Stander Symposium: Projects with UD Institutional Learning Goals

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  Establishing Drosophila Intestinal Tumor Models to Study Signaling Interactions that Regulate Tumor Growth

  Venolia Adjei, Sydney Ellen Anderson, Brandon Jericho Clark, Maria Theresa El Biri, Michael K. Gruhot

  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the US, with the American Cancer Society estimating 153,000 new diagnoses and 53,000 deaths in 2023. Genetic mutations in the genes Ras, APC, and p53 occur at a high frequency in human CRC, including the activation of oncogenic Ras, loss of function of APC, and dominant negative mutations in p53. This potentially implicates dysregulation of the Ras-MAPK, Wnt, and DNA repair pathways associated with the products of these respective genes. Prior studies in patients have revealed two or more of these pathways to be dysfunctional in the majority of clinical cases, suggesting a greater need for multigenic models of CRC. To better understand tumorigenesis in the context of different genetic alterations, we have developed Drosophila melanogaster models of CRC by mispressing them individually (one-hit), in pairs (two-hit), and collectively (three-hit). Using these models, we will investigate the interactions among the aforementioned molecular pathways, characterizing the expression of pathway-specific downstream target genes, changes in the cell cycle, and tumor progression. To generate tumors in the Drosophila intestine, we misexpressed the genes under study using escargot-GAL4 (esg-GAL4), which specifically drives the expression of tumor-promoting genes in intestinal stem cells, in tandem with the heat shock-inducible FLP-FRT system. We quantified the survival rates of mutant and control flies to determine the impact of these mutations on survival. Additionally, the phenotypes and gene expression patterns of intestinal tumor cells were analyzed and compared via dissection of third-instar larvae and subsequent use of immunohistochemistry. Here, we present our preliminary data from these experiments and our progress in developing a preclinical model of CRC in Drosophila.

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  Ethos Guatemala Breakout - Aquaponic Systems

  Adam Robert Cartwright, Franklin Alexander McClimans, Sarah Jane McDonald, Keagan G. McDonough, Jacob D. Pentasuglio

  A team of undergraduate engineering students developed and installed an aquaponic system at a school for children from low income families in Zaragoza, Guatemala. The students used a systems thinking approach as part of a design thinking process for this project. During a 10-day immersion in Guatemala, they learned from and worked with local aquaponic experts and members of the community to install a system that is sustainable and appropriate for the school. This project is part of the Ethos Center within the UD School of Engineering.

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  Ethos Guatemala Breakout - Photovoltaic Systems

  Leah Michelle Dalton, Sophia Marie Dugan, Adriana Lucia Garcia, Amanda Metzler, Cameron A. Pierson

  A team of undergraduate engineering students developed and installed photovoltaic systems for low income families in El Jocotillo, Guatemala who did not have access to electricity. The students used a systems thinking approach as part of a design thinking process for this project. During a 10-day immersion in Guatemala, they learned from and worked with local photovoltaic experts and members of the community to install photovoltaic systems that are sustainable and appropriate for the families. This project is part of the Ethos Center within the UD School of Engineering.

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  Euphoria’s Trans Representation

  Katharine G. Tucker

  This THR/VAR 250 Diversity in the Creative and Performing Arts poster presentation project requires each student to research and present on a topic relevant to the interdisciplinary fields of visual and performing arts through a critical multicultural and social justice lens that foregrounds the appreciation of diversity and enables the expansion of personal cultural competencies.

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  Evaluation of Object Detection Methods in Inclement Weather

  Vatsa Sanjay Patel

  In this study, we thoroughly investigate the reliability of computer vision object detection systems in real-world traffic scenarios, particularly focusing on challenging weather conditions. Traditional evaluation methods often fall short in addressing the complexities of dynamic traffic environments, which is increasingly important with the advancement of autonomous vehicle technologies. Our research specifically examines how these algorithms perform in adverse weather like fog, rain, snow, and sun glare, recognizing the significant impact of weather on their accuracy. We emphasize that a system performing well in clear weather may struggle in adverse conditions. Our study includes detailed analyses of different architectural approaches, aiming to enhance traffic monitoring, vehicle tracking, and object tracking. Ultimately, our goal is to enhance transportation safety and efficiency by advancing robust computer vision systems for future autonomous and intelligent transportation technologies.

