Proceedings with Abstracts

Session III: Oral Presentations

Group 1

“Milton and Pullman: Educational Philosophies and Choice in Paradise Lost and ‘His Dark Materials’” Kyle Vitale, Houghton College

Exploring educational philosophies and the search for knowledge in John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy exposes differing valuations of the significance of choice.  A close analysis of select passages within the texts reveals that while education in Paradise Lost seeks to re- attain the prelapsarian condition, education in “His Dark Materials” seeks rather to perpetuate and advance a postlapsarian condition, the ultimate goal of which is to equip the individual with the freedom to make the wisest choices possible in his/her life.  An exploration of the values and limits placed on education and wisdom in the texts, including the study of pedagogical figures, juvenile maturation, and the function of foreshadowing dreams, in fact reveals that Milton’s premises serve as Pullman’s ultimate values concerning choice.

“QSAR Analysis of Para-Substituted Phenols Verified by Organic Synthesis of New Chemical Entities” Mallory van Dongen, Niagara University

Phenols have long been known to have antibacterial properties, which vary with substitution to the ring structure.  A recent study has taken place to measure the antimicrobial abilities of para-substituted phenol derivatives.  The data from these tests were analyzed by quantitative structure-activity-relationship (QSAR) computations on SYBYL to obtain a relationship between antibacterial activity and the structure of the substituted chain.  The analysis produced an equation relating activity of a molecule to various properties of the side-chain such as steric conformities and electrostatic attributes. The resulting mathematical model was used to predict activity of a given phenol derivative.  By optimizing the structure of the substitution, molecules were designed with predicted high antibacterial activity.  Molecules are being synthesized and tested to confirm the fidelity of the computational analysis. 

“Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts” Sara Hennessy, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

I began this research because I belonged to the Girl Scouts as a child and enjoyed being a scout.  I wanted to know more about why people join and why others don’t. I also wanted to compare the differences between Boy and Girl Scouts.  Besides participant observation I interviewed a few Boy and Girl Scout leaders along with fifteen men and women who were scouts at one time themselves and ten others who were not.  What I found was very surprising to me.  I found that the scouts are segregated by religion and gender, and the groups are attempting to combine both boys and girls.

Group II

"Chartism and Elisabeth Gaskell’s Sympathy for John Barton" Bryana Mahan, Houghton College

Elizabeth Gaskell’s novel Mary Barton presents an accurate and compelling depiction of the lives of early 19th century Manchester’s workers.  Although several authorial interjections in her novel have led some critics to contend that Ms. Gaskell was reluctant to endorse the sentiment of the general public, this paper will argue that Mary Barton offers ample evidence that Ms. Gaskell profoundly identified with the plight of Great Britain’s working class.  Set in the 1830s and 1840s, her novel explores the middle-class fear of the violent activist worker in the fictional character John Barton, who serves to exemplify and humanize the broader Chartist movement of the era.  Chartism, for most of industrialized England’s working class, was seen as the answer to its severe economic crises and inhumane circumstances.  Barton’s character serves as a sympathetic window into the general plight of the Britain’s less fortunate.

“Gender-Specific Differences in Cortisol Responsivity during the EMT Exit Megacodes” Caitlin Gessner and Matthew Kulas, Canisius College

Emergency medical technicians are exposed to high levels of occupational stress.  Many of these individuals become paramedics--the highest level of pre-hospital emergency care.  Paramedics in training are required to pass a rigorous entrance exam to test their knowledge and abilities.  The present study investigated the effects of an acute exam stressor (paramedic megacode exam) on salivary cortisol levels, gender differences, and associations among performance, perceived level of control, and experience in 17 men and 8 women employed by Western New York Emergency Medical Services.  Analyses revealed that cortisol significantly increased from pre-exam to post-exam (p<.001) and from mid-exam to post-exam samples (p< .01).  Higher cortisol levels at mid-exam were negatively correlated with scores on the trauma portion of the megacode exam.  Women had significantly higher levels of cortisol than men at mid-exam (p<.05) and higher levels at the start of the exam that approached significance (p=.061).

“Salivary Testosterone Levels in Children with Asperger's Disorder” Hargun Singh and Ali Vargovich, Canisius College

Substantial evidence exists for sexual dimorphism in the brain, cognition, and behavior.  Females tend to be stronger empathizers while males tend to be stronger systemizers. This evidence has given rise to the “extreme male brain” theory, which suggests that autism may represent an extreme case of the male pattern of enhanced systemizing skills and impaired empathizing skills.  The present study investigated the levels of salivary testosterone in morning, afternoon and evening saliva samples of 35 children (ages 6-13) diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder (AD), a high-functioning form of autism. Samples were also collected from 35 age-matched children serving as a control group.  Salivary testosterone levels have been determined using enzyme immunoassay, and data analyses are currently underway.  It is hoped that any significant difference in circulating testosterone will provide important information regarding underlying biological mechanisms of AD and the applicability of the “extreme male brain” theory of autism.

“Effects of Equine Therapy on Motor, Social, and Stress Measures in Prepubertal Individuals with Autism” Tabish Shah and Jessica Aliotta, Canisius College

Equine therapy is thought to be beneficial both physically and psychosocially for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.  Autistic individuals, who present with motor skill, verbal, and social deficits have also been reported to exhibit atypical cortisol rhythms, with higher increases in response to specific stressors compared to normals.  The present study is designed to investigate the effects of equine therapy on several physical and psychosocial measures as well as on salivary cortisol levels in individuals with autism.  A representative sample of pre-pubertal autistic children will undergo six weeks of equine therapeutic sessions during which saliva samples will be collected before and after the horseback riding therapy. It is predicted that autistic children will experience both physical and psychosocial improvement throughout the therapy, including some normalization in cortisol levels.