugable targets to return the balance
from cancer to normalcy in diseased tissues, as well as to shed light on the regulation of miRNA processing.
Project Mentor: Lin He, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Faculty Sponsor: Robin Snyder, Department of Biology
***
Genomewide analysis of polyadenylation status in Drosophila using RNA sequencing
Charles Fulco, Case Western Reserve University Departments of Biology and Biochemistry; Trinh Tat, Patricia
Maroney, Timothy Nilsen, Ph.D., Case Western Reserve University Center for RNA Molecular Biology
The poly(A) tail is a long stretch of adenosine nucleosides at the end of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) important for stability
and efficient translation. Prior work identified a small set of messenger RNAs in Drosophila that lack a normal poly(A)
tail. The two examples of under-adenylated transcripts (reaper and hid) characterized thus far are both involved in the
regulation of apoptosis; it is intriguing to think that under-adenylation has regulatory functions for cellular death controls
or stress responses, but more data from more genes are needed. Assuming under-adenylation is induced by an RNA
binding protein, knowing which transcripts are likely under-adenylated will also aid in identifying the consensus
sequence(s) necessary for binding. To identify most (or all) such under-adenylated transcripts, I analyzed data generated
by sequencing of Drosophila cell poly(A)-plus and -minus RNA separated physically by oligo-dT column (which
preferentially binds long stretches of adenine). Using the “Cufflinks” algorithm to quantify individual transcripts produced
mixed results. The histone messenger-RNAs known to be poly(A)-minus were identified as such, and a new poly(A)
minus transcript (arc1) predicted from the data has been validated experimentally. However, the two poly(A)-minus
messages that instigated this study were not identified as poly(A)-minus. One possible source of error is a sequencing bias
toward the 5’ end of transcripts in the poly(A)-minus fraction, likely indicative of an artifact arising in the separation of
poly(A)-plus and –minus mRNAs by oligo-dT column. Moving forward, I am using a machine learning based algorithm to
computationally correct the biases along each transcript. This will allow more accurate identification of poly(A)-minus
messages for use in further biochemical and bioinformatic studies.
Project Mentor: Timothy Nilsen, Center for RNA Molecular Biology
21
Investigating the Correlation Between Environmental Self-Regulation and Pollution Output
Anthony Gatti, Economics, Mathematics, and Political Science
Firms in various industries have over time attempted to signal the degree to which they produce in an
environmentally sustainable manner by subjecting themselves to review by an independent auditing agency. I
attempt to analyze whether receiving a certification from such an agency really leads to lower levels of pollution at
the firm level. In particular, I investigate whether controlling for industry and geographic location has any effect on
the amount of pollution observed at the plant level. If these effects are not significant, it is more likely that the
resultant profit margins for sustainable firms are directly the product of demand-side factors, and the certification
itself is more important than the actual production process. I use data from firms certified through the ISO 14001
review board, and cross-reference these firms against the general list of pollution data provided by the Toxics
Release Inventory, an agency of the Environmental Protection Agency. I find that after controlling for the overalldownward time trend in total pollution, having ISO certification correlates positively with pollution output, while
attaining the certification has no effect. Thus environmental self-regulation is more likely to occur among larger
firms that are attempting to gain profit margin through certification, and certification is not actually leading to lower
pollution output.
Mentor: Justin Gallagher, Department of Economics
***
De-stress Express: Educating Women on How Stress and Menopause Affect Health
Elizabeth Gibbemeyer, FPB School of Nursing; Deena Levey, FPB School of Nursing; Patricia
Bacchus, Good Samaritan Hospital
Health is greatly affected by both menopause and stress as shown in the Madisonville community of
Cincinnati, Ohio. Research has shown that stress increases one’s risk for cardiovascular health problems,
depression, obesity, lung and liver damage, and more (Rozanski, Blumenthal, & Kaplan, 1999). The aim of the
project was to increase the participants’ ability to list physical signs or symptoms of stress and signs or symptoms of
menopause, identify daily life stressors, list ways to relieve or cope with stress, and identify ways that stress
negatively impacts their health. It was decided that the objectives would be accomplished through a program for 20
premenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women with a presentation focused on defining stress, defining
menopause, and how stress and menopause both affect women’s health. The presentation consisted of a 30-minute
interactive PowerPoint lesson in addition to two proven stress-relieving activities, guided imagery and yoga. A presurvey was distributed before the presentation to measure the participant’s prior knowledge of stress, menopause,
and how each affects women’s health. Following the presentation and exercises, a post-survey, identical to the presurvey, was handed-out and collected. The goal was to have a 20% increase in knowledge and a 10% decrease in
reported stress levels.
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Gueldner, FPB School of Nursing
***
An Analysis of the Effect of Plasma Injection on Flame Stabilization in Jet Engine Combustors
Felipe Gomez del Campo, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Gas turbines obtain their propulsive force by extracting work from the combustion of hydrocarbons; the efficiency
of this process is dependent on the speed of the combustion reaction and the ignition delay time of the fuel. Previous
research has shown that the kinetics of a flame can be influenced via the interaction with non-equilibrium plasma.
The aim of the current research was to ascertain if plasma could be used practically to extend flammability limits
and increase the efficiency of combustion within a jet engine combustor. A jet engine combustor was constructed
and a 17 KHz plasma with an amplitude of 15 KV was generated within the combustor and used to ionize the fuel.
Industry standard parameters used to measure the performance of jet engines such as the dynamic exhaust gas
pressure, Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) and the efficiency of combustion were monitored while the power
22
delivered to the plasma exciter circuit was varied. Recording EGT as a function of time, it was experimentally
determined that in a cold air flow of 5 m/s a lean flame without the addition plasma extinguished immediately
(manifested by immediate drop in EGT). However, when plasma was injected into the combustion chamber, no flow
rate possible with the set up could extinguish the flame. Moreover, at the maximum plasma discharge power, a
flame was stabilized at an equivalence ratio of 0.5 as compared to 0.6 for the control without the addition of plasma.
It was additionally shown that with plasma power less than 3% of the power of the combustion chamber, there was
up to a 62.5% increase in heat evolved at the highest flow rates, and up to a 5% increase in heat evolved at the flow
rate where the maximum value of heat evolved occurred.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Iwan Alexander, Department of Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering
***
Impact of Sterilization on Antibiotic Release and Bioactivity from Affinity-Based Drug Delivery Systems
Catherine A. Gormley, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Jeffery M. Halpern, Department of Biomedical
Engineering; Horst A. von Recum, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Our lab and others have previously shown that cyclodextrin polymers can be used for affinity-based drug delivery,
providing a prolonged release compared to that from traditional diffusion only materials. Recently, our group has
studied how sterilization of the polymers affects the release and activity of antibiotics. We compared the release rate
and microbicidal activity of non-sterilized gels (control) to three different forms of sterilization: autoclave, gamma
radiation, ethylene oxide sterilization. We tested these parameters with three different antibiotics: rifampicin,
vancomycin, and erythromycin in parallel. We found that autoclaving the cyclodextrin-based polymers had a
noticeable impact on drug release, with reduced drug burst and longer release time. We also saw a statically
significant increase in the autoclaved microbicidal activity of drug released from autoclave polymers as compared to
non-sterilized controls. We saw no statistical difference in the release rate or microbicidal activity in polymers
sterilized by gamma radiation and ethylene oxide.
Project Mentor: Professor Horst von Recum, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Fabrication of a Puzzle Box in a 3D Printer
Juliana Gregor, Department of Engineering; Alexis Schilf, Department of Engineering; Christopher Weddle,
Department of Physics.
The goal of our team was to hide a possession from others in a way that was both easy and mentally stimulating.
Ultimately, the object would be not only useful but fun. Our design team decided that the best method of storing
small possessions was with a puzzle box. This puzzle box must have a hidden compartment with the ability to 1)
store small objects 2) open easily, and 3) remain hidden from others when closed. With such a device, a user could
easily gain access, while others could not. The team drafted a design using the CAD software CREO. The puzzle
box was then fabricated in Think[box] using the 3-D printing machine. The final product will be small enough to fit
in the user’s hands, but large enough for the user to safely store small items in the compartment. A puzzle box is
useful to a user who wishes to securely store small objects and enjoys solving puzzles.
Project Mentors: Professor Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Professor Cooke, Department of
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, and Professor Iammarino, Department of English.
23
Endotoxin Levels Facilitate Device-Associated Neuroinflammation
Daniel J Hageman,1,2 Madhumitha Ravikumar, 1,2 Gabriella Chandra, 1 Jeffrey R. Capadona, 1,2
1
Department of Biomedical Engineering; Case Western Reserve University
2
Rehabilitation Research and Development, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Intracortical microelectrodes can communicate with neuronal populations translating one’s ‘thoughts’ into
functional outputs. Arguably, the most accepted hypothesis for loss of chronic recordings from intracortical
microelectrodes is attributed to the inflammatory response at the tissue-electrode interface. We hypothesize that one
possible source for this discrepancy between the inflammatory response and recording data, as well as the variability
within an in vivo setup, may be attributed to endotoxin contamination of the device prior to implantation. Hence, we
evaluated endotoxin levels for three commonly used sterilization methods and analyzed the inflammatory response
that results at two and sixteen-weeks post-implantation. Briefly, a kinetic endotoxin assay was run to determine the
endotoxin concentration that corresponds to each method of sterilization. The three methods of sterilization used for
the microelectrodes were autoclaving, dry heating, and ethylene oxide. C57/BL6 mice were implanted with chronic
electrodes and allowed to survive for 2 or 16 weeks. Tissue sections were then stained using immunohistochemistry
for each of the major cellular markers to quantify the extent of the inflammatory response at the interface. Our
results show a correlation at two weeks between the extent of endotoxin removal from the surface and the
inflammatory response around the microelectrode. These data suggests that removal of endotoxins from the
microelectrode surface may be crucial in attenuating neuroinflammatory events at early time points. At sixteen
weeks, however, there was no correlation between the level of endotoxins and the inflammatory response, indicating
that endotoxins may be removed by the body’s immune response by 16 weeks.
Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey R. Capadona, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Does Behavioral Inhibition Affect Emotion Regulation Abilities?
Christine Hale, Psychology Major, Kimberly Dunbeck, (Graduate Student, College of Arts and Science)
Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperament construct which is characterized by the predisposition to be
irritable as an infant, unusually shy and fearful as a toddler, and quiet, cautious, and withdrawn in the
preschool and early school age years, with marked behavioral restraint and physiological arousal in
unfamiliar situations (Kagan, Reznick, & Snidman,1987). BI has been widely studied over the past 20 years, and
numerous studies have found BI to relate to poor social experiences and poor peer relationship (Shamir-Essakaow,
Ungerer & Rapee, 2005). Emotion regulation is defined as the process in which individuals influence their
emotional experiences and expressions (Gross and Oliver, 2003). Studies have shown that poor emotion regulation
skills are also related to difficulties in social relationships (Gross, 2002). A considerable body of research has
identified emotional competence, the ability to act efficaciously in emotionally arousing situations, as a crucial
component in children’s adaptive social functioning and psychological adjustment. However, to our knowledge, no
study has yet examined the relationship between behavioral inhibition and the ability to regulate emotions. This
study aims to examine the association between BI and emotion regulation skills in children by using parent
responses about their child’s emotion regulation abilities and behavioral inhibition on both the Emotion Regulation
Checklist (ERC) and the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ). It is hypothesized BI will be inversely related
to poor emotion regulation. This hypothesis will be tested using a correlational analysis.
Mentor: Amy Przeworski, Ph.D., Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
24
HDAC6 Mediated Regulation of Inflammatory Signaling in Cystic Fibrosis
Alyssa Harker, Department of Chemistry; Deborah Corey, Department of Pediatrics, Sharon Rymut,
Department of Pharmacology
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease caused by genetic mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane
conductance regulator (CFTR). Phenotypes of the mutation include poor lung clearance, increased
inflammation, and increased infection. The cellular manifestation of the disease leads to phenotypes including
exaggerated inflammatory signaling within cystic fibrosis cells. Previous work in the lab has shown there are
modifications of microtubules that impact intercellular transport. One such modification is the acetylation of
microtubules, which has been shown to affect the transport and accumulation of cholesterol in CF cells. Based on
this previous data, the hypothesis of this study is that acetylation of microtubules impacts inflammatory signaling.
Measuring both the activity of the transcription factor NF-κB and the stimulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine
IL-8 promoter is used to monitor inflammatory signaling. To test the hypothesis that microtubule acetylation is a
regulator of CF inflammatory signaling, activity of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), which specifically deacetylates
microtubules was manipulated in two ways. First, the impact of pharmacological inhibition of HDC6 activity with
tubastatin A was examined. Secondly, to overcome possible non-specific interactions of tubastatin A, HDAC6
expression was knocked-down in wild type and CF cell models by siRNA. The results showed that HDAC6
inhibition by both processes decreased both NF-κB activation and IL-8 promoter expression in both wild type and
CF cells. These results are consistent with other findings in the lab which allows us to conclude that HDAC6 is an
important modulator in inflammatory signaling and a potential target for intervention.
Project Mentor: Dr. Thomas Kelley, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology
***
Health Education About the Transmission and Prevention of STDs in a High Risk Populations:
Southcentral, Alaska
Courtney Hawk, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Every year there are more than 19 million new sexually transmitted disease (STDs) cases in the United
States with nearly half of these cases among people aged 15-24. Chlamydia (CT) and Gonorrhea (GC)
are the two most common reported STDs. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention,
Alaska had the highest Chlamydia infection rates per capita in the United States in 2010 and 2011. Knowledge
deficit and limited access to resources are contributing factors to this overwhelming statistic. At the MatanuskaSusitna (Mat-Su) Public Health Center, the percent of positive CT tests doubled from 2007 to 2011. A survey
conducted by the Public Health Center (PHC) found that, although 60% of young people aged 14-19 would benefit
from health counseling/education classes, they are not consistently available. Therefore, the purpose of this project
was to implement an STD educational program within this vulnerable population and observe an improvement of
15% in test scores from pre-test to post-test. The methods included an icebreaker activity, a pre-test, a PowerPoint
presentation, brief video clip, poster, and a post-test. At the end of the hour session, each student was given a take
home packet with condoms, resources list, the Mat-Su PHC brochure, and information on different STDs. There was
an improvement in test scores despite the small amount of students present. The educational program developed
will be available for ongoing efforts to decrease STD infection rates throughout Alaska.
