2009 Diamond Research Scholars
James B. Adson
Asian Studies
Temple University Japan
Guidebook of Tokyo Architecture: A Catalog of Significant Architecture From the Classical to the Contemporary
The objective of this project is to produce a guidebook of significant architecture in Tokyo. To this end, I will work with Professor Mehta and two architects from private firms to develop a catalog of important architecture in the greater Tokyo area, with particular emphasis on contemporary architecture and trends that are unique to Japan. We will research the history of each building, and where possible, the driving philosophies behind their construction. A brief description and summary of pertinent data will then be created for each building based on that information. We will also photograph each building and its surrounding area. These photographs will be used to aid in writing the descriptions, and at least one will be included with each entry in the book. This book will survey a broad range of topics in architecture and urban design in the context of modern Tokyo. This work is significant for several reasons. First, it will create a practical, building-by-building guide to one of the most architecturally diverse and vibrant cities on earth. Second, it will create a single, English-language record of significant architecture in contemporary Tokyo, which is particularly important considering that buildings in Japan tend to have extremely short life expectancies compared to other industrialized nations. Finally, the data collected for this project can be used as a basis for other research on more specific aspects or trends in Tokyo architecture.
Geeta Mehta
Architecture
TUJ
***
Heidar J. Albandar
Biochemistry
College of Science and Technology
Impact of Different Subtypes of HIV-1 on the Cells of the Blood Brain Barrier
My research proposal addresses the effects of HIV on the cells of the blood brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is composed of cerebral endothelial cells that form the first line of defense against pathogens attempting to enter the brain. Therefore, maintaining a properly functioning BBB in diseases such as HIV is critical to protect the brain from infection. HIV migrates into the brain from the blood stream shortly after initial infection by crossing the BBB and may damage the cerebral endothelial cells. Different subtypes of the virus exist in different parts of the world and are designated by letters A-J. For example, HIV-1B is the prevalent type of HIV in North America. On the other hand, HIV-1C, which is prevalent in some parts of Africa and India, is responsible for the majority of infections worldwide. Many reports describe the potential affects that different HIV subtypes may have in the progression of disease, but few address the effects that they may have on the BBB and the central nervous system. Not only does the BBB prevent some pathogens from entering the brain, but it also prevents anti-HIV medications from efficiently entering the brain as well, making treating HIV in the brain very difficult. Therefore, it is even more important to understand how HIV interacts with cells of the BBB. My project will investigate the effects of different subtypes of HIV on cerebral endothelial cell signaling that is important in preventing HIV infection of the brain. This neuroscience-based study is critical in learning more about protecting the brain from HIV infection. Preliminary data show that different subtypes activate endothelial cells of the blood brain barrier to significantly different degrees that may lead to increased migration of HIV into the brain. Based on preliminary data, my hypothesis is that the C subtype of HIV-1 which is responsible for over half of infections world-wide affects endothelial cell fitness signaling pathways more significantly than other HIV subtypes.
T. Dianne Langford
Neuroscience (TUSM)
TUSM
***
Adam J. Check
Economics
FOX School of Business and Management
The Structure and Social Services of a Slum
The focus of my project will be to determine the differences in structure and social services of a slum, and the income of slum dwellers, depending on their security of tenure. For instance, what changes occur in a slum when slum dwellers are given title to their land? Do these changes positively affect quality of life for slum dwellers? While I plan on starting with a general outlook, as my research progresses I may decide to focus on just one country, or even a particular city within that country. I plan to develop my focus through library research and possibly through the use of quantitative economic modeling. The reason I am focusing on slum dwellers security of tenure is because identifying effective land right policies can help to increase the speed at which development occurs within slums. This is becoming increasingly important, because as cities grow in developing countries, so do their slums. Currently one out of every six people in the world lives in a slum, with that number expected to rise in the coming decades.
