Stander Symposium Projects

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  The Impact of External Stimuli on the Molecular Trajectory of Micelles Residing at the Stability Boundary

  Joshua Killian, Jiaxi Xie

  Self-assembly is the potential key to understanding how we can build useful chemical and biochemical systems from individual molecules up to macro structures. The modification of the makeup of a micellular solution and observation of some of the physical and chemical properties of the solution was the goal and purpose of this research. Specifically, the purpose was to determine the molecular trajectory of the formation of the micelles in solution and to attempt to explain different kinetic and thermodynamic pathways. This research explored the nature of surfactant micellular solutions that contained a headgroup of ammonium with a chloride counter-ion in three different tail-group compositions. The three solutions were cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride, and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride. The solutions were modified by the addition of various species, most significantly, decyl alcohol, tetraethylorthosilicate, and benzene. They were subject to heating, cooling, and shaking to form different micelles. The solutions were tested by various methods, including IR runs and particle size analysis, of the clear, shaken cloudy, and temperature manipulated cloudy states. The results of this research showed that there were two pathways of micellular composition, a kinetic and a thermodynamic pathway. Future research could involve the further modifying the makeup of different micellular solutions by the addition of different types of alcohols, aromatic compounds, or silicate groups to determine if these trends are consistent across different micelle formations.

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  The impact of soil micronutrients on the gut microbiome of orthopterans

  Melani Katharine Muratore, Caitlin Joanne Schneider

  Nutrient limitation and nutrient-related stress can impact animal growth and abundance. An animal’s microbiome can also be affected by environmental and population constraints. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of both macronutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and micronutrients, including sodium, calcium, and potassium, in shaping the gut microbiome of grasshoppers and other orthopterans. Grasshopper and katydid species were obtained from a coastal tall grass prairie in Texas, which was part of a multifactorial fertilization experiment manipulating the presence of macronutrients and sodium, calcium and potassium in all possible combinations, and dissected to harvest the gut, from the crop to the hind gut. We then extracted DNA from 75 orthopteran gut samples and submitted the sames for high throughput 16s and 18s sequencing with plastid filtration by Zymo Research. The sequencing results indicated a wide range of species diversity both within individuals and between them. Alpha diversity rarefraction calculations confirmed sequencing saturation in all samples. Results show a relative abundance of Erwinia, a genus that includes many plant pathogens. Preliminary analysis suggests a relationship specifically between the presence of sodium, coupled with nitrogen and phosphorus and the relative abundance of Erwinia, as well as other taxa. There also appear to be microbiome composition differences between species that are strict herbivores and those that are omnivorous. Our results indicate that both macro and micro nutrients affected the composition of the gut microbiome of these orthopterans and highlight the potential role of the orthopterans in the transmission of plant pathogens.

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  The Impact of the 515nm Effect on Singlet Oxygen Quenching in Photosynthesis: Model System Studies Using β –Carotene–Acid Complexes

  Lauren Arlene Hoody, Caoqinglong Huang, Ashlee Elizabeth Wertz

  β-carotene (βC) is an orange biological pigment present in green plants, where it plays a protective role against the potential harmful effects of light. βC does this by deactivating “singlet oxygen”, which is a toxic molecule generated during photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, βC temporarily converts from its native orange state to a pink state. We hypothesized that pink βC reacts with singlet oxygen less efficiently than native orange βC. To test this hypothesis, we chemically modeled βC’s pink state with blue βC–acid complexes, which are chemically similar to pink βC, created by reacting βC with trichloroacetic acid (TCA). βC’s efficiency at deactivating singlet oxygen was characterized by measuring the rate of degradation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF), which has a high reactivity towards singlet oxygen and is used to detect the amount of singlet oxygen in a solution. Our DPBF–based results to date indicate that native orange βC and blue βC–TCA complexes quench singlet oxygen with roughly equal efficiency. In future studies, we intend to confirm our DPBF–based results by monitoring the impact of βC and βC–TCA complexes on the 1270 nm (near–infrared) emission of singlet oxygen using a state–of–the–art, time–resolved near–infrared spectrometer; the UD Chemistry Department hopes to purchase this instrument in the near future. The results from this research could facilitate the development of solar energy devices with greater long-term stability.

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  The Impact of Visual Aids for English Language Learners

  Sarah Mary Scoville

  English Language Learners have a unique set of learning needs and learning challenges. This review of the research literature explores addressing those needs by using visual aids. The guiding research question is how do the various types of visual aids influence English Language Learners? Visual aids can come in numerous forms and be used for all ages. Visual aids help students by scaffolding and encouraging increase in self-esteem. Students perform better when using visual aids and overall benefit from them personally and academically.

