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  Does ‘The Daily Show’ Put You in the Know? Comparing the Political Engagement of Late-Night Audiences and Cable News Audiences

  Kathleen Dawson, Zoe Hill

  Previous research has assessed variables and their implications on political communication. Our research project intends to look for differences in participants' political involvement based on their viewing of late night talk/comedy shows. We are interested in finding if there are significant differences between those who watch late night shows to learn political information and those who watch cable news to learn political information. Specifically, we are interested in whether the medium of political information impacts political involvement and voting patterns. Some of the variables examined throughout the literature and the study include political party, what is learned from late night television shows, what is learned from cable news, discussion of politics with others, voting patterns, and political involvement with campaigns. Medium Theory is guiding the research study as it conveys the difference in meanings of the message conveyed with regard to the different channels used to communicate it. Based on the previous research, we’ve curated research questions that focus on a variety of influences on political communication. Our research question is: how does political information learned from late night talk shows impact political involvement compared to political information learned from cable news?

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  Does Your Faith Heal You? Spirituality and Physical/Mental Healing across Communities of Various Faith Traditions

  Dustin Teders, Jacob Szafranski, Maria Graziano, Lauren Doorley

  This project is a literature review on the correlation between spirituality and physical/mental healing across communities of various faith traditions. Our findings evaluate trends demonstrated among various religious communities, including Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, Native American culture, impacted by physical and mental impairment.

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  Driving Behavior Monitoring and Analysis System Using IoT Devices

  Samuel Reynolds

  I am developing a project for my IoT class to monitor and analyze individuals' driving behavior. This will be done by using a Circuit Playground Express to record changes in velocity and a GPS device to track the vehicle's location. Both of these devices will be connected to a Raspberry Pi, which will be powered by a battery pack and connected to the internet via a phone hotspot. The Raspberry Pi will collect data from the IoT devices during a drive and transmit it over Node-RED to an online dashboard, where the data will be graphed for real-time visualization and analysis.My project aims to help drivers better understand their driving habits and patterns with feedback on their rate of acceleration and the location of sudden/abrupt turns. This allows the driver to know where they could improve their driving and serve as a potential tool for promoting safe driving to insurance companies.

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  Drosophila Eye Model to Study the Role of Mnat9 in Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementia

  Emily Snider, Prajakta Deshpande, Anuradha Chimata Venkatakrishnan; other authors: Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

  Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is manifested as extracellular accumulation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) plaques and intracellular accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) due to hyperphosphorylation of tau that results in destabilization of microtubules. Targeted misexpression of human Aβ42 (GMR>Aβ42) in retinal neurons of developing Drosophila eye results in Aβ42 plaque(s) formation, extensive neurodegeneration and mimics AD like neuropathology. However, the underlying mechanism(s) for Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration have not been fully understood. In a forward genetic screen, we identified microtubule associated N-acetyltransferase 9 (Mnat9) as one of the genetic modifiers of GMR>Aβ42 neurodegenerative phenotype. Mnat9 is known to stabilize microtubules by inhibiting c-Jun-N- terminal kinase (JNK) signaling. The neurodegenerative phenotype of GMR>Aβ42 is rescued by gain-of-function of Mnat9 whereas loss-of-function of Mnat9 exhibits converse phenotype of enhanced neurodegeneration. Human Mnat9 also suppresses Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration suggesting the functional conservation. Surprisingly, Mnat9 neuroprotective function is independent of its acetylation activity. We found that Mnat9 downregulates JNK signaling pathway, which is involved in rescuing neurodegenerative phenotypes seen in GMR>Aβ42 background. Here we propose a new neuroprotective function of Mnat9 in downregulating JNK signaling pathway to ameliorate Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration.

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  Drosophila Glioblastoma Model to Study Signaling Pathways

  Jibriel Saqibuddin; additional authors: Arushi Rai, B.N. Rohith, Amit Singh, Madhuri Kango-Singh