Sanjoy Chakravorty
Geography and Urban Studies
CLA
***
Wajeeha A. Choudhary
English
College of Liberal Arts
Interoffice Islam: The Muslim Woman at Work
Despite the increased emphasis on modern culture which more often than not ignores religion, the power of faith remains a driving force for a number of individuals. Professional offices are subject to scrutiny when observing modern-day implications of religion, for the work place is a commonplace and everyday occurrence which can, depending on the atmosphere of the office and an individual’s personal preferences, drive away religious duties or bring one closer to faith. As a result, the religion of Islam is continually a subject of question, and for some concern, due in part to its seemingly singular practices and the utterly misplaced fire surrounding the name of Islam set aflame and fueled by sheer ignorance and misguided reporting. Though the topic of Islam is a hot one as is, throw women in the mix and an inferno is in the making. Thus, in order to appease these raging flames, I plan to research the lives of professional American Muslim women and how great a role their faith plays in their day-to-day activities. Do these women wear the veil and observe the Islamic concept of hijab, or modesty? Does the veil detract or add to their work experience? What are the daily challenges of the professional who is not only a minority as per gender but religiously also? I intend to answer these questions in my research, for I hope the phoenix of truth and knowledge will rise once and for all from the ashes of the inferno.
Robert A. Giacalone
Human Resource Management
Fox
***
Lyla F. Duey
Painting
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Confronting the Silence: Painting as an Investigation into the Oppression of Women
One in every three women in America will experience a sexual assault in her lifetime. Despite the advances our society has made to improve the rights, safety and status of women, countless tragedies occur that are not only perpetuated by the degradation of women through advertising and media images, but that remain silent within the confines of the victim. The thousands of images we encounter on a daily basis through the means of advertising help shape our interpretation of our environment as well as ourselves, and the fast paced and often forceful nature of this media type can leave little room for reflection or challenging analyses. By nature of its slower and evidently laborious process, painting creates images that entice the viewer to pause, and begins a conversation between the image and viewer, breaking the silence. My project will investigate images of the female form when mass produced and their relationship to the lack of communication surrounding the current violence and suppression of women. In order to do so, I will create a series of paintings that address and question women as toys. These paintings will seek to understand the doll as a replication of female form and the role she plays in the overabundance of silence.
Susan Moore
Painting, Drawing and Sculpture (PDS)
Tyler
***
Cathryn M. Fassbender
Music Education
Boyer College of Music and Dance
Understanding Musical Expresssion: Child-Centered Music Interactions in an Early Childhood Music Class
How do young children express themselves through music? Researchers have suggested that music acquisition might parallel language acquisition, as both ideally involve expressive interactions between an adult and child—during which the adult listens to, acknowledges, and extends the child’s attempts to imitate. Only a few researchers have sought to understand how adults can facilitate such interactions in group settings rather than one-on-one. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe characteristics of early childhood music teaching that promote music development among children. The question for this study is, What teacher actions elicit listening, singing, chanting, and movement interactions? The participants for this case study will be an early childhood music teacher, an assistant teacher, parents, and children involved in a 10-week, university-based, early-childhood music class in fall 2009. Children will be between birth and five years of age. All participants are from at least a middle-class socioeconomic status. Ethnicity of participants is not known at this time. The researcher will conduct systematic observations of three of the ten classes to document activities and interactions, and single interviews with the teachers and parents. Findings will be compared and contrasted with results in the literature, and although will not be generalizable, could contribute to understanding of practice in early childhood music teaching.
Alison Reynolds
Music Education
Boyer
***
Marketa Fujita
Business Management
Temple University Japan
Nation Branding by Central European Countries
To examine the nation branding activities of Central European countries, with a specific focus on the overlapping roles of national and regional identity. The countries to be analyzed are Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Particular emphasis will be placed on the ways in which these countries conduct their nation branding strategies within Japan. Working in close collaboration with mentor Dr Keith Dinnie, interviews will be conducted with key informants drawn from the spectrum of organizations involved in each country's nation branding strategy. Such organizations include Embassies, Trade Councils, Inward Investment Offices, and National Tourism Organizations. In-depth interviews with key individuals will be supplemented by a review of the nation branding literature as well as secondary sources such as country websites and publications. Nation branding is increasingly being seen as a means by which countries can improve their competitiveness in today's globalised world. Our project is significant in that it will investigate how national and regional identity must be consciously managed through nation branding strategies that are sensitive both to internal and external constituencies. The nation branding challenge for Central European countries is particularly acute, given the historically negative perceptions associated with Central and Eastern Europe in comparison with the more positive perceptions habitually associated with Western European nations. Our project is timely and contributes both to theory development and also to managerial action.
