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| THE EFFECTS OF CHOLINE SUPPLEMENTATION THROUGHOUT THE LIFESPAN ON ANXIETY AND REACTIONS TO ACUTE STRESS IN THE RAT |
| Raven Adams ('08) and John Swain ('08), Psychology |
| Choline is a crucial nutrient that contributes to several biological functions and serves as a precursor molecule to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Choline is involved in prenatal development and is integral to the development and function of the central nervous system. Researchers have found that prenatal choline supplementation in the rat has several beneficial effects in adulthood, including enhanced spatial learning and memory, reduction of age-induced memory decline, and protection against various stressors to the neural environment. Yet little research has investigated the effects of choline supplementation during stages of life other than prenatal development. The present study examined the effects of choline supplementation, administered during different stages of life, on anxiety-like behaviors and reactions to acute stress. Rats were either supplemented with choline during a select period (prenatal development, adolescence, or adulthood) or received no supplementation. Reactions to stress were then investigated by exposing rats to a forced swim paradigm, which is used to measure behaviors representative of depression, and an acute-stress open field paradigm. To investigate the neural basis for behavioral effects, levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in the hippocampus were analyzed. Behavioral measures investigated differences in anxiety-like behaviors and reactions to stress. In the open field, rats supplemented in adolescence were less anxious compared to all other groups, however both the prenatal-supplemented and the adolescent-supplemented groups were less impacted by the forced swim test. These finding provide evidence that choline supplementation during periods of heightened developmental plasticity impacts anxiety-like behaviors. |
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| THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL CHOLINE AVAILABILITY ON BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL REACTIONS TO SOCIAL ISOLATION REARING IN THE RAT |
| Raven Adams ('08), Psychology |
| Choline is a crucial nutrient that contributes to several biological functions and serves as a precursor molecule to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Choline is involved in prenatal development and is integral to the development and function of the central nervous system. Researchers have found that prenatal choline supplementation in the rat enhances learning and memory processes later in life and also protects against a number of physical stressors to the neural environment, such as prenatal alcohol exposure, induced seizures, and chronic stress-induced exposure to corticosteroids. The present study examined the effects of prenatal choline supplementation on behavioral and neural reactions to social isolation rearing, which typically produces a number of behavioral and cognitive deficits in the rat. Rats were exposed to either a choline-sufficient (control) or a choline-supplemented diet during prenatal development, and were then weaned into standard (pair) housing or social isolation (single) housing. When these rats reached adulthood, behavioral measures investigated anxiety, exploratory behavior, spatial learning and memory ability, and object recognition memory. In analyzing these behavioral measures we failed to detect significant effects of housing in control-fed rats, but did detect an effect of housing in choline-supplemented rats in measures of both anxiety and learning and memory. These novel findings suggest that the benefits of choline supplementation may depend on experiences such as social rearing. To investigate the neural basis for behavioral effects, levels of hippocampal neurogenesis were measured by immunohistological staining for Doublecortin. |
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| PREDICTING PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE: WHAT MUST A VOTER KNOW? |
| Randi Arsenault ('09), Government |
| A great deal of research has been done in the field of presidential studies. Yet, an important question-- how do we know what candidate is likely to be the most effective president-- has rarely guided systematic inquiry. This study uses historical information to explore the characteristics of effective leadership in the White House. The analysis examines the relationship between the pre-presidential experiences and the success in office of modern presidents. By examining the elements of effective leadership and the relevant pre-presidential experiences related to these elements, we seek to provide a better understanding of what characteristics Americans should look for in presidential candidates, adn where they can find this information. |
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| MALE SEXUAL SELECTION BASED ON IMMUNE FUNCTION IN THE ZEBRA FINCH TAENIOPYGIA GUTTATA |
| Christine Avena ('08), Biology |
| Zebra finches are a popular model species for research on sexual selection because they form monogamous pairs and select mates based on a wide variety of criteria. Mate choice, part of Darwin’s theory of sexual selection, is generally understood as females choosing males with desirable traits. Several hypotheses have been presented to describe how a female selects a male, including the “sexy son” hypothesis, that females become choosy for males with flashy ornaments, and the “good genes” hypothesis, which suggests that females select for traits that indicate a disease-resistant, fit male. Recent studies have shown that female zebra finches prefer males with particular traits, including symmetrical chest plumage, high song rates, and bright red beaks. These studies also revealed that males might be choosy when looking for a female, especially when comparing two individuals with different levels of fitness. This study will examine whether or not male zebra finches prefer certain characteristics, such as beak color or body weight, when courting a female. If the male prefers one female over another, this female is injected with a drug to temporarily suppress the immune system and the test is repeated. The initial results from this experiment will indicate that males may switch preferences for a female if her fitness is compromised. These findings might lend support the “good genes” hypothesis and could provide new information on the role of male sexual selection in zebra finches |
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| GENDER AND MATURITY OF A FACE INFLUENCE PERCEPTIONS OF ITS COMPETENCE, INTELLIGENCE AND HONESTY. |
| Sakshi Balani ('10), Martha-Gail Biddiscombe ('10), Meghan Guay ('10) and David Way ('09), Psychology |
| The purpose of this experiment is to further enhance our knowledge in the field of gender stereotypes and perceived personality characteristics. In conjunction with previous research, it is believed that maturity of a face influences perception of characteristics. However, it is also believed that the gender of a face provides a social cue to perceptions of personality traits. It is important to investigate how maturity of facial features interacts with these perceptions when gender cues (that might provide social biases) are removed. Therefore, this experiment manipulates faces based on maturity and gender cues, in order to determine their combined effect on perceived characteristics, namely, intelligence, competence and honesty. |
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| THOU SHALT NOT KILL… THYSELF: THE EFFECT OF RELIGIOUS PARTICIPATION ON SUICIDE |
| Ivan Balbuzanov ('09), Economics |
| Individual religious preferences are expected to have an effect on the probability of committing suicide both according to the utility-maximizing theory of suicide (Hamermesh and Soss 1974) and the sociological theory of suicide advanced by Durkheim (1951). Despite these theoretical implications, there have not been any econometric studies examining this theory. In this paper, I estimate the effects of religious participation on the probability of committing suicide. Using the 1993 National Mortality Followback survey and controlling for age, race, gender, level of education, urban residence, and marital status, I find a statistically-significant negative relationship between religious participation and the probability of committing suicide. The results are robust to other known correlates of suicide, including income, region of residence, mental health problems, alcohol and drug abuse, firearm ownership, as well as to alternative specifications of the dependent variable. |
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| SYNTHESIS OF COPPER(I) COMPLEXES WITH NS2-CYCLODECANE LIGANDS BEARING PHENYL AND 2-NAPHTHYL PENDANT ARYL GROUPS IN QUEST OF COPPER(I)-ARENE COMPLEXES |
| Chantal Balesdent ('08), Chemistry |
| Copper(I)-arene complexes are relatively rare and therefore their chemistry is not well explored. We are currently expanding our previous work in which we found Cu-naphthyl binding to a coordinated 1-naphthyl-appended NS2-cyclodecane ligand. Thus, we have synthesized the analogous 2-naphthyl-appended as well as a phenyl-appended NS2-cyclodecane ligand. The synthesis of these ligands and the Cu(I) complexes of these ligands will be discussed. In addition, evidence for any Cu-arene binding in these complexes will be presented. |
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| THE GLOBAL NATURE OF THE ORIGINS AND DISPOSAL OF ELECTRONIC WASTE |
| Anna Barnwell ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Recent attention has been brought to the global transfer of electronic waste and the lack of regulation that exists regarding disposal of electronic commodities. In the United States alone over 1.5 million tons of TVs, computers, cell phones, VCRS, and other electronics are disposed of in one year. As the high-tech industry continues to increase efficiency and product desirability, consideration must be taken into how older products can be disposed of when new purchases are made. Many electronics contain materials which are hazardous for landfills, incinerators, and the people who dismantle electronics for their valuable parts. The pressing issue of environmental justice must be considered as we examine both the unfair concept of shipping waste from developed nations to developing countries, as well as considering the complex and large process of producing electronics, which is often harmful to human health. Several electronic items were analyzed in this research from the perspective of production, disposal, and regulations that apply. This poster is oriented towards the human health repercussions for the Waterville community by describing the global process of electronic production to disposal, and then goes into detail about how community members can dispose of their electronic and hazardous waste in an ecologically and socially responsible manner. |
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| COPING WITH RACE AND WEIGHT STIGMA |
| Angela Barrett ('08), Psychology |
| In recent years, research on stigma has expanded to include how various groups manage their stigmatized identities. Despite the well documented prejudice towards African American women in the obese community, there is currently little research examining how overweight and obese African American women manage the combined stigmas of race and weight. Many negative stereotypes of overweight African American women are prominent in popular media. These images go beyond the usual stereotypes associated with overweight women such as the clown and the caretaker. Instead, the portrayal of overweight African American women heightens negative qualities and depicts them as aggressive, unfriendly, unattractive, and intellectually inferior. Overweight African American females must manage the intertwined stigmas of race and weight. Despite the many numbers of people affected by these stigmas few researchers have examined the ways in which obese African Americans cope with bias and discrimination. This literature review will examine how membership in a defined group , the African American community, aids in coping and buffering self-esteem against the negative effects of stigma. Effective stigma management for this particular group lies in strength of affiliation with a collective and redefining what it means to be a member of a stigmatized group. |
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| THE MARKETABILITY OF HUANGSHAN SPECIATLY TEA |
| Holly Battelle ('08), Economics |
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| THE EFFECTS OF PRIMING COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH PARENTHOOD AND CAREER CUES |
| Ashley Beaulieu ('09), Michael Schwartz ('10), Carolyn Thomas ('10) and Emily Wenzel ('10), Psychology |
| Women today continue to face tension between their career goals and traditional motherhood expectations. Many studies have shown that women have postponed starting a family in order to fulfill their academic and career goals. Studies have also shown that exposure to motherhood cues can manipulate implicit academic identification. This study explores 71 student’s implicit occupational status and parenthood identification by manipulating participants with high or low occupational status cues combined with high or low parenthood saliency cues. The parenthood and occupational identification of men is also explored in this study. Results suggest that priming participants with different levels of occupational status and parenthood saliency have little effect on their implicit identification with both. |
