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  Statistical Analysis of the Effectivity of A Quarterback to Increase Winning Percentage Over Time

  Kaity M Jones

  A quarterback is often seen as the key component to a winning football team. This study is meant to evaluate the quarterback only skills and how effective they are in increasing winning percentage over 11 years across all 32 NFL teams in the regular season. Longitudinal modeling is used to evaluate each variable independently of one another to see how they affect winning percentage when incorporated into the same model. This research will also compare to a previous model I developed for a previous class. The hope is to take up to 10 different variables and see which variables are significant in increasing winning percentage for the team. It will also show if over time variables become more or less significant as the previous model was only capable of holding 4 years of data compared to the revised model of 11 years. The model is meant to see which skills are significant to increasing winning percentage. Which will narrow the scope of a quarterback on what skills to work on for the greatest results. Ultimately it is meant to show the meaningful work that a quarterback actually puts in to helping his team win.

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  Steady States of Gene Networks with AND/OR Gates

  Nikki Nicole Geiser

  Boolean networks are systems of variables that are either ON/1 or OFF/0, and a set of rules/functions that describe how these variables interact. These networks can represent biological systems and their regulation/gates. An important feature of Boolean networks is its steady states, which represent values of the system that remain stable over time and correspond to biologically stable patterns. Finding the number of steady states is very difficult, so theoretical results that predict the number of steady states are fundamental for the understanding of Boolean networks and their applications. Thus, we focus on a specific class of Boolean networks: AND-OR gate networks with chain structure, where activation is either synergistic or independent, and which resemble the structure of signal transduction networks. We find closed formulas for subclasses of these networks and recursive formulas in the general case. Our results allow for an effective computation of the number of steady states.

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  Stress and Olfaction: The Affective Link

  Sahar Kaouk

  Objectives: Odor presence may change the way a visual stimulus is perceived, and emotional state can influence olfaction, or the sense of smell (Zald & Parado,1997; Seubert et. al,2009; Pollatos et. al,2007). Under a negative emotional state, both males and females had decreased olfactory detection sensitivity but only males rated odors as being more unpleasant and intense (Chen & Dalton,2005). No study has examined sex differences in the effects of social and non-social stress on affective state and olfactory functioning. Females experience greater negative affect in response to social stress compared to males, who appear have distress following achievement stress (Stroud et. al,2002). In this project, sex differences in the impact of social stress and achievement stress on affective state and olfactory function will be investigated. Methods: Participants (N=128) will be randomly assigned to either: social or achievement stress condition. All participants will undergo baseline testing of odor detection sensitivity, hedonics, and intensity, then complete a battery of self-report questionnaires assessing affect, rejection sensitivity, and self-esteem. Participants in the social stress condition will undergo one round of Cyberball and participants in the achievement stress condition will take a difficult arithmetic test. Immediately after stress exposure, repeat olfactory testing and battery of questionnaires assessing affect and perceived stress will be administered. Significance: This project will expand the understanding of how affect and olfaction are related, and how sex influences these relations specifically how stress conditions induce negative affect and alter olfactory functioning. Since social impairment is present across a number of psychiatric disorders and olfaction is related to social functioning, understanding the impact of social versus non-social stress on affective state and olfactory function advancements in prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders can be achieved. Differences between sex regarding olfactory functioning, emotional regulation, and reactions to stress

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  Student Perception of Parental Involvement in College Orientation

  Sarah Kathryn Skidmore

  Much research on orientation focuses on how parental involvement affects retention or overall first-year student success in college. However, there is a lack of research focusing on orientation solely and what happens to students if parents are or are not able to attend with the student. This study uncovers just that, allowing for a shift in focus from retention to the emotional side of a student and how having one or both parents present may or may not affect their emotional transition into college. Orientation is the time where students and families are given as much information as possible to feel prepared for the start of this new journey. The experience can make or break a student’s perception of their new college home, and having parents there adds another whole dimension to a student’s feelings of comfort and support. Through a qualitative, narrative approach, this research delves into the lives of five students who did and six students who did not have parents present at orientation. Students reflect on their perceived levels of anxiousness, preparedness, support, autonomy and independence, ability to meet people, and their space to develop identity and self-authorship all in relation to whether or not their parents were able to attend orientation with them. This study helps student affairs professionals better understand what affect parental presence at new student orientation has on incoming students. It helps institutions decide whether to have more or less parent sessions during orientation. It also helps institutions see how students are feeling when they do not have a parent present, possibly suggesting ways that institutions can provide opportunities for these students to have sessions that still allow them to feel that same type of support as students whose parents were present.

