Follow

• 

  Building Social Cohesion and Collective Efficacy among Students in Off-Campus Neighborhoods

  Thomas Glen Bobick-Braybrooks, Kaylin G. Florentino, Benjamin Russell Ronald Jones, Christian D. Kelly

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Bumblebees in Solar Prairies

  Nicolette A. Engelmeier, Grace A. Janszen, Morgan E. Mieland

  Bumblebees (Bombus Latreille) are an interest of many ecologists today due to the increasing decline of pollinators. A pollinator, such as the bumblebee, provides a large amount of service to an ecosystem since they aid in the survival and nutrition of plants and animals in their area. The data collected will help to understand if the solar prairie is being used by pollinators in the area and if it is beneficial to their survival. The goal of our research is to study areas in which a bumblebee may hibernate, between man-made or natural areas. We dug 10cm holes near both man-made and natural structures and searched through the soil to look for a singular queen bee. We used natural structures such as trees and plants that would provide protection. Man-made structures that we focused on were fences and mainly the solar panels in the solar prairie. We were not able to find any bumblebees during our search. We believe the main obstacle in our search was due to the warm weather patterns during a typically cold season, which may have caused the bumblebees to come out of hibernation early. As a result of this weather, we began searching for evidence of the bumblebees using the solar prairie as an ecosystem to survive in. We conducted bumblebees patterns of flight and foraging patterns inside of the solar prairie, which is important for the pollination of native plants in the area and the survival of other species in the ecosystem.

• 

  Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) invasion is predicted by forest edge not plant species richness in grasslands

  Michaela Jean Woods

  Fallow agricultural fields are target landscapes for ecosystem restoration; however, they are degraded and susceptible to plant invasion, requiring extensive management. Pyrus calleryana is an invasive tree in Eastern USA that escaped cultivation and became a prominent invader. The ecology of this tree is relatively unknow, but it grows in dense monocultures, outcompeting native counterparts, and is challenging to remove. Identifying landscapes that are vulnerable to invasion may allow for targeted management and could inform land manager decision making. Here, we assessed the level of invasion in restored prairies as well as their surrounding land use, plant communities and soil chemistry, to determine if these metrics could predict the invasion of P. calleryana. We selected two invaded and two uninvaded sites, sampled 25 quadrats in each and measured distance of quadrat to roads, forests or residences, P. calleryana presence/absence and abundance, plant species richness and cover, and soil moisture, pH and nutrients. We found higher species richness in uninvaded sites than invaded sites, contradicting the biotic resistance hypothesis. Invaded sites had more P. calleryana where grasses and forbs covered less area, indicating open niche space for invasion. Soils in uninvaded sites had higher pH, organic matter and ammonia availability, but lower phosphorus, nitrate and micronutrient content, aligning with our hypothesis that increased organic matter may alter nutrient ratios to promote native species. Finally, P. calleryana was more abundant near forest edges, but was not invasion was not related to roads or residences. Forest edges harbor bird perches which may facilitate dispersal of P. calleryana. Taken together, P. calleryana is more likely to invade on forest edges, suggesting targeted restoration in those areas; however, plant species richness and soil nutrient content may not be an appropriate indicator for determining the suitability of target landscapes.

• 

  Campus Sustainability Footprint Assessment at the University of Dayton

  Cassie Marie Austin

  The Campus Sustainability Footprint Assessment provides a baseline summary of the University of Dayton’s sustainability footprint and how it has changed over the past ~10 years. Although UD has regularly collected and reported sustainability data, this report synthesizes the data to assess sustainability progress, identify trends, and provide recommendations for how to reduce emissions and increase sustainability practices on campus. In partnership with sustainability tracking efforts of Facilities Management, the data used in this project was collected for previous reports to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) and Sustainability Indicator Management Analysis Platform (SIMAP).

• 

  Career Prediction based on Historical Background

  Abhijeet Gupta, Shruti Ajay Singh

  The project is about career predictor, which is based on an individual's education and working history. This data is mainly collected from LinkedIn, where one can see the person's career history, including the school, type of degree, working history. The collected data is categorized as the type of industry, work experience, number of degrees, and ranking of the latest school attended, and the number of publications. The data is used to train career classification model.

