Stander Symposium Projects

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  Does that "Ring a Bell?" The Effects of Music-Induced Emotions on Recall of a Story

  Giuseppe G. Miranda

  This research examined the effects of music-induced emotions on memory for information from a story. Previous research has revealed that music is a reliable tool for mood manipulation (Vuoskoski & Eerola, 2012), and emotion has been shown to be a memory enhancer (Janke, 2008). Tesoriero and Rickard (2012) provide two major theories for how music and memory interact, emotional arousal theory and mood congruence theory. The emotional arousal theory predicts that when emotions are aroused there will be an overall enhanced memory for attended information. Further, the mood congruence theory predicts enhanced memory for information that is congruent with reported emotions (Bower & Forgas, 2000). Based on these theories, there should be an improvement in memory for text information for individuals listening to emotionally-arousing music while reading text with corresponding emotional content. Participants in the present study, equipped with a heart rate monitor, listened to classical fear-inducing music while reading a fear-inducing story presented in either moving or static text. Other participants read the story without accompanying music. Both groups were evaluated for their emotional state before, during, and after the story. Following a task to minimize rehearsal of story details, all participants were given a surprise, cued-recall test of information from the story. Data analyses revealed a modest, statistically significant effect of music on recall of story detail. Furthermore, there was a strong, statistically significant effect of the fear story on emotion. Not only was the fear story able to elicit a strong fear response in the participants, but it also increased the participants’ overall basic negative affect and decreased their overall basic positive affect. Analysis is currently underway to determine if fluctuations in heart rate correlate with emotional states of the participants, as determined by the emotional state questionnaires.

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  Do You See What I See? Perceiving Distances from Another’s Perspective

  Emma K. Tokar

  The ability to accurately perceive distances between the self and objects/targets underlies action-guidance and spatial navigation. While one can easily and accurately judge distances from his or her own perspective, it is largely unknown whether distance judgments from an imagined perspective are as accurate as from one’s own viewpoint. This study will investigate the accuracy of distance judgments made from another person’s viewpoint. To do so, participants will be asked to either adopt a confederate’s viewpoint or to imagine standing in a different location (without a confederate acting as a stand-in) and to estimate distance from these novel perspectives. As a control, participants will simply judge the distances between two targets (object to object or exocentric distance judgment). We predict that participants will judge distances most accurately when adopting the perspective of a confederate; distance judgments will be less accurate when made from an imagined viewpoint (with only a marker to denote the adopted viewpoint) and when making judgments of the distances between two external objects. This study will contribute to an understanding of the ways in which we navigate the external world but will also have social psychological implications in their investigation of perspective-taking.

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  Effects of single-dose dietary nitrate on oxygen consumption during and after prolonged submaximal exercise in healthy humans

  Genevieve M. Kocoloski

  Dietary nitrate (NO3-) has been shown to impact oxygen consumption (VO2) as well as exercise performance in a number of prior studies. To date, previous investigations have observed NO3- effects at moderate to high-intensity (e.g. time to fatigue, time trials) exercise and often in trained athletes. However, less is known in regards to prolonged exercise and the potential impact of NO3- on post-exercise excess oxygen consumption (EPOC), particularly in untrained individuals. Here, we tested the hypothesis that acute dietary nitrate supplementation would attenuate VO2 during and following prolonged cycle ergometry. Six young, moderately active, healthy males (age: 26±2 years, body mass index: 23.5±0.5 kg/m2; VO2max: 37.7±5.1 ml/kg/min) performed step-wise maximal cycle exercise and prolonged submaximal cycle exercise (45 min; 38±2% of max work rate) in control (anti- bacterial mouthwash) and acute NO3- supplementedconditions [70ml concentrated beet root juice (0.4g NO3-), 2 hrs prior to exercise] on separate occasions. Measurements of VO2 (indirectcalorimetry), arterial blood pressure (MAP; sphygmomanometry), and heart rate (HR; ECG) were made for 45 min prior, during, and 60 min following exercise bouts. NO3- reduced MAP at rest ~1-3mmHg and this was accompanied by reflex-mediated HR increases (2-4 bpm). However, NO3- had no impact on VO2 during exercise (average of min 25-45, Ctrl: 24.6±2.4 ml/kg/min vs NO3-: 26.8±3.3 ml/kg/min) or EPOC (area under the curve, Ctrl: 0.86±0.3 L vs NO3-: 0.95±.2 L). Thus, while NO3- supplementation may have performance benefits, especially in elite athletes exercising at high intensities, in recreationally active males, there appears to be little impact on changes in VO2 due to submaximal prolonged exercise.