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  Surface and Groundwater interaction in the Great Miami Valley Watershed: Isotope Geochemical Approach

  Caroline Johnstone

  Groundwater-surface water interaction play a vital role in determining the quality and quantity of groundwater as well as sustainable water resources management. Surface water and groundwater are key components in the water cycle that variably interact depending on geology, topography, and rainfall seasonality. We use environmental isotopes of Hydrogen (δD) and Oxygen (δ18O), which are conservative dual tracers, to provide key information on the movement and flux of water in the hydrologic cycle, degree of mixing between reservoirs, and spatial and seasonal variation of surface and groundwater interaction. Here we examine the degree of surface and groundwater interaction in the Great Miami Valley Watershed (GMVW). Weekly precipitation samples from Dayton, OH, spring and fall groundwater samples from the Great Miami Buried Aquifer and weekly river water samples from four locations (Still Water River, Mad River, and two locations on the Great Miami River) were collected and analyzed for δD and δ18O. Our initial data set shows that the average isotopic composition of the rivers is -6.71±0.19 ‰ for δ18O and -42.63±1.11‰ for δD during the warm season and -7.42±0.12‰ for δ18O and -47.69±0.88‰ for δD during the cool season.The average isotopic composition for groundwater is -7.16±0.49 ‰ for δ18O and -45.29±2.73‰ for δD during the spring and -7.05±0.50‰ for δ18O and -44.72±2.83‰ for δD during the fall. Our result based on an isotope two-component mixing model shows high degree of connectivity between surface and groundwater in the Miami Valley. Locally, rivers and the Great Miami Buried Aquifer shows more than 75% mixing. The outcome of this study will provide useful information on available seasonal groundwater recharge and aid in future water resource management.

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  Surface tension measurements of bio-based magnetic nanocomposites in ethanol and water solutions

  Grace Ann Docken, Frankie Ann Petrie

  Separation of ethanol from water in the fermentation broth of biofuels requires a distillation process with high energy use. To reduce the energy cost of this process, emulsified bio-based superparamagnetic nanoparticles in castor oil are being studied. This work is the second step in determining the structure-property relationships for this process by evaluating the surface tension with variables of temperature and concentration which are key to emulsions formation. In this work, measurements of surface tension were taken for lignin@magnetite nanoparticles with a goniometer instrument. Magnetic and structural properties of the nanocomposites were obtained using a Vibrating Sampling Magnetometer (VSM) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Specifically, two studies were performed to test the effects of the magnetic nanoparticles on the surface tension of ethanol/water mixtures. The first experiment analyzed the impact of nanoparticles concentration in eight different ethanol/water aqueous solutions. The second experiment analyzed the temperature effects in surface tension at a constant nanoparticle concentration in a water solution. The lower concentrations of nanoparticles show little to no change in the surface tension; however, above 1 w/v% concentration, there is a decrease in surface tension of the dispersion. This decrease is also much higher at lower concentrations of ethanol and pure water. As temperature increases, surface tension decreased for all samples. The ultimate goal of this research is to determine the parameters in which bio-based nanoparticles can be used to create emulsions with magnetic properties for use in ethanol extraction from fermentation broths with energy-efficient liquid-liquid extractions.

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  Synthesis and Binding Abilities of Bis(quinoxalino) Ligand

  Jacob L Buechele, Kaity Rose McKenna

  The need for environmentally safe practices has skyrocketed within the past few years, as soil and water are subject to transition metal accumulation. One way to deal with these contaminations is by use of peraza-crown macrocycles as ligands to remove these metals. Our project focuses on a unique synthesis of the peraza-crown macrocycle that avoids the common use of a metal skeleton. Through the use of the quinoxaline subunit, we are able to greatly increase the binding properties of the peraza-crown macrocycle and the rigidity of the overall molecule.

