女神羞羞研究所

Kayla Nguyen, Connor Broeker, Bao Cao, Shady Khader, Falak Maarouf, Ashley Nguyen, Morgan Wells, and Austin Worley, 鈥淭he Healing Power of Dandelions: Exploring Antibacterial Properties of Dandelion Seed Extract鈥� *

Infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria remain one of the leading global health threats today, as treatments against these strains remain largely ineffective. Whole dandelion, a historic anti-inflammatory agent, has been shown to exhibit significant antibacterial effects. However, evidence on the antibacterial effects of dandelion seeds, especially against antibiotic-resistant strains, remains insufficient. 

Utilizing column chromatography, Dandelion Seed Extract (DSE) was separated into several fractions to be used as the treatment against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas fluorescens cultures. Utilizing the microtiter plate dilution method, bacteria were treated with both whole and fractionated DSE and observed for anti-proliferative effects. 

Evidently, both whole and fractionated DSE exhibited significant antibacterial effects. Although individual fractions did show varying levels of effectiveness, whole DSE had the most potent antibacterial effects compared to the DSE fractions, possibly indicating synergistic effects. However, regulatory mechanisms and active constituents within the fractions remain unknown and require further investigation. 

*Poster and Grand Prize Winner

Tess Rosen, 鈥淒eveloping a Natural Dye-Based Recipe for Stage Blood鈥� 

女神羞羞研究所鈥檚 production of Sweeney Todd required the development of a new stage blood recipe with all natural dyes that would not stain costumes and would keep for a two-week production period. I found that the closest natural color I could find for the blood that was readily available was beet powder. However, when I replaced the red dye with the beet powder, it became evident that further alteration would be necessary, as the color began to decay and the blood itself spoiled. With help from my mentor and the creator of the blood recipe I based mine on, Larry Heyman, I was able to discover that the issue lied in the type of acid I used to activate the chemical reaction that binds the pigment to the mixture and prevents it from staining. 

Austin Worley, Ashley Nguyen, Kayla Nguyen, Morgan Wells, Bao Cao, Savannah Whitten, Madison Dennis, Dr. Melville Vaughan, Dr. John Nail, and Dr. Christina Hendrickson, 鈥淒andelion Seed Extract Inhibits HeLa Cell Proliferation by Modulation of the Wnt/尾-catenin Signaling Pathway鈥� 

Dandelion Seed Extract (DSE) demonstrates anti-cancer effects by disrupting crucial cellular processes in HeLa cells, resulting in growth inhibition and heightened programmed cell death.  

DSE treatment caused a statistically significant reduction in HeLa cell viability (p<0.001) and an increase in proliferation inhibition compared to Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDF) cells. DSE treatment notably upregulated the mRNA expression level of AXIN1, a tumor suppressor, due to its role in down-regulating the Wnt signaling pathway. 

 Transcriptomics analysis revealed the downregulation of 30 genes, which were associated with Gene Ontology terms of Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway (GO:0060070) with adjusted p-values of 8.717e-33. Additionally, pathway analysis by Enrichr highlighted the downregulation of the Wnt Signaling WP428 network with an adjusted p-value of 2.104e-29 and combined score of 17354.64 

Lucia Dawkins, Kayla Geerts, Hanna Harris, Brooke Pallan, Caroline Aramendia, Piper Small, and Jaiden McComber: The Dance of Greek Goddesses 

Students will perform a dance inspired by the stories of Greek goddesses. Each character carefully reflects the character of each goddess. For instance, the choreography Kayla Geertz created to portray the Greek goddess Athena incorporated a variety of symbolic elements tied to Athena鈥檚 mythology. To begin Athena鈥檚 section of movement, Kayla had the background dancers move like soldiers from their first to second positions. This represented Athena鈥檚 strategic warfare abilities and the guidance she gave to the soldiers of Athens as well as Greek heroes such as Hercules and Perseus (Cartwright). When Athena walks forward, beginning her section of movement, she is shown pretending to hold a spear in her right hand and having an owl perched on her left arm. 