Project Mentor: Sandra Woods, RN MSN, Nurse Manager at Mat-Su Public Health Center
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marilyn Lotas, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
25
Increasing New Family Planning Clinic Visits at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Steven Leusch, Jennifer Kim, Evan Hayden, and Claire Vidalon - BSN candidates
This project examines the efficacy of selected county-wide community outreach activities aimed at
increasing new Family Planning Clinic visits at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH). Under
Title X of the Public Health Services Act, Family Planning Clinics provide individuals with access to numerous
sexual health services, including diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In Cuyahoga
County, rates of two STDs, specifically chlamydia and gonorrhea, increased each year since 2008, suggesting a need
for increased sexual health awareness, education, and promotion. Lakewood Municipality was the primary focus of
intervention because of a demonstrated rate of 416.26 per 100,000 population documented chlamydial infections and
a rate of 105.50 per 100,000 population documented gonorrheal infections, both the highest of any west-side
municipality from 2010 to 2011. The intervention portion of this project, which spanned from June 2012 to August
2012, included county-wide community outreach activities, in the forms of monthly electronic social media
publications and daily conventional flyer and “My Life, My Body” card distributions and postings. Data were
collected from tallies of new Family Planning Clinic visits. The effectiveness of county-wide community outreach
activities was measured by a survey, distributed to each new client during the intervention phase. The primary result
of this investigation revealed a decrease of new Family Planning Clinic visits by 6.7% (n=42). However, survey
data collected suggests that electronic social media publications were more effective than conventional flyer
postings and “My Life, My Body” card distributions. Of the total surveys collected (n=19), 10 responded hearing
about Family Planning Clinic services online; 5 responded hearing about Family Planning Clinic services via word
of mouth; 2 responded hearing about Family Planning Clinic services from other capacities at the CCBH; 1 cited a
knowledge about public health; 0 stated hearing about Family Planning Clinic services from a flyer or “My, Life,
My Body” card. Future projects may be aimed at identifying individual barriers limiting sexual health maintenance
and exploring how such barriers may be dismantled.
Gayle Petty, Project Advisor – Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Flashlight for the Future
Robert Minkebige, Chemical Engineering; Mary Hazlett, Mechanical Engenering; Jonah Pregulman, Nursing
The widespread use of flashlights has helped many people who work in dark or confined spaces in need of a light
source. Flashlights have become an integral solution to any low light work dilemma. However, the problem that
has not been addressed is the need for hands-free illumination of one’s workspace. Our design combines a
lightweight plastic material, white and red LEDs and a battery to power the LEDs to form the components for a
sturdy flashlight that is also portable. A switch has been installed to limit the amount of battery life wasted. Our
flashlight design was modeled using a 3D software suite and successfully prototyped using the 3D printer in
Think[box]. We also used the circuit lab to hand solder the necessary circuit. To address the growing need for a
sturdy hands-free flashlight, we added a set of foldout legs to the body of our flashlight. Our innovative flashlight
design would enable many professionals to utilize this device while maintaining the full use of both of their
hands. Such an advantage could increase the user’s productivity and efficiency. The distribution of our flashlight
could provide a critical new way to light ones workspace, using a cheap, sturdy, and practical design in one
complete package.
Project Mentor: Dr. Malcolm Cooke, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
26
Relationship between frailty status and response to the influenza vaccine in older adults
Sarah Hoffman, Departments of Biology and Anthropology; Leola Jones, Division of Infectious Disease; Htin
Aung, Division of Infectious Disease; and David Canaday, Division of Infectious Disease
Past studies have established a relationship between age and response to the influenza vaccine, but this study takes a
new approach by hypothesizing that frailty status is a better predictor of older adults’ immunologic response to the
influenza vaccine. Frailty is measured by five tests including weak grip strength, low activity level, unintended
weight loss, exhaustion, and slow walking speed. My role in the project is to measure each person’s immunological
response to influenza vaccine using samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from before and after
vaccination. I will use the enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay to measure the proportion of
cells secreting interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) when exposed to influenza vaccine. Virus-specific cells release IFN-γ
when exposed to influenza and can directly inhibit viral replication and can also indirectly activate the immune
system through activation of natural killer cells and macrophages and by increasing antigen presentation to T-cells.
Quantifying the frequency of IFN-γ secreting cells through the ELISPOT assay provides a way to measure T-cell
activity in response to the influenza vaccine. Subjects who have already been exposed to influenza antigens, such as
those given the vaccine, should show a greater response in the ELISPOT by having more cells that produce IFN-γ.
The degree to which the response changes in samples from pre- and post-vaccination will indicate the efficacy of the
vaccine in that individual. The results will then be matched to results of anti-influenza titers, flow cytometry, and,
measures of frailty to determine any relationships.
Project Mentor: David Canaday, Division of Infectious Disease
Faculty Sponsor: Emmitt Jolly, Department of Biology
***
Anti-oxidant Releasing Mechanically-Adaptive Materials Improve Neural Device Tissue Integration
Kyle T. Householder1,2, Kelsey A. Potter1,2, Mehdi Jorfi3, Christoph Weder3 and Jeffrey R. Capadona1,2
1
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
2
Advanced Platform Technology Center, Rehabilitation R&D, L. Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center,
Cleveland, OH
3
Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
Penetrating microelectrodes, capable of providing an intimate level of interaction with neural tissue, show promise
in restoring ‘natural’ function for those suffering from neurological deficits. Long term however, the recording
capability of these electrodes decrease in large part, due to neuron degeneration and foreign body encapsulation;
termed neuroinflammation. There are many elements that contribute to neuroinflammation following device
implantation. Two factors we have separately shown to contribute to this inflammatory response are the mechanical
mismatch between the implanted material and the native tissue, and also the oxidative stress state that forms around
the implant as a result of inflammation. It is hypothesized that each of these pathways plays a unique role at
different time-points post implantation. This study explored the potential for synergistic neuroprotection from
antioxidant releasing compliant electrodes. Specifically we utilized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mechanically adaptive
materials capable of releasing curcumin, an anti-oxidant known to reduce oxidative stress and promote blood-brain
barrier (BBB) stability. The most prominent result we found was that curcumin-loaded PVA materials offered
significant neuro- and BBB protection 2 weeks post-implantation. These results support the hypothesis that reduced
oxidative stress helps maintain a more stable BBB and provides localized neuroprotection at the electrode-brain
interface at acute time-points. Future work aims to investigate the ability of our anti-oxidant releasing dynamic
material to provide protection at later time-points.
Mentor: Jeffrey Capadona- Department of Biomedical Engineering
27
Deleterious Effects of Mdm2 Deletion in Adult Mice
Sophia Hu, Department of Biochemistry; Yun Zhang, Department of Genetics; Shunbin Xiong, Department of
Genetics; Guillermina Lozano, Department of Genetics
More than half of human cancers are characterized by the inactivation of p53, a tumor suppressor that is inactivated
by its negative regulator, mdm2. In cancers expressing wild-type p53 and high levels of mdm2, clinical therapy
aimed at restoring p53 expression and activity in tumor cells by inhibiting mdm2 represents a novel and potentially
effective cancer treatment. However, mdm-2-inhibitory drugs present an inherent risk of activating the tumor
suppressing and apoptotic functions p53 in normal tissues, events that possess potentially harmful repercussions. It
was previously shown that in a mouse model that sequestered p53 in the nucleus, p53 was constitutively active only
in classically radiosensitive tissues that are susceptible to the harmful effects of ionizing radiation. In contrast, we
hypothesized that using a conditional Mdm2FM allele mouse model that allows for rapid and reversible switching
between p53 wild-type and null states will induce harmful responses in classically radio-insensitive tissues as well.
As such, the objective of our study was to determine if further p53 activation induced by the deletion of the mdm2FM
allele can in fact elicit deleterious pathologies in radio-insensitive tissues. It was demonstrated that p53 is
spontaneously active in all tested tissues of mdm-2-deficient mice, as seen from immunohistostaining for p53 and
the activation of PUMA and p21, downstream targets of p53. In addition, apoptotic lesions were observed in the
kidney, a classically radio-insensitive tissue. Due to the potent impact of p53 in the absence of its negative inhibitor,
mdm2, careful dosage and delivery of mdm-2 inhibitory drugs will be essential for optimizing their use as novel
anticancer agents.
Project Mentor: Dr. Guillermina Lozano, Department of Genetics at University of Texas MD Anderson Center
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Yun Zhang, Department of Genetics at University of Texas MD Anderson Center
***
Engineering Innovation and Design: Integrating a Puzzle into a Flashlight Interface
Zuyan Huang, Department of Biology, Nabhan Karim, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jacob
Schimelman, Department of Biomedical Engineering
In today’s market, flashlights are solely designed based on functionality. There is a need for a flashlight that serves
to entertain its user while still maintaining its primary function: providing light. Our design aims to create a device
that duals as both a flashlight and a puzzle. To seamlessly combine these two inventions, our team will make a
flashlight that turns on through the use of a puzzle mechanism on the shaft of the flashlight. The puzzle will be a
series of rings that must be arranged in a specific letter combination, with the solution possibly being the word light.
When the rings are rotated into the correct position, the circuit will complete itself, turning on the flashlight. Our
team plans to design the infrastructure for the flashlight using Creo Parametric software and the tools available in
think[box]. To manufacture the inner tube of the flashlight, our team will design it in Creo and upload the design for
fabrication to the 3-D printer. The movable rings that comprise the puzzle aspect of the device will either be
manufactured out of wood using ShopBot or fabricated using the 3-D printer. That decision will come from the
feasibility and specifications of using either method. The flashlight, by the end of the design process, will produce a
high quality beam of light once the unique combination is inputted. This flashlight will provide both entertainment
and an efficient light source for the user.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Malcolm Cooke, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Professor
Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering
28
Plasticity in the Motor Cortices of the Brain Resulting from Muscle Fatigue - A Brain Stimulation Study
Daniel Janini1, Department of Biology; David Cunningham1; Alexandria Wyant1; Corin Bonnett1; Vlodek
Siemionow1,2; Guang Yue1,2,3; Ela Plow1,2
1.Departments of Biomedical Engineering and 2.Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland,
OH; 3.Kessler Foundation Research Center, West Orange, NJ
Muscle fatigue emerges in part due to changes in central neural networks. It remains unknown, however, how
fatigue affects the map of the motor cortex (M1) controlling the contracting muscle. This experiment examined the
effects of muscle fatigue on M1 excitability using a noninvasive method of brain stimulation called transcranial
magnetic stimulation (TMS). Fifteen healthy, right-handed, young adults participated. Subjects underwent three
fatiguing conditions of a hand muscle: low-level (sustaining 30% of maximal contraction until exhaustion), highlevel (100% of maximal contraction transiently), and no-fatigue. Before and after each condition, TMS was
delivered to M1 sites in a 7×5 grid of 1 cm resolution, while evoked electromyographic (EMG) responses were
collected from the muscle. Variables included: 1) area of M1 that evoked EMG in the muscle, 2) map volume, a
measure of excitability given by the sum of normalized EMG, and 3) Center of Gravity (CoG), a measure of location
weighted by size of evoked EMG. Our results suggest that changes in motor map area, volume, and location due to
muscle fatigue are task dependent. Low fatigue resulted in a decrease in map area and volume, supporting previous
conjectures that fatigue reduces neural output, reflecting maladaptive plasticity. Low fatigue also caused a lateral
shift in CoG, suggesting the compensatory recruitment of the muscles of the thumb. High fatigue did not cause a
significant change to motor map area, volume, or center of gravity. This study provides an empirical model that
enables us to clinically test fatigue; our current work is exploring how low- and high-fatigue elicits plasticity in
cancer-related fatigue, the most debilitating post-chemotherapy symptom.
Project Mentor: Dr. Radhika Atit, Department of Biology
***
Chemical Biology at CWRU—A Trial Run
Hannah Shimko, Department of Chemistry; Sarah Jawhari, Department of Chemistry; Dmytro
Vykhovanets, Department of Chemistry; Brittney Bunn, Department of Chemistry; Nipun Sodhi,
Department of Chemistry; Dr. Blanton Tolbert, Department of Chemistry
Chemistry and biology must no longer adhere to traditional disciplinary boundaries. Recently, the
interface of these fields has been recognized as its own unique specialty. Knowledge on how to use chemical
techniques to manipulate biological systems is highly desirable for today’s scientist—with many exciting scientific
advances being made by those well versed in both chemistry and biology. The Chemistry Department at Case
Western Reserve University will soon offer a major in this integrative field, with a chemical biology laboratory
course at the core of the curriculum. Such a course was developed, but needed to be evaluated for its efficiency and
effectiveness. This study determined if the proposed chemical biology experiments were feasible for students to
complete in a timely manner, while gaining a proper understanding of the subject matter.
Project Mentor: Brittney Bunn, Department of Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Kenney, Department of Chemistry
***
Multi-Functional Stimuli Responsive Materials
Using Dynamic Covalent Bonds
Colin A. Jaye, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Research in stimuli responsive ‘smart’ materials is a rapidly growing field and has yielded materials that elicit
responses including changes in stiffness, fluorescence, shape, and healing properties in response to a stimulus. For
the most part researchers have only developed materials which exhibit a single response and that have less than
desirable mechanical properties due to the use of weak, intermolecular bonding and hydrogen bonding. The goal of
29
this project is to create and study a covalently cross linked polymer with multiple stimuli responsive properties and
robust mechanical properties. The semi crystalline nature of the polymer allows for shape memory properties and
the presence of dynamic disulfide bonds allows for healing, reprogramming of its permanent shape, and strong
mechanical properties.