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  Enhanced Physiological Microenvironment for Improved Evaluation of Nanoparticle Behavior

  Emily K. Breitner

  Due to their distinctive physicochemical properties, nanoparticles (NPs) have proven to be extremely advantageous for product and application development, but are capable of inducing detrimental outcomes in biological systems. Standard in vitro methodologies are currently the primary means for evaluating NP safety, as vast quantities of particles exist that require appraisal. Here, we developed an enhanced in vitro model that retains the advantages of cell culture, but introduces the key physiological variables of accurate biological fluid and dynamic flow. As NP behavior and subsequent bioresponses are highly dependent upon their surroundings, this developed microenvironment provides a more relevant system to evaluate responses following NP exposure. In this study, the microenvironment comprised of the A549 lung cell model, artificial alveolar fluid, and dynamic flow at realistic rates; to mimic a NP inhalation exposure. We identified significant modulations to silver and gold NP characteristics and the nano-cellular interface as a function of particle surface chemistry, fluid composition, and flow condition. More importantly, several of these modifications were dependent on multiple variables, indicating that these responses were previously unidentifiable in a standard cellular environment. Taken together, this study demonstrates that to fully elucidate the behavior and evaluate the safety of NPs, these evaluations need to be carried out in a more complex and physiologically relevant cellular exposure model.

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  Enhancing Industrial Sustainability by Improving Resource Efficiency

  Dillip Thangamani

  With ever increasing energy and raw material costs, coupled with environmental regulations and increasing customer awareness of corporate sustainability efforts, industries are seeking to increase energy and resource efficiency. Over the past decade, the University of Dayton’s Industrial Assessment Center (UD-IAC) has developed a systematic methodology and analysis tool to help industry become more energy efficient. The publicly-available Efficiency Guidebook (EEG) is a comprehensive tool that integrates examples and computational resources for improving energy efficiency. This study describes a parallel effort to improve industrial resource efficiency by developing a methodology for improving resource efficiency and incorporating it into a free publically-available software tool called the Resource Efficiency Guidebook (REG). The methodology focuses on six types of resources: water, raw material, chemical agents, process scrap, packaging waste, and equipment and applies seven principles of resource efficiency to these resources. The result is a prioritized Integrated Resource plus Principles Matrix that guides manufactures through the resource efficiency process. REG combines the Integrated Resource plus Principles Matrix with real-world saving examples and spreadsheet calculators. Case studies with scenario analyses demonstrate the effectiveness of the REG at cost-effectively improving resource efficiency and reducing waste.

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  Examining the effects of self-regulation on self-enhancement.

  Greg Alfred Eisenhauer

  Self-regulation plays a critical role in self-presentation. The present research further examines the association between self-regulation and self-presentation by examining the role of self-regulation in self-enhancement. Research examining self-enhancement consistently finds it to be costly for self-presentation if done so in a blatant (as opposed to subtle) manner. Therefore, a common challenge faced regarding self-presentation is how to balance the desire to have and maintain a positive sense of self (i.e., self-enhance) while concurrently making a positive impression on others. Avoiding blatant self-enhancement, though, requires self-regulatory resources and depleting such resources should therefore influence the ability to fend off blatant self-enhancement. Specifically, depleting regulatory resources should be associated with higher levels of blatant self-enhancing strategies but should not influence subtle self-enhancement strategies. To test this, participants were randomly assigned to a self-regulatory depletion condition or a control condition. All participants completed a thought-listing task for 6-minutes. Participants in the depletion condition were given prior instructions asking them to control their thoughts during the task. Participants in the control condition underwent the same task with no additional instructions. Next, participants completed multiple self-presentation measures: modesty, blirtatiousness (i.e., unrestrained speaking or quick responding), and subtle and blatant forms of self-enhancement. We found no association between depletion and modesty or blirtatiousness, but we did find an effect between depletion and self-enhancement. Specifically, and as predicted, participants in the depleted condition reported significantly higher levels of blatant self-enhancement compared to the control group, but the groups did not differ in subtle self-enhancement. Our results show that participants with intact self-regulatory resources are able to control their approach to self-enhancement, perhaps in an effort to control self-presentation. Depleting self-regulatory resources, however, is associated with an increase in using self-enhancement strategies that can compromise self-presentation.

