2021 Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Penn Dixie Fossil Quarry and Nature Reserve is an educational center located in Erie County, New York. It provides an opportunity for individuals to explore the geology and paleontology of Western New York. The Reserve allows visitors to collect fossils to study and to dig for simple fascination. The diverse fossil assemblage preserved in the rocks provide researchers with a unique opportunity to learn about life in the past. The fossil faunas collected at this location were used to reconstruct the Middle Devonian (393-382 million years ago) paleoenvironment. The Devonian was a pivotal period in the history of life on Earth as plants were beginning to populate land and early tetrapods were experimenting with life out of the water. Marine invertebrates were also thriving in newly formed tropical marine environments. Intense tectonism was occurring as island arcs began to accrete to the eastern margin of North America. This resulted in a mountain range along the east coast with extensive, deltaic river systems draining toward the west into an interior marine basin. Life thrived along the edge of the delta, and diverse organisms interacted forming unique ecosystems. The rocks deposited at this location belong to the Middle Devonian Hamilton Group, specifically the Windom Shale of the Moscow Formation. This soft, fissile, medium-grey shale contains abundant fossil brachiopods, corals, trilobites, echinoderms, and bryozoans. The bryozoan and solitary rugose corals formed thickets that provided habitats for the trilobites, echinoderms, and brachiopods to flourish. The faunal assemblage collected from Penn Dixie Fossil Quarry represents this unique ecosystem thriving along the edge of a well oxygenated marine basin during the Middle Devonian.

Machine Learning has high potential and can be applied to predict and optimize various processes. It has many applications for complex tasks and those that people do every day. Machine Learning is a subfield of Artificial Intelligence. Machine Learning can be used to find and analyze data, recognize patterns, and extract materials from internet. There are many forms of Machine Learning; supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised, and reinforcement. The model is composed of a dataset and a model is set up to train the known data. Then the model trains and learns more in order to predict unknown outcomes. It is consistently tuned to reevaluate known outcomes to make predictions as accurate as possible.In the petroleum industry it can be applied in many forms such as geological studies, maintenance of petroleum equipment, and production engineering. This research is developed around modeling well-log data to optimize and make predictions for the future using stratigraphic correlation techniques. Common type of well-log data is resistivity versus depth. Normally, the higher the resistivity the less water saturation. Water at deeper depths contains a lot of salt so it is highly conductive, which means less hydrocarbons are present. However, higher resistivity generally correlates to more hydrocarbons being present. We are currently working on the model that should recognize the well-log patterns. It is intended to (1) be used to interpret well data, (2) being trained on added datasets, (3) make predictions for oil and gas production optimization from new or existing wells.

Veterans Courts aim to address the growing number of Veterans in the criminal justice system and prevent reoffending among this group by treating the combat-related traumas they have experienced. Previous research finds that these courts are effective; however, less attention has been devoted to how the court's team members perceive and experience the collaboration required of them to successfully implement these courts. This presentation will discuss findings from in-depth interviews that focused on the collaboration efforts among team members at one Veterans Court located in Western Pennsylvania. The interviews also focused on how well the court is implementing the 10 key points for effective specialty court practice.

Over time, dance has evolved choreographically and aesthetically to best fit the audience's expectations. Through close examination of my topic, I discovered that there are quite a few choreographers who are challenging themselves and their dancers by incorporating architectural structures into their choreographic works. In 1970, Trisha Brown was one of the first choreographers to test these waters with her piece, Man Walking Down the Side of a Building. In this controversial piece, she demonstrates that bodies and architectural structures create new and exciting meanings and trigger surprise and imagination in the spectators (Loos). Her work served as a strong foundation for contemporary choreographers such as, Elizabeth Streb and Jacque Heim, who further developed Brown's explorations of gravity defiance and the use of architectural structures. In the world today, some creators still fear the use of interactive structures and choreography that defies gravity, as it may take away from the essence and primary motive of the dance. After extensive research, I argue that the incorporation of gravity defiance and architectural structures should be considered by choreographers since these will add complexity and significant layers to a dance.

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been a recent focus in mental health research. AAT has been supported by several theoretical perspectives, such as attachment theory. The human animal relationship can have numerous therapeutic effects. Canines has been shown to reduceheart rate, blood pressure, and increase levels of oxytocin. AAT can assist in developing the therapeutic alliance, has been shown to increase motivation, socialization, and enhance quality of life (Fine, 2010). Previous research has identified specific demographic, disability, andpsychological risk factors in children who are victims of sexual abuse (Miller-Perrin, Perrin, Renzetti, 2021). Child sexual abuse has been shown to have both a physiological and psychological effect (Krause-Parello, Gulick, 2015). Research has supported the use of equine-facilitated therapy and canine-assisted therapy for children who have experienced sexual abuse. The results of the studies found that equine-facilitated therapy produced a therapeutic effect and reduced reported depressive symptoms (Signal, Taylor, Botros, Prentice, Lazarus, 2013; Kemp, Signal, Botros, Taylor, Prentice, 2014). Canine- assisted therapy was shown to produce a more calming environment for the children in a forensic interview. Physiological reactions were recorded in the forensic interviews and showed that the AAT group had lower blood pressure and heart rate (Krause-Parello, Gulick, 2015). AAT has also been shown to beeffective in treating children with a history of sexual abuse and have been diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Avoidance, intrusion, arousal, and dissociation symptoms were reduced in the AAT intervention (Signal, Taylor, Prentice, McDade, Burke, 2017). There are several welfare considerations when using AAT (Fine, 2010). AAT is an upcoming approachto treating child sexual abuse that requires more research to promote and test the effectiveness of the intervention.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects over 5 million Americans. The disease is characterized by the formation of senile plaques of the amyloid beta and neurofibrillary tangles within the brain that can impair the patient's memory and behavior. These symptoms of AD develop slowly and worsen over time. Currently there is no known cause or cure for AD, therefore treatment is restricted to alleviating symptoms. A new approach to AD focuses on mitochondrial dysfunction, which is when the mitochondria release reactive oxidative species that cause damage and changes to the expression of tissues, proteins, and genes. MitoNEET is a newly discovered mitochondrial protein that is thought to regulate bioenergetics in cells. The focus of our research is to help resolve the mechanism of AD by identifying potential targets for treatment. Fluorescence microscopy is used to evaluate changes in protein expression. This was used to assess changes in protein expression when exposed to current AD therapeutics. One treatment is isoproterenol, which is a bronchodilator that has been shown to upregulate mitoNEET. Our preliminary studies use fluorescence microscopy to verify that isoproterenol upregulated the expression of mitoNEET in N2a cells after a 24-hour exposure. The results showed a two-fold increase in the relative integrated density when exposed to 1, 10, 100 uM of isoproterenol. Further studies will investigate mitoNEET regulation n response AD therapeutics.