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| OSMOTIC FRAGILITY OF EMBRYONIC AND ADULT ERYTHROCYTES IN EKLF-DEFICIENT MICE |
| Jacqueline Beaupre ('08), Biology |
| The erythroid-specific transcription factor, Erythroid Krüppe-Like Factor (EKLF), controls the expression of critical red blood cell (RBC) genes. It mainly regulates Β-globin gene expression by binding to the CACCC box in the Β-globin promoter, and participates in the switch from embryonic/ fetal Βh-globin to adult Β-globin expression during development. Loss of EKLF leads to Β-thalassemia, a deficiency of Β-globin protein chains, and EKLF-deficient mice die around day 14 of embryonic development (dE14). The lethality of EKLF-deficiency has been attributed to hemolytic anemia caused by inadequate levels of adult Β-globin expression. In addition to regulating the Β-globin genes, EKLF also controls the expression of several proteins structurally critical to the formation and stability of the RBC membrane skeleton. Decreased levels of these proteins, such as ankyrin, spectrin, and Band 3, causes RBC membrane instability and may contribute to the lethal hemolytic anemia characteristic of EKLF-deficiency. We hypothesized that EKLF-deficient RBCs would be more fragile than wild type RBCs due to the down-regulation of critical membrane skeleton proteins. Using an EKLF knockout (KO) mouse model, we performed osmotic fragility assays to test the strength of the RBC membrane in blood samples obtained from wild type and KO embryos at dE13.5 of development. The release of hemoglobin (Hb) due to hemolysis was analyzed spectrophotometrically. To further differentiate between lysis of embryonic and adult RBCs, the globin chains were separated via acetic acid-urea-Triton polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amount of each protein released was then quantified by densitometry, indicating the relative osmotic fragility of embryonic and adult RBCs, either in the presence or absence of EKLF. |
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| THE CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF MELATONIN ON REPERFUSION INJURY IN UCA PUGILATOR |
| Jacqueline Beaupre ('08), Biology |
| Previous studies using vertebrate models and in vitro methods indicate that reperfusion after an ischemic episode causes further tissue damage due to oxidative stress. Because cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in developed nations, reducing reperfusion injury following a myocardial infarction is an increasing concern to the field of emergency medicine. Proposed treatments include antioxidant cocktails, which would scavenge the free radicals linked to oxidative stress. Past studies have identified melatonin, an amphiphilic and endogenous terminal antioxidant, as an extremely effective free radical scavenger. The following experiments were designed to assess the damage to cardiac tissue of the invertebrate fiddler crab U. pugilator exposed to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species and whether this damage could be prevented by treatments of melatonin. Electrophysiology was used to monitor fiddler crab heart rate and amplitude during exposure to hydrogen peroxide and melatonin treatments. Hemolymph glucose levels were measured as a secondary indicator of stress. Assays for malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenal were used to quantify the extent of lipid peroxidation, a hallmark of oxidative stress, in lobster cardiac tissue exposed to similar treatments. Though electrophysiology methods alone caused a significant amount of stress, exposure to hydrogen peroxide triggered a variety of negative effects on cardiac tissue and function. The observed changes in heart rate, amplitude, and beat quality under these toxic conditions were likely due to oxidative stress. |
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| THE CARBON EMISSIONS OF THE BOSTON RED SOX |
| Rosalind Becker ('08) and Alaina Clark ('08), Environmental Studies |
| The Boston Red Sox emit a great deal of carbon throughout the regular baseball season because of flights to the home fields of thier opponents. Knowing that air travel is one of the biggest transportation-based contributors to global climate change, the Boston Red Sox (and all major league teams) should be encouraged to offset their carbon emissions from regular season travel. Using ArcGIS to map the flight paths along great circle routes, the distance of flights to opponents’ cities was calculated to total the number of miles traveled in the 2008 season. The price of offsetting this carbon was estimated using the calculators of carbon offset retailers, such as Native Energy, a Vermont-based retailer. This project provides the potential costs of offsetting the carbon emitted from Red Sox air travel. To take the lead in the future of the Northeast, the Red Sox should begin to consider their contribution to climate change. |
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| RABIES VIRUS |
| Emily Beckwitt ('10), Biology |
| Rabies virus belongs to the order Mononegavirales, family Rhabdoviridae, and genus Lyssavirus. Its primary hosts are wild carnivores and bats, but humans are also at risk. Once contracted, the virus infects the central nervous system. This can lead to encephalopathy and death. Characteristic symptoms of rabies infection include partial paralysis, anxiety, insomnia, hallucinations, and hydrophobia. In the recorded history of the disease, only one person has survived symptomatic rabies without treatment. The nucleocapsid is enveloped and bullet-shaped. It is elongated, with helical symmetry, and many glycoprotein spikes project from the surface, except at the planar end. Matrix protein is found between the membrane and nucleocapsid. Rabies belongs to the Baltimore Class V group of single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses. The unsegmented genomic RNA is tightly coiled and encased by the nucleocapsid. The first step in viral replication is adsorption. The virion binds to receptors on the cell, then enters the cell via endocytosis. The envelope is removed and the nucleic acid is released. Transcription, translation, and genomic replication can then proceed. The various proteins and nucleic acid come together to assemble progeny virions, which bud from the cellular membrane. Rabies is most often transmitted via bite wounds from an infected animal. Rabies infections can be prevented by use of the rabies vaccine. It can be treated with post-exposure prophylaxis before the onset of the later symptoms. However, after this point, no antiviral treatments have proven effective. |
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| A MACRO-SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001: WHY REAUTHORIZATION IS NOT THE ISSUE |
| Sara Benjamin ('08), Sociology |
| There has been extensive scholarly debate about the potential benefits and detriments of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. However, much of the debate has been at the micro level, focusing on the immediate effects facing our country’s schools. Such discourse usually focuses on high-stakes testing, teacher training and retention, and school funding, among other topics. While a micro-level discussion of No Child Left Behind is important, a macro-level approach may serve to better illuminate the long-term effects of this policy. This project will do just that, examining the history of education policy in the United States in conjunction with general value shifts in American society. Ultimately, it will argue that American values have changed in recent times, placing individualism and competition above those of community and cooperation. This project will then demonstrate how these value changes have informed contemporary education policy and thus why much of the impacts of No Child Left Behind will sustain regardless of whether the bill is reauthorized this year. |
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| ANTICIPATING REGRET OR DEVALUATION?: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES OF INACTION INERTIA |
| Logan Berg ('08), Psychology |
| Inaction inertia describes one’s tendency to forgo attractive opportunities after having missed similar opportunities of greater attractiveness. The literature on this decision-making phenomenon yields two distinct and conflicting explanations. Anticipated regret theory argues that individuals maintain inaction in attempts to avoid anticipated counterfactual regret, or the regret that follows a comparison of actual outcomes to more attractive “would have been” outcomes. Conversely, valuation theory holds that individuals forgo attractive opportunities because they infer a low product value from a product’s initial bargain price and compare this low value with a higher, bargain price. The present study aimed to distinguish between these causes by examining the inaction inertia effect when valuation processes were controlled and regret processes were potentially affected. An “offer-recipient” manipulation was used, in which participants were asked to predict the likelihood of accepting a less attractive second offer after they, or their acquaintance, had missed out on an initial better offer. The findings suggest that inaction inertia stems from an individual’s anticipated regret. Additionally, the results provide a greater understanding of individuals’ predictions of inaction in others. |
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| COALITIONS FOR VICTORY: THE NECESSITY OF ALLIANCE CREATION FOR PROGRESSIVE BALLOT INITIATIVE CAMPAIGNS |
| Julie Bero ('08), American Studies |
| In 2006, ballot questions played a major role in American politics. The policy measures enacted by voters created change not only at the state level, but also influenced the actions of the United States Congress. This project outlines the significance of ballot questions throughout the history of the United States and closely studies three questions from the 2006 election season. I specifically examined the effect of progressive coalitions on ballot question campaigns and the necessity of grassroots work to achieve victory. The study concludes that although money is at the center of American politics, coalition building and grassroots work are necessary to win elections. |
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| CLIMATE CHANGE AND LOBSTER (HOMARUS AMERICANUS) CONSERVATION IN MAINE |
| Michael Bienkowski ('10), Caitlin Dufraine ('09) and Jamie O'Connell ('08), Environmental Studies |
| The American Lobster (Homarus americanus) is the most economically valuable marine species in Maine and is one of the largest commercial fisheries on the Atlantic Coast. Due, in large part, to current management practices, lobster populations are abundant and stable throughout the Gulf of Maine. Climate change and warming water temperatures, however, may effect Maine's lobster populations. As water temperatures increase Maine's management practices may need to be adapted to maintain healthy lobster populations. |
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| NITRATE REMOVAL IN NITREX(TM) PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS: INVESTIGATING DENITRIFICATION USING A 15NO3 TRACER |
| Lauren Bizzari ('09), Environmental Studies |
| Eutrophication from anthropogenic nutrient loading (particularly nitrate) to aquatic systems is a growing problem. The Nitrex(TM) Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) is a system for removing nitrate in groundwater. I investigated the nitrate removal processes and hydrology of a PRB in Waquoit Bay in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Denitrification is assumed to be the primary removal process in Nitrex(TM) medium barriers, but there are several other possible processes such as dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) that could be removing nitrate. I attempted to quantify the importance of denitrification to overall nitrate removal using a 15NO3- tracer experiment. An injection solution containing 500µM 15KNO3, 100ppm fluorescein and 40mM KBr (as a conservative tracer) was injected into the barrier and a nearby section of beach as a control. Groundwater samples were collected at several time points before and after the injection and were subsequently analyzed for a suite of nutrients and N2 content. Bromide and nitrate concentrations were used to investigate the differences in groundwater flow patterns between the two treatment areas and to calculate dilution of the injection. Using membrane inlet mass spectrometry, groundwater samples from the barrier showed higher 30N2 signals than samples from control area, indicating that denitrification had occured. Surprisingly, percent denitrification was very low, ranging from 1-14% and averaging 5%. This was inconsistent with some previous findings from similar studies in freshwater systems. Denitrification data from this study, combined with evidence of other biological processes in downgradient groundwater samples, implies that one or more of the other possible nitrate removal processes is at work in the barrier. |
