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  Smart Beta Modelling : The Case for Cyclically Adjusted Price/Earnings Ratios

  Nicholas Christopher Jacobs, Dan Edward Wollenberg

  Schiller’s Cyclically Adjusted Price/Earnings Ratio (CAPE) has been used by financial economists to determine the direction of the stock market, up or down. In this study, we develop portfolio weighting models with CAPE as the weighting factor. We use two weighting decision rules: 1.) Higher weights are given to stocks with higher CAPE ratios and, 2.) Higher weights are given to stocks with lower CAPE ratios. The top ten stocks within the Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Industrials, Healthcare, and Information Technology sectors are used to test the alpha generating capability of the CAPE weighting factor. The returns for CAPE weighted portfolios are calculated for the years 2010-2016. The benchmark portfolio is the S&P 500 ETF SPY.

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  Smelling How to Feel: Does Ambient Odor Affect How We Evaluate and Recall Emotional Stimuli?

  Michael Alexander Lee

  Olfaction, or the sense of smell, is a ubiquitous element of the human experience. Odors are all around us and can arouse a wide range of feelings or even stir vivid memories. While studies have found that odor can influence people’s evaluation of various types of stimuli, no study has shown how odor can influence how people rate the emotional content of visual stimuli, nor has it been shown how it might affect our ability to recall such stimuli. Odor’s ability to affect how we evaluate and recall emotionally-charged stimuli could carry deep implications for how olfaction impacts our daily lives. This study seeks to examine how odors that carry different hedonic values affect how participants rate and recall emotionally-charged visual stimuli. Prior to the study, participants will complete an online survey where they rate the emotional valence of a collection of images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), which will be evenly divided between positive, negative, and neutral valence. The initial portion of experimental session will take place in a room in which either a pleasant odor, an unpleasant odor, or no odor will be present. Participants will be presented with a subset of images from the survey and asked to rate them again for valence and arousal. Immediately afterwards, participants will complete a recognition task where they will be presented with a larger collection of images and asked if they recall seeing each image earlier in the session. Finally, participants will be moved to another room without odor, complete roughly 30 minutes of distraction tasks, then complete a delayed recognition task. This task will follow the same procedure as the earlier recognition task, with the additional component of rating each image for arousal and valence. This project is expected to be completed in spring of next year.

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  Soaring to New Heights: A Case Study of the AVIATE Program at the University of Dayton

  Keri Lynn Good

  The curricular approach to developing education in residence is becoming more common amongst Housing and Residence Life departments at colleges and universities because the approach is driven by research and assessment is unique to each institution, is intentional, and ultimately centered on learning (Brown, 2017). The University of Dayton implemented a residential education model in 2014 that tied learning in residence and learning from campus partners to the housing assignments process – a triad program called AVIATE, or A Vision for Integrated, Applied and Transformative Education. The University of Dayton’s curricular approach to residential education tied with the housing assignments process is unique, and thus the aim of this study was to highlight this initiative. This institutional case study analyzed the development and implementation of AVIATE through interviews with a sample of the professional staff members at the University of Dayton who helped to establish the program. Additionally, university documents, historical information and external contexts were analyzed in relation to AVIATE. Findings illustrate the chronological series of processes by which AVIATE was developed as well as conclusions on how the professional staff members’ views on their role in student affairs has evolved as a result of working with a residential curriculum. Implications for future research include analyzing the student perspective and learning through participation in the AVIATE program.

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  Social Change in Dayton

  Sarah A Critchfield

  Volunteer programs that help people residing in low-income communities get involved with the rehabilitation of their neighborhoods can be a valuable tool in facilitating social change. The Mission of Mary Farms co-op demonstrates how social change can occur through community engagement and open discussion. Mission of Mary Farms provides experiential learning, fresh produce, and volunteering opportunities. This presentation will explore how communal involvement and conversations about the future can lead to the restoration of Dayton. I will examine how Mission of Mary navigates the line between rebuilding a community and gentrifying it. I will also investigate how this co-op has affected its community and if it can expand to reach more of the Dayton area.

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  Social Inequality is not Healthy

  Heather Christine Essman

  Social inequality has led to poor health in people experiencing poverty. People facing social marginalization and isolation lack access to the same health care as those who are wealthier. Drawing on Facing Project narratives and social science literature, this poster will provide an analysis of the impact of social inequality on health. It will discuss the history, causes, and elements of social change that the future may hold. Finally, social insurance and public assistance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid will be discussed as well as their relevance to addressing such health disparities.