Amphibian populations are declining globally and one third of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Numerous studies suggest that chemical contaminants and disease present immediate threats to amphibian populations worldwide. In this study, African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were exposed to four environmentally relevant concentrations of the commonly used neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, throughout their development from hatching through metamorphosis. Toxicity, length of time to complete metamorphosis, and morphology were measured at metamorphosis. A subset of the animals was maintained through maturity in the appropriate imidacloprid dose following metamorphosis. The purpose of our current study is to analyze the health of these animals as adults after developmental exposure. We will analyze endocrine stress physiology and nutrient metabolism in these animals. Specifically, we will examine the impact of developmental imidacloprid exposure on blood glucose regulation in adult African clawed frogs. Through this study, we may be able to protect amphibian health by generating awareness around the safety of certain noenicitinoid insecticides in the natural environment. 

Located beyond left field at Jack Critchfield Park, lies a rock outcrop of the Pennsylvanian-aged Vanport Limestone that provides evidence of a paleoenvironment that existed over 300 million years ago. The Vanport Limestone is an extensive geological unit that can be found regionally across western Pennsylvanian and into Ohio. It is commonly mined in the area and used as an aggregate for construction projects and as a component in cement. Investigation of this rock outcrop at Slippery Rock University has provided a detailed picture of the life that existed within a unique marine environment during this time. Detailed examination of the rock outcrop as a whole, hand samples, and thin sections has allowed us to understand the sedimentary processes that existed hundreds of millions of years ago. We began our research by examining the 2.5 meters tall outcrop and collecting hand samples from every 0.25 meters. The rock samples were cut with a rock saw into 30 x 20 mm rectangular blocks that were polished and cut further into thin sections. The thin sections were analyzed for their lithologic and fossil content. The results of our study indicate that the outcrop varies from packstones to wackestones, changing from rocks that contain a high percentage of carbonate mud to an abundance of fossil constituents. Carbonate rocks such as limestones are formed in tropical marine environments and commonly capture a snapshot of the life that existed during that time. A shark tooth, genus petalodus, that lays atop the outcrop as well as microscopic organisms present in the rock such as, echinoderms, brachiopods, and gastropods disclose the fact that the there was a shallow marine environment present in this area when the rock was formed. The most significant finding was the identification of the foraminifera, Fusilinida, allowing us to assign a date of deposition of 323-252 million years old. This study has allowed us to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and understand Slippery Rock's geological past.

The purpose of this study is to explore sources of health disparities within the United States healthcare system impacting the LGBTQ+ older adult community. Its primary focus is the role of Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) in mitigating these disparities. First, this study examines the ways in which LGBTQ+ persons experience health disparities in Long-Term Care settings. Next, the role of the CNA is clarified, particularly in terms of certification requirements and role in long term caregiving. A gap analysis is then performed, which examines training versus potential areas for improvement in knowledge and preparedness to care for LGBTQ+ residents in long term care. Finally, this study will outline areas for future the research, including a research study design to measure CNA perceptions and preparedness to adequately care for LGBTQ+ long term care residents.

The last three decades show successively warmer temperatures at Earth's surface while the Northern Hemisphere has experienced its warmest 30-year period in the past 1400 years. Air and ocean warming results in greater induced stress on Arctic sea ice which has continued to decrease in recent years. In this study we analyzed and interpreted Arctic region air and sea surface temperatures (SST) and ice data to see if we can verify and quantify a warming trend. We used the datasets COBE-SST2 and Sea-Ice as well as NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis 1 from 1948 to 2018, both provided by the NOAA/OAR/ESRL PSL. The COBE-SST2 and Sea Ice dataset was regridded to match the spatial resolution of NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis at 2.5°. In ArcMap, eight raster sea-ice concentration layers were created using North Pole orthographic projection to display changes over time. After widely observing changes, one cell experiencing significant change was chosen to further analyze the grid cell centered on 72.5° North and 22.5° West. For this grid cell, time series of air temperature, SST, and ice concentration were extracted and then analyzed in Excel. Average monthly air temperature and SST showed an increase throughout the timeframe with the strongest trend occurring in winter months between 1979 and 2018. During this period December air temperature has increased by 0.8°C/10 years and January SST has increased by 0.5°C/10 years. Sea-ice concentration decreased between 1948 and 1980 and since 1980 there has been no ice existent in this grid cell. As temperatures continue to rise, the consequences are countless. Melting sea-ice contributes to rising sea levels and alters ocean currents, acidity, ecosystems, among others with extensive effects on the environment and ourselves. By changing our behaviors contributing towards global warming we need to mitigate this situation.

Considered a pandemic impacting 3.65 million people, 14.7% of individuals over 70 have dementia in the United States (Hurd, Martarell, Delavande, Mullen, Langa, 2013). Older adults with dementia may manifest symptoms such as apathy, withdrawal, and aggressive actions (NIA, 2019). Even surrounded by people in LTC, residents with dementia may lack social engagement. Non-pharmacologic approaches are promising (Brodaty & Arasaratnam, 2012) and are reflected in the newer CMS F-tag guidelines (CMS, 2017), but there remains a gap in research about the most effective approaches for LTC residents. Limited research exists on animal-assisted interventions (AAI) as a non-pharmacological approach to increase engagement in people with dementia (Friedman, Thomas, Chung, 2015; Huff-Mercer, 2015) and no known research compares equine- and canine-assisted therapy protocols. This study employed a within-subject alternating-treatments design for three single subjects. Completing the similar tasks of grooming, walking, and interaction, the independent variables are two conditions: 1) Condition A: Equine-assisted activity 2) Condition B: Canine-assisted activity. Using the Dementia Interview Rating (Strauss & Sperry, 2002), apathy was measured before and after each phase. During each session, three outcomes were measured: 1) Engagement in Preferred Activities Scale (Nelson et al., 2014) was used to measure the level of engagement in the interaction; 2) Heart rate variability, a measure of coherence, was measured using the Emwave pro (Heart Math Institute, 2018), and 3) targeted observed social responsiveness (initiation, verbal response, non-verbal response, motor response to one-step instructions) using a smart tablet application. Preliminary results suggest past experience/preference impact the individual client's response to differing protocols. Effective non-pharmacological interventions for older adults with dementia are an essential alternative to current practice.

In today's world as the demand for energy increases, many petroleum companies have introduced more and more use of enhanced oil recovery techniques. The techniques range from low salinity water injection to foam to carbon dioxide gas in the form of huff and puff and flooding, and they are especially useful in shale gas and shale oil reservoirs. Shale reservoirs typically have a low primary recovery due to low permeability and porosity values. EOR methods can significantly increase microscopic and macroscopic efficiencies in shale reservoirs, which can improve oil/gas recovery. EOR methods are generally fit into three separate categories gas injection, chemical injection, and thermal methods. The main type of EOR involving gas is the CO2 injection method, this involves introducing carbon dioxide into the reservoir to change the properties of the oil or gas. Because of low minimum miscible pressure(MMP), CO2 relatively easily combines with oil and gas in reservoirs and is a substance that will lower the interfacial tension and viscosity of hydrocarbons allowing more of them to flow towards the wellbore, hence more recovery. As a solvent, CO2 can also combine with oil and remove some lighter hydrocarbons to escape from the Shale reservoir. The chemical side of EOR primarily in shale reservoirs focuses on surfactant injection. These surfactants can change the overall wettability of a rock, which can increase overall recovery. Most of the time, this is used in “oil-wet” reservoirs, or reservoirs consisting of rocks that will have a higher interfacial tension will hydrocarbons than water. Surfactants can change the oil-wet reservoirs to more of water-wet or intermediate-wet reservoirs, doing this will allow for a lower residual oil, which in turn will mean less oil is trapped inside. Finally, thermal methods are typically used in the case of huff and puff and in some cases the injection of hot water or steam. All these methods can improve overall recovery of oil or gas.In this study, we analyze all the published studies of EOR methods in shale reservoirs to summarize the the applicability of enhanced oil recovery methods in different reservoir conditions. These studies included field applications, lab experiments, and some numerical simulations, which we can analyze the results to determine which methods work better for certain shale reservoirs. Overall the idea is to create a system to base future shale reservoirs EOR strategy design.

