Browse Exhibits (109 total)

The current research analyzed how a perpetrator’s achieved social status (ex: education level, occupation, accomplishments) influenced participants’ attributions of responsibility for an instance of sexual assault to either the perpetrator or the victim, as well as how observer gender impacted attitudes.  I predicted that if an observer (i.e. a participant) was a stranger to both the perpetrator and the survivor, they would be more likely to assign responsibility for the assault to the survivor if the observer identified as male and if the perpetrator was of a higher social status. 

Faculty mentor: Dr. Andrew Luttrell

Department of Psychological Science

Undergraduate

Honors College

The ability to draw generalized inferences is an important component of how readers conceptualize a text. Additionally, a variable such as instructional reading goal (i.e., study vs. entertainment) may change how readers are able to comprehend a text. The purpose of this pilot study will verify two created expository texts and determine whether the assigned reading goal changes readers’ ability to make generalized inferences. This experimental research design of N=280 in the Ball State Psychological Sciences subject pool will be given two expository texts that have been created to successfully let readers draw generalized inferences. Additionally, each participant will read each text with a randomly assigned reader goal (either study or entertainment). It is hypothesized that participants will be able to draw the intended generalization inference 75% of the time for each paragraph of each text. It is also hypothesized that the study goal will predict a higher amount of generalization inferences compared to the entertainment goal.

Faculty Mentors: Dr. Kristin Ritchey and Dr. Thomas Holtgraves

Psychological Science

Graduate

Proteins are essential to life. They perform a variety of functions within the cell, including cell regulation and DNA synthesis. Just as important as protein synthesis is the antiparallel process of protein degradation. A protein must be degraded when it is no longer necessary, is damaged, or behaves aberrantly to prevent organismal harm. Proteins can behave aberrantly by persistently engaging with a protein channel called the translocon, which allows proteins to move across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. In humans, a protein known to clog the translocons is a component of low-density lipoproteins (or “bad cholesterol”). A ubiquitin ligase in yeast known as Hrd1 polyubiquitylates the aberrant protein, tagging it for degradation via the proteasome. The proteasome detects polyubiquitination and degrades tagged proteins, recycling them into shorter fragments. Ubiquitin ligases rarely function alone, and yeast lacking Hrd1 still exhibit residual degradation of translocon-clogging proteins, suggesting the existence of alternative degradation pathways. We performed a genome-wide screen to identify genes that may play a role in protein degradation of translocon-clogging proteins, identifying a potential 150 candidates. Further small-scale reporter assays were performed, confirming the role for 42 genes in protein degradation. Additional biochemical validation using cycloheximide chase showed the requirement of 3 genes, one of which is part of a heterodimeric transcription factor complex involved in lipid synthesis. With the process of protein degradation being conserved in both yeast and humans, validated genes may represent therapeutic targets for patients with elevated levels of cholesterol.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric "VJ" Rubenstein

Department of Biology

Graduate

Soccer is becoming an increasingly popular sport amongst females. This increase also brings an increase in injuries, most notably to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). ACL injuries tend to occur during rapid acceleration and deceleration movements such as jumping. Jumping to head the ball in soccer is a common and useful movement, however, the specific landing mechanics have not been fully investigated. The purpose of this study is to analyze differences between soccer-specific vertical jump (SSVJ) and drop vertical jump (DVJ) landings, assessing 3-D lower extremity kinematics and kinetics, ground reaction forces (GRFs), and muscle activation patterns in female soccer athletes to identify the risk for ACL injury in header landings. 12 females (18-25) will participate in this study. 43 retro-reflective markers and 11 electromyography (EMG) electrodes will be attached to specific body landmarks. Participants will complete a modified dynamic warm-up before completing a series of jumps. DVJ’s and SSVJ’s will begin standing on top of a 31cm box. In DVJ’s, participants will step down, land, and immediately jump up at 100% effort before landing again. In SSVJ’s, participants will step down and upon landing, jump up to head a soccer ball suspended in the air at 50% of their maximum vertical jump height before landing again. Maximum voluntary isometric contractions will be performed using dynamometers for knee flexion and extension, ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, and hip extension and abduction. The current study has collected data for 5 participants and is still in progress. Statistical analyses and discussion will be finalized upon completion of the study.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Henry Wang

Biomechanics Department, School of Kinesiology

Graduate

MitoNEET is a outer mitochondrial membrane protein that contains a [2Fe-2S] cluster. Since its discovery, three genes of the protein family have been identified as CISD1 (mitoNEET), CISD2 (NAF-1), and CISD3 (Miner 2). If the metal cluster is lost from NEET proteins, it can cause oxidative stress because free iron causes the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can then go on to cause the formation of reactive sulfur species (RSS). These reactive species cause damage to proteins, lipids or DNA.  MitoNEET and NAF-1 play unclear role(s) in resistance to oxidative stress and are possible drug targets for cancer cell, diabetes, and Parkinson’s Disease. In my project I have started to explore how 1.)  mitoNEET contributes to sulfur-metabolism in human biochemistry and 2.) how NEET proteins interact with each other. This study is impactful because oxidative stress in cells is strongly influenced by the balance between ROS and RSS. I am completing this project to understand how the chemistry of mitoNEET impacts RSS and then extending this knowledge into yeast cells to examine the results in a cellular environment under oxidative stress. The primary research methodology of thin-layer chromatography showed that a new chemical is being made when the amino acid cysteine is combined with mitoNEET. This result indicates an enzymatic function of mitoNEET that would integrate into maintaining cellular redox balance. Additionally, yeast-2 hybrid experiments have shown an interaction between NAF-1 with itself and NAF-1 with mitoNEET. Future studies will extend this work by examining how NAF-1 interactions in yeast cells are impacted by oxidative stress.

Faculty Mentor: Mary Konkle

Biology

Graduate