Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol:
Sample Abstracts from URDC
Jamie Kuechler (URDC 2008)
Fandemonium: An Analysis of Saint Louis' Greatest Obsession
Previous research on
sports and spectators shows that an important component of the baseball
experience is crowd behavior. The
reactions spectators have to each other are major factors contributing to the
excitement and arousal that result from sports spectatorship. While studies on crowd behavior show
there are factors that make attendance at games distinctly different from the
experience of televised sports viewing at home, my study found that fans perform
the same behaviors at stadiums and in other public settings (such as bars or
restaurants) when they are watching a sports game. My study specifically examined the
attitudes and behaviors of baseball fans in the
Exploring Peruvian Music through the Eyes and Ears of
Gabriela Frank
Composers across the centuries have written music inspired by indigenous cultures, historical figures, and ideals. Gabriela Lena Frank is composing music that clearly and consistently reflects such inspiration. This study explores the effects of these influences on her music through the analysis of her string quartet “Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout,” an exploration of traditional Peruvian culture and music. The analysis has been compounded with research about Jose Maria Arguedas, a twentieth century Peruvian writer who championed the ideal of “mestizaje,” the coexistence of cultures without the suppression of one another. The synthesis of this research demonstrates not only that Frank is inspired by these factors but that understanding them is essential for one to fully appreciate her innovative, ethnomusicological compositions. This study is the beginning of a series of essays that will explore the catalog of this young composer and hopefully assist in bringing her compositions to a more mainstream audience.
Media Influence on Changing Perceptions of Masculine Behavior
Joy Valenta, Joint Project with Dr. Lisa Schechter (URDC 2007)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Schechter, Biology
Delivery of bacterial proteins into plant cells by the Type III secretion system of Pseudomonas syringae.
Pseudomonas syringae is a bacterium that causes disease in many vegetable and grain crops. When environmental conditions are favorable for infection the disease may cause spotting of fruit and leaves, as well as leaf loss, resulting in reduced yield and marketability. The methods currently available to treat Pseudomonas syringae and other similar bacterial infections are not effective and pollute the environment.
Pseudomonas syringae infects plants by secreting toxic proteins directly into plant cells via a syringe-like injector known as a type III secretion system (T3SS). The aim of this project is to further understand T3SS function and how Pseudomonas syringae identifies toxic proteins for secretion. Previous studies have indicated that the first 50 amino acids of the toxic proteins are important for secretion. Dr. Schechter theorized that serine may play a role in recognition by the T3SS due to its abundance in the first 50 amino acids of toxic proteins. We tested this theory by replacing several serines with other amino acids in one secreted protein called AvrPto. The ability of Pseudomonas syringae to deliver the normal and mutant versions of AvrPto was then compared. The replacement of serine had no affect on secretion of AvrPto, and thus further investigation is necessary to determine how AvrPto and other toxic proteins are recognized for secretion by the T3SS. If we can determine how Pseudomonas syringae secretes toxins, we may be able to develop methods to block secretion by this and other pathogenic bacteria, leading to better methods to control plant diseases.
Elizabeth Rudloff-Wolk (URDC 2007)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donna Hart, Anthropology
Determining Right versus Left Handedness in Skeletal Remains
Victorian Christian tradition upheld a conviction that by being right handed an individual attained closer association with God, while use of the left hand denoted association with the Devil. Often parents and teachers forced a naturally left-handed child to use his/her right hand. To assess the incidence of right versus left handedness in adults from a Victorian population, I examined the skeletal remains from the Second Catholic Cemetery collection (1830-1880). There are several anatomical features to assess when determining handedness: length of the upper limb bones (ulnae, radii, and humeri), the ridging and angulation of the bones of the shoulder girdle, width of the lower end of the humeri, arthritic development in the elbow, and comparison of muscle attachment sites between left and right arms. Of the approximately 96 burials in the cemetery collection, only 37 were measurable adult skeletal remains. Because of commingled burials and post mortem disturbance at the cemetery site, only 18 allowed comparison of right and left upper limbs. Results showed that 12 individuals were right handed, 4 were left handed, and 2 were indeterminate. According to Coren (1992), in an article published in Neuro Science, today approximately 9 out of 10 people worldwide are right handed. While Victorian culture may have emphasized use of the right hand, my study population exhibits an unusually high percentage of left-handed individuals.
