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  The Utilization of the Xenopus Embryos for the Determination of the Teratogenic Potential of Methylene Blue

  Kritika Maharjan and Barrett Hester

  Methylene blue is a compound consisting of dark green crystals or crystalline powder, which gives out a deep blue color in solutions with water or alcohol. Its most common uses are as bacteriologic stain and indicator. It has often been used to treat methemoglobin and is often considered to be a safe drug when used in a moderate dose of <2 mg. In recent>studies, methylene blue has been found to cause severe central nervous system toxicity with other results such as nitrogen and ammonia poisoning. To understand the harmful developmental effects of Methylene blue, Xenopus frog embryos under lab conditions were exposed to a range of methylene blue concentrations. For the experiment, fertilized embryos were sorted and allowed to develop in methylene blue solutions made by dissolving solid methylene blue in FETAX (frog embryo teratogenesis assay -Xenopus) solution. FETAX is a 96-hour test that uses early-stage embryos of the South African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) to measure the potential of substances to cause mortality, malformation, and growth inhibition in developing embryos. The major reason behind Xenopus frogs being the primary subject to tests is due to Xenopus embryos developing outside of the body making them easy to manipulate or treated with chemicals and proteins that have a direct effect on their development. The experiment setup was to expose the embryos to methylene blue concentrations ranging from 0-100 mg/ L with 4 sets of control for each trial. The control consisted of Xenopus embryos kept in only FETAX solutions. The results indicate an LC50 (mortality) of approximately 256.41 and EC50 (malformation) of 135.63. Abnormalities were observed in the abdominal, notochord, gut, eye, brain, and many other body structures including conditions such as edema, hemorrhage, and blisters. The results suggested that methylene blue has slight teratogenic effects.

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  The Reasoning Behind the Political Divides in America

  Benjamin Marazzi

  The current American political environment is dominated by two political theories that provide reasoning behind the widening divide between political parties. The polarization theory, supported by Alan Abramowitz, suggests that the American public has become increasingly polarized, or divided, over the years due to racial and sexual issues in the social world which has led to a two-party system that is largely divided along these lines. The party-sorting theory, supported by Morris Fiorina, argues that it is not the public that has polarized overtime but the political parties themselves, forcing most Americans to choose between one extreme or the other. The party-sorting theory suggests that liberal Republicans have changed allegiance to the Democrat party and conservative Democrats have changed allegiance to the Republican party while the American public has stayed relatively moderate. This essay will discuss the differences between the two theories, the scientific data that supports each theory, and the importance of how the Rising American Electorate is evolving both theories.

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  Antioxidant Content in Plant-based Diets Versus Meat-Based Diets

  Lia Meadows, Peeper Walker, and Reveca Tomas

  The result of naturally occurring free radicals in the body are oxidative-stress-related damages to cells, tissues, and biomolecules. Oxidative stress occurs when the balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) outnumbers antioxidants, producing negative effects. Antioxidants exist as a natural defense mechanism utilized by the body. This defense exists in two distinct forms: enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Non-enzymatic antioxidants consist of vitamins and bioactive compounds, such as phenols. In previous studies, plant-based diets showed promising results in reducing damage caused by oxidative-stress. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which antioxidant concentration differs between meat-based diet and plant-based diet. This study compared the concentration of three antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and Total Phenolic Compounds (TPC)) in hamburger meat to plant-based (faux) meat. According to our hypothesis, the plant-based meat will have a higher concentration of non-enzymatic antioxidants than hamburger meat. Our findings suggest that the plant-based meat contains a higher concentration of vitamin C and vitamin E. The plant-based patty also had a mean TPC higher than that of the animal-meat.

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  Variant of Unknown Significance V71L in Autoimmune Role of CTLA4

  Samuel Menard

  The COVID pandemic continues to cause unforeseen patient health complications and opportunities for genetic inquiry. The CDC has discovered over the course of their extensive research in dealing with the pandemic that there is a significant risk of newly diagnosed DM1 in the 30-day period post- SARS-CoV-2 infection. There are many journals documenting the risk between viral infection and subsequent autoimmunity. CTLA4, located at 2q33.2, codes for cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein associated protein 4--an important protein in the immune response to viral illness. This protein functions as a brake to slow down and control the action of the immune system by suppressing excessive T-cell proliferation. Mutations of the CTLA4 gene have been implicated in type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroiditis, lupus, celiac, and other autoimmune illnesses. My CTLA4 variant, V71L, is a missense mutation which resulted in amino acid switch from valine to leucine at position 71. YASARA protein mapping was used to analyze the features of this variation. PolyPhen2 and other analysis were completed to assess variation pathogenicity. V71L, which previously had an uncertainty as to how it would phenotypically express, was found to be likely pathogenic and probably damaging. These bioinformatic results will be presented along with cross species multiple sequence alignment and other variant analysis.