  AbstractObjective: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumor that has limited treatment options. The amplification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-VIII (EGFR-VIII) and activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P13K) pathway are common genetic alterations observed in GBM patients. Our objective is to model GBM in Drosophila melanogaster and study the signaling pathways that promote GBM growth and inhibit cell death. Specifically, we aim to investigate the roles of MAPK, Hippo, and WNT signaling pathways in regulating GBM growth, and Cactus expression which regulates the JNK pathway.Method: Our project involves genetic crosses that produce larvae with GBM, followed by brain dissections and immunohistochemistry to study changes in signaling pathways that promote GBM growth. Specifically, we are studying the early time points to understand the roles of signaling pathways like MAPK, Hippo, and WNT in promoting GBM growth and/or inhibiting cell death. By comparing our GBM models to experimental controls, we aim to generate initial data for designing further genetic experiments to identify specific signaling interactions that affect cell death and proliferation. We will be using two fly lines, Line 1: UAS P13K92E;+;RepoGFP/TM3B;Sb, and Line 2: W*UASEGFR * *λtop/TM6C for our studies. A genetic cross between these lines is expected to generate larvae that show glioma overgrowth due to coactivation of PI3K and EGFR in the glia.Significance: The proposed research has significant implications for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying GBM growth. Using Drosophila as a model system allows for efficient genetic manipulation and provides a cost-effective way to study complex biological processes. Additionally, the results of this study will contribute to our understanding of GBM and have the potential to inform the development of more effective treatments for this devastating disease.

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  Duplicate Image Detection using Machine Learning

  Karthi Balasundaram

  In today's digital age, the amount of data being generated and shared on a daily basis is growing at an unprecedented rate. With this growth comes the challenge of managing this vast amount of data effectively. That being said, there are approximately fifteen billion images shared on social media per day. The same image may exist in multiple locations in different formats, sizes, and with slight variations, making it difficult for end-users to filter and detect duplicate images. This duplication can lead to unnecessary storage costs, reduced data quality, and decreased productivity as users waste time searching for the right image.Detecting duplicate images is a crucial task in various fields and there is a growing need to automate this process. The primary objective of this project is to create a system that can identify duplicate images by comparing two images, even if they have slight differences in color, size, or format. To achieve the goal, we developed a system that detects and flags duplicates. The system utilizes various techniques such as visual similarity, image hashing, computer vision and Machine Learning techniques. The system is integrated into a web application that enables users to upload images and detects duplicates. The system also highlights the differences between the images. Overall, the development of a duplicate image detection web application can offer significant benefits to organizations with extensive image collections. By automating the process of identifying duplicate images, it can save time, reduce costs, and enhance the overall data quality.

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  Dying and Rising in Wonder: Epistemic Vulnerability and Closure in Pope Francis and His Critics

  Colin McGuigan

  In October 2019, traditionalist Catholics vandalized several indigenous folk statues that had been used ceremonially to commence the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region in Rome. The vandalism marked the symbolic zenith of opposition to the Amazon synod and Pope Francis’s vision of a synodal church; a church that listens. This essay argues the opposition had roots in a colonialist theological paradigm. It compares the words and deeds of anti-synod bishops, journalists, and activists to the theological project of sixteenth-century missionary to Peru, José de Acosta. According to Duke cultural anthropology and romance studies professor Walter Mignolo and Yale theologian Willie James Jennings, Acosta articulated a Eurocentric view of indigenous knowledge and practices as valueless, superstitious, and sinful. Acosta theologically joined Christian mission to colonialism’s forcible reordering of native lives, land, and culture according to Old World ideals. Drawing from Jennings’s decolonial theological reading of Acosta and Scottish-American philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre’s work on epistemic crises and traditions of inquiry, this essay argues Acosta’s imposition on native worlds arose from a defensive eschewal of epistemic vulnerability facing the New World’s radical challenge to Old World understandings. This essay describes Acosta’s refusal as a refusal of wonder, and it argues that the synod critics in 2019, fearful of change, repeated that refusal precisely. Colonialism’s Eurocentric, defensive epistemic closure has stymied the Catholic intellectual tradition’s capacity for wonder and change. This essay proposes Pope Francis’s openness to wonder as a source to move the Catholic intellectual tradition beyond Acosta’s epistemic sclerosis. Francis’s wonder, the essay argues, finds deep roots in his intellectual and spiritual formation as a Jesuit seminarian and priest. The distinctive sources of Francis’s wonder give his thinking a determinate, yet always expectant character; ever ready to die to old understandings and rise again to more intimate encounter with reality.

