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Analysis of De Novo Missense A-alpha Mutations Associated with Intellectual Disabilities in the PP2A Holoenzyme

2017 Symposium

Analysis of De Novo Missense A-alpha Mutations Associated with Intellectual Disabilities in the PP2A Holoenzyme

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Intellectual disability (ID) is a genetic disorder characterized by limitations in intellectual capabilities, such as below-average cognitive functioning and deficiencies in social and practical skills, which affects 1-2% of the world population (Hu et al., 2015). A recent study by Houge et al. presented information on cases of ID that identified de novo missense mutations … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

A Systematic Evaluation of Memantine and Donepezil’s Active Conformations, Affinities, and Location of Binding on an NMDA Receptor

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

As of 2015, 46.8 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have dementia, and it is thought to double every 20 years, eventually reaching 74.7 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 2050. Dementia is defined as a mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury to the brain, which can result in memory disorders, personality … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Chemistry

Gas Separations by Mixed-Matrix Membrane and High Surface Area Carbons

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Mixed-matrix membranes and high surface area carbons (HSACs) are promising methods for cost-effective gas separation, which is important for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We tested the pressure dependence of permeability and selectivity for a triblock copolymer membrane loaded with 0, 5, 10, 20, or 30 wt.-% hollow carbon spheres. We … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Chemistry

Systematic Characterization of Resveratrol in Planar Lipid Bilayers by Single-Molecule Studies

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Resveratrol, a polyphenol found commonly in red wine, is linked to a number of health benefits including the prevention of cardiovascular disease, suppression of cancer, and stimulation of genes associated with longer lifespans. Although many of these properties have been investigated, the exact mechanism by which resveratrol causes these effects within the body is not … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Chemistry

On the Duration of Time-Averaging in St. Croix Chione

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

One of the most compelling modern applications of paleoecological research focuses on utilizing subfossil assemblages to determine the impact of human activity on shallow marine environments. The extent of anthropogenically-mediated changes, however, cannot be determined without a pre-disturbance ecological baseline against which the altered state may be compared. To overcome this limitation, paleoecologists rely on … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Geology

Design and Construction of an Open Return Wind Tunnel

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The physics behind various wind tunnels were examined, and the most viable design was chosen. In terms of viability, the wind tunnel had to be designed so that it could be reasonable in size and could be built with materials that were reasonable in price. The open return wind tunnel is a type of tunnel … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Physics & Engineering

Sedimentary Properties and Metal Concentrations of St. Croix

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Sedimentary properties can affect many aspects within the marine environment. It can affect everything from the way benthic organisms live to the pollutants causing changes to the environment. Some organisms prefer to live in more carbonate sediments while others prefer siliciclastic. The properties of sediments can be used to test the metal concentrations of the … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Geology

Site Comparisons of Earthquake Destructions in Roman Corinth

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Corinth has been subject to much seismic activity throughout the years. Due to Corinth’s placement near tectonically active plates, it is expected that there would have been many earthquakes throughout its history. Romans occupied Corinth from 44 BCE to the 12th century CE. During this time, several Roman phases occurred. Several ancient literary sources (Suetonius, … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Archaeology

Deconstructing the Dichotomy: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and Their Views on the French Revolution

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson are most notable for their contributions to the American revolutionary cause. Both of them worked to advance the Revolution. What is not as widely discussed is their influence in the discussion on the French Revolution in the United States of America. If the topic is discussed, it is narrowly defined … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: History

Privacy Interfaces for Remote Telepresence Robots

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

As teleoperated robot technology improves, remotely-operated telepresence robots will certainly become more prevalent in homes and businesses, allowing guests and business partners to visit without being physically present. That said, privacy remains a subject of concern. An Internet-connected telepresence robot has the ability to, unbeknownst to the robot’s owner, spy on its local area. Whether … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Computer Science

The Library and Literary Endeavors of T. Pomponius Atticus

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Titus Pomponius Atticus was a wealthy Roman citizen of the late Republic period who is now best remembered as a close friend of the orator Cicero. However, he is notable in his own right for a substantial personal impact on the literate sphere of the ancient world. He was a writer himself, as well as … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Classical Studies

The Abortion Debate in Russia: An ‘Unattainable Compromise’