Project Mentor: Brian T. Michal, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Faculty Sponsor: Stuart J. Rowan, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
***
Effects of Secondhand Smoke and Use of Smoking Cessation Websites among Adolescents in Hong
Kong
Rachel Johnson, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Nita Kopan, Frances Payne Bolton School
of Nursing, Jessica Parker, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Kevin Shui, Frances Payne
Bolton School of Nursing
During the last 30 years, Hong Kong has implemented numerous anti-smoking laws which have reduced the prevalence of
smoking from 23.3% in 1982 to 11.1%. The purpose of this project was twofold: 1) To explore the effects of secondhand
smoke (SHS) exposure during adolescence on current smoking status and attitudes towards anti-smoking legislation, and
2) To assess students’ perceptions of the usefulness of smoking cessation websites in order to produce recommendations
for the creation of a more effective web based anti-smoking intervention. A literature search revealed that 1) Adolescents
exposed to SHS in the home were more likely to smoke as adults, and 2) an effective smoking cessation website involved
four main resources, one of which is a social support component. Two surveys were distributed to students at the
University of Hong Kong: 1) SHS Exposure During Adolescence, and 2) Components of Web-Based Smoking Cessation
Interventions. Survey analysis showed that 1) students who were exposed to SHS in the home during adolescence were no
more likely to be current smokers than those who were not exposed, and among local students who stated that they were
“almost never” bothered by SHS, 100% perceived Hong Kong anti-smoking legislation to be effective in reducing their
exposure to SHS, and 2) Hong Kong smokers are more likely to use a web-based intervention than smokers of other
countries, and they did not consider a social component to be crucial to the efficacy of the website. These results will be
used to further improve the smoking cessation website maintained by the School of Nursing at the University of Hong
Kong. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between SHS exposure and current smoking behavior and
attitudes towards anti-smoking legislation.
Project Mentors: Dr. Mary T. Quinn Griffin, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing; Dr. Sophia Chan, School of
Nursing, University of Hong Kong
***
Robert Reed, Civil Engineering; Julia Johnson, Biomedical Engineering; and Adriana Marrero, Biomedical
Engineering
Nowadays, it is evident that problem-solving skills and a good imagination are essential to tackle most daily-life
situations. In order to promote these skills in a fun and useful manner, the design team will create a puzzle-box. The
puzzle box will serve several purposes: a) to put one’s small sized personal belongings (e.g. jewelry, money and
other small items), b) to promote problem solving skills, and c) to serve as an aesthetically appealing accessory. In
order to bring this idea to life the design team will first use Creo Parametric to make a design of the puzzle box from
scratch. Then the team will proceed to use the 3D printer in Think[box] to fabricate the design. To open the finished
puzzle box, the user must use trial and error to decipher the combination. We plan to test the success of our puzzle
box by letting Case students try to solve it. A random sample of students will try to open the puzzle box, and their
comments will be taken into consideration. This will allow us to gage the success of the project. The exterior of the
puzzle box, is meant to be creative and eye-catching, thus it may have patterns and engravings; while the interior
might have several visible and hidden compartments. This product should be fun to use and it will also keep the
user’s problem solving skills active.
30
Project Mentors: Professor Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Professor Cooke, Department
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and Professor Iammarino, Department of English.
Utilizing 3D CAD Software and Think[box] to Produce a Puzzle Box:
Creation, Manufacture, and Design of a Complicated, Useful, and Intriguing Puzzle Box
Colleen Kennedy, Department of Chemical Engineering; Eric Sullivan, Department of Chemical Engineering;
Raymond Yang, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Puzzle boxes are a valuable source of intrigue, serving as useful storage containers shrouded behind an intricate
maze of clever designs that must be overcome to be opened. Our group strives to design and create a puzzle box
that embodies these ideals. The box should be unique, suitably large, and engaging. A deep understanding of CAD
software will be necessary for the creation of the puzzle box, especially in Adobe Illustrator and Creo to create 2D
and 3D models. Through the use of Think[box], we will manufacture and assemble our design using the 3D printer,
woodcutter or laser cutter, depending on the material deemed most appropriate for the construction of the
product. Ideally, the puzzle box will succeed in being functional, useful, and interesting, showcasing the innovative
techniques and problem-solving abilities of our group. The final artifact will be the perfect puzzle box, fulfilling its
role with both reasonable, practical storage space and a complex structural design that will be challenging and
engaging.
Mentors: Dr. Malcolm Cooke, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering;
Dr. Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Religious beliefs and practices in mother-child dyads:
Dyadic flexibility and mutual positivity and negativity in light of religious disparities
Michaela Klco, Department of Psychology, Dr. Arin Connell, Department of Psychology, Abigail
Hughes-Scalise, Department of Psychology, Susan Klostermann, Department of Psychology, Emily
Patton, Department of Psychology
The present study examined the link between familial interpersonal relationships and religious beliefs and practices.
Specifically, mother-child dyads were the focus. Data from a family study was used to compare dyadic flexibility
and mutual positivity and negativity across three discussion tasks against teen and parent scores in religiosity and the
difference between the scores. Based on the literature, hypotheses expected to see more mutual positivity and
dyadic flexibility across tasks in dyads where both teen and parent were highly religious. Preliminary correlation
analysis and analysis of variance showed that dyads where both parent and teen tended to be more religious showed
the greatest amount of dyadic flexibility but only in the conflict discussion task. These dyads also demonstrated
more mutual positivity within the conflict discussion task. Teens also self reported more perceived positive family
interactions if they tended to be more religious. As correlations are not strong evidence for connections, data other
than self report, like the types used in this study, are quite strong and lend further support to the proposed
hypotheses. Further directions for these findings are discussed.
Project Mentor: Dr. Arin Connell, Department of Psychology
***
Documentation at the Lorain County Health Department Adult Health Clinics
Emily Kreiner, Department of Nursing; Brianna Parks, Department of Nursing
The Lorain County Health Department runs eight Adult Health Clinics that deliver care to county
residents aged 55 years and older, free of charge. Currently the clinics utilize two forms, a self-health
history form filled out by first-time clients and an initial nursing assessment form filled out by health
department nurses on the initial appointment. Both forms were created and last updated in 1975. According to
31
nursing surveys and record audits of current client charts, the forms are repetitive, lengthy, often left incomplete, not
easily utilized by the served age group, and lack evidence-based content. These form failures deleteriously affect
nursing care plan formulation and patient health outcomes. Thus, this research focused on the effects of creating a
combination form updated with evidence-based practice specifically in relation to form return, overall record
completeness, and section completeness in order to increase the effectiveness of care provided at the Lorain County
Adult Health Clinics.
Project Mentor: Gayle Petty, Department of Nursing
***
The Importance of Visual Acuity Screenings in the Geriatric Population
Victoria Krogg, Department of Nursing; Shannon Liauw, Department of Nursing
As individuals age, their visual function may undergo physical change influenced by natural causes,
environment, or eye conditions (i.e. cataracts, glaucoma, diabetes retinopathy, trauma). Loss in visual
function can impact how they drive, read, ambulate, and how they maintain personal safety. This
research is focused on identifying if there is a vision problem within the Fairfax community and to increase the
number of patients who take the appropriate measures to maintain ocular health. Visual acuity screenings were
administered to the randomly selected geriatric patients using a questionnaire and hand-held Rosenbaum chart. An
informational sheet regarding visual acuity patient education was also distributed to the patient post- examination.
The results showed that vision quality in the patients is not being properly treated or screened. Many patients had
health conditions (i.e. diabetes) that impacted their vision quality. Patients also lacked the means to receive
optometry care and did not attend regular check-ups. The functional status of vision is a serious issue that needs to
be addressed in our elderly population.
Faculty Mentor: Gayle Petty, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Lemarchand’s Box
Matthew Zembas, Department of Chemical Engineering; McFerran Landis, Department of Computer
Engineering; Austin Mak, Case School of Engineering
As thieves constantly adapt to innovations in security with more creative ways of stealing, there is an everincreasing need for secure and reliable storage. Many people turn to safe deposit boxes or giant safes, but both of
these resources are incredibly inconvenient for holding items of moderate value. We aim to design a small box that
can be easily transported, conveniently opened with the known combination, and nearly impossible to break into
without destruction of all materials. The title, Lemarchand’s Box, is derived from a mythical puzzle box which
supposedly had such unique craftsmanship that it was impossible to break into without the true configuration. In
order to duplicate this clever configuration, our design implements the use of multiple unlocking mechanisms, at
least one of which is dependent on an outside object such as a magnet. The use of these unique design aspects leaves
our puzzle box with an infinite number of possible unlocking methods. This puzzle box will primarily be
constructed using plywood, superglue, and a laser cutter. These materials allow for easy transportation and storage, a
quality that most other safes lack. With the Lemarchand’s Box, it is no longer necessary to sacrifice convenience,
accessibility, or transportability when it comes to ensuring the safety of the things you care for most.
Project Mentor: Professor Malcolm Cooke, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
32
Isonitrile Synthases (WwisnA and WwisnB) of Terrestrial Cyanobacteria:
Mechanistic Insights from Homology-Based Three Dimensional Structures
William R. Lang, Department of Chemistry; Brittney M. Bunn, Department of Chemistry; and Rajesh
Viswanathan, Department of Chemistry
Natural products (secondary metabolites, e. g. penicillin and vinca alkaloids) continue to revolutionize modern
medicine. Marine photosynthetic bacteria (blue green, cyanobacteria) recently have shown promise as fruitful sources of
lead molecules in drug discovery efforts. Filamentous soil cyanobacteria, however, have remained underexplored for their
biosynthetic potential. We report the first collective genomic analysis and cluster identification for isonitrile biosynthesis
in four distinct soil cyanobacterial strains. Specifically, a new sub-cluster of genes encoding for biosynthesis of tryptophan
isonitriles (WwisnA and WwisnB) have been identified and functionally studied for the biosynthesis of terpene indole
alkaloids. These alkaloids have a unique biosynthetic pathway and lead to 65 individual natural products. Selected
members of these terpene indole alkaloids inhibit P-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux, thus possessing resistance-reversal
activity. The specific goal of this study is to create an ensemble of three-dimensional models based on structure and
sequence homology for the isonitrile synthases from various prokaryotic systems. Using bioinformatics three-dimensional
models of newly identified cyanobacterial WwisnA and WwisnB were created and compared to proteobacterial (IsnA and
B) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PvcA and PvcB, PDB IDs: 3E59 and 3EAT) isonitrile synthases. In the absence of an
X-ray crystallographic data for WwisnA and WwisnB, this ensemble will serve to delineate the mechanism of isonitrile
biosynthesis in cyanobacteria. Recent results from heterologous expression, stereoselective substrate synthesis, and a
mechanistic hypothesis for isonitrile biosynthesis will be highlighted in this presentation. Isonitriles are biologically active
molecules and a brief review of their medicinal potential will be highlighted. Our laboratory employs combinatorial
biosynthesis strategies to create unnatural analogs with better biological profiles as well as the ability to employ genetic
manipulations to create biologically active small molecules.
Graphical abstract:
C
COOH
N
H
C
N
NH2
WIsnA
N
COOH
N
H
WIsnB
N
H
Figure: Homologs PvcA and PvcB are shown on the left and right of the equation describing biosynthesis of
antibiotic isonitrile.
Faculty Sponsor: Rajesh Viswanathan, Department of Chemistry.
***
Craniofacial C57BL/6 Mouse Index
Linda Le, Department of Biology; Bin Yang, Department of Otolaryngology, Post-Doctoral Fellow
C57BL/6 is among one of the most commonly used strains of laboratory mice. However, no craniofacial index has been
established for this strain. A craniofacial index will potentially help many researchers compare craniofacial data without
the need to sacrifice numerous mice and would save researchers the time and resources needed to perform these tedious
measurements. Additionally, a simple, low-cost method for measuring mouse craniofacial morphology is introduced here
using a combination of techniques from other research papers. Craniofacial measurements of control C57BL/6 mice from
multiple experiments are compiled and analyzed. These control mice display no mutational phenotypes, but may harbor
various recessive mutations. This project aims to establish a craniofacial index for C57BL/6 mice and to introduce an
effective method for performing mouse craniofacial measurements.
Project mentor: Dr. Qing Y. Zheng, Department of Otolaryngology-HNS
Faculty sponsor: Professor Barbara Kuemerle, Department of Biology
33
Describing the Perceived Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Cupping for Treatment of Orthopedic
Pain Among Geriatric individuals in Wuhan China
Erika Lim, Sophie Malamut, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve
University; HOPE School of Nursing; Qing Shan Community Health Center
Musculoskeletal disease is a major health problem among geriatric individuals living in Wuhan, China.
Pain is the most common symptom of musculoskeletal disease and it is often inadequately treated. The Qing Shan
Community Health Center in Wuhan, China treats orthopedic pain using a combination of acupuncture and cupping.
This research describes the perceived effectiveness of traditional Chinese acupuncture and cupping to reduce
orthopedic pain among 30 individuals 65 years of age or older both immediately after treatment with acupuncture
and cupping and the change in perceived effectiveness based on treatment duration. The comparison groups were 1)
patients receiving treatment for 2 weeks or less; 2) patients receiving treatment for 1 to 2 months; and 3) patients
receiving treatment for over 1 year. A numeric pain scale was used to assess patient pain. Perception of pain relief
was measured by comparing a patient’s perceived pain before treatment with a patient’s perceived pain immediately
after treatment. Immediately after treatment 30 of 30 patients reported a decrease in pain levels. The mean reported
decrease in pain levels were 1) 22.5 percent for patients receiving treatment for 2 weeks or less; 2) 54.5 percent for
patients receiving treatment for 1 to 2 months; and 3) 54 percent for patients receiving treatment for over 1 year. The
findings revealed a direct relationship between perceived treatment effectiveness and treatment duration. Treatment
effectiveness increases as treatment duration increases, however, when treatment exceeds one year the effect of
treatment plateaus.
Project Mentor: Dr. Marilyn Lotas, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University
***
Twenty-year evolution of the gp120 envelope protein of HIV-1 in Belgium and
Cameroon with respect to fitness and neutralizing antibody sensitivity.
Joseph Liu, Department of Biology and Department of Philosophy; Denis Tebit, Ph.D., Division of Infectious
Diseases and HIV Medicine, Eric J. Arts, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV
Medicine, and Crystal Carpenter.
The historic treatment of HIV-1has employed highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to eradicate the virus,
but only suppressed the progression of the virus in vivo and revealed the ability of the virus to evolve through
recombination and generation of novel recombinant forms. The recent emergence of HIV-1 specific neutralizing
antibodies for vaccine development has offered new possibilities in combating the pandemic. This study intends to
investigate the phenotypic and genotypic evolution of the gp120 envelope protein of HIV-1 in Belgium and
Cameroon over a twenty year period of the HIV pandemic, with respect to fitness and neutralizing antibody
sensitivity. In particular, we propose that non-subtype B viruses from Cameroon might have attenuated and
progressively evolved towards resistance to neutralizing antibodies, due to non-specific mutations in the
hypervariable regions of the gp120 region of the env gene caused by the immune system. Understanding these
evolutionary dynamics between long-term attenuation of HIV-1 and viral responses to neutralizing antibodies, and
humoral immune responses as a whole, can greatly contribute to the development of effective vaccine treatments.