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  Dynamic Analysis Framework for Classifying Malicious Web Pages

  Allen Varghese

  The increasing use of web-based applications has led to agrowing need for robust and secure systems that can ensure the privacy and security of sensitive information. Unfortunately, the functions and APIs used by these applications are often complex and prone to exploitation, making it difficult to detect and prevent malicious activity. To address these challenges, we propose a deep learning-based approach that detects malicious behaviors at run time.The proposed approach leverages APIs and function call at runtime to detect malicious behaviors. More specifically, we trained a deep learning model on the data extracted from 1 million web apps. The use of deep learning to monitor these functions is a novel approach that has the potential to provide real-time protection against malicious activities.Implementing the proposed solution involves writing a JavaScript script that modifies the monitored functions. The script assigns each function to a new custom function that logs its usage and calls the original function. The custom functions use the apply method to preserve the context of the original function. The information collected from logging the functions is then used to train the machine learning model. The expected outcome of this thesis is to deliver a functional implementation of the proposed framework that can effectively detect malicious activities, while also generating useful usage insights for JavaScript APIs.

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  Effect of Race and Eyewitness Testimonies on Attorney Plea Bargaining Recommendations

  John McCabe, Emily Cowen

  Previous research has analyzed the effect that race has on plea bargaining decisions. Studies have shown discrepancies in plea recommendations between white and black defenders. There is a gap in the literature regarding the overlap of race, plea recommendations, and attorney experience. The current study analyzes differences between prosecutors and defense attorneys when recommending plea bargains involving cross race and same race eyewitness testimonies using data collected by Kathy Pezdek. The variables evaluated are race, plea recommendations, and attorney factors such as years of experience and type of attorney.

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  Effects of Both Anthropogenic and Environmental Stressors on the Life History Traits of Daphnia

  Emily Berkshire, Lauren Myers

  Climate change due to anthropogenic activity is forcing organisms to adapt to shifting environments at a rate faster than they may have ever before. An important factor to this rapid response to environmental change is phenotypic plasticity. Apart from holding a crucial trophic role in the freshwater ecosystems they inhabit, Daphnia magna species exhibit this adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental variation. In this investigation we aim to replicate a real-world, multi-stress environment for Daphnia magna individuals through exposure to increased temperatures and Stickleback fish predator cues. To examine Daphnia magna phenotypic response to these stressors, individuals were placed into four different treatment groups from birth to death: normal temperature + no predator cues (control), normal temperature + predator cues, increased temperature + no predator cues, and increased temperature + predator cues. Daphnia size was measured at 7 days old and total lifespan reproductive output was collected as well. At the conclusion of this experiment, data on plasticity among Daphnia magna life history and morphology in response to environmental stressors will be available. The goal is to provide insight on how this species is able to adapt and survive in a stressful environment, with one of the stressors being anthropogenic.

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  Effects of Chronic Pharmacological Modulation of SERCA in Learning and Memory Processes in Mice

  Ben Klocke, Carter Moore

  Calcium ions (Ca2+) in the brain play a vital role in prominent neurobiological functions, including neural communication, growth, long-term potentiation, and cell death. As a result, the regulation of Ca2+ levels in neurons is carefully managed, and Ca2+ dysregulation has been linked to various neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Schizophrenia. Herein, we sought to investigate how chronic pharmacological activation of an integral endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-handling effector may affect learning and memory in the Morris Water Maze test in C57BL/6J mice of both sexes. In the context of the current honors thesis, we have gained insights into the relationship between intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and learning and memory processes. Our efforts are currently targeted towards extending our findings in additional animal models of learning and memory.

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  Effects of Paternal Heat Exposure and Parental Care on the Development of Offspring in Gasterosteus aculeatus

  Emma Borgert

  Humans are profoundly altering the abundance and distribution of organisms via climate change. In particular, warming temperatures are affecting marine and freshwater ecosystems by increasing physiological stress, limiting growth, and decreasing dissolved oxygen. With all this change occurring, an understanding of how organisms are going to cope is crucial. Transgenerational plasticity – when parental experiences alter offspring traits - can allow organisms to rapidly adapt to environmental change. Previous literature has focused on the role of maternal experiences on offspring traits, but paternal experiences are just as important. Fathers can influence their offspring in multiple ways, including changes via both sperm and paternal care behaviors. Three-spined sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, are a small fish found in freshwater and marine ecosystems with paternal-only care. Many populations are facing the threats of drought and wildfire, making it important to understand how they will adapt to climate change. To understand how paternal heat exposure alters offspring development, I exposed parents to cool (~17°C) or warm (~20°C) water temperature and then manipulated whether fathers provided paternal care or offspring were artificially aerated; this generated offspring that received cues of heat exposure from gametes alone versus from gametes and paternal care. I found that males exposed to warmer temperatures were less colorful but provided the same amount of care overall to their offspring. Offspring of cool-temperature males were shorter than offspring of warm-temperature parents, but only when males provided paternal care. Offspring survival was not affected by parental heat exposure but was lower when offspring themselves were exposed to warm temperatures. Overall, these results suggest that heat exposure alters both paternal and offspring traits, and that the effects on offspring depend on the mechanism of paternal effects (care versus sperm).