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  Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Image Analysis of Barrow Area

  Ming Gong

  With an increasing volume of digital image data obtained from various aircraft and satellite sensors, remote sensing image analysis is becoming more and more important. Effective use of this remote sensing image requires an accurate extraction of information contained in the data. Many image processing and analysis techniques have been developed to aid the interpretation of remote sensing images and to extract as much information as possible from the images. Relevant applications are constantly expanding, from all kinds of land use and land cover mapping applications (such as glaciers and sea ice) to detect and track air pollution and oil leak, the mineralogy of other measurement of earth's surface and atmosphere. The objective of this research is to study the processes of Arctic coastal environment at the intersection between the marine, terrestrial, atmospheric and cryospheric environments. We use ground-based and remote sensing observations to create an integrated Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image processing system for segmentation and classification based on different types of surface in Barrow area.

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  Teachers’ Knowledge of Suicide Warning Signs and Risk Factors

  Caitlyn Leigh Tipple

  Recognizing the warning signs and risk factors for suicide is key in prevention efforts. This study examined teachers’ knowledge of suicide risk factors and warning signs. Results indicated that teachers have limited knowledge of the risk factors and warning signs for suicide. Furthermore, results yielded small correlations between the grade level taught, number of years teaching, training experiences, and the number of professional development hours and the number of risk factors and warning signs identified accurately.

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  Technology in the Classroom

  Grazia Maria Dipierro, Jordan N McCormick, Bridget Frances Vaughn

  The growing use of technology in the classroom has prompted studies to determine how technology affects the quality of a student’s education. There are benefits and risks that come with using one to one technology, online textbooks, and online classrooms that can have varied impacts on student learning and development. One to one technology, including its implementation, can influence student-teacher relationships and the overall effectiveness of technology in the classroom. Online resources, especially textbooks, have proven to be controversial tools for students. Some students complain about eye strain and the need to print online texts in order to learn, while others appreciated the decreased price tag of online resources. Studies show that online learning can contribute to feelings of isolation and a lack of belonging as students are unable to develop the same tactile relationships with teachers and other students as is possible in a traditional classroom. As society moves away from traditional classroom learning and increasingly relies on technology, the effects of online learning and resources must be examined in order to ensure a quality education for each student.

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  Testing UD Soil Isolates for Antimicrobial Activity

  Elizabeth M Collins

  Antibiotics are important in both the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections. However, there has been an increase in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is when a microbe counters the effects of the antibiotic, and continues to reproduce. As the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections grow, the bigger the threat to public and global health. The Small World Initiative and the Tiny Earth Network’s mission is to support student research in antibiotic discovery by isolation of unknown bacteria from soil. Over the past semester, I have been conducting research with the aim to find microbes that produce antimicrobial effects on known ESKAPE pathogens from soil collected outside Roesch Library. A soil sample was collected from the gazebo next to Roesch Library. Bacteria colonies were plated on TSA and TH plates. Eleven colonies from the TSA plate and ten colonies from the TH plate were selected to be tested against the known pathogens of Enterococcus faecium and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These pathogens cause similar infections and are transmitted the same way by direct contact. However, Enterococcus faecium is a gram positive bacterium and Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram negative bacterium. By choosing two different types of bacterium the goal is to discover if there is a difference in antimicrobial activity based on the type of pathogen. Antimicrobial activity is determined by the presence of a zone of inhibition. For the bacteria that show antimicrobial activity, a series of tests, which include gram staining and biochemical testing, were performed to identify the bacterial isolates. Future implications of this research could help create new antibiotics to fight against human pathogens and further improve the public health of the community.

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  The Buzz Around Solar Energy: How pollinators could be affected in an urban prairie located under a solar array

