SOIRE 2016

The Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) is a long-lived, terrestrial species found throughout the Eastern United States. Despite classification as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, data regarding habitat use and home range is limited, especially in the Piedmont region of the southeastern U.S. Since May 2012, we have conducted a radiotelemetry and capture-mark-recapture investigation of the species in the northeastern Piedmont region of Georgia. We captured turtles (n = 20) for inclusion in the study by hand in mixed hardwood-pine uplands and mesic areas dominated by Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) between spring 2012 and fall 2016. We radiotrack individuals on foot 1-2 times per week and collected environmental variables at each location. To calculate individual home ranges, we used 100% minimum complex polygons to estimate area used. To date, we have collected between 5-134 radiolocations per individual. Home range estimates varied from 0.16 to 6.10 ha. Turtles primarily used exotic habitats dominated by Chinese Privet (51%), with use of hardwood-pine uplands dominated by native vegetation (36%), human maintained clear cut habitat (9%), and beaver-created wetland habitats (4%). Assessment of home ranges and habitat use will continue through 2076 as we maintain tracking and capture-mark-recapture efforts.

Home Range and Habitat Use of the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) in the Northern Georgia Piedmont

This exhibition features artistic objects that resulted from an undergraduate research and service-learning project established on a methodology of arts based inquiry. Creative exploration is the primary investigatory method in an arts based research approach. Experiential learning conforms to a core tenet of constructivist learning theory that defines learning as an active process in which a learner constructs his or her knowledge <a title="">[1]</a>(Efland, 2002). In the case of artistic inquiry, learning entails active construction of knowledge through hands on exploration and experimentation, which are interwoven with and shaped by creative thinking.” <a title="">[2]</a>(Marshall, 2010, p.16) This exhibition of hand printed letterpress broadsides represents one project of the work of the faculty and students engaged with this work, and seeks to clarify the unique outcomes of the research method employed.

<a title="">[1]</a> Efland, Arthur (2002). Art and cognition. New York: Teachers College.
<a title="">[2]</a> Marshall, Julia. “Thinking Outside and On the Box: Creativity and Inquiry in Art Practice” Art Education; Mar 2010; 63, 2; ProQuest, p. 16

Arts Based Research in Appalachian Studies: Exploring Community Discourse through the Making of Things-An Exhibition of Research Objects & Methodologies

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes that are capable of degrading frequently used antibiotics such as, penicillin and cephalosporin. Organisms that produce these enzymes are therefore multi-drug resistant. ESBLs are commonly produced by the Enterobacteriaceae group of bacteria that are part of normal gut flora. Since first identified in 1893, ESBLs have become increasingly prevalent because ESBL enzymes are plasmid mediated, thus their resistant genes are easily transferred between bacteria via horizontal and vertical gene transmission. Currently, ESBLs pose a significant health threat due to their ability to cause a multitude of difficult to treat infections and are one of the leading causes of death world-wide. As of yet, there is no data on prevalence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in North Georgia water sources. Flat creak is located in North Georgia and runs directly into Lake Lanier, which is a main source of drinking water for the Atlanta area as well as a popular spot for water recreation. We obtained efferent and afferent water samples from Flat Creek Water Reclamation Center in Hall County Georgia. These water samples were filtered, grown in an enrichment media and plated on selective media that yielded the isolation of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae. We found ESBL producing enterobacteria in every sample we tested. Further identification methods revealed the presence of ESBL producing Kebsiella pneumoniae, Kebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundii and Escherichia coli. Following identification, disk diffusion method was used to test susceptibility of the isolates to several commonly used antibiotics. Lastly, DNA was extracted from the isolates to confirm the presence of bla genes that encode for ESBLs.

Extended-spectrum Beta -Lactamase Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Flat Creek Water Reclamation Center

Chytridiomycosis is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which is a contributing factor to global amphibian population declines. Although Bd is distributed globally, little research has been conducted on the occurrence of Bd in north Georgia’s amphibian populations. We surveyed for the presence of Bd in amphibian populations in the northeast Georgia Piedmont region at 3 different locations using active night searches and passive sampling techniques from spring 2013 through Spring 2016. During night searches, amphibians were located in wetlands and captured by hand. We used poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) pipe traps for passive sampling during the day. Following captures, we collected environmental and physical data from each individual, swabbed the skin for Bd detection using sterile polyester tipped swabs, and released individuals at their capture site. Collected skin swabs were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to determine the presence of Bd. To date, PCR techniques have detected a positive Bd sample in a Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) at one of the sites. Sampling, along with a capture-mark-recapture investigation of Green Treefrogs using PVC passive sampling will continue throughout 2016 to contribute to conservation efforts and knowledge of Bd in the region.