Project Mentor: Denis Tebit, Ph.D., Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine
Faculty Sponsor: Emmitt Jolly, Ph.D., Department of Biology
34
Promoting Awareness of the Components of Healthy Relationships in St. Thomas, USVI
Madeline McMorrow, Nursing; Kaitlyn Roudebush, Nursing; Dr. Maxine Nunez, Professor of
Nursing, St. Thomas
According to The Virgin Islands Department of Public Health, domestic violence is increasing in St.
Thomas. Domestic violence is defined as patterns of abuse against an individual to gain control over
them. Abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, and verbal. Domestic violence is becoming an epidemic throughout
the United States as nearly 1/3 of American women reported of being physically or sexually abused by a husband or
boyfriend during their life with higher rates in some Caribbean cultures. The objective of our project in the US
Virgin Islands, St. Thomas was to bring awareness to women about what factors constitute a healthy relationship
and to empower them to take self-protective actions. We created a seven week lesson plan geared towards woman
ages 18 to 45 about topics that relate to healthy relationships. We provided our teaching interventions for one hour
once a week at two locations: The Family Resource Center and The Family Planning Clinic. At each location, we
taught lessons about self-esteem, STDs, domestic violence, conflict resolution and other topics that are related to
healthy relationships. We incorporated different methods into our teaching including verbal instruction,
demonstration, worksheets, pamphlets, posters, and interactive power point presentations. There was an average of
three to eight people in each class. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of our teaching, we used post-survey
questions directly related to the lesson that was just taught. It was expected that the women would have an increased
knowledge of 20% by the end of the lesson.
Dr. Lynn Lotas, Associate Professor; Director of the BSN Program, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Green your Lab at CWRU – “Treat your lab like your second home.”
Jenna Millemaci, BA Candidate English, BA Candidate Environmental Studies
There are 1300 laboratories at Case Western Reserve University. According to Duke University, research labs can
require five times more energy to operate than classrooms and office spaces on a per square foot basis. As part of
CWRU’s Climate Action Plan, the Department of Campus Planning and Facilities is working toward significantly
reducing the university’s utility usage and carbon footprint. Campus labs have been identified as areas of particular
concern for their enormous output, prompting the launch of the “Green your Lab” Campaign this fall of 2012. The
campaign will introduce the Green Lab Certification Program, an incentivized certification system created to
encourage lab personnel to make small changes for an overall larger benefit to their lab and the university as a
whole. The system was modeled after accomplished green lab programs at other universities, such as Yale, MIT,
Harvard, and Duke. The benefits of practicing sustainability in the lab environment are both tangible and conceptual,
promoting unity, monetary savings, a better professional lifestyle within the lab, and advancement in the overall
success of the university. Lab managers, PIs, or an appointed “green liaison” will be in charge of keeping track of
the lab’s sustainable actions through an interactive checklist, featuring categories such as Energy, Procurement, and
Waste Management. The green liaison will then report back to the Office for Sustainability with the purpose of
earning a corresponding green certification level. Labs will be encouraged to participate on a voluntary basis.
Project Mentors: Stephanie Corbett, Director of Sustainability, Gene Matthews, Director of Facilities, Department
of Campus Planning and Facilities Office for Sustainability
***
Impact of a Transition Nursing Program on Patient Satisfaction and Long-Term Readmission
Rates in Individuals with Congestive Heart Failure
Melissa Moore, BSN; Brandon Pach, BSN
Starting in October, 2012, hospitals with above-average readmission rates for heart failure will be
financially penalized by Medicare. Therefore, hospitals across the nation have developed programs to
improve the process of transition from hospital to home in order to minimize hospital re-admissions and subsequent
35
revenue loss. Between the years of 2006-2009, Southwest General Health Center (SWGHC) had a rate of
readmission for heart failure patients of 29%, which was significantly worse than the U.S. rate of 24.7%. In May,
2011, a transition-nursing program (TNP) was implemented by the community-nursing department at SWGHC. A
home visit and telephone follow up calls were conducted for each individual for one-month post discharge. After
one year, the 30-day readmission rate for the 185 heart failure patients enrolled in the program was 4.86%. The
objective of this project was to identify the incidence of re-admissions after that 30-day period, to evaluate the
effectiveness of the TNP in reducing long-term readmission rates. Readmissions were recorded for the 30-60 and
60-90 day periods following discharge, and the cause of readmission was documented. A survey was conducted to
determine patient satisfaction with the program and their level of comprehension regarding the education they
received during the program. The survey demonstrated high patient satisfaction with moderate content retention.
Faculty Sponsor: Marilyn J. Lotas, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing BSN program director
***
Joe Plazek, Case School of Engineering; Marla Vaughn, Department of Biochemistry; Zachary Mufti, Case
School of Engineering
Most storage boxes are straightforward and mundane. For this project, we will create an intricate, useful, and
entertaining puzzle box that incorporates a secret compartment. This puzzle box should not only serve the purpose
of storage, but should also become a toy in itself for the user to enjoy. To build the puzzle box, the group will
brainstorm different alternative designs and from these, we will create the final design. We will utilize the Creo
Parametric CAD Software to build a model of the final design and will print out the final product with the threedimensional fabrication machinery in Think[box]. This product will be a storage box with a locking mechanism that
will open when the puzzle is solved, revealing its internal compartment. To be successful, this box must fulfill a set
of requirements that will make it effective and alluring. The box must, first and foremost, fulfill the storage space
requirement, or else no user would desire it as a box. However, the box must also be a challenging puzzle for almost
no user, except the owner, to be able to open the box. Therefore, it would provide a safe place to house valuables.
Last, the solution to the box cannot require too many steps, or else it would be too inconvenient to access the hidden
storage.
Project Mentors: Dr. Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Malcolm Cooke, Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Dr. Iammarino, Department of English.
***
Medication Assessment and Documentation in the Public Health Setting
Patrick Murphy, School of Nursing; Morgan Redenshek, School of Nursing
Patient medication management and adherence are problems that healthcare professionals are faced with
every day. The population at the Adult Health Clinic, a nurse operated free clinic for individuals 55 years
of age and older, was previously identified as having a medication adherence issue. After 50 face to face
surveys were completed, findings revealed that clients were actually medication adherent. Informal interviews with
staff and 50 random chart reviews concluded that documentation did not reflect the clients’ compliance and the
medication assessments completed at the Adult Health Clinics. In this project evidence-based practice solutions and
methods were developed to refine assessments of patient medication management for this particular public health
service. Revised guidelines, updated forms and a seasonal “brown bag” assessment were proposed. The goal of this
project was to refine the Adult Health Clinic guidelines and facilitate a comprehensive and sustainable medication
assessment and documentation system for future implementation.
Project Mentor: Cheryl Killion, PhD, RN, FAAN, School of Nursing
36
The Role of Soil Heterogeneity on the Competition and Coexistence of Invasive Species
Elizabeth Odil, Department of Biology; Dr. Angela J. Brandt, Department of Biology; Ryan Eldridge,
Department of Biology at OSU; Gaston Del Pino, Department of Biology; Dr. Jean H. Burns,
Department of Biology
Both soil heterogeneity and competition have been shown to affect the growth of plants. This suggests
that there is a relationship between soil heterogeneity and competition but this has not been studied,
particularly the mechanism. Plant-soil feedbacks, how microbes in the soil affect plant growth, are known to play a
role in the coexistence of plants. This research seeks to investigate the relationship between soil heterogeneity and
coexistence of two closely related invasive species, Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata. Each plant is grown
by itself, with its conspecific, and with its congener. Each competition combination is grown in a homogeneous soil
mixture, and in two heterogeneous mixtures, one in its own soil and another in its congener soil. Preliminary nondestructive data suggests that P. lanceolata performs better in its home soil than in its congener soil or in a
homogeneous mixture due to plant-soil feedbacks or local adaptation. Further investigations will look at the role
and mechanism of root foraging of these two species. Using the same setup and after being given enough time to
grow, the biomass of plants will be taken and the roots will be dyed in order to tell them apart between the two
plants. This may further our understanding of coexistence and community assembly.
Project Mentor: Dr. Jean H. Burns, Department of Biology
***
Mimicking Platelet-Cancer Cell Interactions for Targeted Drug Delivery
in Metastatic Breast Cancer
C. Modery1, V. Pan1, G. Howard1, A. Master1, and A. Sen Gupta1
1
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH
Platelets have been implicated to play important roles in hematologic metastasis of breast cancer, by (i) facilitating
intravasion of tumor cells by secreting chemokines, cytokines, and proteases, (ii) binding to circulating tumor cells
(CTCs) to form microthrombi “cloaks” that allow evasion of immune-surveillance, (iii) promoting adhesion of the
CTCs to secondary site vascular wall under hemodynamic flow, and (iv) facilitating tumor cell extravasation and
inflammatory microenvironment development for metastatic colonies. We hypothesize that identifying molecular
mechanisms of platelet-cancer cell interactions and mimicking them on synthetic particles may provide effective
ways of actively targeted drug delivery to metastatic breast cancers. To test this, we first quantified expression of
platelet-relevant receptors on two human breast cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7 (non-metastatic) and MDA-MB231 (pro-metastatic), using immunofluorescence techniques. Next, we studied interactions of platelets with these
cancer cells under hemodynamically relevant flow, by allowing fluorescently pre-stained platelets to flow over the
cancer cells for 30 min at 5 dynes/cm2, in a parallel-plate flow chamber. The platelet-binding was quantified using
fluorescence intensity analysis. Utilizing this insight, we engineered fluorescently-labeled, ligand-decorated plateletmimetic liposomes and allowed them to flow over the cancer cells and quantified the liposome-binding using
fluorescence intensity analysis. Our results show enhanced expression of certain platelet-relevant receptors on
MDA-MB-231 compared to MCF-7 cells, facilitating their higher interactions with platelets. Mimicking these
interactions with the platelet-mimetic liposomal constructs enabled enhanced binding to MDA-MB-231 compared to
MCF-7 cells. These studies can lead to effective ways of creating drug-loaded vehicles that specifically target
metastatic breast cancers.
Project Mentor: Dr. Anirban Sen Gupta, Department of Biomedical Engineering
37
Characterization of the Immune Response to Plant Viral Nanoparticle Tobacco Mosaic Virus for HIV
Vaccine Platform Application
Pooja Rambhia1, Sourabh Shukla3, Neil Greenspan2* and Nicole F. Steinmetz3,4,5*
Department of Biochemistry1, Department of Pathology2, Department of Biomedical Engineering3, Radiology4,
Materials Science and Engineering5, School of Medicine
Introduction: A major goal of current efforts directed at developing an HIV-1 vaccine is to determine how to elicit
durable titers of potent broadly-neutralizing antibodies. The hypothesis we ultimately wish to test is that highly-ordered
multivalent display of a relevant HIV-1 antigen will facilitate the above goal. Traditional approaches to generating
multivalent antigens yield variable inter-epitope spacing and geometry. With these methods, the best that can be
accomplished is a pre-determined average spacing. In contrast, creating a deterministic epitope array, in which interepitope spacing and geometry are more uniform, is a major challenge. To address this challenge, we embraced a bioinspired approach, specifically the plant pathogen tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). TMV is a 300 by 18 nm rod-like, helical
structure composed of 2130 identical coat proteins. We are assessing it as a platform for deterministic multivalent epitope
display of HIV-1 antigens capable of eliciting potent broadly-neutralizing antibodies. Modification of TMV can be
performed by either genetic or chemical means, thereby transforming the viral particle into a scaffold for multivalent
ligand display. In order to use TMV as a platform for the multivalent presentation and delivery of the HIV-1 surface
antigen, gp41, it is imperative to understand and thoroughly characterize the immunogenicity of TMV in vivo.
Materials and Methods: Immunogenic characterization of TMV involved immunizing C57BL/6J mice with TMV using
subcutaneous and intraperitoneal administrations. Solid-phase ELISA assays were subsequently employed to evaluate the
antigen-specific serum antibody titer, relative to IgG, IgM and IgA responses.
Results and Discussion: Preliminary results indicate no immunogenicity of TMV in eliciting an IgA response, minimal
IgG reponse, and a substantial IgM response, all of which are consistent with a thymus-independent immune response.
Future experiments will involve immunizing mice with a higher dose of TMV and over longer periods of time. Subsequent
experimentation will include conjugating peptides from the gp41 coat protein of HIV-1 to TMV in order to evaluate the
immune response of TMV-gp41 conjugates.
Acknowledgements: Pooja Rambhia acknowledges support from a Provost - Summer Undergraduate Research Grant at
Case Western Reserve University, as well as the Greenspan and Steinmetz labs.
Faculty Mentor: Neil Greenspan M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pathology, and Nicole F. Steinmetz Ph.D.,
Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
ERK Signaling in ASD Associated with Copy Number Variation of 16p11.2
Vibha Ramesh, Department of Biology; Colleen Karlo, Department of Neurosciences, Dr. Joanna
Pucilowska, Department of Neurosciences, and Dr. Gary Landreth, Department of Neurosciences
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be characterized by changes in the genetic sequence like
deletions, duplications and mutations. The 16p deletion/duplication represents just one of these, and in
fact is the most common genetic linkage present in 1% of all individuals with ASD. Two extracellular signal-related
kinases that are known to control brain development are ERK1 and ERK2. The ERK1 gene is located on the
16p11.2 locus on chromosome 16. Altered expression of one or more genes in the 16p11.2 chromosomal region
leads to deregulation of the ERK/MAP kinase-signaling pathway and may result in pathological and cognitive
defects commonly associated with ASD. Western blot assays were run and analyzed to provide information on the
different protein levels between the wild type mice and the mice that harbor the 16p11.2 deletion. These deletion
mice are heterozygous and have only one copy of the ERK1 gene. By looking for changes in the ERK1/ERK2 levels
and the ERK 1/2 phosphorylation activity, we can prove that changes in the ERK activity may contribute to the
deficits observed in mouse models of Autism and ASD patients.
Project Mentor: Dr. Gary Landreth, Department of Neurosciences
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Emmitt Jolly, Department of Biology
38
Signaling through the HGF receptor c-Met stimulates oligodendrocyte proliferation and
inhibits astrocyte proliferation
Lahiru Ranasinghe, Department of Biology; Jordan Hecker, Department of Neuroscience; and Dr.
