Stander Symposium Projects

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  Role of Dpp signaling pathway in promoting survival of retinal neurons in Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration

  Neha Gogia, Jason N Kleppel, Ankita Sarkar

  Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure to date. One cause of Alzheimer's neuropathy is the generation of Amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) aggregates that trigger cell death by unknown mechanisms. Using a transgenic Drosophila eye model misexpressing human Aβ42, we observed the AD-like neuropathy. In a forward genetic screen we have identified Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a morphogen, as one of the genetic modifiers of Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. Dpp acts as the ligand for the Dpp pathway, which exhibits suppression of retinal neuron’s cell death. The Dpp signaling pathway involves several key components. We examined the Dpp signaling pathway and its members in modifying Aβ42 mediated neuropathy. We have demonstrated that upregulating Dpp signaling pathway, by misexpressing Dpp (using UAS dpp) and Thickveins (using UAS tkv) can rescue Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. The number of dying cells marked with TUNEL staining was also reduced and the axonal targeting was restored from the retina to the brain, which was marked by 24B10 staining. We will test the role of Dpp signaling in Aβ42 plaques mediated neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we will analyze, if these modifiers act independent and/or parallel of each other or whether they have a linear relationship in triggering neurodegenerative response due to accumulation of Aβ42. The results from our studies will be presented.

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  Role of Relish/NFkB Apoptosis Pathway in Amyloid-beta 42 Mediated Neurodegeneration inAlzheimer’s Disease

  Steven G Borchers, Neil William Glenn, Neha Gogia

  Alzheimer’s disease (hereafter AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which affects the cognitive functions of the patients. This disease does not have a cure at this point. One of the reasons for the manifestation of AD is the accumulation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) plaques. Several animal models have been developed to study AD. We have developed a Drosophila eye model where human Aβ42 is misexpressed in the differentiating eye, which triggers neuronal death in the retinal neurons of the eye. Our lab has identified that a soy based protein, Lunasin, can be employed to block Aβ42 mediated cell death. Lunasin is known to block inflammation through downregulating the NFkB pathway. This pathway leads to the translation of apoptotic proteins included in the jun-N Terminal Kinase (JNK) pathway. We have developed transgenic flies which can produce both (human Aβ42 and soy protein Lunasin) in the Drosophila eye protein. These flies have normal eyes as Lunasin blocks Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration. I want to test how Lunasin prevents neuronal death observed in our Aβ42 accumulation model in Drosophila eye. I propose to genetically change the activity of NFKB pathway kinases Relish and Cactus in transgenic flies where we have introduced human Aβ42 and Lunasin. I have generated transgenic and mutant flies which can be used for gain- of-function as well loss-of-function of these pathway members to observe their effect on Aβ42 neurodegenerative phenotype. I will observe these interactions at three developmental time points of larval eye imaginal disc, pupal retina and the adult eye. By the end of the twelve-week program, I expect to have significant amount of data to address this hypothesis and generate new insight into the mechanism by which Aβ42 mediated neurodegeneration occurs in AD. These studies will have significant bearing on use of NFKB members as biomarkers or druggable targets for AD in future.

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  Service Employment Trends and Stock Price Movements in the Consumer Staples and Consumer Discretionary Sectors from 2009-2016

  Luke A Bir

  Financial economists consider price movements in stocks a function of both fundamental and macroeconomic factors. In this study, I examine the relationship between U.S. service employment, a large component of total U.S. employment, and two market sectors that rely on consumer spending for sales and earnings growth. Using regression analysis, I regress service employment on the consumer staples SPDR price index(XLP) and the consumer discretionary SPDR price index (XLY). I test the hypothesis that the regression coefficients (B) are greater than zero. The time period for the analysis is 2009-2016, which is also marked by an aggressive policy of monetary easing and a sustained rebound in the stock market.