Robert B. Dixon (URDC 2007)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Kimball, Political Science
Predicting the 2006 U.S. House of Representatives Election
Every two years, the political power structure of the United States changes with each election cycle. Because the stakes are so high, there is great interest in predicting the outcome of an election. With varying degrees of accuracy, many political observers have made election forecast models using different predictor variables. The purpose of this study was to increase the accuracy of different election forecast models by combining them into one prediction and to see which of the variables were the best indicators of the outcome of the 2006 U.S. Congressional elections. In order to do this, we examined many variables representing different areas of the political spectrum such as historical patterns of both parties’ control of government, public opinion polls, candidate quality, the economy, open and competitive seats, and campaign spending. After an analysis of 60 election prediction models using data from 1946 to 2004 and the Bayesian system for weighting models, we predicted that the Republican Party would lose 28 seats in the 2006 elections for the House of Representatives. The final election outcome was 30 seats lost by the Republicans. By averaging many forecast models, we produced a more accurate prediction than by relying on only one model. We found that the differences between the two parties in House retirements, levels of public support, and candidate quality and the public’s reaction against the ruling party were the strongest predictors of the election’s outcome. Further, we found that the president’s approval rating was very important because it influenced these other predictors.
Angela Woike (URDC 2007)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donna Hart, Anthropology
A Photographic Study of Diversity in University City, Missouri
The community of University City is believed to be one of the most culturally diverse areas within the St. Louis metropolitan region. As a resident of University City, I questioned whether this distinction was consistent with the perceptions of the people who actually live in the community. The 2000 census showed that 49.3% of the residents of University City were classified as white, 45.4% as African American, 0.2% as American Indian or Native Alaskan, 2.8% as Asian, 1.6% as Hispanic, and 0.6% as other. In order to assess perceptions of cultural diversity, I constructed a survey questionnaire and interviewed a random sampling of 50 area residents. I first compared respondents’ self-identified ethnicities to the census breakdown, and then looked at how people perceived the percentage level of their own ethnicity. Other information gathered from the questionnaire included issues such as city government promotion of diversity, the perceived benefits of diversity, and the level of interactions between members of different ethnic groups. The study concluded with a mutual agreement amongst surveyed residents that University City is a diverse area. Many residents found diversity to be promoted within the city by residents and their daily interactions rather than government. They found diversity to be a benefit to multiple aspects within the community. This study also includes photographs that illustrate the self-segregation of ethnicities in University City.
Nicole Lubanowski (URDC 2006)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alexei V. Demchenko, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Development of new chemistry tools to study immunology of bacterial pathogens in infants
Streptococcus pneumonias infections are the most frequent causes of invasive diseases such as pneumonia and meningitis resulting in approximately 1.2 million annual deaths of small children. A carbohydrate vaccination is commonly used against the bacterial invasion. There are 90 known types differing by carbohydrate types on the Pneumococcal bacteria surface, among which type 6A is the most important cause of infections. However, no current multi-component vaccines contain carbohydrate of type 6A due to its low availability from nature and by synthetic methods. The ultimate goal of this research is development of a synthetic pneumococcal vaccine, specific to the type 6A.
The scope of this project is to develop an efficient and scalable synthesis of the type 6A-specific molecule containing four carbohydrate subunits. To date the following steps have been performed: A. Efficient procedures have been developed and successfully applied to the synthesis of the four individual building blocks; B. Convergent strategy for the binding of the building blocks has been discovered and applied to the synthesis of the target carbohydrate sequence; C. Effective purification and characterization techniques have been developed and applied throughout the procedure.
It is to be expected that the methods and strategies developed will significantly facilitate further steps toward the vaccine development including preparation of a range of compounds structurally related to type 6A, study of their structural properties, binding to a protein carrier, and determination of the immunological properties of synthetic conjugates.
Lana Marie Kerker (URDC 2006)
Faculty Mentor:
Mentor's Department: Dr. Donna Hart, Anthropology & Pierre Laclede Honors College
Training as a primatologist in a field school experience: A study of mantled howler monkeys in Nicaragua
La Suerte Biological Field Station, located on Ometepe Island, Nicaragua, offers undergraduate courses in field research techniques. I attended a primate research session during June-July 2004 which enhanced my understanding of primate behavior and ecology and provided an essential foundation for future graduate and professional level field studies. Two weeks of field exercises preceded work on an independent research project. The project I designed was a comparison of prehensile tail use between different age groups of mantled howler monkeys. I based my research on theories of functional morphology that explain the evolution of anatomical features. All primates, including humans, have physical adaptations used for balance and locomotion in their specific environmental niches. Prehensile tails are a unique feature of Neotropical monkeys since the tail is able to grasp tree limbs, providing additional balance and support in an arboreal habitat. Listing five common prehensile tail postures, I hypothesized that juveniles would use all five of the postures more frequently than adults who would exhibit a lesser repertoire of positions. Field methodology selected was focal animal sampling to record behavior, tail position, canopy level, and tree limb size. Results showed a statistically significant difference in tail use between juvenile and adult monkeys which supported my hypothesis and can be correlated with changes in activity levels as a howler monkey ages.