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  Genetic Assessment of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness-associated TRPM1 Variants of Uncertain Significance in C. Elegans

  Sara Morris

  Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is a disorder of the eye that impacts the ability to see in low to no light conditions. It occurs in horses and humans. TRPM1 encodes for a member of the transient receptor potential melastatin subfamily of transient receptor potential ion channels. Mutations in TRPM1 have been identified by previous researchers in horses with leopard complex pattern (LCP) suffering also from CSNB. Phenotypic changes in these horses are a loss of spotted coat pattern. An attempt was made to locate variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in TRPM1 that had been previously identified in horses with CSNB and LCP. However, there is a lack of available DNA sequencing information for this gene in impacted horses across equine studies. So, we turned to VUS identified in human patients with CSNB to examine actual VUS identified among another vertebrate causing the same condition. We examined evolutionary conservation analysis of missense TRPM1 variants across horses (E. caballus), humans (H. sapiens), and nematodes (C. elegans). Using Benchling, the human TRPM1 gene, horse TRPM1 gene, and nematode gon-2 gene were imported to examine conservation of 31 VUS through multiple sequence alignments and 3 were conserved across all 3 species. These VUS were at the following locations in human: E1324K, H1195R, and I875V. Conducting a gene mutational analysis revealed the variants at H1195R and I875V were most likely to be pathogenic due to their positioning next to pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants reported through ClinVar. Through Poly-Phen 2 analysis, variant I875V was predicted to be the most damaging and likely pathogenic. The HumDiv results predicted this variant to be possibly damaging with a score of 0.775, and the HumVar model predicted the variant to be benign with a score of 0.230. Primers were designed to amplify this VUS region in C. elegans using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis. Future experimentation includes designing a CRISPR RNA guide to target gon-2, microinjection of CRISPR-Cas9 reagents to generate the VUS-gon-2 C. elegans model, and screening and phenotyping of the identified VUS model. If results are positive and the VUS does impact structure and function of gon-2, then it is expected to impact gonadal and vulva development in the nematode. This study will provide in vivo assessment of this CSNB-associated VUS shedding light on its clinical significance for humans and horses.

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  Does a Protein Rich Diet or a Carbohydrate Rich Diet Yield Greater Sports Performance in Athletes?

  Kaitlyn Neece

  Context: Numerous studies have provided guidelines for the appropriate type, amount, and timing of intake of food, fluids, and supplements to promote optimal health and performance across different scenarios of training and competitive sport. The diet of an athlete could affect and influence their sport performance depending on if it is a carbohydrate rich diet or a protein rich diet. This leads us to investigate whether a carbohydrate rich diet or a protein rich diet leads to a greater sport performance in athletes.

  Methods: A computerized search was completed in September 2021. The search terms used were “carbohydrate rich diet”, “protein rich diet”, and “optimal nutrition for athletes”. Electronic databases used were Jacksonville State University Library, Medline, and SPORTDiscus. Inclusion criteria: protein based diets or carbohydrate based diets, participants in the protein studies had to be on an animal based protein diet and have an active lifestyle, written in English, and the studies must use human participants. Exclusion criteria: People with a sedentary lifestyle and participants with Celiac Disease. Validity of the selected studies was determined using the Oxford Center of Evidence Based Medicine. One author independently reviewed the studies, scored each paper, and reviewed the completed appraisals to come to a consensus on study quality.

  Results: The literature search retrieved 18 studies. Out of these studies, six met inclusion criteria and the level of evidence suggested by the Strength of Recommendation of Taxonomy and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were used to identify eligible studies. Antonio, Jager et al., Phillips, and Reguant-Closa et al. suggested that protein rich diets can better enhance body composition, gain weight, and optimize sport performance. In addition, the Nutrition and Athletic Performance state strategies to optimize performance and recovery in training and sport performance in special populations. Podlogar and Debevec results found that a high carbohydrate diet produced a lower heart rate, high-rate perceived exertion level, and resulted in the athlete terminating exercise early during a moderate intensity exercise period.