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  Examining the Role of Self-Esteem in the Association between Emotional Vulnerability and Psychological Well-Being.

  Kathryn M. Schilling

  The purpose of the proposed study was to examine the association between emotional vulnerability and psychological well-being, and test whether the association varies based on level of self-esteem. Researchers define psychological well-being as an appraisal of one’s life where a person gives conscious evaluative judgments about one’s satisfaction with life as a whole (Grossi et al., 2013). Emotional vulnerability is defined as the degree to which a person renders himself or herself exposed to the emotional pain of rejection. Experiencing social rejection has a negative effect on self-esteem, however, having high self-esteem may buffer the self against the pain of rejection. Previous research suggests that vulnerability is an important trait essential to satisfying the human need to create and maintain close relationships. Taken together, the present research examined whether self-esteem influences whether emotional vulnerability is associated with positive or negative psychological well-being. Participants first completed a measure of self-esteem and were then randomly assigned to an experimental group where they wrote about a time they felt emotionally vulnerable, or a control group. Participants then completed a measure of psychological well-being. Current predictions are that emotional vulnerability will contribute to better well-being for individuals with high self-esteem, but poorer psychological well-being for those with lower self-esteem. The findings from the present study have important implications for understanding the role that self-esteem plays in how emotional vulnerability influences psychological well-being.

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  Executive Functioning Games at Home

  Allexa D. Gaewsky

  The research problem we are studying is if classroom-based games used to boost children’s cognitive skills can be adapted to an at-home format. These games have been shown to boost the executive functioning skills (working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control) of young children when played in the classroom (Schmitt et al., 2014). This is important because executive functioning skills help children to adapt to an early learning environment and become ready to learn academic skills (Fuhs, Nesbitt, Farran, & Dong, 2014). Children growing up in poverty are more likely to struggle with executive functioning skills (Noble, Norman, & Farrah, 2006). Therefore, they may benefit most from having access to executive functioning skills activities at home regardless of their participation in a preschool program. As part of a larger intensive school readiness program for families living in poverty in Dayton (Taking Off To Success), we provided families with executive functioning games that we adapted to an at-home format. We will report pilot data from parent surveys to determine if parents played the games, if they enjoyed them, and how they can be improved. This pilot study will determine if the games given to the families each week are helpful and useful. The broader goal of this work is to test if providing executive functioning games to parents and children as part of an intensive school readiness program can boost the executive functioning skills of children growing up in poverty.

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  Expanding TAGS: Facilitating Interaction between Teachers and International Students

  Sky Lantz-Wagner

  The purpose of this presentation is to explore means for supporting faculty who teach international students. One of the challenges facing institutions of higher education in general, and the University of Dayton in particular, is the increasing diversity of student enrollment. This diversity includes international students from different countries, cultures, and educational backgrounds. The greater numbers of international students create both challenges and opportunities for faculty members. One such challenge for faculty members is lack of awareness and support from their administration, who may be similarly unprepared to handle increased diversity or to empower international students in their academic goals. In an attempt to bridge the gap between professors and international students, the Academic Affairs and Learning Initiative (AALI) at UD has created a program called Teaching a Global Student Community (TAGS), a workshop series providing faculty with a generalized look at the interaction of culture, students, and learning. We believe that faculty in a variety institutes of higher education would benefit from an initiative such as TAGS’ ideals and values. Our proposal is to offer pedagogical and intercultural support for faculty members at colleges and universities in Ohio. To provide this support, we will identify schools with a large percentage (10 or more) of international students or that recruit international students, search for existing support systems for faculty, and make recommendations based on the TAGS philosophy. Means of support will come in the form of in-service workshops, but other methods may prove more practical based on each school’s needs. Anticipated areas we will address in training include responding to international students’ writing, understanding and supporting dynamic interaction patterns in the classroom, supporting student understanding of intellectual property and the principles of academic integrity, and implementing appropriate learning/classroom support for non-native speakers (NNS).

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  Experiences of Indian Graduate Students at a Mid-Western Catholic Private Institution

  Rajalakshmi Ananthraja

  The aim of this research was to analyze the experiences of Indian graduate at a Mid-Western Catholic private institution. An online survey was conducted among 210 Indian graduate students. Twelve individual interviews were conducted for deeper study. From the analysis of individual interviews, four common elements were extracted that reflected students experience. Valuable findings are presented for the faculty, staff and higher administrative officials of academic units, Enrollment Management, Center for International programs, Counseling Center and Career Service staff.