Robert H. Miller, Department of Neuroscience
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is produced by mesenchymal cells and acts on epithelial and endothelial
cells. Recent studies have shown however, that HGF also plays a role in the fate of neural cells that develop into
astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. Oligodendrocytes are myelinating cells of the central nervous system and astrocytes
form the blood-brain barrier. An oncogene known as c-Met codes for a tyrosine kinase receptor called Hepatocyte
Growth Factor Receptor (HGFR). A previous study showed that when c-Met was blocked by an antibody in
Multiple Sclerosis mouse models, oligodendrocyte and oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation were
inhibited and astrocyte proliferation was stimulated. The purpose of this research is to analyze the role of c-Met of
neural cell proliferation in development. Using CreloxP technology, mice were genetically modified to knock out
the c-Met oncogene, thus removing HGFR. When mice are age P3, their spinal cords were cultured using a
dissociated cell culture protocol. Four and seven days after the cultures were established, they were stained with
antibody markers that identified oligodendrocytes (O4), OPC’s (A2B5) and astrocytes (GFAP). C-Met knockout
mice showed markedly decreased concentrations of both OPC’s and oligodendrocytes, up to %50, whereas astrocyte
concentrations in these same animals increased by over %400. These data show that signaling through c-Met
stimulates oligodendrocyte development and inhibits astrocyte development.
Project Mentor: Dr. Robert H. Miller, Department of Neuroscience
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Roy Ritzmann, Department of Biology
***
Biodistribution of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Rods and Spheres
Lauren Randolph, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Michael Bruckman, Department of Biomedical
Engineering; Stephen Hern, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Allen VanMeter, Department of Biomedical
Engineering; Prof. Nicole F. Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, Materials Science and
Engineering
Nanotechnology has the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment of cancer or cardiovascular disease.
Nanoparticles are well suited for this purpose; they can simultaneously display several different molecules, such as
targeting ligands and imaging molecules, providing increased imaging sensitivity and tissue specificity. Viral
nanoparticles (VNPs) from plants are ideal for the development of tissue-specific imaging devices. Naturally
occurring, VNPs are well characterized with known structures that can be engineered with atomic resolution. For
clinical application, a detailed understanding of the in vivo biodistribution, clearance and potential toxicity of these
particles is required. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is a hollow, rod shaped virus with different interior and exterior
surface functionalities. TMV spheres were generated through heat-mediated shape switching methods. TMV rods
and spheres were labeled with PEG and near-infrared fluorophores using bioconjugate chemistries. TMV-based
nanoparticle formulations were injected into Balb/c mice intravenously. Time course studies were conducted; all
major organs were collected and analyzed: i) quantitative assays were developed to determine the amount of TMV
in each tissue at each time point (4, 24, 96 hrs), and ii) immunofluorescence studies were performed to gain
understanding of where within the tissues TMV localizes. TMV rods and spheres were found to have comparable
biodistribution and clearance profiles: the nanorods and spheres accumulate in liver and spleen indicating clearance
by the reticuloendothelial system. Immunofluorescence studies revealed co-localization with macrophages in both
the spleen and liver at early time points, and later time points showed B-cell particle uptake in the spleen.
Faculty Sponsor: Prof. Nicole F. Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, Materials Science
and Engineering
39
The stream drift paradox: How are Northern two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata)
populations maintained?
Jeremy Rayl, Department of Biology, Mike Benard, Department of Biology
Animals that live in streams face continual pressure to move downstream due to water flow (i.e., “drift”),
yet are still able to maintain upstream populations; this is known as the paradox of stream drift. Several
hypotheses have been proposed to describe how these populations are maintained while drift occurs. The
colonization hypothesis states that an upstream movement bias of later life-stages, typically adults, is necessary to
maintain stable populations. Alternatively, the production hypothesis states that drift is density-dependent and no
upstream movement bias is necessary to maintain stable populations. We sought to answer these questions in
Northern Two-Lined salamanders (Eurycea bislineata) by performing a capture-mark-recapture study on these
salamanders in a stream at Squire Valleevue Farm. Northern Two-Lined salamanders have two life stages: two to
three years as fully aquatic larvae, and sexually mature adults that are primarily terrestrial but remain close to the
stream. Over the course of six weeks, adult salamanders were marked with unique color combinations of Visible
Implant Elastomer to identify their original stream section. We estimated population size and tested if salamanders
were more likely to move upstream or downstream. Additionally, we designed larval traps to observe upstream and
downstream movement bias of the aquatic larval-stage. These data are important to understand movement dynamics
of organisms in the two-dimensional stream environment. If the colonization hypothesis is correct, we expect
upstream bias in the adults to compensate for downstream larval movement. Conversely, if the production
hypothesis is correct, we’d expect no adult movement bias along with downstream larval movement.
Project Mentor: Dr. Mike Benard, Department of Biology
***
The Influence of Religion and Geography on the Rituals of Papua New Guinea and Aboriginal Australia
Sarah Richmond, Department of Anthropology
Anthropological research often reveals connections between seemingly unrelated aspects of a culture. This paper
will examine the relationship between societal behavior and nature as well as the interactions between religion and
nature and draw connections between the two. It will examine the indigenous groups of New Guinea and Australia,
comparing and contrasting both the rituals in which they participate and their daily activities in order to find
connections between them. In particular, it will examine rituals and behaviors involving food and the specifics of
each region’s physical characteristics. Finally, the paper will argue that all of these aspects are interconnected and
affect each other in a variety of ways. Essentially, the rituals performed by a particular society, in these cases
indigenous groups, are influenced by both the religion of the group as well as the geography of the region.
Faculty Advisor: Lawrence Greksa, Department of Anthropology
***
Optimization of Indium-Limited Transparent Conductive Oxides
for use in Organic Photovoltaics
Shawn Rupp, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering; Ken Singer, Department of Physics; Ina
Martin, MORE Center
Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) has received significant attention in recent years for its potential application as
a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) to be used in organic photovoltaics. AZO has a large enough bandgap to
allow optical transparency, can achieve fairly high levels of conductivity via doping, is processable at room
temperature via sputter deposition, and comprises abundant materials. In this study, AZO thin films were prepared
via DC magnetron sputtering. Films comprising only AZO were prepared under a variety of conditions in order to
optimize the transparency and conductivity. In order to determine optimal deposition parameters, factors including
40
deposition pressure, oxygen concentration in the gas flow, deposition rate and film thickness were varied. The
transmission, surface roughness, film thickness, and conductivity were measured for each film. The optical
transmission increased as the deposition pressure decreased, with the film deposited under 5 mTorr having the
highest degree of transparency, ~87% in the visible range. The resistivity of the films decreased as the film
thickness increased, and the most conductive film deposited had a volume resistivity of 7.45 x 10-3 Ω-cm. Further
optimization is needed in order to achieve a resistivity comparable to an indium tin oxide (ITO) film, which is
typically at least 10-4 Ω-cm.
Project Mentor: Ina Martin, MORE Center
***
Quantitative Comparison of Gated and Real-Time Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Srijita Sarkar, Department of Biochemistry; Victoria Yeh, Medical Student; Vidya Nadig, Cardiac Fellow; Nicole
Seiberlich, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Cardiac MRI plays a vital role in the diagnosis, treatment, and assessment of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately,
the state-of-the art-cardiac MR examination requires the patient to perform multiple breathholds and have a steady
ECG. Often one or both of these requirements are not met by the cardiac patient, leading to poor image quality, long
scan times, and inaccurate functional parameter estimation. Recently, our lab has developed a fast MR imaging
technique, which makes real-time cardiac imaging possible. This technique uses novel data acquisition strategies
along with advanced MRI signal processing algorithms, which allows data to be acquired in less than 50ms per
frame. With this high frame rate, ECG gating and breathholding are not necessary for the cardiac MRI scan. Our
research is concerned with validating the real-time cardiac scanning against the clinical gold standard to determine if
the image quality is sufficient for the determination of cardiac functional parameters. We have collected data from
volunteers and patients using both the real-time scan and the gold standard methods. The data is reconstructed using
computer software, and relevant functional parameters are compared. The images are then rated by a cardiologist to
determine whether key anatomical features are visible in the real-time images. The ability to acquire cardiac images
and accurately calculate cardiac functional parameters without relying on breathholding or ECG triggering would
lead to enhanced images, fewer repeated scans, shorter scan time, and improved patient comfort.
Project Mentor: Dr. Nicole Seiberlich, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Synthesis of Anode Material for Lithium-ion Polymer Batteries via a Two Phase Synthetic Method
Dhruv Seshadri, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
In this study, different weight percent’s of 750 molecular weight purified Poly(ethylene-oxide) (PEO) were tested to
determine which percent would yield a stable cycling capacity. PEO was cross-linked and uniformly coated via the
free radical initiator AIBN onto the graphite surface via a two-phase synthesis. Different amounts of PEO were
added to determine an optimum PEO amount to yield stable cycling. The goal of this project was to determine the
amount of PEO needed to minimize the irreversible capacity related to both the molecular weight and the surface
area of graphite (carbonaceous material). Slurry consisting of the PEO coated graphite mixture and other materials
were applied as a laminate onto a copper foil to form the electrode. 0.3% PEO coated graphite showed the best
adhesion to the copper foil and highest cycling capacity for PEO containing sample. Microscopy analysis concluded
that there was no evidence of segregation or aggregation of the PEO thus indicative of uniform PEO coating on the
graphite surface. We conclude that a two-phase synthesis is an effective process to modify the electrode.
Project Mentor: Dr. Sang Jae Park and Dr. Gao Liu, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Gary Wnek, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
41
Behavioral Inhibition as a Predictor of Social Competence in Children
Tosin Shenbanjo, Department of Psychological Sciences; Kimberly Dunbeck, Department of
Psychological Sciences; Dr. Amy Przeworski, Department of Psychological Sciences
Behavioral inhibition presently describes the tendency for one to exhibit fear and withdrawal in new or
unknown situations (Rosenbaum et al., 2000), while social competence refers to the extent to which a
person is socially accepted by his peers (Cohn, 1990). Current research exploring both behavioral inhibition and
social competence in children is predominantly limited to separate analyses of the psychopathological implications
of each construct. In an effort to broaden the understanding of the processes by which children’s peer relationships
may be affected by both behavioral inhibition and social competence, the present study aims to explore the possible
effects of behavioral inhibition on a child’s parent-perceived social skills. The parents of a sample of young children
ages four to seven, selected to participate in an interactive play study, will complete the Behavioral Inhibition
Questionnaire and the Social Competence Scale-Parent, from which a correlation analysis will be executed. It is
hypothesized that a child’s level of behavioral inhibition will predict his or her level of social competence. From
this, results may serve as a base upon which early social training initiatives for children, serving to promote more
positive schema of social interactions by enhancing social competence and reducing the expression of behavioral
inhibition, may be conceived.
Project Mentor: Kimberly Dunbeck, Department of Psychological Sciences
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Amy Przeworski, Department of Psychological Sciences
Cohn, D.A. (1990). Child-mother attachment of six-year-olds and social competence at school. Child Development,
61, 152-162.
Rosenbaum, J.F., Biederman, J., Hirshfeld-Becker, D.R., Kagan, J., Snidman, N., Friedman, D…Faraone, S.V.
(2000). A controlled study of behavioral inhibition in children of parents with panic disorder and
depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 2002-2010.
***
Determining the efficiency of antibody specificity against FadA protein of Fusobacterium
nucleatum using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Yong Mi Shin, Department of Biology; Yiping W. Han, Department of Periodontics; Mara Guichon
Rubenstein, Department of Periodontics
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a gram-negative oral anaerobe that has been linked to preterm birth through
mother’s periodontal infections. Continuous research elucidating the pathway of infection from mother’s oral cavity
to the compromise of uterus health has suggested a particular protein to be involved in an invasion mechanism of F.
nucleatum called, Fusobacterium adhesin A (FadA). FadA, known to have 129 amino acid residues with 18 amino
acid signal peptide, has two recombinant forms, pre-FadA and mFadA that form a complex significant in structural
and functional purposes. Pre-FadA anchors the FadA complex in the inner membrane and mFadA is secreted in the
outer membrane, which suggests that mFadA adheres specifically to host epithelial cells. FadA, considered highly
conserved among closely related oral Fusobacterium species, opened up the possibilities of building FadA - specific
vaccines. The purpose of the present study was to test various monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies raised against
FadA using ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay). The antibodies were tested against different strains of
Fusobacterium and Escherichia coli expressing FadA to determine their efficiency and specificity for the purpose of
building vaccines against FadA protein.
Project Mentor: Dr. Yiping W. Han, Department of Periodontics
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Dianne Kube, Department of Biology
42
Costa Rican Health Care System and Ethical Principles: A Comparison with the United States’ System
Kendra Simmons, Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University
With the standards of four key ethical principles in mind: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice,
Costa Rica developed a comprehensive health care system that focuses on effective care and total coverage for all
citizens. La Caja is the main form of public health insurance in the country which is run through the government
and driven by the community paying regular premiums. This sector dominates the overall health care system
offering a wide variety of inexpensive services. The private health care, on the other hand, is more specialized and
offers treatments at higher costs for citizens. This project discusses the detailed features and history of the Costa
Rican health care system while tying in aspects of the United States’ system for comparison. In order to relate how
the ethical principles are utilized in the system, euthanasia and end of life practices are also explained. Is life always
viewed as inviolable and sacred? Does the physician always guard the patient’s life and choose the option that is
most beneficial? Overall, health care and underlying principles in Costa Rica continue to mature. Despite
difficulties with quality of treatments, accessibility to resources, and response time for care, the system effectively
operates as it was originally designed.
Project Mentor – Dr. Lawrence Greksa, Department of Anthropology
***
Cost and Benefits of Friendship in Non-Human Primates
Sara Sines, Department of Anthropology, Department of Psychology
Are humans the only primates who form friendships? This presentation reviews the reasons for and benefits of
friendship in non-human primates. It is based on a literature review. I defined "friendship" as preferential interaction
or proximity; that is, two non-human primates prefer or choose to be around each other or interact with each other.
Evidence for primate friendship was found throughout the Primate Order; in Old World Monkeys, New World
Monkeys, and Apes. Non-human primates form friendships that may last for years. These friendships may be
formed between males, between females, and even between males and females. For example, in some baboon
species friendships will be formed between a female with an infant and an adult male that is not the father. What
leads this male to befriend this female even though he did not father the infant? What benefits and costs does
friendship provide for both the female and the male? Research indicated there were many more benefits to nonhuman primate friendship than costs and generally, these benefits outweigh them.
