Wellspring Symposium

The American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus polyphemus, is a marine arthropod that is nearly threatened. This unique invertebrate spans from the Atlantic Coast of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Populations of this species are in decline due to a variety of factors, including overfishing, collection for the biomedical industry, and habitat loss. iNaturalist is an increasingly utilized smartphone application allowing crowdsourced species identification. We assessed if iNaturalist could be used to help observe habitats, population numbers, behaviors, and natural history trends in this species of conservation concern. Across 1,150 observations, a majority were observed on beaches with few in the water and vegetated areas. Approximately 80% of the observed specimens were adults and the latter 20% were juveniles. Furthermore, there was variation in whether specimens were alive or deceased (53% Live; 39% Dead). iNaturalist is an effective conservation tool and should be implemented in future population monitoring of this living fossil.

Mentors: Dr. Shem Unger and Dr. Mark Rollins

A hallmark of life is its ability to regulate the expression of its genes in response to heritable and environmental cues. One mechanism used by eukaryotic cells to achieve this is organizing their DNA into tightly condensed regions called heterochromatin, and loosely arranged regions called euchromatin. These structures are the result of the activity of chromatin architectural proteins, including members of the SATB (Special AT-rich Binding protein) family. Satb2 regulates osteogenesis, and loss of function mutants within Satb2 are linked to Glass syndrome - also known as SATB2-associated syndrome - a rare human neurogenetic disorder clinically marked by developmental delay, cleft palate, and dental and skeletal anomalies. Satb2 is localized to the nucleus, but no functional Nuclear Localization Sequence (NLS) has been identified thus far. Here we demonstrate that a predicted NLS located at aa 613-616 is not necessary for the nuclear import of an mCherry-Satb2 fusion protein in HeLa cells. Truncation analysis reveals that the aa 1-58 is unexpectedly necessary for the nuclear import of an EGFP-Satb2 fusion protein in HeLa cells. That region is not predicted to contain a traditional NLS, but it shares sequence homology with a non-traditional NLS located on Satb1. We are currently investigating whether that region is necessary for the nuclear import of Satb2.

Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

A previous study suggested that ewes born with a male co-twin had greater embryonic mortality than ewes born with a female co-twin. This percentage of loss was determined by comparing the ovulation rate to the number of lambs born, excluding fertilization failure or late embryonic or fetal loss. Late embryonic and fetal mortality is often underestimated in domestic animals and contributes to economic loss in the sheep industry. These types of losses are due to a variety of factors but how a ewe’s in-uterine exposure to either a male or female co-twin affects late embryonic or fetal loss is unknown. Pregnancy diagnosis using ultrasonography was conducted on approximately day 35 to 50 of gestation in 1,096 sheep at the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station from 2015 to 2017 representing either purebred or hybrid mixes of Polypay, Suffolk, Targhee, and Rambouillet breeds. Late embryo or fetal counts were then compared to corresponding lambing records. Differences in pregnancy and lambing rate, number of fetuses and lambs born per ewe, and percentage of total (complete pregnancy loss) and partial (reduction of litter size only) loss occurring in ewes born with a male or female co-twin will be determined by ANOVA using the PROC MIXED and GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. We hope that examining this effect on losses occurring from the early placental period to birth will provide greater insight on how interaction with a co-twin in utero may potentially affect reproduction in the adult ewe.

Mentor: Dr. Alison Brown

The prevalence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in older adults has been increasing since 2001. IBD is an inflammatory disease along the gastrointestinal tract. The inflammation of the tract lining can be present in the upper gastrointestinal tract, small intestines, and large intestines including the colon and rectum. The causes are still unknown. However, stress, diet, and heredity all are factors that may affect the severity. The two types of IBD are Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Both are characterized by diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fatigue, and weight loss. The main difference between the two is the presence of ulcers or sores along the lining of the colon and rectum in UC. One suspected cause of IBD is an imbalance in gut bacteria. Some gut bacteria can activate an inflammatory and/or immune response. Others limit the inflammatory response to keep function normal. However, if there is an imbalance, inflammation can occur unregulated. What is scary about IBD is that it can lead to the development of cancer, especially colon cancer. This is usually caused by oxidative damage to DNA. This is because immune cells that are related to inflammation release chemicals that are harmful. These chemicals build up during chronic inflammation. The damage to DNA can cause mutations that ultimately lead to tumor formation. Treatment of IBD usually entails the suppression of immune and inflammatory responses. The immunosuppression treatment also increases the risk of developing cancer. These risks only get higher as patients age. With that, many patients will have to be treated for both IBD and cancer at some point.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