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  Social Inequality is not Healthy

  Heather Christine Essman

  Social inequality has led to poor health in people experiencing poverty. People facing social marginalization and isolation lack access to the same health care as those who are wealthier. Drawing on Facing Project narratives and social science literature, this poster will provide an analysis of the impact of social inequality on health. It will discuss the history, causes, and elements of social change that the future may hold. Finally, social insurance and public assistance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid will be discussed as well as their relevance to addressing such health disparities.

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  Spatial Morphometric Analysis Using Shape-Changing Rigid-Body Chains

  Yucheng Li

  Morphometry is the quantitative comparison of shapes, primarily curves. As an alternate to classical methods of spatial morphometry, this work investigates a kinematic synthesis methodology for designing a spatial chain of rigid-bodies to match arbitrary spatial curves. The goal is to find a single set of spatial bodies that can be moved to approximately align with any given set of spatial curves. Previous rigid-body shape-change morphometry work focused on mechanisms composed of rigid planar links connected by prismatic and revolute joints to approximate planar curves. Open space curves are the current focus of the research. The primary advantage of this method is its capacity to describe the difference in space curves with a limited number of parameters.

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  Steady-State Modeling of Condensing Units with an Economizer Loop

  Haithem Murgham

  This work presents an engineering model that simulates the steady-state operation of air-cooled condensing units. Packaged, air-cooled, condensing units includes a compressor, condensing coil, tubing, and fans, fastened to a base or installed within an enclosure. To increase capacity, modern condensing units are being equipped with a brazed-plate heat exchanger for an economizer loop, configured in either upstream or downstream extraction schemes.

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  Stimulating anaerobic respiration primes anaerobically grown Listeria monocytogenes for intracellular growth

  Nathan C Wallace

  Listeria monocytogenes (Listeria) is a Gram positive facultative organism whose lifestyle ranges from a saprophyte to an enteric intracellular pathogen. Listeria is generally ingested from contaminated food products, and as it transmits through the gastrointestinal tract its environment becomes increasingly anoxic. Currently it is not clear how Listeria adaptations to the fluctuating oxygen levels contribute to its pathogenesis. Therefore, we set out to understand what role anaerobic respiration plays in Listeria pathogenesis. Previous work in our lab has shown that anaerobically cultured Listeria has decreased intracellular growth in a tissue culture infection model using RAW264.7 macrophages. We hypothesized that this may be due to anaerobically cultured Listeria taking longer to switch from fermentation to aerobic respiration. This hypothesis was supported by the observation that, compared to an aerobic inoculum, an anaerobic inoculum exhibited an extended lag phase during aerobic growth in vitro. Using a tetrazolium reduction assay, we confirmed that anaerobically cultured Listeria have decreased reducing power, indicating decreased electron transport chain (ETC) activity. To determine whether the reduced ETC activity under anaerobic conditions is an important factor in Listeria pathogenesis, we supplemented the cultures with fumarate as an alternative electron acceptor to stimulate ETC activity and measured listeriolysin O (LLO) production as well as intracellular growth. When we supplied exogenous fumarate to Listeria, we noticed an increase in the reducing power as well as LLO production in anaerobically grown Listeria, compared to no fumarate controls. Moreover, fumarate supplementation restored the intracellular growth of anaerobically grown Listeria to the same level of aerobically grown Listeria inside macrophages. These findings point to the crucial role of anaerobic respiration in Listeria anaerobic virulence regulation.

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  Strengthening Resources about Sexual Violence at UD

  Luke Alan Bressler, Elizabeth Ann Edurese, Shalom Shekinah-Arpita Reuben, Leah Ann Schneider

  Sexual violence is prevalent on college campuses across the nation. The University of Dayton has made attempts to combat this issue. The university offers resources such as counseling services, online modules, Green Dot, and advice for dealing with sexual violence on their website. Although UD seems to have an abundance of resources, an issue arises in the school’s ability to spread awareness of these resources to the students. This is realized through interviews we conducted with fellow students who were largely unaware of all that the school has to offer. In response to this lack of awareness, we will provide recommendations for future ways to support victims of sexual violence as well as to reduce the number of cases each year. This past year there were 16 reported cases of sexual violence, and for the small size of our campus, this is a concerning frequency. We believe that by providing access to the school’s sexual violence resources in high-traffic areas, students will become more aware of the problem and be able to easily access the information when needed. In addition to making recommendations for information more accessible, we created a document with updated information that is more specific to UD’s students.

