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  As Above, So Below: Antibiotic Resistance of Soil and Surface Microbes

  Alyssa M. Dabrowski, Emily Nicole Georgopoulos, Lauren Madison Maier, Emma Catherine Schaefer, Ayesha I. Sheikh

  In Spring 2021, five members of the student organization Flyers Against Antibiotic Resistance performed a surveillance project in collaboration with students in the BIO 411L General Microbiology Lab course to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance around the University of Dayton campus. We tested bacterial isolates collected from soil by the BIO 411L students and from human-associated surfaces for their growth on tetracycline-containing agar plates where a positive growth would indicate tetracycline resistance. We found that the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant bacteria was much higher in isolates from human-associated surfaces than isolates from soil. The 4 different media types also contributed differently to the isolation of tetracycline-resistant bacteria. Moreover, stairs and floor surfaces account for the majority (31% and 29.4%, respectively) of resistant isolates from human-associated surfaces. In summary, tetracycline resistance is present in a variety of environments and can potentially be spread from human-environment interactions.

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  Assessing and Modeling Landslide Lake Outburst Floods Along the Araniko Highway in Nepal

  Patrick M. Holmes

  Landslides are commonly portrayed as unstable slopes collapsing and causing a blockage on a roadway. Though this does occur in mountainous terrain often, landslides can have a greater impact when collapsing in a river basin. River basins around the world are surrounded by unstable slopes, which can fail due to precipitation and erosional processes. When these slopes fail, the landslide generally causes blockage in the river system bringing the flow to a halt and forms a pond behind the blockade. The problem created from this landslide blockage is what is known as landslide lake outburst floods (LLOF). When the water builds up enough to breach the sediment loose, a flood burst out interacting with the mountainous landscape, impacting people and infrastructures downstream. Buildings, houses, and properties have been damaged from these outburst floods not only from the high discharge of the water but plucking of large size sediments. This study will aim to identify unstable slopes in the Himalayan Mountains where monsoonal rains and frequent seismic activities lead to landslide occurrences, specifically along the Araniko Highway. The Araniko Highway is a heavily travelled highway that connects Kathmandu to China and is considered one of the most dangerous highways in the world. This research’s main goal is to identify specific slopes along the Araniko Highway that are susceptible to slope failure and end up creating a river blockade. Eventually, that blockade could lead to a LLOF, and the water that has built up behind the sediment dam can negatively impact man-made infrastructures from the failure of the dam. Resource platforms such as Google Earth, ArcGIS, and HEC-RAS 1D will be utilized. HEC-RAS will be used to create a model/cross-section of the LLOF after failure in order to predict how a landslide can impact the flood discharge and occurrence. ArcGIS and Google Earth will be used to identify the susceptible areas that could create the landslide dam. The modelling results will help create remediation ideas or evacuation plans for people in the area who are at severe risk of danger.

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  Assessing Community-oriented Policing on College Campuses in Ohio

  Huthayfa Usman

  Community-oriented policing has been studied in great detail in respect to municipal police departments. There is not significant research on the usage of community policing by campus police departments. Through this research project, we aim to assess how community-policing is being utilized on college campuses across the United States. This study conducted a survey given to campus police chiefs in the state of Ohio to assess how college police departments are engaging in community-policing.

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  Assessing Psychopathic Traits Among Juveniles to Examine Violent and Nonviolent CrimesDelinquency and Psychopathy in Juveniles

  Lauren Kathleen Moore, Darian A. Ramirez

  Although prior research has shown that there is a correlation between psychopathic traits in youth and the propensity to commit a crime, there is very little research on what type of crimes, in specific, are committed- either violent or nonviolent. In this study, we aim to better assess the association between the psychopathic traits of callousness and grandiosity, and violent versus nonviolent behavior among adjudicated juveniles. In order to do this, we will expand on the already existing research to further explore the onset of psychopathic traits among adjudicated juveniles and how it relates to violent and nonviolent behavior. This study examined adjudicated juveniles that exhibited psychopathic traits such as callousness and grandiosity and how these traits have the potential to determine criminality. Moreover, we found that these traits are significant in understanding juvenile delinquency. Our findings showed that only callousness was statistically significant when tested across aggressive offending.