Project Mentor: Professor Cynthia M. Beall, Department of Anthropology
***
Observed stress-induced genetic changes in Linum usitatissimum and how they are related to Turkish Linum
bienne
Kyle Bryant Smith, Department of Biology; Nasmah Bastaki, Department of Biology; and Margaret Cullis,
Department of Biology
Numerous species of flax can be induced by stressful environmental pressures to adapt and pass along these
adaptations to their offspring. This has been shown in previous experiments to be a genetic change and not just a
phenotypic change. Our new focus is taking the discoveries found in Linum usitatissimum and relating them to
Linum bienne. L. bienne is the uncultivated ancestor of L. usitatissimum and also passes on genetic adaptations to its
offspring when grown in stressful environments. Thus it stands to reason that L. bienne has a genetic sequence that
allows stress-induced adaptations to be passed on to the offspring, such as Linum Insertion Sequence 1 (LIS-1) in L.
usitatissimum. The next logical step is to determine whether LIS-1 is present in L. bienne. This is achieved by
comparing L. usitatissimum and L. bienne using polymer chain reactions (PCRs) and gel electrophoresis.
Project Mentor: Dr. Christopher Cullis, Department of Biology
43
Comfortable and Adjustable 3D Movie Glasses
Samuel Sprawls, Physics Department; Kaveh Varghai, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Zaiqian Zhang,
Department of Chemical Engineering
With 3D movies and television becoming more popular and advanced, the glasses we use in order to watch them
have become out of date and unpopular. The discomfort of the one-size-fits-all glasses has become a major reason
why some people avoid 3D movies. Our team hopes to design glasses that will be comfortable to wear for all
viewers. This may be achieved in one of two ways: first making the frame dimensions adjustable and second
incorporating softer materials into the frame. Currently the frames must fit both small children and adults. With an
adjustable frame, less pressure will be exerted on contact points. By using softer material in the main contact zones
above the ears and on the bridge of the nose, the glasses will be less noticeable to the wearer. While comfort will be
the design’s main goal, the design must not forget the importance of the cheap cost of manufacturing and the
durability these glasses rely on. To go about designing these glasses, our team will design and fabricate a prototype
of the glasses using the Reinberger Design Studio and the Think[box] lab. If our design is able to meet all of our
criteria, comfortable while still affordable and durable, 3D movies and television would again become something to
look forward to and perhaps even make 3D technology the standard way of viewing entertainment.
Project Mentors: Professor Patrick Crago, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Professor Malcolm Cooke,
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Dr. Iammarino, Department of English.
***
Network Effects of TP53 and PTEN Mutations in Glioblastoma Multiforme Patients
Elena Svenson, Department of Systems Biology, Giri Gokulrangan, PhD, Gurkan Bebek, PhD, Jill
Barnholtz-Sloan, PhD
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common and also the most fatal of all primary brain
cancers. This cancer displays high heterogeneity in gene and protein expression levels amongst patients.
Mutational status is also noted to be quite heterogenous. This makes it hard to determine which mutations are
“drivers” in the cancer, as opposed to “passengers” and it also makes it challenging to see whether variance in
mRNA levels correlates to a proteomic impact. Utilizing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) patient dataset, this
project studies two of the top mutated genes in GBM – TP53 and PTEN - and traces differences in their mRNA
levels through to differential patterns in their respective proteomic sub-networks. This allows a connection to be
made between mutational genomic data and functional proteomic data, by considering an integrated approach to
mutational effects on protein pathways.
Project Mentor: Mark Chance, Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case School Of Medicine
***
Hyaluronan Oligomer Delivering Nanoparticles for Localized In Vivo Elastic Matrix Regenerative
Therapies
Andrew Sylvester, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid
Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation,
9500 Euclid Avenue, ND 20, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are localized expansions of the abdominal aortic wall which weaken over
time and can eventually rupture fatally. Small AAAs grow at a slow rate (~10% per year) and can take 5 or more
years to rupture. This period of passive growth monitoring is ideal for drug therapy to slow, arrest or even reverse
AAA growth via regenerative repair of enzymatically disrupted matrix structures within AAAs. PLGA
nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated with varying percent loadings of HA-o were synthesized and were shown to
exhibit mean hydrodynamic sizes of ~350 nm which is appropriate for exclusion by cells in the extracellular space
44
where elastic matrix assembly occurs. These NPs were formed using 0.25% PVA to impart a negative charge of
30 mV which does not effect cell viability when used at 0.5 mg/mL. The NPs were found to maintain HA-o release
over an extended period (>30 days) at steady-state levels. The NPs and released HA-o induced dose dependent
increases in elastic matrix synthesis, and increases in LOX and Fibrillin-1 production important to elastic matrix
crosslinking and fiber formation respectively. In addition the HA-o NPs provide no activation of MMPs or their
activity based on western blots and gel zymography. Future studies will focus on targeted delivery of these
optimized PLGA HA - o NP formulations using a catheter to the site of induced AAAs within a rat model. This
will be studied in vivo with a rat model with elastase perfusion induced AAAs.
Project Mentor: Balakrishnan
Sivaraman, Principal Investigator:
Anand Ramamurthi
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, ND 20,
Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
***
Effects of modulation of energy expenditure on body weight in mice with cystic fibrosis
Erica Tangney, Department of Biology; Mitchell Drumm, Department of Pediatrics; and Ilya
Bederman, Department of Pediatrics
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a congenital lethal disease caused by a mutation in the gene coding for the cystic
fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. Humans with CF typically exhibit
retarded growth resulting in low body weight, length and BMI for age. Since low BMI positively correlates with
pulmonary function and survival in patients with CF, achieving healthy body weight and BMI are important clinical
goals. Despite high-fat high-energy diets, CF patients struggle to meet these goals. Elevated energy expenditure
(EE) reported in CF patients independent of lung disease maybe contributing to low growth and inability to achieve
growth targets. Causes for elevated EE are not known but likely multifactorial. Mice with cystic fibrosis also exhibit
reduced growth and low body weight. We hypothesized that like CF humans, CF mice also have elevated energy
expenditure. To elucidate some of the factors that could be causing altered energy expenditure, we determined
correlation between energy expenditure and body weight in severe (F508del) and mild (R117H) CF genotypes. To
investigate whether CFTR dysfunction in the gut (gut specific inflammation) leads to elevated energy expenditure
we used gut-corrected CFTR mouse (fatty acid binding protein, FABP) and tissue-specific gut-corrected mouse
where CFTR can be modulated using CRE-Lox system. The latter model is particularly advantageous since we are
able to turn CFTR expression “on” or “off” specifically in the gut.
Project Mentor: Ilya Bederman, Department of Pediatrics
***
Selecting Polymers for Medical Applications and Devices Based on Standard PEEK
Matt Tedesco and Amanda Tong, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Polymers were selected for medical devices according to thermal analytical properties derived from Differential
Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). These properties determine the viability of
these polymers as materials for medical applications. DSC measured fundamental properties including melting
temperatures ™, crystallization temperatures (T c ) and the heat of fusion and crystallization. The glass transition
temperature (T g ), oxidative induction time (OIT ASTM E1859) and oxidation onset temperature (OOT ASTM
E2009) were also determined by DSC. From TGA, the thermal (N 2 ) or oxidative (O 2 ) stability at a fixed
temperature as a function of time yielded the weight percent loss as a function of time. The derivative TGA peak
temperatures (maximum volatilization temperature) were found by analyzing the DTGA curves. The polymers were
ranked for their oxidative stability based on the collected thermal analytical data. The polymers used in this
experiment came from the SPE Resin kit. Various polyolefins with and without fillers, Nylon 6 and a Nylon alloy
were used. Oxygenated polymers including polycarbonate and poly ether ether ketone (PEEK) were run on both
45
DSC and TGA. This study validated PEEK as a gold standard for determining the quality and stability of medical
plastics. Based on thermal stability tests, polycarbonate was also a viable candidate due to its amorphous properties
which allow it to be easily molded and manufactured. According to the time-temperature superposition principle,
higher decomposition temperatures correspond with longer polymer longevity at room temperature. The results
showed that PEEK had the highest OIT. The crystalline and melting properties of PEEK distinguished it as a
standard medical polymer.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alan Riga, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering
***
Infancy Babbling: and relating it to the acquisition of speech
Arleen Truitt, Department of Psychological Sciences, Program of Communication Sciences; Patrizia Bonaventura,
Department of Psychological Sciences, Program of Communication Sciences
Speech and language is essential in connectively relating one to another; but how is it acquired? Most people acquire
speech and language during infancy. Babbling sounds are the first utterances made by young babies. Once an infant
begins to babble, many diverse sounds, called protophones, emerge. These protophones are the beginnings of the
framework for speech acquisition. Babbling sounds can be canonical (duplicated) or variegated (non-duplicated)
utterances. Ultimately, babbled utterances will become well-shaped vocalizations necessary to develop words for
language. Most infants are born with an amazing range of sensory perceptions allowing them to recognize the
rudimentary characteristics that are communal to their own cultural language. These characteristics help the infant to
discriminate, fine-tune, and transition the phonological skills needed to formulate sounds involved in acquiring
language. The infant’s progression from language-general (vegetative, cooing, and babbling) to language-specific
(CV/VC, syllable, word, phrase, and sentence) speech happens in the first year, and encourages the child to
formulate speech sounds for learning how to communicate. Over a period of six months, the babbled utterances of
two infants were observed, recorded, analyzed, and documented. Specifically studied, were those utterances relating
to vowel and consonant emergence, and subsequent transition into adult speech and language realization.
Project Special Consult and Mentor: Patrizia Bonaventura, PhD., Department of Psychological Sciences, Program
of Communication Sciences; Project Advisor and Mentor: Barbara Lewis, PhD., Department of Psychological
Sciences, Program of Communication Sciences; and Mentor: Elliot Zinner, PhD., Associate Professor, Speech
Communications, Cuyahoga Community College—Metropolitan Campus.
***
Emergency Preparedness Within the Shaker Heights Community
Kent Turner, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
The federal government has stated a goal of 80% preparedness for an emergency response for situations
that may arise (natural disaster, manmade disaster, etc). Events in recent years have shown the
importance of emergency preparedness and response. The events such as the H1N1 influenza pandemic and
Hurricane Sandy show how unprepared the public can be if an emergency were to arise. Upon conducting a survey,
it was deemed that the community of Shaker Heights was under that goal. The survey showed there was a lack of
knowledge in how to prepare for disasters such as fires or loss of power. The residents who took the survey also
expressed an interest in learning about fires, snowstorms and loss of power. Very few people reported having an
emergency preparedness kit for such disasters. I created and taught a class to a family center group of parents with
young children. I targeted this group specifically because they have young families and might not have thought
about the emergency preparedness in the house and how to protect their children. Further education can include
preparing residents’ houses for wind and snow storms.
Project Mentor: Sandi Hurley, Shaker Heights Health Department
Faculty Mentor: Jesse Honsky, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
46
Identifying long noncoding RNAs associated with the pluripotency factor Oct4 in
human embryonic stem cells
Katarina Velickovic, Department of Biology; Callie Merry, Department of Biochemistry; Dr. Ahmad
Khalil, Ph.D, Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences
In addition to the thousands of protein-coding genes present in the mammalian genome, there are many more non
protein-coding transcripts that are proving to be instrumental in mammalian genetics. In the past, these were often
considered background noise compared to their protein coding counterparts, but due to advances in technology their role in
regulation and genetics is becoming apparent. Often, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) work through a molecular scaffold
mechanism and bridge together multiple proteins into a ribonucleoprotein complex to function as chromatin modifiers. In
this study, we attempted to identify if any lncRNAs are associated with the pluripotency factor Oct4, a transcription factor
that is highly active in maintaining the undifferentiated state of embryonic stem cells. By using techniques such as RNA
Co-Immunoprecipitation, the protein of interest (Oct4) can be isolated and the associated RNA can be examined via RNA
sequencing to determine if any lncRNAs are present in the complex. Further experimentation will be necessary to
determine the role that the lncRNA will play. In examining this aspect of both RNA molecular biology and developmental
biology, the understanding of stem cell pluripotency can become more illuminated and potentially aid scientists in fighting
debilitating diseases and disorders.
Mentor: Dr. Ahmad Khalil, Ph.D, Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences
***
Victimization and the Late Positive Potential
Alexander Vu, Department of Psychology, Arin Connell, Department of Psychology
This study investigates the effect and influence that prior victimization has on an event-related potential,
the late positive potential, (LPP) and how victimization may affect the LPP. The LPP refers to a several
hundred millisecond period in which the brain devotes attentional resources in response to an emotional
stimulus, an event which can be recorded by an electroencephalography device (EEG). The study used
was the Emotional Responses and Reactivity Study (ERR) in which participants undertook three tasks while hooked
up to an EEG cap. The task in particular used for this presentation is a passive picture viewing task, in which
participants were shown emotionally arousing stimuli of three categories: positive, neutral, and negative. Positive
stimuli were pictures that elicited positive moods such as happiness. Negative stimuli showed pictures that might
elicit anger or sadness, while neutral pictures were emotionally neutral. The EEG recorded brain activity as the
participant was exposed to the different positive, negative, and neutral stimuli, including the LPP for all participants
for each emotional stimulus. The LPP in past studies, measured in the parietal electrodes in particular, was shown to
be elevated when participants with symptoms of depression and anxiety were exposed to threatening and fearful
faces. Results from the ERR study in particular suggest that depression is associated with the timing and magnitude
of emotional processing. Further analysing of the effects of victimization, separate from the typically comorbid
effects of depression and anxiety, may further develop the LPP as a clinical tool to screen for certain disorders.
Project Mentor: Arin Connell, PhD, Department of Psychology
***
Targeted protein knockdown as an ocular therapeutic
Kelli Watson, Biochemistry major; Sonia Merritt, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Dr. Horst von Recum,
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Caveolin-1 is a scaffolding protein found in the plasma membrane of most cell types, with a high abundance in
endothelial cells. It is known to cause the opening of endothelial junctions and promote neovascularization, which is
the abnormal growth of blood vessels. When neovascularization occurs in the retina, the vessels interfere with
retinal attachment and alignment to the choroid. Because the retina requires oxygen, nutrients, and proper alignment
47
to the choroid in order to function for proper vision, this detachment can lead to irreparable vision loss. We
hypothesize that decreasing caveolin-1 expression in retinal endothelial cells will strengthen the blood-retinal barrier
and inhibit neovascularization. This knockdown can be achieved using small hairpin RNA (shRNA), which will
incorporate into the genome of a cell for long-term RNA interference. As a pilot study, endothelial cells stably
expressing green fluorescent protein were used to investigate protein knockdown by shRNA. The knockdown
results show a delivery method for ocular therapeutics, as many ocular diseases, such as proliferative
vitreoretinopathy, are characterized by retinal neovascularization. This transferable technique can be used to downregulate Caveolin-1 production in retinal endothelial cells.
