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  Springing Leaves, Changing Greens

  Niani Brown, Grace Elizabeth Roberts Huff, Taylor Mackenzie Tomco

  Leaf phenology, the study of patterns in leaf emergence, serves as crucial evidence for changes in climate and habitats. Invasive plant species tend to leaf out first in the spring and often out compete native species, changing the landscape. Thus the importance of understanding what conditions drive leaf out in invasive species. We determined how the timing of leaf out in the spring was predicted by abiotic characteristics like temperature, photoperiodic changes, and moisture. The buds of two invasive species were examined in this experiment in order to determine the average leaf out time for each species, as well as the soil composition to better understand what conditions affect their leaf out rates. We predicted that bush honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) and Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana) growing in more moist soils with more open canopy will leaf out earlier than those in drier soils with more canopy cover and that leaf out rates will increase with an increase in temperature. For each species, five individuals at Old River Park were randomly selected as the focus of the study. The length of ten buds per individual were measured a total of six times over the course of three weeks for a total of 600 leaf measurements. Canopy cover, daily temperature, day length, and humidity were also recorded. A soil sample was collected once for each individual plant and analyzed for pH, conductivity, and amount of moisture present. From our findings, we hope to gain a better understanding of when invasive species like honeysuckle and Callery pear at Old River Park’s Ecological Research Area in Dayton, Ohio come out of dormancy and whether soil characteristics have an influence on this process.

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  Stigma as a Factor in Recovery for Individuals Who Use Drugs

  Kayla N. Burdette

  The goal of this project is to explore how stigma influences the recovery process of individuals who use drugs. In the past two decades the number of drug overdoses has increased for all age groups. According to the CDC, from 2016 to 2017 the number of drug related overdoses increased 45% (2018). More and more people are becoming physically dependent on these substances. Recovery can be impacted by a number of factors including internal and external stigma as well as various complications with the criminal justice system. The data came from 26 interviews with people involved with the Cache Valley Drug Court in 2016, accessed through the USU Digital History Collections which is publicly available online. NVivo was used to facilitate the qualitative coding process. Results indicate that although drug court can offer supportive services, some find the process overly complicated. Results also identify the impact of stigma on recovering individuals.

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  Structure-function analysis of Defective proventriculus (Dve) in Drosophila melanogaster eye growth and development

  Anuradha Chimata Venkatakrishnan

  During development, axial patterning is required to establish Antero-posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV), and Proximo-Distal (PD) axes, which is crucial for the generation of a 3-dimensional organ from a monolayer organ primordium. Of the three axes, DV axis is the first lineage restriction event during eye development and any deviation results in developmental birth defects. In our study, we have used Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) eye as a model system to understand the role of different domains of a new dorsal eye fate selector gene, defective proventriculus (dve, an ortholog of SATB1) in growth and development. In humans, SATB1, functions as a transcriptional regulator and chromatin organizer and requires tetramerization by the ULD domain. In Drosophila eye, dve regulates expression of wingless (wg), a negative regulator of eye. In the genetic hierarchy, dve acts downstream of GATA-1 transcription factor pannier (pnr) and upstream of wg. Loss-of-function of dve results in dorsal eye enlargement while gain-of-function results in eye suppression. We performed structure function analysis of Dve protein to elucidate the role of various domains in patterning, growth and development. We have developed several transgenic lines, which will allow us to induce expression of the specific domains of Dve protein and assay their effect on Drosophila eye growth and development. Dve has a ULD domain for tetramerization, HOX domains for DNA binding and PPP4R2 domain for H2AFX dephosphorylation. Here we present our results on ectopic induction of these domains and their effect on eye phenotype and wg expression in the developing eye.