Keith Dinnie
Business
TUJ
***
Amanda E. Garcia
Communications
School of Communications and Theater
Race and Ethnicity in Children's Media:
Why Hannah Montana Rocks, The Jonas Brothers Roll, and the Cheetah Girls Are So Yesterday
At Temple, we believe passionately in diversity. This passion, combined with my interests in media studies, has led to my desire to explore how racial and ethnic difference is currently portrayed in children’s media, and what kinds of messages these portrayals are sending to today’s youth, specifically the pre-teen demographic, encompassing ages 8- 12. It is my goal to initiate a project that will research the two most well-known brands that command control of this demographic (Disney and Nickelodeon). My intention is to discover what their television, movie, music, and advertisement output is saying about diversity and how these messages can affect and have already affected their target audience by actually experiencing the media like a child would—actually watching, listening, and interacting with media like High School Musical, Drake & Josh, Hannah Montana, and other various entities. I hope to access this information through research literature, independent studies, personal interviews, and hands-on experience at navigating the fast-paced, pop-culture driven, media-saturated atmosphere of today’s pre-teen. As we continue to discover new technologies at faster speeds, it becomes vital to comprehend how our media will affect the coming generations, and as the world becomes more accessible through these technologies, our differences will still be ever present. I hope to enhance the acceptance and appreciation of diversity in the future, and I believe that this acceptance begins with our society’s children. I earnestly wish for my research to be presented publicly after Diamond Scholars, in order to call attention for the need of acceptance of diversity to be reflected in our children’s media for a more culturally accepting society in the future.
Sherri Hope Culver
BTMM
SCT
***
Kale A. Good
Music Theory and Classical Guitar Performance
Boyer College of Music and Dance
Narrative Failure and Virtuosic Triumph in Liszt's Sonata in B Minor
This project will develop a hermeneutic reading of Franz Liszt's Sonata in B minor, using an array of methods in current musicology. The foundational text for the research will be Hepokoski and Darcy's recent book Elements of Sonata Theory, which represents the latest advance in the study of sonata forms as musical-narrative structures. The research will begin with a study of sonata forms prior to Liszt's to establish a familiarity with Hepokoski and Darcy's theory of sonata form as a narrative of success. The project will then apply the theory to Liszt's sonata to identify its rhetorical successes and failures. Preliminary research suggests the monumental nature of Liszt's sonata challenges the success narratives of earlier music. In particular, Liszt's well-know virtuosity begins to take precedent over the harmonic structures which were the primary determiners of success in earlier music. The project will use texts such Jim Samson's Virtuosity and the Musical Work to clarify Liszt's use of this element and its effect upon the sonata's structure. The scope of Hepokoski and Darcy's theory is broad but does not include virtuosity in its purview. This research will reconcile Liszt's sonata rhetoric with the virtuosic element in his music, bringing a new and clearer understanding of this masterpiece.
Michael Klein
Music Studies
Boyer
***
Margaret S. Hegney
Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts
Finding Gender in the Fight Against 'The System':
Structural Violence, Sexual Politics, and the Local Response
Contemporary anthropological scholarship seeks to understand how race, class, gender, and sexuality intersect to construct fundamentally different realities for minority groups living within the dominant framework of US society. This scholarship points to systemic causes for the promulgation of minority status and experience for non-white, non-male, non-heterosexual, or non-legal citizens, primarily the prison industrial complex (PIC) and the medical industrial complex (MIC). Anthropologists define the PIC and the MIC to be the relationship between law/medicine, capital, and the state and consider the US medical and legal systems integral to the maintenance of hegemony. I plan to study how the PIC and MIC are understood and how this understanding is articulated within minority populations of Philadelphia. I will focus particularly on how these communities approach domestic violence and whether or not they employ indigenous alternatives to the legal and medical institutions that embody dominant power structures.
Anastasia Hudgins
Anthropology
CLA
***
Gina I. Hoch-Stall
Dance
Boyer College of Music and Dance
HomeSpace: An original piece of choreography exploring the concept of home
"HomeSpace" will be a choreographic exploration of how we conceptualize home that incorporates original choreography, music, text and a mobile set. To research the topic and acquire recorded text, I will conduct interviews with Philadelphians of all ages that gather descriptions, stories and thoughts about their own past and current home environments. The choreography will respond to the rhythm of the people’s voices, the energy and emotion with which they describe their home experiences to me, and the different home spaces that are realized within our communications. I will also be collaborating with Cicada Brokaw, a D.M.A. candidate in Composition at the Esther Boyer College. He will create the musical score for the piece while I create the movement, and together we will integrate some of the text from the interviews into the audio score. The set for the piece will consist of household items, used in usual and unusual ways that will be relocated throughout the stage in cardboard boxes to create a variety of home environments for the dancers to inhabit. Several choreographers and I will be applying to the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in the next two weeks to perform in September 2009. "HomeSpace" will represent my first professional dance production, introducing my work to audiences outside Temple University.