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  Assessing the Efficacy of Seedling Planting as a Forest Restoration Technique in Temperate Hardwood Forests Impacted by Invasive Species

  Michaela Jean Woods

  The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire; EAB) is an invasive insect that causes mortality of trees in the genus Fraxinus, creating canopy gaps that may facilitate invasion by exotic plants. Planting native tree seedlings under EAB-infested Fraxinus may accelerate succession and preclude invasive plant expansion; however, the effectiveness of this approach has not been experimentally tested. We assessed understory seedling planting of Quercus rubra, Carya laciniosa, and Juglans cinerea in EAB-infested forests, where the invasive shrub Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) was removed. We tested whether the use of plastic tree shelters (“tree tubes”) or planting season (fall versus spring) contributed to the success of the reforestation plan by measuring growth rates (cm/yr) and survivorship two and seven years after planting. After seven years, seedling survivorship was < 25% for all species and planting techniques. Quercus rubra exhibited poor survivorship with one seedling surviving to the conclusion of the experiment. Juglans cinerea and C. laciniosa had higher survivability and growth rates than did Q. rubra after two and seven years. Effects of tree tubes were weak and temporary. After 2 years, Q. rubra seedling survivorship was higher in tree tubes; however, by the end of the experiment 29 of the 30 Q. rubra seedlings in tree tubes had died.Juglans cinerea seedlings grew faster when planted in the fall compared to the spring, but overall survivorship of these seedlings was unaffected by planting season. Neither the use of tree shelters nor the planting season contributed to the growth or survival of C. laciniosa seedlings. In summary, our results indicate that seedling planting of Carya and Juglans may be a useful way to increase biodiversity in regenerating forests; however, the resource-expensive processes of over-wintering seedlings and using tree shelters may not increase the success of reforestation efforts.

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  Assessing the Knowledge, Dietary Intake, and Physical Activity of College Students Regarding Osteoporosis

  Taylor Michelle Lackey, Madison Marie Millhouse, Holly Faith Nusser, Ashley Ray Wolf

  Background: Osteoporosis, meaning “porous bone” is a bone disease which is characterized by bone loss and lack of bone production. Affecting approximately 53.6 million older adults in America, the prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass is a major concern and there is a large emphasis on prevention and management. Current research has shown that exercise and diet can impact the occurrence and progression of osteoporosis, especially in women. Resistance, impact and aerobic exercise have all shown to have a positive effect on bone health. Dietary nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and protein can also positively impact bone health when used in combination. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between knowledge and behaviors surrounding the prevention of osteoporosis in both male and female college students. This study also aims to compare the results of the age, sex, major, grade, and personal or family history of bone-related disease/injury of the participants to determine if there are differences in awareness and/or action.Methodology: This study utilizes a cross sectional study design consisting of general questions as well as questions aimed at assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding Osteoporosis. The Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a twenty-four hour food recall will be used for this study. Participants will be recruited from male and female undergraduate students at the University of Dayton aged 18-23 years. A regression model will be used to analyze the data and determine if exercise, dietary intake and the covariates described in the purpose can predict participants’ knowledge of osteoporosis. Results: The results of this study will be provided in the presentation.

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  A Three Factor Portfolio Weighting Model for Select Stocks in the Healthcare Sector: Empirical Analysis, 2009-2019

  Alec W. Gizzie, Trenton Brian Zoeller

  In this study we look at impact the of revenue growth, operating profit and relative price momentum on the return performance of the top ten stocks (by market value) in the S&P 500 Healthcare Sector over the period 2009-2019. We develop a 3 factor portfolio weighting model and compare the performance of this model to the broad market index S&P 500. Using time trend regressions with revenue growth and operating profits as the Y variables and time as the X variable, we take the slope coefficients from the regressions as the original weights for our model. We use the yearly relative price momentum to adjust the weights annually. We test the hypothesis that combined, revenue, growth, and operating profits are priced-in risk factors i.e, they generate excess returns over the market.

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  A Two-Factor Portfolio Model for 6 SPDR Sectors with Industrial Production the “State” Economic Variable: An Empirical Analysis 2009-2019

  Nicholas Allen Cragon

  In this study, I follow the Stephen Ross/Robert Merton approach and develop a portfolio factor weighting model for 6 SPDR sectors using the "State" economic variable Industrial Production as my principal factor loading. The 6 SPDR sectors making up my portfolio are: (1) Consumer Staples, (2) Consumer Discretionary, (3) Healthcare, (4) Industrials, (5) Information Technology, and (6) Utilities. I test two hypotheses: (1) the 6 SPDR sector Industrial Production factor weighting model generates excess returns over the broad market index S&P 500 i.e. it is a priced-in risk factor. (2) It has persistence in excess returns over a long period of time. The period of analysis is 2009-2019, a long-term bull market for U.S. equities.