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  Evil Born from Good Intentions: Gandhi’s Critiques of Technology and Science

  Beecher Charles Dunne

  What is nonviolence — a concept, a mode of protest, a practice for modern living? This poster explores the ways in which nonviolence has been historically interpreted as "ahimsa," "beloved community," and as a way for practical and ethical thinking in our modern lives. We highlight the role of nonviolence as method and practice in historical and contemporary global instances that range from the farm workers movement, anti-nuclear protests, environmental green politics, and Dalit and Black actions towards representation.

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  Examining the Influence of Social Media Usage on Knowledge of Political and Social Issues

  Kaelene Samaria Walter, Alayna M. Yates

  This study will outline how social media can be a resource in educating its users considering the political climate, as well as the social activism that is present today. Previous research has helped explain the ways social media can act as a resource for learning about political and social news and occurrences, how it can spark civic engagement, and encourage political discourse and participation. However, there is still a gap that exists that this study aims to fill. This study asks how social media usage influences knowledge of political and social issues. It seeks to explain how news from social media is consumed by citizens, how it resonates with them, and whether it encourages specific participation or involvement in today’s social movements.

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  Examining the Relationship between Eating Disorder Diagnosis and Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders

  Molly Joy VanDerWoude

  The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between eating disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders specifically in people ages 18 to 25. Much research has been conducted on the general correlation between eating disorders and mental health disorders. However, research on the relationship between the two co-occurring disorders is limited, which is why attention on this topic is needed. This study aims to explore the causational relationship between eating disorders and mental health disorders to help with earlier diagnosis and prevent life threatening impacts these disorders may have.

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  Experimental Investigation of a Novel Morphing Wing Design

  Julian Alejandro Pabon

  The aerodynamic performance of a novel Fishbone Skin-Actuated-Camber (SAC) morphing wing design, which actuates its skin to change its effective camber, was studied both experimentally and numerically. Force-based experiments were conducted at the University of Dayton Low Speed Wind Tunnel (UD-LSWT) to compare the performance of four morphing wing designs with different hinge locations, two ideal trailing edge flap wings, and one conventional trailing edge flap wing. All test articles have an Eppler 479 airfoil, an effective aspect ratio of four, and were tested within an angle of attack range of -15° and 15 °. The novel design achieved effective camber change without any buckling, maintaining comparable aerodynamic performance to ideal flap wings at a Reynolds number of 270,000. At a Reynolds number of 400,000, the morphing shows a lower drag than the ideal flap wing. Simulations from FlightStream®, a numerical solver correlated well with experimental lift data, with the morphing wing's pressure contours indicating reduced flow separation and gradual pressure change on the upper surface when deflected.

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  Exploring Accessibility in Education: Are we creating Equal Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities?

  Grace Marie Van Atta

  It was only in 1959 that laws requiring education for children with disabilities started to appear. Since then, numerous laws have been put into effect to provide these students the adequate instruction and skills support needed to succeed in school. The accessibility of schools vary between rural, suburban, and urban schools. Different access to professional development for teachers, funding for students with disabilities, and the effects of Covid have impacted accessibility in education. This review aims to look at these factors and their effects on accessibility in education and thus the education that students with disabilities are receiving.

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  Exploring Influencing Factors of Body Image and their Impact on Mental Well-being

  Lauren Marina Santiago

  Body Image has been described as the mental picture an individual has of themselves. How an individual perceives their shape and size can be directly related to their self-esteem. Those who experience body dissatisfaction have also been found to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. The goal of this research project is to explore the underlying factors that can influence body image, and how experiencing distorted body image can impact mental well-being.

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  Exploring Neural Circuitry and Purkinje Cell Changes Underlying Cerebellum-Dependent Motor Abnormalities in Down Syndrome

  Amelia Rhyne Moore

  Down syndrome (DS) is a commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder and is caused by the triplication of human chromosome 21 (Trisomy 21). Individuals with DS have a broad range of behavioral deficits in cognitive and motor domains. From previous studies, it has been found that the cerebellum- a region of the brain that is critical for locomotor learning and coordination- has altered developmental trajectory in DS. This includes atypical development of purkinje cells (PCs) which are the sole output neurons for the cerebellar cortex that impacts locomotor behavior. We will use the Ts65Dn model to look at the abnormal brain development and compare the results to euploid mouse brains as the control. Previous studies have shown that these inputs are important for proper motor learning. However, it is unknown if the motor deficits in DS are caused by altered synaptic input in the PCs. The aims of my research include- 1.) define potential changes of PCs in a mouse model of DS by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and 2.) define gait abnormalities using locomotor learning tasks- ErasmusLadder and RotaWheel. Future experiments will be targeted towards continuing to make connections between the circuitry and behavioral tests to advance the understanding of DS.

