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  Assessing Connecticut’s flood risk using multi-criterion analysis and its implication to environmental justice

  Julie Hays

  This project aims to achieve two objectives: 1) develop a flood risk map for the state of Connecticut using a multi-criterion approach based on geographic information system (GIS) techniques and compare the result with Connecticut’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and 2) investigate the issues of environmental injustice related to the direct financial impact caused by flood insurance policies. The flood risk map is generated using publicly available data and GIS tools. To account for the many elements which are involved with flooding, the Analytical Hierarchy Process method is used to assign a weighted numerical value to the parameters which contribute to flood vulnerability. The flood risk parameters chosen to be included in the study follow the FIGUSED method: flow accumulation (F), rainfall intensity (I), geology (G), land use (U), slope (S), elevation (E), and distance from drainage network (D). The net vulnerability of an area due to these parameters is referred to as the Flood Hazard Index value (FHI). Census data is then used to determine if socio-economically disadvantaged groups are at disproportionate risk. The variables that characterize such groups include race, level of income, and level of educational attainment. The significance of this study is to identify the possibility of minority communities being disproportionally affected by a federal policy regarding flood insurance, providing information for the equitable implementation of its polices.

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  Assessing Inundation Risk and Possible Race and Income Correlations

  Ryan M Matzuk

  This project has two objectives: (1) map areas vulnerable to inundation and (2) determine whether or not there is an racial or income disparity between the citizens of Harris County, TX at risk of inundation compared to those not at risk. Harris County is a relatively flat, near-coastal, highly urbanized, and low elevation area. This makes it highly susceptible to inundation issues from both sea level rise and high-precipitation storms such as hurricanes. Risk areas will be determined by utilizing Hurricane Harvey precipitation data to mimic a large, high-precipitation storm as well as by utilizing sea level rise projection data for the year 2100 to reveal inundation and land-loss from rising sea levels. This analysis will be performed using multiple digital elevation models (DEMs) from 2008 to precisely measure land-surface elevation of the study area. Hurricane Harvey precipitation data will be used in order to replicate precipitation conditions of large storms. The precipitation data will be used to create a map layer in order to visualize the areas at high risk of inundation. A similar map will also be created using sea level rise predictions for the year 2100. Census block data will be applied to the study area and analyzed in order to determine racial and mean income statistics for areas inside and outside of the high-risk floodplains. This study can provide critical information needed for future planning to address climate change as well as environmental justice issues.

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  A stable isotope approach to nitrate contaminant tracing in the Great Miami River Watershed

  Rachel Kristine Buzeta

  The global population has been increasing exponentially and has caused several challenges surrounding sustainability, including the need for greater food production. To meet these demands and boost agricultural productivity, mechanized, more efficient agricultural practices and chemical fertilizers are used. These chemicals have resulted in water pollution and water quality degradation. Much of the Great Miami River Watershed's streams and aquifers are impacted by excessive amounts of nutrients such as nitrate originating from anthropogenic sources including use of fertilizers for agriculture, human wastes (domestic, industrial, and municipal wastes), and urbanization. High nitrate concentrations can cause ecological disturbances and affect organisms across all trophic levels. It also poses a danger to human health (nitrate levels greater than 10 mg/l) if the contaminant reaches drinking water sources. Although a network of water quality monitoring stations report nitrate concentrations in surface and groundwater, contaminant source tracing has not been done. Here we used isotope fingerprinting techniques to trace sources of nitrates. Isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (δ18O) are used to identify unique nitrate isotopic signature from different sources. Our results show distinct δ15N and δ18O isotopic signatures from different land use and sources such as agriculture, septic systems, and animal waste. Further analysis of boron isotopes (δ11B) is used to distinguish anthropogenic sources (synthetic fertilizer, wastewater) from natural sources (organic fertilizer). Preliminary data has shown that different nitrate sources have different ranges of δ15N, δ18O, and δ11B values. The collective data from our first-round of sampling suggests that the isotopic composition of these sources can be used to quantify contaminants in groundwater that comes from those sources. The outcome of this research could provide a regional baseline for nitrate contaminant tracing and help to inform state and local water quality management and public health policies related to nitrate resources.