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  The Impacts of White Flight in Urban Neighborhoods of Dayton

  Aaron Joseph Pirc

  The challenges that face Dayton’s public schools are the product of a number of historical events, including segregation, block busting, and white flight. Drawing on the Facing Project Narratives, news articles from the city of Dayton, and social science literature, I describe these challenges. This poster presentation raises awareness on the issues students face. In addition, programs that have attempted to improve educational outcomes in Dayton (such as Dayton Early College Academy) will be discussed.

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  The Importance of Technology in the Classroom for English Language Learners

  Brittany Nicole Resar

  There are various forms of technology that can benefit English Language Learners’ (ELLs) success in the classroom. This literature review explores three forms of technology: interactive white boards, iPads, and computer technology and how these forms of technology can impact ELL students in the classroom. Interactive white boards can be used to provide images and videos to help ELLs learn vocabulary terms, as well as giving the entire class the same opportunity to engage with technology. When ELLs use iPads, they can work at their own pace and use a variety of features on the iPad to support their learning, such as a translator. Computer technology supplements the learning of ELLs because of a wide range of available software and computer programs. The ability to use technology to advance learning also provides motivation and new experiences for the students to keep them engaged. However, teachers must ensure that the technology is enhancing the learning of the ELL students. Some issues that teachers might face include a lack of resources, difficulty incorporating the technology into the curriculum, and language barriers when students try to understand instructions while using the technology.

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  The Influence of Self-Esteem and Stress on Academic Performance in College Students

  Angel Joshua Pagan

  The proposed research seeks to examine the association self-esteem, how one perceives their abilities and worthiness in society, on the human stress hormone, cortisol. According to Lazarus & Folkman (1984), stress occurs when perceived environmental demands exceed one’s ability to cope with them. The majority of research available pertains to elevated levels of the hormone due to physical, external and internal stressors, but lack in the dimension of investigating self-esteem. The proposed research seeks to expand the body of work regarding the causes of stress and self-esteem on academic performance. Current research states if an individual does not believe he or she is competent, significant or worthy, heightened appraised stress can be expected to occur (Eisenbarth, 2012); therefore, it is hypothesized that an individual who has a perceived low self worth (low self-esteem) will have increased levels of cortisol, leading to lower academic performance. In contrast, individuals with high-perceived self worth (high self-esteem) will have lower levels of cortisol, which will contribute to higher academic performance. The proposed two-part study will use the data collected to find the association between self-esteem and stress, via the steroid hormone cortisol, on the participant's actual academic performance. These findings will be compared to illustrate the correlation between the variables to add to the body of work pertaining to factors that influence academic performance.

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  The Integration of Spirituality, Movement, and Cursive to Enhance Learning

  Emma Grace Geckle, Carolyn M Karutz, Jennifer Anne Malashevitz

  This presentation will examine spirituality, movement, and cursive writing in the classroom and its effects on the learning environment. Benefits and consequences of each classroom initiative that influences learning will be reviewed. The findings in this study could influence instruction in K-12 education.

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  The Inverse of the Coefficient of Variation as a Portfolio Weighting Factor: An Empirical Analysis of Returns for the Consumer Discretionary Sector 2019-2017

  Emily Marie Teutsch

  Portfolio stock weights based on the mean-variance proposition suggests that investors for any given level of risk will attempt to maximize returns and for any given level of return, will attempt to minimize risk. In this study, I used the inverse of the coefficient of variation (COV) as a proxy for the investor’s return/risk ratio. Using 1/COV, I develop portfolio stock weights for the 20 top stocks by market value in the SPDR Consumer Discretionary sector ETF (XLY). I give higher weights to stocks with higher return/risk ratios and rebalance these ratios annually. I use a 3-year moving average of stock returns to capture the return/risk ratios. Performance is calculated for the years 2009-2017. The benchmark is the S&P 500 SPDR ETF SPX.

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  The Irish Question: Woodrow Wilson, the Irish, and Irish-American Diplomacy.