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  Significant Effects on the Performance of a Proof-of-Concept STAR Device

  Amnah M Altaher, Bipin Karki, Matthew O Worsham

  The unreliable electrical supply to medical clinics in remote areas of India makes it difficult to safely store vaccines and other medications. The ETHOS (Engineers in Technical Humanitarian Opportunities of Service-learning) program at the University of Dayton, in conjunction with the SAAP (Solar Alternatives and Associated Programmes) group in Bihar India, are developing a novel solar-thermal adsorptive refrigeration system for use at these clinics that does not require electricity and uses safe, environmentally friendly, and widely available materials as the refrigerant and adsorbent. This refrigeration system uses ethanol as a refrigerant and activated carbon as the adsorbent, and can achieve refrigeration temperatures as low as 2.2°C. The team conducted a screening experiment using a two to the third factorial design with two randomized blocks to identify significant effects on the refrigerator’s performance. The control variables in the device were ethanol volume, activated carbon mass, carbon bed orientation, and number of carbon beds. The experiment indicated that the specific uptake gram of ethanol per gram of activated carbon decreases with the amount of activated carbon. Experimental results suggested that diffusion into the carbon bed is a limiting factor during the adsorption step. The working of bench scale STAR system on full cycle operation (adsorption-desorption) was also analyzed. The performance on multiple cycles showed minimum refrigeration temperature, amount of ethanol desorbed, and variation of refrigeration temperature on each cycle. The amount of ethanol desorbed after desorption cycle was comparatively less due to orientation of system. Future research will be focused on orientation of system and further characterize the ratio of adsorption (ethanol - activated carbon) pair to be used.

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  Simulation of an Automatic Commercial Ice Maker

  Haithem Abualasaad Murgham

  Automatic commercial ice making machines that produce a batch of cube ice at regular intervals are known as “cubers”. Such machines are commonly used in food service, food preservation, hotel, and health service industries. The machines are typically rated for the weight of ice produced over a 24 hour period at ambient air temperatures of 90 °F and water inlet temperature of 70 °F. These cubers typically utilize an air-cooled, vapor-compression cycle to freeze circulating water flowing over an evaporator grid. Once a sufficient amount ice is formed, a valve switches to enable a harvest mode. The U.S. Department of Energy has set a target of reducing energy usage by 10 - 15% by 2018. Engineering models are not publicly available to assist designers in achieving the new energy regulations. This work presents an engineering simulation model that addresses this need. This model simulates the transient operation of a cuber ice machine based on fundamental principles and generalized correlations. The model calculates time-varying changes in the system properties and aggregates performance results as a function of machine capacity and environmental conditions. Rapid “what if” analyses can be readily completed, enabling engineers to quickly evaluate the impact of a variety of system design options. Simulation results from the model were compared with the experimental data of a fully instrumented, standard 500 lb capacity ice machine, operating under various ambient air and water inlet temperatures. Key aggregate measures of the ice machine’s performance are: 1) cycle time (duration of freeze plus harvest cycles), 2) energy input per 100 lb of ice, and 3) energy usage during 24 hours. For these measures, the model’s accuracy is within 5% for a variety of operating conditions.

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  Simulation of Lagrangian point orbits using Python

  Hunter Reed Johnston

  The study of Lagrangian points, also known as libration points, has become a focus of much astrodynamical research, with possible uses for low-thrust trajectory optimization for a plethora of spacecraft missions. Lagrangian points are positions in any orbital configuration of two large bodies (ie. Earth and Moon) where a small object can maintain a stable position in relation to the larger bodies. A few planets in our solar system have natural satellites orbiting these points and in the Earth-Moon system, artificial satellites have been placed in libration point orbits for a variety of purposes. To utilize these orbits and study these 3-body problems, simulations are very useful in visualizing the three-dimensional, quasi-periodic orbits. This research looks to model satellite orbits around these Lagrangian points using Python programming language to predict position and velocity of the object relative to the Lagrangian point fixed coordinate system. Using Python’s plethora of visual graphics packages, the three-dimensional, quasi-period nature of the orbits will be effectively modeled and displayed to produce a greater understanding of the nature of these types of orbits.

