Stander Symposium Projects

Follow

• 

  EIO-LCA of writing utensils

  Eric David Belcik, Connor M Dushane, Ryan Ryan Kronk

  The goal our project is to conduct a life cycle assessment in order to determine which writing utensil--out of a choice of wooden pencils, plastic mechanical pencils, or plastic pens--is the most environmentally sustainable. With a variety of different styles of writing utensils currently on the market, understanding which one has the best long term effects on the environment would show how the market should be headed. So many individuals every day utilize some sort of writing utensil, and so the results could signify a need for drastic change in the industry. Sustainable Development Goal number twelve, responsible consumption and production, is a guiding principle to our research in that we would like to find the most responsible choice of the three options.The research was done using a combination of the Economic Input Output Life Cycle Analysis, as well as evaluating other metrics related to sustainability. Using this hybrid style of looking at the Life Cycle allows us to evaluate the utensils from multiple angles. Overall, this issue is extremely important as there are billions of pencils and are used almost universally, and making a more sustainable choice for one’s writing utensil could have a large impact on the planet.

• 

  Energy Analysis and Orbit Simulation of Actuated CubeSat Solar Arrays

  Justin Ehren

  CubeSats are used in space research to explore new technologies and detect data to gain a better understanding of various subjects affecting human life. CubeSats rely on a solar array to generate energy from the sun and perform their various functions in space. This research studies the energy capturing potential of various solar panel configurations and positioning devices for CubeSats. The location and orientation of a CubeSat is simulated in geo-synchronous and sun-synchronous orbits. Two degree-of-freedom (dof) positioning devices are sufficient to continuously adjust the photovoltaic array to face towards the sun. Lower dof systems are desired as they are less complex. Solar panel configurations included in the study are those affixed to the CubeSat sides, deployed into alternative stationary positions, and actuated with one dof, and with two-dof actuation with mechanical limitations. The energy captured over an annual cycle is determined for each case. For systems with fewer than two dof, optimal position settings are determined for the design parameters.

• 

  Enhancing Knowledge of Test Anxiety Resources at the University of Dayton

  Madison Natallia Marquart, Alexa Gabrielle Niceley, Nina Alaine Pappan, Olivia Marie Stanforth

  Test anxiety is a growing concern among college students. According to The American Test Anxiety Association, it is estimated that about 18% of young adults experience moderately high test anxiety. Specifically, at the University of Dayton, the number of students who need special accommodations for their text anxiety increases every year. For this project, resources provided by the University of Dayton were collected and analyzed for their effectiveness and access on campus. After compiling the university’s available options, we concluded that improvements could be made regarding content, accessibility, and awareness. A survey was circulated to UD students, and interviews were conducted with faculty of the Learning Teaching Center and the Counseling Center in order to gain more information on UD’s resources. Resources from other campuses were evaluated and considered in our data collection. Based off of the information we obtained, we created an original brochure for UD students containing a description of test anxiety, its symptoms, and available services for students on campus.

• 

  Entering the Brotherhood: Men of Color’s Experience in Historically White Fraternities

  Joseph J Moore

  This study seeks to understand the experiences of undergraduate men of color after they gain membership with a historically white, North American Interfraternity Conference fraternity. The significance of this study is derived from the lack of prominent research involving men of color and membership with historically white fraternities. This research allows for the advancement of the Fraternity and Sorority Life field by shedding light on a population of students that is misunderstood and in turn impacting the way professionals interact with students. This research study speaks to the intersection of both the male and student of color identity within the context of historically white fraternities by highlighting the lived experiences of those members. This study collected data through individual interviews with alumni members allowing for a deeper look into the subjects’ experiences. This study speaks to the lived experiences of the subjects’ around the themes of motivations to seek membership, experiences gaining membership, living in community, racial impact on experience, sense of belonging, senses of community and feeling othered.