The objective of this study was to determine how active transporters, located at the plasma membrane of a cell, are regulated. This study had a specific focus on regulated endocytosis in the model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast). Endocytosis in S. cerevisiae is initiated once membrane proteins are ubiquitinated. This ubiquitin tag allows the cell to properly select membrane transporters and place them into endocytic vesicles. Ubiquitination is determined by ubiquitin ligase, Rsp5 in yeast, and its adaptors. The adaptors involved in this research include arrestins, Art4, Bul1, and Bul2, and are believed to make a molecular interaction with signals on the transporter that form a lock and key interaction. The overall goal of this study is to use random mutants and genetic screens to identify critical amino acids used on both the transporter and arrestin-adaptor pairs that contribute to this lock and key model. This study focused on the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic engineering system which allowed the preparation of yeast strains for genetic screens by deletion of the endogenous pump JEN1 and adaptors ART4, BUL1, and BUL2. Two parts of the CRISPR strategy consisted of first generation of a guide RNA plasmid by in vitro phosphorylation and ligation of a DNA oligonucleotide, followed by transformation of guide RNA and CAS9 genes into yeast cells. Second a repair template for homology directed repair was generated by overlap PCR. Upon cutting of the genome by Cas9 + guide RNA cellular homologous repair pathways will repair the double strand break. Our repair template will cause the repaired DNA region to have a targeted deletion. Only repairs that incorporate this deletion will escape further Cas9 cutting and survive. Future directions include sequencing and validation of the mutants, which will then enable genetic screens to detect the arrestin-transporter interaction mechanism.

Developmental psychologists are interested in how children learn in a variety of social contexts. Museum exhibits are designed to promote interaction with materials and prompt conversations to support learning. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether there was a relationship between guardian characteristics and how children interacted with the Sun, Earth, and Moon museum exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center. More specifically, the present study examined whether (1) there was a relationship between the guardian's gender and the child's on task or off task behavior and (2) if there was a relationship between the guardian's estimated age and quality of the child's interactions. To test these hypotheses, we conducted naturalistic observation of 149 children. We coded characteristics of the child (perceived gender, estimated age), characteristics of the guardian (perceived gender, estimated age), and the type of interaction the child used to engage with the exhibit (appropriate physical interaction, sustained attention, interactions with others in relation to the exhibit.) Chi Square analyses were used to determine whether there was a relationship between the guardian's gender and the child's on task or off task behavior. Results indicated that there was no significant relationship between guardian's gender and whether the child was on task (X squared (2, N=116)= 2.44 ns) or off task (X squared (2, N=116)= 4.443 ns). We conducted three separate One-Way ANOVAs to test whether the estimated age of the adult was associated with whether the child exhibited each of three types of educational interactions (appropriate physical interaction, sustained attention, interactions with others in relation to the exhibit.) The results of these analyses were non-significant. These results will be discussed in terms of limitations in the present study and a need for further research

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between student-expressed motivations and participation in College of Business (CoB) student organizations from a functional perspective on attitudes (Katz, 1960) utilizing the Participation Function Index (PFI), an instrument measuring motivations for volunteering. The PFI separates motives for volunteering into the 6 constructs, values, understanding, enhancement, social, career, and protective. The present study will also utilize measures of satisfaction with donated time, a factor correlated with continued volunteering and the number of hours donated to an organization (Nicholls, 2012; Nicholls, Kalamas, Schimmel, 2015). In alignment with previous research, we predict students who express high satisfaction in their specified CoB student organization will have higher levels of organizational retention, as well as a positive correlational relationship between high academic performance between 3.5 and 4.0 cumulative grade point averages and involvement in CoB student organizations. Additionally, in descending order, we predict the most common motivational constructs for participation, as measured by the PFI, will be career, understanding, social, enhancement, values, then protective. A minimum of 50 participants are required to validate findings with a desired enrollment of 200 participants. Participants must be or currently enrolled or have been enrolled in the CoB within one year. This study has implications to better understand the wants and needs of Slippery Rock University College of Business students and the motivations that drive involvement in student organizations. This information has high applicability in aiding CoB student organizations in providing programming in alignment with student desires that best reflect motivational factors for volunteering. At the time of presenting, the study may remain ongoing, however, descriptive statistics, analysis of significant motivational factors, factor structures, and Cronbach's Alpha scale evaluations will be presented utilizing most recent data available at the time.

Amy Orville and Paige Bucha were selected to be on a virtual educational panel and presented at the Eastern Educational Research Conference in Orlando, Florida. The educational panel discussed their distance learning experience during the COVID-19 outbreak. Panelists included participants from the United States and Turkey in which they described the similarities and differences of their educational roles and work within varying ages in the classroom. Presenters included perspectives from elementary, middle school, high school, and college educators as well as college student perspective within two different countries and three states. The discussion was based around dynamic questions which discussed the opinions of students and parents adjusting to online learning and if this platform of learning has been beneficial or detrimental to overall academic achievement. Panel Topics for Discussion included: What are some of the experiences of teachers at various grade levels and countries teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic? How has the rapid changes in the profession affected teachers emotionally and professionally as the 2020-2021 school year has progressed? What disparities and challenges have educators observed for themselves, students, and families transitioning from brick-and-mortar schools to online and hybrid educational models? What challenges and limitations has distance learning created in providing an equitable education between students? With diverse populations of students facing unique challenges such as disabilities, access to the internet, and social-economic disparities, how are teachers overcoming these challenges? What support can leadership provide to educators as they attempt to adjust their teaching practices? How can they help teachers with designing/delivering lessons, supporting students, and student engagement?