Avony Green, 鈥淐omplimenting Strangers: Exploring the Confirmation Bias and Spotlight Effect Through Fashion鈥� *

This correlational study was conducted to observe the relationship between how we dress and how we receive compliments. The main hypothesis was that the more a person dressed up, the more receptive they would be to compliments. There were 31 participants total, who ranged in gender, age, and formality of dress. Compliments were randomly given to participants in a super mall in a Midwestern state. Data was collected on several Likert scales specifically created for this study. The results were significant and confirmed the main hypothesis. The results can be applied to the real world by helping adults build the self-esteem and confidence of children through their fashion style. In conclusion, fashion is a form of self-expression that should not be shamed. When one鈥檚 outward appearance is appreciated, their inner self feels accepted. 

Keywords: compliments, fashion, mall, surprise, student 

*Winner of Costumes & the Theatre

Preston Hunt, 鈥溾�楺ueen Bees,鈥� Mean Girls, and Those In Between: How Degrees of Separation Through Adaptation Affect the Source Material 

In the never-ending stream of new film releases over the past several decades, one type of film seems to remain consistently popular: the Adaptation. Film adaptations take original IP (intellectual property) and reimagine its narrative through a filmic lens, oftentimes to revive the story for nostalgic audiences or update a story for new generations. While there are many types of adaptations, a recent trend of successful blockbusters has been found in the movie musical. However, what happens when degrees of separation increase, creating a movie musical that is adapted from a stage musical that is already adapting an original book? Through this research, I explore recent film adaptations of popular works, and I examine how they have changed in content and meaning as they have been adapted across media. I surmise what makes an adaptation popular, as well as whether recent film adaptations were successfully socially and critically. 

Madeline Pugh 鈥淪ustainably Crafting and Adapting Historical Costume鈥� 

Dressing Hamlet 417 Years Apart : How History and Sustainability Make for Better Costumes 

 In this presentation I will give an overview of both William Shakespeare鈥檚 Hamlet and James Ijames 2017 adaptation, Fat Ham, taking a special look at how the adaptation of the characters and setting impacts the costume design. In general, personality, time period, and location create the building blocks for how a character might dress. In Fat Ham, I will be using the adapted setting as well as inspiration from the original Hamlet to build costumes with layers of depth. I will be arguing for the importance of both historical context and sustainable practices as an artistic tool in costume design. Historical Research and second-hand materials provide depth and character to costumes that might otherwise come across as flat and contrived. I will be showing my research and design process through a powerpoint, along with displaying a dress form with a completed example costume from my design for Fat Ham. 

Glory Curda, 鈥淗ow Queer: A Bad Word: AIDS Music as Rebellion and its Role in Deconstructing Societal Taboos鈥� 

Music from the AIDS crisis was revolutionary in its unique status as a political tool and retaliation against society, government, and the rules these impose on humans and human expression. In this presentation, I will examine and address the bounds of socially acceptable mourning in the context of societal taboos. Consequently, using music produced during or as a reaction to the AIDS crisis as a prime example, I will explore the tools these musical artists pioneered to circumvent these socially acceptable standards and make their voices heard. I will then explore and define how these tools can be employed in music and the arts to continue the rebellion against the abstract, ever-changing, and consistently damaging taboos of today. 

Ana Evans, 鈥�Hereditary: A Minimalist Approach to Horror Film Score鈥� 

Colin Stetson鈥檚 unconventional but effective score for the 2018 horror film Hereditary rejects the traditional ideals of film scoring according to the Steiner model and instead uses a minimalist scoring style utilizing drones and sparse instrumentation to encourage audience investment through alternative means. Because silence initiates suspense more often than tense musical moments, Hereditary stands out among the horror film genre for utilizing music in a much subtler way and allowing the audience to sit in silent moments with no musical cues as to what will happen next. Stetson鈥檚 method of using minimalism is therefore more effective than the Steiner method and creates a more impactful form of storytelling. 

Sophia Dollenmayer, 鈥淲oody Guthrie: The Dust Bowl Troubadour鈥� *

Unbeknown to many people, one of the greatest folk musical and cultural influences was an 女神羞羞研究所n, who became known as Woody Guthrie. Born and raised in 女神羞羞研究所, Guthrie would go on to be the most influential folk songwriter performer and social activist in the first half of the twentieth century. Guthrie carefully music repackaged the pain and suffering of poverty-stricken southwestern communities into emotionally driven songs.  His music was later used as ammunition for leftist movements of the 1960s to impower their own community and continue protesting. Throughout his life, no matter where he traveled, his music was inseparable from his 女神羞羞研究所n heritage and identity. 