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The debate on abortions is often thought of as a contrast between religion and science. However, this contrast is not two-dimensional. Specific to Russia, the debate on abortion is longstanding and complex. In order to understand the abortion debate, it is important to first explore the history of abortion, starting with the Soviet Union and … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Russian

QPOC’s Development of Social Capital and Wellbeing

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Using the Social Justice Sexuality Survey from 2015, the relationship between queer social capital and ethnic/ racial social capital is investigated, along with its effects on wellbeing or importance of identity. I analyzed these relationships in an attempt to study the positive effects of social capital and how they applied specifically to queer people of … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Sociology & Anthropology

Appeasement

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Appeasement was the policy of conceding to Hitler’s aggression, giving him what he wanted in order to keep peace in Europe. After the number of casualties in World War 1, Britain was not interested in starting another war so they adopted the policy of appeasement. What were the Pros and Cons of appeasement? Why do … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: History

American Librarian: Thomas Jefferson and the Classics

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

“I cannot live without books.” To Thomas Jefferson, reading was more than a hobby; it was his investment to the future, one of his loves in life. He enjoyed the classical epics and poems as well as reading the new mathematical and scientific happenings and the philosophies of ancient and modern thinkers. The Virginia native … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Classical Studies

Cardiac Risk among Eating Disorder Patients

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Problem or Purpose: Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric diagnoses and affect approximately 10% of adolescent girls and young women. The disorders are associated with serious medical complications and premature death from a myriad of causes; a high percentage of these premature deaths are linked to adverse cardiac events. Identifying reliable … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Psychology

Structural Studies of Ebola Viral Homolog Encoded by Microbats

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

High case fatality rates are observed during sporadic Ebola virus outbreaks. Currently, elusive or not available is the Ebola reservoir host or any safe efficacious treatments. Bats, given their unique features, have been identified as one potential reservoir host, but why Ebola is highly virulent in some mammals and not in others is not well … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Coastal Western Australia Paleoclimate over the Last Five Glacial Cycles Using Stalagmite Carbon Isotope Values from Cape Range, Western Australia

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Climate proxies are any biological or geological record that preserves temperature or precipitation fluctuations prior to human records. This project’s climate proxy is stalagmites, which are cave formations created from drip water on a cave floor. In particular, this study focuses on carbon isotopes, which record vegetation and moisture changes, spanning parts of the last … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Geology

The Relationship Between Causal Uncertainty and Rumination

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Causal uncertainty is the degree to which an individual believes they understand why social events occur. When people feel causally uncertain, they become motivated to reduce their uncertainty, and past research has shown that individuals high in causal uncertainty (i.e. frequently feel uncertain about the causality of social events) will engage in more thoughtful and … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Psychology

Maximizing Energy Storage in Activated Carbon Supercapacitors

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

In modern times, energy storage is an everyday obstacle. Keeping your phone, kindle, laptop, and even your car charged is a constant reminder of the way storing electrical charges efficiently and speedily is essential to our way of life. Activated carbon supercapacitors have been the middle ground between rechargeable batteries and electrolytic capacitors since their … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Physics & Engineering

Simulating Quantum Systems for the Traveling Salesman Problem

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is one of the more famous optimization problems in computer science. Its formulation is as follows: given a set of points (“cities”), what is shortest path that will visit each point once, returning to the first point after having done so? This can be easily compared to a salesman tasked … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Computer Science

Audio Beams: Electronically Steering Directed Acoustic Waves

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The directivity of a loudspeaker is gated by the frequencies of the waves it is required to emit. Tones audible to the human ear have relatively long wavelengths, and as directivity is proportional to the ratio of the size of the speaker to the length of the wave, a practical loudspeaker will emit sound essentially … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Physics & Engineering

The Intersection of Religion and Culture in Predominantly Muslim States

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

I committed to spending my spring break in Baku, Azerbaijan in order to conduct research into the impact of religion in Azerbaijan society. Azerbaijan, located in Eastern Europe by Turkey, is predominantly Muslim. This presentation will be a comparative analysis on Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Senegal–and how Islam is represented in each country. I wanted to … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Politics

Growth, Survival, and Habitat Use by Hatchling and Juvenile Ornate Box Turtles

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The eastern ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata) is listed as a threatened species in Iowa. Understanding basic information, such as growth rate, range, habitat, and survival rate, is important to help protect this species. Students and faculty from Cornell College and Mt. Mercy University have conducted a 23-year study of ornate box turtles in … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Biology