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of Kinesiotaping on pain levels, symptom severity, and function for those with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS). DESIGN Intervention systematic review. LITERATURE SEARCH Cochrane Database, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PEDro and TRIP were searched for studies evaluating the effect of Kinesiotape on CTS. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA One reviewer independently assessed studies for inclusion and quality. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included where at least 1 group received Kinesiotaping for an intervention. Studies beyond 10 years of publication were excluded. DATA SYNTHESIS The quality review was completed using the PEDro scoring scale. At least 2 raters scored each of the 5 articles and were blinded to the other's PEDro scores. Any disagreements between raters were to be resolved by a third rater's score, but no disagreements were found. Articles with PEDro scale scores of at least 7 out of 10 were included. Results of the articles passing the quality assessment were analyzed, weighted average standardized effect size (SES) was calculated for the control and intervention groups, and forest plots were generated by Evidence Partners' forest plot generator. Independent t-tests comparing the control and Kinesiotape groups were conducted for each dependent variable investigated.RESULTSFive RCTs were identified that demonstrated acceptable quality with a PEDro score of at least 7. For the pain, function and symptom severity dependent variables being measured, both the treatment and control groups demonstrated marked improvement. The Kinesiotaping group was favorable when comparing group improvements to published Minimally Clinically Important Difference scores and standard effect sizes. However, independent t-test results showed no statistically significant findings between the groups. CONCLUSION Health-professionals may consider using Kinesiotape when treating patients with CTS, but Kinesiotape may not be more superior than other conservative interventions.

Attention is an important academic skill that allows students to thrive throughout their educational journey. With increasing academic standards, students are expected to use higher-level cognitive skills and engage with schoolwork in more challenging ways (Miller, Simmering, 2018). Due to this advancing academic rigor, maintaining attention may be challenging for younger students, affecting their developmental ability (Fisher et al., 2014).Students often exhibit these difficulties when asked to attend with relevant stimuli or engage in activities, which can make staying seated and participating in academic tasks challenging (Krombach, Miltenberger, 2019). Introducing children to sensory intervention strategies, such as dynamic seating, at a young age is beneficial because it forms the foundation of learning and perception (Bodison, Parham, 2017). Published literature suggests a positive relationship between attention and physical stimulation that helps promote sensory integration (Merritt, 2014). Many academic skills are important for success, as intervening with students who display academic difficulties early is critical to avoid academic failure (Fedewa, Erwin, 2011).Although there is evidence that states the benefits of dynamic seating for attention in young students, there is a gap in the literature regarding what form of seating is most effective (Cefai et al., 2013; Fedewa, Erwin, 2011; Gaston et al., 2016; Krombach, Miltenberger, 2019; Seifert & Metz, 2016). Due to the limited evidence, this ongoing capstone project plans to evaluate the effects different dynamic seating has during classroom activities in young students through the use of movement and sensory strategies. Advantages and disadvantages of various dynamic seating will be discussed, while the most beneficial in maintaining attention of students will be determined.

Birds are established descendants of therapod dinosaurs and, like them, contain hands with 3 fingers. The structure of their hand consists of three phalanges, supported by a series of metacarpals and 2 carpals, which differs from the 6 carpals in their dinosaur ancestors. The homologies of the phalanges and carpals have been an area of debate amongst therapod paleontologists, who believe they correlate with the first three fingers of dinosaurs, and a radiale and ulnare, and bird embryologists, who believe it is instead the middle three fingers, and a pisiform and scapholunare. The Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) and its long developmental period displays temporary primitive characteristics which can provide an insight into adaptations made throughout evolution. In this study, histologically sectioned forelimbs of Laysan albatrosses that were stained with Masson' trichrome throughout stages of ontogeny ranging from embryonic stages 29 to 37 were analyzed using 3D reconstructive methods. In stages 31 to 37, The presence of a 5th metacarpal supports claims that dinosaurs' middle three fingers evolutionarily developed into the fingers of birds, and the reduction of a cartilage condensation medially to the outside carpal closest to the ulna upholds evidence that the ulnare is actually a pisiform and that the ulnare degenerates in development just as bird embryologists believe. The radiale developed normally as believed by paleontologists in stages 31 to 37. 2 cartilage condensations in stage 32 formed a semilunate carpal (a feature in dinosaurs) by stage 36, which fuses with two metacarpals before hatching, a feature developed in birds. While primitive features in the developing albatross exist, the hand isn't quite as primitive as was thought. Further developmental evidence could be collected via fluorescent immunohistochemistry for developmental signals to search for additional primitive characteristics in early embryogenesis.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: Physical therapy (PT) students at Slippery Rock University (SRU) complete didactic and clinical education coursework. Generally, the didactic portion does not afford students the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills with individuals who present with authentic impairments. Through a collaborative relationship, second year PT students were mentored by 2 graduate assistants in examining and treating Molly, a 26-year-old female with cerebral palsy, for 4 hours over 2-semesters as part of the neuromuscular curriculum. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the students' perspective of the effectiveness of this experiential learning opportunity in academic preparation for clinical education and work. SUBJECTS Invitation to participate in this research study was sent to SRU PT students in the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022. A total of 140 students were invited with 63 participating in the study. Graduate assistants who performed the peer mentoring and investigators of this study were excluded from participation. METHODS: A mixed methods study was employed using a convenience sample. A peer reviewed, 26 question survey was developed by investigators using keywords from the domains of learning, a Likert scale, and open-ended questions. Students were invited to complete the survey via the Qualtrics platform. Survey data was analyzed by frequency and themes, collectively and by 4 subgroupings of respondents .RESULTS: The Molly Experience was perceived as valuable by 62 of the 63 students quantitatively based on closed-ended responses. Qualitatively, 27 participants expressed positive comments on the value of the Molly experience with many of them stating that it prepared them for clinical education and future careers.CONCLUSION: This experiential learning activity was perceived as a valuable learning experience that incorporates facets of numerous courses in the PT curriculum. The investigators recommend this activity continue for future classes.

The purpose of this study was to examine participants' emotional and neurological responses when listening to stimulative and sedative music through electroencephalography (EEG) using the MUSE 2 headset. Brain waves were monitored using the MUSE 2 headset while participants listened to 7 musical excerpts (3 stimulative, 3 sedative, and 1 control). Data from these recordings were analyzed using the MATLAB EEGLAB toolbox. Following each musical selection, participants also provided self-reported mood assessment using a 5-point Likert-scale between pairs of bipolar adjectives (i.e., happy/sad, restless/calm, joyous/gloomy, whimsical/serious, vigorous/quiet, majestic/soothing, playful/dignified, and exhilarated/dreamy). Data analysis was aimed at identifying brain wave activity patterns associated with each category of music as well as assessing correlations between brain wave activity and self-reported mood ratings. Given the constraints of participant recruitment and data collection due to COVID-19, preliminary results from this pilot study will be presented. Additional discussion will include study modifications and limitations resulting from the need to incorporate COVID-19 precautions for all portions of the study. Perspectives on conducting collaborative student-faculty research using human subjects during a global pandemic will be addressed, along with suggestions for future research given the constraints of COVID-19.

3-manifold is a topological space that locally looks like Euclidean 3-dimensional space. Finding a global understanding of a 3-manifold, however, is much more difficult. Here we describe the face pairing identification which provides a combinatorial characterization of a 3-manifold and go on to consider how small changes in a given pairing results in significant changes to the manifold.

This creative project investigated the process behind choreography and dance training, and what is required to produce choreography based on specific research. From January 5th-January 11th, 2020, I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to complete a Creative Research Dance Intensive with the contemporary dance company, New Dialect, under the artistic direction of Banning Bouldin, who led the research process. In this dance intensive, we focused on methods to create movement in nonconventional ways, such as creating a sensory environment, an imaginary setting, and a character. These movement studies were generated with writing prompts that allowed me to explore different departure points and motivations for creating movement. Throughout the spring 2020 semester I have integrated these creative techniques in a solo that I have performed in both classroom and stage venues.

Gaia is an ESA astrometric mission to compile an 3d space catalog over a billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The Gaia mission will allow the understanding of the universe to deepen by determining the position of celestial bodies accurately. In this research project, I will be reading papers published by scientists associated with ESA to focus on the importance of Gaia. It is expected to discover hundreds of thousands of new celestial objects, such as Extra-Solar planets, brown dwarfs, and asteroids within our own Solar System. The mission will also study about 500,000 distant quasars and will provide stringent new tests of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Over the centuries astrometry has greatly contributed to the advance of the knowledge of the Universe. I will be assessing some of the outstanding contributions that Gaia will provide to our knowledge in the field of astrophysics.

The role of dance in the Musical Theatre genre has evolved throughout time. In the beginning years of Musical Theatre, dance's function was merely that of entertaining the audience during a hiatus in the storyline. A quick change of costume or set design, or a pause in between scenes, was an opportunity to send the dancers on stage to liven up the mood with dances that didn't have much to do with the theatrical plot. Agnes de Mille's work as the choreographer of Oklahoma in 1943 changed the function of dance in Musical Theatre substantially. Through my research, I argue that de Mille was able to successfully incorporate dance into the storyline of Oklahoma. Through her choreography and its relationship to music, set design, costume and stage lighting, she was able to enrich the narrative and enhance the emotional content of the story being told. She proved that dance as a non-verbal form of communication has the capability of contributing to a narration, even if in an abstract manner. The presence of dance in Musical Theatre was never the same after de Mille's work in Oklahoma. Dance became an integral partof the storyline and the choreographer became an essential part of the artistic team. Her contribution to Musical Theatre has been so valuable and appreciated that younger generations of choreographers have based their reconstructive works on the original versions of her choreography. I based my research on historic documentation by scholars such as Scott Miller,Jennifer Homans, and Erick Neher. I additionally examined various video recordings of the many different versions and reconstructions of the dances in Oklahoma.

Authors after the Civil War sought to preserve ideals of the Antebellum South, teaching the world that white slave owners were benevolent caregivers. This practice erased centuries of abuse, family separation, rape, and murder that plagued the African American community. This misinformation and the racism caused by these changes form the basis for American literature since the late 19th centuries. Children's books during this era were designed to mend the crippled relationship between the north and south caused by secession. These books were used to teach everything from counting and reading, to table manners and basic hygiene. In many cases, these books were the children's first exposure to the outside world. White supremacists used this vulnerability to their advantage by including racist depictions in children's literature, encouraging racial bias to continue. The Story of Dr. Dolittle, first published in 1920, includes a scene where an African prince asks Dolittle to help bleach his skin so he can marry a white princess. Dolittle has the prince put his face is a bowl of lye, and when he lifts his face, he has white skin and gray eyes. This demonizes interracial relationships and prioritize whiteness, further spreading the racist ideas held in the 1920s.These stories are passed down with each generation and the negative effects of slavery were forgotten as the south rewrote history to fit the Old South. They mended their relationship to the north, labeled the Black community the enemy, and allowed for racist ideas to be shared from one generation to the next, ensuring the continuation of racial inequality and discrimination. Citation: Hugh Lofting, 'Chapter 12: Medicine and Magic,' The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Lit2Go Edition, (1920), accessed February 03, 2021, https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/221/the-story-of-doctor-dolittle/5626/chapter-12-medicine-and-magic/.

My presentation will be a blend of both creative and academic, as both parts inform one another. The creative part of my presentation will be a PowerPoint showcasing chapters from my graphic novel, Galeton Ghoul: an American Manga, which takes place in my hometown of Galeton, Pennsylvania. I will provide excerpts to discuss the process of the story's creation, from the daydreams to the finished piece.My graphic novel centers on a female protagonist who works for an agency that hunts ghouls to keep humans safe, and along the way finds a town where being openly racist is tolerated (maybe at times encouraged), and people who are accepting are rare and hard to come by. The town has been plagued with ghouls for the last several years, however, things have only ramped up since a Muslim family moved to the area. She needs to find the actual ghoul terrorizing the town before a Muslim family gets lynched. These issues are a part of the central plot of the story, and are relevant issues in rural communities today.The academic, scholarly part of my presentation will be a critical analysis of the famous Japanese manga series, Tokyo Ghoul and its sequel Tokyo Ghoul:re, written and drawn by Sui Ishida. In my paper, I will be examining issues of intertextuality, as Ishida frequently references mid-twentieth-century novels like The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai, Demian by Herman Hesse, and most notably explicit references to Kafka's Metamorphosis. I will be mainly focusing on how Metamorphosis provides a narrative arch for Tokyo Ghoul.

Normally, a cell's lifecycle is characterized by the growth phase followed by DNA replication and then finally cell division. This process generates genetically identical cells. Alternatively, in the process known as endoreduplication, cells grow and DNA replication occurs, but the cell does not divide. In plants, whether a cell divides normally or if it undergoes endoreduplication is dependent on CDC20 and CCS52 proteins. These two classes of proteins are anaphase promoting complex (APC) activators. In conjunction with the APC, CDC20 proteins have been found to promote normal cell division while CCS52 proteins promote endoreduplication. They do this by targeting specific proteins called cyclins, which control the progression of a cell through the cell cycle, for degradation. In soybean (Glycine max), a potential third type of APC activator, GLYMA10, has been identified. It currently has no known function, but it shares sequence similarities with CDC20 and CCS52 proteins. Like CSC20 and CCS52 proteins, GLYMA10 has defining traits such as a conserved C-box, WD40 repeats, RVL motif and an IR tail, which indicates that it may also function as an APC activator. For CDC20 and CCS52 proteins, the conserved C- box and IR tail are both needed to bind to the APC and the RVL motif found within the WD40 domain is involved with cyclin binding. To begin the process of understanding the function of GLYMA10, it will be expressed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, a model system to study cell division, and the phenotype will be examined to determine if the gene is in fact an APC activator.