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  Student Knowledge: Definitions of Sexual Assault Across U.S. Universities

  Natalia Sophia Bernard, Isabel Eva Neal

  The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses remains high among undergraduate college students, which begs the question of how well do these students understand its legal definition. This study set out to understand the definitions of sexual assault from a college student perspective. Specifically, the current study aimed to explore if gender differences existed between males and females in how well they understood the legal definition of sexual assault. A cross-sectional survey design employed online was used to inquire about college students' agreement with specific sexual assault definitions. An independent t-test was conducted across all 10 questions. Results show that gender differences existed for all but one question. Implications of this study will be discussed.

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  Students' Perception of Crime on Campus

  Noah T. Caster, Nicolas Ryan Spieker

  Our research project covers how students at the University of Dayton perceive crime and police presence on and around campus. The project compares student perceptions to the reality of crime in the area. We also showed how perceptions of police presence relate to crime data for the area. Our research aims to solve student perceptions of crime at the University of Dayton and make students aware of where crime is really happening.

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  Studying the Interaction between Dorsal Patterning Gene Defective Proventriculus (dve) and Hedgehog Morphogen Signaling in Drosophila Eye Development

  Anuradha Chimata Venkatakrishnan, Summer Hope Jento

  Organogenesis is a fundamental process required to form organs. It requires axial patterning for the transition of monolayer of cells to an adult organ and involves the delineation of Anterior-Posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV), Proximo-Distal (PD) axes. Drosophila melanogaster is a great model to study this process because the genes and pathways are highly conserved in humans. During eye development, the DV axis is the first to form, and deviations during this process result in developmental birth defects. We have previously identified defective proventriculus (dve), a transcription factor as a dorsal selector gene that regulates wingless during eye development. Morphogens like wingless (wg), hedgehog (hh), and decapentaplegic (dpp) have important roles during eye development. The Hh pathway is highly conserved in mammals and has a role in growth and development. According to our hypothesis, dve interacts with Hedgehog signaling pathway during eye development and may have a role in eye vs. head fate specification. Using the Drosophila eye as a model, we study the interaction between dve and hh to understand the role of Hh signaling. We have used the GAL4-UAS bipartite system to modulate Hh signaling in the dve domain. We will be presenting the results from our initial studies. This study will further our understanding of patterning defects and the basis of genetic birth defects in the eye.

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  Sustainable Stories: Linking Graphic Design and the Environment to Inform, Educate, and Inspire

  Shannon Marie Stanforth

  Sustainability encompasses the three spheres of the environment, society and the economy—demonstrating its interconnected complexities and multifaceted applications. Similarly, graphic design can be used as a tool to illuminate issues and highlight the importance of a wide variety of themes which necessitate the attention of the current public. In pursuing my thesis, I aimed to develop a project which would reflect the ideals of sustainability while simultaneously serving to educate about the importance of caring for the natural world. Furthermore, my research explores how the disciplines of sustainability and design overlap and interact, searching to discover ways in which they may be linked for the purpose of education and inspiration. The medium of a children’s book introduced me to one creative avenue for combining the fields and realizing this aspiration.

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  Tep1 Regulates Yki Activity in Neural Stem Cells in Drosophila Glioma Model

  Karishma Sanjay Gangwani

  Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant brain tumor with a poor prognosis. Amplification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), and mutations leading to activation of Phosphatidyl-Inositol-3 Kinase (PI3K) pathway are commonly associated with GBM. Using a previously published Drosophila glioma model generated by coactivation of PI3K and EGFR pathways [by downregulation of Pten and overexpression of oncogenic Ras] in glial cells, we showed that the Drosophila Tep1 gene (ortholog of human CD109) regulates Yki (the Drosophila ortholog of human YAP/TAZ) via an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. Oncogenic signaling by the YAP/TAZ pathway occurs in cells that acquire CD109 expression in response to the inflammatory environment induced by radiation in clinically relevant models. Further, downregulation of Tep1 caused a reduction in Yki activity and reduced glioma growth. A key function of Yki in larval CNS is stem cell renewal and formation of neuroblasts. Other reports suggest different upstream regulators of Yki activity in the optic lobe versus the central brain regions of the larval CNS. We hypothesized that Tep1 interacts with the Hippo pathway effector Yki to regulate neuroblast numbers. We tested if Tep1 acts through Yki to affect glioma growth and if in normal cells Tep1 affects neuroblast number and proliferation. Our data suggest that Tep1 affects Yki mediated stem cell renewal in glioma, as reduction of Tep significantly decreases the number of neuroblasts in glioma. Thus, we identify Tep1-Yki interaction in the larval CNS that plays a key role in gliomagrowth and progression.