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  A Two-Factor Portfolio Weighting Model for 6 SPDR Sectors with Consumer Credit the "State" Economic Variable: An Empirical Analysis 2009-2019

  Reed Thomas Aleck

  The first objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that the state economic variable U.S. consumer credit is a priced in risk factor in the U.S. equity market. A second objective is to determine if a consumer credit derived factor weighted portfolio model shows persistence in generating excess returns over the broad market index S&P 500 over a long period of time. The period of analysis is 2009-2019. The actual factor weights are long and short term price momentum for the 6 SPDR sector ETFs: (1) Consumer Staples, (2) Consumer Discretionary, (3) Industrials, (4) Healthcare, (5) Information Technology, and (6) Financials. Two portfolio models are evaluated: (1) constant share model and (2) adjustable shares model.

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  A Two Factor Portfolio Weighting Model with Wages and Salaries as the State Economic Variable: An Empirical Analysis 2009-2019

  Benjamin Louis France

  In this study I develop a five SPDR sector portfolio with the principal factor U.S wages and salaries. I use three measures of wages and salaries: (1) Wages and Salaries-Private (WS-P) (2) Wages and Salaries-Goods (WS-G) and (3) Wages and Salaries-Services (WS-S). The SPDR sectors included in my portfolio weighting model are (1) Consumer Staples, (2) Consumer Discretionary, (3) Industrials, (4) Healthcare, and (5) Information Technology. Using monthly data over the 2009-2019 time period, I regress Wages and Salaries on the Price Index for each SPDR sector to obtain a long-term measure of sector price momentum (the regression slope coefficients). The long-term price momentum becomes the original sector portfolio weight which in turn determines the beginning shares held in a sector. After the first year, the original shares are adjusted up or down based on the yearly changes in each sector's price index. I test two hypotheses: (1) The five SPDR sector portfolio outperforms the S&P 500 over the 2009-2019 time period i.e, the state economic variable is a priced in risk factor. (2) The five SPDR sector portfolio shows persistence in excess returns over the S&P 500.

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  Beyond Sins and Symptoms: Suffering in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited

  Sarah Elizabeth Miller

  This project interrogates the ongoing appeal of Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 novel Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder as it responds to the nostalgia for the past and the relentless onset of modernity in the wake of World War I. The novel’s enchanting yet tragic protagonist Sebastian Flyte finds himself struggling with alcoholism and is caught in the no-man’s-land between two systems of meaning-making: his pious Catholic mother Lady Marchmain seeks to remedy his condition through religious intervention, while his worldly future brother-in-law Rex Mottram hopes to use psychological treatment to cure him. Sebastian’s trajectory provides a window into the shortcomings of religious and secular approaches to modern suffering. Employing close readings of the novel as well as historical and theological contextualization, I argue that Brideshead Revisited reckons with the failures of religious condemnation and secular diagnosis as ways to understand human frailty. Instead, the novel illustrates the healing power of love that is willing to suffer with the beloved

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  Binomial Tree Model: Pricing European and American Stock Options

  Jacob Robert Pieniazek

  Pricing stock options has been a highly discussed topic in financial mathematics. Binomial Tree Models are the basis for pricing these stock options. Utilizing this model, it is rather simple to price European stock options—options that can only be exercised at the terminal time. However, it is markedly more difficult to price American options—options that can be exercised at any time before or at the terminal time. The focus of this research was to understand the mechanism by which to price European stock options and extrapolate this knowledge to calculating the more complex American options and understanding the behavior of the boundary upon which the American option will be exercised—the optimal exercise boundary. Utilizing Python programming software, we were able to effectively create an algorithm that can calculate the stock-price binomial tree, price both European and American options, and separate the region in which the American option will be exercised throughout the time period. This provides us with a conceptualization of the behavior of stock options, particularly American options, and a further understanding of the mechanism by which American options are priced.

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  Blood Pressure and connection to micronutrition deficiencies or overconsumption

  Amber Lynn Marks, Julia Marie Muccio, Dana Katherine Roscoe

  Blood pressure is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels pumped through the heart. Using a concept mapping technique, the purpose of this presentation is to outline micronutrients such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium and their impact on blood pressure. Further, we will discuss the interplay among the micronutrients and the impact of diet on blood pressure. For instance, diets adequate in magnesium, potassium and calcium are shown to positively impact blood pressure. However, the Western diet is often low in these minerals yet high in sodium possibly contributing to the high rate of hypertension in the US population.