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| THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL CHOLINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN RATS |
| Kristina Boman ('08), Kelly Brooks ('09) and Zoe Ray ('09), Psychology |
| Prenatal choline supplementation has been shown to have effects on behavior, neural structure and function, and brain plasticity. Choline has also been shown to modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which has been linked with aggressive behavior. In order to determine whether there is a relationship between these two findings, the current investigation examined aggressive behavior across four different choline diet conditions (control, prenatal supplement, prenatal/adolescent supplement, and prenatal/adult supplement) in thirty two female Sprague-Dawley rats. Aggressive behavior was measured using the Resident Intruder Paradigm (RI), where rats who had not been previously housed together were introduced and assessed for specific aggressive and submissive behaviors. Immediately following the RI test rats were perfused and brains removed. Immunohistochemistry techniques were used to stain for c-fos, a marker for neuronal activation to see if there might be differences in amount or pattern in structures that respond to and mediate aggression. C-fos expression was primarily examined in the amygdala; however, subnuclei within the hypothalamus were also studied as a means for looking at overall HPA axis activation. It was hypothesized that prenatal choline supplementation would increase aggressive behavior as well as decrease c-fos expression in the amygdala. |
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| THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL CHOLINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON INFANT RAT EXPLORATION |
| Kristina Boman ('08), Psychology |
| Past research has shown that differences can be seen early on in development between neophobic (fear of novelty) and neophilic (novelty seeking) rats. This difference seems to remain stable throughout a rat’s lifetime. Activity and exploration of open field in early life is a predictor of adult stress behavior and life outcomes. Choline is an essential nutrient in development, has cognitive and memory enhancing effects, decreases the decline in age-related spatial memory, and enhances attention function. Prenatal choline supplementation increases the activity of adolescent rats. When supplemented, they made more visits to the center of the exploration field as well as spent more time in the center as compared to the control animals. This study examines whether prenatal choline supplementation has an effect on the exploration of male and female infant Sprague Dawley rats and whether the care provided by the mother effects the exploration behavior of her rat pups. The experiment also examines whether the sex and prenatal diet of the rat play a role in determining whether they are neophilic or neophobic. Results show that there is a large maternal care effect on activity in response to novelty; however it is inconsistent with the generally accepted idea that offspring of high mothers are neophilic. The effect of maternal care was greatest in control males and prenatal choline supplementation attenuated it. |
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| FEASIBILITY STUDY: SOLAR WATER HEATING AT COLBY'S HAROLD ALFOND ATHLETIC CENTER |
| Noah Bonnheim ('11) and Caitlin Dufraine ('09), Science, Technology, and Society |
| Solar water heating at Colby's Harold Alfond Athletic Center would significantly reduce Colby’s carbon footprint. By installing photovoltaic solar panels on the roof of the athletic center, Colby would be able to heat both the pool and the domestic hot water, including showers, sinks, and washing machines, with primarily solar energy. This project would not only notably reduce Colby’s annual emissions and energy bill, but it would send a message to colleges and universities nationwide, and the Maine state government, that Colby is interested and deeply invested in reducing its carbon footprint and operating more sustainably. We are working with PPD to conduct a pre-feasibility study that will help to determine what the scope, cost and benefits of the project might be. |
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| A CITY AT WAR: DAILY LIFE AND SOCIETY IN ORLéANS DURING THE 1428-1429 ENGLISH SIEGE |
| Adam Boss ('08), History |
| English and French forces used sieges to gain territory in France with increasing frequency during the late stages of the Hundred Years War. In 1428, an English army laid siege to Orléans, a city that served as a strategically critical crossing point on the Loire River. Scholars have frequently analyzed the military events that allowed the French to lift the siege and turn the course of the war in their favor, but they have rarely explored the seven-month struggle’s effects on the city’s inhabitants. Drawing from the rich body of chronicles and treasury accounts related to Orléans and the siege, this study examines the challenges that the city faced in preparing a defensive system, treating wounded soldiers, repairing walls and buildings, and distributing food resources limited by English fortifications positioned around the city. The city's survival depended on the efforts of citizens from all social ranks, along with the cooperation of the population with professional soldiers, whom they traditionally detested. By specifically examining the ways in which the demands of defending Orléans affected the religious life, gender roles, and mentalities of the city’s inhabitants, this project assesses the various levels on which a military crisis shaped an urban community. |
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| IN THE ABSENCE OF FAMILY: HOW PRIVATE HONDURAN CHILDREN'S HOMES MEET THE NEEDS OF AT-RISK YOUTH |
| Stephanie Bowman ('08), Latin American Studies |
| Through an interdisciplinary analysis of children’s homes in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, this project reflects on how conceptions of family affect the prioritization of the needs of the homes’ beneficiaries. One consequence of the impoverished nature of Honduras are orphaned, abandoned, mistreated, malnourished, abused, neglected and disowned children who have come to live in group children’s homes that, for the most part, meet their short-term physical needs. But what about children’s developmental, social and educational needs? In this study, we analyze what needs homes meet according to the kind of familial substitute they provide as either a group home or a family-based home. Conscious of the limited financial resources these small NGOs have available, each home has chose a particular structure that meets some children’s needs, while ignoring others. How well do these homes provide for the spectrum of short and long-term needs of Honduran children? How does their conception of family and organization affect their efficacy? What conclusions can be drawn about the most effective allocation of all available resources? |
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| THE PENGUINS' REVOLUTION: AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENT RESPONSE TO THE MULTI-DIMENSIONAL CHILEAN EDUCATIONAL CRISIS |
| Abigail Hall ('08), Latin American Studies |
| Through exploration and analysis of economic, historical and political factors stemming from the authoritarian period (1973-1990) to the present day, this project offers an interdisciplinary explanation of the emergence of the “Penguin’s Revolution” in Chile. In May-June 2006, 700,000 high school students paralyzed the Chilean education system by protesting in the streets, taking over schools and not attending classes. Students organized under the Coordinating Assembly of Secondary Students (ACES) demanded that the government take responsibility for providing universal high quality and equal education. The roots of student discontent lie in the multi-dimensional education crisis, generated by the semi-privatized, decentralized educational system created by Augusto Pinochet in 1980 and the failure of subsequent democratic administrations to alter the model. A breakdown of the government’s response to the student movement will also be presented along with implications for the future. |
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| CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION AND ACTION IN LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS |
| Megan Browning ('10) and Alice Evans ('10), Science, Technology, and Society |
| As the service learning component to the History of Climate Change class, Megan Browning and Alice Evans partnered with Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP) to spread environmental awareness and education within two local high schools. The goal of this project is to promote action among a younger generation that will be largely responsible for mitigating effects of climate change in the future. The Environmental club at Messalonskee High School, and a Physical science class at Waterville Senior High School were the two student groups they worked with for the project. Alice and Megan first focused on the idea of a Carbon footprint by teaching the students how to both calculate and reduce their own emissions. The project progressed with an introduction to energy audits. Using tools provided by MEEP, students were guided in collecting data on lighting, heating, water use, food consumption, electrical use, waste, and transportation in their respective schools. Although they were two very different learning environments, both high schools provided a forum for educated discourse about climate change and energy reduction. As the project continues, the students are becoming more enthusiastic and involved in reducing their individual energy use and that of their schools. |
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| EFFECTS OF CLORETAZINE, AN ANTICANCER AGENT, ON HUMAN APURINIC ENDONUCLEASE-1 ACTIVITY |
| Jennifer Bushee ('08), Chemistry |
| The carbamolyating activity of Cloretazine, a novel anticancer prodrug, modifies protein function and in combination with the synergism from the choroethyalting species, alkylates DNA. The reactive subspecies responsible for carbamolylating activity is methyl isocyanate, a carbamoylating species that reacts with sulfhydryl groups and amines. DNA repair enzymes have been identified as a potential target for the synergism with the methyl isocyanate. Base excision repair enzymes are premium targets for Cloretazine’s carbamolating activity. Enzymes in DNA base excision repair include DNA polymerase beta (Pol β) and aupurinic/apyrimidic endonucease-1 (APE/Ref-1). APE/Ref-1 hydrolyzed the 5’-phosphodiester DNA backbone from an abasic DNA template, where the base was excised by a DNA glycosylase. The entire nucleotide is then re-inserted by the nucleotidyl transferase activity of Pol β, which also cleaves the 5’-deoxyribose phosphate via lyase activity. Previous research investigated the inhibition of Pol β’s AP lyase and nucleoside transferase activity. Cloretazine’s carbamoylating activity inhibits the nucleotidyl transferase activity of Pol-beta, but not its lyase activity. An efficient enzymatic assay was developed and employed to determine the anticancer drug’s effect on APE/Ref-1’s hydrolytic activity. The endonucleolytic activity of APE-1 is not significantly inhibited by Cloretazine. |
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| MOVEMENT COORDINATION IN JOINT ACTION |
| Walter Campbell ('08), Psychology |
| Dynamical systems researchers have understood the stable patterning of interpersonal and non-biological environmental rhythmic limb coordination to be constrained by the self-organized entrainment processes coupled oscillators. Recently, it has been demonstrated that an individual’s rhythmic limb movements exhibit greater variability when viewing spatially incongruent biological limb movements, but not when viewing spatially incongruent non-biological movements. Some researchers have concluded that a ‘mirror-neuron system’ might mediate the intrinsic bidirectional link between perception and action underlying interpersonal, but not environmental, coordination (e.g., Kilner et al., 2003; Tognoli et al., 2007). The current study aimed to: 1) contest this recent finding; and 2) demonstrate that the self-organized entrainment processes of coupled oscillators can explain the differing influences of biological and non-biological movements. In the first experiment, participants intentionally coordinated arm movements with spatially congruent and incongruent arm movements of a confederate, a robotic image with computer generated movement, and a robotic image producing pre-recorded human movement. Results revealed more stable coordination for congruent and biological movement than incongruent and robotic movement, respectively. The second experiment investigated the influence of biological and non-biological movement on unintentional coordination. Consistent with dynamical systems theory, coordination was found in both biological and non-biological conditions. |
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| AN ANALYSIS OF CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL IN MAINE |
