Category: Poster Presentation
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The Effect of Social Isolation on Orexin Production and Hedonic Drive in Female Mice
By Hudson McNerney Faculty Mentor: Dr. Parrish Waters Abstract THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL ISOLATION ON OREXIN PRODUCTION AND HEDONIC DRIVE IN FEMALE MICE. Hudson McNerney, Dr. R. Parrish Waters, Dept. of Biol., University of Mary Washington. Social stress is a primary instigator of psychological disorders in humans. While social stress results from social dominance relationship…
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Determining the Relationship Between Bond Energy and Bond Length Using Computational Chemistry
By Ksenia Mangino, Catherine Nguyen Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract Computational chemistry is used to simulate experiments that cannot be performed in a lab setting. In the case of bond energy, one could simply assume an average/optimal bond length; however, the length of the bond realistically oscillates and affects bond energy as shown theoretically by…
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A Computational Analysis of the Thermodynamic Synthesis of Ammonia Utilizing Transition State Theory
By Vallarie Burge, Rowan Neall Faculty Mentor: Leanna Giancarlo Abstract The synthesis of ammonia (NH3) is an important step in the production of fertilizers that increase the level of nitrogen in soil, bettering plant structure and metabolism. The kinetics of NH3 synthesis was examined and analyzed utilizing transition state theory (TST) in order to understand…
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Changes of TOB in Response to Chronic Social Stress
By Hannah Stottlemyer Faculty Mentor: Dr. O'Dell Abstract We investigated the expression of TOB2 in the hippocampus. Using female mice as models, we socially isolated them to serve as a chronic social stressor. TOB2 has an anti-proliferative effect and negatively regulates a gene expression signaling pathway. After sacrificing the mice, extracting the hippocampus, and isolating…
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High-performance liquid chromatography of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in generic and NatureMade® 500 mg vitamin C tablets
By Layla Cruz Martinez, Sean McGavin, Jillian Pabalan, Amina Walcott Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith Abstract Ascorbic acid (i.e. Vitamin C) is an essential vitamin in promoting a healthy immune system. It can be found in over-the-counter tablets, with a variety of brands to choose from. The concentrations of ascorbic acid in name-brand and generic vitamin…
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Tridacna spp. clams as Potential Paleoclimate Indicators on Kiritimati (Christmas) Island
By Kate Green Faculty Mentor: Pamela Grothe Abstract Tridacna spp. clams, also known as giant clams, are the largest living marine bivalves and have been theorized to be reliable indicators of paleoclimate (Yan et. al., 2020). The Tridacna gigas is commonly found throughout the tropical Pacific, and has potential to supplement high-resolution paleoclimate archives from…
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Why is Shark Tooth Island Disappearing?
By Kate Stoneman Faculty Mentor: John Tippett Abstract A poster presentation on the disappearance of Shark Tooth Island. How climate change has impacted the island.
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Beyond Porites corals – evaluating the geochemistry from large skeletal architectural corals from the central tropical Pacific as reliable archives for climate change
By Jessica Oberlies Faculty Mentor: Pamela Grothe Abstract The central tropical Pacific is a key region for studying climate change because it modulates global climate variability, such as through the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, there is a lack of climate records prior to the mid-1950’s from this region, making it difficult to quantify…
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Solar Farms and the Heat Island Effect: A study of Local Temperature Changes at Virginia’s Largest Solar Farms
By Rhane Elder Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pamela Grothe Abstract With the growing urgency to move away from fossil fuels, renewable energy has started to rapidly expand. Large-scale solar farms are increasingly being proposed, and often they face backlash from community members on the potential impacts it could have. Spotsylvania County, Virginia is home to the…