  Marigrace Sandi Moses, Francisco Jose Suarez Negron

  Nonrenewable resources are approaching obsolescence as communities look towards the future and sustainability. Solar energy has been a hot topic, but there is concern about the structures taking over habitats and disrupting the ecosystems they will share. As solar energy, specifically ground solar, becomes more prevalent in communities, the worry of preserving land and habitats increases particularly for lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) and hymenoptera (bees and wasps). This concern is based on the simple fact that renewable energy sources need more area to be effective. This research will examine how the installation of solar panels could affect how frequently pollinators visit a prairie. We observed the number of different pollinators that visited Solidago riddellii and Ageratina altissima which are both prairie plants native to Ohio. Since the prairie had not been seeded yet, 60 mason jars with the prairie plants were placed outside of and underneath the rows of solar panels. The jars were left out for about 24 hours. During this time, an observer recorded pollinators that landed on the flowers.This experiment started late in the flowering season and we did not get sufficient data to answer these questions. However, the ground has been cleared and seeding has now taken place. Since the prairie will be growing by Fall 2019, further observation will take place to test the central question in this study. Continuing this study could help many communities plan for thriving pollinator communities as they begin to install ground solar panels. While renewable energy is crucial, it is important to consider the ecosystem that they are being introduced to and how they might affect target organism of restoration.

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  The College Student Perspective on Reintegration

  Emily Katherine Dotson

  Many institutions of higher education are finding the likelihood of students returning to the university after a disciplinary suspension is somewhat higher than in past decades. Students who return have different stories and experiences that are important to any reintegration to a community. Restorative Justice practices can play a large part in making someone feel accepted, forgiven, and allows for rebuilding relationships. Between work done in prisons or in K-12 schooling, reintegration programs can look extremely different. Through semi-structured interviewing four (4) students at the University of Dayton who have successfully reintegrated to the community, I explored their perspective on what is most and least helpful during their reintegration experience. Results show that having a reintegration program significantly aided students in feeling more welcomed back to campus and ensured that they continued on a path for success concurrent with their personal goals. In future practices, schools should create a reintegration program that is more uplifting and positive such as Restorative Justice Practices, versus a punitive approach causing a further decline in student and staff relations. Having support and resources readily available at the beginning has shown to be the most beneficial for returning students.

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  The Dirt on Antibiotics at the University of Dayton

  Michelle Lynn Borchers

  Antibiotics have become a problem as their overuse has led to pathogens resisting the effect of antibiotics. This is an important health matter as once effective antibiotics no longer work to cure some illnesses. The Small World Initiative and the Tiny Earth Network function to discover potential antibiotics in nature by isolating bacteria from soil samples in the environment and testing them against ESKAPE pathogens. The goal of this research is to help support the Small World Initiative by testing soil for the presence of naturally occurring antibiotics on the University of Dayton’s campus. A sample of soil was collected from a backyard on campus grounds and tested against ESKAPE pathogen safe relatives Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus raffinosus. Antibacterial effects can be quantified by measuring the zones of inhibition on the agar plates. Lab techniques such as aseptic technique, serial dilution, master plates, and spread plates were used to isolate the pure bacterial colonies that showed antibacterial effects on the pathogens. Gram staining and biochemical testing were performed to try to identify the bacterial isolates. The biochemical tests include: catalase, hemolysis, triple sugar iron, mannitol salt agar, MacConkey agar, citrate, gelatinase, and motility. The antibiotic producing chemicals of the pure colonies were then extracted and tested with eukaryotic cells. The findings will help contribute to the mission of the Small World Initiative and the Tiny Earth Network.

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  The Effectiveness of a Personalized Peer Health Physical Education Program (PPHPEP) on the Health Related Physical Fitness, Diet, and Attitudes Toward Wellness of Students Enrolled In a University Personal-Community Health Course - Year 2

  Anthony J Aiello, Molly Lawler Asmus, Olivia Grace Carpenter, Olivia Ann Defoggia, Katherine Elizabeth Denoyer, Mikayla Nicole Feltz, Makenna Barbara Fentress, Nicholas Joseph Ferritto, Megan Elizabeth Gerrity, Troy Grabowski, Wariebi Henry Jituboh, Nicholas J Langenderfer, Charlotte Paxton Leboeuf, Colleen Megan McCabe, Bridget Delia McDermott, Michael Anthony Paciello, Katherine Anne Plotz, Alexandria Rose Rozich, Erin B Rusconi, Olivia F Ryncarz, Dominic Agostino Speights, Meghan Marie Stephany, James N Tullio, Mikaylah M Van Lanen, Kaylie Hope VanDoren, Margaret Clare Walker

