2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University

Abstracts
Session A All Disciplines Ballroom
Semantic Therapy with Atypical Exemplars in Stroke Survivors with Aphasia
Language treatment for naming in aphasic individuals has typically involved treatments that begin with familiar and simple semantic items
and progress to more complex elements. However, recent studies have shown greater improvements and generalization effects when
starting at complex levels (complexity account of treatment efficacy (CATE) effect, Thompson, et. al., 2003). This study aimed to replicate
Kiran and Thompson‘s (2003) study, and also to determine if training in one semantic category generalized to a second semantic category
when the categories shared common semantic features. Participants included two monolingual chronic stroke survivors. The treatment
category exemplars were selected from Kiran and Thomson‘s (2003) original study. Three categories (birds, animals and instruments)
were included, of which the bird category was the treatment category and the other two were control categories. Treatment began with four
atypical exemplars in the bird category once a week for one hour. During each therapy session, semantic therapy tasks were completed for
all target exemplars. Results were analyzed after 10 to 14 therapy sessions. Both participants showed improvements in naming of the
targeted exemplars. More specifically, participant 1 showed an increase in naming accuracy of the atypical category. The intermediate
category was not trained but consistency of naming accuracy improved. There was no change in naming with the typical category but
types of errors improved. Results for participant 2 showed an increase in naming accuracy with the atypical categories. The intermediate
and typical categories were not trained and no increases were noted in naming accuracy. However, there was noticeable change in error
patterns indicating some improvements. No explainable improvements were seen in the control categories for either participant. In
conclusion, a good match between the deficit and type of treatment can result in better learning. When patients have semantic deficits,
they may have more difficulty with typical items.
Presentation Index: A45
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Communication Science
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Saxton, Kelsey; Janke, Naomi
Rangamani, Grama
Characterization and Solution Speciation Studies of Oxovanadium-Flavonoid Compounds and Their Potential Anti-Diabetic
Properties
The purpose of our research is to synthesize and characterize compounds that may possess potential anti-diabetic properties with a focus
on solution speciation studies. Solution chemistry is important because pharmaceutical drugs are subjected to various solution
environments within biological systems. Prior research conducted on flavonoids and vanadium salts have yielded well supported results
alluding to their glucose-lowering and other important anti-diabetic properties. It is anticipated, given the properties of flavonoids and
vanadium salts, that coordination of the two would work synergistically as an anti-diabetic agent that could be administered orally. In this
study, the coordination behavior of morin, a flavonoid, with vanadium is studied in solution state using UV-vis spectroscopy following the
Job‘s method. It indicates the coordination of morin with vanadium in 2:1 molar ratio. This study also indicates binding of the vanadium
with carbonyl and hydroxy oxygen bonds to C-5. A vanadium-morin complex was also isolated in solid state by reacting vanadyl sulfate
with morin in 1:2 molar ratio. The isolated complex was characterized by using IR spectroscopy and direct inlet mass spectrometry. IR
spectrum exhibits peaks associated with morin –OH and C=O groups indicating presence of this ligand in the synthesized complex. Mass
spectrum also exhibits peaks corresponding to morin and oxovanadium indicating presence of both vanadium and morin in the compound.
Solution speciation studies including the purity of the isolated compound will be presented.
Presentation Index: A46
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Chemistry
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Eannelli, Michael
Mahroof-Tahir, Mohammad
Salivary Hormone Levels and Sensation Seeking in Female Athletes
Personality traits are important factors in determining why a given individual participates in a given sport. While much research has been
done on personality and sports participation, few studies have considered the biological correlates of these two variables in women. This
study investigated sensation seeking and salivary testosterone and cortisol in female noncompetitive athletes and nonathletes.
Noncompetitive athletes (n=17) and nonathletes (n=18) were recruited from undergraduate psychology and chemistry courses.
Participants provided a saliva sample and were given the Sensation Seeking Scale Form V (Zuckerman, Eysenck, & Eysenck, 1978).
Noncompetitive athletes scored slightly higher than nonathletes on sensation seeking (t (14) = .287, ns). More research is needed to clarify
the role sensation seeking plays in women‘s participation in sports.
Presentation Index: A47
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Department: Psychology
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Hulkonen, Rachel
Illies, Jody
St. Cloud State University Student Research Colloquium 30
April 22, 2008