• 

  Chaminade Culture at UD and Symbolic Convergence Theory

  Charles Jones, Carson Rhoades, Clare Loesch, Thanh Ha, Lily Harvey

• 

  Changing and Improving Dental Hygiene in Long Term Care Facilities

  Julia Kathryn Kilroy, Charles Austin Spencer

  One of the most significant challenges to optimal dental health is simply practicing everyday oral hygiene. A recent study suggests that Porphyromonas gingivalis, a bacteria that causes gum disease, is also related to different forms of dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Porphyromonas gingivalis can move from the mouth to the brain and damage neurons, leading to memory loss and in time, Alzheimer’s. The majority of nursing home residents are unable to brush their own teeth or dentures, and their primary caretakers frequently lack the necessary training to do so. Furthermore, data shows that most residents in nursing homes are covered by Medicare, which does not cover annual checkups and is necessary for the potential prevention of dementia. Frequent dental check-ups, as well as regular dental cleaning and flossing will help to avoid the need for more invasive procedures later on when the person with dementia may be less able to perform adequate oral hygiene on themselves. Since Medicare doesn’t cover regular dental visits, an alternative solution is teaching healthcare workers to perform necessary oral hygiene. Another solution to this issue is to change the current Medicare coverage to include annual dental visits for those covered by Medicare. This poster proposal illustrates this association of poor oral hygiene and dementia and proposes solutions including educating assisted living workers on the importance of oral hygiene and the need for Medicare coverage of routine dental care.

• 

  Characterization of an Exact Electron Correlation Symmetry in Alternant Hydrocarbons Using Molecular Orbital Theory

  Christina Farwick

  Electron-electron repulsion in a quantum system facilitates a specific kind of interaction between electrons known as electron correlation. Moreover, the movement of an electron is influenced by surrounding electrons, the extent of which is described by the correlation energy. Code written in the mid-1980s using the Fortran 77 programming language outlined the Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) Method, and provided all data analyzed herein. The initial focus of the current project was aimed at re-writing the PPP program in MATLAB in order to obtain new information. Slater determinants will be used to show all possible results of single-electron excitations, and in the future, those of double excitations. Furthermore, note that each singlet state in a given molecule can be expressed as a linear combination of single-electron excitations, the coefficients of which will be discussed as a function of the range of repulsion. This repulsion distance will also be studied as it affects transition energy, and the repulsion integral decay formula is plotted against interatomic distance. In conclusion, the two-center, two-electron repulsion integral increases as the electrons move closer together, as does the energy associated with the 1Ag+ state, while the 1Ag- singlet state energy increases initially, then decreases.

• 

  Childhood Trauma Exposure Increases Long COVID Risk

  Julie Messinger, Cady Ujvari, Alicia Wilhelm Villanueva Van Den Hurk

  While long-term physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 remain unknown, it is clear that a proportion of COVID-19 survivors develop complications following acute illness, herein referred to as long COVID (LC) syndrome. Females appear to be at higher risk for LC, and also have higher rates of childhood trauma, which is associated with a heightened inflammatory response to stress. The present study investigated the impact of childhood trauma on COVID-19 illness course and recovery. Participants (N=244) completed online self-report measures of premorbid health, COVID-19 positivity, symptoms, and recovery, along with measures of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and childhood (CTE) and recent (RTE) traumatic experiences. Compared to recovered participants (N=110), the LC group (N=158) was older and predominantly female. Those who reported one or more CTE were nearly 3-fold more likely to develop LC (OR=2.87, CI, 0.95 to 8.60) while those who endorsed two or more CTE were 4.5 times more likely (OR=4.56, CI, 1.61 to 12.33). A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that chest pain (p<.001), fatigue (p=.031), burning sensation (p=.002), and olfactory hallucinations (p<.001) during acute COVID, along with sex (p=.001) and age (p<.001) predicted LC. Compared to pre-COVID diagnoses, rates of PTSD (p<.001), depression (p<.001), and generalized anxiety (Χ2=12.32, p<.001) increased across the entire sample and current PTSD (p=.001, partial η2=.042), depression (p<.001, partial η2=.048), and anxiety (p=.017, partial η2=.022) severity were higher in the LC group. These findings suggest that childhood trauma or early adversity may prove relevant to the development of long COVID via central nervous system changes and dysfunction in the form of central sensitization, somatosensory disruptions, and/or dysautonomia, resulting from a heightened inflammatory response. Psychiatric outcomes should be assessed following acute COVID-19, and future research is needed to determine the unique contributions of COVID-19 and general pandemic stress to post-illness mental health.

