Schedule of Events

Emerita analoga, phylum Arthropoda, is a burrowing decapod crustacean found on sandy beaches of the west coast of North America. This organism is considered a bioindicator species for marine pollution due to its sensitivity to changes in water quality and susceptibility to pollutants such as microfibers. They are found on sandy beaches, where they live in the intertidal zone, using their specialized appendages to filter-feed on organic matter, plankton, and detritus. Numerous studies have used Emerita analoga to monitor the presence and effects of pollutants in marine ecosystems. However, few studies have investigated the quantification of microfiber pollution in both the species and the sediments from two different habitat locations: a watershed and a non-watershed location. Samples were collected using a sand core and sifter, then filtered in the laboratory for quantitative analysis. Microfibers in both Emerita analoga and sediments were counted, examined, and characterized under a dissecting light microscope. The results revealed a higher concentration of microfibers in areas with low tidal tendencies and watersheds prone to pollution, such as Sycamore Canyon Watershed, which had 204 microfibers in the 450 Emerita analoga samples and a total of 1204 microfibers in the sediment samples. However, in the non-watershed location, Point Mugu samples had 139 microfibers in the 450 Emerita analoga samples and 502 microfibers in the sediment samples. This study highlights the need for further research on the impacts of microfiber pollution on marine organisms and ecosystems, particularly on filter-feeding organisms such as Emerita analoga.

The Drosophila melanogaster compound eye consists of an arrangement of about 750 single eyes (ommatidia) on lateral aspects of the adult head. Each eye consists of a dorsal and ventral set of ommatidia, separated by an equator, with ommatidia dorsal to the equator having photoreceptor cells arranged in a trapezoidal pattern that is a mirror image to that of ommatidia ventral to the equator. Previous experiments conducted in the Marcey lab demonstrated that D. melanogaster lines that were isogenic for recombinant Racing Stripe chromosomes displayed within-line uniformity but between line heterogeneity in RS expression. It has been predicted that this between-line heterogeneity observed in recombinant RS chromosomes is due to a modifier of Position Effect Variegation (PEV) present on the distal 3R region of the RS chromosome. Specifically, I am positing that the between line heterogeneity in the transgene expression is due to the presence or absence of a Suppressor of PEV in various recombinant lines. To do this, I have crossed various lines carrying or not carrying the hypothesized Su(var) to a known Position Effect modulated white gene, white mottled-4 and screened progeny with the assistance of Allison McAdoo and Ruthie Carmeli. My results will be employed to better understand factors that affect the expression of transgenes in genetically engineered genomes. This project was funded by the McNair Scholars program and the Fletcher Jones Foundation.

The purpose of this study was to explore what  institutional policies and protections are in place for undergraduate research students, particularly in the social sciences at colleges and universities across the nation. For example, many natural science students are asked to wear closed toed shoes, or only work in the lab when they have a lab partner present. However, similar policies and safeguards may not be in place for undergraduates doing research in social sciences, despite clear risks. For example, some studies show that social science researchers contend with harassment, participant aggression and threats, and secondary trauma related to the research topics (DeGroot and Carmack, 2020; Williamson, et al., 2020; Given, 2008). In this study, we sought to understand if institutions have protections in place for undergraduate research students, particularly in the social sciences. Participants completed a survey which asked about the level and presence of research safeguards at their institutions, as well as their feeling about how important these safeguards are. Results will be summarized and used to create guidelines for institutional research offices that work with undergraduate research students. 
Keywords: undergraduate researchers, safety protections, faculty 

This project focuses on the representation of Dominican culture in eight Spanish textbooks used throughout colleges and universities. The goal of this project is to analyze the application of the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. With an emphasis on products, perspectives, and practices outlined within the designated ACTFL standard of “culture.” Products are defined as foods, music, games, and books. Perspectives are the attitudes, values, and ideals. Practices are defined as social interactions. This will include a visual representation of Dominican people within College level textbooks.

The lack of effective medications for treatment of chronic or severe pain, intertwined with ongoing opioid abuse and overdose deaths in the United States. Coupled with the fact these challenges have disproportionately affected marginalized population during the COVID pandemic, it is essential that breakthrough, non-addictive medications are discovered and synthesized. Azepanes are fully saturated variants of seven-membered azepine rings, which are found in polycyclic natural products and alkaloids designed to target pain receptors. These target molecules and their therapeutic value are pushing chemists to develop new methodologies for the synthesis of medium ring amines that depart from traditional strategies based upon N-alkylation by SN2 substitution.
This investigation had an initial subgoal of preparing optically pure (R)-N-Acetyl-2-Phenylaziridine from commercially available (R)-phenylglycinol. The unsaturated aziridine would be subjected to a proposed tandem Takai olefination, if successful is expected to result in a medium ring via a strain-driven [3,3]-Claisen rearrangement. Towards this goal, (R)-2-acetamido-2-phenylethyl acetate was made from double acylation, resulting in a 90% yield.
Subsequently, selective hydrolysis of the ester in basic ethanol gave (R )-N-(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethyl)acetamide in 95% yield. My current work is to optimize the purification of N-acetyl-2-phenylaziridine which can be obtained by NH4OH-buffered silica gel chromatography. In future studies, we will scale the ring closure and begin testing methods for effecting pericyclic ring expansion upon conversion of the amide group to an enamine group

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are highly crystalline hybrid polymers that have shown biomedical, catalytic, gas separation,  and energy applications. MOFs are described to be highly crystalline, porous structures that are formed by organic linkers and metal clusters via reticular synthesis. Among the biomedical applications, it was originally believed that MOFs could only be used as drug delivery systems; however, it has been recently demonstrated that some MOFs exhibit intrinsic anticancer activity as well. Two such MOFs to present these behaviors are Fe-MIL-101 and Fe-MIL-53. The crystallization of two families of Fe-MIL-101 and Fe-MIL-53 using substituted terephthalic acids as building blocks was carried out through solvothermal synthesis. The crystallinity was obtained via X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), and while a few of the MOFs were crystalline, others did not exhibit the expected structure. Thus, we are going to have readjust the reaction conditions in order to improve the crystalline structure followed by surface area and thermal stability analysis. Once all the MOFs are obtained, their anti-cancer activity will be studied in collaboration with a research group at CSU San Marcos, via angiogenesis experiments, and those results will be presented in due course. 

Exercise may have an influence on depression and body image within the demographics of adolescents and people of color. Mental health sickness is common within marginalized communities. Marginalized communities consist of groups excluded from normal social, economic, educational or cultural aspects of life. Mood, perceived stress, stressful life events, trait anxiety, and depression were categories the sample size answered. Adolescents of a mostly hispanic background answered questions pre and post exercise to collect data on the influence of exercise on each category. Results show that 8% of children suffer from depression and with the increase of technology body image can be affected due to weight or social views via social media. Serving groups that fit the parameters of the topic were observed and analysis will be conducted as we continue the research. Data collected in a sensitive and respectful manner based on cultural views was investigated and will be analyzed to start the second half of research.