| Charles Carroll ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Carbon sequestration as a concept has been accepted by the global community, but remains in its infant stage of implementation worldwide. What remains to be seen is the impact that carbon sequestration will have on the future levels of greenhouse gases. The most common sequestration method is biosequestration, in which atmospheric carbon is absorbed into the biomass of growing plants. The most significant biomass producers are trees, yet different species of trees sequester different amounts of carbon at varying rates. An understanding of the variability of sequestration potential of tree species is essential to the prospect of future carbon sequestration programs because the effects of climate change are expected to significantly alter the composition of temperate forests.This study uses two different emissions forecast models to predict the changes in carbon sequestered in tree biomass in Maine over the next century, and then extrapolates the changes in carbon sequestered over the same time period. While there will be significant changes to the character of the ecosystem, there will not be significant changes to the amount of sequestration, indicating that the natural forest sequestration will not offset increases in global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, an economic analysis was performed to determine the role of sequestration through afforestation projects in mitigating the effects of climate change in Maine. Due to the high costs of converting developed land to forests, investing in afforestation in Maine seems unlikely to hold the key to controlling climate change. This study suggests that while sequestration is an important method for offsetting emissions, it will not play a large role in Maine's future, and significant reductions in future global emissions will be necessary. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND POPULATION CENTERS IN MAINE |
| Charles Carroll ('08), Environmental Studies |
| This Map depicts the standing level of carbon sequestered in tree biomass in various bioregions of Maine, as well as major population centers. The results demonstrate that the highest level of standing carbon in located in the north and northwest regions of Maine, areas farthest away from the population centers. Calculations of the carbon sequestered were generated by manipulating date from US Forest Service Reports entitled Forest Statistics for Maine 1971 and 1982, and Forest Statistics for Maine, 1995. Census data used for the population centers is found at the Maine Office of GIS. |
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| MODELING POTENTIAL TIGER HABITAT IN HUPINGSHAN-HOUHE AND MANGSHAN-NANLING NATIONAL NATURE RESERVES, CHINA |
| Charles Carroll ('08) and Courtney Larson ('08), Environmental Studies |
| After declining steadily for several decades, the South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is now thought to be extinct in the wild. However, there is some hope of reintroduction, with Hupingshan-Houhe and Mangshan-Nanling National Nature Reserves in southern China seeming to hold the most promise. Our study used slope, elevation, vegetation, and landcover variables to construct a rough habitat suitability index for tigers in these two parks. According to our model, there are areas of suitable habitat within both parks. However, there are some important variables that we were unable to include in our model, such as human population density and prey availability. Considerable in-depth research will be necessary to evaluate the suitability of these locations before reintroduction is considered. |
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| JEAN-HONORé FRAGONARD: A SENTIMENTAL AFFAIR |
| Laure-Helene Caseau ('10), Art |
| Jean-Honoré Fragonard is, for a famous French rococo painter, relatively unknown. Or more precisely, he is recognized as an incomparable painter of leisure and erotic scenes but the extent of his achievements and the aspirations behind them remain mysterious to many. Through the study of his life and work, I sought to understand his ability to create the pleasant and witty scenes he is known for. The ultimate purpose was to apply the gained understanding and create two paintings myself; a copy of one of his works and an inventive piece inspired by his style and set in modern times. Fragonard's clever and easy brushstrokes are the result of years of learning and practice and so for me to expect to create a piece comparable in quality would have been presumptuous. However, my method as a student is validated, as Fragonard himself copied paintings of masters he admired to learn from them. |
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| A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF NEW IMMIGRANTS: THE REVERSE DIASPORA OF ARGENTINEAN JEWS TO ISRAEL |
| Julie Casper ('08), Religious Studies |
| A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF NEW IMMIGRANTS: THE REVERSE DIASPORA OF ARGENTINEAN JEWS TO ISRAEL This project investigates the reverse Diaspora, or trend, of Argentinean Jews who have immigrated to Israel, a movement called in Hebrew Aliyah, literally “the rising up” of a Jewish person to the land of Israel. I spent the month of January in Israel exploring absorption centers and conducting interviews with new immigrants who have made Aliyah in the past eight years since the collapse of Argentina’s economy. I examined to what extent their desire to immigrate was a financial decision brought about by the recession, and questioned whether the economic collapse served as a catalyst for fulfilling the goal of Aliyah. How have events in Israel, and specifically the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, played a role in the decision to immigrate? Furthermore I researched how Argentinean Jews navigate their sense of space in Israel. Is the land of the Jewish people at once a homeland and a foreign country? Has the immigrant experience been as economically or religiously fulfilling as had been expected? Has the level of Jewish religious practice been affected by the immigration? |
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| MIFEPRISTONE REDUCES HPA-AXIS RESPONSIVITY AND INCREASES NEURONAL ACTIVATION IN PREFRONTAL CORTEX FOLLOWING ACUTE STRESS |
| Aynara Chavez-Munoz ('08), Chemistry |
| Dysfunction of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocorticol axis (HPA-axis) is associated with a number of psychopathologies including depression. A hallmark feature of depression is HPA-axis hyperactivity, characterized by elevated glucocorticoids and a decrease in glucocorticoid mediated negative feedback. Because excess glucocorticoids are associated with depressive-like features in humans, glucocorticoid receptor antagonists are currently being tested for antidepressant efficacy in clinical trials. The current study is designed to test the efficacy of mifepristone (RU486), a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, in mitigating behavioral, endocrine and CNS responses in a test of helplessness in rodents. This was accomplished by measuring behavioral helplessness, HPA-axis responses to stress as determined by adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) release, and c-Fos expression (marker for neuronal activation) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), an area associated with both depressive-like behavior and HPA-axis inhibition. |
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| THE BLACK NAPOLEON: POST-COLONIAL FIGURES OF TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE |
| Nathalie-Claire Chiavaroli ('08), French/Italian |
| An oppressed black slave turned soldier, only to become a revolutionary political leader, Toussaint Louverture represented an 'ouverture' or opening for fellow slaves in St.Domingue (modern day Haiti) to revolt against French colonial rule. With Napoleon threatening to reestablish slavery, which had been abolished in 1794, Toussaint's allegiance shifted toward his own people, as did his image. Initially depicted by French politicians, writers and artists as a cultural liaison, Toussaint came to incarnate a barbaric Negro, threatening France as a colonial power. Artistic portraits and literary accounts of Toussaint Louverture capture not only the rise and fall of the Black Napoleon, but also exemplify colonial racism. |
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| PATTERNS OF PHAGOCYTIC ACTIVITY IN ZEBRAFISH (DANIO RERIO) KIDNEY LEUKOCYTES |
| Ryan Chrenek ('08), Biology |
| PATTERNS OF PHAGOCYTIC ACTIVITY IN ZEBRAFISH (DANIO RERIO) KIDNEY LEUKOCYTES The physiological and behavioral processes of living things follow regularly oscillating patterns called circadian rhythms. Biological rhythms are regulated endogenously and can be entrained by environmental cues (‘zeitgebers’), the most important of which is light. These oscillating cycles influence many processes in vertebrates, including the innate immune system. This study aimed to measure daily patterns in phagocytosis of E. coli and S. aureus in zebrafish kidney cell preparations. Phagocytosis was analyzed by FACScalibur flow cytometry, using the pH-sensitive, rhodium-based pHrodo phagocytosis indicator. This is a fluorescent indicator that only fluoresces in acidic pH (inside a phagosome). The following two parameters were used to measure phagocytic activity: %M (the percentage of cells within a gated myelomonocyte population endocytosing labeled E. coli and S. aureus), and MFI (mean fluorescence intensity, a measure of the number of bacterial particles ingested per myelomonocyte) It has been observed that the percentage of phagocytic cells endocytosing labeled E. coli varies significantly in a daily pattern, while the percentage of cells endocytosing S. aureus does not. Additionally, a significantly lower percentage of phagocytic cells endocytose labeled S. aureus than E. coli. |
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| HORSING AROUND: QUADRUPEDAL GAITS AND INTERPERSONAL COORDINATION |
| Michele Chu ('09) and Veronica Romero ('09), Psychology |
| Past research has indicated that the leg movements of two individuals, who have a perceptual connection, will tend to become coordinated. In the current experiment, we examined how different types of coupling influence the extent and type of such coordination. In particular, whether mechanical coupling—a 26” length of foam that connected the two people, front-to-back, as a quadruped—would increase the strength of the visually coupled coordination that occurs between the gait patterns of two individuals. Pairs of participants completed three coupling conditions, visual only, mechanical only, and visual-mechanical. In each condition, participants were instructed to walk and then run at a self-selected, comfortable pace. The emerging patterns of coordination were categorized in terms of different quadrupedal gaits. It was found that mechanical–visual coupling produced the highest level of coordination and that the visual only coupling showed the least amount of coordination. Also, different gait patterns were observed across the different coupling conditions and were consistent with the stable gait patterns observed in quadrupeds. |
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| WHICH EVENTS DO WE REMEMBER BEST? THE SALIENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT AND INTERPERSONAL MEMORIES |
| Michele Chu ('09), Nicholas Lehman-White ('10) and Christiana Lumbert ('10), Psychology |
| Previous correlational research has suggested that when individuals are asked to recall an event where they felt especially good, they usually recalled a positive achievement memory. In contrast, when individuals are asked to recall an event where they felt especially bad, they usually recalled a negative interpersonal memory. In the current study, we examined whether this pattern would emerge in an experimental setting. Twenty-four sentences, which described events that were categorized as positive achievement, negative achievement, positive interpersonal or negative interpersonal, were presented to thirty participants. These sentences were written in either second person, to mirror autobiographical memories, or third person, to mirror general memories. It was found that individuals remembered more sentences categorized as positive achievement and positive interpersonal than any other type of sentence in either the second or third person point of view. |
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| THE LONELY CHAMELEON: DO NEEDS FOR INDIVIDUATION AND ASSIMILATION AFFECT MIMICRY? |
| Lana Ciociolo-Hinkell ('09) and Guy Sack ('09), Psychology |
| This study sought to determine the effect of assimilation and individuation needs on mimicry. Participants were informed that they had achieved a score on a personality test that led them to believe that their score was uniquely poor among their classmates, average among other students their age, or average among their classmates but unique among other students. The participants then watched a film of a student fidgeting while she studied. Half of the participants were informed that she was a classmate and half that she was a student at another school. No significant findings were found, however, it is likely that this is mostly due to procedural error. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: WETLANDS AND DEVELOPMENT IN MAINE |