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  Externalizing Symptoms as a Risk for Unintentional Injuries in Children

  Sally M. Askar

  The objective of this study is to understand the influence of externalizing symptoms (e.g., hyperactivity, oppositionality) on unintentional home injuries in children. Childhood unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in children under 18 years of age (Krug, Sharma, & Lozano, 2010). Past research has shown that the presence of certain behavioral disorders may impact the risk of childhood injury (Pastor & Reuben, 2006). These disorders include Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The psychiatric symptoms of these disorders comprise of externalizing symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity, and oppositionality (inadequate cooperation or compliance by the child; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The literature about the effects of externalizing problems on unintentional injury risk has been equivocal (Schwebel, Hodgens, & Sterling, 2006; Davidson et al., 1992). Further, research identifying the specific externalizing symptoms that could increase the risk for unintentional home injuries in children is lacking. This proposed study will test the hypothesis that children with externalizing symptoms are more likely to be at risk for pediatric home injuries than children who do not exhibit such symptoms. This study will use data collected from 90 families who participated in a larger faculty-led study on sibling supervision (Safety Involving Brothers and Sisters; Brown Kirschman & Dodds, in progress), which will be coded and analyzed to examine the current research questions. The identification of child attributions that may increase risk of home injury is an important first step in targeting prevention efforts. Furthermore, because unintentional injury has been seen as a public health problem, these findings will be beneficial for programs that promote injury prevention by identifying the certain mechanisms that can cause children to be at a greater risk for unintentional injury (Schwebel et al., 2007).

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  Extremum Seeking Control Observer Design for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Linear Time-Invariant Systems

  Abdulhakim A. Daluom

  In this proposal a control strategy, we try to address the problem of output (performance) function for an observer of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) linear time-invariant system by applying the Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) approach. By this control approach, we drive the performance function to its maximum or minimum value. The construction of a seeking algorithm is used to drive the system states to the desired set-points that maximize or minimize the value of an objective (performance) function. Also, Lyapunov's stability theorem and the perturbation theory including the averaging method is used in the design of the extremum seeking controller structure to check the stability of the system.

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  Firm Characteristics, Concentrated Portfolio Strategies and Industrial Sector Price Movements in 2014

  Matthew Peter Fazio, Kenneth Christopher Scudder

  This study is part of a series of studies in the Davis Center for Portfolio Management focused on portfolio weighting. It also considers the alpha generating capabilities of a concentrated portfolio of stocks using relative valuation and momentum stock weighting strategies. The top 10 holdings of the SPDR sector ETF XLI are used as the concentrated portfolio of stocks. Various price-to measures such as price to earnings and price to book are used to develop the weights for each stock in the concentrated portfolio. One year ahead expected earnings growth for each of the 10 stocks provides the basis for the earnings momentum weight component. Assuming the portfolio starts with a funding level of $5,000,000, a performance comparison is made with XLI, the DOW, and the S&P 500 for the year 2014 to determine if the concentrated portfolio generates alpha.

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  Food and Beverage Trends in Sports and Entertainment

  Danielle Denise Kloke

  Food and beverage service is a significant revenue driver for sport and entertainment venues and recently, it has become a critical opportunity to add value and elevate consumer experiences, particularly in premium seating areas. Professional teams are signing contracts with food and beverage vendors for large guaranteed sums, like the 2012 contacts between the San Francisco 49ers and Centerplate where the 49ers receive 55% of concessions sales, a minimum of $6.8 million (San Francisco Business Times, 2012). Interviews were conducted with industry professionals to gain a better understanding of the current state of food and beverage service and trends for the industry, including pricing, ordering procedures, and serving sizes, as well as what changes the industry is looking to add or embrace in the next five years. Trends revealed through the research feature the rise of food and beverage packages to streamline ordering procedures, order customization to enhance the atmosphere, and the use of technology to enrich food ordering and product marketing experiences. Professionals will gain a stronger understanding of how other venues balance cost, consumer preferences, and corporate needs to meet expectations and what is expected for the future.

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  Hate Crime Laws: What Are They and Who Do They Protect?

