Abstracts groups. Regions of interest were drawn on individual brain images to isolate left and right SLF. Measurements of fractional anisotropy (FA, an index of WMI) were then obtained and compared between groups. This analysis demonstrated no significant interaction between diagnosis and age. These results suggest that regardless of diagnosis, decreases occur in older individuals, and regardless of age, decreases occur in individuals with schizophrenia. Both diagnostic groups seem to age similarly, which suggests that decreases in schizophrenia are likely diseasespecific rather than related to cognitive control ability.
Fighting a Pathogen with Its Own Medicine: Enzymatic Preparation of Carbohydrates for Effective Immune Response Nikhil Reddy Gangasani, CURO Honors Scholar, CURO Research Assistantship Dr. Fikri Avci, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Pneumococcal diseases like pneumonia are currently a major global health issue. Caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, these diseases are responsible for up to 1.6 million annual deaths globally, according to a World Health Organization estimate. In particular, S. pneumoniae serotype III (Pn3) has increasingly victimized children under the age of five, who represent about half of global victims. The worldwide proliferation of microbial resistance to antibiotics accentuates the need for more effective pneumococcal vaccines. Glycoconjugate vaccines, composed of carbohydrates linked to carrier proteins, alleviate this issue. The Pn3 bacterium expresses a carbohydrate coating on its microbial surface called a capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Breaking down this long, complex Pn3 CPS into smaller fragments of suitable size and composition provides an appropriate carbohydrate source for studying how glycoconjugate vaccines activate a protective immune response against Pn3 CPS. In 1931, a bacterium called Bacillus circulans was observed to generate an enzyme which degrades Pn3 CPS into smaller fragments. Through experimentation, we purified the B. circulans enzyme and determined its size, studied the interactions between the enzyme and Pn3 CPS, and determined the means of CPS degradation. Furthermore, we established ideal conditions for the enzymatic degradation of Pn3 CPS, and confirmed the sizes of the main degradation products. Utilizing what is now known about Pn3 CPS and the B. circulans enzyme that degrades it, future research efforts will work towards creating a means of effective protection from the harmful Pn3 bacterial pathogen.
Effects of Acid Rain on Brassica rapa Luke Gamblin, CURO Research Assistant Dr. Ford Ballantyne, Ecology, Odum School of Ecology Acid rain is characterized as precipitation which has pH values that are lower than those of normal rain (<5.5). This increased hydrogen ion concentration is typically caused from the diffusion of industrial waste into the atmosphere. This research project is aimed at further understanding the effects of acid rain on plant life history through the manipulation of Brassica rapa (mustard plant) by using varying acidities of “rain” water. The experiment will consist of 4 experimental groups of Brassica which will each be watered solely with its corresponding “acid rain” solution. The solutions have pH values of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5, with the 5.5 solution being the control for naturally occurring rain. Every plant in the experiment will be watered with the same amount of corresponding solution (as needed), and each plant will be measured every other day for 45 days. Measurements will include stem height, leaf count and length (from stem), flowering time (# of days to first flower appearance), and number of seeds produced. Additionally, a general assessment of each plant’s health will be made throughout the experiment. In general, it is expected that those plants which are watered with low pH “acid rain” will grow slower, be less healthy, and produce fewer seeds. These findings will be important because they will provide data for the probable detrimental effects of acid rain on plant life history, which could be broadly extrapolated to agricultural practices in those areas which are subject to acid rain.
Fake News: The New Propaganda Machine Jessica Garcia, CURO Research Assistant Dr. Audrey Haynes, Political Science, School of Public and International Affairs 96