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Showcase Abstract 2020

Exploring the Non-Human Animal in Herodotus’ ‘History’

Exploring the Non-Human Animal in Herodotus’ ‘History’

Primary author: Robin Bond

Primary college/unit: Honors College
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Recent works exploring the philosophical views of the Ancient Greeks on animals have made only limited mention of the depiction of animals in Herodotus’ ‘History’, despite the historian’s many references to animals both in his historical narrative and in discussions of geography, ethnography, and zoology. This project explores patterns around animal phenomena in Herodotus’ accounts of imperialism and conquest during the formation and expansion of the Persian Empire in scenes where two animal species appear juxtaposed in battle descriptions, oracles or omens. In these episodes, animal activity is connected with points of invasion, and conflicts between two species (aligned respectively with two opposing human groups) disrupt the expected outcome of human battles.

Animal appearances in these episodes amplify the ‘History’s’ central theme of imperial expansion in the form of unexpected upsets on the battlefield and unheeded warnings to confident aggressors. In this respect, animals function similarly to other natural forces in the ‘History’. Storms and earthquakes, for example, have been seen by scholars as operating in accordance with the divine principle of balance by creating obstacles as a natural check on imperialistic overreach. Patterns in Herodotus’ narrative accounts of royal expansion and aggression where animals have a similarly disruptive effect hint at a coherent conception of animals as a category of the natural world and open the door to further discussion of the moral status of animals as portrayed in the ‘History’.

Identification of a novel pathway to produce valuable industrial oil in Lesquerella

Identification of a novel pathway to produce valuable industrial oil in Lesquerella

Primary author: Sajina Bhandari
Faculty sponsor: Philip Bates

Primary college/unit: Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Plant oils containing hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) are valuable alternative to petroleum for making cosmetics, lubricants, polymers and biofuels. The major source of HFAs is Castor but U.S. cultivation is banned due to seed toxins. Lesquerella is native to southwest U.S., non-toxic and produces HFA, but it needs to be further bred or engineered to be a high yielding alternative crop. The main goal of this project is to determine the pathway for oil/triacylglycerol (TAG) assembly in Lesquerella to aid in breeding/engineering approaches of crop development. Castor uses a linear pathway to make HFA-TAG directly, whereas other oilseed crops produce non-HFA-TAG from the membrane lipid phosphatidycholine (PC). But, most plants keep unusual fatty acids like HFA away from membrane lipids, making it unlikely that PC is a precursor to HFA-TAG. However, transcriptomics in Lesquerella indicated lipid gene expression was similar to plants utilizing the PC pathway, making the oil biosynthetic pathway unclear. Therefore, a biochemical isotopic labeling approach and protein-protein interaction studies were used to identify the oil biosynthetic pathway. Metabolic tracing of Lesquerella oil biosynthesis indicated a PC pathway producing TAG with 0-1-HFA but the HFA did not traverse the membrane. Over time 0-1HFA-TAG was converted to 2HFA-TAG. Thus, Lesquerella uses a novel TAG remodeling pathway that changes the oil composition after initial synthesis. Our protein-protein interaction studies have identified gene candidates that may be key to engineering unusual fatty acid accumulation in crop plants as an alternative to petroleum.

Feeling Black Into the Sky: A commissioned work for wind quintet and wind ensemble by Danial Bernard Roumain

Feeling Black Into the Sky: A commissioned work for wind quintet and wind ensemble by Danial Bernard Roumain

Primary author: Troy Bennefield

Primary college/unit: Arts and Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

To produce an influential piece to the neglected repertoire of works for band and wind quintet, and to encourage the commissioning of more composers of color, this WSU Arts and Humanities Fellowship Project funded the composition of an 18-minute concerto for wind quintet and wind ensemble and accompanying residency by nationally-recognized composer Daniel Bernard Roumain, or DBR. After working together discuss the structure and scope of the work, DBR composed this piece with inspiration from the artwork of James Turrell. This inspiration in turn led him to compose the piece in five sections, each representing the struggle of being a Black Man in America in the 21st-century. The final piece was premiered April 18, 2019 by the WSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble featuring the faculty wind quintet, Solstice. Dr. Troy Bennefield was the conductor, and DBR spoke to the audience about the piece prior to its performance. DBR worked with the ensemble in rehearsals leading up to the concert, and he also presented clinics with music students on composition, entrepreneurship, and diversity issues in the arts. This poster presentation will include a narrative of the project steps, visuals from the musical score, images from works by James Turrell, and if resources are available, running video of the performance.

Polarization & Incivility in American Politics: Is Congressional Gridlock Affecting U.S. State Legislatures?

Polarization & Incivility in American Politics: Is Congressional Gridlock Affecting U.S. State Legislatures?