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  A Survey of Tundra Lake Size Changes During Around 40-year Time Interval Observed in Historical Maps and Satellite Images

  Ming Gong

  Greenhouse gas emissions from tundra lakes are a significant positive feedback to the atmosphere in a changing climate as a pronounced growth of the numbers of tundra lake patterns has been observed in the Arctic region. Detailed knowledge of changes in tundra lakes size is potentially valuable in order to understand and accurately model the sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, we are using historical maps and satellite images with time interval around 40-year to show a study of tundra lake size changes. We have developed a novel algorithm framework that is employing three main processing stages: lake detection, lake segmentation, and lake size computation. In the first stage of the framework, there are two different approaches, one is for detecting the lakes on historical maps that is a color-based segmentation technique, and another one is for detecting the lakes from satellite images which is a decision-making model based on support vector machine classifier (SVM). The second stage of the algorithm is a region growing approach that is applied for the detected lakes from both historical maps and satellite images, to segment the actual lake size. The last stage is calculation the lake size which is applied for the final segmented lakes from both historical maps and satellite images. It is based on connected component analysis strategy, which calculates the lake size in terms of number of pixels. Experiments performed on changes in lake size over time in a set of lakes that were visually matched in both the historical map and the satellite imagery demonstrate that some lakes in our study region have increased in size over time, whereas others have decreased in size over time. Lake size change during this time interval can be up to half the size of the lake as recorded in the historical map.

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  Authentication Of the Internet of Things Devices Over ZigBee Networks

  James Patrick Althoff

  IOT, or the Internet of Things, is the inter-networking smart devices, buildings and other embedded systems to enable them to transfer data between them. This data can be used for various uses such as power management and home automation. Current projections of the Internet of Things predicate that the use of this technology will increase dramatically within the foreseeable future. Many of these devices are currently being implemented using protocol such as Bluetooth and ZigBee. ZigBee is a wireless communication protocol based on the IEEE 802.11.4 standard. ZigBee was created for low power devices, such as those that run on batteries, with the industrial settings being among the common implementation of ZigBee enabled devices. The project focuses on improving the ZigBee protocol, specifically in the authentication section of the protocol.

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  Autonomous Self-Driving RC Car

  Kenneth Bester, Garrett M O'Grady

  With the age of automation coming to machines, self driving cars will turn from a fantasy to a reality in the next decade. These machines will utilize neural networks to learn from pilot drives to ultimately be able to drive completely autonomously on any road they are put on. This project demonstrates a small fraction of the technology that goes behind a self driving car with an implementation on a 1/16th scale RC car. Using the open source software ‘Donkey Car’ we were able to turn an RC car into a self driving car that get more intelligent every time it drives. Mounted above the car is a 3D printed roll cage which houses a fisheye lense camera (for image recognition) raspberry PI 3 Model B (for the neural networks) and a Servo Controller(to control the throttle and steering). As a demonstration during the presentation, the car will drive simultaneously around a track avoiding obstacles, following street laws and remaining between the lines of the road.

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  Bargain Brand Justice: Ohio's Indigent Defense Funding Model Makes Justice Inaccessible and Undermines the Sixth Amendment

  Ebony D Davenport

  In 1963, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel shall not be denied to anyone due to their ability to pay in Gideon v. Wainright. The right to adequate legal representation is a noble one that sets this nation apart from other areas of the world. However, without the proper infrastructure, this right becomes less revolutionary and more decorative. When public defender offices are not properly funded, the most vulnerable among us are denied a fundamental right; justice becomes an experience exclusive to the elite; and the adversarial system is won not by the best advocate, but by the depth of her resources. The county-by-county funding model employed by the state of Ohio has the potential for causing disparities among counties because public defender offices are funded based on property tax revenue. This approach to funding creates a piecemeal system in which one’s access to justice depends largely on which county he is arrested. When the burden is shifted to the counties, they struggle to provide for public service like waste management, libraries, and schools. This strain on funding creates a Hunger Games-like situation wherein various public services compete for extra crumbs. Because Ohio’s current funding model for indigent defense prevents residents from equal access to justice, thus depriving them of a fundamental right to counsel, a new funding source that is independent from the general fund will allow for (1) counties to be fully staffed, (2) proper expert witnesses that can potentially strengthen a client’s defense, (3) reduce excessive caseloads which undermine quality representation, and (4) ensure that Gideon’s promise is upheld.