• 

  Environmental Effects of Single Use Plastic Water Bottles Versus Reusable Water Bottles

  Joseph Salvatore Fraganato, Morgan Denise Henderson, Hannah Ruth Kelly

  While bottled water can be more convenient on the go, these plastic water bottles contain harmful substances called polyethlene terephtalate (PET) and bisphenol A (BPA), which are both extremely dangerous to human health and the environment. The production of one plastic bottle uses energy, emits toxins into the air and uses more water to produce than actually put in the bottle for drinking. The bottles take hundreds of years to decompose, filling our landfills at an alarming rate. 38 billion water bottles end up in U.S landfills each year, which equates to about two million tons. Reusable water bottles save fossil fuels. If you were to fill one disposable plastic bottle a quarter of the way up with oil, it would represent the amount to make it. With just one person switching to a reusable water bottle, it would keep 2580 balloons of CO2 out of the air per year. If Americans were to switch to reusable, you will feel better about your commitment to the Earth!

• 

  Environmental Racism In Montgomery County

  Jesse Taylor Carbonaro

  The objective of this study was to examine the environmental implications of interstates in Montgomery County on minority populations and the laws and policies that influence it.

• 

  Establishing the Effect of Ethanol on Listeria Infection

  Ryan E Restrepo

  Excessive alcohol consumption has long been an issue in the United States. Listeria monocytogenes (LM), a foodborne pathogen, was used as an experimental model to investigate the impact of alcohol consumption on opportunistic infections. During LM infections, LM can pass through the intestinal epithelial barrier and infiltrate immune macrophages tasked with preventing the spread of infection. Once inside the macrophages, LM produces the toxin Listeriolysin O (LLO) in order to proliferate in the host cell cytosol. Previous experiments have shown that alcohol consumption increases intestinal permeability for LM. Furthermore, in the presence of alcohol LM was shown to have a reduced LLO production. Through the use of RAW 264.7 macrophage cell cultures, the effect of alcohol on immune cell function was studied. These experiments were conducted in order to establish a more complete picture of the effect of alcohol on human susceptibility to LM infection.

• 

  Evolutionarily conserved Wingless signaling pathway is regulated by newly identified newt genes to trigger regeneration response in Drosophila.

  Abijeet Singh Mehta

  Notophthalmus viridescens possess amazing regeneration capabilities but due to lack of available genetic tools the mechanism driving such regeneration has not been well understood. Here we used Drosophila imaginal discs to study regenerative role of five newly identified newt proteins that have new sequence motifs. These proteins were identified by denovo assembly of newt transcriptome combined with proteomic validation. Using transgenic approach these genes were misexpressed in developing eye field of early as well as late eye Drosophila mutants where cell death was induced in photoreceptor cells during early 2nd instar (in early eye mutants) and late 3rd instar (in late eye mutants) stage, respectively. The penetrance of mutant phenotype was 0%. Strikingly, Newt genes when expressed in the background of such mutants show significant regeneration of missing eye tissue. Even more, these genes having signal peptides, exhibited non-autonomous regeneration as shown by domain specific misexpression on candidate genes, and flip out clones. Using Retinal determination (RD) fate markers, we demonstrated that regeneration response was restricted only to fly eye field. These regenerated tissues (eyes) showed 6 ± 1.5 folds increase in mitotic index as compared to the mutants. In comparison, there was only 1-fold downregulation of cell death, suggesting that newt regeneration genes employ cell proliferation function to promote regeneration. Additionally, downregulation in apoptosis is preventing regenerated tissue from further death. Using RNA sequencing, we identified the role of signaling pathway that has been perturbed by newt genes to induce regeneration in Drosophila. We found that member of evolutionarily conserved Wnt/Wingless (Wg) pathway exhibit 4-fold downregulation of expression. Additionally, the genes related to the molecular class of development, apoptosis and cell cycle were highly enriched. Using immunohistochemistry we verified RNA Seq results, and found that Wg is significantly downregulated by these newt genes to promote regeneration. Perturbing positive and negative regulators of Wg signaling pathway and blocking Wg transport revealed that newt genes regulate Wg/Wnt pathway in regenerative response. Our results demonstrate a unique class of genes present in Newts which employ conserved pathways to trigger regeneration response, and also provided a novel platform to bridge the gap of unraveling the mechanism behind regeneration tool kit from newts.