  The purpose of this major course research project was to determine the effectiveness of a Personalized Peer Health Physical Education Program (PPHPEP) on the cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength/endurance, flexibility, diet, and attitudes toward wellness of students enrolled in a university personal and community health course (N=25). In the spirit of pioneering exercise physiologist and researcher T.K. Cureton, who believed that the “true laboratories in physical education [were] the pools, playfields, gymnasiums . . . ,” this study was field based and conducted primarily at the University of Dayton RecPlex. During the 2019 spring semester, students enrolled in an undergraduate Personal Community Health course offered in the Department of Health and Sport Science exercised w/peers during 5 separate sessions. Team members participated in five (5) sessions conducted during class time while continuing to participate in their own individual exercise regimens outside of class. Two of the (2) in class sessions included pre- and posttest fitness assessments. All in-class exercise and testing sessions were conducted at the University’s RecPlex. Data from pre- and posttest fitness assessment sessions were analyzed and compared using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data from students’ weekly Health Wellness Review Reflections (HWRRs) were analyzed and compared to Insell-Roth (2016) Dimensions of Wellness Theoretical Framework to determine the effectiveness of the PPHPEP. Note: Data analysis for the PPHPEP is a Work in Progress (WIP).

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  The effect of a counterfactual mindset induction on jurors’ evaluations of eyewitness evidence

  Alex Jordan Reynolds

  We tested whether inducing participants to think counterfactually about a case involving eyewitness evidence would sensitize them to variation in eyewitness evidence quality. Participants read an abbreviated transcript of a murder trial in which the quality of witnessing and identification conditions was manipulated. A counterfactual mindset induction manipulation was embedded in the defense’s closing arguments. Participants rated eyewitness evidence as weaker, and voted guilty less frequently when the witnessing and identification conditions were poor. The predicted interaction effects did not emerge.

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  The Effect of Environment on Running Performance and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

  Julia Margaret Dozeman, Danielle Denise Greer, Kevin Patrick Reider, Jacob Nicholas Stanek

  This research is aimed to discover how different running environments affect running performance and perceived exertion rates. The purpose of this research is to evaluate in what running environment college-aged individuals perform best, based off of time. Research will be conducted at the University of Dayton RecPlex and an outdoor trail near campus. The participants of this study is non-athlete male and female subjects, aged 18-23 years old. While each participant is completing the three one-mile runs, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), heart rate, and time will be recorded. Specifically, the Borg RPE Scale will be utilized to attain subjects’ RPE, and an Apple Watch will be utilized to attain subjects’ heart rate prior to and immediately after each run. Achieving a certain percentage of an individual's age predicted maximum heart rate is a valid indicator of work exertion. While data collection is not yet fully complete, we are anticipating that, on average, participants will report the lowest RPEs during the outdoor trail run and the highest RPEs while on the treadmill. Although we are expecting to see similar trends in RPEs, we are anticipating that the females, on average, will display longer times recorded for each timed run than the average male times. The environment with the shortest average time, however, is expected to correlate to the environment with the highest RPE rating and highest heart rate. College students will benefit from this research. With busy schedules, college students should know what running environment supports better performance.

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  The Effect of the Norm of Group Interest in Response to Leader Dissent

  Brandon Lawrence Porter

  I examine the influence of a leader's dissenting behavior in an intergroup task on a group member's evaluation of the leader's performance. In the proposed study, group members will participate in a Prisoner's Dilemma Game (PDG). False feedback will create a cooperative group decision and then group members will be informed of the leader's decision to conform to or dissent from the group's decision. The leader's decision will be paired with a high payout or low payout group outcome. I investigate predictions based on Social Identity Theory (SIT), Realistic Group Conflict Theory (RGCT), and Norm of Group Interest (NGI). NGI predicts individual variations in outcome-based evaluations of the leader, RGCT predicts high payouts should be associated with high evaluations of the leader. Lastly, SIT predicts a leader's dissent should result in lower evaluations of the leader from low identifying members regardless of outcome. Results will highlight each models' fit to dissent and leadership situations within an intergroup context.

