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2019 Eurēca Winners, Office Of Undergraduate Research

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

List of awardees

Examining The Effects Of Parent Engagement On Early Childhood Development In Migrant-Seasonal Head Start, Sarah Grace Crowley

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Several factors impact developmental outcomes in early childhood with implications that may last throughout the lifespan. Studies indicate that across most populations, parental engagement has a significant impact on relative success in early childhood development, such as higher literacy and language scores and socio-emotional skills. Identifying specific positive influences on early childhood development for caretakers to integrate in both the home and in the classroom is essential to creating policies and standards that support the healthy development of children. Knowledge concerning minority groups in this area remains particularly limited. This study investigated the influence of parental engagement on specific areas …

Prevention & Retention: An Analysis Of A Community Law Office Youth Program Attendance Patterns, Scott Marcum Sloan

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

In order for programs that target at-risk youth to best engage with students, they need to understand which types of students are at risk for dropping out of the program. If a program can identify which students are more likely to attend based on certain demographics or identifiers, they can use this information to strengthen the program. This study examines the retention patters of students at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office (CLO) and looks at the relationship between key demographics of participants, such as their age, grade, sex, and race, and their attendance history. This study investigated …

Utilization Of Tofu By-Products As An Alternative Source Of Bioactive Peptide Lunasin, Allison Shaunak, Niamh Schumacher, Andrea Nieto Veloza

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Utilization of tofu by-products as an alternative source of bioactive peptide Lunasin Lunasin is a 5kDa water-soluble bioactive peptide present in soybeans with anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and chemotherapeutic properties. Current mechanisms for obtaining Lunasin from soybeans involve complicated and expensive methods that limit its utilization to a laboratory scale. Tofu is a cheese-like product obtained from soybeans. Whey and okara are the major by-products of the process and are mainly destined for animal feeding or as ingredients for food preparations, but their potential application as a sources of lunasin remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to stablish if …

2019 Eurēca Abstract Book, Office Of Undergraduate Research

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Listing of student participant abstracts.

Developing A Hands-On Food Science Curriculum With Bilingual, Elementary-Aged, Hispanic Heritage Students, Jaime Leia Ragos

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

In the United States alone there are over 48 million cases of foodborne illness, with most of these cases deriving from food cooked in the home (Young 2016). Many themes have been assessed such as confidence, knowledge, habits, taste in food preferences, and societal/social influences (Young 2016). However, when food safety curricula are targeted toward younger populations, including young adults and children, attitudes and behavior change (Mullan 2018 and Young 2016). As there is a lack in home economics education in today’s current curriculum, students and their families may not know food safety behaviors (Finch 2005; Young 2016). It has …

2019 Eurēca Program Book, Office Of Undergraduate Research

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Includes schedule and listing of posters.

What The @!&#?: Ut Students’ Bad Language Ideologies, Hannah Nelson

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

No abstract provided.

High Resolution Validation Of Next Generation Turbulent Flow Models Using Neutron Beams, Laser Fluorescence, And Cryogenic Helium, Landen G Mcdonald

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Turbulent fluid flow is an incredibly unpredictable subject that continues to confound scientists and engineers. All of the empirical data that has been the basis of conventional turbulent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for decades only extends to roughly the equivalent turbulence created when Michael Phelps swims in a pool. The problem is that this data is then extrapolated out many orders of magnitude in order to design cruise ships, airplanes, and rockets which operate in significantly more turbulent flow regimes. This creates an incredible degree of uncertainty in the design process that demands over-engineering and increased expenditures.

The development …

The Next Generation: Looking At Utk Students’ Potential Future Engagement With Gsmnp, Layla Marie Mosadegh

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The purpose of this research was to understand the next generation’s, aka Gen Z’s, engagement with Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) by studying the motivations and perceptions surrounding engagement with GSMNP amongst undergraduate students enrolled for the 2018-2019 school year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). This research was conducted in the format of a hybrid case study with a combined marketing strategy plan that aims to answer the following questions:

• What are the motivations and perceptions surrounding engagement with Great Smoky Mountains National Park amongst undergraduate students enrolled for the 2018-2019 school year at the at the …

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Exploring The Structure-Activity Relationship Of Various Seh Inhibitors In Promoting Brown Adipogenesis, Sue Lim Choi