Primary author: Francis Benjamin
Co-author(s): Nicholas Lovrich

Primary college/unit: Arts and Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Grounded in concern over the spread of partisan polarization and gridlock from the U.S. Congress to the 50 state legislatures, a group of 13 scholars in 11 universities across the country, led by Washington State University, gathered data from state legislative lobbyists exploring the status of longstanding norms of comity and civility in the 50 state legislatures. Over 1,200 state legislative lobbyists took part in the research and provide a national cross-section of lobbyists regarding their perception of the status of longstanding norms of comity and civility, the quality of legislative deliberations, and the capacity for bipartisan problem-solving in their respective states. The research found considerable variation across states and investigates the factors for these variations and the best pathways forward.

Planting the Seeds of Health and Resilience

Planting the Seeds of Health and Resilience

Primary author: Shawna Beese
Co-author(s): Teresa Bigand; Marian Wilson
Faculty sponsor: Marian Wilson

Primary college/unit: College of Nursing
Campus: Spokane

Abstract:
PRINCIPAL TOPIC
Food bank recipients suffer a greater risk than adults who do not use food banks for insufficient access to fresh fruits and vegetables and negative health factors such as depression, obesity, and food insecurity. Creating access to gardens for this population may offer a low-cost public health approach to increase access to fresh produce and reduce risk for food insecurity. Additionally, access to gardens may offer secondary health benefits including reduced depressive symptoms and improved cardiovascular well-being.

METHOD
Through secondary survey analysis, baseline garden use of food bank recipients was assessed. The interest level of recipients to learn more about gardening, explore how gardening impacts the food security of food bank recipients, and determine potential differences between garden users and non-garden users across multiple health variables (pain interference, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality) were also analyzed.

RESULTS/IMPLICATIONS
In total, 28% (n=49) of participants identified the use of home or community gardens.

More than half of the self-identified garden users (53%, n=26) reported food insecurity; yet garden users had an 18% relative risk reduction for reporting food insecurity compared to non-garden users (p>0.05).

No statistically significant differences resulted across measured health variables between garden users and non-garden users.

Gardening may be a viable public health intervention to ease food insecurity. Future studies with larger sample sizes to investigate the relative risk between garden use and food insecurity are suggested.

Consumer Motivations for Intramural Sport Participation

Consumer Motivations for Intramural Sport Participation

Primary author: Jordan Baxter
Co-author(s): Hailie Palafox
Faculty sponsor: Yong-chae Rhee

Primary college/unit: College of Education
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Intramural sports are one of the most popular ways for students to get involved on college campuses. However in recent years the participation rates have steadily decreased, especially among females (Baghurst, Tapps, & Judy, 2014). To better understand why students are playing less, we took a survey of Washington State University students for what motivates them to play intramural sports. The four motivations that were surveyed were physical fitness, socialization, competitiveness, and life balance. Out of those four, it was found that competitiveness was the main motivation for why college students play intramural sports. More interestingly, the study found that females were more motivated by competitiveness than their male counterparts, showing that although the female participation rates are dropping, the females that do play are playing to win, rather than using intramural sports as a social avenue. It was also found that life balance was a significant motivator for seniors. This could be that seniors play to relax and take a break from the stresses of college and the worry of life after college. This study will help recreation professionals better market to students and establish new ways to make intramural sports more attractive to the entire student body.

Effects of soil rhizobia in inducing anti-herbivore defense and altering host plant quality in peas in response to S. lineatus feeding

Effects of soil rhizobia in inducing anti-herbivore defense and altering host plant quality in peas in response to S. lineatus feeding

Primary author: Saumik Basu
Co-author(s): Benjamin Lee; Robert Clark; Clare Casteel; David Crowder
Faculty sponsor: David Crowder

Primary college/unit: Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Soil bacterial mutualists (e.g. soil rhizobia) contribute significantly to improve the performance of legumes against herbivores and pathogens. The additional nitrogen supplied by soil rhizobia during legume-rhizobia symbiosis not only boost host nutritional status, but also induce various defense responses. The performance of various aboveground herbivores has been investigated during legume rhizobia symbiosis. We for the first time investigates the mechanism of various rhizobia-mediated defense induction and nutritional status in peas against S.lineatus, a non-vector chewing herbivore. Our study showed that, soil rhizobia, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. Viciae confer resistance in peas by reducing defoliation (leaf notches) produced by S. lineatus. Conversely, S. lineatus interfere with legume-rhizobia symbiosis by reducing nodule numbers and biomass in peas. Soil rhizobia induced anti-herbivory in pea is achieved through induction of various defense genes and alteration of host plant quality. Soil rhizobia enhance expression of both jasmonic acid and abscisic acid responses and keep expression of the salicylic acid responsive gene low in peas. Besides phytohormone defense, soil rhizobia also enhance levels of genes associated with physical defense and antioxidant defense pathways in peas and improve host plant quality. Taken together, our results show both mutually-antagonistic interactions between soil rhizobia and S. lineatus herbivorey and in-depth mechanism of soil rhizobia mediated anti-herbivore response in legume.