Field Surveys for the Detection of Chytridiomycosis in North Georgia Amphibian Populations

Chytridiomycosis, caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dentrobatidis (Bd) is an infectious dermatological disease contributing to global catastrophic declines in some amphibian populations (Berger et al. 1998). Ouellet et al. (2015) observed high prevalence of chytrid infection in North American amphibian population. Chytrid targets the keratinized skin cells leading to hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin). Frogs and salamanders depend on their thin, permeable skin for respiration, hydration, osmoregulation and thermoregulation (Duellman and Trueb, 1986). The chytrid fungus is sporadically fatal as the skin is impaired to transport important nutrients necessary for the amphibian’s survival. This phenomenon has been described for a long time; however, the mechanism of this infection is still unclear. This study focuses on laboratory detection techniques of skin swabbed samples from wild amphibians caught from Northern Georgia Piedmont region. In this study, nested PCR is utilized instead of PCR for higher specificity and sensitivity in detecting even the smallest level of Bd infections. This will help us determine if amphibians at these three sites are experiencing infections from Bd.

Detection of Chytridiomycosis From Field Samples in North Georia Ampphibian Populations

Teachers in American study-abroad programs usually receive little, if any, training before the trip, since “teaching is teaching.” The cultural differences between Chinese and American university classrooms, however, affect the students’ ability to learn and the teacher’s ability to teach in profound ways. Foreign teachers in China require at least a basic understanding of the educational, moral, and political dimensions of their classrooms if they wish to maximize the learning potential of their Chinese students. During the nineteen weeks that I taught at Tsinghua University in Beijing, I encountered students who were unfamiliar with studying literature, class monitors who reported what I was teaching, and students who truly did not understand why plagiarism was a problem. At the same time, the best teaching experiences were when my students caught me off guard with their cultural perspectives on works such as Hamlet, Oedipus, and The Outcasts of Poker Flats. I had another kind of eye-opening experience—this time political—when I taught An Enemy of the People on the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. In addition to the classroom situation, faculty teaching abroad should be prepared for the politics of their university department, including management styles that can hamper efforts to acclimatize to the new setting. The Chinese concept of saving face controlled most situations, leading to misunderstandings about schedules, book orders, copyright issues, and accommodations. Even email messages followed a set of rules that no one had taught me. Teaching in China was an amazing and worthwhile experience, but I would have had an easier time of it if I had known at least part of what to expect. While flexibility helps with most study abroad scenarios (and did in my case), faculty should be better prepared for the challenges that they will face.

False Assumptions: the challenges and politics of teaching in China

Vocabulary learning significantly and substantially contributes to students’ reading comprehension and ultimately to their expressive functions such as writing and speaking. Children’s vocabulary learning, however, relies heavily on their incidental interactions with adults and less on systematic instructions in the classroom. This proposed presentation will introduce a comprehensive framework of teaching, based on extensive literature review and the presenter’s own research. Although empirical studies have examined diverse teaching strategies, effective teaching requires a systematic teaching framework that includes a thorough analysis of strategies, ranging from students’ acquisition of words and their meanings to their voluntary application of their learning to expressive functions such as writing and speaking. Therefore, this presentation will provide such a framework of teaching with students’ phases of learning (i.e., acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization). Specifically, the framework will describe teaching methods for acquisition such as direct instruction and teaching words in purposefully created stories, methods for fluency of using learned vocabulary such as crossword puzzles and peer-mediated games, methods for helping students to retain learned vocabulary over time, and methods for facilitating students’ use of vocabulary in everyday situations. Because this framework incorporates research-based practices, it will substantially contribute to translating research to practice in K-12 grade classroom teaching.