*Winner of Musicological Studies

Kyah Alexander, 鈥淭he Hidden Women: Unveiling the Untold Roles of Women in Terrorism鈥� 

This research dives into the overlooked presence and hidden reality of the role of women in terrorist organizations. This presentation will highlight various terrorist groups; it will focus on the exploitation of women in numerous countries, the motivation and logic behind extremist groups, the interplay between gender and terrorism, and how it can challenge ideologies and societal norms. 

Alan Bernhardt, 鈥淭he Usta拧e: Fascism in Croatia during the Second World War鈥� 

The Usta拧e were a Croatian fascist organization that collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War Two. They had little support until Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia and put them in charge of a Croatian puppet state. Croatia would become a semi-independent nation under the German Reich when the Axis invaded Yugoslavia; it controlled most of Croatia proper with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and small parts of Slovenia. With this new nation the Usta拧e were put in charge to run the new puppet with German oversight.. The Croatians would send the army into villages and began killing people. The German advisors described the army鈥檚 actions as 鈥渟laughter鈥� and 鈥減lunder.鈥� One of the German witnesses said, 鈥渢roops 'be ruthless in the use of firearms against those who try to flee.鈥� So, the Croatian Usta拧e was seen as more brutal and savage than the German Nazis. My presentation will address this not well known, but an extremely tragic page in history. 

Troy Green, 鈥淔amous Crimes and Trials of the Weimar Republic and Third Reich鈥� 

My presentation will address several well-publicized trials, such as The Feme Murders, The Hitler Beer Hall Putsch Trial, and the Trial of the Reichstag Fire in interwar Germany. After the defeat of Germany in the First World War, Germany became a Republic where everybody had the same rights and the same obligations before law. Public trials which I will be analyzing in my presentation had a broad educational message for the Germans as they seek to establish new political concepts and new political realities of the rule of law. Yet, the trials also demonstrated the weaknesses of nascent parliamentary democracy in Germany. The Hitler Beer Hall Putch Trial became the stage for Hitler to propagate his hateful racist ideas and to become a political celebrity. 

Stephanie McQuain, 鈥淧ropaganda: The True Weapon of the Nazi Regime鈥� 

The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime in Germany would not have succeeded if it wasn鈥檛 for one important weapon: propaganda. Propaganda is 鈥渂iased information designed to shape public opinion and behavior鈥� (鈥淪tate of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda What Is Propaganda?), and it was Hitler鈥檚 key strength in his ascension to power. The effectiveness of propaganda is rooted in the message being presented, the technique used to relay it, the means of communication, the environment it enters, and the audience receptivity to the message. Hitler was able to effectively master all these aspects to weaponize his propaganda, gain huge amounts of power, and justify countless atrocities. Hitler鈥檚 ability to blind the public with smoke-and-mirrors tactics and his skill with preying on the public鈥檚 hate, fears, and desires allowed him to gain immense power and establish a fascist state founded on nationalism, racism, and the glorification of violence. 

Emma Nickerson, 鈥淎rtful Imaginaries: Planting Tomorrow鈥檚 Peace Today鈥� 

In a world full of frequent hate and violence, little actions and pockets of peace shown within society are necessary for a sense of hope and humanity within communities. By deep-diving into the background and reasoning behind public images of peace in society allows readers to rhetorically analyze the purpose behind why images of peace and freedom are necessary within our world today. Dr. Sudarshan Kapoor made a perfect example of representing peace on the California State University, Fresno campus through his creation of the peace garden. The exposition of peace advocators such as Jane Addams, Mahatma Ghandi, and Cesar Chavez allows people within society to acknowledge their impacts on the world and act upon those actions of peace executed as inspiration. Looking back onto what these icons have done towards fighting for peace is expressed by looking into each person specifically, and what they have accomplished to earn a prized recognition within the California State University, Fresno Peace Garden. From an outsider point of view, illustrations and actions of peace shown within society can be seen as mundane and go unnoticed, which is exactly what peace and freedom fighters like Ghandi, Chavez, and Addams fought against, and continue to fight against through ideas like the peace garden. 