In the United States, approximately 275,000 people are hospitalized annually due to acute pancreatitis with hospitalization costing over $30,000 per person. Pancreatitis is the leading cause of gastrointestinal-related hospitalizations. Pancreatitis occurs when injury to the pancreas activates acinar cells, macrophages, and neutrophils which produce cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 to activate the inflammatory cascade to cause inflammation of the pancreas. Causes of pancreatitis include gallstone disease, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercalcemia, trauma or injury to the abdomen, and heavy alcohol use. Signs and symptoms of pancreatitis include upper abdominal pain that may radiate to the back, vomiting, nausea, fever, and rapid pulse. Blood tests, abdominal ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, endoscopic ultrasounds, and stool tests are used in the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Receiving treatment for pancreatitis is important because acute pancreatitis strongly correlates with multi-organ failure and pancreatic necrosis and can cause serious complications such as kidney failure, breathing problems, infection, malnutrition, diabetes, and pancreatic cancer. Currently, there are no drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of pancreatitis which makes maintenance therapy the current treatment if it doesn’t resolve on its own. Maintenance therapy includes immediate IV fluids, medication for pain management, diet changes, and potentially pancreatic procedures. In 2022, the FDA approved Panoquell-CA1 which is now the first drug to treat pancreatitis in dogs which is crucial in future treatments and research for pancreatitis in humans. Further research is needed to find an effective treatment for pancreatitis in humans.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

Lungs are sensitive organs, designed primarily to breathe in oxygen. Inhaling other substances other than oxygen causes harm to your lungs. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an interstitial lung disease which is brought on by inhaling particles or microorganisms such as mold, bacteria, chemical, and metals. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis causes inflammation in the terminal bronchioles, the alveoli, and the interstitium. Symptoms of the disease include cough, dyspnoea, and fatigue. Researchers have suggested that pre-existing genetic susceptibility or certain environmental factors can increase the risk of developing the disease after the individual has been exposed to the antigen. The most common antigens are thermophilic actinomycete species, fungi, and bird proteins. Upon exposure to the antigen, airway epithelium secrete a variety of substances, such as mucins and defensins, and mediators, such as cytokines and oxygen radicals to produce an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response is mediated by immune complexes in acute onsets and by Th1 and Th17 T cells in chronic cases. Lymphocytes appear within 24-48 hours after exposure to the antigen, and express activation markers like interleukin-2. Macrophages and neutrophils also play a role in the onset of HP. Neutrophils accumulate in the lungs and cause the production of oxygen-free radicals, which can cause damage to the tissues. Soluble antigens bind to IgG, triggering the activation of alveolar macrophages which release inflammatory and chemotactic factors. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis has a wide range of offending antigens, and because of this can often go unnoticed or misdiagnosed.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

Studies have shown that herbs can have various essential oils and fatty acids that can be important to the human body. It is hypothesized that those same essential oils and fatty acids would be present in the seeds of the herbs. To determine the composition of these seeds, the seeds were ground into a fine powder and the components of interest were extracted with hexane through reflux. After extraction, analysis of components and quantities was completed using a Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) and the creation of calibration curves. Many different herbs were tested, and the results were compared to values found in literature for seeds and plants. Some seeds showed similar composition to that of the fully-grown plant. Other seeds did not show the compounds that were expected from the analysis of the full plant. The results will be discussed along with future research.

Mentor: Dr. Heather Clontz

College is an important context for emerging adults to cultivate developmental assets, solidify vocational plans, and develop meaningful relationships (Pfund et al., 2020). National data from Gallup has highlighted key experiences that positively impact a student’s experience while at college and their life after graduation (Seymour & Lopes, 2015). These “Big Six” experiences, including relationships with faculty and mentors and participation in high-impact practices, predict student success. Similarly, both theory and research underscore the importance of relationships, active engagement, and exploration in cultivating a sense of purpose and long-term aims (e.g., Liang et al., 2016), yet little work has examined the cumulative and relative value of these experiences in explaining purpose development in college (Pfund, 2020).

The present study examined the predictive value of the “Big Six” for the development of purpose among college students. We examine the combined impact of these experiences and their unique predictive value on sense of purpose. We made no hypotheses about the relative importance of each predictor in explaining purpose. Data was drawn from an annual survey of students at a small, liberal arts university in the Southeast region of the US. The survey was administered online at the end of the spring semester and included questions regarding campus experiences and psychosocial development. We used the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2006) to examine commitment to a sense of purpose. We also utilized student demographic data as well as data on relationships and experiential learning to measure the “Big Six” experiences. Specifically, students indicated the extent to which they believed they had a professor who cared about them as a person and whether they had a professor who made them excited about learning. Students also indicated if they had a mentor, if they had completed a semester-long project, were involved in campus extracurricular activities, and if they had an internship. Scores were summed across the experiences to create an index with scores ranging from 0 to 6. Due to too low student participation in internships, we focus on scores on a revised “Big Five” scale without internships.

The sample in the present study is primarily White (70.3%) and female (59.3%). Over half of students (56.6%) reported at least two of the “Big Five”, whereas only 6% percent of students had all five experiences and 5% of students had none. Results indicated that higher scores on the index were predictive of a greater sense of purpose in life (β=.259, p < .001), controlling for student demographics. We entered each relational and experiential learning variable as a separate predictor in another set of models. These results, in general, indicated that relational variables were more powerful predictors of purpose. Findings suggest that colleges should encourage relationships among students, faculty, and staff through opportunities within and outside of the classroom.