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  Bullen Ultrasonics

  Lauren E. Luechtefeld, Chris J. Meyers, Nathaniel J. Neading, Blake Geoffrey Warren

  Maintenance Inventory Management Project

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  Canine Handlers and College Student's Perceptions on K-9's Ability to De-escalate Violent Arrest Situations

  Kathleen Maria Schumacher

  Canine units are an expanding field in police departments as they are proving to be seen as valuable tools to the organizations. Canines possess multiple abilities and there is limited research completed to fully examine untapped potential. Recently there has been significant discussion on the use of force officers demonstrate in policing situations that has caused serious backlash on the law enforcement profession. The research issues being examined addresses exactly these types of situations and the impact canine units might contribute to resolve these issues. This research project is a mixed-methods approach that includes both quantitative and qualitative research. The quantitative approach includes a survey that was sent out to college students attending universities within the Midwest region and the qualitative approach includes interviews with police officers at local departments within the Midwest. Overall, the canine handlers perceived the use of canines to de-escalate violent arrest situations as positive as long as the canine is trained for the situation. The same conclusions resulted from college students’ responses when it comes to situations that occur within the public. However, when it relates to domestic situations, the college students disagreed with the use of canines to mitigate the scenario. In the end, canines have been proven as a solution to de-escalate violent arrest situations as long as they have completed the necessary training, but I would recommend researching this topic more with a higher interview response by officers.

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  Canopy Cover Effects on the Rate of Leaf-Litter Decomposition

  Jahmia A. Bridges-Butler, Eva S. Hill

  Canopy Cover Effects on the Rate of Leaf-Litter DecompositionBy: Jahmia Bridges-Butler & Eva HillDecomposition is a vital ecosystem process that is a crucial part of nutrient cycling, and, if altered, can cause a change in the environmental productivity of an ecosystem. This process plays an important role in nutrient cycling by breaking down plant biomass and facilitating new plant growth. We tested the hypothesis that canopy cover would affect the rate of decomposition in forested and open areas: An open canopy cover will lead to decreased rates of decomposition due to being exposed to natural elements that can slow down decomposition. However, the open canopy area would be expected to have more arthropods present and participating in the decomposition.To determine decomposition rates, we conducted a litter-bag experiment in the Environmental Research Area at the University of Dayton. We created 10 sets of 4 bags each, each filled with 5 g of green Ginkgo leaves. We picked up one bag from each set at different points in time to determine how much litter mass was lost over time. Half of the litter bags were put in a closed canopy site and the other half in an open canopy site. We then calculated the rate of decomposition by comparing the starting litter mass to the end litter mass. We also determined what arthropods were present in the last two time points by identifying the arthropods to order that we extracted from each litterbag using a Berlese funnel.We expect to find an overall lower rate of decomposition in the litter bags placed in the open canopy site, compared to the rate of bags in the closed canopy site. More specifically, we expect to find a higher k value with the litter bags in the closed canopy area than those placed in the open canopy. We expect these results due to the open canopy bags being exposed to the elements during the winter months, which would include precipitation like rain and snow, that would cause a decrease in decomposition.These results could be important for gaining more knowledge and insight into what kind of things can affect decomposition rates in ecosystems. We can learn about how anthropogenic factors, like deforestation, can alter the rate of decomposition for vegetation in the area, which in turn affects the carbon cycle.

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  CAPTCHA in Virtual Reality

  Bharath Kandala

  In this project, we aim to study the CAPTCHA in virtual reality. We integrate 3 different CAPTCHA methods, namely, ReCAPTCHA, Image-based CAPTCHA, and text-based CAPTCHA. The virtual environment is rendered in Unity3D. The user is able to experience the CAPTCHA by using Google Cardboard VR headset with an Android phone. The experiments show that users have different preferences to CAPTCHA methods in virtual environment.

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  Carry On? Sheriff Perceptions of Concealed Carry in Ohio

  Annemarie Rizzo

  Members of license-issuing agencies have been largely overlooked in concealed carry weapons (CCW) research but stand to provide a critical viewpoint from firsthand experience with the guidelines and procedures in place. This exploratory study examined the perceived level of adequacy, stringency, and implications of the current CCW licensure process in Ohio. A 43 item online survey was distributed via email to all county sheriffs in the state of Ohio, yielding a total of 26 respondents. The data indicate satisfaction with the current process and requirements necessary to obtain an Ohio CCW license. Data indicate a perceived need for CCW licenses in the state. Sheriffs report the current number of licenses improves their personal and public safety; however, they did not believe these impact the number of law enforcement officers shot and or killed on duty annually. Sheriffs feel their departments are the appropriate agency to handle CCW licensing, spending more than 20 hours attending to the process per week. Results show most sheriffs do not think Ohio should become a constitutional carry state. More research is necessary to determine if these views are consistent amongst license-issuing agents in other shall-issue states.