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  Beyond the Macro: exploring micronutrients in insect communities

  Kaitlin Marie Gawkins, Meg Elizabeth Gramza

  Macronutrients are widely considered to be an important limiting factor for insect herbivore populations in grassland ecosystems. However, a potential co-limitation by micronutrients has long been overlooked. We are studying the effect of soil micronutrients on herbivore community composition in coastal tallgrass prairies of Texas with a large-scale multi-nutrient, fertilization experiment manipulating Ca, K, and Na in concert with N and P. Initial results indicated that orthoptera abundance and diversity are co-limited by macronutrients and sodium. To determine if these effects arose through the herbivores feeding more heavily on plants with NP and Na added, we used in-lab choice trials with seven species of orthoptera from three feeding guilds with leaves from four plant species (2 grasses and 2 forbs) that were grown in treatments with either ambient soil nutrients or Na, NP, or Na plus NP added. We then determined how much each individual ate of each treatment leaf at the end of the 48 hour trial. With no preference and a choice of 4 leaves, each leaf should make up on average 25% of each individual’s total consumption. We compared each individuals feeding to these expected amounts and used pairwise t-tests to determine whether preferences existed. Pooling across all individuals, orthopterans chose the NP+Na leaves significantly more than any other leaf type. This finding suggests that orthopterans respond directly to leaf chemistry changes arising from our treatments and have important implications for management practices: orthopterans are considered major pests to agricultural systems and are controlled with billions of dollars of pesticides annually. However, because NP and Na in soils are both enhanced with current agricultural practices, our findings suggest that humans could actually be causing these insect herbivores to thrive and become abundant in agricultural systems by adding these limiting nutrients.

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  Beyond the Picture: Elaboration more than Description Enhances Memory and Appreciation for Paintings

  Jacob Severino Avendano, Abigail T Flower, Tessa Nicole Jatczak, Brad Charles Wolfred, Yu Zhao

  Aesthetic preferences involve many factors that determine how people respond to art. For example, the context surrounding photographic art (e.g., titles) influence its aesthetic appeal (Millis, 2001). The present study examines the effect of titles on aesthetic preferences for paintings. We hypothesize that (a) participants will show greater preference for paintings with elaborative titles compared to descriptive titles, and (b) participants will have better memory for paintings with elaborative titles compared to descriptive titles. Participants evaluated images of lesser-known Van Gogh paintings. Prior to the experiment, a sample of students was presented with these paintings along with elaborative and descriptive titles to verify that the titles were valid. In the experiment, all participants were exposed first to paintings without titles. Next, participants were exposed to the same paintings in a randomized order with titles. Titles were either elaborative (evoking a deeper thought process, such as “Water Sustains Life” for a painting of a bridge over a stream) or descriptive (naming objects in the painting, such as “Bridge over Water” for the same painting). Participants were asked questions assessing preferences: if they liked the painting, if they would buy the painting, and if they would hang the painting in their home. A control group also assessed the paintings twice, but without the titles present either time. All participants then completed tasks unrelated to the experiment to distract them from reviewing the paintings. Finally, participants viewed the original paintings intermingled with new Van Gogh paintings to test their memory for the original paintings. Preliminary results show that participants prefer and recall more of the paintings with elaborative titles compared to descriptive or no titles. These results support our hypotheses, suggesting that elaboration enhances one’s experience when viewing paintings, and elaboration also make the paintings more memorable.

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  Brain Machine Interface Software Application for Data Collection, Thought Analysis, and Robotic Arm Control

  Jason Demeter, Alexander Robert Jereb, Clayton T Kern, Brad Richard Sorg, Jamie Stanton

  The overall purpose of the ongoing Brain Machine Interface (BMI) project is to develop an electroencephalography (EEG) interface and a robotics control application which will further enable people with disabilities to achieve autonomy. The project consists of developing, building, and testing an end-to-end system to translate raw EEG data into actionable information. This can be used to control a robotic arm and for other research purposes. A BMI is a system that collects the brain’s electromagnetic signals by utilizing sensors, extracts meaningful signals from the data, classifies thoughts, and ultimately uses thoughts as an input to a computer system. The computer system then has the ability to control hardware and software, which for this project is a robotic arm. The team improved the robotic arm user interface, developed a graphical user interface (GUI) for thought recognition, and explored future research paths by partnering with local experts. To improve the usability of the robotic arm user interface, the team developed software that allows easier performance of useful activities, such as using a pen to play tic-tac-toe, playing piano, and picking up objects. The Insight headset by Emotiv was used by the team for data collection. The headset can stream real time EEG data and control signals, however the Emotiv software solution for data collection is closed and proprietary. To use the Vision Lab’s noise reduction and muscle signal removal algorithms, the team created a GUI to train the thought classification system and collect and process the data. EEG phoneme detection is a future research path that allows for thought to speech translation. The team investigated EEG phoneme detection by implementing algorithms which can identify phoneme sounds from audio recordings. Using these working algorithms, further research will implement phoneme detection using only EEG signals with no audio.

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  Business that Changed the World and Media Moguls

  Maryam Sulaiman Said SULAIMAN Al Ofi, Hassan Ali A Al Zainaddin, Fahad Y F A A Alduaij, Mahdi M E A H Alsaffar, Muhammad H H H M Alsarraf, Saleh Mohammed

  The presenters are students from the Intensive English Program. The posters they have created are representative of an end of term project for the level 3 Oral Communication and Listening/Note-taking course; an intermediate class for English language learning students at the intermediate proficiency level. The goal of this assignment is to give students an introduction to research and an opportunity to improve their speaking and presentation skills.

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  Caffeine Rush! Examining the Effects of Caffeine on Spatial Working Memory.

  Alexander N Lawriw

  Caffeine is well-known for its ability to make a person feel more attentive, more alert, and less fatigued, but could this popular stimulant also help improve a person’s memory, as well? Prior research suggests that caffeine might be a cognitive enhancer with participants showing improved performance on short-term memory tasks such as the recall of word lists (Arnold et al., 1987; Barraclough & Foreman, 1994; Rogers & Dernoncourt, 1998; Ryan et al., 2002; Schmitt, 2001a, b). However, conflicting results using similar tasks have called these findings into question. On top of this, the overall body of research concerning caffeine and memory has tended to focus solely on relatively simple assessments of newly established episodic memory, leaving a glaring gap in the literature when it comes to other types of memory (e.g., semantic memory). The present research aims to fill this gap by studying caffeine’s potential effects on spatial working memory, the temporary storage, maintenance, and manipulation of spatial information. In the experiment, participants were asked to complete levels of varying difficulty within a computerized version of the popular puzzle game, Rush Hour, after consuming either a 200 mg caffeine pill or a placebo. Rush Hour requires the player to move a designated red ‘target’ car to the exit of a 6 x 6 grid. Blocking the exit are other cars that can only be moved horizontally or vertically depending on the direction they are facing. Participants must use the spatial information of the grid layout in order to complete the levels as efficiently as possible. We hypothesize that those participants given caffeine will complete these levels quicker and with fewer errors than those given a placebo. However, this increase in performance may be limited on more difficult levels due to increased workload and ensuing stress.

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  Challenging the American Dream in Dayton, OH

  Abby Anne Pech

  The ideology of the American Dream has a negative impact on those who are low income by creating a false perception of what it takes for residents to reach their full potential. The American Dream emphasizes that everyone has the freedom and ability to suc­ceed, economically and socially, through hard work and dedication, but fails to address the underlying barriers that stand in the way of this achievement. Drawing on narratives from the Facing Project in Dayton and social science literature, it is clear that non-merit factors such as social capital, cultural capital, and inheritance hinder the poor from achieving the American Dream. The goal of this poster is to highlight the historical impact of the American Dream on people in the Dayton area and emphasize how the upper class has an unfair advantage over the lower class. It will delve into the functional and conflict explanations of poverty and examine the is­sues surrounding the four ingredients needed to obtain the American Dream, which include talent, the right attitude, hard work, and moral character. In order to level the playing field in the Dayton area, I recommend a number of measures that could begin to foster equal opportunity to the American Dream.

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  Challenging the American Dream in Dayton, OH

  Abby Anne Pech

  The ideology of the American Dream has a negative impact on those who are low income by creating a false perception of what it takes for residents to reach their full potential. The American Dream emphasizes that everyone has the freedom and ability to succeed, economically and socially, through hard work and dedication, but fails to address the underlying barriers that stand in the way of this achievement. Drawing on narratives from the Facing Project in Dayton and social science literature, it is clear that non-merit factors such as social capital, cultural capital, and inheritance hinder the poor from achieving the American Dream. The goal of this poster is to highlight the historical impact of the American Dream on people in the Dayton area and emphasize how the upper class has an unfair advantage over the lower class. It will delve into the functional and conflict explanations of poverty and examine the issues surrounding the four ingredients needed to obtain the American Dream, which include talent, the right attitude, hard work, and moral character. In order to level the playing field in the Dayton area, I recommend a number of measures that could begin to foster equal opportunity to the American Dream.

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  Changes in a western Ohio old-growth forest community before and after invasion by emerald ash borer

  Julia I Chapman, Mitchell John Kukla, Corey Michael Kuminecz

  The emerald ash borer (EAB; Agrilus planipennis fairmaire) is an invasive insect species in North America that has devastated Fraxinus (ash) populations in the Great Lakes region and northeastern U.S.. Many forests are losing a significant number of Fraxinus trees and the implications of this widespread disturbance is not yet clear. The aim of this study is to understand how EAB-related tree mortality is impacting compositional change in a west central Ohio old-growth forest. A set of 32 nested plots were established in Drew Woods State Nature Preserve in 2011 and used to sample the overstory layer (314 m2; stems ≥ 2.5 cm diameter at breast height), sapling layer (10 m2; stems < 2.5 cm dbh and > 50 cm in height), and seedling layer (1 m2; stems < 50 cm in height). These plots were resampled in 2017 to investigate the composition of tree species over seven years during which the majority of Fraxinus trees died from EAB infestation. In the overstory, basal area of live Fraxinus decreased from 151.4 m2 ha-1 in 2011 to 1.68 m2 ha-1 in 2017. The basal area of dead Fraxinus increased from 33.5 m2 ha-1 in 2011 and to 132.3 m2 ha-1 in 2017. Further analysis will investigate how the relative abundance and stem density of tree species other than Fraxinus have changed during this time period. These findings can provide insight into the future successional trajectory of forests that have been infested with emerald ash borer.

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  Changes in Herbaceous Plant Diversity in an Old-Growth Ohio Forest Before and After Emerald Ash Borer Invasion

  Taylor Melissa Buskey

  The herbaceous layer of eastern North American deciduous forests is an important contributor to biodiversity in this region. One of the greatest threats to herbaceous plant diversity is the introduction of invasive species, which can suppress native species and alter local environmental conditions. Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer) is a non-native insect pest that has caused a mass death of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in North America since its introduction to the United States. The resultant changes in canopy structure may affect local conditions and thus have indirect impacts on herbaceous layer composition. Drew Woods State Nature Preserve is a 6-ha old-growth forest fragment in Darke County, Ohio that has recently experienced EAB-related ash mortality. Our goal was to understand how herbaceous layer diversity has been changing through time in response to this sitewide canopy disturbance. Annual surveys of herbaceous biodiversity were conducted across 32 1-m2 sampling plots from 2012 to 2017. Species richness, total cover, Shannon Diversity, and species evenness were calculated for each plot by year, and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity) was used to assess community turnover through time. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for significant changes over this period, and regression analyses were used to understand relationships between diversity and environmental variables (canopy cover, soil moisture, and distance to forest edge). Species richness and herbaceous cover tended to be higher in more recent sampling years. There was a temporally consistent north-south gradient where diversity tended to be greater toward the southern edge of the stand. These results suggest that EAB-induced ash mortality is increasing light availability via canopy gap formation, which is a driving factor of herbaceous diversity. The full impact of EAB is not yet clear, but will likely extend beyond ash mortality and have important indirect effects on other parts of forest ecosystems.

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  Characterization of the Glycosylation of Aquaglyceroporin HC-3 in Erythrocytes from the Freeze Tolerant Anuran, Dryophytes chrysoscelis

  Dante Laurenti Pezzutti

  Cope’s gray treefrog, Dryophytes chrysoscelis, is a freeze-tolerant anuran that uses glycerol as a cryoprotectant. In erythrocytes of D. chrysoscelis, transmembrane glycerol flux is likely facilitated through the aquaglyceroporin, HC-3. Previous research demonstrated that erythrocytes from cold-acclimated treefrogs up-regulate HC-3 protein expression, membrane localization, and glycosylation. Thus, we hypothesize that anticipatory glycerol accumulation observed in cold-acclimated treefrogs contributes to enhanced post-translational modification of HC-3 via N-linked and O-linked glycosylation, and that HC-3 glycosylation is important in subcellular trafficking of HC-3 to the membrane. Densitometric analyses of immunoblots specific for HC-3 showed a 3.5-fold and 1.9-fold average increase in glycosylated HC-3 from RBCs cultured with the addition of glycerol (CCCM+G) as compared to Freshly Isolated RBCs (FI) and RBCs cultured in CCCM alone, respectively. Western blots of RBC proteins treated with PNGase F resulted in a 1.3-fold average decrease in glycosylated HC-3 compared to control proteins. However, protein treatment with O-Glycosidase and Neuraminidase did not change the abundance of glycosylated HC-3. Additional results were collected using scanning laser confocal microscopy and HC-3 localization was measured in mean fluorescent intensity (arbitrary units) using ImageJ software (N=4-6 cells per experiment). For RBCs cultured in CCCM+G, immunofluorescence intensity of HC-3 in the plasma membrane was 21.7 times greater than HC-3 immunofluorescence in the cytosol (P<0.05). In contrast, immunofluorescence intensity of HC-3 in the cytosol was 3.2 times greater than HC-3 immunofluorescence in the membrane for FI RBCs (P<0.01). Through the use of an in vitro cell culture system, we have recapitulated cold-acclimated in vivo HC-3 expression patterns through the addition of a glycerol-induced hyperosmotic environment to warm-acclimated erythrocyte cell cultures of D. chrysoscelis. Thus, in addition to its osmoregulatory role, glycerol may also influence the N-linked glycosylation and membrane trafficking of HC-3.

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  Characterization of Zinc-Histidine Interactions in Nvjp-1

  Brittanie M Rooths

  The mandible of Nereis virens, a marine sandworm, is mostly organic with stiffness and hardness comparable to that of human dentin. Nvjp-1 is the primary protein in the Nereis jaw and is inherently Histidine rich. Histidine contributes to the stability of the protein structure and superior mechanical properties through metal-coordinate bonds. Crosslinking of purified recombinant Nvjp-1 creates a water stable hydrogel that is capable of expanding and contracting upon exposure to various ions. Nvjp-1 hydrogels exhibit sclerotization through metal-coordination with divalent cations. Over ninety percent of the amino acid sequence of the carboxy-terminal of Nvjp-1 is comprised of only four amino acids. In order to determine the genetic/protein motifs directly responsible for the mechanical response, a carboxy-terminal truncation mutant of Nvjp-1 was recombinately expressed and crosslinked to form hydrogels. Dynamic mechanical analysis was performed on the carboxy-terminal truncation mutant to compare its mechanical properties to that of the full-length protein. De Novo structure prediction was performed using Molecular Dynamics simulations as a technique for determining native protein structures. The role of Zn-Histidine interactions in Nvjp-1 and their effect on protein structure was also investigated.

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  Chronic administration of probiotic L. rhamnosus increases anxiety-like behavior in group-housed male Long Evans rats

  Parker Maddison Griff

  Early life stress is a risk factor for later development of alcohol use disorders and anxiety disorders in humans. Using rodent experimental models, we know that rats experiencing social isolation as early-life stress exhibit greater anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption than rats housed in groups. Examining potential preventive strategies, we investigated the effects of probiotics, which have previously been shown to decrease rodent anxiety-like behavior, on the relationship between early-life stress and anxiety-like behavior in rats. We hypothesized that probiotics consumption would decrease anxiety-like behavior in socially isolated rats, as well as in rats housed in groups. To our surprise, we found that the probiotics had no significant effect on anxiety-like behavior for socially isolated rats but significantly increased anxiety-like behavior in rats housed in groups. Our results suggest probiotics do not have a positive benefit to alleviate consequences of early life stress and raise caution for their therapeutic use.

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  Climatic controls on the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Ethiopia

  Colin McTighe

  This project aims to determine what major climatic factors control the variation of the stable isotopic composition of precipitation in Ethiopia. In the past, the variations of stable isotopes of precipitation have been linked to the North-South migration of the Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). However, recent studies suggested that the link between the ITCZ and the arrival of rainy seasons in Ethiopia do not provide enough explanation for the precipitation isotope values. In this study we examine the stable isotope values of precipitation for four stations throughout Ethiopia from August 2012 – August 2013, and determine how they are affected by a variety of climate factors including: local temperature and precipitation amount, sources of moisture (established through HYSPLIT modeling), convective intensity of moisture source region (estimated by the Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR)), wind circulation patterns, and moisture flux and transport. Our results will provide more insight to the control of precipitation isotopes in the tropical region, which is important for accurate interpretation of climate proxy data.

