ECSC:Eastern Colleges Science Conference

2016 Eastern Colleges Science Conference

The 70th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference (ECSC) was held at Western New England University on 2 April 2016 in Springfield, MA.

Awards

AWARDS FOR MANUSCRIPTS

Title: Bending Stress Characteristics of Terminal Tree Branches
First Author: Domenick Avanzi

School: Manhattan College

Title: Rates of Bark Formation on Surfaces of Saguaro Cactus Plants

First Author: Lauren Barton

School: Manhattan College

Title: Impact of Pharmaceuticals in the Hudson River on the Histopathology and Behavior of the Crayfish Orconectes immunis

First Author: Julia Czarnecki

School: Marist College

Title: Characterization of Eccentric Growth in Stems of Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young

First Author: Tiffany A. Kharran

School: Manhattan College

Title: Emerging Anthropogenic Chemicals in the Hudson River:
The Potential Histopathological and Chemical Effect on Aquatic Vegetation

First Author: Alec Lee

School: Marist College

Title: Investigation of Hematological Responses to Diacetylmorphine and Methadone Exposure Using Avian Model

First Author: Beckley Miller

School: Marist College

Title: Lack of Deleterious Side Effects in Naltrexone-Treated Rats

First Author: Jacob Musiol

School: John Carroll University

Title: Effects of Perched Culverts on Upstream and Downstream Eel Populations in Hudson River Streams

First Author: Marissa J. Porter

School: Marist College

Title: Xylem Characteristics and Xylem Conductivity in Stems of North American Cactus Species

First Author: Kristen Skonieczny

School: Manhattan College

Title: Chromatographic Analysis of Bee Propolis from Different Parts of the World

First Author: Kevin Symczak

School: Pace University

Title: Evidence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Three Bivalve Species Collected from Orchard Beach, New York

First Author: Freda Fafah Ami Tei

School: Manhattan College

AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING PLATFORM PRESENTATIONS

1. RATES OF BARK FORMATION ON SURFACES OF SAGUARO CACTUS PLANTS

Lauren Barton
Manhattan College

2. METABOLISM AS A BIOASSAY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS: HEMIGRAPSUS SANGUINEUS AS A MODEL ORGANISM

Zachary Scheid
Manhattan College


3. FILAMENTATION PROTECTS CANDIDA ALBICANS FROM AMPHOTERICIN B-INDUCED
PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH VIA A MECHANISM INVOLVING THE YEAST METACASPASE, MCA1

Melissa Brown
Providence College


4. FINE MAPPING OF THE ROUGH FUR (RUF) MUTATION IN MICE

Mohammed Rabah
Central Connecticut State University


5. INTEGRATION OF HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY ELECTROSPRAY
IONIZATION MASS SPECTROMETRY FOR IDENTIFICATION OF HYDROLYSABLE TANNINS IN LEAF EXTRACTS

Joseph Francisco
United States Naval Academy


6. DETERMINATION OF POLYELECTROLYTE PKA VALUES USING SURFACE-TO-AIR
TENSION MEASUREMENTS

Brittany Dickhaus
Western New England University College of Pharmacy


7. PRESENCE OF HUMAN INTESTINAL PARASITES IN OYSTERS (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA):
TEMPORAL TREND IN PREVALENCE AND GENOTYPE Steven Kowalyk
Manhattan College


8. A NOVEL ROLE FOR IL-10 IN MEDIATION OF MAST CELL RESPONSES AND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF IgE-DEPENDENT FOOD ALLERGY
Jeffrey Rovatti
Western New England University College of Pharmacy

(Won Excellence in Innovative Research)


9. FORMULATION, EVALUATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE IN VITRO
RELEASE KINETICS OF COMPOUNDED SLOW-RELEASE CAPSULES OF LIOTHYRONINE
SODIUM (T3)

Clayton Cassone
Western New England University College of Pharmacy

10. CRIMINAL MINDS AND LOONEY TOONS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF MENTAL ILLNESS
ON TELEVISION

Ryan Leary
Ithaca College

Awards for Outstanding Poster Presentations

1. THE USE OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AS A GREENER ALTERNATIVE TO
CONTROLLING PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES

Julie Sargent
Elms College

2. THE EFFECTS OF MYCORRHIZAE ON EARLY AND LATE SEASON DAMAGE OF
PHASELOUS VULGARIS

Erica H. Van Ness
Elms College

3. INFLUENCE OF HABITAT ON ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION:
DO JUVENILE HORSESHOE CRABS GIVE A CRAB?

Erin DiPietro
Sacred Heart University


4. ANALYSIS OF HFQ AND RPOS FUNCTIONS IN STATIONARY PHASE SURVIVAL IN THE
METAL-REDUCING BACTERIUM SHEWANELLA ONEIDENSIS
Matthew Cupelo
Providence College

5. DIFFERENTIATION OF SCCmec TYPES IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS SPP.
IN NON-CLINICAL ISOLATES
Sonja Opper
Niagara University


6. IDENTIFICATION OF GENETIC INTERACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH PRP5 USING S. CEREVISIAE
AS A MODEL

Jackie Copeland
Mount St. Mary College


7. THE EFFECTS OF CARBARYL ON C6 ASTROCYTES

Keri Jung
Westfield State University


8. MODULATION OF IMMUNE CELL FUNCTION BY DIET-INDUCED EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS

Edwin Kaczenski
Western New England University College of Pharmacy


9. INVESTIGATION OF HEMATOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO DIACETYLMORPHINE
AND METHADONE EXPOSURE USING AVIAN MODEL

Beckley Miller
Marist College


10. THE ROLE OF DREBRIN IN HEROIN RELAPSE IN RATS

Samantha Stein
John Carroll University


11. RIBBED MUSSELS USE HSP70 AS PART OF MOLECULAR ADAPTATION TO SALT STRESS

Josh Stirba
Central Connecticut State University


12. ISCHEMIA IMPAIRS MITOCHONDRIAL VELOCITY IN WHITE MATTER OF THE BRAIN IN AN AGE-DEPENDENT MANNER

Stephen Politano
John Carroll University


13. DETERMINATION OF pKa VALUES OF POLYELECTROLYTES UTILIZING SPRAY
DRYER AND PARTICLE SIZE ANALYZER

Mary Machado
Western New England University College of Pharmacy


14. EFFECT OF RHODIOLA ROSEA TREATMENT ON OVARIAN CANCER CELLS

Caitlyn Leavitt
Springfield College


15. STRESS-INDUCED REINSTATEMENT OF MORPHINE-CPP IS ATTENUATED BY NOR-
BNI IN FEMALE BUT NOT MALE RATS

Nicole J. Lessard
Western New England University


16. SEX IS NOT JUST IN THE CITY: HISTORICAL CHANGES IN SEXUAL CONTENT IN SITCOMS

(1995 - 2015)
Zoe Ettelman
Ithaca College


17. RECOGNITION MEMORY DIFFERENCES ON RESPONSE BIAS ARE INFLUENCES BY AROUSAL AND CONTENT CONTROL

Ella E. Kaiser
Ithaca College