  Maya Victoria Pedersen

  Tremendous disagreement and confusion regarding hate crime laws and the groups protected by them persist. We investigated perceptions of what constitutes a hate crime and whether these standards are applied consistently. Participants read and responded to brief scenarios describing offenses committed by majority or minority group members against others (majority or minority group members). Although support for the exploratory hypotheses was not found, interesting patterns emerged with respect to gender differences.

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  Image Restoration Under Low Illumination

  Wu Cheng

  Image taken under low illumination suffers severe distortion as the photon counts received by the camera sensor is too low. By investigating the statistic properties of photon count, we can inverse such distortion and restore the scene even in the dark night.

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  Influence of Behavioral Finance on Decision Making in the Business World

  Zixi Li

  Behavioral Finance, as the potential implications of psychological factors, has subtly affected investor behaviors in financial markets. In this project, I would like to discuss different types of behavioral finance, analyze the reasons and connotations behind each type of behavioral finance, and illustrate the influences and consequences with regard to the investor behaviors in the real business world. In addition, I would like to talk about the methods on how to avoid and overcome the behavioral finance in both theoretical and psychological aspects.

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  Integrating Institutional Mission into Faculty Work

  Edel M. Jesse, Cody L. McMillen

  The integration of a faith-based university’s mission into the curriculum and the requirements that this identity imposes upon faculty members’ scholarship are often at odds with the concept of academic freedom (VanZanten, 2011). This common dilemma is an authentic and significant part of Catholic higher education. To balance a conceptual understanding of faith integration with practical tools for academic professionals looking for resources, the University of Dayton’s Commitment to Community (C2C) document provides a community approach to education (University of Dayton, n.d.). This document could be a valued resource to assist faculty in applying mission-based values into their teaching, research, and service. The principles and habits articulated in the C2C document—community is essential for learning and that community members should practice servant leadership—can assist in highlighting the university’s mission if applied to faculty work. To support faculty in integrating the institutional mission into their work, the presenters will share the philosophical assumptions behind the C2C document, highlighting the Catholic and Marianist mission that informs the principles contained in the document. Then, using literature on faculty work and integration of institutional mission, the presenters will highlight ways in which faculty can use the values of a Catholic and Marianist education to inform their work. Finally, some practical suggestions will be provided for faculty members to integrate and apply the C2C principles into their teaching, research, and service. References: University of Dayton (n.d.). Commitment to community: Catholic and Marianist learning and living. Retrieved from https://www.udayton.edu/studev/_resources/files/commitment_to_community.pdf; VanZanten, S. (2011). Joining the mission: A guide for (mainly) new college faculty. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.B. Eerdmans.

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  Intention Based Upper-limb Exoskeleton

  Manoj-Kumar Sharma

  Exoskeletons, a wearable robot that intelligently augments the physical power of a human being. These robots are used in military and similar applications, but the challenge remains that how to make the human-machine interaction safe and sound. The idea behind the 'intention based approach' is that an array of compliant force sensors will continuously monitor the movement of the limb and then map the filtered data to drive the respective actuator which in turn helps in doing the same 'movement' with augmented power and better stability. Additionally a 9 DoF IMU, continuously map the end effector's spatial position as an additional feedback utilizing the Inertial Reference Unit's (IRU) algorithm.

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  Investigation of protein-protein interactions involving Deinococcus radiodurans PriA, DnaB and SSB.

  Christopher S. Morrow

  Deinococcus Radiodurans is a species of bacteria that has sparked a lot of interest since its discovery due to its incredible resistance to ionizing radiation. When exposed to ionizing radiation the genome of D. radiodurans will sustain several hundred double stranded breaks. D. radiodurans demonstrates the ability to repair its genome and restart replication after sustaining this, typically lethal, damage. This project examined the mechanism of replication restart in D. radiodurans by investigating primosome protein PriA interacting with DnaB and SSB. Many different types of gel electrophoresis were employed to investigate potential protein complex formations between D. radiodurans PriA and DnaB. Through agarose gel electrophoresis an interaction between D. radiodurans PriA and DnaB was identified. Results in this work indicate that although D. radiodurans PriA does not characteristically and functionally appear normal, it could still behave as we would classically expect in replication restart.

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  Is Free Cash Flow a Priced in Factor in Explaining the Performance of the Dow 30 Stocks? A Study in Portfolio Weighting, 2007-2013.