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  Cluster Computing with the Raspberry PI

  Ali Hussain Alwahimed

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  Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Multidrug Resistant Bacterial Cells using Plant Derived Inhibitory Compounds

  Emily Marie Jones

  Bacteria have steadily developed defenses against antibiotics since the world’s first fleet of antibacterial drugs was introduced. One strategy that bacteria can use to become multi-drug resistant involves the use of large, membrane-embedded efflux pumps, such as the AcrAB-TolC pump found in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and other Gram-negative bacteria cells. The most antibiotic-resistant cells are those which over-express the genes that code for this large efflux pump, and this gives the bacterium the capability of transporting a wide variety of compounds out of the cell, including antibiotics that we use to combat bacterial infections. The overexpression of these bacterial efflux pumps renders our antibiotics ineffective. To combat this antibiotic-resistance strategy, I will be analyzing plant extracts to identify new compounds that can block the activity of bacterial efflux pumps and restore the effectiveness of existing antibiotics. Fourteen roots, shoots, fruits, seeds, and leaves will be tested using a fluorescence-based efflux assay and any extracts that show inhibitory activity will be analyzed so that the active compound can be identified. This research could open up a new avenue in the treatment of multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.

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  Combinatorial Effects of Silver Nanoparticles and Hypoxia on Lung Cells

  Cameron Mark-Allan Crasto

  Silver nanoparticles are used in a variety of both consumer and medical applications. They possess antimicrobial properties that can stress mammalian cells through the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This experiment looked at A549 human lung alveolar cells with exposure to 10nm silver citrate nanoparticles (AgNPs) in both a normal oxygen environment and hypoxic environment. Cell viability, formation of ROS, as well as the phosphorylation of both HSP27 and NFκB. In both environments, concentrations of 5µg/ml saw significant reduction in cell viability. There was a slight loss in cell viability in the hypoxic environment. The hypoxic environment saw significant increases in ROS at concentrations as low as 0.1µg/ml. In addition, when exposed to 5µg/ml of AgNPs, it was shown to increase phosphorylation of the HSP27, but reduce the phosphorylation of NFκB proteins, which play a crucial role in the stress level of a cell. (We are going to execute another experiment this week, which would combine exposure to AgNPs and low O2 - 10% CO2 on the A549 cell line. Once we get this data, we will update the abstract and be ready for the presentation.)

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  Community Shift Towards Individualism

  Hannah Katherine Donovan

  Public Social Capital is the network of relationships of people that a person knows and the resources they provide for them; as defined by McNamee (2014), “the social capital grapevine is only available in and through relationships and the groups which these relationships occur,” (79). The resource base for higher socioeconomic groups is far wider and deeper than that of those lower socioeconomic origins which creates a gap in information and influence between economic groups. Drawing on social inequality literature and the Facing Project Narratives related to public social capital, this poster will discuss the impact of changing neighborhoods and public social capital in the Dayton area. Understanding how social capital functions to either aid or limit in number of opportunities, resources, and connections in society. Currently and looking into the future, I hope to examine the resources available to connect people and grow in their associational life.

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  Compartmentalization and Temporal Distribution of L-DOPA-Containing Proteins Involved in Oyster Shell Formation

  Benjamin Nicholas Schmeusser

  Marine molluscs, such as Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster), produce structural proteins that are essential in adhesive strategies and shell biomineralization. The unique properties of these proteins derive from the amino acid composition. L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa), which is a unique key amino acid in the cross-linking of these proteins, can be considered a biomarker for identification and localization of shell formation proteins. The focus of this research was to determine the compartmentalization of L-dopa-containing proteins involved in the process of biomineralization in C. virginica at different time points during a shell repair event. Three organismal compartments were identified as possible locations of L-dopa precursor proteins: hemocytes, cell-free hemolymph, and mantle tissue. Hemolymph was harvested from the adductor muscle of notched oysters and hemocytes were subsequently collected via hemolymph centrifugation. Mantle tissue was collected from specific locations. The product of repair, nascent shell deposited in the notch, was collected at discrete time points post-notching. Amino acid composition related to time since notching was determined via anion exchange HPLC with pulsed amperometric detection. Additionally, the Arnow Assay (specific for catechols) was used to stain for L-dopa in the samples. Preliminary data reveal increased L-dopa concentrations in hemocytes and hemolymph at 24-48 hours and 96 hours post notching, respectively, indicating a mobilization of resources for shell repair. These data support the hypothesis that L-dopa-containing proteins are involved in oyster shell formation and that they are distributed at discrete locations within the organism.