Oral Presentation Abstracts For this paper I employ biographical information about Shirin Neshat in order to show how her upbringing influenced her vision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> separate spheres for men and women. This is supplemented by a consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cultural, social, and religious codes in Muslim countries, in particular Iran. I also examine <strong>the</strong> gender roles <strong>of</strong> men and women in <strong>the</strong> Muslim world, which clarify that, through her work, Neshat is trying to convey her belief that despite women’s limited rights, <strong>the</strong>y still have a powerful voice. Finally, I conduct a formal analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> video in order to show that despite <strong>the</strong>ir separation, <strong>the</strong> fate <strong>of</strong> men and women are powerfully linked. TDS, not so tedious: An efficient technique to study topological changes in modified G-quadruplex DNA Arlen Guillen Faculty mentor: Liang Xue The UV <strong>the</strong>rmal difference spectrum (TDS) is a convenient and inexpensive tool for characterization <strong>of</strong> nucleic acid structures. It is obtained by taking <strong>the</strong> difference in <strong>the</strong> UV absorbance spectra <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> unfolded and folded states <strong>of</strong> a given nucleic acid below and above its melting temperature. The specific shape <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> spectra is distinctive for a given nucleic acid sequence/structure. Recently, it was reported (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 123, 10833-10836) that TDS spectra can be used to classify different types <strong>of</strong> G-quadruplex DNA topologies as well. G-quadruplex DNA is a unique DNA secondary structure that is formed by guanine rich nucleic acid sequences. The guanine nucleobase can associate through Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds to form a square planar structure called G-tetrad. The G-tetrads <strong>the</strong>n stack on top <strong>of</strong> each o<strong>the</strong>r to give rise to G-quadruplex DNA. Such structures have been proposed to form at <strong>the</strong> ends <strong>of</strong> chromosomes i.e. <strong>the</strong> telomeric region containing <strong>the</strong> 5’-dTTAGGG repeats and play an important role in genomic integrity. Telomeric DNA is readily accessible by DNA damaging agents, leading to chemical modification <strong>of</strong> nucleobases such as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxodG), 8- oxo-7,8-dihydroadenine (8-oxodA) and abasic sites. Herein, we report <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> TDS as a tool to study <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> location and type <strong>of</strong> nucleobase modification viz. 8-oxodG, 8-oxodA and abasic sites, on <strong>the</strong> topological changes in G- quadruplex DNA structures. Student Self Esteem's Effect on Classroom Leadership Chelsea Fredrick Faculty Mentor: Qingwen Dong It is assumed that student’s who possess <strong>the</strong> combination <strong>of</strong> high self-esteem and social intelligence are guaranteed to be more vocal, persuasive, and productive leaders within a classroom environment and later in <strong>the</strong> work environment. However, without statistical data it is difficult to prove <strong>the</strong> correlation between a student’s self confidence and <strong>the</strong>ir performance within <strong>the</strong> classroom. This paper intends to present data that will clearly define <strong>the</strong> influence individual self esteem and social intelligence has over classroom behavior. After assessing individual empathy, listening skills, open mindedness, productivity, and persuasion techniques within <strong>the</strong> classroom, this information can be compared to each student’s semantic differential scale (a classic self esteem survey). After testing is complete, each personality quality will be tested for reliability and <strong>the</strong>n continue on to a complete correlation analysis. The final statistics presented will give a vivid indication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> relationship between <strong>the</strong> mentality <strong>of</strong> a student and how <strong>the</strong>y conduct <strong>the</strong>mselves within a learning environment. Call <strong>of</strong> Duty: Affects <strong>of</strong> Violent Video Games on Aggressive Behaviors Gabriella Giannini Faculty Mentor: Qingwen Dong The impact <strong>of</strong> chronic violent video game play on player’s aggressive behaviors have been a passionate debate with mixed results supporting both sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> issue. For over 40 years, violent video games have been able to efficiently market its violent plot and images to millions <strong>of</strong> players even in a market inundated with competition. Call <strong>of</strong> Duty, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most popular violent video games in <strong>the</strong> contemporary marketplace is a game that motivates its players to take on <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> military arms men and kill as many competitors as possible. This game has gained widespread appeal, even with a strong M-rating (mature) that advises consumers <strong>of</strong> its graphic storyline, characters, and weaponry. With this pervasive attraction to violence in video games, <strong>the</strong> possibility <strong>of</strong> players subconsciously retaining <strong>the</strong> violent action and images shown in <strong>the</strong> violent video games is a serious possibility. Through a sample <strong>of</strong> 300 college students, this 36
Oral Presentation Abstracts research examined how habitual video game play can desensitize players and affect player’s aggression in real-life situations. The results should <strong>of</strong>fer some educational elements for young adults to understand <strong>the</strong> critical issues related to violent video games playing. Limitations and suggestions for future research will be <strong>of</strong>fered. 37
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