  Sean Michael Fitzmartin

  Most financial analysts agree that free cash flow is an important indicator of a firm's financial health and its ability to sustain upward growth in earnings. In this study, I evaluate its effectiveness as a priced in factor in the cross section of returns. Focusing on the DOW Jones 30 stocks over the period 2007-2013, I develop portfolio weights for each DOW Jones stock based on free cash flow per share or price to free cash flow per share. Two weighting models are used: (1) higher weights are given to higher levels of cash flow per share, and (2) higher weights are given to the inverse of price to cash flow per share. The performance of the free cash flow per share weighting models are then compared to the price weighted DOW Jones on an annual basis for the highly volatile market period of 2007-2013. If free cash flow is a priced in factor, I would expect the free cash flow weighting models to consistently generate excess returns over the benchmark DOW.

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  Is It Worth It?: Experiences and Demands of Non-Scholarship Student-Athletes at a Division I Institution

  Joseph R. Vallee

  Student-athletes are some of the most stigmatized individuals at Division I institutions. A great deal of research focuses on the challenges and opportunities of scholarship student-athletes, but a look into the lives of non-scholarship student-athletes is not present in current literature. Through qualitative, semi-structured interviews with student-athletes who do not receive an athletic scholarship, a greater picture of the non-scholarship Division I student-athlete experience was gained. These student-athletes face greater pressure as financial aid is largely tied to maintaining higher grades and the demands of athletic participation are very high. Findings showed that though students feel supported, the rigorous demands of being a full-time student and athlete can be an inhibitor to full engagement on campus. Implications and recommendations of this study provide the need for more research on this sub-population and ideas of collaboration to allow for full involvement of these student-athletes at their institution.

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  Joint Design and Analysis of Leakage in Movable Extrusion Dies.

  Suresh Kumar Kanathala

  This project presents an analysis of various joint types used in variable geometry dies that enable the extrusion of plastic parts with a varying cross section. Extrusion accounts for 40% of all manufactured plastic parts because it is a relatively low-cost and high-production-rate process. Conventional polymer extrusion technology, however, is limited to fixed dies that produce continuous plastic products of constant cross section defined by the die exit profile. A shape changing die allows the cross section of the extruded part to change over its length, thereby introducing the capacity to manufacture plastic faster and with lower tooling costs than injection molding. To allow movement within the die components, various joint designs have been developed. Clearance between the mating parts are required to properly function. These clearances create leakage paths for the plastic melt to escape the die and potentially degrade the quality of the plastic part. Computational fluid dynamics models have been constructed and used to assess the effect of the clearance size on the leakage through the joints. The goal of this analysis is to optimize the geometry of the joints.

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  Macro Economic Activity and Sector Price Movements: A Closer Look at PMI Data

  David A. Christian, Matt G. Putbrese

  The purchasing managers' index (PMI) is considered a leading indicator of U.S. manufacturing activity as well as overall economic activity. Financial markets respond quickly to above or below trend movements in PMI. In this study I develop regression models that specify the relationship between PMI and each of the 10 SPDR ETFs. I test the hypothesis that b>0 i.e. that SPDR ETF prices covary directly with changes in the PMI index. Using log linear models, I also test the hypothesis that the response coefficients are relatively elastic i.e. b>1. I use monthly data to construct the models. The overall time period analyzed is 2004-2014.Two subperiods are also evaluated (1) 2004-2008 and (2) 2009-2014.

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  Manipulation of the Wnt Signaling Pathway and Analysis of Gene Expression in Axolotls

  Jessica L. Beebe

  After injury humans produce scar tissue as part of the wound healing process. This process does not generate new tissue, but prevent the remaining tissue from further damage. Without the ability to create new tissue, humans are limited in their capacity to regain lost function after severe injury. However, axolotls have the ability to regenerate a variety of organs within the first two weeks of hatching, allowing for complete recovery of tissue function. Specifically lens regeneration is studied due to the dynamic changes that occur in the surrounding iris tissue following lens removal. Dorsal and ventral iris cells proliferate and eventually regenerate the missing lens. Since axolotls are not able to regenerate the lens succeeding two weeks from hatching, this is the control group representing non-regenerating tissue. These axolotls contain the same genes which allows for specific manipulation of iris tissues and examination of the different outcomes in hope of revealing the cause of regeneration. The goal of the current project is to study tissue regeneration at the molecular level, by influencing target genes through drug treatments within a specific biological pathway, in order to gain further insight about the mechanism of regeneration. When the mechanism of tissue regeneration is entirely understood, this research could be used to provide treatment in humans with severe tissue damage.