Mentor: Dr. Terese Lund

Wolves are crucial to the environment and ecosystem. Wolves serve us by providing healthier generations of prey populations by hunting prey with disease and illness, regulating the spread within herds. Wolves play huge parts in the traditions of many native cultures. They have coexisted with wolves for centuries, and these tribes respect wolves for their strength and family bonds. Wolf protections are once again in danger. Recently in February 2021, Wisconsin held a wolf hunt that eliminated greater than twenty percent of the wolf population in just sixty-three hours. Producing an average of one wolf killed every seventeen minutes. The purpose of this paper is to inform the public about the importance of wolves to our society. There is a war on wolves that must be stopped immediately. These animals have been put on and taken off the endangered species list many times. Each time they are removed, they are mercilessly slaughtered to near extinction again and finally put back on the list. This chaotic cycle has waged its war for longer than any other in history. Just recently the wolves were once again removed, and their still fragile population numbers were damaged. If these wolves are not saved, and their fragile numbers increased, wolves in Yellowstone National Park and beyond will cease to exist. The killing of wolves in Yellowstone and beyond is inhumane and affects both the environmental and social aspects surrounding wolves.

Mentor: Dr. Kristina Duemmler

Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest problems facing healthcare worldwide. As more patients become infected with resistant pathogens, the need for new antibiotics is greater now than ever. Students across the globe have teamed up with their instructors and fellow research scientists to mine soil samples for novel antibiotic-producing bacteria through the Tiny Earth Research Studentsourcing Initiative. Bacteria were isolated from soil collected from the embankment of a tributary on the Wingate University campus, using a soil dilution plating technique on two solid agar media types, ½ Tryptic Soy Agar (TSA) and Reasoner’s 2 Agar (R2A). The purpose of this research as part of Tiny Earth was to investigate the diversity of the soil microbiome and find novel antibiotic-producing bacteria. The media diversity index ranged from 0.60 to 0.15, which indicated a high species diversity of the soil bacteria at the tributary embankment site. The antibiotic-producing frequency for TSA was 36.4%, and 40% for R2A. Six Antibiotic-producing isolates were morphologically characterized once purified by the 4-way streak technique and observed after Gram staining. Three isolates (#18, #19, and #24), producing broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against ESKAPE pathogen-safe relatives, were further characterized via biochemical fingerprint and identified via their 16S rRNA gene sequence. These isolates’ antibiotics were crudely extracted using ethyl acetate, resuspended in methanol, and the screens against ESKAPE-safe relatives were repeated using the top-agar method and eukaryotic cells to determine the selective toxicity of the antibiotics; these assays are ongoing. Periodically, water-saturated soils with diverse nutrient cycling have an incredible microbial diversity that contains novel bacterial strains of the genera Bacillus, Streptomyces, and Serratia, with broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against ESKAPE pathogens.

Mentor: Dr. Debra Davis

The purity of a chemical compound that is being sold, is very important for the buyer. Cobalt (II) Sulfamate can be synthesized and mass-produced for commercial sale. Chemical manufacturing company, Wingate Advance Materials in Monroe, NC, found that their solid cobalt (II) sulfamate was turning green instead of the expected dark red after drying. The green compound is not expected to be created and raises the question: is the green compound cobalt (II) sulfamate, and if so, what is causing it to turn green? Cobalt (II) sulfamate was synthesized using the company’s procedure with varying pH levels of 3,4,5,6, and 7. After the compounds were dried over several days, EDTA titrations were performed on a sample from each pH level, a solid piece of the green compound, and a tumbled piece of red cobalt (II) sulfamate that had turned gray. It is found that a pH of 3 or 4 offers the best conditions with no green compound. A pH of 5, 6, and 7, produces the unwanted green compound. The cobalt (II) sulfamate solid was hard to break up due to the increase in strength from a low pH to a high pH. It was determined the green and gray compounds are not cobalt (II) sulfamate. To identify these compounds an x-ray diffractometer is needed. *This research remains ongoing.

Mentor: Dr. James Hall

Is it possible for treated lumber to contaminate the soil with the compounds used to treat it? This question has been asked before and is the baseline for this research. The methods used are derived from a paper involved in observing the leeching characteristics of chlorothalonil in different types of soils. This paper specifically investigates the adsorption of chlorothalonil, its ability to stick to the surface of the soil as opposed to absorbing it. Regardless, the extraction methods and Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) specifications are derived from this paper. Where the original research stopped at the soil, the current research is meant to be expanded to the plant itself, based on whether or not the compound is present in soil samples.