Jillian Harris
Dance
Boyer
***
Megan A. Hoffman
Anthropology
College of Liberal Arts
Loisaida in Bloom:
The Social Development and Significance of Urban Community Gardens in Loisaida, New York City
During the late sixties and early seventies, an exodus of jobs due to deindustrialization plagued the Lower East Side. With the disappearance of employment, an increase in poverty led to the destruction and neglect of property. By 1976, there were 100 vacant lots and 150 vacant buildings within the region, resulting in the displacement of over 70% of the population (Sevcenko, 2001). The phrase “Loisaida” is a Spanglish pronunciation of Lower East Side that emerged in the seventies. The name represents cultural and regional pride that captivated the community residents shortly there after. Out of this new found cultural identity, both the homesteading and urban gardening movements emerged as a means of local rehabilitation by the residents within community. Since their emergence in the seventies, community gardens have remained an integral part of the Puerto Rican (and outside) community in Loisaida. Through the study of political, personal, physical, and mediated histories, I hope to uncover the significance of the community garden as a politically and culturally contested space. Such inquiry will offer insight into the development and evolution of cultural and communal identities in opposition to and in reception of internal and external forces.
Scott Gratson
Communications
SCT
***
Akasha D. Lawrence-Spence
Political Science and Anthropology
Temple University Japan
Hip Hop Full Circle:
A comprehensive look at the political messages ingrained in the global Hip Hop phenomena
Hip Hop began in the Bronx, NY in the 1970’s, as an intellectual movement based on giving oppressed and otherwise hopeless peoples an alternative to nihilism by promoting solidarity, education, encouragement, and awareness. Yet despite its humble beginnings it has been able to take root in diverse nations and has migrated out of the inner city to become a global phenomenon. Today hip hop sub-cultures can be found in diverse nations and cultures throughout the world, and has become more than a musical genre but a lifestyle and an ideology. In essence Hip Hop is representative of a grassroots political movement that enables marginalized peoples to come together around key issues and themes such as infant mortality, education, mental and physical imprisonment, and a plethora of other issues that plague their communities. In South Africa Hip Hop was utilized as a method to mobilize people to take a stance against apartheid and bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic. In Japan, a nation whose cultural norms and societal institutions do not accommodate individual self-expression, and political activism, Hip Hop is emerging as a modern NGO. It is giving a voice to a people whose government takes its cues from retired bureaucrats, and illicit organizations instead of from the people themselves. What these three different yet interconnected cultures will illustrate is that each of these groups despite their differences has embraced hip hop as a means of empowerment. Hip Hop has became a political movement that endows the artist who make the music, the critics who provide commentary, and those who subscribe to it to become a part of a struggle in identity politics. By identifying themselves as hip hop artist, who are challenging the constraints of hegemony and promoting self-preservation and political activism, these artist are forging a political campaign to gain not only recognition for themselves but for their issues in order to affect positive change in their countries. Utilizing political philosophy and the work of existential thinkers and political activist like Steve Biko, who mobilized college students across South Africa to fight for civil rights in the 1970’s, I will explicate how the founders of hip hop foresaw its purpose as a means to elevate social consciousness and promote revolutionary action through a non-violent movement that emphasizes the power of words to gain silenced peoples their full rights, protection, and justice under the law in free and democratic societies. In order to illuminate how Hip Hop artist try to accomplish these noble goals I will align myself with these artists through on the ground ethnographic research, and conduct a lyrical breakdown of the messages inscribed in the 64 bars of a 4 min song or the 12 tracks on an LP. My research will offer a fresh outlook on the music and movements that have come to define a generation of so-called angry, despondent individuals who have checked out of mainstream behavioral norms, to unearth a movement of intellectual young people who seek to educate, inform, and change the world.