  Ryan Joseph Westerbeck

  The Irish Question was the title often given to nationalist and independence movements in Ireland in the early 20th century. Several attempts were made to secure Ireland's independence in the early 1900's, the most famous of which is the Easter Rising in 1916. This thesis concerns the period immediately following those events, from 1916 through 1920. The end of the Great War caused many nations to look for independence and international recognition at the Paris Peace Conference, often due to President Wilson’s own words. During this period, several prominent Irishmen and Irish Americans attempted to reach out to President Wilson to support the Irish independence movement. These attempts were unsuccessful. The following thesis will explain how the representatives of the Irish cause attempted to convince Wilson and the reasons why they failed in securing the support of the United States government.

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  The medial prefrontal cortex is a sex-specific mediator of ketamine’s antidepressant action

  Emily Margaret Flaherty, Joey Edward Saurine, Connor F Thelen

  Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has steadily been increasing in recent years and by 2030 this neuropsychiatric disease is projected to be the leading cause of disease burden world-wide. While MDD is more prevalent than ever before, new treatment options are being explored to provide rapid and long-lasting relief. One of the most promising candidates is the non-competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine. This drug, in low doses, has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression within hours in both animal models and treatment-resistant depressed patients. Despite this revolutionary finding, research focusing on the effects of ketamine has been predominantly conducted in males. What’s more, recent studies have identified a sex-specific antidepressant response to ketamine making the need for further investigation imperative to ketamine’s future role as an effective treatment option for both males and females. In this study, the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mediating ketamine’s antidepressant response was assessed in stress-naïve male and female C57BL/6J mice. It was discovered that ketamine induced male-specific neuromolecular alterations in the mPFC that may underlie the drug’s therapeutic effects; these same alterations in protein expression and synaptic spine density were not present in females. Taken together, the data supports that the mPFC may be more important in regulating the male antidepressant response to ketamine whereas other brain regions may play a greater role in orchestrating ketamine’s beneficial effects in females.

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  The mediating role of idealization in the association between couples' geographical separation and infidelity

  Ellen Frances Krueger, Angel Luis, Emily Nicole Panella, Hind Salih, Alicia Michelle Selvey, Gabriella M Vargas

  Although romantic partners are typically characterized as being closer in proximity, long-distance relationships (LDR) are becoming more common. LDRs are more common for various reasons, including educational degree attainment, military deployment, and emigration. Couples use Relational Maintenance Behaviors to continue and enhance the relationship. One such behavior is categorized as idealization, which occurs when a partner focuses on the positive aspects of the relationship and ignores disagreements or areas of contention. LDR couples have a tendency to idealize each other more due to geographical distance and lack ofproximity. Previous research suggest that maintenance behaviors negatively correlate with infidelity; it is possible that LDR couples who engage in maintenance behaviors are less likely to cheat on their partners. There are many facets toand emotional infidelity, such as sexuality, emotional satisfaction, attitudes-norms, and revenge-hostility. The relationship between maintenance behaviors and idealization has been documented by previous research, but infidelity in relation to both has yet to be explored. Based on previous research, we hypothesize that idealization will mediate the relationship between geographic proximity and infidelity. Specifically, we predict that those who are in long-distance relationships will idealize their partners more than those who are in geographically close relationships, and that higher levels of idealization will, in turn, predict lower levels of infidelity. Mediation will be tested using a bootstrapping technique. Results will be presented.

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  The Other Woman: Women's Tendencies to and Perceptions of Mate Poaching Across the Menstrual Cycle

  Margaret Marie Jaeger

  Mate poaching, or romantically pursuing an individual already in a committed romantic relationship, is a potentially hazardous mating tactic for women, as it opens them up to retaliation from scorned women. Because of this danger, from an evolutionary perspective, mate poaching would be most valuable to a woman when she would benefit most from the poached partner in the form of offspring, or when a woman’s conception risk is at its highest. Research in the field strongly suggests that women who are partnered to genetically desirable men are wary of ovulating women because of their tendency to mate-poach. The present work examines this relationship more closely. The first experiment examined if women were in fact more likely to mate poach when they are ovulating as opposed to when they are not. The second experiment examined how women perceive other, ovulating women that they imagine are interacting with their significant other.