Mentor: Dr. Stacey Hutchinson

Is there pain in your uterus, but have no idea why it is happening? Endometriosis is when cells similar to the lining of the uterus grow outside of the uterus. It effects nearby organs such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Cysts are able to form in the ovaries. Surrounding tissue can become irritated, which will then cause scar tissue and adhesions in the body. It can also cause pelvic tissues and organs to stick together. When the cells attach themselves to the lining of the pelvis and go through changes, the patches of endometriosis thicken and do shed but they have nowhere to go, this causes inflammation in the uterus. Symptoms of Endometriosis is painful periods, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements, excessive bleeding, and infertility. Possible causes for Endometriosis are retrograde menstruation, transformation of peritoneal cells, embryonic cell transformation, surgical scar implantation, endometrial cell transport, and immune system disorder. Some ways to help/treat Endometriosis would be over-the-counter medication as in, aspirin, ibuprofen, or even prescribed prescriptions. There is also hormonal therapy which tries to stop ovulation for as long as possible to help ease the pain for as long as they can. There is also surgery that will remove the cells which will relieve pain and could allow pregnancy for some women. In some cases, removing the ovaries is the only option if it is that severe. Some other treatments could be Chinese medicine, nutritional approaches, homeopathy, allergy management, and immune therapy. Endometriosis can lead to a decrease in life expectancy because it causes severe pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and infertility. As a community we can raise awareness, set up referral systems, strengthen capacity of health systems to diagnose early, increase research as much as we can, and improve access to reproductive health for women.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

This is a multimedia portrait of the great Sir. Walter Raleigh. He was born in England in 1552 and rose to the top of society with his good looks and charm. Raleigh became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth Ⅰ and accomplished many things by her side. Sir Walter has many notable achievements including his poetry, his search for El Dorado - the city of gold, and discovering land and leaving his namesake behind.

Raleigh was the queen’s man, through and through. He was the captain of the queen's guard, and he could often be found wearing her colors of black and white. He wrote many different poems to the Queen, comparing her to the goddess of the moon. He funded several different voyages, ultimately landing on what we know as Roanoke Island. He established the first English colony in America, but it disappeared without a trace and still remains a mystery today. Raleigh N.C. is named in his honor.

This portrait depicts Raleigh with a near transparent face, allowing the viewer to see snippets from his poem The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd. His handsome features are still clearly displayed, and combined with his curly brown hair they really speak for themselves. Raleigh is wearing a collar customary to the royalty at that time. It is a reddish shade and done in watercolor to hint at the mode of his death – death by decapitation. His hat (which was a frequent accessory for sailors in that time period) is cloth, speaking to his wealth. He has a white feather in his cap, common to birds found near shore. His shirt is purple to hint at his near royalty status, as a favorite of the queen; and naturally his coat is black and white – the colors of Queen Elizabeth Ⅰ. Finally the background is done in charcoal, to give the portrait a hazy/smoky feel because it is said that Raleigh popularized the use of tobacco in England.

The goal of this portrait was to capture the different facets of Sir Walter Raleigh’s life and personality. The mediums of acrylic, watercolor, pen, cloth, and charcoal worked together to form this masterpiece.

Mentor: Dr. Charlene Bregier

Sir Walter Raleigh's life was the subject of our research as. We created a portrait of him that appropriately represented him based on numerous aspects of his life. In order to convey his role as a planner and a queen's favorite, I produced my piece using vibrant colors, peacock symbolism, and maintained the pencil grid.

Mentor: Dr. Charlene Bregier

A basic property of life is the ability to regulate genes in response to environmental conditions. Eukaryotic cells do this partially through the organization of their DNA into tightly condensed regions called heterochromatin and loosely arranged regions called euchromatin. Genes located in heterochromatin tend to be silent, while those in euchromatin tend to be expressed. These patterns of organization are achieved through the activity of chromatin architectural proteins including Satb1 and Satb2. Most DNA binding proteins have the ability to bind to each other as homodimers, however, the homology between Satb1 and Satb2 mean that they may be able to form a Satb1/Satb2 heterodimer. We are testing this possibility using a Split-YFP system, where the front half of the YFP fluorescent protein is attached to one protein and the back half is attached to a second protein. Although each half of YFP is not fluorescent, they can associate with each other to restore fluorescence if they are held close together. This would only happen if the proteins they are attached to (Satb1 and Satb2) themselves are able to bind to each other.

Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Fetal cells are able to cross the placenta into the maternal circulation during pregnancy in domestic animals and recently shown to remain in solid tissues after parturition. However, the quantity of fetal cells in the maternal circulation during and after pregnancy is not known. Quantitative changes in fetal DNA in maternal blood have been reported during pregnancy in the ewe, but the number of fetal cells in the maternal circulation during and after pregnancy has not been determined. The aim of this study was to develop a technique that would allow the quantification of male cells in maternal blood samples of ewes during and after pregnancy using qPCR. Blood samples were taken from three rams and the buffy coat from each sample was removed, washed and diluted to 1:20 with PBS. White blood cells were then counted using a hemocytometer (WBC x 106 per mL per ram). An in-vitro model was designed by serially diluting a known amount of ram blood ranging from 106 to 10-1 WBC per mL into ewe blood. Serial dilutions were created for each ram and the buffy coat was extracted from each sample and extracted for DNA. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to identify the SRY gene based on the presence of male DNA in the buffy coats of serial dilutions. A standard curve was then created using an SRY primer pair and TaqMan probe against a known amount of ram WBC. Our primer pair and probe were sensitive enough to detect approximately 10,000 male WBC per mL of blood. This technique has allowed us to begin preliminary analysis of the quantity of male WBC remaining in blood samples of ewes taken during pregnancy and time periods after parturition.