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  Single Image Super-resolution for Polarimetric Imagery

  Garrett C Sargent

  Physical quantities associated with an optical field are the intensity, wavelength, coherence, and polarization. Typically, intensity of optical radiation across a scene over a waveband of interest is gathered. However, unlike polarization, this information does not provide information about the vector nature of the optical field. Polarization information describes the scene’s surface features, shape, shading, and roughness. As an example, polarization is particularly useful for infrared data where there may be little to no contrast in a scene, due to all the objects being in equilibrium with the background. Polarization information can be used to suppress the background and provide enhanced contrast where there was little to no contrast before. Polarization has many other useful applications, one of which is tracking objects that may contain no contrast difference in infrared data but are visible when polarization information is available. Such an example would be tracking small RC aircraft, where most of the aircraft is lost in the background in the infrared data but clearly distinguished with polarimetric information. Extra information can also be added to the polarimetric data through single-image super-resolution techniques. This is particularly useful for recovering high frequency components that are lost due to the nature of acquiring polarimetric imagery. Research suggests additional resolution can be obtained and applied to polarimetric data using state-of-the-art single-image super-resolution techniques.

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  Slip Tendency Analysis of Bedrock Structure in southeast Ohio and northwest West Virginia

  Graydon Leo Konzen

  This study identifies possible fault and joint systems at risk of seismic failure along an uncharacteristically straight segment of the Ohio River bounding Washington County, Ohio that we hypothesize to be structurally controlled. Previous work documents a regional basement structure known as the Rome Trough coinciding with this segment of the Ohio River. Publically available oil and gas well data have been used to generate structure contour and isopach maps of upper Paleozoic strata in order to confirm that these structural trends could also be related to shallow faults. In tandem with subsurface data, field investigation of bedrock evidence reveals widespread jointing and rare faulting that appears to parallel the trend of modern stream systems, including the Ohio River itself. Slip tendency analysis in the context of the regional stress regime shows which of these systems are at risk of induced seismicity under the influence of increased pore fluid pressures associated with deep wastewater injection. These results in conjunction with the recent occurrence of minor seismicity in the vicinity of several deep wastewater injection wells suggest the need for cautious environmental assessment as oil and gas production expands into the study area.

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  Specific Wavelength Absorbance of Pollutants and its Effect on Photovoltaic Cells

  Nicholas M Maertz

  Air pollution is a growing problem in cities across the world, from the thick smog in Beijing to the haze above Los Angeles. These pollutants decrease atmospheric visibility and the amount of light that is able to reach the surface of the Earth. Decreased insolation will have an effect on photovoltaic systems. Since photovoltaics operate in the visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum, this pollution can cause a decrease in electrical output for these systems. In this work an introductory study of the transmittance of light as a function of wavelength through pollutants will be analyzed to determine if the absorbance of specific wavelengths has a significant effect on the output of photovoltaic cells. In addition, a summary of research in the literature on the overall attenuation of light by haze and smog will be given.

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  Spherical Linkages Analysis and Synthesis by Special Unitary Matrices for Solution via Numerical Algebraic Geometry

  Saleh M Almestiri

  Numerical algebraic geometry is the field that studies the computation and manipulation of the solution sets of systems of polynomial equations. The goal of this research is to formulate spherical linkages analysis and design problems via a method suited to employ the tools of numerical algebraic geometry. Specifically, equations are developed using special unitary matrices that naturally use complex numbers to express sphysical and joint parameters in a mechanical system. Unknown parameters expressed as complex numbers readily admit solution by the methods of numerical algebraic geometry. This work illustrates their use by analyzing the spherical four-bar and Watt I linkages. I addition, special unitary matrices are utilized to solve the five orientation synthesis of a spherical four-bar linkage. Additionally, synthesis equation were formulated for Watt I linkage. The numerical algebraic geometry software used throughout is Bertini.