• 

  Civic Engagement at the University of Dayton: Political Science Senior Capstone Projects

  Michael Sullivan Beenblossom, Lilianna Jin Biswas, Randy Evan Borre, Elizabeth Grace Braun, Megan M. Broderick, Madison Elizabeth Cassel, Grant Christopher Combs, Brandon S. Frania, Mason E. Gordon, Eric G. Grimm, Lauren M. Healy, Hannah Claudia Hoby, Molly Catherine Houlihan, Daniel Joseph Isufi, Alexander George Janakievski, Jared Anthony Marfisi, Edward Thomas Mccarthy, Joshua Stevan Newmark, Fitzgerald Tioluwani Oladejo, Emily P. Orr, Brendan Romano, Kayla Nicole Schultz, Dylan J. Stapleton, Juliet Rose Twomey, Anthony Nicholas Ullman

  American democracy is at a crossroads. Political polarization is at an all-time high among both political elites and the citizenry, and trust in the fairness and validity of American election outcomes is also dropping. Some scholars argue that a decline in civic engagement can explain the decline in public trust and that increasing civic engagement among citizens may be able to help restore public trust and confidence in government and alleviate some of the more negative symptoms of political polarization. Students in the Political Science Senior Capstone have explored different dimensions of civic engagement on UD's campus or developed programming aimed to increase civic engagement among students on campus.

• 

  College Students’ Opinions on Climate Change: Do Political Views Matter?

  Aileen Marisa Hull

  Climate change is an ever impending crisis, and the politics surrounding the issue are as contentious as ever, especially in the United States with the extremely polarized political culture. The polarization of the political parties makes any environmental policy extremely difficult to pass. Meanwhile, the new generation of young people entering the workforce, voting scene, and public eye are bringing new demands to current climate debates. Youth make up a large share of environmental activism participants and opinion polls show climate change is on the minds of many young people. However, there is a lack of research on youth’s opinions on climate change as relating to their political affiliation. The purpose of this study is to measure young peoples’ views on climate change, while identifying how or if their political identification plays a role. A survey with questions modeled off the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication survey of Climate Change in the American Mind was distributed to 27 undergraduate classes at the University of Dayton. Questions explored political identification and personal belief relating to climate change science, risk, and policy. Using quantitative methods, the results explore how students view these topics and the relationship between their opinions on the environment and their political affiliations and participation. This research is important because young people will have an impact on both the policies and actions the country takes on climate change as well as trends of Republican and Democrat parties in the United States.

• 

  Colorectal Cancer Model in Drosophila melanogaster by Inactivating the Wingless Pathway

  Matthew T. Bilotti

  Wingless (Wnt) signaling is an important pathway involved in tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer of humans, and can be modeled in Drosophila melanogaster given the conservation of genes and cell biological processes. To understand which components of the Wnt pathway affect growth and patterning, we studied effects of loss of APC specifically in the eye discs using MARCM based approaches. The MARCM approach allows for manipulation of gene expression (both loss- and gain-of-function) in somatic clones. Under wildtype conditions of normal cell growth, the Wnt pathway is kept under check, where a destruction complex (comprising of several proteins like Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC), Dishevelled (Dsh), Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3beta (GSK-3beta) and beta-Catenin) prevents nuclear translocation of beta-catenin and promotes its degradation via the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. However, in the presence of Wnt ligand, signaling is activated and the destruction complex is inhibited. Beta-Catenin then proceeds to the nucleus as a transcription factor to turn on expression of its respective target genes which promotes cell proliferation and survival. We want to examine if loss of APC shows effects on growth and differentiation. In Drosophila, there are two APC family genes, APC and APC2, therefore we devised a strategy to generate double mutant clones wherein the expression of both APC and APC2 is eliminated in the same cells. To do so, we used the eyflp MARCM system to induce APC dysregulation solely in fly larval eye discs. We will study effects of loss of APC on growth, survival and differentiation in the eye discs, with special emphasis on interactions between APC /beta-Catenin with the Hippo pathway. We will use immunohistochemistry to study expression of Wnt target genes in experimental and control samples. We will examine the larval disc phenotypes like effects on differentiation, proliferation or cell death; and survival to adult to understand the interactions between the molecular pathways. We will compare if the interactions observed in the eye imaginal discs are tissue specific by comparing to the effects of loss of APC genes in the brain and intestines in Drosophila.