Dale Downs (URDC 2006)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Bruce Wilking, Physics and Astronomy
Formation of brown dwarfs: A bridge between planets and stars
Infrared observations were made in the core of a star-forming cloud of gas and dust in the constellation of Ophiuchus. At a distance of 500 light years, this is one of the closest star-forming regions to the Sun. Infrared imaging allows lower temperature objects, more distant bodies, and objects obscured by dust to be seen. Infrared imaging made it possible to see into the Ophiuchus cloud. One goal of this research was to identify young brown dwarfs, or very low mass objects that are between planets and stars, and to determine how common they are in regions where stars form. Brown dwarfs are often referred to as Tailed stars' because they do not contain a critical level of mass or temperature required for nuclear reactions that fuel normal stars. Another goal for this project was to complete Hubble Space Telescope infrared imagery missing in the region due to a camera malfunction.
Our data were plotted on several graphs that would give estimates of the young object's mass assuming .in age of 300,000 years. Possible brown dwarfs were selected from the completed data and plotted .Long with confirmed brown dwarfs on another set of diagrams. As a result, we have discovered over a hundred possible young brown dwarfs with masses below 0.1 times the mass of the Sun. While the majority of these are probably older stars shining through the cloud, twenty of these objects have been confirmed as true brown dwarfs through infrared spectroscopy. An additional seven objects appear to be true brown dwarfs since the amount of obscuring dust we estimate is not high enough to be an old star behind the cloud. Confirmation of these objects will help astronomers understand more clearly how clouds subdivide to form stars and how brown dwarfs form.
Tatum Ponder (URDC 2006)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Kimball, Political Science
The casino industry: Is it good or bad for the local economy?
This research was conducted to assess whether the casino industry provides an economic boost to the local economy by increasing the number of jobs. In particular, this study examines the impact of casinos on local private non-farm employment. It is important for an area to attract and retain businesses that provide people with jobs that pay well and provide benefits for themselves and their families.
This research project involves reviewing published studies on the economic impact of the gaming industry, as well as my own original data analysis. I examined changes in employment figures before and after new casinos opened in several American cities or counties, including some in Missouri. The comparisons include assessments of similar communities that did not open casinos. The results indicate that new casinos tend to have a bigger and more favorable impact on employment in smaller less-populated counties than in heavily populated counties.
Colleen Buckley and Sarah B. Rutherford (URDC 2006)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Louis Gerteis, History
Old North St. Louis project
This project deals with salvaging homes through die Restoration Group of Old North St. Louis and will demonstrate methods for researching information on the history of homes. In order to save two particular homes in Old North St. Louis (1300 and 1308 Monroe Street) from being demolished, extensive research has been done at the Mercantile Library, the Missouri Historical Society, the St. Louis County Headquarters Library and the Olive Branch, Main Public Library in downtown St. Louis. Information such as fire insurance maps, census records, city directories, Civil War record books, obituary records from old newspaper articles, and websites on genealogical information provided support for salvaging the two properties through to the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.
This project is important because it not only informed the researchers about the few homes on Monroe Street, located in Old North St. Louis, but it also provides tool kit for those who wish to find information on other homes. The Old North St. Louis Restoration Group is working to transform their neighborhood from dilapidated, condemned properties to a thriving, residential and retail center. Working together, the researchers and the Restoration Group have designed ways to improve this community. It is an approach of combining the history with future developments, a concept known as "heritage based redevelopment."
We presented our project to the public in May 2005 during a House Tour in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood. Our group provided a "how to" manual for the public to allow homeowners to research their own homes from the resources we used. Visitors and residents greatly appreciated the tool kit we made available to them.
Ann Chisholm and JaVonda Palmer (URDC 2006)
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Margaret Sherraden, School of Social Work
Problem debt and its effect on low-income families
In 2002, Missouri ranked number one in the nation for per capita bankruptcy filings. One in 73 households filed bankruptcy, which affected more children than those impacted by divorce. In 2001, African American, Hispanic and White households spent 19 to 24 percent of household income on credit card payments. Median credit card debt for households was more than $5,000, much of it "safety net" debt covering basic household expenses, including childcare, health care and insurance, education, housing, and transportation. Low-income families are particularly prone to experience "debt hardship" (defined as monthly debt payments exceeding 40 percent of household income). They cope with high expenses and low income and few assets. They, in particular, face high risk for financial ruin, decreasing their chances to move out of poverty and into the middle class.
This research examines (1) the causes of problem debt, including credit cards, predatory loans, and unsecured lines of credit, (2) the impact on families, including poor credit ratings, low or negative net worth, and bankruptcy, and (3) proposed solutions.
Data for this study were obtained from consumer research, government data, and interviews with experts on consumer and family economics. The findings demonstrate that families who have high debt and low net-worth can neither provide for themselves today nor provide opportunities for themselves or their children in the future. In order for families to overcome debt hardship, there needs to be a synthesis of preventive measures that will decrease wealth disparities. These measures include financial education, asset building, policies, and grassroots activism.