The influence of campaign contribution disclosure on voter support for tax initiatives: Evidence from Washington’s ‘Keep Groceries Affordable Act of 2018’

The influence of campaign contribution disclosure on voter support for tax initiatives: Evidence from Washington’s ‘Keep Groceries Affordable Act of 2018’

Primary author: Beau Barnes
Co-author(s): Jeffrey Gramlich; Jonathan Lee

Primary college/unit: Carson College of Business
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Ballot initiatives are a common form of direct democracy that allows citizens to bypass lawmakers and—if enough signatures can be collected in support of an initiative—bring about a public vote on legislation. Theoretically, ballot initiatives promote self-governance; however, using sophisticated and sometimes deceptive public persuasion techniques, well-funded special interest groups often spearhead ballot-initiative-related campaigns to support their own agendas. Although disclosure regulations often require campaigns to reveal the source of major contributions, the robustness of such disclosures varies by state. Further, the degree to which voters view campaign contributions as important when deciding to support/oppose ballot initiatives has received little attention from academic researchers, leading critics to question the benefits of disclosure regulation in general. Thus, we evaluate the influence of campaign contribution disclosures on support for a tax-oriented ballot initiative. Specifically, we examine whether voters decrease their support for Washington State Initiative 1634—an initiative banning new or increased taxes on groceries—after being presented a table that discloses the major contributors behind the campaigns for and against the initiative. Using a sample of 147 potential Washington voters on the week before the 2018 general election, we find that people tend to decrease support for Initiative 1634 after they are shown a table of campaign donors and their contributions. Thus, this study provides evidence that campaign contribution disclosures can be an important factor when deciding to vote “yes” or “no” on a ballot initiative. Policy makers can reference these findings when assessing costs and benefits of new and existing disclosure regulation.

Biomechanical comparison between barefoot and running shoe conditions during running movements executed by flat feet patients

Biomechanical comparison between barefoot and running shoe conditions during running movements executed by flat feet patients

Primary author: Hamidreza Barnamehei

Primary college/unit: College of Veterinary Medicine
Category: Engineering and Environmental Science
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

The goal of the current study was to compare the barefoot and running shoe conditions during running executed by flat feet patients. Based on the assumption that running with shoes represents an excellent condition for improvement.
Sixteen flat feet subject (23.2 ± 1.1 years; 68 ± 7.5 kg; 169 ± 7 cm) participated. Motion data were collected, and biomechanical parameters were determined by dynamics equations. Statistical analysis t-test was used to evaluated differences between and shoe conditions barefoot or shod (p < 0.05).
It was found that the range of motion increased in the shoe running (27.01°) compared to the barefoot running (24.15°, p <0.05). Differences between barefoot and shoe conditions were significant at the knee during late stance and swing phase; at the ankle early stance, mid-stance and swing phase just in the sagittal plane. Significant differences were also found at the ankle moments during early stance and knee moment during early stance in the sagittal plane. Although, we found significant differences in the sagittal plane between the knee and ankle joints. Therefore, these results show these differences affect the delay in knee extension and ankle plantarflexion during late stance.
The current study presents that running shoes do not change foot movements as much as conventional shoes and consequently should be recommended not only for flat feet patients but for healthy people in general. Therefore, the findings of the current study are helpful to flat feet patients to finding the effects of running shoe and barefoot conditions on running.

Monolignol biosynthesis pathway

Monolignol biosynthesis pathway

Primary author: Parvaneh Ahmadvand
Faculty sponsor: ChulHee Kang

Primary college/unit: Arts and Sciences
Campus: Pullman

Abstract:

Biomass as a renewable carbon source for the generation of biofuels and biomaterials has become increasingly important in the quest for sustainable development. Plant secondary cell walls, which have a complex structure consisting of cellulose, hemicellulosic polysaccharides and lignin, constitute the majority of plant biomass. At the step of refinery, in the different chemical and physical processes, these various polymers are separated. Polysaccharides are hydrolyzed to fermentable sugars, whereas the lignin can be used as composites, nanoparticles and carbon fibers.There are there types of lignin: H (soft), G (semi-hard), S(hard).Of the several enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway, 4-coumaroyl-CoA ligase (4CL) is the central enzyme. Sorghum bicolor, the fifth most important cereal crop, is a plant that is a candidate for producing large volumes of biomass, in part because its tolerance for drought and a wide pH range. The brown midrib (BMR) is a genetic mutation that results in a forage with a reduced lignin content, increased protein content and higher palatability. The research is aimed at obtaining a better understanding of those Bmr2 and its mutations through their structural characteristics. Based on enzymatic assays, analysis of kinetics, a plausible mechanism for its broad substrate specificity will be proposed. Also, in the final step of lignification, Peroxidase and Laccase catalyze the oxidative radicalization, followed by combinatorial radical coupling. This will open a new perspective on understanding the catalytic process and innovative ways to increase the amount of H and G lignin and decrease the amount of S lignin so that cellulose can be more easily accessed for biofuel production.