Kyle Cleveland
Sociology
TUJ
***
JingXin Liang
Chemistry
College of Science and Technology
Bis-Peptides: Structural Motif and Enantioselectivity
Asymmetric catalysis has emerged as a thriving area of synthetic research with extensive applications in chiral sensitive processes (e.g. drug design and synthesis). Recently, organocatalysis has extended to include the use of small peptides as effective enantioselective catalysts which is advantageous due to their low toxicity in contrast to conventional metal catalysis.[1] Noteworthy examples include Wennemers[2] and Miller[3] who have demonstrated catalytic activity for asymmetric aldol and epoxidation reactions, respectively, through the use of tripeptides. A drawback of these peptide catalysts are their reliance on intramolecular forces and folding to maintain their conformation, making it difficult to draw fundamental conclusions regarding catalyst-substrate interaction, source of rate enhancement, regioselectivity, and enantioselectivity.[4] Using bis-amino acid technology developed by Schafmeister et al.[5], a spirocyclic bis-peptide has been synthesized with a rigid conformation that controls functional group orientation. The rigid backbone bears a single carboxylate functionality that targets asymmetric epoxidations via a peracid generated in situ. The proposed catalyst contains hydrogen bond donor and acceptor groups to facilitate potential catalyst-substrate interactions and a site of steric bulk to induce spatial bias. Olefin substrates incorporated with carbamate functionality for potential hydrogen bonding will be tested with this spirocyclic system. The backbone of the designed catalyst will be altered and assayed to study the effects of functional group orientation relative to steric bulk and hydrogen bonding groups on stereoselectivity in asymmetric epoxidations. The goal of this research is to gain further insight into the structural activity relationships of effective organocatalysts that will contribute towards the design of new, diverse chiral methodologies.
References
(1) Gaunt, et al. Drug Discovery Today. 2007, 12, 8-27.
(2) Wennemers, et al. Org. Lett. 2005, 7, 1101-1103.
(3) Miller, et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 8710-8711.
(4) Miller et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 6707-6711.
(5) Schafmeister, et al.. Acc. Chem. Res. 2008, 41, 1387-1398.
Christian Schafmeister
Chemistry
CST
***
Sarah G. Longenbach
Biology
College of Science and Technology
Genetic Analysis of the role of Sialylation in Zebrafish Nervous System Development
My project is too examine whether any of the three 2,6 sialyltransferases, in a vertebrate model organism, zebrafish, are required for proper nervous system development and function. Sialyltransferses add the sugar sialic acid to sugar chains of glycoproteins. Our laboratory has previously shown that loss of sialylation in Drosophila, which has a single sialyltransferse, results in behavioral defects, paralysis and neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we have evidence that the target of the sialylation is a potassium channel in the nervous system. In order to specifically eliminate the function of each of the sialyltransferases, a short oligo molecule, called a Morpholino, specific to the sequence of each sialyltransferase gene, will be injected into the single cell zygote of a zebrafish embryo. Morpholinos will be designed to eliminate either proper RNA processing or protein expression for each gene. Morpholinos can be injected in combination, in case the genes have redundant functions. Zebrafish development will be monitored under a microscope for five days to look for morphological or functional defects. Ion channel dysfunction is associated with over 60 different channelopathy diseases including epilepsy, paralysis, ataxia, cardiac arrhthmias and memory and learning loss. It is therefore of tremendous importance to understand the role of modifications, such as glycosylation, that regulate ion channel function.
Karen Palter
Biology
CST
***
Aseem Malhotra
Biology
College of Science and Technology
Surface Chemistry of Novel Piezoelectric Microcantilever Biosensor for HER2-positive Breast Cancer Detection
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. HER2 is the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) involved in cell proliferation that is highly aggressive in 15-20% of breast cancers. While HER2 levels in normal blood serum are between 2-15 ng/ml, patients with HER2-positive tumors have elevated levels ranging from 15 to 75 ng/ml. Over expression of the HER2 protein is associated with higher recurrence rate and worse medical prognosis. Therefore, quantifying HER2 in patient serum is key to an early diagnosis and a better prognosis. While current detection techniques are limited to mammograms and biopsies, this project aims to create a novel microcantilever biosensor made from a piezoelectric material and coated with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS). MPS electrically insulates the sensor in solution while simultaneously providing sites for antibody immobilization via an intermediate linker molecule. As antigens present in blood serum bind to the immobilized antibody, the change in mass of the cantilever correlates to a change in its resonant frequency which can be detected and used to diagnose breast cancer. This study uses techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry, Fluorescence Labeling of Surface Species (FLOSS) to study the surface chemistry of the cantilever. By understanding the electrical insulation of MPS as a function of its thickness and determining the number of working antibodies that can be immobilized, sensor sensitivity, reusability, and reproducibility can be improved. The HER2 biosensor is a model system that can be tailored for any other antibody and complimentary antigen pair. This project is an interdisciplinary study in conjunction with Dr. Wan Y. Shih at Drexel University and Dr. Gregory Adams at Temple University’s Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Eric Borguet
Chemistry
CST
***
Danielle J. Mancinelli
English and Political Science
College of Liberal Arts
Tree House Books: Summer Shade Program
Research Question: Does interest in writing increase after participation in a summer program that explores identity through developing an understanding of place?