• 

  Examination of Intent of Cancer Rehabilitation Patients to Continue Exercise Utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior

  Megan Christine Taschner

  Exercise can result in both physiological and psychological benefits for cancer patients and can be an important addition to many cancer treatments. Cancer-related fatigue, physical functioning, and overall quality of life in oncology patients can be improved through exercise. However, studies have found that only half of oncology patients offered a supervised exercise program actually complete the program, and many times, withdraw from exercise programs is affected by their medical conditions and/or personal and social problems. This study will examine the factors, specifically the attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control, that motivate cancer rehabilitation patients to continue exercise after completing one full session of a supervised oncology rehabilitation exercise program by using the theoretical framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

• 

  Examining the Impact of Narcissism and Academic Exaggeration on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students

  Matthew Richard Faherty, Lindsay Maria Koeller, Josh David Pasek, Megan Elizabeth White

  Over the last several decades, researchers have found evidence that narcissism is increasing generationally such that older generations were less narcissistic when in college than college students are today. Narcissism consist of recurring patterns of grandiosity, constant need for admiration, and lack of empathy towards others. Students high in narcissism and egocentric self-views are have higher expectations of their academic performance in college, but these expectations may not necessarily correlate to actual academic performance. Previous research found that undergraduate students tend to exaggerate or inflate their grade point average (GPA). The current research examines the association between narcissism and academic exaggeration (reporting a higher GPA than their actual GPA), and subsequent academic performance. The current, longitudinal study recorded participants’ self-reported GPA and their official GPA at the start and end of the semester they participated in the study, as well as multiple measures of narcissism. It is predicted that the association between academic exaggeration and subsequent GPA will vary by narcissism, such that students with higher levels of narcissism who exaggerate their academic performance will have a lower subsequent GPA.

• 

  Expert Systems: Sentimental Analysis

  Kavyasri Kotireddy, Saranya Mohan

  Sentimental Analysis, a research technique for analyzing the textual content on the internet.Text mining is process of examining humongous unstructured text into structured data for analysis. It has become very evident that customer reviews are a great source of marketing.These reviews heavily influence the buying decision of the people in addition to look and feel of the product. They also influence the purchase and business decisions made by the organizations. However, spammers intentionally mislead the customers from a particular product thereby prohibiting the organizations from reshaping their businesses. In this poster, an in-depth analysis of customer reviews has been implemented by taking a sample data set using text mining and an insight to the spam detection models.

• 

  Exploring College Roommate Conflicts

  Brittany Ann Fishburn

  The conversation surrounding roommate conflicts has already begun, but a majority of past literature has focused on personal characteristics of individuals and their compatibility as roommates. Quantitative research studies have delved into how it impacts the lives of students, including stress, mental health and retention. Yet empirical research has not yet been conducted specifically on the actual dynamics of interpersonal conflict between college roommates. The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the experiences of college roommates in conflict at a private, Midwestern institution and how they respond to the phenomenon. With the desire to put student experience at the center of this research, students’ perceptions were shared through semi-structured, in-person one-on-one interviews with the individuals who self-selected to take part in this study. Expressly, this research provides a richer understanding of how roommates react to conflict based upon how nonverbal and verbal reactions within the conflict situation are expressed, what conflict resolution strategies roommates generally use in conflict and how roommates in conflict describe how it has shaped their capacity for coping with the inevitable conflicts of the future. With mental health and overall college satisfaction on the line, this research assists student affairs practitioners in better understanding the dynamics between roommates in conflict and how it shapes their college experience. It provides insight into how student affairs practitioners, especially those who work in university housing, can be better prepared to respond to situations where roommates are in conflict. Inevitably, this information can lead to the creation of better conflict management practices to teach to staff and students in university housing and across campus.

• 

  Extrinsic Factors of Academic Probation Attrition of Engineering Students

  Luke Austin Matulewicz

  Being on academic probation is a stressful time for students. Many programs have been designed to specifically help these students return good academic standing; however, there is mixed success. Academic probation can often lead students to taking an extra semester, delaying their graduate, and/or not finish their degree—all of these causing an issue with retention and graduation rates. There has been an increased focus on a workforce with a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education over the years, making it imperative to colleges and universities to effectively graduate their STEM students. This quantitative data analysis looks to examine extrinsic factors, factors out of the students’ control, of students on academic probation in the School of Engineering at the University of Dayton and the correlation to academic attrition. Using mined university data, this research uses statistical tests to find significate factors of attrition from academic probation.