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Background: Brown adipose tissue has emerged as a novel target for obesity prevention and treatment due to its responsibility for heat production. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a cytosolic enzyme that degrades epoxy fatty acids (EpFAs) (lipid signaling molecules) into inactive diols. Potent sEH inhibitors (sEHIs) are beneficial for many chronic diseases as they stabilize endogenous EpFAs by blocking the degradation. Our preliminary results have shown that trans-4- [4-(3-adamantan-1-yl-ureido)-cyclohexyloxy]-benzoic acid (t-AUCB), a potent sEH inhibitor, dose-dependently promotes brown adipogenesis.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the structure and activity relationship of various sEHIs with different sub-structures of …

Producing Independent Film, Sydney Steele

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The job of a Producer is elusive to many people. Their work goes unnoticed by the general population, but they are the back bone of film. They are an integral part of the 5 stages of filmmaking: Development, Pre-Production, Production, Post Production, and Distribution. During my research with the film, Light From Light, I shadowed the producer’s through these stages to get a proper understanding of producing. Even on a low-budget independent film, such as this one, a clever producer navigates most issues to ensure that the director completes his true vision for the story. Independent producing requires more …

The Effects Of Relationships On Ans Function And Wellness, Olivia M. Maples

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The quality of relationships and social networks plays a vital role on well-being (Feeney & Collins, 2015). Social support is linked to positive biological profiles in that social support protects against the negative effects of changes in cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune function. Furthermore, when exploring Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) function, higher heart rate variability has been shown to reflect a psychophysiological state compatible with social interaction (Quintana, Guastella, Outhred, Hickie, & Kemp, 2012). Social support has been shown to buffer against the negative effects of life stressors (Cohen & Wills, 1985), and ultimately, mortality (Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010). In …

The Full Genome Sequence Of An Antarctic Microbe Constructed Using A Rapid, Portable Sequencer And A Hybrid Assembly, Bruce Wyatt Boles

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Microbial genomes contain combinations of nucleotides that code for genes which subsequently determines the function of the cell. This information provides significant insight into the unique niche of microbes from extreme environments. Here we use two sequencing technologies, the Oxford Nanopore MinION with accompanying software and Illumina HiSeq, to generate a hybrid genome for a Shewanella strain isolated from an Antarctic glacier. Bioinformatic programs, Albacore and SPAdes, allowed us to decrease the time of genome assembly while also obtaining a large quantity of information related to the Shewanella sp. Our combined approach yielded a high quality genome assembly 5.3 …

From “Northern Lights” To “The Ground”: A Stylistic Survey Of The Choral Works Of Ola Gjeilo, Steven Brown

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

This research provides a stylistic survey of contemporary choral composer Ola Gjeilo’s compositional style. Using formal and harmonic analyses of several of Gjeilo’s most notable pieces, this research dissects Gjeilo’s treatment of text, his use of tertian relationships, his consistency in formal designs, and his use of polytonal and polyfunctional relationships. Multi-parametric analyses of Gjeilo’s works reveal the characteristics of his music. This research deconstructs Gjeilo’s approach to text painting, which portrays the broader idea of a text and exploits its coloristic elements. In addition to text, this research demonstrates Gjeilo’s consistent devotion to the number three through tripartite forms …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A-Site And B-Site Disordered High-Entropy Perovskites, Quinton Wright

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Entropy-stabilized oxides are a new class of ceramic material inspired by high-entropy alloys. In entropy-stabilized oxides, many metallic elements in approximately equal amounts occupy one lattice site. The large number of atom types present in the crystal results in a high degree of disorder in the material. The purpose of this study was to determine if a single-phase samples of two entropy-stabilized oxides could be successfully created through solid-state synthesis. The first of these materials - (Gd0.2La0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Y0.2)MnO3 - has has 5 A-site elements creating a high degree of disorder. The second of these materials - La(Co0.2Cr0.2Fe0.2Mn0.2Ni0.2)O3 - has 5 B-site …

Fungal Response To Wildfire In A Southeastern Wildland-Urban Interface, Vanessa Rosanne Harpe

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Fungi are key to belowground ecosystem function, yet post-fire recovery of fungal communities has not been examined in many ecosystems. A massive wildfire in 2016 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) and surrounding urban landscape (Gatlinburg, TN) presented a novel opportunity to study post-fire fungal response within an urban-forest ecosystem. We surveyed soils and plants in GSMNP and Gatlinburg, TN 1.5-2 years post-fire to assess colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, aseptate hyphae) and decomposers/pathogens (septate hyphae) from 13 plant species across 18 sites, (9 park, 9 urban).