This summer, I will be examining the interest levels in writing among 11-14 year old male and female North Central Philadelphia residents. The study will show whether or not interest in writing increases following participation in an 8-week summer program that explores identity through developing an understanding of place. Place is defined as a shared past and sense of likeness. This research proves especially relevant at a time when there is a literacy crisis raging in Philadelphia. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s 2008 AYP PSSA results, 33.4% of students scored basic on the reading portion of the state standardized test, while an even more alarming 51% received a score of basic on the writing portion of the test. Developing an understanding of which components of programs work and which components fail will allow educators, lawmakers, and social organizations to create a successful template for reading and writing programs that can be replicated in the North Central Philadelphia region in order to improve students performances. One element my research is to actively explore literature and methodology as a field of English studies. I will be reading theory and research from scholars such as Linda Flower, Joe Harris, and Tiffany Rousclp. I will dedicate a month to investigating current literacy programs and working with a team of experts consisting of Eli Goldblatt, Director of the First Year Writing Program at Temple University and New City Writing, Darcy Sebright, Executive Director of Tree House Books, Rachel Howe, recent M.A. graduate from Temple Creative Writing, and Kristen Conradi, University of Virginia PhD candidate in reading education with a focus on adolescent literacy. In addition, I will actively observe and evaluate functioning writing programs including Temple Writing Academy, Philadelphia Futures, the White Williams Scholarship Program, and Freedom School. Another other portion of my project includes implementation of the curriculum developed through my research. The program will be divided into two four week sessions. The first session focuses on exploring the concept of place in connection with literature. The last four weeks of the program will teach students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned directly to their own lives as they discover their own neighborhoods. Participants’ interest in writing will be evaluated in a series of individual interviews and focus groups conducted alongside Eli Goldblatt in the fall. … This project will identify which writing program elements prove to be most beneficial to adolescent intellectual development. Studying these programs will cultivate institutional awareness about the types of programs that help bring identity and an appreciation of writing to students. This research is not only important for my own intellectual curiosity and understanding of literacy development, but also for the welfare of Temple's surrounding community. I hope to use this project as an introduction to graduate study in the field of composition and rhetoric. ….
Eli Goldblatt
English
CLA
***
Anneliese Martinez
Sculpture
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Cultural Collectivety: A New Epoch of Work and Optimism in the Philadelphia Arts
The economy affects an 'affordable city' such as Philadelphia like a storm on the shore. How, in this recession, will this effect the way artists make work, who will be able to see it, and perhaps most importantly how is it changing the City of Brotherly Love? This project is the search for a forum centered upon the strengthening of Philadelphia’s existing collaborative arts initiatives. Its outcome will result in a catalogue of three months of documented activity within the arts-culture sphere. This grant will allow me to author a fully realized critique of the history of Philadelphia’s collectively run art spaces and its contemporary theory. The goal is to publish an in-depth critique of Philadelphia’s alternative arts and culture scene. The project will range from reviews of shows to press releases and artists’ statements, all of which are part of running a gallery and maintaining an effective dialogue between the public and the arts enterprise. Research will include interviews with gallerists and curators; research to gain an understanding of the inner workings of public and private publishing (such as Philadelphia CityPaper and Printed Matter of New York City) for the arts and arts institutions (including distribution as well as funding for printing), and the development and creation of a forum of information and response: a published catalogue of a blog, dialogues, interviews, reviews, and editorials.