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  The Author's Words and the Editor's Pen: A Self-Study in Editorial Decision Making

  Margaret Mary Cahill

  This study investigates the practices that professional book editors use when evaluating manuscripts for publication. Specifically, I ask: 1) Which edits are the most essential to the overall development of a text? and 2) How does the editor serve as the bridge between writer and reader? In seeking answers to these questions, I apply the editorial practices for reading and manuscript development reported by book editors to my work as an editor of one writer’s memoir manuscript currently in the process of revision. Drawing on interviews with the author, recordings of our editorial meetings, and changes in the manuscript itself, I examine the role of the editor in shaping both the author’s work and the author’s memories included in the manuscript. As the author seeks publication of her memoir, I employ the knowledge from working editors to assist her in preparing the manuscript for submission.

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  The Black Studies Movement, 1965-1975

  Maleah Aujenae Wells

  This presentation will explore the Black Studies Movement of the 60-70s, analyzing the grassroots activism of Black students in higher education. Although the movement was a national phenomenon, this research will put its focus on the University of Dayton during 1965-1975, using the Black Studies Movement as a lens to look at UD through. Black students on campus organized protests and issued a list of demands to the UD administration in 1969. This list of demands included the establishment of a Black Studies Institute, better recruitment of Black students and professors, and etc. We will be able to better analyze the events that took place on the University of Dayton’s campus by looking into the importance of Black Studies and the impact of the Black Power Era.

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  The Donald’s Patriots: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Communal Development and Collective Identity in Trump’s Most Rabid Online Community

  Aidan Michael Cotter

  Despite the rise of extremism in the United States, little is known about how extremist communities manifest online. Thus, I investigate here how one particular online community, the now-banned Reddit page “The Donald”, expresses collective identity and thereby utilizes communal attributes in bringing users together. I examine a sample of posts and comments throughout 2020 on the Trumpian, white-nationalist online message board The Donald. Through a content analysis of randomly selected threads, I analyzed for communal themes and evaluated how The Donald’s users practice collective identity. I found that the site's users (self-identified as “Patriots”) share significant collective beliefs about race, gender, and political affiliation. From these shared beliefs, I was able to identify how the “Patriots” practice collective identity through means such as: othering; meming; and the deification of Donald Trump. I cite the statistical evaluation of the sample’s thematic composition, as well specific content from the qualitative analysis in identifying these communal factors & strategies. Overall, my study argues that The Donald is a definitive community whose members share common sociopolitical values and communal strategies in solidifying their extremist group.Keywords: community, collective identity, far-right extremism, internet socialization

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  The Effect of Religion on Healthcare Provider - Patient Relationships

  Allison Elizabeth Herceg, Matthew David Hilts, Avery Lyn Lewis, Jillian K. Tore

  The objective of this research project was to determine religion’s effect on social justice and the common good in the healthcare realm. Our research has shown that more accessible, effective, and holistic care is given when healthcare providers incorporate and accommodate diverse religious traditions into their practice. After an intensive review of the available literature on the connection and interaction between religion and healthcare, we observed a positive correlation between the presence of religion and clinical encounters. Clinical encounters can be defined as any direct interaction between healthcare providers and patients. More specifically, we addressed the presence religion from the perspective of healthcare providers, patients, healthcare institutions and government entities. In each of these groups, religion had an overall positive impact. When a religious presence is involved, we found that physicians are better equipped to care for their patients and their traditions. Additionally, a religious presence encourages patients to make well-informed, positive decisions related to healthcare and wellbeing. When taking religion into consideration, healthcare institutions and policies allow for greater outreach and support for a wider array of patients. Ultimately, collective action to include religion in healthcare promotes the pursuit of the common good.