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  Spontaneous Anti-Ferromagnetic Change of State on a 2D Ising Lattice Simulation via Metropolis Monte-Carlo

  John A Hennen

  The Ising Model has been a staple demonstration tool of thermal properties since 1920. It proves an attractive basis for exploring statistical mechanical properties of stochastic processes, and the power of computational methods in modeling stochastic processes. Using a nearest neighbor coupling energy model on the 2-D surface with periodic boundary conditions, it is proposed to model magnetic spin evolution in varying temperature. We randomly assign either spin up or spin down to each lattice point and utilize a Monte-Carlo approach to the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to ascertain whether nearest neighbors are in a stationary state or not. The anti-ferromagnetic state of nearest neighbors (all neighbors having opposite spin) will only remain if the lattice temperature remains below a certain point. By initializing with random spin, applying nearest-neighbor coupling energies and periodically reducing the temperature, we will see a sudden state change where the lattice goes from randomly spinned, to perfectly anti-ferromagnetic and this will occur at a consistent state change temperature.

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  Stellar Accretion Disks

  Sarah E Krug

  Many stars are found in binary systems. If the two stars' orbits are close enough together the more massive, or primary, star can pull matter from the less massive companion star. The stream of matter falling toward the primary forms an accretion disk around the star. The accretion disk, the matter that hits the star, and the orbital cycle of the system cause fluctuations in brightness that can be detected by telescope observations. A computer model of an accretion disk is presented that simulates some of the parameters that may affect brightness. The results will be compared to existing measurements of binary systems.

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  STEMinism: Sprouting in Girls

  Lucy A Hartzell, Paige E Innes

  The STEM subjects have significant impact on students in all grade levels. This EDT 110H poster session will detail the positive and negative impacts of a STEM curriculum, with an emphasis on girls and encouraging their interest in the STEM fields.

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  Stock Prices And Volatility, An Empirical Analysis 1999-2016

  John C Scheuble

  Financial economists believe there is an inverse relationship between market volatility and stock prices. In this study, I examine the relationship between S&P stock prices and VIX, the accepted measure of market volatility. Using regression analysis, I develop linear equations for 9 S&P SPDRS plus SPY, the ETF that proxies the S&P 500 index. I test the hypothesis that regression coefficients are less than zero, i.e. b<0, and the t statistics are greater than 2.The period of analysis is 1999-2016.

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  Stress-optic coefficient of potassium terbium fluoride

  William B Poston

  Potassium terbium fluoride (KTF) is a material proposed to act as an optical isolator. Optical isolators are employed in high power laser systems in which reflected beams must be prevented from coupling into the pump laser. The stress-optic coefficient relates mechanical stress to the birefringence it induces. At high power, strains in the lasing material change the refractive index of the lasing material, which can distort the output beam. The stress-optic coefficient is thus a crucial measurement for the design of laser cavities that employ optical isolators. The stress-optic coefficient for KTF was obtained by applying mechanical stress to a sample and measuring the output intensity of a laser shone through the sample. The change in intensity with applied pressure is a result of the change in refractive index of the sample, through the stress-optic effect. The stress-optic coefficient of KTF was determined and is reported.

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  Strong Willed Women: A Qualitative Analysis of First-Year, Female College Students in Integrated Learning-Living Communities

  Jordyn M Baker

  Living-Learning Communities are a nexus for the student experience. They bring classroom learning to the residence halls and build community through out-of-class social interactions. Jessup-Anger, Johnson, and Wawryznksi (2012) found that living-learning communities allowed men to actively engage in healthy gender identity development and find friends with similar interests, outside of binge-alcohol use. The University of Dayton believes deeply in the Marianist value of community and the integrated learning-living communities (ILLC) are no exception. Unique residential experiences are key components of the student experience and it is important to understand how these opportunities influence students’ curricular and co-curricular experiences. Through ten interviews, this phenomenological study sought to understand how integrated learning-living communities at the University of Dayton influenced the social, personal, and educational experiences of female, first-year students. Female students spoke positively about their ILLC experiences, stating that they provide friendships and comfort for classroom experiences as well as academic support in the form of study groups and motivation.