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  The Persistence of Neotenous Behaviors in Felis catus

  Karina H Palermo

  It is hypothesized that as a cat owner's nurturing behavior increases, the cat's neotenous (juvenile) behaviors will increase. Bradshaw, Casey, and Brown (2012) reports the persistence of juvenile behaviors to be one of the three effects that domestication has on Felis catus. Though physiological changes are more easy to observe, behavioral changes are more challenging to measure, as they vary cat-by-cat. Moreover, Price (1999) notes that changes in animal behavior are often due to changes in the animals' social environment. The changes from wild to domestic, or even outdoor to indoor living have a large impact on cat behavior. Locke and Prinz (2002) explain that when it comes to parenting, nurturance can be shown through emotional expressions, such as a hug, and instrumental acts, like playing a game together. Participants' behavior towards their cats are measured using these categories. The topic under question is finding correlates of persistent neotenous behaviors in Felis catus. Nurturance questionnaires, neotenous behavior checklists, as well as emotional expressions and instrumental acts checklists adapted for the cat and owner relationship have been distributed to patrons of the Gem City Catfé in Dayton, OH. The café receives a $1 donation for their partnering cat rescue for each completed packet that is returned. The data will be analyzed using multiple regression to predict neotenous behaviors from nurturance, instrumental acts, and emotional expressions.

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  The queen craves calcium: micronutrient effects on litter arthropods in a coastal tallgrass prairie

  Kiersten Paige Angelos, Jesse Chapman Alexander Chapman, Kaitlin Marie Gawkins, Shania E Hurst, Ryan William Reihart

  The biogeochemistry of earth is being redistributed through various anthropogenic activities; however, the consequences of these alterations on high trophic levels remains unknown. Along the coast, for example, marine-derived nutrients are being deposited by large tropical storms, which may be increasing in intensity and frequency with climate change. These storms have the potential to deposit large amounts of micronutrients, which are less abundant in living tissue, and could affect the abundance and diversity of litter arthropods. Despite understanding how macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) affect litter arthropods, the effect of micronutrients (calcium, sodium, and potassium) remains unknown. To determine how biogeochemistry affects litter arthropods, we utilized a factorial, fertilization experiment that manipulates macro- and micronutrients (N&P, Ca, K, and Na; all possible combinations: 16 treatments x 8 replicates = 128 plots) in large 30 m x 30 m plots at the University of Houston Coastal Center near Houston, TX. Pitfall traps were installed in May and July 2017 to collect litter arthropods, which were sorted and identified to the lowest possible taxon. Results show that Nylanderia fulva, an invasive crazy ant, was the dominant litter arthropod across all treatments, as this ant composed >95% of the entire litter community. Additionally, predatory arthropods were limited by Ca, but were suppressed by the combination of Na and K. Arthropod prey in this ecosystem were most abundant in the combination of macronutrient (N&P) and Na treatments, indicating that prey are co-limited by macronutrients and Na. These results indicate that different trophic levels, predators and prey, can be limited by different nutrients within the same ecosystem, while also giving insight as to what makes an invasive species so successful.

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  The Rainbow Connection: Fostering Inclusivity, Empowerment, and Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Students through Staff Professional Development & Student Psychoeducation

  Andrew Jay Rock

  LGBTQ+ students, an often overlooked group within our schools’ diverse populations, have unique needs. This action research has been focused on these academic and social-emotional needs and the ways in which they can be addressed at the macro and micro levels. The intended objective of the research project was to explore ways to support LGBTQ+ youth in a heteronormative, and at times, homophobic educational environment. However, upon further investigation it became evident that, in addition to student psychoeducation and LGBTQ+ affirmative care, staff education and professional development are lacking in the schools. These findings have led to the creation of an ensemble of practical resources for students and school staff; a series of professional development workshops, and the initiation of an advocacy-based, fictional novel series for LGBTQ+ adolescents and the adults working with them.

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  Thermal Engineering for Flexible, High-Power Electronics

  Katherine Morris Burzynski

  Consumers and military personnel are demanding faster data speeds only available through fifth generation (5G) wireless communication technology. Furthermore, as wearable sensors and other devices become more ubiquitous, devices demonstrating enhanced flexibility and conformality are necessary. The challenge is to enable electronic devices to withstand strain and continue to operate within an acceptable tolerance to ensure reliability. A fundamental challenge for flexible electronics is thermal management. Even on rigid substrates with 100 times higher thermal conductivity than polymeric and other flexible substrates, the full potential of semiconducting materials is often thermally limited. The flexible gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) employed in this work are grown on a two-dimensional boron nitride (BN) release layer that allows the conventionally processed devices on sapphire wafers to be transferred using a polymeric stamp and placed onto a variety of rigid and flexible substrates. Characterization of the GaN device behavior on the as-grown sapphire wafers (not transferred) provide a baseline for evaluation of the thermal performance. Transferring the GaN devices to flexible substrates enables application of strain during device operation; however, device performance typically suffers due to the low thermal conductivity of most polymeric substrates, requiring more advanced schemes to remove waste heat from device operation. In situ thermal imaging of devices in operation reveals that the current passing through a non-transferred GaN transistor on a sapphire wafer reaches the target operating temperature at twice the current of the same device transferred to a flexible substrate. Packaging environment simulations and consideration of device-substrate interfacial thermal effects allow for an understanding of how the flexible GaN devices operate after they are transferred to a substrate and show the path forward for substrate design to reduce thermal limitation of high-power flexible electronics.