Project Mentor: Sonia Merritt, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Horst von Recum, Department of Biomedical Engineering
***
Nutrition Education and Goal Setting with High School Students in Southeast, Alaska
Mary Wingert, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Currently, more than one-third of adults in the United States are categorized as obese and over 60% are
above a normal weight. In data collected from 2005-2007 in Alaska, 65% of adults and 27% of high
school students were identified as overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. The goal of this project was to
assess the effectiveness of a two-part intervention with high school students to increase their ability to make healthy
nutrition choices. The first part of the intervention entailed educating students on basic, easy to understand, nutrition
facts and tips. This was followed by a workshop on goal setting, which included: SMART goals and giving them an
opportunity to set two realistic goals on how they could improve their own diet and identifying two appropriate
interventions. The intervention was assessed for effectiveness using a pre and post test to identify student’s interest
in changing their diet, as well as, their confidence in their ability to do so. This project was completed through the
Juneau Public Health Center and reached all high school students, in Juneau, enrolled in health class during the fall
of 2012.
Faculty Mentor: Marilyn Lotas, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
***
Determining the inflammatory response profile of macrophages exposed to the Fenton reaction
and bacterial antigens
Melinda Wolboldt, Department of Chemistry
We aimed to reproduce a recent study which showed uncontrolled activation of iron-overloaded
macrophages in chronic venous leg ulcers, and demonstrated that similar activation could be induced in
vitro when macrophages were cultured under Fenton reaction-mimicking conditions in the presence of
Fe(III) chloride/ascorbate and H 2 O 2 (Sindrilaru et al. JCI 2011). Using in vitro macrophages exposed to the Fenton
reaction as well as bacterial antigens (lipopolysaccharide), we will fully evaluate the macrophage response using
qPCR, including pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and antiinflammatory/tissue repair factors arginase1, and FIZZ1.
Mentor: Dr. Marie Tuttle, Dermatology Department
Faculty adviser: Dr. Dianne Kube, Department of Biology
48
Probing the connection between molecular motion and enzyme catalysis of hepatitis delta virus ribozyme
Yuchen Yang, Department of Biochemistry; Daniel L. Kellerman, Department of Biochemistry; and Michael E.
Harris, Department of Biochemistry
Ribozymes are enzymes that utilize the four fundamental ribonucleotides through the catalysis of biochemical
reactions. The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozyme is particularly interesting due to its necessity for the viral
replications and its lethal effects as a human pathogen. The Hepatitis delta virus ribozyme is critical during the
replication stages of the virus, and does so through a rolling-circle transcription reaction that self-cleavages itself.
The HDV ribozyme is around 85 nucleotides long and is cut into unit-length monomers after going through a ciscleaving reaction that results in a 2’, 3’-cyclic phosphate and a 5’ hydroxyl-terminus. Researches have shown the
role of C75, and when protonated, serves as a general acid during the transition states of the HDV ribozyme.
Despite the numerous researches conducted on the hepatitis delta virus ribozyme, the actual mechanism behind its
catalytic role is still blurry. This project aims to dig deeper into the understanding of how the HDV ribozyme works
by looking at the kinetics of the cleaving reactions. Because the ribozyme serves as a catalyst that cut the substrates
in a particular order, it can be used to cleave any RNA. By modifying the ribozymes and looking at the kinetics
between the HDV ribozyme and its 9nt RNA substrate, the rate constant can then be found. Experiments are
currently being conducted in an attempt to further verify the kinetic data. Determining the rate constants takes us
one step closer to understand the overall mechanism behind the ribozyme.
Project Mentor: Professor Michael E. Harris, Department of Biochemistry
***
Aquatic calcium concentration and predatory cues alter the behavior and morphology of freshwater snails
Kristen Zozulin, Department of Biology, Mike Benard, Department of Biology
Many species alter their behavior and morphology in the presence of predators. These responses are strongly
influenced by environmental factors such as population density and food availability. Chemical components of
freshwater systems may also dictate the degree to which these adaptive responses are expressed. Freshwater snails
are known to produce thicker shells in the presence of high calcium levels due to the increased uptake of calcium
from the water, and they also alter their behavior and morphology in the presence of predators. Since shells play a
key role in snails’ defense against predation, the amount of calcium available in the environment could drastically
impact their ability to modify their shells since the snails rely on the uptake of calcium to form the shell. We
examined the combined effects of calcium concentration and predatory cues on behavior as well as snail height,
width, aperture height and width, and crushing resistance. We exposed Helisoma trivolvis snails to high (~52 mg L1
) and low (~11 mg L-1) calcium levels as well as the presence and absence of the predatory water bug Belostoma
flumineum. We predict that snails will generate more crush-resistant shells in response to both high calcium and
predation. Limited calcium may also elicit metabolic costs to the snails, inhibiting them from generating the
complete range of both behavioral and morphological defenses against predators.
Project Mentor: Professor Michael Benard, Department of Biology
49
CELEBRATION OF STUDENT WRITING
DECEMBER 7, 2012
The Celebration of Student Writing, coordinated by the Writing Resource Center, showcases
undergraduate student writing projects from across the university. The celebration encourages
students to (re-)present and display their research and writing in formats other than conventional
word-processed documents. Some students create video projects; others produce poster
presentations or read aloud portions of their writing; still others design models or digital
illustrations that present their writing projects in new media.
The Center for the Study of Writing, established in 2008 to facilitate research and scholarship
on writing at the University and in the world, serves three distinct but interrelated roles at the
University: to support writing and research by resident and visiting students and scholars; to
facilitate exciting new courses and curricula on writing; and to provide an array of practical
writing and publishing support services to the University and University Circle communities. For
more information, see http://www.case.edu/writing/csw.
Since 2009, the Center for the Study of Writing has been sustained by generous gifts from
Marilyn McCulloch (FSM ’50); from Edward S. Sadar, M.D. (ADL ’64, SOM ’68) and Melinda
Melton Sadar (FSM ’66); from Sharon Schnall (MBA ‘87) and Dr. R. Drew Sellers (EMBA
‘08); from Eric Winter, M.D. (CWR ‘98, GRS ‘91, MD ‘98); from Jackson McHenry (ADL ‘52);
and from an anonymous donor. The Celebration of Student Writing is also supported by SAGES
and the Department of English.
The Writing Resource Center coordinates the Celebration of Student Writing. The Writing
Resource Center (WRC) at Case Western Reserve University provides writing consultation to
students across the university in six campus locations and online. More than 30 consultants staff
our center. Consultants are English graduate students or full-time writing program faculty. Each
year, WRC consultants conduct about 3,000 individual sessions with more than 1,000 individual
students ranging from first-year writers to graduate students and faculty.
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ENGL 148: INTRODUCTION TO COMPOSITION
Course Instructor: Cara Byrne
Students: Dong Tony An, Pablo Griggio, Zefeng Fang, Yenhsuan Lee, Xi Li, YuHung Lin, Cheuk Yin Luu, Jia Na Peng, Tianming Peng, Yun Tang, Kristina Zeinstra, Fange
Zhang
This section of English 148 focused on exploring the meanings behind pictures. Throughout the
semester, we have studied the visual rhetoric of graphic novels, famous pieces of art,
photographs, political cartoons, and advertisements, and students have written papers providing
summaries and critiques of academic arguments about visual culture. For their final essay
assignment, they used all of these skills to write a research essay in which they analyze the visual
rhetoric of a print advertisement. Today, the students will share their final independent projects.
ENGL 380: SERENDIPITY: ACCIDENT MET WITH SAGACITY
Course Instructor: Sarah Gridley
Students: Alex Aloi, Bryden Spevak, Andrin Foster, Bethany Wisinski, Martin
O'Brien, Caelyn Rosch, Joe Sossi, Emily Wixted
Students from Professor Gridley's ENGL 380, a topical seminar/workshop focused on
serendipity, will present abstracts from their research papers. The individual research topics
range from Nietzsche's Zarathustra to Warner Brothers' Road Runner--but hold in common the
consideration of happenstance in relation to meaning, both in the subject matters they address,
and in the spirit in which they approached the task of research. Students will also engage
interested participants in interactive "chance poetics" activities.
FSTS 100-100: WHAT IS A MUSEUM?
Course Instructor: Susan Dominguez
Students: Ahn Phan, Will Federkie, Connie Min, Salam Taraben, Sarah Ialacci
Nichole Moomaw, Marina Mijic, Ella Mravec, Lexie Li, Alyssa Batiancela
Students will present their final museum exhibit projects using the University Circle Institutions
as the foundation for their own designs.
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FSTS 100-101: WHAT IS A MUSEUM?
Course Instructor: Susan Dominguez
Students: Alison McKim, Alex Smick, Lex Martin, Cartier Reed, Maria Madison,
Rudolf Merick, Ashia Lewis, Rosa Katz, Sammy Alton, J.P. Choi, Marmeny Infante, Dan
Farnsworth, Julie Murray, Joey Arko
Students will present their final museum design projects that used University Circle Institutions
as their foundation and inspiration.
FSSO 119: PHILANTHROPY IN AMERICA
Course Instructor: Barbara Burgess-Van Aken
Students: Jane Amusat, Daniel Bai, Victoria Bouillion, John Boykin, Aria Bredt,
Alex Cao, Leah Castelaz, Alyssa Daniels, Ellie Elston, Samantha Fernandez, Jesse Ferrigno,
Keniece Gray, Suneil Kamath, Kait Kennedy, Josh Rogers, Sean Leonard, Emma Steele
This course introduces various dimensions of philanthropy and volunteerism, conducting a broad
but intellectual inquiry into the systems and ethics of giving time and money to charitable causes.
For the final project in this class, students have worked in groups to design their own nonprofit
organization. In doing so they have research a social need, put together a mission and vision
statement for an organization that will address that need. In developing their programs, they have
put together budgets, websites, and collateral materials for their organization. The results of these
projects are on display today.
FSSY 146: DOC TALK: LANGUAGE AND MEDICINE
Course Instructors: Kimberly Emmons
Students: Samantha Buddeymeyer, Yuna Choi, Steffen Christoffersen, Sei Cole,
Nicole Episalla, Dimitris Gazgalis, Nathan Gilbert, Chandler Holcomb, Daniel Mason, Nana
Afia Mensa, Victoria Robinson, Daniel Ryave, Alan Thomas, Adam Vianna, Abby Walker,
Maryam Zeinomar, Brook Zhang, Diana Zhou
This course has explored the role of language in constructing, experiencing, treating, and
understanding the states we call “health” and “illness.” Over the course of the semester, our
seminar discussions have explored a wide array of questions: How do metaphors shape illnesses?
How do particular illnesses become cultural/political metaphors? How can narrative practices
facilitate ethical medicine (and reform medical ethics)? How do our own illness stories fit into
(and challenge) scholarly taxonomies? What do medical genres tell us about the ways medicine
is practiced and experienced? How do doctors and patients communicate (and fail to
communicate)? In addition to our discussions, each seminar member joined a group that chose a
medical object from the Dittrick Medical History Center’s collection. This object then served as
52
the catalyst for a series of discussions with CWRU scholars in a variety of disciplines. In their
poster presentations, the groups display the range of possible questions and research projects
inspired by the objects they selected. The groups’ objects include: the pill (birth control), the
syringe, obstetrical forceps, and the inhaler. As the posters will demonstrate, these common
medical objects provide us with an opportunity to interrogate forms of disciplinary inquiry and to
consider opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
FSSY 144: THINKING THROUGH LITERATURE
Course Instructor: Paul Jaussen
Students: Stefan Klek, Becky Olson, Cole Thrush
The participants in "Thinking Through Literature," a SAGES First Seminar, have been studying
the intellectual, imaginative, social, and ethical potential of literature and literary education. A
fundamental hypothesis in this discussion, which we have tested throughout the semester, is that
literature is something we think with, not simply something we think about. Out of this inquiry,
students have written essays analyzing the role of literary education in today's university. These
pieces have been collected in an electronic anthology. Our display functions as a visual
introduction to the book, laying out the critical conversation both in contemporary and historical
terms. The anthology itself will also be a part of our display, which audience members will be
able to browse at leisure.
ENGL 180: WRITING TUTORIAL
Course Instructor: Kate Dunning
Students: Yiqing Jiang, Ning-Yuen Li
Coordinated though the Writing Resource Center, English 180 is a course designed to help
students work intensively on their writing skills. For their final projects this semester, this group
of 180 students are researching different versions of well-known stories. They will be presenting
not only the different versions, but also some critical commentary about the development of the
story.
53
FSNA 143: MATERIALS AND ENERGY
Course Instructors: Susan Dominguez and Mark DeGuire
Students: Gaby Cage, Kyle Deal, Tom Dietrick, Josh Hall, Daniel Kernan, Arty
Krishnan, Ketav Majumbar, Mary Manspeaker, James Marsh, Ling Neoh, Kafre Petiri, Megan
Quinlan, Matt Randall, Philip Sheahan, Tom Shkurti, Drake Sweet, Alex Williams
Students will present group projects that reflect social aspects and environmental effects of
society's current usage of materials, resources, and energy through critical analysis Topics
include: health, server farms, Mississippi River run-off, air, auto and freight transportation.
FSCC 100: POSTCOLONIALISM AND LITERATURE
Course Instructor: Greg Weiss
Students: Sewon Min, Ja'nae Morris, William Qu, Galilea Sanchez, Alexis
Attinoto, Kari Floyd, Basirat Rosenje, Angela Donajkowski, and Caitlynn Weston
We have been examining the historical and ongoing relationship between France and its former
colonies through the lens of Francophone literature. Students will present work treating different
aspects of those relationships.