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  Study of the Interaction between the Wg and JNK Pathways in the RAS Scribble Tumors

  Michelle L Borchers

  Multiple signaling pathways function simultaneously in multicellular organisms. The Hippo pathway consists of a signaling cascade that maintains organ growth by suppressing the transcriptional co-activator Yorkie. The Wg and JNK pathways help control cell growth and can be manipulated to create tumors in organisms. Normal cells promote growth and repair damage. Unfortunately, 90% of human cancers have accumulation of mutations activating oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressor genes. When these changes occur together, cells cannot repair themselves. I want to understand these pathways more in order to gain insight to which genes are important for the pathway. Multiple nodes make up the Wg and the JNK pathways, so the discovery of their effect on tumor growth will help determine which nodes are essential for the pathways. Four experiments will be set up to test the importance of these nodes in Drosophila. This project aims gain a better understanding of the role of Wg pathway components in the growth and progression of cancer using epithelial tumor models in Drosophila. Given the conservation of genetics and biological processes our studies in flies can be extrapolated to human cancer as well.

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  Study of the Self-Assembly of Positively Charged Porphyrins as a Function of pH and Time

  Gabrielle Nicole Snyder

  This study focused mainly on the self-assembly of a cationic porphyrin, meso-trans-di(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)diphenyl porphine (trans-DmPyDPP), in various conditions of pH. We explored both the effect of the change of pH of the solution and the effect of time. We observed that the aggregate formed was dependent not only on the pH but also on the mode used to reach that pH: increasing or decreasing pH affected the stability of these aggregates and their formation. With the introduction of Poly-L-Glutamic Acid to a solution containing trans-DmPyDPP, we observed a bisignate circular dichroism signal (exciton couplet) centered at 443 nm that corresponds to the Soret band of the porphyrin. The highest signals were observed at pH around the pKa of the porphyrin, which was found to be around 3.5. The sign of the porphyrin exciton couplet was correlated to the pH dependent secondary structure of the polymer. As indicated in literature, we observed an alpha helix structure at acidic pH (below pH 3) and a random coil structure at neutral or basic pH. We performed a series of pH titrations, involving small additions of base or acid to raise or lower by small increments the pH of various solutions of the trans-DmPyDPP with and without the polymer. In addition, monitoring the various aggregates with time showed an instability of the aggregate formed at relatively acidic pH with or without the presence of the polymer, and even a strong aggregate with a strong signal did not maintain over time. In order to improve the stability of the aggregate, an anionic porphyrin, Copper meso-Tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine (CuTPPS), was prepared and used to create ternary complexes composed of poly-L-Glu, trans-DmPyDPP and CuTPPS. Initial results showed an improvement of the stability of the aggregate.

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  Support in the Aftermath of Suicide at the University of Dayton

  Ross A Bales, Andy J Deak, Kaitlin Judith Samuels, Rachel L Singer

  According to the American Psychological Association, “Suicide is the act of killing oneself, most often as a result of depression or other mental illness.” Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-24, making it a relevant health concern for college age students. Suicide is also seen on college campuses frequently due to unique risk factors such as increased stress, presence of alcohol and drugs, pressure for perfection, difficulty adjusting to a new environment, and the recent loss of a home safety net. Unfortunately, due to the difficult nature of the topic, suicide and the resulting aftermath is often overlooked as a health concern. This specific health concern is applicable to the Dayton community, because the University of Dayton has a higher average of student suicides compared to the national average on college campuses. Although, the cause of death is never stated, the University of Dayton’s administration will send out campus wide emails advising students to utilize on campus resources, such as the counseling center, campus ministry, and residence life staff. These services can be very beneficial for grieving students; unfortunately, these resources have limitations. These barriers limit the capabilities and population of students that they are able to reach and effectively help. This presentation will investigate the effectiveness of these resources, student perceptions of the resources through interviews, and give recommendations to improve existing programs for outreach and coping strategies for those who suffered a loss by suicide. The University of Dayton provides many resources for grieving students, although they could be improved and enhanced. After thoroughly reviewing the suggested resources available at the University of Dayton, we are presenting several proposals regarding community support in the aftermath of suicide.

