2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University

Abstracts
Session A All Disciplines Ballroom
Mealtime Manding
To increase functional communication in an adult diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, manding was taught during meals to request
more food. The mand was in the form of a manual sign distinguished as a clap or clasp of both hands. Another function of mand training
was to reduce the inappropriate behavior of swiping a plate of food off of the table. Food items were placed one by one on the participant‘s
plate, therefore allowing numerous opportunities to mand or communicate with the trainer. Upon swallowing of one bite, verbal instruction
was given and the client was allowed 30 seconds to respond with the appropriate mand. Data was collected on the percentage of bites in
which the participant manded.
Presentation Index: A19
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Community Psychology
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Smith, Chelsey
Edrisinha, Chaturi
Increasing Attention in Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury, TBI, is usually the result of a sudden, violent blow to the head. Your brain controls your movements, behaviors,
thoughts and sensations. Not surprisingly, then, a brain injury can affect many different aspects of your physical and emotional well-being.
Signs of TBI include but are not limited to memory and concentration problems, confusion, and diminished attention spans. The client
under study showed signs of diminished attention span along with an increase in wandering. The client refused to engage in social
activities and would instead leave the room and walk around the building without supervision. Decreasing wandering by increasing
attention span was the focus of this study. A highly preferred social activity, watching a movie, was utilized. To demonstrate experimental
control, a changing criterion design was used across several time frames starting at five minutes. In addition, we used attention, in the form
of verbal praise, plus an edible to reinforce staying in the room and paying attention to the movie. In order to accommodate the day
services company fading of our attention was done by integrating another client to replace our attention. Results and implications for future
research are discussed.
Presentation Index: A20
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Community Psychology
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Meyer, William; Knutson, Lacy; Doyle, Lyndsay;
Edrisinha, Chaturi
Smith, Chelsey; Wesenberg,John; Johanson, Cassandra;
Vesel, Shawn
The First Annotation of the Histidine Biosynthetic Pathway of Ammonifex Degensii
Ammonifex degensii is an obligate anaerobic chemolithoautotrophic (obtains energy from inorganic compounds and carbon from carbon
dioxide) bacteria isolated from a volcanic hot spring in East Asia in 1994. Ammonifex is the archetype of a new genus (ammonium maker).
Ammonifex degensii is an extremely thermophilic gram negative rod shaped bacterium with optimal growth occurring at 70 degrees C and
a pH of 7.5. The genome of ammonifex degensii is 85% complete, funded by the Department of Energy Joint Genome Program. Saint
Cloud State University is part of a consortium of institutions that make up the Collaborative Undergraduate Genomic Annotation Team.
SCSU has undertaken the responsibility of using comparative genomics to identify the amino acid biosynthetic pathways. Histidine is an
amino acid with a positively charged R group. We hypothesize that this amino acid has biosynthetic pathways in ammonifex degensii, and
that we will be able to identify the genes responsible for the synthesis of this amino acid using a comparative genomics approach.
Presentation Index: A21
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Biological Sciences
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Sharma, Anshu
Kvaal, Christopher
Retracing George Catlin’s Path to the Pipestone Quarry in 1836
George Catlin was an artist/explorer who was fascinated by the Native Americans in the early 19th century and spent two years traveling
throughout what is known today as the state of Minnesota. He claims to be the first white man to visit the sacred Pipestone Quarry in
southwestern Minnesota. His exact path to reach the quarry hasn‘t been fully retraced, but through historical research and the application
of geographic information science, it is possible to not only re-create his route but to produce a model and a record describing the process
of utilizing GIS for historical visualization purposes. This poster offers an insight into the landscape of southwestern Minnesota before the
time of settlement.
Presentation Index: A22
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Geography
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Hixson, Jessica
John, Gareth
St. Cloud State University Student Research Colloquium 23
April 22, 2008