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  Struggles in Single Parent Households

  James Gerald Hattrup

  Single parent households in the Dayton area face greater hardships than families that consist of two parents. Research suggests that single parent families are presented with bigger problems, such asfinancial constraints and lower educational achievement among their children. Drawing on Facing Project Narratives and social science literature, this poster will highlight how single parent families face more challenges providing for their children and themselves. The subequent challenges children of these families face will also be discussed. Finally, I will identify current programs designed to assist single parents as well as how other programs might also be effective.

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  Study of Electrolyte/Electrodes Interface Engineering in Solid State Lithium-Ion Batteries

  Ashish Gogia

  There is a growing need for high energy, high power and safe lithium batteries for myriads of applications in powering microelectronic devices (such as smart cards, implantable medical devices, wearable electronics) to large power applications such as electric vehicles, aerospace and space equipments. One key requirement for such batteries is packing high energy in low form factor (i.e. thin-film form) to increase both the gravimetric and volumetric energy densities. Lithium superionic conducting solid ceramic electrolytes are the most prominent candidates amongst liquid, gel, polymer and solid ceramic electrolytes that can enable safety and optimum performance in a high energy density battery with thin-film cell components. For example, lithium aluminum germanium phosphate (LAGP) has been proven to be a promising solid-electrolyte due to its high ionic conductivity (~ 5 mS/cm at 23 °C), high electrochemical stability window (> 5V), and single Li+ ion conduction (high transference number, no dendrite formation, no crossover of electrode materials), thus enabling high energy battery chemistries and mitigating safety and packaging issues of conventional lithium batteries. However, application of solid-electrolyte (LAGP and others) in Li batteries is being hindered by lack of understanding of thin-film fabrication techniques/parameters, mechanical stability, and poor stability between solid ceramic electrolyte and electrodes, especially with Li metal anode. Low chemical stability between solid electrolyte and Li electrodes forms resistive interface (lower conductivity) which is detrimental for high power and cell longevity. We present materials and methods for electrolyte/electrode interface engineering that have shown promise but need further investigation. One such promising stable interface material is lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON), when introduced as thin-film in between LAGP and Li reduces interface resistance (increase conductivity) considerably. Details on material’s thin-film fabrication techniques such as sputtering, physical vapor depositions, etc. and their resultant effects on solid-state battery performance will be presented.

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  Study of Lithium Intercalation towards the Development of an Electrochemical Kinetic Model for Lithium/Copper Phthalocyanine Cell

  Clayton Jerrel Cashion

  The development of high capacity batteries is necessary to increase the viability of renewable energy sources by providing efficient storage of excess energy. Therefore, currently the lithium ion batteries, with high charge storage capacity, are being further developed. In a lithium ion battery a reversible lithiated graphite is used rather than solid lithium as an anode. Research into high charge-storage capacity cells focuses on the cathode. Experimental investigations into high charge-storage capacity cathode active materials have indicated that copper phthalocyanine is one such material. Previous work involving copper phthalocyanine or other metal phthalocyanines has indicated that solid phase mass transport has a limiting effect on the lithium intercalation process, which is key to the operation of lithium ion batteries. Some models have been developed to describe the observed cell behavior, but the system is not yet fully understood. To ensure that the model formulation will best describe observable data, a literature search into lithium intercalation was conducted. A summary of the available understanding of this process and how we can apply this knowledge to the development of a lithium-ion battery with copper phthalocyanine as cathode active material is presented.

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  Support and Opposition to the Integration of Technology in the Classroom

  Nicholas Mark Bennett, Madison L Borchers, Greta E Drager, Samuel J Enderby

  As technology continues to become more prevalent in our everyday lives, it is also growing increasingly popular in the world of education. This presentation will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating technology into classrooms, with a special emphasis on its role in student engagement.

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  Synthetic aptamers as potential novel efflux pump inhibitors of the TolC channel in E. coli strains.