Overall, colonization by aseptate (intraradical R²= 0.46, P …

Grant: Ground Roaming Autonomous Neuromorphic Targeter, Adam Z Foshie

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Neuromorphic computing, or computing inspired by the cognitive processes of the brain, has garnered attention as the need for a more scalable, while also energy and space efficient, computational construct than the traditional Von Neumann based architectures has grown. Particularly, computing structures that perform complex tasks such as classification, anomaly detection, pattern recognition, and control automation are desired. Using the novel neuromorphic computing architecture developed by TENNLab (Laboratory of Tennesseans Exploring Neural Networks), DANNA2 (Dynamic Adaptive Neural Network Array 2), along with TENNLab's hardware/software co-design framework and evolutionary optimization for neuromorphic systems (EONS) as the training method, we present GRANT …

Assessing The Habitability Of Mars Using Impact Crater Statistics, Emily N. Shaver

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Because Mars lacks a global magnetic field or protective ozone layer, its surface is unshielded to harsh radiation from space. This ionizing radiation breaks down any organic components in the soil at the martian surface on timescales of tens to hundreds of millions years (10–100 Ma). In planetary geology, we use the density of impact craters as a proxy for time: older surfaces tend to accumulate more craters. Using impact craters, we can assess the exposure age and therefore organic preservation potential of the Martian surface from orbit.

The goal of this ongoing project is to better understand exposure ages …

Using Atran Telluric Correction To Investigate The 3Μm-Region, Lucas Trent Mcclure

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Small-bodies of the Solar System, such as asteroids, provide an abundant amount of information about planetary formation and evolution. In particular, the characterization of asteroids is vital to understanding the distribution and abundance of water throughout the Solar System. Recent findings in asteroid spectroscopy have provided evidence for the surface presence of water-ice and hydroxide, likely due to silicates on asteroid surfaces interacting with H⁺ ions from the solar wind. To investigate surface hydration, astronomers analyze the 3µm region, where an absorption feature is exhibited. Atmospheric water, however, affects the quality of the data around this particular region, but …

Understanding Conformational Regulation Of The Integrin I-Domain For Design Of Chimeric Protein Switches, Niall Phelan Terry, Liang Fang, J Vincent Price, Eric T. Boder Dr.

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Within all complex biological processes intricate proteins are expressed to complete every niche and necessary task. Many express multiple allosterically regulated conformational states, with protein function regulated by effector molecules and other ligands. One such protein is the LFA-1 surface integrin protein and its inserted domain, the I-domain. We Isolated the I-domain for investigation of determining binding properties and understanding conformational regulations of affinity changes to its target ligand ICAM-1, for further use in chimeric protein switch design. A large change in binding affinity was found through the deletion of a sub-sequence of amino acids in I-domain known as the …

Disneyfication And Education, Reagan A Yessler

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Disneyfication in theater means the increase in popularity of Disney plays and the resulting reshaping of modern plays to more resemble those of Walt Disney, in order to gain viewership. In most cases, this means a shift to a musical format featuring upbeat ballads and gaudy but family-friendly costumes. While many theatre elitists frown upon such trends, this project shows how Disneyfication fosters renewed interest and enjoyment in theatre across age groups. A case study of the Knox and Sevier County school systems in Tennessee examines patterns of interest and enjoyment in the nation’s most popular plays via snowball method …

Movement Of Lifetime Maximum Intensity Locations During The North Atlantic Hurricane Season, Morgan Steckler

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Where a storm reaches its lifetime maximum intensity (LMI) can be a powerful indicator of tropical cyclone intensification patterns. Any changes in this location may demonstrate how hurricanes are affected by climate change. Studies on the annual and decadal trends in LMI location have shown that the latitude where storms are reaching their LMI is shifting, but at different rates and in different directions depending on the ocean basin. In the North Atlantic, for example, LMI location seems to be moving slightly closer to the equator, especially for those storms with the greatest intensities. LMI location patterns have yet to …