• 

  Combating Anxiety in the Dental Office and Ways to Improve your Experience

  Jamie Adam Dziurdzik, William Reilly Edwards

  Throughout the history of the United States, the importance and necessity of oral health has always been a top priority for our national healthcare system. Therefore, having recognition that regulating oral pathologies can help improve one’s overall health is essential for dentists to convey to patients during appointments. However, one crucial barrier dentists face when working with patients and communicating to them the importance of routine checkups and self-care is the issue of dental anxiety while in the office. We understand that dental anxiety can stem from a multitude of reasons including but not limited to personal trauma from a prior experience, office spaces that make individuals feel claustrophobic, monotone office paint colors, a hectic hygienist staff/environment, or mistrust between a patient and their dentist when operating in and around the mouth. Because dental-related anxiety is so common among patients, our research will include a wide range of potential dental patients asking them which factors may consciously contribute to their anxiety by answering an interactive survey. Participants will also be asked to select methods in which a dentist can help lower their personal anxiety. This information will ultimately be used in order for us to gather information on how to best help dentists with patient anxiety in the Dayton area.

• 

  Cometary Orbits

  Abdulhadi KH. M. S. Almutairi, Ahmad Z. M. TH. Almutairi, Bader KH. SH. N. SH. Almutairi

  This project describes the behavior of cometary objects in the solar system, specifically their orbital behavior and how the nature of these cometary objects makes them behave the way they do. It has taken scientists many years to study comets and take note of their behavior. The developments arising from their research seems to make more sense on how they came to existence. In the 4th century, a famous scientist deduced that comets are comets are somewhat emissions from the earth that rise to the sky. Later on Isaac Newton noticed that comets revolve around the son in an elliptical manner. The main purpose of this project is seeking to find out how comets came to existence and why they orbit around the sun in an elliptical manner.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Break-Ins and Disorder on Irving Avenue

  Aidan Scott Andra, Shaina C. Dawson, Avery Rebecca Lytle, Brandon Scott Novak, Jessica Lynn Starkweather

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Burglary and Theft on Stonemill Road

  Robert Steven Bradley, Brian Joseph Max Gregori, Molly Kathryn Griffin, Megan Lee Hernandez, Katie Costello Hindersman

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Porch Theft on Evanston Street

  Olivia Brady Canalizo, Anastacia N. Gathof, Kerrie K. Metress, Lindsey E. Vanhoose

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Theft and Disorder in the North Student Neighborhood

  Mohammad Abdullah A. Alnasser, Rachel A. Banks, Lindsey M. Coulter, Jack R. McGill

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Theft at Caldwell Apartments

  Lilianna Jin Biswas, Makira D. Cook, Elijah Mayo-Anthony Weaver

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Vandalism and Disorder on Lowes and Kiefaber Streets

  Hannah Alison Cola, Claire Rose Esslinger, Richard Gray Morisette, Nancy Russell

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Vandalism in University Housing

  Mackenzie T. Henry, Gabrielle Mikayla Wade, Lucy Larkin Waskiewicz

  This research is a semester-long course project in SOC 324: Communities & Crime. As part of this project, we have identified a crime-related problem in our neighborhoods/living spaces and apply community-building and environmental design approaches to offer recommendations and solutions that address the problem. Our work emphasizes the importance of social cohesion and sense of community in preventing crime and fostering feelings of safety on and around campus.

• 

  Comparative Study of Methods for Derivative Pricing

  Joel King

  Stock Options are financial instruments whose values depend upon future price movements of the underlying stock. Since such movements are unknown, the price of the underlying stock is modeled as a random process. This presentation will be focused on the pricing of important options including European, American, and some other exotic options. The importance of the no-arbitrage principle will be emphasized as a necessary requirement to derive meaningful prices of stock options. Additionally, we’ll review the derivation of the classic Black-Scholes model as a limit of a binomial tree. Under the assumptions of the Black-Scholes model, determining or approximating a fair price for options is possible with a variety of methods. We’ll cover three major techniques: binomial trees, Monte Carlo simulations, and methods for solving the Black-Scholes partial differential equation. The results from each method will be compared and we’ll note the limitations of each approach.