| Alaina Clark ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Wetlands are important areas for wildlife. This map shows the threat of development on Maine's wetlands by presenting the areas of development in reference to the wetland locations. It also provides a closer view of Waterville, showing that wetlands have disappeared in the center of town and currently exist along the fringes. This map provides a general idea of how people can change the distribution of wildlife habitats. |
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| DESIGNING A GREEN GRADUATION AT COLBY COLLEGE |
| Alaina Clark ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Public awareness about climate change has increased due in large part to the efforts of colleges and universities. Colby College can make a statement that we believe that the mitigation of climate change is an important process to protect the future by holding our first Green Graduation in 2008. This project maps out the planning and design of Colby's Green Graduation and helps to show the constraints and difficulties of becoming more environmentally friendly. It also provides background information about climate change and ideas for future graduations. Graduation is an important event where Colby has a great opportunity for education. By holding a Green Graduation, Colby will show the public that it is possible to have a high quality celebration with minimal impact on the planet. After this pioneer year, hopefully the Green Graduation and other 'green' events will become standard practice. Colby College is leading us toward a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society. |
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| ESTABLISHING TAPHONOMIC TRENDS OF COLEOPTERA USING THREE DIFFERENT CARABID SPECIES IN A LABORATORY FLUME SYSTEM |
| C. Clark ('08), Geology |
| Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) have an extensive fossil record dating back the Permian (Moore et al., 1952). Heavily sclerotized, highly diverse, mobile, and abundant, they can today be found living in almost all terrestrial and freshwater environments, resulting in easy burial and consequent preservation. Quaternary Coleoptera, are commonly found as subfossil, disarticulated fragments in unconsolidated sediments. Exoskeletons are most likely preserved within anoxic water-laden sediments, mixed with organic detritus (Elias, 1994). Because most Quaternary taxa are of modern species, identification is possible by comparison of the fragments to complete museum specimens. This, and their generally highly restricted ecological tolerances, has given rise to their widespread use in paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental studies. Coleopteran remains are useful in characterizing numerous physical and chemical parameters of deposition including; water flow rates, temperature, and water pH, trophic status, substrate characters, and vegetation density. Little is known about the taphonomic biases that are reflected in coleopteran assemblages. This study was undertaken in hopes of providing at least a beginning towards initial understanding of transport factors influencing the dispersal and deposition of coleopteran remains in a fluvial setting, using known numbers of individuals in a controlled laboratory environment. Data are supported by visual markers, indicating the prevalence of particular coleopteran body parts within any particular segment of the channel. |
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| THE IDENTIFICATION OF A CHLORAMPHENICOL INDUCIBLE MULTIDRUG EFFLUX PUMP IN FLAVOBACTERIUM JOHNSONIAE-LIKE ISOLATES |
| Sarah Clark ('08), Biology |
| In this study the resistance mechanisms of Flavobacterium johnsoniae-like isolates obtained from fish hatcheries in Maine were characterized. Flavobacteria are common in aquatic environments, and several species, including F. johnsoniae, cause disease in fish. The isolates used in this study are resistant to a wide range of antimicrobial agents, which represents a potential threat to the aquaculture industry. While some ß-lactamases have been identified in Flavobacterium species, the presence of these genes only accounts for part of the multidrug resistance phenotype observed. In this study the contribution of efflux pumps to the antibiotic resistance of F. johnsoniae-like isolates was investigated. The best characterized multidrug efflux pump systems are the Mex efflux pumps present in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Genomic analysis revealed the presence of several Mex homologs in F. johnsoniae, several of which were amplified in an F. johsoniae-like strain. Using qRT-PCR analysis, the expression of one of the Mex homologs, named FmeABC1, was found to be inducible by exposure to chloramphenicol. This inducible expression is similar to that of the MexXY pump in P. aeruginosa. In addition, an efflux pump inhibitor, PAßN, was shown to decrease the resistance of an F. johnsoniae-like isolate to a number of different antibiotics, suggesting the presence of efflux pumps with multiple substrates in this system. This represents the first report of a multidrug efflux pump in the genus Flavobacterium. |
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| JEANE KIRKPATRICK, THE COMMITTEE OF SANTA FE, AND THE ORIGINS OF THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION'S COMPLICITY IN THE NICARAGUAN COUNTERREVOLUTION |
| Hannah Coleman ('08), History |
| In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Jeane Kirkpatrick and the Committee of Santa Fe proposed preemptive action against Nicaragua because they believed that the Sandinistas were a threat to U.S. national security. They maintained that the left-of-center Sandinista government would inevitably provide the Soviet Union with a foothold in Latin America. Thus, they sought to rekindle the patronizing and culturally insensitive U.S.-Latin American patron-client relationship of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Kirkpatrick, and the Committee of Santa Fe, a privately funded right-wing think tank, were significant because of their influential writings. Kirkpatrick’s article “Dictatorships and Double Standards” and the Committee of Santa Fe’s policy recommendation “A New Inter-American Policy for the Eighties” provided the foundation of the Reagan administration’s policies toward Central America. Throughout the 1980s, the Reagan administration focused its attention on the anti-Sandinista counterrevolutionary efforts in Nicaragua. In pursuit of its Nicaraguan policy, the administration overlooked facts, human rights violations, and both national and international law. In doing so, the Reagan administration erased the progress of twentieth century U.S.-Latin American relationship initiatives such as the Good Neighbor Policy, the Alliance for Progress, and the Carter administration’s human rights policies. |
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| RHETORIC AND REALITY: CHANGING PRINCIPLES AND AMBIVALENT IMPLEMENTATION OF COLONIAL POLICY IN FRENCH INDOCHINA |
| Amber Collins ('08), French/Italian |
| The relationship between the French administration and its empire in Indochina was often imperialist and oppressive, even though French values have emphasized the ideals of liberty and resistance to oppression since the time of the French Revolution. What were the elements of French colonial policy during that time period? Did the colonization of Indochina conform to this policy, or did colonial administration contradict the rhetoric? What were the real reasons for colonization? To answer these questions, it is necessary to consider the history of French expansion in Indochina, the development of colonial policy in theory, and how the principles of this theory were put into practice in the region from the late 1800s through the turn of the century. |
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| THE EFFECTS OF STIGMA ON INDIVIDUALS’ EXPRESSION OF SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION |
| Jennifer Corriveau ('10), Loretta Biss ('10), Sara Cameron ('10) and Pollee Hruby ('09), Psychology |
| The purpose of the present study was to better understand the relationship between stigma and expression of sexuality and sexual orientation. Previous research has found that individuals are not as likely to openly express their sexual orientation in public situations (Ragins, Singh, & Cornwell, 2007). Once the immediate threat of social stigma is removed, individuals are more likely to be honest about their preferences and experiences (Frank & Leary, 1991). Additional research has shown that men harbor stronger anti-gay attitudes and are less likely than women to express a fluid sexuality (Herek, 1998). 121 students from Colby College were recruited and asked to read a vignette and respond to several questions regarding it, complete the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Survey (Herek, 2004), and answer several questions about their sexuality. The vignette included a description of either a private or a public romantic encounter with an individual of the same or opposite sex. It was hypothesized that individuals who read the private situation would be significantly more likely to respond with more fluidity on the continuum of sexuality expression. It was additionally hypothesized that women would be more open than men to homosexual encounters and homosexuals in general. The results revealed that women are more likely than men to return same-sex affection. However, the scenario type did not affect the likelihood of returned affection; there was no significant difference between public and private settings. |
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| SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIORS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS AND GIRLS |
| Carolyn Curtis ('08), Sociology |
| From a social constructionist perspective linked with a feminist standpoint, I examine three forms of adolescent self-destructive behaviors: eating disorders, self-mutilation and substance abuse. The social construction of norms, values, and beliefs in adolescents, as based upon their interactions with their family, peers, and the media, helps explain self-destructive behaviors. In addition to a comprehensive literature review, I interviewed five adults who work with adolescents in the state of Maine, and used these professional experiences and knowledge to support the current theories pertaining to these self-destructive behaviors. To better understand what drives some adolescents to harm their own bodies, I examined the sociocultural influences, personality traits, and the effects of gender on adolescent interactions and experiences. |
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| A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN MAINE: HUMAN TOXICITY OF BISPHENOL-A AND ITS PRESENCE IN HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS |
| Sarah Dallas ('10), Sarah Hart ('10) and Emily Kissner ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Bisphenol-A is synthetic chemical that is most often used as an additive in polycarbonate plastic. It gives plastics their strength, rigidity, and transparency. It is found most often in polycarbonate plastics, such as hard plastic water bottles, metal food-can linings, baby bottles, and other household items. However, there are significant human health effects of exposure to Bisphenol-A. Bisphenol-A is easily hydrolyzed out of the plastic and ingested by humans. The chemical structure of Bisphenol-A is similar to estrogen. When it accumulates in the human body, it acts as an estrogen thus disrupting the endocrine system. In adult males it is linked to sexual dysfunction, and lower sperm count. If a male fetus or infant is exposed it leads to genital deformities. In females it is linked to breast cancer and early onset of puberty. Human exposure to Bisphenol-A is currently regulated in both Canada and Europe, and is currently being phased out of many consumer products. In the United States, individual states are beginning to regulate the presence of Bisphenol-A in many of these products. New alternatives have been found and there has recently been an upsurge in the amount of research into these safer options. For the future, this toxic chemical requires regulation or elimination from consumer products. |
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| A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN MAINE: ALTERNATIVES TO THE U.S. APPROACH TO CHEMICALS REGULATION |
| Bethany Darling ('08), Caroline Allison ('08) and Anna Kelman ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Current United States toxics legislation is seen as inadequately protective of human health by some individual states, as well as some international governments. Most chemicals in the U.S. are regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) which was implemented in 1976. Since then, both Europe and individual states have enacted more protective and thorough legislation. The European Union created REACH (Registration, Evaluation, & Authorization of Chemicals) which is based loosely on the precautionary principle. The comprehension registration has been more transparent and effective than the registration and regulation under TSCA. Several states, such as California, Maine, and Washington have implemented similar chemical laws to enhance protection above the requirements and realities of TSCA. As chemical toxicity becomes more of a public policy issue, other states have chosen to take measures to create more protective legislation, creating a positive feedback mechanism that may encourage further federal legislation. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: CHANGING PROPERTY VALUES IN MAINE, 1999-2008 |