Ian Burns
Sculpture
Tyler
***
Joseph A. Miller
Criminal Justice and History
College of Liberal Arts
The Prevalence and Effects of Gangs in the U.S. Armed Forces
Upon initial inspection, the presence of gangs in the U.S. Armed Forces may seem sensational, but in fact the opposite is true, the presence of such gangs is subversive and hard to detect. While internal investigations of gang activity have been conducted, such research has largely been reactive, based on analysis of conduct infractions attributable to gang affiliation. While incident reports can indicate an upward trend in gang involvement in the Armed Forces, it is an unsuitable measure to determine the actual prevalence of gang involvement. I believe that looking at the number of gang members with veteran status is a more accurate means of determining gang involvement in the military. While the co-occurrence of gang involvement and veteran status does not definitively indicate gang involvement while in the military it is highly suggestive of such activity. Because gang involvement usually begins at an early age one can assume that the majority of veteran status gang members were involved with gang activity prior to enlistment. While military service, discharge, and later gang entrance is plausible it would be irregular. Additionally, gang recruiting within the military could also account for such a scenario. Ultimately I believe that the data will indicate that gang involvement is both higher than official estimates and has increased significantly within the past two decades.
Matt Hiller
Criminal Justice
CLA
***
Ananthi Rajamoorthi
Biochemistry & Neuroscience
College of Science and Technology
Overexpression of psychrophilic Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H DNA photolyase in E. coli
The project I will be pursuing this summer involves the amplification, overexpression, purification, and analysis of DNA photolyase in psycrophilic protobacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H using E. coli. The DNA photolyase gene, PhrB gene, encodes for a photoreacting enzyme that uses visible light (350-450 nm) to correct mutations in DNA caused by UV radiation (200-300 nm). The accumulation of such mutations leads to metastasis and cancer growth. Thus, DNA photolyase is an important DNA repair enzyme that is present in many organisms; however, this gene is absent in the human species. The protobacterium I will be using in this project, Colwellia psychrerythraea 34H, was isolated from Arctic marine sediments. It grows in heterotrophic media from -1 to 10 degrees Celsius. C. psychrerythraea produces cold-active enzymes requiring low temperatures for optimal activity, thus it will be rather interesting to observe the mechanism of DNA photolyase in C. psychrerythraea and how it compares with the photoreacting enzyme in thermostable species such as S. solfataricus. Through this project not only will we learn more about the protobacterium C. psychrerythraea, which is a fairly new organism used in laboratory research, but we will further understand the mechanism of the repair enzyme, DNA photolyase, responsible for preventing genetic mutations that lead to cancer growth.
Robert J. Stanley
Chemistry
CST
***
Natania L. Schaumburg
GUS
College of Liberal Arts
Salt of the Earth: Envisioning Bolivia's Role in the New Energy Economy
Bolivia, one of the least developed countries in Latin America, is currently undergoing revolutionary economic, political and social changes that are influencing the shape of its national development. A country that has long been ruled by leaders severely disconnected from the pre-Incan cultures and traditions that comprise the majority of the country’s population till this day, Bolivia’s recent election of their first Indigenous president, Evo Morales, has redefined Bolivian nationalism. Less known, however, is that Bolivia may also be highly influential in shaping the direction of fuel efficiency in the United States and abroad. Currently, the United States Geological Survey estimates that a possible 5.4 million tons of lithium could be extracted from Bolivia’s lithium reserves. This is pertinent to governments worldwide, and to the current Obama administration in particular, which seek to both promote fuel efficient industry while reducing dependence on foreign oil. With financial and academic support from Diamond Research Scholars, I hope to return to Bolivia to further examine this issue, which I see as being at the forefront of shaping both economic and physical development in Bolivia, as well as having a major effect on the environmental sustainability of the world. I envision conducting a research project that explores the dichotomies existent between the spiritual connection that Bolivian cultures have with their land; the desire of Japanese, American and European auto industries seeking to tap the lithium resource; and the existent strife between the politics of Evo Morales and the government of the United States. My research questions are: Is there an international understanding of the need to respect Bolivian’s nationalism and right to control their resources, and are there safeguards in place to respect ancient Bolivian culture and land traditions in modern negotiations over a crucial natural resource? I plan on exploring this topic in both a visual and auditory manner, and I wish to present my research in the multi-media format of a photo essay with an auditory component. Having conducted an in-depth project in Bolivia once before, I have found that photographs and oral histories and interviews help cross cultural barriers and are a useful mechanism for expressing sentiments and realities that often cannot be portrayed otherwise.