FSCC 100-131: FICTION WITH A NEW FACE: ADAPTATION ACROSS MEDIA, TIME
AND CULTURE
Course Instructor: Rachel Kapelle
Students: Sparsh Agarwal, Yvonne Chueh, Jin Young Kim, Eric Ma, Annabelle Park, Jingze
Sun, Margo Suryanaga, Iris Tsai
The three main units of our class address adaptation across media, adaptation over time, and
transcultural adaptation. What changes does the story of an alien invasion undergo when it
passes from the novel form to radio to film? How do television programs update detective fiction
from previous centuries? What happens when the American company Disney retells an ancient
Chinese legend? At the Celebration of Student Writing, we would be happy to discuss our
insights into the process of adaptation, as well as our final writing projects, in which each of us
has selected an “original”/adaptation pair to explore.
54
FSSO 116: WORKING-CLASS HEROES
Course Instructor: Megan Swihart Jewell
Students: Gabrielle Brown, Malcolm Perkins, Rachel Horetzky, Margo
Schmiederer, Paige Klopfenstein, Satvika Mikkilineni, Tarik Akyuz, Camille Paladino, James
Yang, Thekkethalackal Mammen Kurien, Sun-Mee Kasper
In her volume, _Silences_ (1978), writer Tillie Olson refers to the relationship between social
class and literature as “the great unexamined.” This statement still largely rings true, despite the
continued production of novels, films, and poems depicting the working-class – and despite the
unprecedented growth in recent years of America’s working class. In this course, we examined
the relationship between social class and literature, reading narratives written by and about
laborers in the hopes of understanding the complexities of working-class life in America. For
their final projects, students independently researched issues in working-class literature and
produced mini-anthologies on particular topics that they felt were indispensible to closely
understanding class conditions and their representation in literature and culture. Our presentation
today consists of these student anthologies as well as a generalized poster presentation depicting
important issues on class in America.
55
Senior Capstone Award
The Senior Capstone Award, provided by the Case Women’s Club, is open to all seniors presenting their
senior capstone projects. The Senior Capstone is the culmination of our SAGES, Seminar Approach to
General Education and Scholarship, program. The senior capstone allows students to gain experience in
defining a problem and then developing a response to that problem, whether this involves research or
artistic creation. Students work individually or in small groups under the guidance of faculty mentors.
SOURCE congratulates the following students who are presenting their senior capstone projects today:
Quetzi Abramovitz
Olaide Apapa
Denielle Anderson
Chavon Brent
Douglas Brubaker
Deborah Burstein
Albert Canda
Nicole Cantrell
Ruth Chao
Xi Chen
Xin Chen
Rajesh Cherukuri
Emma Cleary
Hanna Collins
Megan Cramer
Alexis Crosby
Quanbin Dai
Taylor Daiello
Nicholas DeFelice
Carli Dekeyser
Gaston del Pino
LaShanita Devese
Alayna Dorobek
Thea Emmons
Shaylinn Emery
Dale English
Leah Epstein
Kathleen Evers
Andrew Flagg
Carrie Foster
Ashley Franklin
Breanna Freeman
Mary Friesz
Elizabeth Gibbemeyer
Sheneka Gregory
Christine Hale
Alyssa Harker
Courtney Hawk
Evan Hayden
Sarah Jawhari
Rachel Johnson
Paulina Kauzljar
Jennifer Kim
Michaela Klco
Michael Koopman
Nita Kopan
Emily Kreiner
Victoria Krogg
Kayla Lang
William Lang
Steven Leusch
Deena Levey
Erika Lim
Shannaon Liauw
Sophie Malamut
Bryanna Mayes
Madeline McMorrow
Jacqueline Molchan
Melissa Moore
Patrick Murphy
Angelica Nieszczur
Elizabeth Odil
Shannon O’Shea
Brandon Pach
Jessica Parker
Grant Pignatiello
Lahiru Ranasinghe
Vibha Ramesh
Jeremy Rayl
Morgan Redenshek
Kaitlyn Roudebush
Arelis Roman
Caitlin Rudge
Tracy Ruska
Elena Satin
Andres Schriver
Oluwatosi Shenbanjo
Hannah Shimko
Yong Mi Shin
Kevin Shui
Ethan Smith
Rachel Suchy
Elena Svenson
Toia Sylvester
Erica Tangney
Katherine Thomas
Haley Treier
Kent Turner
Tony Vehovec
Katarina Velickovic
Claire Vidalon
Alexander Vu
Dmytro Vykhovanets
Loni Wilkes
Mary Wingert
Melinda Woldboldt
Angela Wootan
56
SOURCE Summer Programs
SOURCE Summer Programs provides financial support for Case Western Reserve University
students from all academic majors to take part in research and creative endeavor projects. The
programs are very generously supported by the Case Alumni Association, the Dominion
Foundation and the University.
2012 SOURCE Summer Program Participants
Student
Project Title
Mentor
Mohiuddin Ahmed
Identification of domain that promotes Nav1.5 trafficking
to the cell surface
Qiuyun Chen,
Cardiology Department
Zachary Arace
Gendered Recruitment in Parliaments and Cabinets
Karen Beckwith,
Political Science
Department
Anthony Castellaneta
Philosophy of Mathematics in Ancient Indian Traditions
Deepak Sarma,
Religion Department
Parker Castleberry
Characterizing Water-Rock Interactions in a Simulated
Martian Aquifer
Ralph Harvey,
Biochemistry Department
Kathryn D'Angelo
Understanding Common Trends of Gratitude of Patients
and Caregivers Affected by Cancer
Maryjo Prince-Paul,
Nursing Department
Christine DeBaz
Immune Response to Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Nanoparticles as a Vaccine Platform
Nicole Steinmetz,
Department
57
Timothy Filla
Currency Interdependence and War
Elliot Posner,
Political Science
Department
Jared Friedman
Intelligence, empathy, and religious/spiritual beliefs: How
much would the doctor prescribe?
Tony Jack,
Cognitive Science
Department
Marqell Jackson
Prevalence of Skin to Skin Care in the NICU
Susan Ludington,
Nursing Department
Joseph Kachovec
City Land Development and City Flood Risk
Justin Gallagher,
Economics Department
Julie O'Brien
Adherence to Sickle Cell Anemia Medications in a
Sample of the Greater Cleveland Population
Polly Mazanec,
Nursing Department
Youngmin Park
Analysis of the Phase Response of the Morris-Lecar
System
Peter Thomas,
Mathematics Department
Grant Pignatiello
Assessing Patient Exposure to Transport
Andrew Reimer,
Nursing Department
Lusai Qiu
Role of Cdc42 in hair cell development
Brian McDermott,
Biology Department
2012 SOURCE Summer P-SURG Program
Provost’s Summer Undergraduate Research Grant
Summer Participants
Student
Project Title:
Mentor
Keegan Conry
Discovery of Quorum Sensing Inhibitors of Plant
Bacterial Diseases - an Alternative to Antibiotics
Menachem Shoham,
Nicholas DeFelice
Defining the expression profile of the Candida albicans
HYR1 and IFF4 proteins in pathogenesis during
oropharyngeal candidiasis
Amy Hise,
Center for Global Health
and Disease
Daniel Hageman
Endotoxin Levels Facilitate Device-Associated
Neuroinflammation
Jeffrey Capadona,
Department
58
Michael Hill
Electrospun Polysaccharides for Gene Delivery
Eben Alsberg,
Department
Kyle Householder
Anti-oxidant Releasing Mechanically-Adaptive Materials
Improve Neural Device Tissue Integration
Jeffrey Capadona,
Department
Anouva Kalra-Lall
Design of an Ultra-Long Acting Insulin: Structural Drug
Design Principles Applied to Proteins
Michael Weiss,
Veronica Laos
Oxidation of DNA by Folic Acid and 6-Carboxypterin
upon Exposure of Ultraviolet-A Radiation
Carlos Crespo-Hernandez,
Chemistry Department
Samantha Marek
Optimization of Combination Reporter Viruses for
Microscopy and Cell Sorting
John Tilton,
The Center for Proteomics
and Bioinformatics
Victor Pan
In vitro evaluation of specific cell-surface biointeration
mechanisms between natural platelets and metostatic
breast cancer cells
Anirban Sen Gupta,
Department
Janaki Patel
Validation of Cooking-Based Nutrition Education Among
Low-Income, Low-Literacy Cleveland Residents
Jessica Kelley-Moore,
Sociology Department
Ryan Puccia
Defining a structure-function relationship in DNA binding
for a prototypical HMG box
Michael Weiss,
Nasiha Rahim
Using Fluorescent Probes to Characterize Glioma Stem
Cell Biology
Jeremy Rich,
Cell Biology Department
Pooja Rambhia
Characterization of the Immune Response to Plant Viral
Nanoparticle Tobacco Mosaic Virus for HIV Vaccine
Platform Application
Neil Greenspan,
Pathology Department
Fernando Recio
Molecular Regulation of KLF4 by Local Drug Delivery to
Inhibit Melanoma Growth
Anne Hamik,
Cardiology Department
Stephen Redford
The effect of embedding beta-tricalcium phosphate or
hydroxyapatite crystals in poly(propylene fumarate) tissue
engineered scaffolds on canine mesenchymal stem cell
attachment and proliferation
David Dean,
Surgery Department
Katarina Velickovic
Identifying long noncoding RNAs associated with the
pluripotency factor Oct4 in human embryonic stem cells
Ahmad Khalil,
Biology Department
Kelli Watson
Targeted protein knockdown as an ocular therapeutic
Horst von Recum,
Department
Yuchen Yang
Probing the connection between molecular motion and
enzyme catalysis of hepatitis delta virus ribozyme
Michael Harris,
59
2012 SOURCE Summer SURES Program
Summer Undergraduate Research in Energy Studies
Summer Participants
Student
Project Title
Mentor
Michael Berger
Stormwater Management Master Plan at Case Western
Reserve
Stephanie Corbett,
Office of Sustainability
Mona Breslau
Engineering Interfaces for Improved Control in
Photovoltaic Applications
Kenneth Singer,
Physics Department
Gavin Brown
Theoretically guided design of efficient polymer
dielectrics for energy storage in capacitors
Philip Taylor,
Physics Department
Morgan Bulger
The Business of Food: Towards a More Sustainable Food
Supply Network
Bonnie Richley,
Organizational Behavior
Department
David Dixon
Wind Turbine Yaw Brake Analysis
David Matthiesen,
Materials Science and
Engineering Department
Abigail Dwornik
Identifying Factors that Influence Recycling Levels in
University Settings
Justin Gallagher,
Grace Eder
Brief Proposal for SURES Funding
Genevieve Sauve,
Chemistry Department
Matheus Fernandes
Wind Flow Modeling of the Area Surrounding the Case
Western Reserve University Wind Turbine
David Matthiesen,
Anthony Gatti
Investigating the Correlation Between Environmental
Self-Regulation and Pollution Output
Justin Gallagher,
Ian Kidd
Optimization of Solar Testing Chamber
Roger French,
Matthew McGoogan
Increasing Efficiency in III-Nitride-based LEDs
Hongping Zhao,
Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science
Department
Kristen McKee
Designing New Optical Materials Using Inverse
Scattering Theory
Harsh Mathur,
Physics Department
Jenna Millemaci
Green your Lab at CWRU – “Treat your lab like your
second home.”
Stephanie Corbett,
Office of Sustainability
60
Shawn Rupp
Optimization of Indium-Limited Transparent Conductive
Oxides for use in Organic Photovoltaics
Ina Martin,
Physics Department
Elena Stachew
Development of Accelerated PV Backsheet Testing and
Evaluation
Roger French,
The Case School of Engineering – Alcoa Campus Partnership Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Internship
Spring 2012 Participants
Student Name, Project Title, Faculty Mentor, Department
Nadia Ayat, Modifying Potato Virus X by Genetic Engineering Techniques, Prof. Nicole F.
Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, Materials Science and
Engineering
Aaron Keith, Ultrasonically assisted crystallization processes, Dr. Donald Feke, Department of
Chemical Engineering
Lauren Randolph, Targeting cancer cells in vitro using engineered tobacco mosaic virus
nanoparticles, Prof. Nicole F. Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology,
Materials Science and Engineering
Alice Yang, Modifying Qβ with C 60 for Use in Photodynamic Therapy, Prof. Nicole F.
Steinmetz, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, Materials Science and
Engineering
61
Case Western Reserve University
Formal Summer Programs
Research & Creative Endeavors
CWRU has a number of formal programs across campus. Information about these and other
programs can be linked from the SOURCE
website: http://www.case.edu/provost/source/opp/funding.htm
Academic Careers in Engineering & Science (ACES+)
Biomedical Engineering National Science Foundation REU Program (BME-REU)
Case’s Rising Engineers and Technological Entrepreneurs (CREATE)
Center for AIDS Research Minority HIV Research Training Program (MHRTP)
Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS)
Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics
Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Undergraduate Student Summer
Program (ENGAGE)
Experiential Learning Fellowships – College of Arts and Sciences
Heart, Lung & Blood Minority Research Training Program
Physiology & Biophysics NSF-REU in Protein Dynamics Summer Undergraduate Research
Program
Provost’s Summer Undergraduate Research Grant (P-SURG)
Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
SOURCE Summer Research Program
The Summer Medical & Dental Education Program
Summer Undergraduate Research in Energy Studies (SURES)
Summer Undergraduate Research in Pharmacology (SURP)
Summer Undergraduate Research in Physiology (SURP)
The Wellman Hill Political Science Internship
62
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many to thank for making this day happen. Obviously, the student presenters and their
faculty mentors for making the day possible and allowing all of us to see some of the great work
being done by our undergraduates with our faculty. I also appreciate our many judges who are
noted elsewhere in this program. Students request to be judged and we cannot provide this
educational experience without the assistance of many from all over the University.
There are many others who have contributed, some more visibly than others, but all in needed
ways. I apologize ahead of time for leaving anyone out but I must list Megan Swihart Jewell and
the Center for the Study of Writing for allowing Intersections to serve as the host for The
Celebration of Student Writing, Vice Provost Don Feke, Carol Stark and our campus movers:
Henry Hill and Rico Mixon. Our student workers also have helped tremendously: Gerardo
Ortega, Devon Bobulsky, Jennifer Brucken, Miranda Huiting, Eve Lanyi, Ruipeng Li, Baixue
Ma, Sagar Rambhia, and Jiyuan Zhang. Finally, Bethany Pope contributes to Intersections (and
SOURCE in general) in so many ways that I won’t begin to detail here, but I will say thank you
very much.
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Please note:
Research project titles, student names, mentor names and abstracts were submitted by the student
researcher. The SOURCE office cannot ensure the accuracy or omission of information
submitted for publication.
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