  Conclusion: Findings suggest that macronutrients are vital, and carbohydrates and proteins contribute an important role in an athletes’ diet. It is possible to compile a basic diet plan for both endurance and strength athletes. This nutritional plan should consider the athletes personal goals related to their fitness, sport demands, position demands, and current biochemical balance. If an athlete is not fully prepared for competition and is not fueled properly by their diet, the risk of injury could increase. Healthcare providers and dieticians should collaboratively assist athletes to improve patient-centered care and outcomes.

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  Ceramics & Economics in Early China

  Sarah Kate Norris

  Ceramics through the ages have served as a window into the worlds of culture, technology, and history.[1] In early China, the making of ceramics was greatly celebrated, calling for kiln towns to produce considerable amounts of ceramic goods. A closer look at textual studies, trade, and the social and religious cultures of China, reveal a complicated duality in the art of ceramics and the business surrounding it.[2] By surveying these topics, it can be said that the role of ceramics served not only as an art, but as a lens into the socioeconomic state of early China. Evidence seen in textual commentary as well as demand for the objects, proves ceramics were ultimately revered as an art in early China. However, treatment of ceramics and ceramicists alike, suggests the reaction towards both was strategic. Denying the art and the artists allows higher-class citizens to secure ceramic making as labor rather than craft, a business rather than connoisseurship, and denying creators the ability to elevate in social class through the title of ‘artist’. Implementing kiln towns trains low-class citizens in ceramic making while successfully supplying a continuous demand, ultimately creating a ‘perfectly working machine’.[3] A number of religious ideas support the strict social structure enforced by elites, in which a clear working class and a clear administrative class exist in a symbiosis responsible for the success of China’s economy.
  

  [1] Sessions, “Ceramics Curriculum”, 7.

  [2] Gerritsen, “Fragments of a Global Past”, 117.

  [3] Neave, 127.

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  Kirk's Soap Ad Campaign

  Sarah Kate Norris

  For this project, the objective is to create advertising for an existing product. Kirk’s soap has a platform based on providing buyers with soap made from “clean” ingredients as well as a wholistic cleaning result for an array of objects. Cleanliness is an idea not limited to gender or specific age so I felt I could solve an advertising issue by alluding to entities not bound by gender, but rather are identified by their immaculacies. Using imagery of gods, goddesses, and the Christian God, creates a parallel of the naturalistic platform of the product as well as the result. This approach hits a wide targeted audience, which would include both men and women as cleanliness is an idea not specific to any one group over the other. The age group is intended for young adults and adults, as the references to major art works such as The Birth of Venus, which would more commonly be perceived by these age groups.

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  The Preliminary Developmental Toxicity of Methylene Blue and Orange G to Grass Shrimp Embryos

  Megan O'Barr, Makenna Smith, and Asel Richards

  This experiment was formed to determine the effects of Methylene Blue and Orange G on the eggs of Palaemontes pugio (Grass Shrimp). We extracted the eggs from already gravid female shrimps we acquired in the marshlands from Dauphin Island and submerged the eggs into varying levels of concentrations of Methylene Blue and Orange G. Three experiments were conducted where the eggs were separated into well plates (24 wells per plate) with each plate containing a concentration of dye. We observed the eggs hatch, the coloration of the hatchlings, and mortality rates within the span of a week per experiment. The hypothesis anticipated the higher concentrations of Orange G and Methylene Blue would be more or less toxic to the hatchlings. Our results showed that Methylene Blue was more toxic than Orange G in their respective mL concentrations. These results show the utility of using the Grass Shrimp embryos for assessing the toxicity of chemicals such as Methylene Blue and Orange G.

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  COVID-Related Regrets Among College Students

  Angel Orozco

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  Using Z3 Constraint Solver to Solve Systems of Equations and Puzzles

  Mausam Parajuli

  The interest in solving equations and puzzles among people has increased over years, but some problems can be difficult and may take a long time to solve if done on a piece of paper. Using Z3 solver with specialized algorithms is one of many solutions that have been proposed to solve problems efficiently. This demonstration provides a brief introduction to the Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) Solver Z3 and shows how one can use it to solve constraint satisfaction problems in the Python programming language. Although Z3 can be used in many other areas including software/hardware verification and testing, security, and biology, this demonstration will only focus on solving systems of equations and puzzles.