Emma Vance, 鈥淯nraveling the Relationship Between Homelessness and Crime Rates鈥� *

This study investigates the connection between homelessness and crime rates in the United States from 2007 to 2021. The analysis covers 46 states and utilizes Census population data, Point-In-Time homelessness estimates, and crime data from FRED. National-level findings surprisingly suggest that higher homelessness rates correlate with lower crime rates, though with limited explanatory power. However, a state-level Fixed-Effect Model reveals a more complex relationship, showing that higher homelessness rates are associated with statistically significant increases in crime rates. 

These results conclude with a need to address homelessness as a factor influencing crime rates and the importance of comprehensive strategies to combat homelessness. Further research is suggested to be larger scale and to consider demographic factors and other variables among the homeless population. This could enhance our understanding and inform effective policies and interventions to tackle homelessness before it happens. 

*Winner of Social Science, Political Science, and History

Isabella Felton, 鈥淭he British Colonization of Antionette Cosway鈥� 

The relationship between Edward Rochester and Antoinette Cosway/Bertha Mason, in Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys in comparison to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, can be examined as an allegory for colonization. One theory is used to examine the cultural and emotional power that Rochester has over Antoinette, where he 鈥渃olonizes鈥� Antoinette Cosway into Bertha Mason as a way to overcome his feelings of inferiority and dependence due to his cultural isolation, and how Antoinette is able to free herself from his tyranny. This is a critical essay over Victorian British and Postmodern literature, includes coming of age and postcolonial genres, criticizes with feminist methodology and psychoanalysis, and includes themes of colonization and romance.

Emma Goins, 鈥淭he Quadrinity of God: The Role of Woman Wisdom in Theology鈥� 

This paper works to discuss Woman Wisdom as a divine being and argues that the Biblical text supports a Quadrinity versus a trinity. This will include comparing the descriptions of Woman Wisdom to descriptions of Jesus and other ancient deities to best determine where she should fit, based solely in ancient text. The book of Proverbs clearly lays out a personified female deity, often known as Woman Wisdom. Not only is she described in the book of Proverbs, but it is also written that she was with God during the time of creation. While there are varying scholastic opinions about including her when discussing aspects of God and God's being, I argue that including her is not only biblically accurate, but also crucial for creating an expansive and dynamic religious experience for all people. The goal of this paper will be to determine where Woman Wisdom fits into Biblical theology and develop a Biblically and historically accurate understanding of Woman Wisdom. 

Natalie Turner, 鈥淲omen鈥檚 Independence: The Lasting Relevance of A Doll鈥檚 House鈥� 

Henrik Ibsen鈥檚 1879 tragedy A Doll鈥檚 House has stood the test of time for its intriguing and controversial social commentary. Studying Ibsen鈥檚 play centers around feminist studies and gender standards in late 19^th century Europe. The play鈥檚 ending was viewed as scandalous, and some productions used an alternate ending against Ibsen鈥檚 wishes, as studied by Norwegian professor Christian Janss in 鈥淲hen Nora Stayed: More Light on the German Ending.鈥� The play is monumental because the female protagonist continues to represent women鈥檚 struggles with domesticity and independence in the modern era. Modern women can still relate to Nora through her struggle to be treated with the same respect as the male characters. Ibsen鈥檚 story lives on through the women continuing to be inspired by Nora鈥檚 choice to seek independence by abandoning gender roles. 

Skyler White, 鈥淢onotony in Musicals鈥� *

This presentation looks at the choreographic process and history of three notable musical theatre director/choreographers: Michael Kidd, Michael Bennett, and Susan Stroman. The project looks at their individual success, how they were given opportunities. Towards the end the project looks at how the entertainment industry, specifically in New York, has a disparity between female and male directors and leaders in the industry and what that means for its future. The conclusion of the project touches on how this problem can be fixed, and what the lack of diversity means at a deeper level. 

*Winner of Women in Literature, Religion, & the Arts