Mentor: Dr. Alison Brown

Inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) includes Crohn's disease (CD). Tissues in the digestive tract swell, which causes stomach discomfort, severe diarrhea, exhaustion, weight loss, and malnutrition. People with CD may experience inflammation in many parts of their gastrointestinal system, most frequently the small intestine. This inflammation frequently penetrates the innermost layers of the intestine.

Crohn's disease is thought to initially be brought on by a virus or bacteria, although this has yet to be determined by researchers. When the immune system battles an invasive bacterium or environmental stimuli, immune cells attack digestive tract cells as part of an unusual immune response. Given that CD is more prevalent in families, genes may contribute to an individual's increased risk of developing the condition. Age, ethnicity, NSAID use, and cigarette smoking are more prevalently seen in CD patients.

The complicated alteration of the inflammatory response that drives the progression of CD includes changes to the intestinal mucosa barrier's innate immunity as well as remodeling of the extracellular matrix via increased production of adhesion molecules including MAcCAM-1 and metalloproteins. CD is an autoimmune disease. Other autoimmune diseases linked to Crohn's disease are, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, and asthma.

There is no proven treatment for CD, but anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, and antibiotics can significantly lessen symptoms. Therapies, such as exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) and individualized food-based diet (CD-TREAT) can even result in long-term remission and inflammatory healing. A person's social life can be significantly impacted by Crohn's disease in addition to its medical symptoms, including discrimination, body image issues, and mental health. With medication and therapy, many CD sufferers can lead productive lives.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

The Purity Movement can be characterized as an ideological emphasis on abstinence and virginity within the Christian faith that is particularly polarizing in how it treats female and male members of the church. It is defined by the connection between abstinence from sex and purity, yet differs in standards by gender orientation. This occurs within the context of purity culture, which describes the specific lifestyle centered around abstinence that some evangelical Christians promote. The social norms within this ideological sector contrast by creating a standard of virginal feminine purity for women and girls that juxtaposes the asserted uncontrollable, strong, and violent standards of masculinity for men and boys. Although this is only one facet of evangelical Christian belief, these teachings create a connection between sex and spirituality that facilitates the theological policing of Christian bodies which bleed into almost every area of the lives of believers. Namely, sentiments of shame have a deep impact on the ways in which Christians understand their bodies, sexualities, and the act of sex. This paper analyzes the impact of these sentiments on Wingate Students ages 18 and above who were raised within church institutions that practiced purity culture and adhered to the theological and ideological teachings of the Purity Movement throughout adolescence. Using this research, this paper argues that students who were raised in environments that practiced purity culture are more likely to experience feelings of shame regarding their bodies as they explore their sexualities and engage in sex acts throughout college, even if they no longer adhere to the spiritual discipline of premarital sexual abstinence, or to the overall teachings of the Purity Movement in their personal faith orientations.

Mentor: Dr. Christy Cobb

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered to be one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease and seven in 10 people with diabetes will die of cardiovascular issues. Type 2 diabetes can be characterized by a deficiency in insulin, a hormone, that is caused by pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance in target organs such as the liver, adipose tissue, and muscle. Insulin resistance is a condition where the previously mentioned tissues do not respond to insulin. Insulin is essential for regulating blood glucose levels. In T2DM, abnormally high glucose levels in the blood are the result of the malfunction of the feedback loop between insulin action and insulin secretion. Insulin secretion is reduced with β-cell dysfunction, thus, limiting the body’s capacity to maintain physiological glucose levels. Researchers have shown a link between inflammation and insulin resistance in T2DM. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1 and INF-γ have been associated with β-cell dysfunction and can lead to an increased sensitivity to β-cell toxicity. Inflammatory processes are associated in individuals with metabolic disorder with the development of insulin resistance, decreased insulin secretion through pancreatic β cells, and development of vascular changes. Hyperglycemia and inflammatory cytokines lead to cardiovascular disease. This is an important disease to study because 415 million people were estimated to have diabetes in 2015, with more than 90% having T2DM.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

Approximately 23.7 million people worldwide live with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This disease is not usually considered fatal but can lead to premature death due to complications such as cardiovascular disease. There is an estimation of 41,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that primarily affects the joints but can also affect other organs in the body such as muscles, bones, skin, eyes, lungs, and heart. The symptoms can vary but some common symptoms include joint pain, swelling, fatigue, low fever, nodules under the skin, eye pain, and loss of appetite. The mechanism of this disease is thought to involve the genetic, environmental, and immune systems. There are genetic factors such as the variations in the HLA-DRB1 gene that are linked to an increased risk of RA.