  Venicia Alhawach

  Antibiotic resistance is more than ever one of the most contemporary challenges threatening the health system worldwide. According to World Health Organization, previous cases of bacterial infections - once treatable with antibiotics - can now be lethal due to the uncontrolled misuse of these agents. The emergence of resistance to antibiotics and the dearth of novel drugs currently under development urge the need to search for new effective antibacterials. One of the main triggers of bacterial resistance is the over-expression of multi-drug resistant (MDR) efflux pumps. These pumps allow the bacterium to pump antibiotics out of the cell and therefore desensitizes the cells to the antibacterial inhibitory effect. In this project, we propose to design small chains of nucleic acids called aptamers to bind to and block the outer membrane channel of the efflux pump, which is a protein called TolC, as one effective way to impede antibiotic resistant bacteria from effluxing antibiotics. To generate the DNA aptamers exhibiting a binding specificity to E. coli cells, the method of a whole-cell Systemic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichement (SELEX) was applied to a random single-stranded DNA library. Whether these aptamers were able to impede the efflux activity of the E. coli pump was then evaluated using an in-vivo efflux assay.

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  Technical Analysis and S&P 500 Sector Returns, 2010-2016

  John Tausch Gizzie

  The efficient market hypothesis suggests technical analysis has no role to play in determining stock or portfolio returns. In practice, however, a large number of investment managers employ technical analysis to generate excess returns or alpha relative to the market. In this study, I test an intermediate, to long-term horizon technical analysis measure, the 200 day moving average (MA200), to determine if it generates portfolio alpha. The top ten stocks by market value in the SPDR sectors Consumer Discretionary (XLY), Information Technology (XLK), and Health Care (XLV) are treated as stock portfolios and each stock’s MA 200 is used as the portfolio weighting metric. The weighting decision rules are: (1) P>MA200 receives higher weights and (2) PS&P 500 ETF (SPY).

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  Teen Pregnancy: An ongoing trending the Dayton area

  Sami Marie Rossiter

  Teenage pregnancy can lead to a number of negative consequences related to child health and well-being. Teenage pregnancy in the Dayton area is a continuing issue from year to year. It is just one effect of social inequality that stems from people living in poverty with limited access to adequate education and opportunities. The goal of my poster is to identify the past and current trends of teenage pregnancy in Dayton, as well as give sight to what could be done in the future to improve what needs to be adjusted. There are multiple approaches that I will explore that could be used to ameliorate teenage pregnancy. To start, we must fully understand the extent of the issue and what the root causes of teenage pregnancy are.

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  Teen Pregnancy: An Ongoing Trend in the Dayton Area

  Sami Marie Rossiter

  Teenage pregnancy can lead to a number of negative consequences related to child health and well-being. Teenage pregnancy in the Dayton area is a continuing issue from year to year. It is just one effect of social inequality that stems from people living in poverty with limited access to adequate education and opportunities. The goal of my poster is to identify the past and current trends of teenage pregnancy in Dayton, as well as give sight to what could be done in the future to improve what needs to be adjusted. There are multiple approaches that I will explore that could be used to ameliorate teenage pregnancy. To start, we must fully understand the extent of the issue and what the root causes of teenage pregnancy are.

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  Temperature dependent refractive index measurements for gallium nitride with implications for phase matched and quasi-phase matched optical frequency conversion devices

  Jack David Kunkel

  Gallium nitride is a valuable material for optical and electronic applications due to its wide band gap and high thermal conductivity. Gallium nitride has the potential for being a valuable material in frequency conversion devices such as frequency doublers and optical parametric oscillators. Optical and mechanical characterization of gallium nitride, including the dependence of the refractive index on wavelength and temperature, is important for predicting the performance of devices using this material. The method of minimum deviation was used to measure the refractive index for wavelengths ranging from 0.400 to 5.20 microns and in temperatures ranging from 20 to 225°C. Results of this characterization will be presented along with calculations relating to phase matching and quasi-phase matching in optical parametric oscillators.

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  The Application of Neurologically-Controlled Robotics to Actuated Feeding Arms

  Timothy Edward Dombrowski

  The medical industry is constantly performing research and trying to combat various diseases that afflict humans. Despite advancements in technology, there still remain diseases that have no cure but seem prime candidates for neurologically controlled robots. One such category of diseases consists of various muscular dystrophic diseases. Diseases such as ALS and Parkinson’s have limited options regarding treatment, but by brain controlled interfaces (BCI’s), robotics can help mitigate the impact on a patient’s quality of life. By utilizing a functioning mind, an electroencephalographic (EEG) helmet can be used to control various exoskeletal systems and even prosthesis in order to compensate for a damaged motor system. Through the use of neurologically controlled robotics, a user’s motor control and motor strength can be rehabilitated and maintained despite the effects of muscular dystrophic diseases. The goal of this project is to use this experiment to demonstrate the current effectiveness of brain actuated robotics and telepresence that utilize an EEG Sensor. From this assessment, recommendations and further improvements can be made to this existing technology for it to be better suited for electrical engineering and biomedical applications, while simultaneously taking the technology into a new realm of application.