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  The Effect of Transdisciplinary Pedagogy on Vocation Discernment

  Morgan Kelly Miller

  The Effect of Transdisciplinary Pedagogy on Vocation Discernment In its institutional learning goals, the University of Dayton includes vocation as one of its goals stating that “all undergraduates will develop and demonstrate ability to articulate reflectively the purposes of their life and proposed work through the language of vocation” (University of Dayton, 2018). How do students on UD’s campus view vocation and in what way are some areas of learning teaching vocation? The purpose of this study is to document and understand a student’s developing understanding of themselves and, in turn, vocation. To this end, I have looked at one program on campus: The Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation (IACT). IACT teaches a creative mindset that students from many majors and backgrounds learn together to take it back to their own individual areas of study for use in interacting with those curriculums, making IACT’s curriculum and advising transdisciplinary in nature. This study provides valuable accounts and insight into the effects of IACT’s curriculum and advising model and how it effects vocation discernment for undergraduate students who participate in the program. The study is dependent on the data collected and analyzed from interviews with students working toward IACT’s certificate in Applied Creativity for Transformation. This study includes information on how students make meaning of how IACT teaches, how they think about vocation, and if IACT is affecting the meaning of vocation for these students.

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  The effects of caffeine on aerobic exercise performance in college student females.

  Kiki Marie Hess, Kristina Kay Holmes, Anna Katherine Rose Kolesar, Leah Ann Schneider, Madeline Nicole Smith, Kelsey Morgan Tepe

  Studying the effect of caffeine on exercise performance is important to determine the consumption of coffee in exercise. From previous research, it has shown consuming caffeine before exercise has positive effect on exercise, by decreasing rate of perceived exertion and increased exercise performance. The results we find through this research can help others decide whether they would drink coffee before exercising in the future. Since college students consume large amounts of coffee everyday, we want to see how it affects them while exercising. Specifically, we focused on the population of female college students in this project. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of caffeine on aerobic exercise performance in college aged females. The caffeine consumed by the participants will be 8oz of donut shop coffee from a keurig cup. This will be consumed one hour before exercise and we will measure aerobic exercise performance using a cycle ergometer. There will be a total of 10 female college aged participants of both coffee and non-coffee consumers. We will have the same 10 females exercise one day without coffee and one day with coffee to compare our results. We are interested in looking at the effects coffee has on heart rate, blood pressure, rate of perceived exertion, and exercise performance (survey-based). The results will be reported at the symposium once our research is concluded.

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  The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Weight Loss, Mood and Energy Level

  Connor Stephens Goff, Cosette Mary Riely, Erika Marie Schmitt, Diandra A Walker, Michael C Wroblewski

  Between increases in sedentary lifestyles and poor eating choices, America has been fighting the obesity epidemic for decades. Increased advertising convinces consumers that they need to eat more than they do, but intermittent fasting may be the solution to the obesity issue. Intermittent fasting has become a new method for losing weight. It is not a diet meaning it does not dictate what is eaten, but rather dictates what times of the day eating is allowed. Previous research has examined how intermittent fasting can impact weight loss in participants, but none have examined intermittent fasting specifically on college-age students. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss, mood and overall energy levels in college students. Participants will be randomly assigned to a control group, intermittent fasting with a 8 hour window and intermittent fasting with a 12 hour window. The participants will fill out daily questionnaires to track mood and energy levels throughout the experiment. Results will be presented at the Stander Symposium. The results from this study will contribute to the continuous discussion about healthy ways to lose weight as well as focusing on a population that has limited control over what they eat.

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  The effects of L. rhamnosus consumption on rat anxiety-like behavior

  Amanda Marie Schleper

  Adolescent stress in humans has been correlated with an increased likelihood of an adult individual to develop addictive behaviors, such as an alcohol use disorder. Literature has demonstrated that rats subjected to adolescent stress tend to show an increased ethanol consumption. Adolescence is a critical time of development and the link between adolescent stressors and alcohol use disorders is not fully understood yet. This study examined the relationship between adolescent stress and alcohol consumption in rats. Probiotics are bacteria with potential health benefits and have been well accepted as a dietary supplement. Literature shows that probiotics could decrease rodent anxiety-like behaviors derived from adolescent stress, such as social isolation. A previous study conducted at the University of Dayton showed that group housed rats that received probiotics exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior. This finding contradicts the positive perception associated with probiotics, showing that probiotics may have a negative impact on affective behaviors. Following two measures of anxiety-like behavior in rats, the Elevated Plus Maze and the Light/Dark Box, we did not find any significant differences between the chronically stressed and the control rats. Additionally, we did not find a difference between the groups in terms of alcohol consumption or preference. Lastly, this study did observe the same trend as our previous study in regards to the anxiety-like behavior demonstrated in the group housed probiotic group. We found that the group housed rats that consumed probiotics showed an increase in anxiety-like behavior. This trend did not include a significant difference between the groups, but was similar to what we observed previously. Moving forward, further research should be done to understand the potential benefits and risks of probiotics.