In RA, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the synovial membrane lining the joints, causing inflammation and damage to the joint tissue. This response is thought to be triggered by genetic and environmental factors. The autoimmune response also triggers the release of inflammatory cytokines and causes further inflammation. This chronic inflammation in the joint tissue leads to the formation of a pannus, a thickened tissue layer. Pannus can erode and damage the cartilage and bone. Over time, the inflammation, and damage can lead to joint destruction and deformity making it difficult to move and use the affected joints. This disease can lead to cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, infections, or lung diseases. Some treatments aim to reduce inflammation, manage symptoms, and slow the progression. It includes NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), and biological therapies.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

Over 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease that impacts cognitive function and results in neuronal loss. Some common symptoms of AD are memory loss, confusion, difficulty problem solving, mood swings, and social withdrawal. Currently, two pathologies of AD are known and include the presence of B-amyloid (AB) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Recent studies have shown that inflammation may play a role in the pathology of AD. The neuroinflammation that presents as a result of the B-amyloid plaques and NFTs serves a dual role in the disease. During an acute-phase response, the neuroinflammation serves as a protective agent; however, pro-inflammatory molecules produced from the response lead to a chronic response. This chronic neuroinflammation response exacerbates the B-amyloid and NTF pathologies, eliciting an increase in the severity of the disease. There is no cure for the disease; however, there are some treatments available. Potential treatments may include gene therapy or medications to treat the symptoms, such as donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine. The total annual cost of care for AD patients currently exceeds $300 billion and is estimated to rise over time. Although this disease impacts the patient themselves, it also has a great impact and burden on the patient’s loved ones. The disease takes a toll on those who care for the patient either emotionally, physically, or financially. The patient’s loved ones experience firsthand how this disease corrupts and takes over the patient's mind and body leaving them incapable of taking care of themselves and becoming dependent on those around them.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

The study was about the usage of Wingate University (WU) walking trails and disc golf course. Research shows the benefits of walking trails, and a disc golf course helps individuals with mental, physical, and social health by relieving stress. The walking trails and disc golf course at WU started to be prioritized below other things when COVID-19 started in 2020. The surveys were conducted to collect data on the Wingate University walking trails and disc golf course to rate and give information for the status of both areas. A survey was created for the Wingate University population to answer questions relating to the walking trails and disc golf course offered, and another survey was created for the Charlotte Disc Golf Community on a Facebook group page. Most WU students and faculty knew about the walking trails and disc golf course. The other results of the surveys showed that the respondents rated the disc golf course mostly as good and worn. For the second survey, respondents stated that more maintenance and a slight redesign of the course would increase the probability of the players coming to play more often.

Mentor: Dr. Kristin Stowe

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease which is characterized by significant brain atrophy in the cortex and striatum of the brain. Wild type HTT (wtHTT) is a ubiquitously located protein found most densely in the neural cells of the brain and spinal cord. While the exact mechanisms of action of (wtHTT) within neurons are currently unknown, it is thought that wtHTT interacts with a complex and wide range of effective proteins to protect neurons from neurodegeneration via anti-apoptosis or DNA repair. HD is caused primarily by the mutation of the HTT gene in chromosome 4, which codes for huntingtin (HTT). This mutation results in the continuous and chronic extension of the CAG segment of the HTT gene by anywhere from 30 to over 120 CAG repeats without interruption. As a result of this CAG extension, an extended protein aggregate forms known as the polyQ protein. This abnormal extension of the mtHTT protein as a result of mutation prevents mtHTT from being exported from the nucleus and promotes aggregation, resulting in increasing cytotoxicity. Microglia are the primary immune cells of the CNS and are responsible for the activation of inflammatory responses in the brain by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Microglia are also responsible for the phagocytosis of these target cells. Microglial cells are sensitive to cytotoxic environments and undergo conformational changes in response. After the resolution of the cause of the cytotoxicity, microglial cells release anti-inflammatory mediators to reduce inflammation. In environments of increasing cytotoxicity in neural nuclei and cytoplasm due to chronic mtHTT aggregation, microglial cells’ are consistently releasing both inflammatory mediators. The loss of the delicate balance of microglial inflammatory regulation due to chronic mtHTT aggregation can lead to constant microglia activation and further exacerbation of neuroinflammation in patients with HD.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

The skin is the largest organ in the body, and it is crucial for many metabolic and homeostatic processes; therefore, any abnormalities within the anatomical and physiological component of this organ can be detrimental. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is caused by an amplified inflammatory response. Common signs of psoriasis are dry patchy rashes that cause itching, burning or soreness on the skin. This disease is a genetic mutation that promotes the hyperproliferation of the keratinocytes in the epidermis and causes the enhanced aggression of immune cells within the epithelial cells to fixate chronic inflammation and dysfunction. Psoriasis elicits damage beyond the skin, to organs such as the heart and lungs. Hardships within daily functionality or quality of life can occur. Examples of this would include arthritis, heart attack, or strokes. Psoriasis affects over 125 million people and is the cause of vast health abnormalities psychologically, socially, and physically.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

