Conference Proceedings and Presentations
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PublicationTesting the effectiveness of an interactive 3D dog brain application in the veterinary neuroanatomy classroom.( 2018-05)Learning neuroanatomy in a veterinary setting can be very difficult for a number of reasons. The complex spatial relationships, obscure shapes and boundaries of structures, as well as the clinical imperative to translate two-dimensional diagnostic images, such as MRI or CT, into three-dimensional orientations present key challenges for learning. Past research into the success of computer-assisted and interactive technology-driven methods to teach concepts in medicine has yielded promising results in regard to student performance and retention. However, there is a lack of research on these methods in a veterinary setting, particularly those concerned with neuroanatomy. We have developed an interactive computer application with a comprehensive set of 3D computer models of the dog brain that have been reconstructed based on a set of high-resolution MRI scans. The application will allow students to explore structures in the dog brain. The proposed study will evaluate the effects of introducing the Virtual Dog Brain application as a supplementary learning tool as well as any correlation between use of the application and student performance and positive perception of the new technology.
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PublicationGenomic Insights into the Origins of the Sycamore Fig in the Mediterranean Basin( 2018-05)The sycamore fig (Ficus sycomorus) has been a culturally important tree in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean dating back to the ancient Egyptians. Because modern trees in this region lack their specialized pollinator and do not produce seed, we hypothesize that they comprise only one to a few clones propagated asexually from cuttings originating thousands of years ago in sub-Saharan Africa. Genotype by Sequencing (GBS) of 46 sycamore fig samples from north of the Sahara revealed them to represent five distinct clonal lineages. Although clones tend to have restricted geographic distributions, trees from Cyprus trace their origins to northern Egypt, Lebanon, and a third unknown source location. These results support the hypothesis that F. sycomorus north of the Sahara is entirely asexual and traces its clonal ancestry to a small number of cuttings originating in sub-Saharan Africa.
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PublicationPlace Making Through Poetic Water Colors( 2018-05)My project will focus on understanding the desirable qualities of places and gaining awareness about the conditions that produce them. Ultimately I would create visual narratives to express affective qualities of man-made environment through watercolors. I will study the structure of chinquain and tanka, two forms of five line poetry, and create poems to succinctly get to some of the essential qualities found in the built environments. Overall, the project will study space and how its design may affect the user, expressed through the use of eight paintings and poems.
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PublicationThe environmental impact of heavy metal contamination from gold mining in West Africa on ecosystem and human health( 2018-05)Gold mining is a significant economic activity in the West African countries of Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Despite their relatively small land area, these countries contribute 7-8% of global gold extraction, and in some of the countries, gold accounts for over 70% of all exports. Nonetheless, gold extraction has environmental and human health concerns, particularly related to heavy metal contamination and exposure. This research examines this complex relationship between heavy metal contamination from gold mining and ecosystem and human health in West Africa. In this study, I conducted a systematic literature review investigating water pollution, soil pollution, and human health impacts from three heavy metals commonly associated with gold mining: mercury, lead, and arsenic. I used Web of Science to find peer-reviewed articles, published in English with keywords that related to my research question (e.g., “gold mining” AND “West Africa” AND “heavy metals” AND environmental). Data analysis suggests that there are many articles (n= 67) describing groundwater, surface water, soil and sediment soil pollution resulting from heavy metal contamination from gold mining activities. However, there are far fewer articles that quantitatively examine human health impacts (n=23), particularly in local communities. A majority of studies showed levels of heavy metals above World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for human health. This is an important finding because it suggests that there may be a gap in identifying human health exposure and risk from proximate contamination of water and soil from heavy metal contamination from gold mining in highly impacted regions of West Africa. Understanding human health exposure and risk is particularly important for vulnerable, rural communities, such as those in West Africa, that may not have access to proper health facilities and screening. This research highlights the potential for additional study, particularly of long-term human health implications, in areas impacted by heavy metal contamination from gold mining activities. This research has the potential to have important impacts in the gold mining region by being a tool for policymakers to see what gaps in enforced legislation there is in West Africa.
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PublicationUtility of Virtual Reality for Physiological Stress Responsivity( 2018-05)Stress physiology research has largely used the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) to reliably elicit acute reactivity in the stress hormone cortisol and other biomarkers in humans by inducing social judgment. Laboratory stressors that exclusively rely on social judgment may be limited, however, as uncontrollability and unpredictability are typically targeted stress-elements in animal studies, but remain woefully understudied in humans. Due to the increasing availability and practicality of virtual reality (VR), more diverse and previously nonpractical situations have become available for study. This experiment tests whether a VR task based on uncontrollability and unpredictability elicits a physiological stress response. The VR task is a set of unpredictable and uncontrollable “games” in an HTC VIVE designed to parallel stress tasks used in animal research. Participants are asked to provide a pre-task saliva sample, an immediately-post sample, and 15-min-post-VR sample. On a different day, participants complete parallel saliva samples, with a nonstressful VR task. Saliva samples were assayed with enzymeimmunoassays to determine cortisol reactivity. Data collection and statistical analysis is ongoing, but preliminary data (N=19) shows that cortisol was significantly reactive to the VR task, F(2,42)=3.76, p=.03. This suggest VR can stimulate cortisol reactivity and uncontrollable or unpredictable stimuli can elicit stress.