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  Effects of propionate on macrophage migration with and without infection

  Cian Callahan

  Macrophages are leukocytes that play an important role in the antibacterial responses by our body’s immune system. The activities and functions of macrophages are influenced by a variety of substances, such as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) found in the gut. Currently, we know that SCFAs, such as propionate, induce directional recruitment of leukocytes. For intracellular bacterial pathogens, the movement of infected macrophages can contribute to the systemic dissemination of the pathogens. However, little is known whether SCFAs like propionate can modulate the movement of infected macrophages. To fill this knowledge gap, Listeria monocytogenes, a human pathogen capable of causing infections with high mortality rates, is used as the model intracellular pathogen. It is not clear how propionate modulates activities of macrophages infected with Listeria monocytogenes. The first objective of my honors thesis is to develop a transwell protocol to assess macrophage migration, including the identification of optimal staining procedures, macrophage numbers, and transwell pore sizes. The second objective of my honors thesis is to investigate how propionate changes the migration of infected macrophages. Findings from this study can help us better understand regulatory signals for macrophage functions and reveal potential immunotherapeutic treatments against intracellular infections.

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  Effects of the Invasive Shrub Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) on soil properties

  Coleman Cryderman, Alexander Owens, Jacquelyn Amaya

  Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) is one invasive species of shrub that grows rampantly in many temperate forests across the United States. The Environmental Research Area, located on the University of Dayton campus, is one such location where the amur honeysuckle thrives. These plants are known to decrease biodiversity and cause harm to the ecosystems they inhabit by outcompeting native plant species, due to their ability to receive more sunlight and secrete an allelochemical from their leaves. Lack of biodiversity is not only bad for forest ecosystems but also can lead to soil degradation. The introduction of invasive species in general can have an impact on soil ecosystem. As such, soil quality may be different across areas of forest where there is a high density of the invasive amur honeysuckle as opposed to areas where there is not. Our research will assess soil quality in areas of forest with different densities of amur honeysuckle at the University of Dayton ERA. We hypothesize that at high densities the amur honeysuckle will decrease soil quality and increase the pH of the soil where it is found. In order to test this hypothesis, five sites were selected based on their varying densities of amur honeysuckle, which spanned from high to low density. Three soil samples were taken at each of these sites using a soil corer and placed into separate bags. Each site was measured to be an area of 4 meters and the exact density of each site was determined. We analyzed soil pH, moisture, bulk density, percent roots, and conductivity. We expect to see a trend of significant changes in the pH and quality of the soil as the density of amur honeysuckle increases across sites.

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  Emotions within Art

  Courtney Ayres-McClinton

  As an artist, I am someone who works off of my emotions. If I am upset, my sadness is put into the artwork. If I am angry, my strokes become harder. If I am happy, there is a sense of balance. I work off of the way I am feeling because it puts a piece of who I am at the time into my work. My art becomes a timeline of my emotions and

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  Empowering or Oppressive? The Impact of Religious Gender Roles on Worldview

  Jamie Burenga, Hannah Schultz, Brianna Comstock, Samantha Thomas

  This project is a literature review focusing on women's roles in religious groups and how traditional gender roles impact how the world views women and how women view themselves. We found that gender roles in religious groups, modesty culture, religious leadership, and stereotypes often negatively impact women’s body image, mental health, and the gender power balance. Additionally, religious teachings of female submission have been linked to domestic violence ideology.