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  An Exploration of TREX1 Variants of Uncertain Significance and Their Potential Impact on Autoimmunity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome

  Jordan Peters

  TREX1 is a gene responsible for encoding a 3'-to-5' DNA exonuclease in human cells. Under normal conditions TREX1 removes bases from the free 3' end to enhance DNA damage and prevent DNA end reannealing and rapid repair. Mutations in TREX1, which result in the absence of the 3'-to-5' DNA exonuclease and the intracellular accumulation of unneeded DNA and RNA, have been shown to trigger immune dysfunction leading to diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome (AGS). The goal of this study is to determine the potential impact of a TREX1 missense mutation with uncertain clinical significance (VUS). This study relies heavily upon the evolutionary relatedness between humans (Homo sapiens) and nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) to examine conservation of TREX1 VUS across species. Thirty TREX1 variants associated with SLE and AGS were screened and analyzed for conservation in the TREX1 nematode ortholog W02F12.4. These variants included those with pathogenic, likely pathogenic, likely benign, and uncertain clinical significance. Variant location and conservation along the W02F12.4 gene was identified for all screened variants. Out of the 30 screened variants, two were found to be conserved in both TREX1 and W02F12.4. These mutations were c.197A>G (p.Lys66Arg) and c.226G>T (p.Ala76Ser), both of which have uncertain clinical significance. Patient variant c.226G>T (p.Ala76Ser) was selected for further investigation due to its proximity with a likely pathogenic and pathogenic variant. PolyPhen-2 analysis predicted this VUS to be probably damaging with scores of 0.982 (HumDiv) and 0.953 (HumVar). DNA primers have been designed in preparation for the amplification of the specific VUS region within W02F12.4 using polymerase chain reaction. Future experiments including RNA guide design and microinjection and use of CRISPR-Cas9 reagents for gene editing of W02F12.4 to generate this VUS C. elegans model. This will allow us to support or refute the potential pathogenicity of c.226G>T (p.Ala76Ser) in vivo through phenotypic changes we observe in the mutant nematode compared to wildtype. This will help provide important insight into the structure and function of autoimmune-associated TREX1 VUS being identified in patients.

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  Allegory, Girls, and Intra-racial Conflict

  Alexzandria Quintero

  “Allegory, Girls, and Intra-racial Conflict” explores how the use of allegory in Karen Russell’s “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Werewolves” allows readers to understand the effects of respectability politics on unity in minority communities. In the story of St. Lucy’s, the daughters of werewolves are sent to the titular school where they are taught how to behave like humans and forget their werewolf customs. The girls distancing themselves from their sister - who is failing to assimilate into human culture - are akin to members of minority communities who will dissociate with said community to appeal to the majority population. Understanding Russell's story this way provides further insight into the Black Lives Matter movement and the mixed reception it received from Black citizens during the May 2020 protests. Therefore, the content of this paper is significant because Russell’s allegory allows for understanding that can lead to effective discussions and solutions in regard to the issues affecting minority communities.

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  Mental Health Collaborative

  Elizabeth Rains, Ashton Boyd, and Lauren Moore

  Mental Health Collaborative is a project between Jacksonville State University Social Work and Piedmont City Schools. Piedmont City Schools reached out for help as they had issues with their school-based Mental Health. The issues that Piedmont City Schools are experiencing are that the mental health services available through the Piedmont City School system to their student populations are currently reactive in nature due to the limited number of trained providers available. This inhibits students from receiving adequate mental health services which might prevent behavioral and disciplinary occurrences that disrupt classroom learning. Jacksonville State University Social Work Master of Social Work Summer 2021 cohort designed and developed an assessment tool that looked at the thoughts and perceptions of the stakeholders of the Piedmont City School system. This collaboration took place across multiple classes within the master’s program and provided a comprehensive look at how research and policy shape and inform our practice as social workers. The data collected was analyzed and shared with Piedmont City Schools in hopes of determining the need for reactive school-based mental health services.

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  2022 JSU Student Symposium Proceedings

  Shannon Robertson

  These proceedings from the 2022 JSU Student Symposium were compiled by Shannon Robertson, Associate Professor of Psychology.