Asthma is one of the leading chronic illnesses of childhood and disproportionately affects African Americans as well as those living below the poverty level. Asthma is a highly prevelant respiratory condition affecting 358 million people globally.This disorder causes missed days from work and school, emergency room visits, and more than 3,000 deaths annually. Asthma episodes are generally associated with widespread airflow obstruction that is usually reversible either with treatment or spontaneously. This disease of inflammation is characterized by respiratory symptoms such as: shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness. Asthma is usually associated with air-way hyperresponsiveness in response to airway inflammation which subsequently causes bronchoconstriction upon exposure to nonspecific irritants or specific allergens. The immunopathophysiology of asthma involves the activation of both the innate and adaptive immune systems to stimulate chronic airway inflammation. There are multiple factors that may trigger inflammation in the lower airway such as: a genetic predisposition for the disorder, environmental exposures, and possibly alterations to the microbiome. Most asthmatics exhibit type 2 inflammation which is mediated by respiratory epithelium and type 2 helper-T lymphocytes. Type 2 inflammation is associated with specific cytokine profiles (IL-4, 5 & 14) and inflammatory cells (eosinophils, mast cells, Basophils, Type 2 helper T cells, and immunoglobulin producing plasma cells). Inflammation of the bronchi leads to increased mucus production, increased bronchoconstriction, and collagen deposition in the constricted pathways. One of the most common secondary conditions to asthma is sleep apnea, other conditions include but are not limited to: allergies, anxiety, bronchiectasis, type 2 diabetes, nasal polyps.

Mentor: Dr. Tracy Davis

In order for professional athletes to be able to focus on their sport and improve their performance, they are usually not able to perform another job at the same time. For that reason, especially in Europe the government is supporting those people so they can perform at their best and represent their country as good as possible. However, over the last ten years companies like Nike or Adidas have entered this “market” and especially in the USA taken athletes under sponsorship. They provide coaches and ideal training conditions for the athletes to be successful. Those two systems are basically competing with each other and this paper is analyzing if there is a significant difference between those two systems. During the process two parts were being looked at. On the one hand side the US and Germany are compared at the world championship level and their medal count. The other part of the project takes a closer look at chosen individual athletes and their individual development over the last seven years. Male and females from both system are being analyzed and the slope of their different times they ran during races are being compared. The results show that the female athletes did not improve as much under the government system compared to full sponsored athletes. The male did not show a clear indication of this. The overall medal count however indicates that especially in the more recent years Germany´s rank went down, and they collected less medals while the United States are able to maintain their high level until today. Findings from this research show that the sponsored system is on the rise and taking over in the overall results. The government system turns out to not be the most effective one when it comes to producing successful results on the worlds stage.

Mentor: Dr. Kristin Stowe

Higher education has been transformed by globalization. International students are crucial players in creating global diversity. As of 2021, more than 900,000 international students are currently studying in the United States. This forms the question of what factors influence students’ decisions when choosing to study and relocate to the United States. This paper compares how the factors of financial cost, life experience, athletics, and future mobility are ranked by international students and domestic students at Wingate University. The expected quality of education and friends and family already in the United States were both ranked as the most important factors when deciding to study in the United States for international students. International students ranked friends and family already in North Carolina as the most important factor when deciding to study in North Carolina while domestic students ranked the location/weather of North Carolina and the financial cost as the most important factors. When deciding to study at Wingate University findings from this research show that the reputation of the Wingate University sports teams ranked most important among international students and affordability was seen as both the most important and least important factor. For domestic students’ affordability was ranked as the most important factor.

Mentor: Dr. Kristin Stowe

Determining a way to synthesize a chemical compound without side products can be crucial to prevent nonessential reactions. By using protecting groups and Williamson ether synthesis techniques, guiding a reaction to an expected result can be achievable. This research focused on using a William ether synthesis (WES) with salicylic acid and various bases to produce only the expected product. The results of the research as well as future research will be discussed.

Mentor: Dr. Heather Clontz

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., grandiose narcissism; Machiavellianism; psychopathy; sadism) and individuals' preferences for art. Specifically, we hypothesized that the Dark Tetrad personality constructs relate differently to emotional experiences, which could manifest when individuals view various forms of art. Some previous research has investigated the Dark Tetrad in relationship to artistic preferences, but the index of the Dark Tetrad used in this previous research is known to be faulty. Moreover, this previous research did not include any content about participants’ emotion experience of the art. Indeed, it could be possible that highly sadistic people, for example, tend to experience negative affect more frequently than highly grandiose narcissistic people; if so, we may discover differences in their emotional experiences of art. To test our hypothesis, we recruited a sample of university participants and administered a measure.