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  The comparison of FD and RBFs collocation methods for the solution of the heat equation

  Lijun Lin

  The heat equation is widely used in various fields such as in industry and medicine for thermal treatment of the tumor. In this work, we are going to use two different numerical methods to solve the heat equation. It is known that Finite Difference (FD) and Radial Basis Functions (RBFs) collocation methods are both trustworthy for solving heat equation. To show the difference between the two methods, we would like to display the comparison by the final results, the error between approximate solution and exact solution, and other parameters in those methods.

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  The Development of a Deeper Understanding of Cantera for use in the Simulation of Modern Combustion Problems

  Shane Thomas Kosir

  The emergence of computing, such as multiprocessing and raw processing speed, allows for opportunities to simulate chemical models with relative ease. An open source software module, Cantera, is increasing in popularity within the combustion community as well as among other chemistry and chemical engineering disciplines. This software module can be easily integrated into Python or MATLAB and is often used to simulate problems involving thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and/or chemical kinetics. The purpose of this research is to develop a deeper understanding of physically controlling autoignition processes. The time for a fuel to autoignite, often referred to as ignition delay, is an important measure as it describes the reactivity of a fuel under given conditions. Experiments, such as rapid compression machines and shock tubes, can measure this parameter. These experimental values can be compared to simulations performed in Cantera or CHEMKIN, another chemical kinetic software similar to Cantera, to validate chemical kinetic models of given fuel species. It is of interest to investigate ignition delay as it is a contributing factor to the overall chemical timescale relating to lean blowoff (LBO) in a typical gas turbine engine. LBO represents the lowest possible fuel/air mixture, relative to the stoichiometric ratio, before a flame is not self-sustained and becomes extinguished. A better understanding of the time scales leading to LBO could allow it to be used as a criterion for the approval of alternative (non-petroleum) jet fuels.

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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

  Christi Michelle Begeman, Zachary John Burneka, George M DeMarco, Lenny Michael Froehlich, Megan Elizabeth Gerrity, Troy Grabowski, Megan Irene Grace, Reilly Alexzandra Madsen, Kevin Patrick McNamara, Alex George Medich, Michael Joseph Turner, Samuel Tutu, Ellison Wenzinger, Tre Alexander Whittaker

  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=11). 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 2018 spring semester, students in one section of 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 and five (5) sessions conducted outside of class. Two of the (2) sessions included pre- and post-testing. All in exercise and testing sessions were conducted at the University’s RecPlex. Data from Pre and Post Test Fitness Testing Sessions were analyzed and compared using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data from students’ weekly Health Wellness Review Reflections (HWRR) 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 Effectiveness of Standardized Testing as an Analytical Tool for Various Purposes

  Gregory James Duchak, Kathleen C Gross, Logan M. Symons

  This project analyzes the relative strengths and weaknesses of standardized testing as a tool to analyze student achievement and success. The effectiveness of standardized testing in the sectors of merit pay, college admissions and intelligence levels will be discussed, as well as the effectiveness of standardized testing in general.

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  The Effect of Music on Running Pace, Heart Rate and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

  Alyssa Kathleen Boman, Mitchell Leonard Hester, Olivia Kathleen Lizanich, Megan Elizabeth Nemecek

  The purpose of this study is to investigate how music affects different exercise variables. The variables that are being compared are running pace, heart rate, and the rate of perceived exertion. These variables will be compared when the subjects listen to music and when they do not listen to music during exercise. The goal of this study is to find out if music has a profound effect on overall athletic performance. This investigation is important for people who currently exercise often, those who are looking to lose weight as well as those who are looking to begin exercise programs for the first time. By comparing the effect of listening to music to the effect of not listening to any music on running pace, RPE and heart rate, both the benefits and setbacks of running with or without music will be presented. This, in turn, will allow us to find improvements for exercise/training and ways to improve running pace while keeping RPE low. In order to carry out this investigation, 20 students will run ½ mile while listening to "Call on Me - Ryan Riback Remix" on one day and run ½ mile without any music on a different day. Their ½ mile times, heart rate and RPE will be recorded each day following the run. The data will be collected from college students and the results will be compared. Once the data is compiled and analyzed, it will either confirm or deny the hypothesis that music will have a positive effect on running pace, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion.