THE UNIVERISTY OF ALABAMA - Graduate School - The University ...

Susan DeLeon, Department of Biological SciencesFaculty Mentors: Drs. Guy and Kim Caldwell, Department of Biological SciencesCharacterization of a Novel Protein That Can Protect against the Neuronal Loss Associated withParkinson’s DiseaseOur laboratory has recently uncovered an uncharacterized protein, termed HSCP117, which isprotective against cellular insults that cause dopamine-producing neurons to die. Age-dependentdopamine neurodegeneration is the hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, thus HSCP117 represents aninteresting protein target warranting further investigation for therapeutic development. Proteinswork together as complex biochemical machines to carry out necessary functions, therefore, wehave performed a large-scale screen of millions of potential protein interactors using the yeasttwo-hybrid system to identify previously undiscovered partners of HSCP117. Here we report theresults of this screen and outline plans for validation of the positive interacting candidates.Robert Kyle Driggers, Department of PhilosophyFaculty Mentor: Dr. H. Scott Hestevold, Department of Philosophy“Thank Goodness that’s Over!”At least two views of time shape the philosophical debate concerning the nature of tense --whether or not there is a past, present, and future or just events prior to and after other events.The former view is known as the A-theory; these theorists postulate the common-sense view thatthere is a robust ‘NOW’ that passes from the past to the future. Tenants of this theory might alsosupport the idea that only “present” objects exist (i.e. an advisor reading this sentence) -- strictlyspeaking, past and future objects do not exist. The latter view is known as the B-theory; thesetheorists understand time to be much like space -- past, present, and future objects all exist in thesame way, but with different temporal properties. In other words, the advisor reading thissentence is as real as a brontosaurus munching on vegetation millions of years ago. The onlysignificant difference is that they do so at different times. This presentation holds the latter viewto be true, and is concerned with a famous objection to it by A. N. Prior. Prior notes that feelingsof dread and relief can never make sense under the B-theory, because one can never dread orrelieve pain that always is occurring at a certain time. The goal of this research then, is toprovide an account of how the B-theory might make sense of dread and relief.Eric Edwards, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Computer-Based HonorsProgramFaculty Mentor: Dr. Timothy Mewes, Department of Physics and AstronomyNon-local Damping Effects in Py-Cu-FeMn trilayersWe report a non-local enhancement of the Gilbert damping in Py-Cu-FeMn trilayers for in-planeferromagnetic resonance measurements. We observe a 1/t dependence, t being the thickness ofthe permalloy, of the slope of the linewidth vs. frequency measurements indicating non-localcontributions to the damping. With the thickness of the non-magnetic layer, Cu, fixed below itsspin-diffusion length, we understand this effect to be non-local resulting from the injection ofspins by the precessing magnetization at the Py-Cu interface and subsequent scattering at the Cu-FeMn interface.Kayla Evans, Department of Biological Sciences, and Computer-Based Honors ProgramFaculty Mentor: Mrs. Alicia Browne, Housing and Residential CommunitieseHarmony: College Style39