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  The Effects of Propionate on the Interactions of Listeria monocytogenes with the Mucosal Barrier

  Katie Lynn Breitenbach

  Listeria monocytogenes is a food borne pathogen that is capable of causing the disease listeriosis typically in the elderly, pregnant women, or immunocompromised people. It has a relatively high death rate in the U.S. compared to other foodborne pathogens--about 1 in 5 cases ends in death. The bacterium is an intracellular pathogen, which means it requires entrance into a host cell to carry out its pathogenic activity, grow, and spread. To do this, it must cross the mucosal barrier of the intestinal lining. Through a series of various protocols, this study primarily investigates how anaerobic conditions and short chain fatty acids such as propionate, to which we know Listeria is regularly exposed in the gut, affect the bacterium’s ability to interact with the mucosal barrier. In addition, this study also contributes an understanding of how the disease should be addressed ethically in the U.S. today.

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  The Effects of Rewards on Motivation Within Higher Education Residential Learning Curricula

  Megan JF Will

  The University of Dayton AVIATE Program strives to further students’ learning outside the classroom by educating individuals on the concepts of authorship, interculturalism, and community living within a residential curriculum. AVIATE attendees are rewarded for participation in program events via a point system which is utilized in housing assignments for the coming year. This study aims to discover what motivates students to continue their studies in a residential environment and the effect rewards and teamwork play on motivation and participation. Data compiled by the University of Dayton department of Housing and Residence Life was analyzed to determine how likely students are to attend residential educational programming, the role rewards play in learning, and students’ reliance on teamwork to achieve shared goals. Results indicate that students' motivation levels vary. While the majority of students partake in fewer than 20 AVIATE events each year, overall program participation has grown, particularly with student groups working toward the common goal of rooming together in the upcoming year. This is especially true for 5-student teams who most recently averaged attendance at 36 events per person. The exception lies with students who choose not to request roommates for the following year. These individuals may attend a single AVIATE event during the academic year. Thus, student motivation in residential learning is largely affected by a combination of the creation by teams of shared goals as well as extrinsic reward opportunities.

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  The Effects of Sublethal Ampicillin Exposure on Listeria monocytogenes Virulence

  Marlena Rae Merling

  Antibiotics can be found in sublethal levels environmentally as pollution and within the body when used as medication. Antibiotics induce stress responses and sometimes act as signalling molecules in bacteria. In order to better understand the relationship between antibiotics and bacterial infections, the effects of sublethal antibiotic exposure on the ability of Listeria monocytogenes to infect macrophages was studied. Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular pathogen of the gastrointestinal tract that is facultatively anaerobic. Two strains of Listeria monocytogenes were tested: a lab strain and a clinical cardiotropic strain. The strains were grown in liquid media overnight aerobically or anaerobically with either no antibiotics or with a 0.05 μg/mL concentration of ampicillin, which is the main antibiotic used to treat Listeria infections. Bacteria from the overnight cultures were used to infect RAW264.7 cells (macrophages) at a multiplicity of infection of 10. The number of intracellular colony forming units (CFUs) were measured at 2 and 24 hours post-infection by plating the cellular lysate. Using the number of intracellular CFUs, the percent input was calculated to measure amount of Listeria present inside the macrophages at each timepoint. The results for both strains showed no significant difference in the ability to infect and replicate inside macrophages between Listeria grown with or without ampicillin. Interestingly, the aerobically grown cardiotropic strain had a significantly lower percent input than the lab strain at 2 hours post infection, but there was no significant difference in percent input between the strains at 24 hours post infection. This suggests that although the cardiotropic strain cannot infect macrophages as well as the lab strain, it can either grow better or resist macrophage killing better than the lab strain. Future directions include testing higher levels of antibiotics and exploring the differences in virulence between strains of Listeria monocytogenes.