| Bethany Darling ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Property values have been rising rapidly in Maine over the past decade, but these effects are not spread evenly throughout the state. This map represents the geographical distribution of property value change over the past nine years, based on average municipal property value data obtained through the Maine State Planning Office. |
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| USING GIS NETWORK ANALYST TO IDENTIFY SUPPLIERS FOR A PRODUCE CO-OP IN WATERVILLE, ME |
| Bethany Darling ('08) and Jamie O'Connell ('08), Environmental Studies |
| The idea for organizing a cooperative market on Waterville Main Street was proposed by Aime Schwartz in the fall of 2008. The Co-op would entail an open market located on Main Street to provide fresh, local produce and crafts to town locals. Through shorter delivery distances and agreements with local farmers, the co-op theoretically will offer consumers lower prices on produce than can be found in conventional grocery stores, as well as and opportunity to support local agriculture. One of the tasks involved with organizing the Co-op is to source all of the produce from among the hundreds of farmers located in Maine. The purpose of this project is to show how Geographic Information System (GIS) tools can be used to help the Co-op and other business a) site nearby farms that carry desired produce and products, and b) determine which farms are closest to the business site. Using GIS for this purpose will make it easier and more efficient to source produce suppliers, and reduce the workload on business planners. GIS Network Analyst is a tool that provides network-based spatial analysis, and can be used in conjunction with traditional GIS technologies to determine not only the geometric distance between points, but also distance over existing networks (like roads). We will show how Network Analyst can be used to find the several closest produce suppliers to the Co-op for specific produce items, and compute how far they are over existing roads. This will enable business planners to source potential suppliers by distance before contacting individual farmers, allowing for more efficient use of their time and a faster planning process. |
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| BLACK CARBON IN TAYLOR POND, MAINE |
| Morgan Davies ('08), Environmental Studies |
| Black Carbon is a continuum of combustion products that range from slightly charred, degradable biomass to highly condensed refractory soot. It is an important sink in the global carbon cycle because it is difficult to be redoxidized to carbon dioxide. This study evaluates the flux of black carbon into Taylor Pond, Auburn, Maine to determine if anthropogenic sources may have increased the concentration of black carbon since the late 19th Century. The sediment analyzed for this study was taken from a piston core recovered at one end of the lake. The sediment character is that of a massive organic rich homogenous gyttja that was deposited during the last 150 years. Although black carbon can be weathered and eroded from rocks, it is principally the result of atmospheric deposition due to forest fires and the burning of fossil fuels. This study has compared the concentration of black carbon to the concentration of lead, previously determined by Dylan Eberle and Dr. Beverly Johnson of Bates College, to see if there is a significant correlation that links its concentration to atmospheric pollution. |
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| THE EFFECT OF IDEAL AND OUGHT DISCREPANCIES OF A PROFESSOR ON AFFECT |
| Megan Dean ('09) and Zoe Ray ('09), Psychology |
| This study looked at the effect of discrepancies between one’s ideals and oughts for another person and that person’s actual self. Self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987) was used as a framework for the study, with affect used to measure the effect of the discrepancy. 90 Colby College students ranging in age from 18-22 were tested. A 2(discrepancy: ideal, ought) x 3 (prime: ideal, ought, none) design was used, and participants were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions. Participants were initially primed for ideal or ought, or were given no prime. After reading a scenario discussing a professor who was either discrepant from a pretested set of ideals or ought, participants completed a mood questionnaire. Participants who read the ideal-discrepancy scenario felt significantly more disappointed and significantly less happy and cheerful (dejection-related emotions) than those who read the ought-discrepancy scenario, while participants who read the ought-discrepancy scenario felt significantly more worried (an agitation-related emotion) than those who read the ideal-discrepancy scenario. |
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| GUEST-HOST CHEMISTRY OF P-SULFONATOCALIX[6]ARENE WITH GUANADINIUM CONTAINING GUESTS. |
| Shehan Don Talagala ('09), Peter Foster ('09) and Cassandra Newell ('08), Chemistry |
| The main objective of our work is to investigate the guest-host binding interactions p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene in aqueous media. The guests contain guanadinium and amine functional groups. The goal is to use these findings to predict guest-host interactions, which would enable us to design effective guest-host pairs. We used two guests that had different rigidities with respect to rotational freedom. We used Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, to titrate the basic amine guests in to the host. We ran the titrations at different pHs to determine the effects of charge, and conformational changes caused by speciation. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: FRAGMENTATION AND CLEARING OF MAINE FOREST HABITATS |
| Lindsay Dreiss ('09), Environmental Studies |
| This map of the fragmentation of Maine's forests was created using data from the Maine Office of GIS, National Atlas and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. It shows the degree of degradation of forest habitats due to the development of roadways and Maine's logging industry. |
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| DEMOGRAPHICS OF NATURAL DISASTER HOTSPOTS IN MAINE |
| Lindsay Dreiss ('09) and Caitlin Dufraine ('09), Environmental Studies |
| Natural disasters can cause extensive damage to communities and infrastructure. The state of Maine is fairly lucky, because natural disasters are relatively infrequent. Maine does, however, experience earthquakes, flooding, hurricanes and landslides. Certain areas of the state are more prone to experience natural disaster than others. Using GIS analysis, we are analyzing natural disaster hotspots in Maine to determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between natural disaster susceptibility and socioeconomic variables including income and population. |
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| STEREOTYPE THREAT AFFECTS FALSE MEMORY SUSCEPTIBILITY IN OLDER ADULTS |
| Stacey Dubois ('08), Psychology |
| Stereotype threat describes a situation in which 'one is at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group' (Steele & Aronson, 1995). This threat is enough to impair performance on relevant tasks. For example, women are stereotyped as being worse at math than men. When given a difficult math test and informed that women are expected to underperform in comparison to men, women perform worse than if they are given the same test and told that no gender differences are expected (e.g. Spencer, Steele, & Quinn, 1997). My study looked at the effects of stereotype threat on false memory susceptibility of older and younger adults, as older adults are stereotyped as having poor memories. Results suggest that older adults perform better when the task is framed as being a measure of verbal ability. Thus, stereotype threat effects may exaggerate age related differences in memory, and researchers should look for ways to reduce threat in laboratory tasks in order to provide a more accurate picture of the memory deficits associated with aging. |
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| THE EFFECTS OF NOISE DISTRIBUTION ON UNINTENTIONAL INTERPERSONAL COORDINATION |
| Pamela Dudley ('08) and Carrie Potter ('09), Psychology |
| Previous research has shown that a person may become unintentionally coordinated with environmental stimuli or the rhythmic movements of another person. It has also been demonstrated that the amount and possible occurrence of such unintentional coordination is influenced by the difference between the natural periods of the rhythms—the greater the difference in period the weaker the coordination observed. The variability of the rhythmic movements involved can also operate to constrain the amount of unintentional coordination between two interacting individuals, with natural amounts of movement variability sometimes operating to increase the possible occurrence of unintentional coordination. The present study thus examined the effects of both variability and period difference on unintentional coordination among dyads. Participants were asked to swing a variety of pendulums differing in natural frequency and movement stability while performing an interpersonal problem-solving task. Eight pairs of participants completed eight trials, during four of which they looked at each other and four they looked away from each other. It was expected that: 1) pairs of participants would unintentionally coordinate more when swinging non-detuned pendulums with a low and more stable natural frequency than non-detuned pendulums with a high and less stable natural frequency; and 2) that pairs of participants would unintentionally coordinate more when swinging detuned pendulums with a high and less stable natural frequency than detuned pendulums with a low and more stable natural frequency. The present findings build upon previous research about unintentional coordination to a biological rhythm. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: FAULT LINES AND EARTHQUAKES OF MAINE 1568-2005 |
| Caitlin Dufraine ('09), Environmental Studies |
| Though people may not realize it, there are earthquakes in Maine. Using GIS, this map was created to show the fault lines in the state of Maine, and the locations and magnitudes of all of the earthquakes that have occurred in the state of Maine from 1568 to 2005. |
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| MOVING TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE WATERVILLE |
| Stephen Erario ('10), Science, Technology, and Society |
| In recent months and years, a growing number of Maine municipalities have proactively taken the lead in addressing local climate and sustainability concerns. The City of Waterville has been a regional leader in the field of climate action. This presentation outlines government and community-at-large greenhouse gas emissions in Waterville, as well as previously enacted and proposed actions by the local government to address climate and sustainability issues. |
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| TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT: INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETAL PERSPECTIVES ON COSMETIC SURGERY |
| Lacey Favreau ('08), Psychology |
| The literature review presented here discusses research on both the factors affecting women’s decisions to undergo cosmetic surgery as well as individual and societal attitudes towards those who decide to proceed with the surgery. The impact of feminism, media, body image, and personal attitudes about natural aging on women’s perceptions is presented. Studies have found that personal and vicarious experience with cosmetic surgery and increased exposure to media correlates to increased acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Individuals who place a higher importance on appearance are also more likely to be accepting of and consider having cosmetic surgery. There is little research on others’ attitudes towards the individuals who undergo cosmetic surgical procedures and more research is needed to understand the depth of the experience of those undergoing the surgery and others around them. |
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| STRESS, COPING AND MINDFULNESS: RELATIONS TO SOCIAL SATISFACTION AND TRENDS AMONG DIFFERENT POPULATIONS |
| Rebecca Feldman ('08), Psychology |
| Several studies investigate coping and stress on college campuses, but these studies focus mainly on gender differences, and students with specific ailments. Little to no research has looked for trends among different races. People’s identities have been shown to relate in a variety of ways to how people live, so it would sensibly follow that these qualities may also effect how people cope. In addition, research on college students often concentrates on alcohol use while neglecting the many other coping skills used by college students. Initially, semi-structured interviews of college students were run to shed light on the complexity of college students’ coping skills, and also to determine how mindfulness practice is spontaneously used by college students. Mindfulness is a cognitive based practice. It has existed for years, but is increasingly being accepted by westerners as a useful form of engaging with stress. The interviews aimed to determine if students spontaneously use mindful coping skills, and they showed that many coping skills used by students are either characteristic of or contradictory to mindfulness practice. The interviews as well as previous research also suggested that college students most often report stress related to social conflict. After the interviews, a more specific questionnaire was developed to further investigate the relationship between social stressors and coping skills. Using the interview responses and past research, we created a list of coping skills characteristic of or contrary to mindfulness. Because of the focus on social stress, this study used social satisfaction as an outcome measure. The study aimed to show differences in coping skills used by different races and also how mindful coping skills are positively correlated with social satisfaction |