Proposing a research-based, comprehensive framework to teach English vocabulary in K-12 classrooms

(For a panel)
With the support of Presidential Semester and Summer Awards, I was fortunate enough to conduct my research on Korean traditional puppet theatre (aka “deolmi” or “kkokdugeuk”), which is the only full-length traditional puppet theatre in Korea and is designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Part of my project is to translate the performance script of Seoul Namsadang’s full performance (the most authentic performance that is led by Korean “human cultural asset,” Master Park Yong-Tae) into English.
I am proposing to share my research at the 2016 UNG Symposium on Innovation, Research, and Engagement (SOIRE), by illustrating the implications of my research according to Ernest L. Boyer’s model of scholarship. Discussing Korean traditional puppet theatre as a form of oral indigenous memory as well as written and embodied drama in Korean and English translations, I will discuss how my current project demonstrates 1) original research in the field, 2) synthesis of cross-disciplinary research, 3) its application in reciprocal relationships with communities, and 4) its application for teaching.
Specifically, I will discuss my current translation project in the context of previous English translations and will illuminate the project’s implications in the fields of world theatre, world literature, and translation studies. I will also share specific theoretical and critical issues that arise in my translation project, providing some examples and exploring possible solutions. Some of these questions include: How should one translate puns, word play, and rhymes in the Korean traditional puppet play into contemporary English? How should one translate songs in the Korean traditional puppet play, making them singable in English? In other words, how should one translate musicality from Joseon Korean to contemporary English? Further, how could one ensure the performability of the English translation of the Korean traditional puppet play? How should one translate the Korean traditional puppet play in such a way as to bring newness or “foreignness” to English-speaking readers/audiences?

Research on Korean Traditional Puppet Theatre and Its Implications

The following abstract references my book published May 2016: The Impact of Reason on Faith, Ethics and Belief. Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press, 2016. It is available at Vernon Press: <a href="http://vernonpress.com/title?id=92" target="_blank">http://vernonpress.com/title?id=92</a> and Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Impact-Reason-Ethics-Belief-Philosophy/dp/1622730577" target="_blank" title="http://www.amazon.com/Impact-Reason-Ethics-Belief-Philosophy/dp/1622730577 Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">http://www.amazon.com/Impact-Reason-Ethics-Belief-Philosophy/dp/1622730577</a>
 ABSTRACT
The purpose of this book is to examine the credibility of the theological claims of ethics, faith, and belief from a philosophical perspective. The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants of the Old Testament, the Jesus of the synoptic gospels, and Paul’s writings serve as the frame of reference in examining a biblical expression of reason and structured logic. The clash of philosophy and theology is evident with theological presuppositions that are based on spiritual insight and divine revelation but which have no philosophical basis of proof. Uncovering the identity of YHWH in the manuscripts and religious practices of Canaanite culture clearly associated YHWH with the polytheism of the Ugarit texts. YHWH was one of the seventy sons of the Canaanite Most High God El and took on a unique identity that was rooted in El and the polytheistic nature of the pantheon of gods. Theological truths stand within the context of faith and reason stands apart from faith and infers only that which can be proven based on evidence. That which is knowable by faith cannot be known by reason since reason cannot validate that which is not proven to exist.

The Impact of Reason on Faith, Ethics and Belief

The illicit use of methamphetamine has been a rising concern in the United States since the turn of the century. There is a well-established association between methamphetamine intoxication and neurodegeneration. Many studies have suggested that the death of neurons is in part contributed to an overzealous response of the immune system following methamphetamine exposure. The immune system utilizes a variety of compounds to carry out its functions, including the naturally found element, zinc. Conversely, excessive buildup of zinc in the brain has been implicated in many neurodegenerative diseases. Similar to the damage that occurs following methamphetamine exposure, neurons are the primary cells that are impaired in these terminal illnesses. Therefore, we hypothesize that accumulation of zinc in the brain could be resulting in neurodegeneration following methamphetamine intoxication. Briefly, mice were injected intraperitoneally with either sterile saline (n=6) or 5 mg/kg methamphetamine (n=6) for ten days. On Day 10, the prefrontal cortex, midbrain, and striatum were isolated and sonicated. Levels of zinc were determined by Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence. Zinc levels were significantly increased in the midbrain of animals treated with methamphetamine compared to animals treated with saline (p0.05). These findings can translate into a clinical setting to prevent substantial brain damage following methamphetamine intoxication or overdose in the community. Furthermore, if zinc proves to be a mediator of the immune system and thereby compromises neuron integrity, zinc could serve as a potential biomarker for terminal illnesses that target the brain, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.