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  The Effect of Smartphones on the Mental Health and General Well-Being of College Students

  William P. White

  In the last decade or so smart phones have undoubtedly assumed a prominent role in the lives of average Americans. Whether or not smartphone users are aware of the potential for lasting negative side effects on their mental health on account of their addictive habits is unknown and largely unstudied. It is time that as a society we begin to self-examine and identify systemic issues, especially the glaringly obvious ones like the ones screened media present. An angle that consistently presents the most profound statistics is from the victims themselves. Gathering data from the people and for the people and promptly presenting an effective solution is the job and duty of a researcher. This research does exactly this. Through a comprehensive survey dispersed across the University of Dayton’s undergraduate population, personal phone usage data was gathered. The results were staggering to some extent, yet not totally out of the realm of believability. 58 percent of respondents self-reported an addiction to their smartphones. A figure like this for a substance like alcohol or tobacco would raise serious concern across the nation. The consequences of long-term exposure to screens include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality, hypertension, attention deficit disorder, and vision disorders. Public exposure to these serious and lasting symptoms of an abusive relationship with smartphones is the next step. Another idea that deserves consideration is that these symptoms are only the physiological consequences of smartphone addiction, leaving out the entire realm of social consequences that coincide with an addictive screen relationship.

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  The Effects of Propionate on the Activation of Macrophages Against the Intracellular Pathogen Listeria monocytogenes

  Leah O'Malley Allen

  L. monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can infect and cause death to immunocompromised, pregnant, or elderly individuals. The purpose of this research is to determine whether propionate, a common metabolite in our gut with known effects on our immune system, can signal our immune responses to prevent L. monocytogenes infections. Therefore, in this project, propionate was added to white blood cells where nitrite and reactive oxygen species were quantified to determine the effect of propionate on the activation of the immune system. Furthermore, RT-PCR was used to measure the effect of propionate on iNOS gene expression. Lastly, gentamicin protection assays were performed on naive and activated white blood cells to determine the effect of propionate on L. monocytogenes infection. Overall, these results will provide a greater understanding of the effects of propionate on immune cell activation and L. monocytogenes infections.

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  The Evolving Relationship Between Religion and Civil Rights in America

  Shea Maureen Donovan, Emma K. Mason, Henry Joseph Perry, Nickolas S. Shroyer

  This study looks at the various roles different religious groups play in the ongoing civil rights movement in America. The purpose of this study was to explore whether religious groups in the United States have been supporting the civil rights movement or have instead further sustained racial discrimination in America. In particular, this study examines discrimination against Muslims after 9/11, antisemitism, and the ways in which political leaders have used religion in a good or a bad way for their title. A literature review of relevant articles in psychology, sociology, and anthropology was conducted to examine the relationship between religion and civil rights in America.

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  The Great Irish Famine: Memory and Nationalism in Ireland and the Diaspora

  Marie E. Poinsatte

  The Great Irish Famine of 1845 – 1852 is among the most infamous moments in Irish history. In addition to changes to the physical landscape, the political, social, and cultural makeup of the Emerald Isle was forever altered. Such an event could not fail to leave an indelible mark upon the history and memory of Irish people. Throughout the twentieth century, first from the North American Diaspora and then within Ireland itself, when it became necessary to assert Irish identity, for revolution or peace, nationalist forces leaned of the Great Famine as a shared cultural moment. In newspapers, folklore, memorials, and children’s stories a narrative of Irish resistance against foreign oppression and perseverance in most desperate times is reinforced by Irish and Irish descended historians, journalists, curators, and state authorities.