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| MICROFINANCE THROUGH A GOVERNANCE LENS |
| Christina Feng ('08), Government |
| In this presentation, I explore the role of the state with regard to public and private institutions in combating poverty, specifically concentrating on the act of providing microcredit in the field of microfinance. In the first part of my presentation, I provide international case studies and explain the theories behind microcredit. In the second part of my presentation, I reflect on why microcredit has not taken shape in the U.S. and whether or not if would be beneficial for U.S. citizens. |
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| COLOURED IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICAN THEATRE (GOLDFARB CENTER STUDENT RESEARCH) |
| Annelene Fisher ('08), African Studies |
| Coloured Identity and Experience in South African Theatre: Examining the existence of a distinct 'Coloured Theatre' and its role in the changing millieu of a new South Africa An detailed look at nature, evolution and role of a distinct Coloured South African theatre. Drawing from primary research and expanding upon a previously-presented paper, this presentation will propound an exploration of representations of Coloured identity and experience in South African theatre by Coloured playwrights and/or works having as their target audience South Africa’s minority Coloured population and their significance in post-Apartheid state-building, collective ethnic/racial self definition and a national healing process. |
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| A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN MAINE: HUMAN TOXICITY OF LEAD AND ITS PRESENCE IN CHILDREN’S TOYS |
| Emily Fogg ('08), Kimberly Bittler ('11) and Alexander Farmer ('09), Environmental Studies |
| The presence of lead in children’s toys is a topic that has attracted much recent media attention. Lead is a potent neurotoxin, most seriously impacting the health of the youngest members of our population. Lead has been phased out many products, including paint and gasoline, but high levels still remain in some products such as children’s toys. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, however United States’ policies still set limits above zero. There is strong scientific evidence that the levels of lead found in some children’s toys are unsafe. We recommend that these policies be modified to set and enforce health-based standards for lead. |
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| KUNG FU FIGHTING AND MASCULINITY |
| William Fong ('08), American Studies |
| My research explores the representation of Chinese men in Hollywood films and the way a Chinese American masculinity emerges among such representations. It will expose the oppressive masculine culture that currently prevails in American society and examine how, in the midst of such hegemony, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan use their martial arts movies to construct a Chinese American masculinity that allows Chinese men in America to participate in the dialogue on masculinities. Furthermore, my analysis will demonstrate the way this dialogue is actually a transnational dialogue that is continued by other martial arts movies, such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Hero,” and “Shaolin Soccer.” By deconstructing these martial arts films, we, as Americans, come to a better understanding of America’s masculine traditions, race-relations in America, and the transnational narrative in today’s era of globalization. |
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| REVENGE, RELOCATION, INTEGRATION, AND RECOVERY: THE EXPULSION OF GERMANS FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND THEIR ROLE IN WEST GERMANY'S POST-WWII RECONSTRUCTION |
| Daniel Franklin ('10), German/Russian |
| Between 1944 and 1950, as revenge for the atrocities perpetrated by Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II, the Soviet Red Army led the way with Czechoslovakia and Poland at its side in expelling and causing the flights of approximately fifteen million ethnic Germans and German nationals from eastern and central Europe. They did so largely without interference by the United States and Great Britain, who asked in their sanction only for the expulsions to occur in “an orderly and human manner.” But the expulsions were carried out under anything but humane conditions and three million Germans died during the flights and expulsions. However, twelve million of those who fled or were expelled from their homes survived their harrowing journey to the west. While four million people ended up in East Germany under Soviet influence, fully twice as many settled in West Germany in what were the zones under American and British influence until the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. Between 1950 and 1957, the newly created Federal Republic bared the brunt of the economic, social, and political burden of taking such a large number of people needing at least food, work, and shelter into a war-torn and down-trodden land. Unexpectedly, however, through integrative measures in all aspects of life, the new Germans who had once been expelled from their homelands in the most brutal and life-changing ways helped to shape a new common identity and homeland as citizens of West Germany and in doing so contributed to the coming of the Economic Miracle of the late 1950s. Through the integration of the expellees, the West German people worked together to rebuild their land and to dramatically raise their standard of living. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: POPULATION DENSITY AND DAMS IN MAINE, 2000. |
| Frederick Freudenberger ('09), Environmental Studies |
| This map is designed to show a correlation between the population density, river systems, and dam placement in the state of Maine. The population data was gathered for the year 2000 from US Census information and each randomly placed dot represents a 100 person density per square mile. The dams shown are those whose main purpose is the production of hydroelectric power. Evident in the map is a pattern of population density closer to rivers and dam clusters around the population centers. |
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| MISATTRIBUTION OF AROUSAL AND STEREOTYPE THREAT |
| Jessica Frick ('10), Benjamin Mickle ('10), Laura Schaefer ('10) and Annie Tak ('10), Psychology |
| In our study we investigated the affect of misattribution of arousal and anxiety in a nonacademic arena by means of a chopstick task on stereotype threat. Previous studies focused on stereotype threat and misattribution in math and science areas where women and various races are stereotyped. We looked at the stereotype that Asians are better at using chopsticks than non-Asians. We also informed participants of a presence of a subliminal sound for the participant to misattribute their stereotype arousal. Participants in the control condition were told the sound would have no effect on their performance and the participants in the misattribution condition were told that the sound would cause temporary anxiety. Participants were paired with either an Asian confederate to introduce a stereotype threat condition or a non-Asian participant for a control condition. We found evidence that performance and emotions were affected by stereotype threat and misattribution of arousal. |
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| HAMILTONIAN CONSTRAINT ANALYSIS OF VECTOR FIELD THEORIES WITH SPONTANEOUS LORENTZ SYMMETRY BREAKING |
| Nolan Gagne ('08), Physics and Astronomy |
| Dirac’s Hamiltonian constraint analysis is used to study vector theories with spontaneous Lorentz violation known as bumblebee models. In certain of these models, the Nambu-Goldstone sector has properties similar to those of photons in classical electromagnetism. A preliminary analysis of the different types of constraints and resulting number of degrees of freedom is presented here for models with different kinetic and potential terms, and the results are compared with electromagnetism. |
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| ECOTOURISM AS A MEANS OF CONSERVATION IN EASTERN AFRICA: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS |
| Emma Gildesgame ('10), Suzanne Merkelson ('09) and Megan Schafer ('09), Environmental Studies |
| Ecotourism has been touted as an effective way to conserve and protect the natural environment and combat poverty in developing countries where both poverty and biodiversity conservation are central issues. This project seeks to examine the legitimacy of ecotourism on ecological processes, economic realities, and the preservation of local cultural heritage, focusing on case studies in Uganda and Tanzania. |
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| LESSONS ON LABOR AND LOSS: ORGANIZATION, EDUCATION, AND THE WOMEN'S TRADE UNION LEAGUE OF AMERICA, 1900-1930 |
| Lucia Giordano ('08), History |
| The early twentieth century was marked with crucial developments in American labor conditions and policies. The industrialization of East Coast cities and expansion of capitalism, migrations from rural locations to urban centers, and influx of emigrants converged to create social, economic, and political circumstances that demanded alterations to the relationships between the family and workplace. From the 1900-1930s, the Women’s Trade Union League employed a series of educational projects to protect the needs of female workers as both family members and wage-earners. Despite the perceptions of many historians, the League founded many local and national programs that closely considered the ethnic differences of immigrant and native-born workers and bridged the class-based divisions of its membership. The programs presented a multi-faceted attack on the American labor industry demanding reform and accountability from employers, public officials, and workers. Many of the League’s programs failed to endure lasting success because of contextual circumstances, but the spirit of activism and social awareness cultivated by the Women’s Trade Union League’s work altered the development of the modern American labor industry. |
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| THE ROLE OF GENDER IN FRENCH COLONIAL INDOCHINA |
| Sarah Goldstein ('08), French/Italian |
| The 19th century bore witness to the ascension of colonial France and the propagation of its culture, language, and ideals to outposts around the world. Indochina became an important focus for France from 1887 until Japanese intervention in World War II, as the government sought to establish not only colonial authority, but also “une image bienveillante” in several of its colonies. While political and economic issues underlie colonial rule in France, social effects – witnessed through gender roles – are equally important to examine. Indochina was conceived as a male haven – “un ailleurs revé” – and both Indochinese women and French women settlers, each representing contrasting values and ideals, influenced this exotic, masculine experience in Indochina. The Indochinese woman supported the masculine colonial endeavor, serving as an image of the fantastic that was easily attainable in the Southeast Asian utopia, while the later arrival of French women settlers opposed the original conception of Indochina’s masculine identity, as the administration relied on women to spread French nationalism and culture through the creation of families in these “Nouvelles Frances”. Colonial contact in Southeast Asia was strongly influenced by divisions of sex, realization of traditional roles, and women representing the exotic and the familiar. Conflicting conceptions of Indochina grounded in gender identity exhibit the social aspect of colonization and provide a different framework within which to understand the French colonial project, both in the past and in modern culture today. |
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| COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER AND THE WESTERN HONEYBEE |
| Leah Gourlie ('09), Zachary Ezor ('10) and Katharine Sirianni, Biology |