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  The Use of Pheromonal Trail Laying in the Foraging Behaviors of L. Niger

  Graycie Drake Smith

  In ants, one of the most common and significant sources of communication is through pheromones, specifically pheromone trails. For L. niger, one of the main purposes of pheromone trails is to guide foragers to previously found food sources (Czaczkes, et al. 2011). The act of L. niger laying these trails is characterized by them pressing the rectal end of their abdomen down onto the ground, walking a short distance, and picking their abdomen back up (Czaczkes, et al. 2014). These trails are used in many other activities of L. niger—including finding and exploring new nesting sites, recruiting ants to battlegrounds, and having them flee from conflict (Czaczkes, et al. 2015). The complexities of how these pheromone trails work and how they are followed shows how intricate the social systems of L. niger are and how individuals can make large impacts on their colony. L. niger is an example of a species that uses both personal information and social information from their colony to optimize their foraging experience (Czaczkes, et al. 2013). Social information is any information that is publicly available to different members of a colony, such as experienced ants directly guiding naïve ones to a place of interest, pheromone trails, and home range markings, which are the long-term pheromones that are regularly placed around a nest (Forster, et al. 2014). In this paper, we will discuss Lasius Niger, a social species that sees foraging as a group effort. They will make efforts to both lay pheromone trails to effective food sources and control the amount of crowding to food sources so that optimum efficiency is reached for foraging.

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  Recommendations and Considerations for Return to Play Protocols for Athletes at Various Levels Who Test Positive for COVID-19: A Critically Appraised Topic

  Deandrea Stowe

  Context: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a minimum 14-day quarantine during the years 2019-2020, after testing positive for COVID-19. Current guidelines advise ill individuals to stay at home for at least five full days. Because the virus is ever changing and evolving, COVID-19 guidelines and protocols to safely return athletes back into sport after testing positive for COVID-19 are currently limited. This leads to the necessity of investigating how testing positive for COVID-19 affect return to play protocols, recommendations, and considerations for athletes of various levels.

  Methods: A computerized literature search was conducted during September 2021. The search terms used were COVID-19, athletes, return to play. Electronic databases used were the JSU Library and Google Scholar with full text. Inclusion criteria: Published in the English language within the last 5 years, athletic population, positive COVID-19 test, and return to play protocols, recommendations, and considerations. Exclusion criteria: General population or other respiratory illnesses. Validity of the selected studies were determined using the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Scale. One author independently reviewed the studies, scored each paper, and reviewed the completed appraisals to come to a consensus on study quality.

  Results: The literature search retrieved a total of 87 studies. Three studies met the inclusion criteria and the level of evidence suggested by the Strength of Recommendation of Taxonomy was used to identify eligible studies. Ross et al. and Calpino and Morrissette recognized cardiovascular and respiratory damage occurs from COVID-19. It is recommended that the athlete undergoes a cardiac screening before beginning return to play, because of the unknown affects to the cardiopulmonary system of the body. Ross et al. and Biswas et al. recommend a progression through the return to play protocol that should be based on the athlete’s individual progress rather than a timeline. Calpino & Morrissette and Biswas et al. stated that the collaboration of multiple healthcare professionals are required due to the involvement of numerous body systems in this illness.

  Conclusion: Based on the recommendations and considerations, the recovery and return to play process will vary and should be individualized to the athlete. Because of the nature of this illness and its ability to evolve and adapt to its surroundings, healthcare providers should also be prepared to adapt to the changes in protocols for athletes who suffered from COVID-19. Working together with other healthcare professionals will allow for improved patient- centered care and outcomes. Well-established return to play guidelines are very limited for a vast majority of injuries and illnesses. Future research is needed to properly provide graduated return to play protocols for athletes at various levels who test positive for COVID-19.

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  Awards Ceremony | 2022 Student Symposium

  David Thornton

  The awards ceremony for the Student Symposium announces the winners and presents awards in a variety of categories. The 2022 winners were:

  • Best of College of Arts and Humanities, Undergraduate: Sarah Kate Norris
  • Best of College of Health Professions and Wellness, Graduate: Luke Cody
  • Best of College of Science and Mathematics, Undergraduate: Kritika Maharjan
  • Best of College of Science and Mathematics, Graduate: Ryan Long
  • Best of College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Undergraduate: Dakota Heathcock
  • Best Paper, Undergraduate: Kayla Way
  • Best Paper, Graduate: Morgan Brown
  • Best Poster, Undergraduate: Trinity Elston
  • Best Poster, Graduate: Elizabeth Rains
  • Best Cover Design: Conner Gayda
  • Houston Cole Library Award for Research Excellence: Deandrea Stowe
  • Best of Showcase: Mausam Parajuli

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  Graphic Design, Symposium Program Contest, Caycie Trotter

  Caycie Trotter

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  Are Breast Cancer Survivors More Susceptible to Shoulder Pathologies than Healthy Individuals? A Critically Appraised Topic

  Benjamin Truett

  Background - Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world and is the primary cancer mortality in females around the world. Shoulder and arm morbidity have become significant complications in breast cancer survivors in recent years. Detailed knowledge surrounding upper-limb functional ability is limited in research thus forming the clinical question, are breast cancer survivors more susceptible to shoulder pathologies than healthy individuals?