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  Exploring Rhetoric: Insights from Bacon & Nichols

  Zack Rocco, Emma Sawchuk, Jessica Schad

  Rhetoric drawing on religious stories, ideals, concepts, and experiences surround us in our daily lives. These posters represent a sampling of the rhetorical analyses conducted by students from CMM 357 Religious Rhetoric throughout the Spring 2024 semester. Groups presented several themed reports prior to Stander and picked one to showcase at the symposium.

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  Exploring the effects of anaerobic propionate exposure on the cell wall of Listeria monocytogenes

  Elizabeth K. Herr, Angela J. Murrin, Troy D. Reisner, Jeanne Paula Escalante Sering

  Listeria monocytogenes is a food borne pathogen that causes serious infection, especially in immunocompromised, elderly, and infant populations. The gram-positive facultative anaerobe is exposed to many different conditions during its path of infection, and studying its ability to survive in these conditions can be helpful in learning how to prevent its spread. Anaerobic propionate exposure is frequent during Listeria transmission and infection but little is known about the ways in which Listeria fitness is impacted. To investigate Listeria fitness, we first measured cell morphology by comparing cell length to width ratio between bacteria grown with or without propionate. To further look into cell wall homeostasis, we also tested lysozyme susceptibility, peptidoglycan synthesis, and cell surface charge. We found that exposure to propionate changes the length to width ratio of Listeria cells in both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Further research discovered that propionate exposure protects Listeria from degradation by lysozyme under anaerobic but not aerobic conditions. Tests for peptidoglycan synthesis and cell surface charge can provide further insight into reasons for the change in cell morphology. Overall, the impact of anaerobic propionate exposure on Listeria indicates changes in its cell wall but further research is necessary to understand the full implications.

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  Exploring the Role of Social Support in Juvenile Recidivism.

  Jose Yeriel Antonio Urena, Caroline E. Majors

  There is existing research that supports the idea of social supports acting as a criminal deterrent. Therefore, the current research project took a sample from the Pathways to Desistance research study of 1354 juvenile offenders, ages 14-18, and created a negative binomial regression to study the participants’ self-reported offending as they are associated with other factors. The current research in Model 1 is studying whether familial or non-familial social support, and the depth of those supports, has an impact on the frequency of offending in the past year. Furthermore, the research in Model 2 is looking at the models of social support in addition to demographic factors and peer influence to see if there was an impact on frequency of offending. Models 1 and 2 were both included in separate tables for each dependent variable, one for the frequency of offending including drug offenses, and one for frequency of offending excluding drug offenses. The results of Model 1 show that more non-familial social support was associated with higher amounts of offending. The results also showed that depth of social support exhibited a significant negative correlation, indicating that greater support depth, or the depth of support a caring adult gave to the participant, was associated with lower offending frequency. In Model 2, antisocial behavior from peers demonstrated a highly significant positive correlation with offending. Antisocial influence from peers showed a positive correlation associated with offending including drug crimes, and a negative correlation with offending excluding drug crimes, but both without statistical significance. Demographically, higher ages were associated with higher offending frequency, the female gender was associated with lower offending frequency, and ethnicity was found statistically insignificant. These findings suggest nuanced relationships between social support, demographic factors, peer delinquency, and offending behavior, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of this phenomenon.

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  Factors That Create Positive Outcomes for Encounters with Frontline Workers

  Leonard Patrick Zaleski III

  Frontline public service workers (street-level bureaucrats) provide the most critical services to our most vulnerable populations. Residents of various communities may only interact with frontline workers instead of upper-level public servants throughout their lives, meaning that these public servants are crucial to the positive perception of their agencies, departments, and entire government. This creates a need to understand what factors can produce a positive outcome, both for the frontline workers and the residents they interact with. To understand what creates positive experiences, a comprehensive literature review of recent research from two of the top journals in public administration will be examined to determine what creates positive encounters with frontline workers for local residents.

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  Failure modes of silver versus gallium-alloy conductive traces at flex-to-stretch interfaces

  Josafat Jimenez

  Traces made from a conductive liquid-metal ink are blade coated onto a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) substrate for flexible and stretchable applications. The same process is used for a silver flake composite ink to compare with liquid-metal samples. Uniaxial strain is applied to the samples to test resistance response of 2 mm-wide traces for both inks to investigate electrical loss and failure modes. Results show 10x increase from initial resistance at strains of 15% for silver composite inks and 140% for liquid-metal inks on average. The failure mode of the silver composite is attributed to intrinsic material loss under strain while failure for liquid-metal inks is due to localized strain at the interface between TPU and polyimide. Bilayer traces with both inks exhibit both positive ink qualities, showing silver-like initial resistance and liquid-metal-like strain tolerance. Finally, using a softer substrate of styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) demonstrates higher straintolerance than TPU, without plastic deformation and lower resting state resistance creep after cycling.

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  Fatigue Limiting Behavior of LPBF Parts (AM Process Improvement)

  Luke Lowell Weston

  This study investigates the fatigue limiting behavior in aerospace alloys, focusing on the role of Critical Resolved Shear Stress (CRSS) in determining fatigue limits. Initially targeting Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) for four-point bending fatigue bars using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), challenges with contaminated Ti64 powder led to a shift to martensitic 17-4PH stainless steel (17-4 stainless). The research explores the impact of CRSS on fatigue limits, emphasizing its importance over slip systems per Mlikota's findings. Surface roughness analysis of the 17-4 stainless bars revealed a consistently higher average roughness, sharpness of peaks and valleys, and most importantly depth of valleys on the as-built side compared to the cut side. xCT scanning showed a 99.02% density obtained from the “high quality” parameter set, which would be suitable for many structural applications. However, the ordered networks of pores along the hatching suggest that material from this parameter set could never be considered airworthy due to the high surface area to volume ratio/surface energy. The manufacturers "normal" parameter set yielded 99.99% dense bars as measured by xCT, which is better than most castings.This research contributes to the understanding of the importance of CRSS in aerospace structural design and the fatigue limiting behavior of aerospace-relevant alloys. The findings emphasize the need for further investigation into the relationship between CRSS, slip systems, and the design of materials with infinite fatigue lives. With a proper understanding of the influence of CRSS on fatigue limiting behavior, it may be possible to develop aerospace alloys with infinite fatigue lives, greatly lowering maintenance costs.

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  Feature Selection in Reinforcement Learning

  Shruti Ajay Singh

  Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed today’s world with endless possibilities. We’ve reached a point where self-driving cars, and talking robots aren't science fiction anymore. Reinforcement learning (RL), a subset of AI, plays a crucial role in these advancements. However, as the lines between humans and machines blur, a question looms : “Can we trust AI to keep us safe and secure?”. RL unlocks the ability to learn on its own, but its learning can be manipulated making them vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Consider a self-driving car navigating a busy city street. Every lane change, signal interpretation, pedestrian interaction demands an instant decision in real-time. In an ideal world, the car receives noise-free sensory data, allowing the car to make safe decisions. However in a real-world scenario, the car is an easy target for malicious actors to manipulate the navigation system potentially leading to accidents. A threat that has severe consequences in other domains of RL applications : healthcare, transportation, finance. Therefore, achieving robustness against adversarial attacks requires a defensive framework tailored to the system’s characteristics. In this research, we address adversarial attacks on the observation state space in reinforcement learning. And we propose an entropy-based framework that detects and removes imposters by feature selection.

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  Financial sector stock returns in a rising Interest Rate Environment: An Empirical Analysis 1999-2023

  Michael James Kondritz, Ronald Joseph Marciano

  Financial economists have long assumed that a rising interest rate environment is favorable to financial institutions because they can lend out at interest rates greater than their cost of capital. In turn, this should result in higher financial sector stock returns. To test this hypothesis I look at four different time periods between 1999 and 2023 where the key Fed Funds rate has risen. I use the top 20 stocks by market cap in the financial sector to evaluate the relationship between rising Fed Fund rates and sector stock returns. A secondary objective is to see how non-bank entities faired, return wise, compared to the banks during these rising interest rate periods.

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  Fixed Wavelength Interferometer Sensors for Low-Cost Chem-Bio Sensing Applications

  Jianhao Shen

  We experimentally demonstrated slow wave enhanced phase and spectral sensitivity in asymmetric Michelson interferometer sensors with a phase sensitivity of 277,750 rad/RIU-cm and theoretical phase sensitivity as high as 461,810 rad/RIU-cm. In the context of low-cost chip integrated photonic packaged sensors, in this paper we will experimentally demonstrate a method for active tuning of interferometer fringes using phase change materials that will potentially overcome fabrication-induced variation of interference fringe wavelengths, thus allowing sensor chip packaging with a fixed wavelength laser and available integrated photodetectors.

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  Flight Test Validation of Tandem Propeller Performance with Vertical and Horizontal Offset

  Jessica Caitlyn DeMoor, Michael Ryan Foster

  Tandem propellers in forward flight experience an increase in power consumption when compared to the combined output of two standalone propellers. The increment in power is a function of horizontal and vertical displacement between the propellers (including overlap), the advance ratio based on the front rotor, and the inclination angle of the rotors. This functional relationship was quantified in our previous study through experimental investigations in the University of Dayton Low Speed Wind Tunnel using two KDE propellers. All tests were conducted under trim conditions, where the pitching moment of the two propellers was balanced by increasing the RPM of the rear rotor. To validate some of the functional dependencies identified from the wind tunnel investigations, a custom quad-rotor platform was designed and fabricated to conduct a series of flight tests with various propeller configurations that replicate the parameter space explored in the earlier experimental campaign. The quad-rotor platform will utilize an 8-inch propeller to assess the flight performance at three different horizontal and vertical distances between the propellers. For each test-flight, global positioning data, motor rpm, and motor power consumption will be recorded and compared against each propeller configuration. Comparisons between the flight test data and the wind tunnel experiment results will be made.

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  Flyer Enterprises Executive Team Presentation

  Macy Ellis Buck, Lauren T. Crum, Emma Louise Devine, Max Dieter Garbsch, Michael John Harsar, Connor Patrick Keefe, Blaise Patrick Knoll, Shelby Ann LaMattina, Joseph Daniel Marshall, Wyatt Timothy Winters

  Flyer Enterprises is one of the nation's largest student run businesses, located on UD's campus. Join us, while the Executive Team discusses what Flyer Enterprises is all about, the opportunities we offer, how to apply, and when FE accepts the most applicants.

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  Flyer PR Client Case Studies

  Stacy Allen, Mary K. Kelty, Caterina A. McNamara, Haley Nicole Reid

  The Flyer PR Agency is a student PR agency working with clients both on and off campus. Student account executives will present case studies from public relations campaigns completed in the past year.

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  Forced Abortions of the Mentally Disabled: A Case Analysis

  Maeve Clare Chawk

  Abortion is a highly contentious topic due to the mother’s health, her financial situation, and opinions from family and other loved ones. This becomes even more difficult when the fetus is diagnosed with birth defects due to social norms and hardships that are specific to taking care of a child with disabilities. However, others are committed to defending the lives of the unborn no matter the circumstances. In 2019, there was a case that arose in the United Kingdom where the mother was ruled unfit to have her child due to her child-like mental capacity and was forced to have an abortion. Yet, she was able to voice her opinion along with her family members. This case analysis will explore the perspectives of all parties involved and apply the moral principles and theories of virtue ethics, autonomy, and Natural Law Theory to argue what the correct ruling would be. Compassion and fairness should have been offered to the patient as she and her family members were willing to raise the child. This illustrates the moral principle of virtue ethics along with her own autonomy. In addition, the Natural Law Theory can be utilized to demonstrate how we have a natural inclination to support good and relieve suffering in human beings, therefore not causing a bad effect to achieve the good effect. This case poses the question whether a fetus is considered to be a person and how this impacts the ruling in this case and its future implications. In this particular case, my objection to the judge’s decision comes from the determination of who would be considered mentally unstable as this could vary tremendously. For this reason, I will argue that the wishes of the patient and her family should have been respected and the judge’s decision overruled.