| Most Americans are unaware of the important role honeybees play. As pollinators, honey bees are responsible for servicing approximately 4-20 billion worth of crops and seeds annually—without bees, many of our favorite fruits and vegetables would be absent from US agriculture. The recent decline of honeybees, both feral and domesticated, should, therefore, be alarming. While some winter losses are expected each year, the recent epidemic—known generally as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)—has caused losses of up to 50% of hives in recent years. Several factors are being investigated as possible culprits, namely: new or reemerging pathogens, new bee pests and parasites, environmental or nutritional stress, pesticides, and transgenic or Bt crops. One pathogen, the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), has drawn a considerable amount of attention for its striking correlation to CCD hives. A single causative factor, however, has yet to be discovered; CCD is most likely the result of several factors working against bees. In Maine, bees are an integral part of blueberry production, and while CCD has yet to occur in the state, we must acknowledge the significant and often undervalued services performed by bees. The US government has already begun steps to address CCD: the USDA recently announced a CCD Research Action Plan, set to begin in July 2007. Additionally, companies whose products are directly affected by honeybee losses—Häagen-dazs in particular—have provided funding for much needed research. If CCD continues, we may see a dramatic shift in the prices and availability of agricultural products across the United States and around the world. |
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| DECISIONS TO ABROGATE PERSONAL LIBERTY: THE ETHICS OF CONSCRIPTION IN THE UNITED STATES |
| Jacqueline Grady ('08), Government |
| The military draft in the United States has been a controversial public policy in the past. Conscription has been used for six different wars; each draft has differed from the others because of the circumstances of the war for which it was enacted and because of the way in which it was implemented. Today, because of the wars the United States is fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, a new public policy has developed, called stop loss. Stop loss affects only those people who have already served in the military, forcing them to remain in military service after the originally contracted date of their retirement. This paper looks at the draft historically and at the justifications posed for each draft in order to compile a set of criteria to judge when conscription in democracy is ethical. These principles are then applied to the current stop loss policy to determine whether or not it is ethically sound. The conclusion holds that stop loss is not an ethical public policy. |
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| EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF 2-ALKOXYETHYLIDENES |
| Kimberly Graves ('08), Chemistry |
| The mechanistic study of the rearrangement of 2-acetoxyethylidene to vinyl acetate prompted this investigation of a direct alkyl oxygen shift during carbene rearrangement. The photochemical generation of the 2-alkoxyethylidenes from phenanthrene-platform precursors allowed experimental quantification of the possible rearrangement pathways to alkyl vinyl ethers. Findings show that a hydrogen shift greatly overshadows the possible alkyl oxygen shift. Theoretical investigation into the stability of the carbenes and the corresponding transition states was also performed, confirming the preference for a hydrogen shift in 2-alkoxyethylidene rearrangements. |
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| GENDER DIFFERENCES IN FACIAL EMOTION EXPRESSION |
| Madison Gregor ('09), Colin Hutzler ('10) and Amanda King ('08), Psychology |
| The perception of emotions through facial expression plays a vital role in daily social interactions and shapes the way a person is seen by those around them. Based on stereotypes, preconceptions, and societal influence, however, the emotions of certain groups of people are perceived in a specific manner. Plant, Kling, & Smith (2004) stipulated that subjects would perceive female faces, for instance, as generally being sadder and less angry than similarly posed male faces. However, previous research fails to acknowledge that there may be a difference in perception of facial expressions based on observer gender. Therefore we surveyed 60 college-aged students (30 males, 30 females) and hypothesize that there will be a marked difference between observer gender and gender of the posed face across the expressed emotions, anger, happiness, sadness, and neutrality. The findings of our experiment will be discussed further in the results and discussion sections. |
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| MEASURING OUTCOME EXPECTANCY IN INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL TASKS |
| Benjamin Gross ('10), Timothy Brettingen ('10) and Amanda Ivey ('10), Psychology |
| There has been ample research pertaining to the general area of outcome expectancy. Studies ranged from those measuring the credibility of superstitions to those measuring the influence home court advantage. However, few studies make task type an independent variable and compare outcome expectancy scores across the different task types. This study compares outcome expectancy scores from 60 Colby College students in both physical and intellectual tasks after participants have been placed in a high or low self efficacy state in performing either a physical or intellectual task. It was predicted that those people put in a high self efficacy group would show high outcome expectancy scores across both task groups no matter what task group they were put into, and it was, for the most part, confirmed. Yet, it was found that in the low self efficacy intellectual group, low self efficacy did not affect confidence levels in an unrelated physical task. The study shows that high self efficacy in either area leads to high confidence in both conditions, and low self efficacy in a physical task leads to low confidence in both conditions, but low self efficacy in an intellectual task leads to low confidence in a different intellectual task, but not a physical task. |
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| PROCRASTINATION: WHEN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES RETURN AND WHEN THEY WILL BE COMPLETED |
| Jessie Guild ('08), Psychology |
| When people miss an opportunity they are less likely to take future opportunities that are not as good. However, what happens when the same opportunity returns and there is time available to complete it among other activities? This study focuses on procrastination and when people are likely to complete activities that should have been completed earlier. To examine when people will choose to complete certain activities, this study presented participants with one target activity, the Odd One Out, that they learned was supposed to have already been completed at the start of the study. Because the activity was not completed, the activity was compiled into a group of six different activities of which the participant looked over and ranked the order in which to complete each activity. Following this ranking of the six activities, each participant rated how much they wanted to complete each activity and how enjoyable it would be for them. From these rankings and ratings, it can be determined when the target activity would be completed. Thus, these assessments will show if the missed opportunity conditions alter the time of completion and the enjoyableness of the target activity. |
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| GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL CONTEXT ON EMOTIONAL RESPONDING |
| Cheryl Hahn ('08), Psychology |
| This study compares the effects of social cues on emotional experiences of men and women. Literature suggests that emotional responses are influenced by the presence and expressiveness of other individuals (Hess, Banse, & Kappas, 1995; Jacobs, Manstead, & Fischer, 2001; Fridlund, 1991). We examined whether social cues influence the experience of emotions differently for men and women. Research on gender differences in self-construal (Cross & Madson, 1997) led us to expect that women’s own emotional reactions would be more sensitive to emotional cues from other individuals than men’s. We examined this hypothesis by asking perceivers to watch a split screens showing amusing and sad film clips and the faces of targets videotaped while watching the films. Participants were randomly assigned to view inexpressive or expressive targets of the same ethnicity and gender. Across cultural groups, women reported experiencing more intense positive and negative emotions in response to the films in the inexpressive condition as compared to the expressive condition. In contrast, across cultural groups men tended to experience more intense positive and negative emotions in response to the films in the expressive condition as compared to the inexpressive condition. Since men and women responded differently in the presence of emotionally expressive strangers these results have implications for clinical contexts. |
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| THE EFFECTS OF REPRODUCTIVE EXPERIENCE AND MATERNAL BEHAVIORS ON MOTHER RATS’ COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND ANXIETY REPONSES |
| Cheryl Hahn ('08), Psychology |
| Motherhood in mammals involves a constellation of hormonal, neural, experiential, and behavioral changes that accompany pregnancy, birth, lactation, and the care of young through weaning. An emerging literature reveals that there is a lasting impact on mother, in neural function and behavior. As examples, rats that give birth to and rear a litter are, after weaning and compared to virgin females, less anxious, more exploratory, and show enhanced spatial memory (Wartella et al., 2003; Byrnes & Bridges, 2006; Love et al., 2005). In the present study we investigated anxiety, exploration, and spatial memory in female rats that gave birth to and reared one litter, two litters, or never gave birth. This study also contained a novel, within-subjects variable to examine how these behaviors changed with reproductive experience by studying females before and after they became mothers. A second aim of the study was to explore whether levels of anxiety or spatial memory could be linked with quality or quantity of maternal care. We hypothesized that motherhood would attenuate anxiety while enhancing exploration and spatial memory and that spatial memory would be negatively correlated with levels of anxiety. We also hypothesized that anxious females would be more likely to display low levels of maternal care behaviors compared to less anxious females and may be less likely to show, post weaning, positive changes in anxiety or spatial memory as a consequence of motherhood. This study will not only add new data to a growing field of research investigating the behavioral and neural consequences of motherhood, it will also yield novel information about the relationship between anxiety and cognition. |
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| A CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROJECT TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IN MAINE: MAINE’S BRAND NEW CHEMICALS LAW |
| Eric Hansen ('08), Jessica Harold ('08) and Kiira Heymann ('08), Environmental Studies |
| This spring the students in the Environment and Human Health course conducted a civic engagement project focused on a bill before the Maine legislature; An Act to Protect Children's Health and the Environment from Toxic Chemicals in Toys and Children's products. This bill, now codified into law, identifies priority chemicals and creates an inter-state clearinghouse of chemical toxicity data. It also requires that safer alternatives are used in children's products. This will protect Maine's children while encouraging innovation. Maine has a extraordinarily accessible legislature as we discovered while watching this bill traverse the legislative system. This bill was introduced by Rep. Hannah Pingree and voted on by the Natural Resources Committee. After approval by both chambers of the legislature, Governor Baldacci signed the bill into law. As a result, Maine now has one of the most stringent laws in the US regulating chemicals in children's products. |
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| ATLAS OF MAINE: ELECTRICAL HOOKUPS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS IN MAINE |
| Eric Hansen ('08), Environmental Studies |
| The electrical hookup layer was provided by the Maine State Planning Office and shows the number of commercial and residential electrical hookups in 2004. These data were provided by Central Maine Power Company and Bangor Hydro-Electric Company, and only shows data in their distribution area. All other layers were downloaded from the Maine Office of GIS. These layers show all the electrical service providers in Maine and major roads, another indicator of development. |
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| MODELING ICE COVER ON TRAILS AT GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK |
| Eric Hansen ('08), Environmental Studies |
| This project used data from the National Park Service, the SRTM data set, and recorded weather conditions to predict snow deposition and snow and ice melt in the Grand Canyon National Park. This model, a simplified version of previous research, shows the location of persistent ice and snow on the Canyon slopes in March. |
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| PERCEPTIONS IN GONDOLA CENTRIFUGES PREDICTED BY A WHOLE-MOTION MODEL |
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