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  Establishing Drosophila Intestinal Tumor Models to Study Signaling interactions that regulate tumor growth

  Ayesha Sheikh, Michael Gruhot, Anthony Latronica, Sydney Anderson, Arushi Rai; other authors: Amit Singh, Madhuri Kango-Singh

  In 2023, the American Cancer Society estimated 106,970 new cases of colon cancer and about 50000 new cases of rectal cancer in the USA. Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the second most lethal cancer. Studies in patients revealed the genetic lesions associated with CRC. These include activation of oncogenic Ras, loss of function of APC, and dominant negative p53 mutations. Genetic mutations in these three genes- RAS, APC and p53 have a high incidence rate in human CRC. We have developed a Drosophila melanogaster CRC model by integrating all three mutations in a single fly line. To understand the expression of each mutated gene on tumorigenesis, ‘one-’, ‘two-’, and ‘three-hit’ models were also made. Using these models we plan to establish how combinations of genetic alterations promote intestinal tumor growth. We will investigate the interactions between the molecular pathways involved by assessing the effects on the expression of pathway-specific target genes in the tumors and characterizing tumor progression in our CRC models.To generate CRC tumors in the Drosophila intestine, we misexpressed the genes under study using Esc-GAL4, which will drive the expression of tumor-promoting genes specifically in intestinal stem cells. We quantified the survival rates of mutant and control flies to determine the impact of these genetic alterations on survival. Second, by dissecting the gut of third-instar larvae we assessed the phenotypes of intestinal tumors. We have preliminary data from our immunohistochemistry studies that will be compared between all CRC models. Here, we present our progress on the development and assessment of CRC models using the power of Drosophila.

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  Everything but the Kitchen Sink / Junk Drawer / Divergence / Connected Divergence

  Timmy Reilly, Lauren Borek, Allison Amos, Kendal Weber, Megan Weeda, Claire Murphy

  Fine Art students Senior Thesis Presentation.

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  Examination of Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in SMF28E Coring and Nufern 1060XP Fibers and Identification of the Brillouin Threshold and the Brillouin Frequency

  Michael J. Mueller; other authors: David E. Zelmon, Said Elhamri, Imad Agha

  High power lasers are being used for an increasing number of applications in medicine, industry and the military. Increasing demands for high power, small size, and light weight have made the use of high-power fiber lasers a very attractive alternative to traditional solid state, gas, and chemical lasers. However, when operating at high power levels, fiber lasers are subject to nonlinear effects such as stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering. Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) is a nonlinear optical effect in which light interacts with a propagated acoustic wave. The Brillouin thresholds and the Brillouin frequencies for the standard SMF28E and Nufern 1060XP fibers are identified.

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  Examining the Impact of Types of Mediums on Adults vs. Teens in Terms of Their Political Awareness

  Nolan Watson, Alicia Donley

  In today's digital age, the role of different types of mediums in shaping political awareness and engagement has become a subject of considerable interest and debate. With the expansion of various media platforms, including traditional news outlets, social media, and online forums, the ways in which individuals engage with and become aware of political information have undergone notable changes. However, scholars have long debated how different types of mediums affect different age groups, particularly when it comes to political awareness. This topic sparked our research interest as young adults are able to vote. Understanding how different types of media affect political awareness is critical in today's society, especially when individuals are bombarded with a variety of political messages from various sources. Previous research has shown that young people, in particular, are increasingly turning to social media and online forums for political information, while traditional media outlets such as television and newspapers remain popular among older adults. However, it is unclear how different types of mediums affect political awareness among different age groups. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the impact of various media platforms on adults' and teens' political awareness. By identifying the factors that influence political awareness across different age groups, this study seeks to provide insights that can promote greater political understanding and engagement.

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  Examining the Prevalence of Side-Effects and Their Impact on Patient Satisfaction in Antidepressants

  Erin Millhouse

  Psychiatric antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed to patients struggling with mental health disorders. While these drugs can be effective in treating symptoms, they often come with side-effects that can negatively impact a patient's quality of life. In this study, we analyzed the prevalence of side-effects associated with various medications as well as overall patient satisfaction. Our sample included reviews from 891 patients who were prescribed one of four medications: Zoloft, Lexapro, Cymbalta, and Effexor. We narrowed it down to five side-effects that appeared to be more prevalent within the reviews: weight gain or loss, nausea, decreased libido, insomnia, and dry mouth. We have found that patients who reported experiencing any side-effects tended to have lower satisfaction ratings compared to those who did not. These findings highlight the importance of considering side effects when prescribing psychiatric medications and the need for further research in this area. It is important for clinicians to be aware of how these side-effects affect patient satisfaction in order to optimize treatment outcomes.