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  The Roads That Divide: Examining the Effects of Road Systems in Dayton

  Nathaniel L. Quam

  The highway system of Dayton was meant to facilitate higher productivity and movement of people. The highway system of I-75, 35, I-70 and the other lesser major highways in the area did make for faster travel, but this had unintended consequences. They came in the form of the white flight movement and the creation of suburban areas around Dayton. Drawing on Facing Projects Narratives, I will use this presentation to highlight the demographic and socioeconomic shifts in Dayton neighborhoods that led to the mass exodus of capital and amenities in these areas. This poster explains why this change occurred, the consequences of those changes, as well as potential changes that could occur to desegregate the population from wealthy suburban and poorer urban populations.

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  The Roads that Divide: Examining the effects of road systems in Dayton

  Nathaniel L Quam

  The highway system of Dayton was meant to facilitate higher productivity and movement of people. The highway system of I-75, 35, I-70 and the other lesser major highways in the area did make for faster travel, but this had unintended consequences. They came in the form of the white flight movement and the creation of suburban areas around Dayton. Drawing on Facing Projects Narratives, I will use this presentation to highlight the demographic and socioeconomic shifts in Dayton neighborhoods that led to the mass exodus of capital and amenities in these areas. This poster explains why this change occurred, the consequences of those changes, as well as potential changes that could occur to desegregate the population from wealthy suburban and poorer urban populations.

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  The role and evolution of the Dopa decarboxylase gene in the origin of a derived dimorphic fruit fly pigmentation trait

  Sumant Grover, Becca Jo Kaiser

  Understanding the genetic and molecular underpinnings for trait diversity remains a central goal of evo-devo research. Traits arise by the orchestrated expression of numerous genes in a gene regulatory network. Remaining poorly understood is how these networks and their expression patterns are initially assembled and subsequently diversify. Gene expression is controlled by DNA sequences known as cis-regulatory elements (CREs) that possess binding sites for transcription factors whose binding drives a specific pattern of expression. It is anticipated that gene expression evolution often occurs through the formation, modification, and destruction of CREs, presumably by changes that create or destroy binding sites for transcription factors. However, the binding site level of CRE evolution has been worked out in few cases. The fruit fly species Drosophila melanogaster has a male-specific pattern of abdominal pigmentation for which the enzyme encoding genes and several of their expression-regulating transcription factors are known. However, the details of how these regulators interact with CREs remain largely uncharacterized, including the Dopa decaboxylase (Ddc) pigmentation enzyme gene. Here we share the results of our efforts to uncover the CRE-basis of this gene’s expression pattern, and how this regulation and pattern of expression evolved during the origin of this male-specific trait.

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  The Role of FNR/CRP Regulators in Listeria Aerobic and Anaerobic Production of Listeriolyin O

  Lexi Diane Brezovec

  Listeria is a dangerous human pathogen transmitted through consumption of contaminated food products. During infections, Listeria is exposed to the anaerobic intestinal lumen. However, the mechanisms modulating how Listeria responds to the anaerobic environment are not fully understood. I completed experiments to help understand the role of the FNR/CRP family of transcription factors in Listeria and their response to anaerobic conditions. I did this by comparing wildtype Listeria and mutants deficient in FNR/CRP transcription factors in their ability to produce the toxin, listeriolysin O. If a specific transcription factor is involved, the mutant deficient in that factor would exhibit a different phenotype from the wildtype bacteria. After testing 3 out of the 13 mutants, I found that each mutant, similarly to the WT, produced more listeriolysin O under anaerobic conditions than aerobic conditions. My preliminary results confirm that Listeria can regulate listeriolysin O production in response to anaerobic conditions. I will continue my investigations in the future on the remaining 10 mutants, testing the different responses in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

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  The Role of High-Quality Preschool Experiences in School Readiness Skills Gains

  Maddy Leigh Weimer

  Recent research suggests that young children from low-income homes benefit most from participating in high-quality early childhood environments (Geoffroy et al., 2010). It has been further suggested that a high-quality preschool experience can mitigate the link between poverty and difficulties with school readiness (Ladd, 2017). In order to investigate this further, we will test the effects of interactions between classroom quality and maternal education levels and family income on children’s school readiness skills in a comprehensive battery of assessments, including assessments of self-regulation skills, academic skills in math and literacy, and social and emotional skills. We predict that children living in homes with parents with lower educational levels and lower income will benefit the most in their school readiness skills gains across the preschool year if they attend preschool at a high-quality early childhood classroom.