• 

  Fabrication of periodic poled lithium niobate for three-wave mixing

  Christy Elise Scott

  Lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN) is a ferroelectric crystal used as a generation medium via nonlinear optical conversions. By periodically poling LN (PPLN) nonlinearities are enhanced for select wavelengths. This is due to the longer interaction length of the crystals in PPLN, instead of sub-mm it increases to a few cm, which produces a crystal with a high degree of effective nonlinearity. Poling LN causes a localized reversal in the direction of the permanent polarization of the crystal (i.e. domain reversal). In this work, we report our efforts towards the development of PPLN using photolithography and applying the bias voltage in a conductive aqueous solution. Ultra-high biased voltages show great promise for fabricating PPLN. The ultimate goal of this work is to use PPLN crystals for three-wave mixing and terahertz (THz) generation.

• 

  Faculty Perceptions of Preparedness in Leading Short-Term Education Abroad Programs

  Kelly N Plazibat

  Faculty who lead education abroad programs are experts in their academic field, but may or may not feel as equipped to handle the additional responsibilities that come with leading a study abroad program apart from teaching their course content. This is a qualitative research study examining faculty perceptions of their own preparedness prior to leading college students on short-term education abroad programs. Through interviews with faculty members from various departments at the University of Dayton, they were asked to reflect on their experiences with the following: Managing student crisis, conflict and concerns; facilitating intercultural dialogue and reflection; and takeaways from pre-departure trainings facilitated by the Office of Education Abroad prior to leading students on programs abroad. My interpretation of the data suggests faculty overall felt prepared due to previous life experiences both inside and outside the experience of being a university faculty member, but that many education abroad programs seem to present unforeseen emergencies or situations that one could not possibly have anticipated or prepared for prior to departure.

• 

  Ferrari’s Solution of the Quartic Equation

  Lauren Ashley Morgan

  In 1540, Lodovico Ferrari found the solution for the quartic equation after his master, Cardano, tried and failed to do the same himself. Using this method, we are able to find all four roots of any given quartic equation. In this project, I will show Ferrari's proof of the quartic solution and use his method to solve a given example.

• 

  Fighting Hunger In Dayton Through Operations Research

  Madeline Renee Mock

  Many households are food insecure, meaning they lack access to a sufficient quantity of affordable and nutritious food. The Foodbank, located in Dayton, Ohio, is a private organization that works to combat food insecurity. The primary responsibility of the Foodbank is to serve as a central warehouse that collects, stores, and distributes nutritious food in the community. The goal of this project is to optimize the truck routes in order to reduce mileage and save operational cost for the Foodbank. This project focuses on the truck routes involving food collection. There are currently 51 active retailers that donate to the Foodbank regularly. These retailers are visited between 1 and 5 times per week, with many retailers receiving multiple visits per week. The Foodbank has 5 trucks that can run collection routes with each truck having a capacity of 10 pallets. The trucks are currently running 19 food collection routes per week totaling 967.28 miles. When the trucks are not being used for food collection, they can be used for mobile food pantries and deliveries to partner agencies. Therefore, The Foodbank is interested in reducing the number of food collection routes. This problem is formulated as a Vehicle Routing Problem. A spreadsheet solver that implements Large Neighborhood Search was used to create new routes. As a result, the number of routes was reduced to 17 per week and 707.32 miles per week. This 27% reduction in mileage results in a cost savings of 1,300 meals per week.

• 

  Finding the switches that activate animal genes through a combined in silico and in vivo approach

  Chad Michael Jaenke

  The DNA sequences of genomes encode the recipes for making functional cellular products, notably proteins, and switches that regulate when these products are made. While the genetic code for proteins has been known for decades, a similar code for the regulative switches is lacking. This presents a major challenge to understanding the genetic basis of life, as these switches (called cis-regulatory elements or CREs) may outnumber protein-coding genes by 20-50 fold. Both in vivo and in silico approaches exist to study CREs, but the former approaches are generally low throughput and not up to the scale of vast genomes, and the latter lack validation of predictions. We are merging in silico and in vivo approaches to identify the CREs controlling genes responsible for a fruit fly pigmentation trait. Here, we are leveraging the knowledge of five CREs that switch on the transcription of five different genes from a fruit fly tergite pigmentation gene regulatory network (GRN). We are using the SCRMshaw bioinformatic tool to identify novel predicted CREs controlling genes within this GRN based on underlying similarities in the DNA sequences of the known CREs. From this novel list, we will test 24 for CRE activity in in vivo reporter transgene assays. The results from these tests will reveal to what extent the in silico method succeeded. Novel validated CREs will be compared with the known five to reveal what the molecular functions are for the common DNA motifs as the next stage of this research project. The encoding of information in CREs is a universal feature of life, so these results bear upon life at every level, including the betterment of the human condition.

• 

  Flourishing the Urban Environment: How Urban Gardens Affect Pollinators

  Emily Ann Rickert

  Bees are an essential part of human life as they provide important pollination to many crops used for food while also promoting flowering plant growth. Within the urban setting there are places that keep this in mind and attempt to conserve bee population by planting native species of plants, just as parks plant bee-friendly flowers, and urban gardens use vegetables and flowers known to attract bees. Urban gardens work to provide vegetables and organic produce to communities in order to alleviate food crisis and subsequently also grow pollinator-friendly food. This study focused on whether the biodiversity of bees, wasps, hoverflies and other significant pollinators are being affected by these different types of urban land use and their resource availability. Urban gardens and restoration efforts were therefore used to gauge how human manipulation of the environment in certain urban areas can possibly change how pollination occurs.

• 

  Fluorescence Capabilities and Characterization of Oxidized Biochar Particles

  Bethany R Davies

  Biochar is a made through a simple combustion method from any biomass. This research utilized biochar from 3 different biomass sources, as well as a green hydrothermal synthesis, to produce fluorescent carbon-based particles. Characterization of these particles were carried out using Infra-Red, Ultraviolet-Visible, Fluorescence, and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. These particles are composed of a conjugated carbon lattice with nitrogen and multiple carbon-oxygen functional groups. The use of an economical and green synthesis that allows for the production of these oxidized particles with no waste or by-product, makes this compelling as a research focus. All 3 biochar-based carbon particles exhibit similar strong fluorescent behavior when excited by light in the ultra-violet to near visible range, with light emission occurring in the visible region over a range of approximately 300nm with an emission maximum in the 430-450nm region. The physical and fluorescence characteristics of these particles makes them an ideal candidate for future research into a safe, green, cost-effective biosensor.

• 

  Foreign Language Acquisition and Retention

  Delilah Simone Fox, Emily M Horwath

  The brain plays an important role in language acquisition and retention. In this presentation, we will explore how the brain learns, stores, and retrieves language, as well as the specific differences between the brain’s activity when learning a first and additional languages. The brain as related to language is complex and is not yet fully understood; however, this presentation will discuss the accepted theories about the brain structures and function connected to language. These theories will describe the processes that learn, store, and retrieve language in the brain. Although there are still discoveries to be made, research has shown that differences exist between learning a first and additional languages. These may include the ease of learning the language, how hard one’s brain must work when processing first and other languages, and even the visibly noticeable effects between using a first or other language. With the former information in mind, we will explain how the neurological structures and processes of language and the differences in brain function that occur while learning a second language as opposed to the first can be used to impact teaching styles for language acquisition.