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  Surfactant-Based Self-Assembly Systems that Mimic Spider-Silk Producing Protein Sols

  Rachel R Kessler, Sean D Mahoney

  Self-assembly is a process in which molecules autonomously form ordered aggregates held together by non-covalent intermolecular forces. Understanding self-assembly is crucial to nanotechnology and is the missing link between the molecular make-up of biological organisms and the spark that perpetuates them, life. For example, self-assembly offers a powerful way to control the complexity and hierarchy of nanoscale materials. Synthetic efforts that allow a delicate structural design of building units play an important role. However, as can be learned from many cellular processes and functions, co-self-assembly using logically chosen additives should be equally effective in designing self-assembly. Here, by applying this concept, we have assembled cationic surfactant-based self-assembly systems that mimic spider-silk producing protein solutions. Our results reveal that these micelle systems stay as a stable clear solution as long as they are kept sealed and undisturbed. When they are exposed to the air or water, the reactivity of the systems is triggered, which assembles the micelles into liquid crystals having a waxy and flexible nature. The overall assembly very much resembles the assembly process that produces spider silk, where the spidroin-based solutions are kept intact inside a spider’s body, but instantly assemble into liquid crystals once they are extruded into the air. Furthermore, we have identified a clear sign of a meta-stable state and the formation of an aqueous two phase system (ATPS), whose reversible phase transitions are driven by the large changes in entropy of the systems. Though initial, these results demonstrate that it is possible to translate the key features of biological self-assembly into artificial self-assembling systems, and possibly create a new class of soft materials.

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  Sustainability of Dayton Groundwater Resources under Today’s Changing Climate

  Amber N Johnson, Colin J Mctighe

  Groundwater is an essential resource in the Dayton region, and is likely to experience changes with global warming. Assessing its sustainability under the changing climate regime is of great importance for the region’s social and economic development. We use stable isotope ratios of oxygen (δ18O) in precipitation to track large-scale atmospheric processes, local controlling factors and establish moisture sources for the Dayton region. Precipitation samples were collected at the University of Dayton precipitation collection station on a daily, weekly and monthly basis between March 2015 and March 2016 for a total of 120 samples. A total of 37 groundwater samples were also collected from monitoring and public supply wells across the Miami Valley Buried Aquifer. Our results indicate that warm season precipitation contributed approximately 34% to groundwater recharge, while cool season precipitation comprised the majority of recharge at 66%. Based on climate change predictions, winters in the Dayton region will become increasingly milder and will lead to more prevalent rain events in the cool season rather than snow events as witnessed this winter. As a result, cool seasonal groundwater recharge amount could be negatively impacted. The outcome of this study would help to inform local and state water resource management on the impact of climate change on the quantity and quality of the water resource in the region that supplies water to nearly 2 million people. Key words: groundwater, isotope, climate change, sustainability, recharge

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  Sustainable Portfolio to Maximize Alpha