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  Explicating the Relationship between Social Media and Offline Political Engagement among American Youths

  Rachel Young, Jacob Mantle

  The goal of our research is to explore the relationship between political media consumption and political activity among young people in the United States. Specifically, we are interested in examining the role of political media in shaping American young people’s perceptions of the importance of being politically involved. Political participation is essential to a functioning democracy. Discovering how young people’s consumption of political media impacts their perception of the importance of political involvement will provide insight into potential avenues for increasing political participation among young people. The distinction between civic and political activity is illustrated in the literature review. Despite the lack of research, we know political involvement contributes to a stable democracy. By focusing on how to accomplish this among young people, our research will provide practical solutions to ensure the functioning of American democracy for generations to come.Much of our research is focused on social media, particularly Facebook, because of its popularity and the role it has played in the last few presidential elections in the United States. Additionally, social media is prominent among young people with 84% of Americans ages 18-29 reporting they use at least one social media site (Pew Research Center, 2021). Through our secondary research using data collected from 1,228 Americans ages 16-29 (Vromen et al., 2013), we hope to discover what motivates young people, the future of our country, to become politically active.

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  Exploration of Methods for the Synthetic Pathway of Chiral Organophosphonates

  Jackson Shuman

  Numan and Brichacek developed a new method for the synthesis of chiral organophoshinates in 2021 with moderate yields and mediocre stereoselectivity. In their publication, they first generated isopropyl phenyl-H-phosphinate (i-Pr PhPHO) as a starting material by reaction of phenylphosphinic acid and liquid 2-propanol at high temperatures in a tightly sealed reaction vial. They reported yields of around 70-75%. However, when done in our lab, the yield was only 11% or less. Several attempts at improving yield centered around increases in temperature, but this ultimately made no changes in yield. Further research uncovered a different method for the synthesis of i-Pr PhPHO proposed by Afarinkia and Yu which utilizes alkyl chloroformates and phenylphosphinic acid. This new reaction yielded upwards of 90% product in our lab. It also takes far less time, requiring only 15 minutes to reflux compared to the 18 hours of the old method. The new method also has the benefit of being safer since it does not require heating a sealed-volume apparatus. We tested a new catalyst, HyperBTM, for its ability to create chiral organophosphinates using Numan’s protocol. Although very similar in structure to Numan’s catalyst (BTM), HyperBTM has an increased amount of steric bulk and slightly larger ring size that we envisioned would be more selective in the reaction. We found that the use of HyperBTM results in trace yields of the desired product. Enantiomeric excess was undetermined due to suspected degradation of the compound during HPLC through a chiral column. An alternative strategy is currently underway that combines BTM with various transition metals to form a cooperative bifunctional catalytic approach that we envision will have greater success.

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  Exploring a Mathematical Model of Crime Dynamics Including Media Coverage and the Police Force

  Adin Stoller, Timothy Parson, Henry Stiles

  In this project, MATLAB was used to analyze the model presented in the paper Mathematical Model Analysis of Crime Dynamics Incorporating Media Coverage and Police Force. The Runge Kutta methods of order two and four are implemented. We used the built in functions Ode45, Ode23, and Ode113 to approximate the solution of the model, as well as compare the accuracy. As a pathway to discovery, the initial conditions and differential equations were altered to further improve the accuracy of the model by more accurately reflecting real world conditions. Furthermore, Euler’s Method was utilized and compared to the Runge Kutta method used in ‘ode’ functions to further demonstrate the accuracy of the Runge Kutta method.

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  Exploring Negotiators' Perceptions of Communication Techniques and Training in Hostage Negotiation

  Emma Blair

  Crisis/hostage negotiation involves specialized communication, techniques, and training to peacefully end hostage/barricade situations. Limited research has shed light on power, rapport, and verbal matching techniques. Further research from the perspective of the negotiator is needed to explore the application between training and implementation in actual cases. Using a phenomenological approach this study aims to understand what perceptions are held by law enforcement negotiators regarding negotiation tactics and training in a midwestern state. The sample includes four semi-structured interviews of hostage negotiators who have handled crisis/hostage negotiations. Initial coding, thematic analysis, and memoing were used when coding and examining the data. The themes that emerged during data analysis were ‘law enforcement interaction and procedure’, ‘training options and benefits’, ‘conversational skills and demeanor’, and ‘empathy and relationship building’. Negotiators showed enthusiasm for the current training options. Emphasis was placed on the importance of building rapport in negotiations, using Active Listening Skills, and engaging in scenario/roleplay training. Findings and recommendations will be discussed.