Benjamin Kohl
Geography and Urban Studies
CLA
***
Douglas A. Schultz
Mathematics
College of Science and Technology
On conditional convergence, Lipschitz summation,
and the functional equation of the Dedekind eta function
Boris Datskovsky
Mathematics
***
Darya Shevchenko
Biochemistry
College of Science and Technology
Trypanosomes: Hemoflagellate Protozoan Parasites
Trypanosomes, hemoflagellate protozoan parasites, are the cause of African sleeping sickness and Chagas disease, deadly illnesses which afflict millions per year in Africa and South America. The parasites are carried in the feces of blood-sucking insects and infect human hosts through insect bites. The endemic is becoming an increasingly dangerous situation as global climate changes facilitate the northern migration of the carrier insects and threaten to spread the diseases across the globe. Trypanosomes are distinguishable from human cells in that they require reduced trypanothione (T[SH]2) to reduce equivalents of NADP+/NADPH. Without the compound, which is not found in humans and other mammalian cells, the buildup of peroxides would result in oxidative stress and eventual death of the parasitic organism. Tyrpanothione synthetase, or TryS, is an enzyme critical to the synthesis of T[SH]2, functioning to oxidize T[S]2 to yield T[SH]2. It is the purpose of this research to develop nucleic acid aptamers that inhibit the reduction of T[S]2 to T[SH]2 using SELEX technology. The isolation and procedures performed on the inhibitors, if successful, could become the first method of fighting trypanosomal disease in the chronic stage. Although preventative methods are currently employed through eradication of carrier insects and utilization of netting, a medication would alleviate the suffering experienced by millions of people and save the lives of countless others.
Robert Stanley
Chemistry
CST
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Rebecca L. Soltoff
Philosophy
College of Liberal Arts
The Development of Moral Theory and The Concept of Evil in a Post-Holocaust World
I hope to research and write a paper considering the influence of Hannah Arendt’s influence on the academic approach to human nature, and the nature of evil. While many scholars have argued that Arendt fundamentally changed the approach that philosophers and other thinkers had when dealing with Evil, I will argue that her work does not depart radically from thought at the time. In fact, she fits fairly neatly into the philosophical development of the nature of Evil. I hope to chronicle the evolving view of the connection between human nature and evil in philosophy, and then contemplate Arendt’s place in this progression. I will critically analyze her writing, including Eichmann in Jerusalem and In The Human Condition. I will then consider the reaction to her publications from the academy as well as the Jewish community, looking at the practical ramifications her theory has had on national and international law, public policy and education. My project is one of extraordinary relevance. In a world where evil is mentioned consistently in politics ("The Axis of Evil") as well as in philosophy and religion, it will elucidate the path that the notion of evil has taken throughout modern history. This project is also significant because it will argue with the prominent view that one can divide philosophical theories of Evil neatly into two fairly disconnected chapters, Before Arendt and After Arendt. In completing my research I plan to work with my mentor Professor Paul Crowe and Professors Aryeh Botwinick and Richard Leibowitz from Temple University as well as Professors Milton Meyer and Samuel Freeman from the University of Pennsylvania.
Paul Crowe
Philosopy
CLA
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Kathryn B. Songile
Biology
College of Science and Technology
A Comparison of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent and Cold Seep Communities From the Juan de Fuca Ridge and the Costa Rica Margin
This study will be comparing a hydrothermal vent community from the Juan de Fuca Ridge to a cold-seep community collected from the Costa Rica Margin. Hydrothermal vents are located at the intersection of continental plates where magma is found close to the ocean floor. The super-heated water and high concentrations of toxic chemicals contribute to the extreme living conditions of the vestimentiferan tubeworms and associated species. These tubeworms are chemosynthetic organisms that thrive on the abundance of hydrogen sulfide. Cold seeps are areas of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid discharge occurs. This research will contribute to the understanding of how these specialized communities are related. I will test if the species associated with the cold-seeps from the Costa Rica Margin are more closely related to hydrothermal vent species from the Juan de Fuca Ridge or are more closely related to other cold-seep communities, such as in the Gulf of Mexico. The Juan de Fuca Ridge and the Costa Rica Margin are separated by 1250 miles, yet contain related organisms in the same families even though they are different types of habitats. The cold seep communities of the Gulf of Mexico and Costa Rica Margin are also similar. It has been thought that their close relationship is due in part to the Isthmus of Panama being open as recently as five million years ago. This research will allow me to develop a model of community growth of the community from the Juan de Fuca Ridge that can be used in a comparative analysis with the community from the Costa Rica Margin.
Erik Cordes
Biology
CST