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  The Impact of COVID on Domestic Violence Impact and Services in Dayton and Beyond

  Lauren Marie Higgins

  This presentation will focus on how people experiencing domestic violence and the services that serve those people are impacted by COVID-19. I will be explaining the results of my project which were reached through the analysis of reports and articles, interviews with local service providers, and a literature review on the problems that already exist for people experiencing domestic violence. I will give background of domestic violence as an issue, and then provide insight into how COVID could be exasperating these issues. I will discuss how social distancing may be contributing to an increase in domestic violence, and how COVID may be impacting services as well as creating additional barriers to accessing services and impacting services financially. I will also discuss how COVID and racial injustice could be impacting people experiencing domestic violence by preventing them from reporting to police. Throughout the presentation I will be highlight the experiences of people experiencing domestic violence in Dayton and also how services in Dayton are responding to COVID-19. Finally, I will discuss my own conclusions and limitations, and make recommendations for how institutions can protect those experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic.

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  The Impact of Mental Health Spending on Recidivism and Prison Violence Within Ohio

  Sarah Presley, Emily I. Rau

  Since deinstitutionalization, the number of individuals incarcerated that have mental health challenges has dramatically increased. The correctional system has sought to reduce recidivism in multiple ways for individuals who have mental illnesses through court programs, diversion, and other community programs. The literature that focuses on a mental health services while incarcerated however, is not as extensive. There are services available to an individual once they are released from prison, however providing these services within the prison environment has not been evaluated as a potential solution for reducing recidivism for mentally ill individuals. Additionally, violence in prisons, specifically focused on those with mental illnesses is of concern. This research seeks to determine the relationship between mental health spending in prisons and its effect on recidivism rates, specifically within the state of Ohio. The research also aims to determine the relationship between violence within prison and mental health spending. This study will be conducted through expenditure analysis of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. With a large percentage of individuals currently incarcerated in the state of Ohio diagnosed with a mental illness, there is a need to know if increasing mental health services within prisons would have an impact on recidivism rates as well as prison violence.

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  The Impact of Nitric Oxide on the Growth and Proliferation of Listeria monocytogenes

  Mackenzie Taylor Martin

  Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a foodborne, pathogenic bacterium that causes the illness listeriosis. The pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes can be impacted through the alteration of many different substances, pathways, and conditions. Varying nitric oxide levels have a well-documented impact on the spread of L. monocytogenes. Nitric oxide molecules are present in many cells and participate in diverse cellular functions, notably playing a significant role in the body’s immune response. Through the support of the Dean’s Summer Fellowship, students in Dr. Sun’s research lab investigated, summarized, and discussed current scientific literature related to the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes. This presentation will detail the discussions related to the impact of nitric oxide on L. monocytogenes pathogenesis. Upon review of the literature, it is evident that the presence of nitric oxide results in enhanced L. monocytogenes infection. Nitric oxide production has been shown to be associated with enhanced bacterial infection of macrophages, protection against bactericidal mechanisms, and increased bacterial escape of L. monocytogenes. Furthermore, studies suggest that activation of the Nf-kB pathway, which is closely related to nitric oxide production, also enhances L. monocytogenes infection. An understanding of the impact of nitric oxide on L. monocytogenes infection has important clinical implications in developing therapies to mitigate infection as well as relevant research significance in the understanding of other complex pathways, such as the Nf-kB pathway.

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  The International and Intercultural Leadership Certificate: Becoming a Global Leader

  Julia Ann Ziemelis

  There are many articles, networks, summits and even foundations all based around the concept of becoming a global leader, but what does this mean? How does one become a global leader? Upon my first year at the University of Dayton, I knew I hoped to add an aspect to my degree to show my passion, care and appreciation for other cultures. I wanted to understand injustices occurring in our world today and broaden my ways of thought. I strived to learn more about what it means to be an intercultural leader. In this presentation, I will discuss the experiences that made adding the International and Intercultural Leadership Certificate to my degree so impactful and help shape me into a global leader.

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  The Laplace Operator on a Plane

  Meredith Ann McFarland

  The goal of this presentation is to show some properties of functions, defined on open domains of the Euclidean plane, that are solutions to particular partial differential equations which involve the Laplace operator. One important example is harmonic functions, which are solutions of the Laplace equation. The behavior of these functions, on bounded domains, encompass some interesting properties that are instrumental in several applications in physics and engineering.

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  The Living Wage and Human Rights Studies

  Faith Mary Gill, Melissa F. Moore, Emily Grace Puebla

  For this assignment, our team project will be taking on the topic of living wages. We will be taking on the goals from the UN that cover Decent Work and Economic Growth, as getting paid a living wage comes with what would be qualified as "decent work". A living wage would also help support economic growth. We would also aim to address Goal 10: Reduced inequalities, Everyone getting paid a living wage will help support the separation of inequality among social classes. One of the main questions we will hope to address is, “Does everyone at UD have a living wage / how many hours would a student have to work to pay for tuition." Our team's research focus will be on the University of Dayton. We will do research on different types of faculty and if they earn a living wage. Research is important because it gives us the information we need to come to a conclusion. Without research we would not know the answers to our questions and therefore could not advance our knowledge on the issues at hand. Research is a tool to achieve the set forward UN goals. We also will try and develop a better understanding of how much a student would have to work at given wages to pay off their tuition. We will utilize the university archives, online information, and our interview to gather information for our project. We will summarize this information in a podcast.

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  The Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse: theory, applications, and a generalization

  Benjamin C. Wilson

  The Moore-Penrose pseudo-inverse is the more widely known generalization of the inverse of a matrix, and has applications in many areas including least squares. We present its definition, some of its properties and its connection with left and right inverses. We also discuss two different methods for computing the pseudo-inverse. Finally, we show its applications to the standard least-squares problems and propose a generalization of the pseudo-inverse using a general dot product on ℝ^n.

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  The Multi-Sensory Design of a Synesthete's Everyday Experience

  Madeline Murphy Spicer

  Perception, which can be defined as becoming aware of occurrences in the world through the senses, is different for every person (Merriam-Webster). My thesis deals with perception in the form of a condition called synesthesia and the communication of this condition using graphic design. Synesthesia is a condition that involves the involuntary crossing of the senses, resulting in multi-sensory experiences every time a synesthete absorbs the world and visible language. Utilizing the field of graphic design, I created several projects to communicate my three goals of conducting research on synesthesia, sharing what I experience every day, and educating others about synesthesia. I used the inspiration of many important sources about synesthesia to create a graphic design-centered action plan that included: a book I created, entitled Storybook of Synesthetic Discovery; research posters; and a visual song that utilize my visual perception of the world as a synesthete.

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  The Perception of Being Stalked and its Emotional Impact

  Samantha L. Lonsinger

  According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, each year an estimated 14 in every 1,000 persons age 18 or older fell victim to stalking (Stalking). The impact that stalking can have on an individual has the potential to lead to a variety of mental health issues (Kilpatrick & Acierno, 2003). Victims of crimes such as stalking can experience extreme trauma which is one of the causes of depression. The mental health of victims needs to be studied so that effective counseling programs can be implemented across the globe. This project looks into the question, how does one’s perception of being a stalking victim impact their emotions? The hypothesis is that those who perceive the actions of others to be stalking will have a negative emotional response. The secondary data analyzed was pulled from the National Crime Victimization Survey: Stalking Victimization Supplement, 2006. The sample was a stratified multistage cluster sample that included 78,741participants. The correlation tests showed that whites are more emotionally impacted by the perception of stalking than non-whites and women were more emotionally impacted when they perceived that they had been stalked than men. More research is needed to develop a better understanding of the relationship between stalking and emotions.