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  Center for Local Government

  Liliana F. Capelli, Sydney H. Griger, Michael Travisano, Gregory Marc Zlatkin

  CLG Datacenter...new DC & Software to improve flexibility/access/visualization

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  Challenging Genetic Dogma: Testing Whether Modularity is a General Feature of the Switches that Control Animal Gene Use

  Katherine A. Kohnen

  Animals build, organize, and maintain a diversity of cell types throughout development and adulthood. Cellular diversity results from the regulated expression of genes, where most genes are “pleiotropic” with expression occurring in several cell types and/or developmental stages. Cell type and developmental stage-specific patterns of expression are activated by cis-regulatory element (CRE) DNA sequences. In contrast to genes, CREs are generally assumed to function in a modular non-pleiotropic manner. Where each CRE activates expression in one cellular context, and gene pleiotropy arises from their regulation by multiple modular CREs. This assumption shapes the way CREs are thought to impact development, evolution, and genetic disease. However, the generality of CRE modularity has not been satisfactorily demonstrated, as it is difficult to test for CRE activity or inactivity in all cell types and developmental stages. The major goal of my Honor Thesis research is to test whether CREs tend to be modular or possess pleiotropic gene expression regulating activities. For any identified pleiotropic CRE, I will reveal how their multiple expression activities are encoded in DNA sequence. Specifically, I will investigate 13 Drosophila melanogaster CREs that each activate gene expression in the abdomen of this fruit fly species by reporter transgene assays. For these CREs, I will inspect for additional reporter transgene expressions in embryonic, larval, pupal, and adult cell types. For any identified pleiotropic CRE, I will subject it to a series of discrete mutations to see whether zero, one, or multiple expression activities are disrupted by the introduced mutations. These experiments will provide a novel test of the modularity hypothesis and provide insights into how expression patterns are encoded in CREs. The outcomes have broad implications in biology, notably on the roles of CREs in development, evolution, and genetic disease.

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  Chaminade Students Honors Vocation & the Arts: Role of Beauty in Our Lives

  Joseph G. Beckett, Anna L. Biesecker-Mast, Andrew Michael Buchanan, Jacob Robert Cogley, Mary C. Connor, Katherine Victoria Evans, Bridget Therese Graham, Tyler Elizabeth Horton, Jessica A. Jenick, Robert C. Kelly, Alexandra Marie Landman, Kayla A. Lenahan, Kaitlin B. Lewis, Jordan N. McCormick, Elena Jean Niese, Samantha Bourelle Niewoehner, Abigail R. Shahady

  The Junior Chaminade Scholar cohort invites you to our interactive presentation on the role of beauty in our lives. Beauty is a fundamental aspect of creation that we encounter every day in nature, other people, and the creative work of man’s careful stewardship over the Earth. By its very presence, this beauty demands our attention, fills us with energy, and calls us to act. This presentation will focus on how this beauty calls us to spread balance and harmony to areas of the world where environmental and economic injustices systematically deny large portions of the globe their fair share of the material gifts and beauty God bestowed on creation. By failing to address these inequalities in our world, we degrade fellow humans to sub-human living conditions so that others may live in sinful affluence. This is a far cry from the model Christ set for us when he not only came to live among the poor, but also to serve them. Through our collective awakening to beauty’s role in our own lives, we hope to help others realize that we are all called to be artists striving to create a masterpiece with our own lives as we fulfill our roles as stewards in creation.