Previous investigations on calculus students' misconceptions of tangency have noted that many students tend to include properties that are consistent with the treatment of the subject in algebra or geometry in their definitions of a tangent line (Biza et al., 2008; Vincent et al., 2015). One might suspect that these students had developed these misconceptions in a prior mathematics class, however, in our previous research on the subject (Hogue & Scarcelli, 2021), we found that students could hold these algebraic or geometric conceptions of tangency despite the fact that they could not remember learning about tangent lines in any other course. Whether students develop these misconceptions in algebra, geometry, or entirely within their calculus class, the cause of these misconceptions is still not entirely clear. Some potential causes include an overuse of certain examples of tangency (e.g., a tangent line to a circle or a parabola), improper language use when discussing tangent lines (e.g., the use of the phrases “barely touching, just touching, or hugging), and student exposure to tangent lines in other mathematics or non-mathematics courses. Our current research examines in-service mathematics teachers' conceptions of tangency in an attempt to establish a link between teachers' understandings of the subject and common student misconceptions about tangent lines. We interviewed 16 mathematics teachers that are currently teaching at the secondary level to come to a better understanding of what teachers know about the subject. Our findings show that these teachers held many of the same misconceptions that the students in our previous study held, which sheds some light onto the question of where these misconceptions originate.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends sixty minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity for children (2018). Children with disabilities experience more barriers than children without disabilities in achieving the daily recommended physical activity (Shields & Synnot, 2016). Children with physical and intellectual disabilities are at a higher risk for disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, and obesity when compared to their peers (Kirk, 2019). The purpose of this study is to assess how video-based instruction influences heart rate during virtual physical activity time of children with disabilities. Research on influencing the physical wellbeing of youth with disabilities through virtual formats has social validity, especially during the increased use of online instruction due to COVID-19 education mitigation policies (Theis et al., 2021). Research Question: The research question for this study is, can video-based instruction influence heart rate during virtual physical activity time of children with disabilities? Method: A single-subject alternating treatment research design will be used. School-aged children recruited from an after school physical activity program will participate in eight weeks of pre-recorded and synchronous fitness-focused physical activity sessions. Sixteen sessions each 20 minutes in duration will be held. Fitness trackers will be used to collect heart rate data. The duration of time spent in the light to vigorous heart rate zones will be analyzed using visual analysis. The investigators expect to learn how video-based instruction influences heart rate during virtual physical activity time, and what is the most effective form of video-based instruction for children with disabilities. This study is in progress and the results are expected in spring of 2021. With our findings we will contribute to the growing knowledge base of virtual physical activity programming for children with disabilities.

The question of whether or not Mars will ever be inhabitable to humans has been a topic that scientists and researchers have been inquiring and studying for years. In more recent years, scientists have discovered that an uninhabited island in the Canadian High Arctic, Devon Island, allows for realistic mission goals to be tested. In this project, I will be studying how this location is ideally suited for practicing living on Mars. During the FMARS 2007 Long Duration Mission, a four month period allowed for research and breakthroughs to occur. There are operational scenarios that can withstand on this island, similar to what a real crew would experience on Mars. In this human factors research project, certain aspects were studied to determine what a real crew would face on their eventual mission to space. These included countermeasures to stress and isolation, analysis of group dynamics, analysis of environment habitability, cognitive performance, sleep disruption under the Arctic Martian Sol conditions, and food choice, preparation, and overall satisfaction. What do these endeavors mean for future living conditions on Mars, and how does this research contribute to further scientific discoveries and breakthroughs? As I further my research on Devon Island and its correlation to Mars, I am hoping to gain more knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of the suitability of this location as a testing ground for a Martian terrain.

Approximately three million Americans use wheelchairs to increase active participation in life, but these devices are helpful only in specific circumstances. While increasing mobility for the user, wheelchair use risks injury to the user and their caregivers. Frequency of wheelchair transfers by the over 50 population increase the risk of injury, falls, and even death. Environmental barriers may limit wheelchair use to the primary living area, limiting access to the outside world and social participation. Although power wheelchairs may reduce the physical strength and stamina required to propel the device, the inability to transport the power wheelchair to different locations with ease also limits their use. Wheelchair users report feeling a loss of independence and volition which limits their enjoyment of life activities. Occupational therapists (OTs) are frequently part of the mobility team and positively contribute to improve a client's ability to complete daily activities. Interventions provided by the OT aim to increase independence and support social participation which have been found to support overall health and well-being. Power wheelchair use can enable a client to enjoy a greater quality of life by decreasing the physical burden of locomotion . The transition from a manual to a power wheelchair has shown to have a greater psychosocial impact. Through custom adaptation and real-time training with power wheelchairs, OTs ensure that their clients' participation and socialization are maximized. The use of all-terrain power wheelchairs enables clients to experience life beyond the boundaries imposed by the physical environment. Combining OT expertise with custom all terrain power wheelchairs allows for greater active participation in preferred life activities while ensuring a safe fit and effective learning of safe wheelchair use. A prospective study among people with mobility restrictions identified eight aspects of mobility that became easier to perform for approximately half of the participants using a power wheelchair including: visiting restaurants/cafes/pubs, shopping groceries, other shopping, posting letters, visiting the bank pharmacy, going for a walk/ride, and visiting with family/friends. The current lack of funding for all terrain wheelchairs makes their use unattainable for many people, leading to dissatisfaction in life and social isolation. Further study of all terrain wheelchairs establishes a need for alternative funding to increase access for more wheelchair users.

It is widely accepted that beliefs play an important role in teaching and learning (e.g. Ambrose, 2004; Pajares, 1992). In recent years, learners' beliefs regarding personal attributes have surfaced as influential and sometimes detrimental pieces of the learning process. These beliefs about personal attributes are generally known as mindset. In particular to these beliefs, the idea that one is either born a math person or not forms the notion of a fixed mathematical mindset. On the other hand, the notion that an individual's mathematical ability is something that can be developed through perseverance and hard work forms the notion of a growth mindset. Although mathematical mindsets are fairly well-defined in the research base (Boaler, 2016), measuring those mindsets has been more problematic. A prevailing issue rests in the fact that the bulk of data collected on mindset identification has come from self-reporting surveys (e.g. Blackwell, Trzesniewski, Dweck, 2007; Dweck, 2006; Dweck, 2012). This project will report research data in an attempt to provide preliminary insights related to the relationship between espoused and enacted mathematical mindsets of prospective middle school teachers. Previous data collected by the faculty sponsors hold that prospective teachers tend to self-identify as having a growth mindset even when their actions may suggest otherwise. In response to these findings, this project utilizes a self-reporting protocol and observation protocol that have been created to distinguish fixed and growth mindsets in an effort to provide further insights related to the relationship of the espoused and enacted mindsets of future middle school teachers.

Memes are a popular form of communication messages in online environments that represent and form social mindsets (Shifman, 2014). The term meme refers quite broadly to an idea or concept that spreads rapidly (Dawkins, 1974). Within the context of the internet, the term meme is used to represent concepts or ideas that are spread virally on the internet. These memes often couple still or video images with text which in turn convey an idea or commentary on an issue (e.g., Diaz, 2013; Shifman, 2014). Because of their popularity and implications, examining the content of memes is a worthwhile endeavor.Memes convey emotional components (e.g., Guadagno et al., 2013; Harvey et al., 2019). Recent research indicates that digital content, such as memes, have profound effects on emotion regulation processes (e.g., Wadley et al., 2020) and further indicates that internet memes have the ability to regulate emotion in clinically depressed populations (Akram et al., 2020). While the current body of research indicates that memes contain emotional elements and that memes may regulate emotion, there has yet to be an empirical examination of emotion regulation themes present in memes. The present project seeks to understand if memes contain emotion regulation themes similar to those laid out by Gross (1998) in their process model of emotion regulation.This paper presentation will present the preliminary results of a quantitative content analysis in which a random sample of memes originating from the year 2020 were coded for their emotion type and emotion regulation strategy present. It is hoped that results from this study will be used to shed light on the emotional components of memes, which in turn will help to explicate the emotion regulation processes related to meme viewing.