• 

  Comparing Aquatic and Terrestrial Leaf and Cicada Litter Decomposition Rates and Invertebrate Abundance in Old River Park

  Allyson A. Allen, Grace M. King, Miles Ellison Muratore, Emerson R. Phares, Megan Ann Poole, Adelaide Lorraine Starks

  Decomposition is essential for nutrient recycling when the carbon and other nutrients go back into usable forms from complicated molecules. In this study, we determined the role of habitat (terrestrial versus aquatic), litter quality (4 different plant species and cicadas), and insect abundance on rates of decomposition. We used mesh litter bags (how many total–4*5 types of litte*2 habitats) that we picked up at different time intervals and weighed litter remaining. We also extracted invertebrates from all bags. We predict that aquatic rates will be higher than terrestrial decomposition rates for both leaf and cicada matter. Additionally, we think there will be more aquatic invertebrates in the sample than terrestrial invertebrates. Lastly, we predict that leaf litter will decompose at a faster rate than cicada litter. Litter quality and habitat type both affect decomposition rates. If our predictions are correct we will see a correlation between invertebrate abundance and decomposition rate inferring that invertebrates help the decomposition process. If leaf litter decomposes faster than insect litter then leaves must be made of matter that can degrade faster than the matter of insects. The rate of decomposition is dependent on litter quality and environmental conditions. Temperature and moisture content have a significant impact on decomposition rates as well. When moisture conditions are favorable, increasing temperature causes an exponential increase in decay rates. So with this decomposition will thrive in given conditions and so it is an important aspect of finding what factors/roles are causing a progressive reaction in the decomposition environment type wise.

• 

  Comparing Hydrogen Production Pathways

  John Tossey Merkle

  Hydrogen is used in several industrial processes, with the current global demand of approximately 90 megatons annually (90MtH2/yr). This demand comes almost entirely from the industrial sector, to act as a feedstock for oil refining and the production of ammonia, methanol, and steel. Hydrogen production currently relies on fossil-fuel technologies, with almost all demand met using the steam methane reforming (SMR) process. However, SMR is carbon dioxide (CO2) emission-intensive; therefore, to meet a net-zero emission goal to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, it is necessary to decarbonize hydrogen production. Other methods used to produce hydrogen include coal gasification, water electrolysis, and methane pyrolysis. As with SMR, coal gasification is CO2 emission-intensive. However, the water electrolysis process has no direct CO2 emissions. Therefore total emissions associated with producing hydrogen via water electrolysis come from the energy source. In principle, the methane pyrolysis process is CO2 emission-free; however, natural gas production always involves some leakage, so methane pyrolysis will not eliminate CO2 emissions. In addition, carbon capture use and storage (CCUS) has also been implemented in some instances of the SMR and coal gasification processes, which has resulted in a non-trivial amount of emissions being averted. The present work compares the costs and benefits of these approaches to hydrogen production, including CO2 and natural gas emissions, financial costs, and potential byproducts.

• 

  Computational Biology Methods Devising Site-Directed Mutagenesis Reactions of the Polymerase Acidic Protein for the Enhancement of Protein Solubility

  Juliano V. Aquilino

  Current treatments of an Influenza infection target frequently mutating surface proteins. This causes increased variability in the effectiveness of modern treatment methods, as a single mutation in the protein could cause the antiviral to be ineffective. A component of the RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase (RdRp) of the Influenza A virus, Polymerase Acidic (PA) protein, is a promising antiviral target for a new generation of Influenza treatments because of its highly conserved nature. PA has been shown to have a similar structure and sequence across known strains of Influenza. Drug design research utilizes crystal structure to synthetically improve viral inhibitors through in silico analysis that can prevent the binding of PA to an additional protein, Polymerase Basic 1 (PB1). However, to gain a crystal structure of the protein for drug design, the macromolecule needs to be soluble, and previous experiments have shown highly insoluble characteristics of the PA protein. Computational calculations were utilized to create a set of site-directed mutagenesis reactions that would theoretically enhance the solubility of the protein structure by optimizing the intramolecular and intermolecular interactions. The investigated mutations are intended to decrease aggregation propensity, increase solubilizing interactions, increase solvent exposure, and increase the stability of the protein under expression conditions. Following the completion of the experiments, it was shown that residue-specific mutations of PA slightly increased the solubility of the protein structure under experimental conditions.