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  The role of oxygen in antibiotic resistance in Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus

  Emilee Kay Zoog

  Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens has been a growing concern in recent years as infections that were once easily treated are becoming bigger threats. In agriculture and healthcare, the importance of antibiotic stewardship has been emphasized in an effort to decrease the overuse of antibiotics. Development of novel antibiotics and improvement in current antibiotic testing protocols are two additional avenues being pursued to solve the issue. In this study, I tested the effects of hypoxia on the antibiotic susceptibility in two human pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes and five different strains of Staphylococcus aureus (USA 300, Romero, COL, Newman, and SH1000), using a standard disc diffusion assay. However, in addition to the standard aerobic incubation, anaerobic incubation was also performed to understand whether hypoxia affects antibiotic susceptibility in these pathogens. My results showed that susceptibility to rifampin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline increased in an anaerobic environment while susceptibility to erythromycin and bacitracin decreased in an anaerobic environment. Listeria was resistant to streptomycin and penicillin in both environments. Similarly, all five strains of S. aureus exhibited changes in antibiotic susceptibility during hypoxia. For example, the methicillin-resistant S. aureus strain USA300 became more susceptible to rifampin, ciprofloxacin, and penicillin in an anaerobic environment. These results suggest that oxygen levels play a key role in bacteria susceptibility to antibiotics. Therefore, we need to consider the effectiveness of antibiotics under relevant environmental conditions to help antibiotic usage become more efficient.

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  The Role of Pyocyanin in the Protection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Singlet Oxygen

  Celeste Claire Bergman, Edward T Eshoo, Grace Kathryn Goulet, Stacey Marie Lapurga

  Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes both acute and chronic infections in immunocompromised individuals. P. aeruginosa is resistant to many antibiotics, and there is a critical need for novel antimicrobial strategies that are viable for clinical use. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is currently undergoing clinical trials. PDT involves chemicals called photosensitizers that when exposed to light, produce a highly reactive oxygen species 1O2. Singlet oxygen can non-specifically cause damage to all cellular structures of rapidly metabolizing organisms such as bacteria, while slower metabolizing host tissues are less affected. Furthermore, light can be restricted to only afflicted areas, thus limiting the damage to healthy tissues. 1O2 is naturally produced during photosynthesis, and photosynthetic organisms produce pigmented compounds such as Beta- carotene that can absorb 1O2 before damaging the cells. P. aeruginosa produces a blue pigmented compound pyocyanin when they grow in high density. In previous study, pyocyanin was discovered to be capable of binding 1O2. In this project, we hypothesize that P. aeruginosa pyocyanin can have a protective role against singlet oxygen. The data from this project can provide an important insight to possible resistant mechanisms against a novel antimicrobial therapy still in development. Understanding the resistance against PDT prior to clinical use can have a significant impact towards shaping how PDT is administered in clinical environments, so that resistant strains do not eliminate PDT as an option the way antibiotics have been eliminated by resistant strains.

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  The Search for Support: Pregnancy on Campus

  Sara Kathryn Brothers, Maddie Kay Gerdes, Elizabeth Anne Goetz, Chase Alan Sawyer, Diandra A Walker

  At the University of Dayton, pregnancy is not a prevalent topic of discussion among undergraduate students. Recent research indicates that single mothers are less likely to receive a college degree when compared to women who are single without children or married. In addition, the number of single mothers who are undergraduate students has more than doubled since 2000. Our group investigated how prevalent pregnancy is on college campuses, and found more about the resources provided by UD. Although there are some on-campus resources, like the Women’s Center and the Hand in Hand Program, there is a lack of awareness about what types of services these organizations provide. We concluded that the University should make resources more accessible for students who are pregnant or already parents.The goal of this poster is to raise awareness about what resources are available and make recommendations for improving accessibility to information on those resources. Our group will also provide a brochure, which will incorporate relevant and updated information, specifically for UD students. Our hope is that students will become more aware of what is available and feel more comfortable reaching out to utilize these services.