Extracellular Enzyme Activity From Hot Springs In Panama, Andrew J. Lonergan

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Microbes found in subsurface water and sediment play an important role in biogeochemical cycling. Heterotrophic microbes require extracellular enzymes to cleave bonds of macromolecules, in order to take up and ultimately metabolize organic carbon and nutrients. Geothermal features are characterized by a wide range of temperatures, pH, and other geochemical parameters, and can add to our understanding of microbial effects on fluxes in the carbon cycle. Here we perform enzyme assays to examine microbes from various hot springs in Panama and their enzymatic activity on different substrates. Using temperatures similar to that of the hot springs, we use fluorogenic substrate …

Visually Mapping The Narrative System Of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, Aj Culpepper

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

This research creates a visual system for analyzing Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. I define five factors—space, time, character (individual actor), network (unique aggregate of certain actors), and narrative voice—and visually explore their dyadic and triadic relationships. Taking the dyad of character and network, I identify all named entities within the novel and describe each person to whom they are connected. I then define factors for determining the degree of closeness in each of these relationships, and represent the degree via line value; those more closely related will be connected by thicker, darker lines. Other dyads and triads rely on visualizing …

What’S For Dinner? Different Carbon Compounds Influence Host Metabolism In A Model Roseobacter-Roseophage System, Kaylee Rae Jacobs

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Viruses that infect bacteria (temperate phages) engage in complex interactions with their hosts. These phages can have two life cycles: lytic and lysogenic. For the latter, the phage can integrate its genome into that of its host and harmlessly replicate alongside with it. Conversely, upon induction, these integrated viruses can excise from their host genome and initiate the lytic cycle. A current paradigm is that phage induction is in response to host cell stress. However, in the absence of stressors, a low level of induction in a population occurs. This poorly understood phenomenon is referred to as spontaneous prophage induction …

A Cell Cycle Cue Triggers Cell Growth Resumption After Division, Afton R. Russell

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The decoupling of the fundamental processes of cell division and growth is important for maintaining cell integrity. Through a chemical approach, we delayed the clock that controls when cells separate, uncoupling cell division and cell growth. This led to polarized cell growth before the cells completed separation. Using fluorescent markers to denote the cell’s stage in the cell cycle, we observed that only cells that were in mitosis exhibited this uncoupling. Previously it was thought that growth resumption occurred after completion of cell division, but this observation suggests that growth is triggered earlier, from a mitotic cue. This mitotic cue …

Cell Separation Delay And Membrane Trafficking Defects In Cdc42 Gap Mutants, Haylee Grace Young

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Cytokinesis is the final step in cell division, where a cell separates into two daughter cells. Cytokinesis involves many steps that must be organized in a spatiotemporal manner. In many eukaryotes, it involves the assembly and constriction of an actomyosin ring. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe serves as a good model system to study cytokinesis because they divide via actomyosin-dependent-cytokinesis.

The Rho-family of small GTPases are molecules involved in the regulation of cell growth and division. The GTPase Cdc42 helps promote timely onset of ring constriction and septum formation in fission yeast. Studies with many other organisms show that Cdc42 …

Boolean Architecture, Amber Michaela Stanfill, Tyler S. Sanford

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The Grande Boolean Concert Hall uses architectural features to draw in the passerby and creates a pull for those considering Knoxville as a destination. The design infuses natural curves into the downtown area creating architectural intrigue and seats just over 1800 patrons for concerts or events. Boolean logic informed the programmatic flow and overall form celebrating the three Boolean operations: difference, intersection and union. The geometries informing circulation, enclosure and organization were the cone, sphere, and ellipse. These geometries were operated upon to create a plaza, entrance, and roof geometry directly relating to acoustic performance. A detailed acoustic simulation allowed …

Elucidating Growth Coupling Of Metabolites In E. Coli And Characterizing Modularity., Preston N. Nicely

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

This project seeks to increase the efficiency of rapid engineering strain design by elucidating the functionality of a modular cell. The modular cell theory insinuates that there exists a baseline cellular framework from which cellular products can be produced by inserting a designed production module into the cell. In this study, recombinant gene cloning techniques were used to design metabolite production modules that focused on increasing the production, titer, and yield of ethanol and lactate within Escherichia coli (E. coli). An auxotrophic chassis cell was created by ModCell2 and multi-objective strain design to determine the genes necessary for deletion. The …