  Methods - A computerized search was completed September 2021. The search terms used were breast cancer survivors, shoulder injuries, shoulder pathologies, shoulder interventions, and upper-limb kinematics. Electronic database used was Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria: Articles that used a control group to compare to breast cancer survivors, research conducted in 2010 or later, and unilateral breast cancer diagnosis. Exclusion criteria: Articles with no control groups, research before 2010, and survivors with bilateral breast cancer. Validity of the selected studies was determined using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology, and/or Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. One author independently reviewed the studies, scored each paper and reviewed the completed appraisals to come to a consensus on study quality.

  Results - The literature search retrieved 22 studies and 15 studies were excluded based on exclusion criteria, resulting in seven studies. These seven studies met the inclusion criteria and the level of evidence as suggested by the Strength of Recommendation of Taxonomy used to identify eligible studies. Mafu et al., Giacalone et al., Da Groef et al., and Castro-Martin et al., focused on the role of angiogenesis, therapeutic interventions, and postoperative physical therapy and found radiotherapy and chemotherapy produce a physiological response that starts the angiogenesis process, which results in increased shoulder function in therapeutic interventions. Brookham et al. conducted two different studies, along with Ribeiro et al. focusing on upper-limb kinematics, scapular kinematics, and humeral rotation of the breast cancer population and found muscular compensation, decreased upward rotation of the scapula, shoulder instability, and increased effort contribute to quicker fatigue and decreased functional capacity.

  Conclusion - There is strong evidence demonstrating biomechanical factors can play a role in the development of shoulder pathologies in breast cancer survivors. Overall, breast cancer survivors that receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can have positive outcomes in shoulder function with the use of therapeutic interventions, and postoperative physical therapy. In addition, breast cancer survivors who have decreased upper-limb kinematics, scapular kinematics, and humeral rotation could show decreased functional capacity of the shoulder. Future research should focus on chemical adaptations in the breast cancer population, as well as long-term therapeutic interventions. As an athletic trainer, it is vital to understand that you will assess and manage a wide variety of patients and injuries/illnesses, which could include breast cancer survivors.

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  Benefits of Exercise for the Pregnant Population

  Arlanda Tyler

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  Graphic Design, Symposium Program Contest, Nicolas Guimaraes Vieira

  Nicolas Guimaraes Vieira

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  The Utility in Using Xenopus Frog Embryos to Determine Teratogenic Versus Nonteratogenic Potential of Chemicals

  Kayla Way and Kabita Kunwar

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  Using Satire to Highlight Gender and Sexuality in Aphra Behn’s Poetry

  Rebecca Weaver

  Behn is considered a satirist during the Restoration and the eighteenth century, a field traditionally dominated by men. However, Aphra Behn, through her controversial poetry, commented in depth on the role of women and how, especially when it comes to sex and sexuality, they are treated differently than men. This treatment can be seen through the topics of role reversal and consequences, the loving of multiple people, and the loving without regards to gender which are found within Behn’s poetry. Her satirical approach discusses different relationships concerning masculine power and authority, challenging the gendered language of her contemporaries as well as the very role of women within satire which is normally excluded. By participating in satire and applying it to her political content, Behn was able to call behaviors and morals into question. In the three poems discussed, Behn presents ideas such as female desire, polyamory, and gender-nonconforming people. By showcasing the reversal of gender roles in “The Disappointment,” examining the biased judgement of being a woman with multiple lovers in “On Her Loving Two Equally,” and the refusal to conform to feminine and/or masculine traits as seen in “To the Fair Clarinda,” Behn adequately portrays her thoughts regarding women’s role within society, specifically when it comes to the all-too-human traits of love and desire.

  My presentation will begin with a brief overview of Aphra Behn and her writing, focusing on three of her poems: “The Disappointment,” “On Her Loving Two Equally,” “To the Fair Clarinda.” In discussing these different and seemingly backwards relationships concerning masculine power and authority, Behn challenges the gendered prose of her fellow scholars and the very role of women in both the literary world (satire, in particular) and her contemporary society. In discussing these issues, I hope to aid in the understanding of these subjects and their breadth through time, as well as their relevance to today’s dialogue surrounding gender and sexuality within literature.

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  Varus Torque on the Elbow of Pitchers in Baseball

  Alexander Webb