This study focused on teacher and staff perceptions of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) implementation at the middle school level. MTSS implementation at the secondary level proves to be a daunting task including many complex facets. Ensuring that teacher insights are sought out when implementing school-wide programming such as MTSS can increase program success and fidelity (Eagle, Dowd-Eagle, Snyder, Holtzman, 2015, Hollingsworth, 2019 McIntosh, Goodman, 2016). This study examined three research questions: (1) How do middle school teachers and school support staff perceive implementation of a multi-tiered system of support? (2) How do these perceptions impact the buy-in and level of understanding of MTSS implementation? (3) In what ways do middle school teachers understand the MTSS framework? Utilizing a qualitative, single subject case study design, this study sought to explore how teacher and staff perceptions and understanding of MTSS can impact implementation. The study took place in a suburban, western Pennsylvania middle school, in which the researcher is employed. The constant comparative method of coding was utilized in order to uncover themes related to the collected data. The following themes were uncovered through data analysis: support for all students and addressing individual student needs is a part of the MTSS process, the need for all staff to be involved in MTSS, insufficient communication with off-team teachers, discussion of forms as a part of the MTSS process, parental involvement was not discussed as a priority in responses, and procedures and logistics are discussed in relation to MTSS rather than the day-to-day implementation. Results of this study indicate that seeking opinions from teachers regarding program implementation can provide valuable information for schools and districts to consider and highlights the importance of professional development focused on MTSS.

This project will be taking a dive into the Cassini Mission that aimed at gathering data about Saturn and its ring system. More specifically, we will be looking at Enceladus, Phoebe, and Iapetus, and how they interact with one another. Cassini revealed to us the complexity of Saturn's rings and moons, the dynamic relationship between them, as well as shed light on potential moons with the capacity to maintain life. Our project will investigate how the main rings, including the little known E-Ring, were formed and their interactions with the moons that are embedded in them. We will analyze the data acquired from the Cassini Mission and explain the importance and impact that this had on our understanding of distant orbital bodies within our solar system. Additionally, we will include data gathered by the Spitzer Space Telescope, which discovered the largest ring in our solar system - a ring that can only be detected through infrared radiation. This ring is being generated by Saturn's moon Phoebe and could potentially solve the mystery of Iapetus's dual coloring.

In the field of contemporary dance, the term “spontaneous composition” refers to the process of composing while improvising. This process blurs the line between improvisation and choreography so that the audience sees fully developed movement invention and spatial design with the same level of refinement that one expects from choreography. This project proposes a virtual residency with post-modern innovator Dr. Nina Martin, who has pushed the boundaries of improvisational dance-making for 40 years via her systems of teaching spontaneous composition called Ensemble Thinking and Articulating the Solo Body/ReWire Movement Method. Senior BFA candidate, Kari Hoglund, will attend four workshops with Dr. Martin followed by advanced level research that results in a solo based on Martin's systems. The solo will work specifically with Dr. Martin's method of ReWire Movement Method incorporating the use of charcoal on white paper. The final product will be the solo captured through dance film and will premier in a virtual performance.

symposium.foragerone.com/2021srusymposium/submission

Forensic social work, working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system, has a highly specialized practice area of Police Social Work (PSW). Unfortunately, there is a lack of training and guidance for the development of PSW programs. This action research project compiled the experiences from a new PSW program, as students collect data, summarize benefits, identify resources and create documents and professional presentations to contribute to foundational knowledge for PSW programs. The students will report on their time developing a police social work program within a local police department. The students will share foundational training and contacts made with another police social worker to use her knowledge to help create release and consent forms. The students are keeping track of all interactions they have within the community and the data and statistics will be shared. The students have also created a community guide for officers to give to individuals they feel will benefit from outside services. Ultimately, students and faculty will share this project at a national conference. This project has the potential to make significant contributions to the field, including increasing the competence of two MSW students, assisting community residents in receiving valuable social work services, assisting others who wish to implement a PSW program and adding to the literature on PSW.

Machines learning techniques have proved useful in various fields including business, medicine, transportation and fields in the physical sciences such as particle physics. This research aims to gauge the effectiveness of deep learning techniques in modeling thermodynamic systems. Specifically, the work optimizes a multi-layer neural network to quantitatively fit the van der Waals equation of state for single component system and mixtures. Multi-layer neural networks connections each have weights and biases which represent their importance within the network. These weights and biases are adjusted with the backpropagation algorithm to create accurate predictions. The research applies these principles to predict the pressure given by van der Waals equation given volume, temperature, and number of molecules as inputs. The van der Waals model is a modification of the Ideal Gas law. The model was conceived in 1873 by Johannes van der Waals to more accurately describe the qualitative behavior of fluids within a mathematical model. The model is described by van der Waals equations: which can also be extended to mixtures. By training a neural network to fit to van der Waals model, we plan to understand how the choice of hyperparameters (number of layers, number of neurons etc.) affects the accuracy of the predictions. Future work aims to apply similar techniques to predict the equations of state for various fluids whose thermodynamic properties have no accurate mathematical description.

For over half a century, NASA has been utilizing technology to further our understanding of space. Our research involves examining the various kinds of rovers, robots, and rotorcrafts that have been critical to the success of NASA's past, present, and future missions. We will examine the hopping robot Sparrow, rotorcrafts like Ingenuity, and Dragonfly, and the many Martian rovers. Not only are these new technologies being used for exploration and discovery, but there are also robots being developed to aid the planet in case of extinction level catastrophes. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission and Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) are tests to create a robot that would be able to protect Earth from asteroids that could potentially crash into it. These robots are designed to be able to change the motion of an asteroid heading towards Earth. Radiation hazards are detrimental to human life and this is where robots will play a major role. The pros outweigh the cons in most scenarios. The objective of this research is to show the benefits of space exploration through robotic means. This will be done by looking at some of Nasa's current and future autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. By researching them the group hopes to make the case that robots are a safer option due to human limitations and a smarter option when it comes to exploring more difficult terrains. By researching the papers published by NASA on the engineering hardware and science behind these missions, we could determine their cost effectiveness.

Media depictions often suggest that those convicted of sex-crimes have a high recidivism rate. This contributes to a public belief that those convicted will reoffend at a higher rate than other crimes. These reports, however, are misleading and backed up by anecdotes rather than official data. This research project aims to reveal the misleading information and identify the true recidivism rate by analyzing the recidivism rates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, utilizing published journal articles, and identifying governmental legislation that was enacted due to the misleading information.