  Supplemental video used in presentation

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  Characterization of a Novel Phosphorus-Based Flame Retardant in a Mixed Epoxy Resin System

  Mustafa Mukhtar

  This poster summarizes the results of a series of ongoing experimental investigations into the curing reactions between a novel Phosphorus-Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A (P-DGEBA) flame retardant, Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A (DGEBA) epoxy resin, and aliphatic amine curing agent. Epoxy resins are one of the most widely used thermosetting polymers. Epoxy resin has wide applications in the fields of composites, adhesives, coatings, microelectronic materials, and printed circuit boards, due to its excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and electrical insulation. However, epoxy thermosets can be flammable, which threatens human health and survivability of composite structures that catch fire. The primary motivation for this study was the promising preliminary experimental results obtained recently on a novel organophosphorus flame retardant (P-DGEBA) synthesized by the UD Chemistry Department. This research aims to identify the feasibility of reactive organophosphate compounds that could be integrated into existing curing epoxy (DGEBA) formulations to provide fire-resistant composites with little or no compromise in processing, treatment, and mechanical properties. Consequently, a series of experimental mixing formulations and curing conditions were investigated to provide further insight. Curing conditions were characterized by various physical and thermal properties using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Cured samples were also tested using microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) to investigate the flammability and decomposition characteristics of cured epoxy resins.

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  Check Your Ego at the Shore: Marine-Derived Nutrients Drive Size Variation in the Invasive Tawny Crazy Ant

  Amy C. Feltz

  Nylanderia fulva, known as the Tawny Crazy Ant, is a highly destructive invasive ant that arrived from South America to the Southeast U.S. in 2002. In their invasive range, this ant can reach a density 100 times greater than native ants and their nests contain multiple queens and workers that show no signs of intraspecific aggression, allowing the colonies to stretch thousands of kilometers along the Texas coastline. Nylanderia fulva are important to study in coastal tallgrass prairies because these ants threaten biodiversity in this imperiled ecosystem, and their abundance is driven by marine-derived nutrients, such as calcium and sodium, that are deposited by precipitation along the coast. The main question in this experiment is: how do changes in micronutrient availability in coastal tallgrass prairies affect Nylanderia fulva fitness? More specifically, we were seeking to determine: does the total amount and ratio of Ca to Na in the diet of N. fulva affect worker size? We hypothesized that the amount of Ca in N. fulva food will increase ant size while increasing Na in the food will decrease ant size. To determine how the ratio of Ca:Na affects worker size, we collected 80 colonies of N. fulva and conducted 50-day feeding trials with 16 different diets that varied the amount of Ca and Na in their food (by increasing 10%, 25%, and 50%) in 2018. At the end of the experiment, we measured the head width of 10 ants from each colony to determine worker size in each diet variation. Ca increased colony biomass while Na decreased worker size. Our findings suggest that N. fulva seeks Ca to increase colony growth, which may be an important mechanism driving colony success. Additionally, because Na decreased N. fulva worker size, increases in Na could lead to a reduction in competition among native ant species and decrease their ability to forage for food.

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  Childhood Victimization and Mental Health

  James David Burns, Shawn A. Gaspar

  Children are one of the most vulnerable populations we have in our society in terms of victimization. This vulnerability, unfortunately, makes them an easier target for victimization and this, in turn, can have damaging effects on a child's mental health. Children suffer the highest rates of crime victimization. This research examines the impact of childhood victimization on mental health by race and gender.

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  Child Marriage and the Effects of COVID-19 in Bangladesh

  Fabiola A. Hernandez Vargas, Maya A. Smith-Custer, Meaghan Elizabeth Thomas

  Based on the work and data gathered by Counterpart International, a development agency funded by USAID, this presentation focuses on how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already existing issue of child marriage in Bangladesh. This is part of a larger program Counterpart International has implemented since 2018, titled, ‘Promoting Advocacy and Rights’ (PAR). PAR gains to deepen democratic values within civil society to improve public governance in collaboration with others NGOs. In this project titled, ‘Child Marriage and the Effects of COVID-19 in Bangladesh’, analyzes how gender disparities impact the decisions made for young girls. Childhood marriage has been illegal in Bangladesh since the passing of the Childhood Marriage Restraint Act in 1929 under British rule. Later, in response to the widespread continuation of this practice, the government enacted the Childhood Marriage Act of 2017, making the practice legal with certain provisions, such as authorizing girls under the age of eighteen to get married with permission of a guardian. The gender disparities in Bangladesh lead to childhood marriages and the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increase of childhood marriages. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the push factors toward childhood marriage. Childhood marriage can be the result of lack of access to resources, education and financial hardship. Understandably, childhood marriage can be considered a social solution to these hardships for struggling families, specifically in rural areas. However, women in these marriages are more likely to experience domestic violence and physical and mental hardships. They also lose their mobility, financial independence, and become full time homemakers. In this presentation we highlight these underlying structural causes and effects and propose some solutions based on our semester work on delving deeper into issues that specifically impact Bangladesh as a country.