• 

  Free Clinics are Losing Funding

  Keagin Seaira Collie

  With the proper funds, free clinics are able to offer low cost (mean of donation request/fee is $9.30) or free of charge visits for patients (Darnell, 2010). During the visit, patients are able to seek care from a provider and in addition, receive laboratory or radiographic services, if available at their free clinic (Darnell, 2010). However, free clinics often face a challenge in finding long-standing funds to support their cause. The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics has reported an overall 20% decrease in clinic funding (Birs, 2016). Reach Out of Montgomery County, a free clinic in Dayton, Ohio, experienced a fund loss that left a 21% decrease in their typical budget (2017 Annual Report). Their funding partnerships with Montgomery County Human Service Levy (HSL) and United Way (UW) of Greater Dayton Area were terminated, due to change of direction towards a UW national theme in poverty (2017 Annual Report). In addition to Reach Out, a free clinic in Florida reports experiencing a budget cut as their clinic lost a 3-year grant that would have provided $100,000 in funding (Fantozzi, 2015). The clinics’ cessation of monetary support thus results in a tighter budget they are forced to operate on, which can cause added pressure to fulfill the needs of the underinsured. This poster will highlight the loss of funding free clinics are experiencing with a special focus on Reach Out of Montgomery County.

• 

  From Putt Putt to Prairie: A Hole-in-One for Ecological Restoration

  Sara Marie Brunner, Erin Nicole Ferrell, Drew Daniel Gojsovich, Alex Everitte Newman-Caro

  This study was designed to be a vital stepping-stone in the long-term ecological restoration of Old River Park, located in Dayton, Ohio. For over fifty years, this park served the public and inevitably became a significant part of the Dayton community. Nestled within the park is a deserted Putt Putt course that has been consumed by invasive plants such as Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) and honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii). Due to the lack of natural predators, these plants actively inhibit the growth of other native species by outcompeting them for vital resources such as sunlight and water. This has ultimately led to a detrimental decrease in native plant biodiversity. The objective of this project was to restore the course by first clearing and controlling the invasive plants. A trial-and-error process was utilized to determine individualized methods of removal. Spaded shovels were best-suited for removing Callery pear, while clippers were best-suited for removing honeysuckle. To re-enforce the natural competition within the area, the team visited different sites within Old River Park and collected native prairie plant seeds. Species included pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima), goldenrod (Solidago), and wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia). The team collected no more than twenty percent of seeds from each population to ensure phenotypic diversity and genotypic variability. These seeds were then dispersed within the cleared areas of the course. Ultimately, the group was able to remove invasive species from fourteen of the eighteen Putt Putt holes. As a continuing project, further results are pending based on the re-growth of invasives during the spring, summer, and fall of 2019. The team also worked with other students and Dayton community professionals to produce a long-term vision and restoration goal for the site. Native plants will be seeded at each hole of the course based on sunlight and nutrient availability, conclusively producing a “native prairie garden walk” for public education and enjoyment. This research is important because it will allow University of Dayton students to understand the importance of native ecology and the substantial impact that humans can have on natural environments.

• 

  Fully Electric Car Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) - Is the electric car truly better than a standard sedan?

  Zachary A Connolly, scott Murphy Seel, Erik Robert Sekelsky

  When Tesla first released the Model S, the first fully electric car, there were a series of academic articles released stating that over the entire life of an electric car, these vehicles are environmentally worse than a standard gasoline powered sedan. Our goal is to explore this topic and determine if these articles are still applicable. Using an environmentally extended Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we will evaluate fully electric cars based on energy requirements, greenhouse gas emissions, and other environmental indicators. We will compare these results to an analysis of the status quo of a similarly priced standard gasoline powered sedan to determine if fully electric cars have less of an environmental impact.

• 

  Fundamentals Based Stock Weighting for Concentrated Portfolios in the Industrials Sector: An Empirical Analysis, 2009-2017

  Will Luis Perez

  More and more Exchange Traded Funds (ETF's) are using fundamentals based factor weighting (FBFW) to enhance performance and generate alpha. In this study I develop a two factor weighting model for a concentrated portfolio of 10 and 20 stocks in the S&P500 Industrial Sector ETF XLI. I use sales growth and relative price change as my weighting factors and test two hypotheses (1) Concentrated stock portfolios with FBFW models can outperform the broad market over long periods of time and (2) Concentrated stock portfolios with FBFW models can outperform their market weighted sector counterparts over long periods of time. The period of analysis is 2009-2017.