The transfer matrix method to calculate scattering matrices uses semi-analytical methods of solving partial differential equations. This method is a powerful way of representing devices as a stack of layers with different refractive indices. The source code for this project represents a device as a series of layers of materials stacked horizontally. We simulate semiconducting organic polymer PEDOT:PSS thin films on ITO coated glass, a common structure for organic polymer solar cells, and compare the absorption to lab-fabricated samples of the same structure. Noting the differences and similarities between the quantities allows us to adjust our simulation to be more accurate.

Veterans are enrolling in higher education at increased rates due to the benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Williston & Roemer, 2017). Completing a postsecondary education degree is valuable as it offers greater economic opportunities (Norman et al., 2015). When pursuing postsecondary education student veterans often encounter unique challenges (Tomar & Stoffel, 2014). These distinctive occupational barriers impact student veterans' occupational performance in postsecondary education compared to occupational barriers traditional college students experience. This poster will describe student veterans' perceptions of barriers that impact their higher education and how occupational therapists and faculty members can both support student veterans in their transition to higher education.

Background: College students are under an enormous amount of stress which negatively affects both their mental and physical health. Consequently, a decline in all aspects of health also correlates to poor academic performance. According to the American College Health Association's Executive Summary, 28% of students reported that stress was the most significant factor negatively impacting their individual academic performance. The National Institutes of Health reports interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone). Today, it is becoming more common for college students to seek relief through animal support. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between animal companionship and the improvements in many aspects of mental and emotional health of college students. One hundred and twenty college students with animal interaction were surveyed to evaluate how their interaction with pets impact their mental and emotional health.Results: Prior to animal companionship, 42.5% of participants were very stressed, and 38.3% of participants were somewhat stressed. Additionally, 14.2% of participants were very unhappy, 22.5% of participants were somewhat unhappy, and 32.5% participants were neutral. After companionship, only 10% of participants were very stressed and 24.2% of participants were somewhat stressed. 56.7% of participants were very happy and 34.2% of participants were somewhat happy. 43.0% of the participants' physical activity had increased. Overall, 85.9% of participants reported their heath was positively affected after animal companionship. Conclusion: Based on findings of this study, having animal companionship in college has a positive effect on mental and emotional health amongst college students. Moreover, the results of this study can be utilized to implement animal therapy programs on campuses.

Space: the final frontier, is an aging phrase that most are familiar with. Space exploration dates back to the tail end of World War 2, and traverses into the 1950's as the United States and the Soviet Union raced to develop technology. The stakes grew even larger in 1969 when the U.S. sent the first successful manned mission to the moon. Since the 60's, NASA has contributed not only to colossal space discoveries, but to the advancement of technology we use every day as well.Our objective is to examine the large number of technological advancements space exploration has given birth to, and to demonstrate how these creations greatly out weight the costs. For example, the creation of the International Space Station has helped with communication, geographic information systems, and atmospheric data collection. NASA has had socio-economic impacts as well, including investments in new technologies and the next generation of scientists. The creation of new materials needed for space missions have been quite useful in the public, private sector, and in our everyday lives. These examples are but a small percentage of the vast number of advancements space exploration has led to. For this project we are studying sources and papers published directly by NASA.gov to assess how NASA has enhanced our society. With the continuation of space exploration, the number of positive impacts on our society will amplify as we find new problems to solve.

Juul, a brand of e-cigarettes, are popular for their discreet size, high nicotine content, and flavoring, although negative health effects like respiratory disease exist. Previous research has demonstrated that exercise can mitigate traditional cigarette cravings, and it is possible that this model may be applied to Juul use as well. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of an acute bout of exercise on Juul cravings in sedentary, Juul using college students and observe whether there is a delayed onset of the first craving the morning after a bout of exercise. METHODS: Participants came in for three visits in which they were not permitted to Juul. During Visit 1, a questionnaire was completed at baseline and after 10 and 25 minutes of sitting quietly. During Visit 2, participants walked on a treadmill at 40-50% Heart Rate Reserve for 15 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of sitting quietly. The questionnaire was administered at the beginning of the session, immediately after the walking session, and after 10 minutes of sitting quietly. During Visit 3, participants performed 5 different resistance machine exercises for two sets of 12-15 repetitions, lasting approximately 15 minutes. The questionnaire was then administered in the same manner as Visit 2. The morning after each visit, an e-mail was sent to the participants with follow up questions. RESULTS: Six participants (age 20.8±1.3 yrs, Juul use 15.7 ±6.5 months) completed this study. There was no Treatment x Time effect (0.05). There was no delay in urge or usage the following day (0.05), with a range of 0-60mins across participants. CONCLUSION: An acute bout of exercise does not appear to affect college-aged students' Juul urge. Strategies to better recruit students who engage in this negatively-perceived health behavior need to be explored.

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences a mental illness, and 17% of youth experience a mental health disorder. Mental health does not discriminate and can affect all adults and children in all walks of life. Mental health can have a significant impact on people, but at times, research is suggesting that it has an even greater effect on people with disabilities. Our review of literature is focused on mental illness and specifically, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As the research suggests, people with ASD have differences from those without disabilities, especially in the way that they manage their mental health. One major difference is the way that individuals with ASD process their feelings and emotions while managing their mental health. Our research focuses on best practices to support individuals who live with both ASD and a mental illness. This literature review will support pre-service and current practicing teachers with the knowledge to support individuals living with ASD and mental illnesses.

Within a span of four months, radical right-wing demonstrators clashed with law enforcement as they stormed the seats of two of the world's most powerful legislative bodies the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. These incidents are the latest manifestation of a phenomenon that has increasingly threatened American and German democracy alike: political extremism. Political divisions have been deepening in democracies the world over, but radical movements in Germany and the United States share many ideological and behavioral similarities. In both countries, right-wing extremist groups are driven by disdain for foreigners, suspicion of liberal government and globalism, tension between state and federal levels of government, and resentment over increasing racial diversity. Such groups in the United States and Germany have also made extensive efforts to radicalize and recruit members of military and law enforcement communities, taking advantage of their military training and access to weapons. Despite the parallels between German and American political extremism, implicit support for extremist activity among the public and elected officials is significantly less prominent in Germany than in the United States. My research will seek to explain this disparity by comparing elements of German and American society such as political parties, policies regarding political speech, national security structures, and popular political media that have generated different outcomes in the fight against political extremism. In drawing these comparisons, I will identify specific policies, strategies, structures, and behaviors that have led to Germany's relative success over the United States at curtailing political extremism within its populace.

Outerspace is the great unknown. Space is extremely dangerous in all aspects for anyone or anything that we put into it. Safety is paramount for all missions with human lives and millions of dollars at risk. From liftoff to the return of the crew every part of the mission must be carefully planned out to ensure their safety. The Challenger accident in 1986 demonstrated how important this is. In our research we will look at all the aspects and procedures that make spacecrafts, flights, and spacewalks safe for all parties involved. We will be studying the safety protocol information from papers published by NASA scientists and engineers to examine whether the extreme cautionary measures taken by NASA are worthwhile.