Computing in Cellular Automata: Smashing Gliders for Fun and Computation

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

A cellular automata is a set of simple rules on a grid that, given time, will exhibit complex behavior. These are used for a number of purposes, including modeling real-world behavior like simulating a forest fire or a computer. At every timestep, each cell in the grid is updated according to the rules of the … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Mathematics & Statistics

Panfilov’s Twenty-Eight in the Twenty-First Century

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The 28 guardsmen of the Red Army’s 316th Rifle Division, led by Major General Ivan Panfilov, presumably died battling German tanks on the outskirts of Moscow in the freezing winter of 1941-1942. The myth of Panfilov’s 28 Guardsmen, perpetuated by high-ranking government officials, serves to exemplify Soviet Russia’s supposed superiority and satisfies the Russian Federation’s … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Russian

The Chronicle of Swashbuckling Rubbish

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The Chronicle of Swashbuckling Rubbish is a fantasy/adventure visual novel about a kidnapped feather and the lengths her friends go to to rescue her. The game will feature a full story with a number of dialogue options and multiple endings, a dictionary with unlockable entries of terms particular to the universe, an original score, and … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: digital humanities

The Readers and Writers of Creative Nonfiction

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

With respect to today’s memoir craze, readers seem to expect factual truth and are generally unforgiving of truthbending and artistic liberty. However, with respect to the broader genre of Creative Nonfiction, expectations have yet to be agreed upon. Specifics such as how ethical stretching the truth is, how much liberty a writer is “allowed” to … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: English & Creative Writing

Synthesis of Brooker’s Merocyanine and Derivatives: Study of Chromism, and Determination of pKas

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Over the summer of 2016, we developed and optimized procedures to synthesize a series of solvatochromatic dyes: MOED, MOEL, MeO-MOED, and MeO-MOEL. These dyes have vibrant colors that change depending on solvent, pH, and temperature. A series of different experiments were developed that demonstrated the various unique color-changing properties of each dye. The results are … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

The Library of Hadrian – A Beacon for Athenian Intellect

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The Library of Hadrian is located in Athens, Greece and lies beyond the Roman Agora. An immense structure, the Library was funded by Emperor Hadrian in 132 CE. The incredible size of the structure paired with the amount of materials that were imported for its decoration – Phrygian marble from Asia Minor, alabaster from Egypt, … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Classical Studies

The Sonnenschein Collection of Master Drawings: New Insights

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

The Sonnenschein Collection of 58 old master drawings was gifted to Cornell College in the early 1950s by Mr. Robert Sonnenschein II, whose father, Chicago lawyer Edward Sonnenschein (1881-1935), amassed a vast and diverse art collection in the early 20th century. As a gesture of his friendship with Cornell College President Russell D. Cole, Robert … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Art & Art History

Modeling Forest Fires with Cellular Automata

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Forest fires are always dangerous, but certain factors have a strong influence on forest fire severity. In order to develop an effective method of forest fire prevention, we must understand how these factors influence a forest fire. We therefore consider two variables: the amount of biofuel available and the speed at which the fire spreads, … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Mathematics & Statistics

¡Si Se Puede!: Mujeres Mexicanas que Lucharon Contra el Patriarcado y Cambiaron la Historia de México

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

Throughout time, individuals have been presented with histories of different countries that have heavily lacked the feminine perspective. This has resulted in an overall skewed interpretation of history that has supported and perpetuated patriarchal standards and norms that have consistently impacted both men and women in negative and diverse ways. Therefore, in order to shed … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Spanish

Characterization of the Effect of Ethanol, 1-Octanol, and Octanoic Acid on Model Gramicidin Ion Channels

2017 by Brooke Bergantzel

An estimated 1.1 to 10.64 million Americans have Essential Tremor (ET). However, many people are misdiagnosed or simply go undiagnosed because they do not seek medical treatment. This neurological movement disorder causes shaking of the hands, head, voice, and occasionally legs and trunk, sometimes leading to a dramatic decrease in quality of life. Previous studies … [Read more…]

Posted in: 2017 Symposium Tagged: Chemistry

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