  Douglas S Carey

  The purpose for every shareholder is to maximize alpha. This is done through a variety of investment vehicles like individual securities, ETFs, and mutual funds. Sustainable criteria can meet these ends to an extent. If a shareholder wishes to invest in sustainable companies they must be willing to take on greater risk to generate favorable returns. Many investors have already begun investing in sustainable companies and this trend will continue to grow due to United Nations and American Government policy. This project will hopefully show investors that they can generate the same or even greater returns by undergoing more risk selecting only sustainable companies in a portfolio. The criteria I will use for determining a sustainable company follows: Scopes 1, 2, and 3, hazardous waste, total waste, excluding sectors like coal, forestry and paper, and oil and gas. This criteria is used to screen the companies from the Russell 3000 through the Bloomberg terminal. Once the screening is done, a list of companies will display that matches the criteria’s parameters listed above. This information will provide us a list of companies that fit into the spectrum of what we see as a sustainable company. These companies will then be back tested 5 years and have monthly rolling periods. With 60 data points to see their performance we will then benchmark it against an index we see with similar attributes based on company size and value vs. growth. The 60 data points will help to show if our criteria can prove that given a certain amount of additional risk these sustainable companies can perform or outperform companies with unsustainable practices.

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  Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of a Ruthenium(II) Bipyridyl Complex as a Cancer Therapeutic

  Mary K Kilroy, Krista Lee Morford

  According to the Center for Disease Control, lung cancer is the leader form of cancer related deaths in the United States. While several treatment methods are in existence, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, there remains a high demand for an effective option that is localized and less invasive than current therapeutic options. One emerging option is photodynamic therapy (PDT) which selectively activates target, chemical compounds using light as specific wavelengths. PDT is a particularly attractive alternative for lung cancer as bronchial scopes would allow for delivery of the appropriate light directly to the tumor site. In this study a novel, ruthenium-based photosensitizer agent was synthesized, characterized, and underwent analysis as a potential PDT therapeutic against the human lung cancer model, A549. Following synthesis, the Ru-complex underwent characterization through high resolution mass spectrometry, UV-VIS, and cyclic voltammetry. Prior to cell exposure, the PDT potential of the Ru-complex was verified through light-induced cleavage to DNA. Upon irradiation the Ru-complex induced severe DNA damage through both single and double strand breaks. Next, the Ru-complex was introduced to the A549 culture, with the cytotoxicity measured in both dark and light-exposed conditions. As an effective PDT agent will demonstrate activity only following light exposure, the biocompatibility in the dark needed to be verified. Without light activation, the Ru-complex did not induce cellular death or substantial stress within the cellular model. Unfortunately, following a 15 minutes photo-stimulation using a 420 nm light source with a power density of 2.3 μW/cm2, no cytotoxicity was identified. Further investigations determined that the Ru-complex was not effectively associating with the A549 cells. Therefore, while Re-based complexes possess the potential to serve as PDT mediators, additional work is required to ensure that they are delivered to the target tumor site.

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  Synthesis and Studies of some new Hydrazophosphonates and Azophosphonates

  Jenna P Ladner

  This research project consisted focused on the synthesis and kinetic studies of phosphonyl hydrazines and azo compounds, all envisioned as potential flame retardants. The presentation focuses on the results of the kinetics studies and conclusions on the thermal stability and reactivity of the investigated structures. We also report the initial efforts in studying the reactivity of the target compounds in Diels-Alder reactions.

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  Synthesis of bis(quinoxalino) Ligand for the Removal of Transition Metal Contamination

  Alexander J Farmer

  Transition metal contamination is a constant concern both in the environment and in chemical reaction mixtures. One proposed solution, is the use of perazacrown macrocycles to selectively bind and remove transition metals. The aim of our project was to determine a novel synthesis of bis(quinoxalino) perazacrown macrocycles for use as ligands to bind to transition metals. Our synthesis makes use of protected diamines as opposed to other methods such as high dilution or the use of a metal template. In doing so, we made use of microwave irradiation in order to complete the reactions on a more efficient timescale. The primary challenge that our method encountered was the synthesis of the key intermediate molecule. This proved difficult given the changes in the electronics following the first substitution of protected amine. The synthesis of this molecule was the final product which we were able to produce. In future work, the diamines will be deprotected by catalytic hydrogenation and the resulting product reacted with a free quinoxalino unit. This will give us the synthesis of the final product. The synthesis would then be repeated with four different substituents on the quinoxalino rings and three different diamines on the perazacrown subunit, and the resulting molecules would be tested for transition metal binding properties.