Mentor: Dr. Chris Breeden

Social media platforms are growing more popular in modern society, increasing digital interaction and even influencing consumer decisions. The majority of Fortune 500 businesses and corporations are taking advantage of social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) in attempt to increase brand awareness, customer relationship development, sale opportunities, and ultimately to improve business performance. Businesses analyze financial statements, stock data, and various ratios when establishing the trajectory of business performance. Studies have established a positive correlation between consumer sales and consumer traffic on social media, along with a positive relationship between perceived business value and business usage of social media. However, little research has distinguished correlation between social media presence, followers, and posts in correspondence with Fortune 500 rank, return on assets, revenue, and stock price. This study uses social media data and business performance data of retail Fortune 500 companies to conduct trendline and regression analysis, establishing a relationship between social media and business performance. Trendline findings support a complementing relationship between all business performance variables (ROA, revenue, and stock price) and retail Fortune 500 rank, as well as a strong correlation between social media (posts and followers) and retail Fortune 500 rank. Regression analysis determine significance between all social media variables (presence, followers, and posts) and the business performance variables of stock price, retail Fortune 500 rank, and revenue. Overall findings suggest certain components business performance are influenced by social media, specifically within retail Fortune 500 companies.

Mentor: Dr. Kristin Stowe

This poster presentation is a mixed media representational portrait of the poetic and passionate side of Sir Walter Raleigh. Many know him for his relation to the Queen of England, Elizabeth I, and his famous exploratory voyages to America in the 16th and 17th centuries. However, his artistic passions have been less prevalently discussed in recent times. Our task was to research his life and create a window to view his legacy through representational art.

His notable works include the exploration of land now known to be North Carolina extending as far as Florida to Virginia, explicitly named in honor of the "virgin queen"; the search for wealth and new lands such as El Dorado and its gold; and the honorary naming of Raleigh, North Carolina, where there is also a hotel in his name, Sir Walter Hotel.

There are rumors and tales that Sir Walter Raleigh had a secret love for Queen Elizabeth, expressed in his poems where he had hidden pet names for her. The Queen's favored view was stripped from him when he was imprisoned for secretly marrying one of her ladies-in-waiting. Her name was Elizabeth Throckmorton which may have been a factor in the Queen's decision to condemn Sir Walter to prison out of jealousy that his love now belonged to another. However, there is no historical evidence to back this theory. In many portraits, his eyes are either dark brown or blue; this portrait utilized the blue recollection of his eyes to represent their son, who was often portrayed next to him with bright blue eyes.

Sir Walter Raleigh Roses, named in his honor, were used to line his coat in reference to his poem Her Reply. A portion of this poem was written over his heart to represent the love he showed through his poetry, specifically in the line, "Thy beds of roses…soon break, soon wither—soon forgotten…All these in me no means can move to come to thee and be thy Love." His chiseled and handsome features were contour drawn with colored pencils to give him a more realistic and soft view compared to the loud, vibrant tones of the piece. The "zentangle" technique in his hat in ink pays homage to the ideas of romanticism regarding the flowering of the imagination often seen in poetry. His collar has a three-dimensional aspect conveyed through the folding, stapling, and pinning of brown coffee filters; it also references the Baroque fashion style of the 17th century, along with the feather protruding out of his hat near the top of the work. The poignant pink hues that beam off the paper are created with layered watercolor paints to express a bold symbol of passion seen in his love, life, and poetry.

These references and symbols aimed to communicate the story of Sir Walter Raleigh and his passionate and potentially scandalous love life in history through his poetic aspirations and desires.

Mentor: Dr. Charlene Bregier

Dr. Lapan’s PSYC 311 Adulthood and Aging class through the previous years has implemented a service learning project where students proposed a project in cooperation with community partners with the intent of helping the elderly community. However, due to the COVID-19 lockdown in Spring 2020, these projects had to be postponed. As an alternative to this project, students in Dr. Lapan’s Adulthood and Aging class were asked to watch and analyze a piece of media about older adults/elderly individuals. Students were asked to identify possible elder stereotypes and to connect these stereotypes and scenes within the movie to class content. After reading through and qualitatively coding these papers common stereotypes within society about the elderly population were continuously noted. Common stereotypes of elders that were identified were fragility, lack of sexual relationships, weakness, ignorance, instability, dependence and lack of physical activity. These stereotypes were connected to information students learned in class comparing the stereotypes to factual information and statistics. Analyzing and comparing these stereotypes allow students to identify their own bias and biases within society about elderly individuals. Many students were able to reflect on unconscious biases they had not been aware of, and were able to gain insight on more realistic perspectives of the elderly population.

Mentor: Dr. Candace Lapan

Women have surpassed men in educational attainment and achievement with determination against the odds of the “chilly campus climate.” The chilly campus climate prompts barriers that limit the realization of female students’ full potential. In particular, female students experience barriers pertaining to physical safety and a lack of support from advisors, faculty, and the campus community at large, which ultimately limit opportunities to gain confidence in life after graduation. This study examines the student experience at Wingate University as a function of one’s gender. In particular, we examined gender differences among student perceptions of safety, support, and success on campus. Data was collected from an annual survey of the student experience at Wingate University (N=769). Female students indicated significantly lower levels of perceived safety, support from the community and advisors, and preparedness for life after graduation as compared to their male counterparts. Student responses to open-ended questions revealed policy and practice implications to address student needs.

Mentor: Dr. Terese Lund