2022 Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Research shows that multiple medical disorders are comorbid with depression (Gross et al., 2018). The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between the presence of a physical disability and depression symptoms in adolescents. The hypothesis was that the presence of a physical disability would be associated with higher depression symptoms. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used for this study. Adolescents completed a self-report survey, which included questions about the presence of physical disability, and the severity of depression symptoms. There were 6051 participants, ranging in age from 12-21 years old. The presence of physical disability was measured through a yes/no question inquiring about difficulty using limbs due to a permanent physical condition. The severity of depression symptoms was measured by averaging five survey questions. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they felt or agreed with several statements including "You didn't feel like eating, your appetite was poor," "You had trouble keeping your mind on what you were doing," "You felt depressed," "You felt lonely," and "You felt life was not worth living." Responses to each question were rated on a 4-point Likert scale, from 0 (Never/rarely) to 3 (Most/all of the time). Results revealed that depression symptoms were significantly higher in participants who had a physical disability (M = .7702, SD = .4805) compared to those without a disability (M =.4741, SD = .76963), F(1, 6488) = 53.766, p; .001. The results show that the presence of disability is associated with higher depressive symptoms and are consistent with past research that shows comorbidity between medical illnesses and depression. Resources could be allocated for therapeutic endeavors focused on those with disabilities to monitor depression symptoms.

The Uropygial gland is a structure located at the base of the tail in many bird species. It is commonly known as the preening gland; it is a modified skin gland with additional functions such as waterproofing, feather maintenance, pheromone production, and defense against microorganisms. Though its presence is documented in many bird species not much is known about this gland histologically. This study was done to histologically examine the uropygial gland in Tinamus major. The tails of five specimens of prehatchling Tinamus major were dissected and examined using paraffin histology. The gland consisted of 5-6 ducts, which branched into smaller ducts, eventually opening into multiple secretory portions, ultimately forming a bilobed structure. These structures were just under the skin, with the ducts opening near the tip of the tail and the glandular aspects closer to the body. The uropygial gland in other species of bird also displays a bi-lobed glandular region. This is not typically described in other flightless birds.

During the last glacial period, earthworms native to the Eastern United States were extirpated, causing forest communities in Eastern North America to develop without the presence of earthworms for at least the last 20,000 years. Now, non-native earthworms from Asia and Europe, deliberately introduced through human actions, have invaded these forests. This invasion potentially may affect these ecosystems' composition and function, although to date no research has assessed the impact of non-native earthworms on forest communities of Western Pennsylvania. The environmental impact of non-native earthworms varies by species, but generally they change soil composition, alter carbon: nitrogen ratios, and decrease phosphorus abundance. By altering the soil composition and chemistry, these non-native earthworms have a cascading effect on forest plant communities. This study specifically seeks to enumerate the impact of non-native earthworms on new-growth forest communities across the Wisconsin glacial boundary in Pennsylvania.

Due to the everchanging structure of high school education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid advancements were required to maintain the significant efficacy and effectiveness of academic learning. Educators relied on new online/virtual strategies and techniques to sustain the efficiency of an education. This study focused on evaluating an educator-created YouTube channel (Captain Coleslaw) at an all-boys boarding school in Southwestern Pennsylvania as a supplement to curriculum content in 10-12th grade environmental science/biology classes. This study used mixed methods to survey students in order to derive outcomes of engaging with hunter education content that ties classroom topics to hunting, fishing, and foraging experiences. Our results showed a positive association between the overall experience of the YouTube-styled learning and the student's personal confidence in learning how to hunt, fish, and forage, and that the demographics of the students emulated a difference within the students' wildlife orientation values. Findings also showed that the overall experiences of the Captain Coleslaw learning and interests in the topics learned were positively associated. The implication of this study is that the virtual/online learning methods used within this study (i.e., YouTube Vlogs) proved to be effective strategies in maintaining the integrity and experience of a high school education.

The bassoon is a double reed instrument that is less commonly played or studied, yet is vital to bands, orchestras, and chamber ensembles. It is important for instrumental music educators to know proper techniques in order to effectively teach the bassoon to their students. This study focuses on knowledge gaps that certified music educators who have met the requirements for teacher certification in their state- at the elementary through high school level have identified as areas in which they feel confident and areas in which they feel weak in terms of teaching the bassoon to their students. The music educators completed a survey that was open for approximately 2 weeks. The survey consisted of knowledge-based questions about bassoon pedagogy, bassoon reeds, and teaching practices about the bassoon. With the data collected, an analysis was conducted to discover knowledge gaps, information that band directors know, as well as different teaching methodologies used by band directors. With the collected data, we are hosting an SRU Bassoon Day in order to fill these knowledge gaps with guest clinicians, master classes, and bassoon repairment opportunities. This study focused on identifying the lack of knowledge about bassoon and the use of that information to plan and execute SRU Bassoon Day.

Kinesiology Tape (KT) has been used clinically to improve posture, mobility, and muscle strength. Limited research has investigated the effect of KT on respiratory function, including rib mobility or diaphragm activity. The purpose of our study was to explore the effects of taping methods on posture and breathing mechanics in healthy individuals.The study utilized a randomized block design. Convenience sampling was used to recruit adults from the university population. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: KT, sham tape (ST), or control (C). Subjects were blinded to group assignment. Data collection occurred over two sessions, 48-hours apart. First, baseline measurements were taken including chest wall expansion, diaphragm performance in the form of maximal inspiratory pressure, and posture (tragus and acromion to wall distances). Next, KT or sham cover roll tape was applied to the upper back and neck, or no tape was applied for each subject based on group assignment. Ten minutes later, the same measurements were repeated on all subjects. Subjects continued to wear the tape between sessions and all groups returned to participate in a final round of the same measurements. Repeated measures ANOVAs will be used to determine the influence of tape at baseline, immediately post-taping, and 48 hours post-taping between the ST, KT, and C groups. Paired T-tests will be used for post hoc analyses. Currently, 53 participants out of an anticipated 90 have completed data collection. No dropouts have occurred, and all procedures have been followed according to guidelines. KT may be a tool available to improve respiratory function and posture in healthy individuals. Future research should assess the effects of KT on breathing mechanics and posture on an older population, over a longer period, or with different taping methods.

Performance anxiety can affect any athlete, ranging from amateurs to professionals, and has the ability to influence the outcome of a competition. Research has shown that families, specifically parents, are often seen as a support team for the athlete. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relation between performance anxiety, perceived family support, and mental toughness. The participants are varsity student athletes from Slippery Rock University. An online survey was distributed to the athletes via email. 82 athletes completed a demographic form and questionnaires related to performance anxiety, perceived family support, and mental toughness. It was predicted that athletes who report a higher level of perceived family support would report a lower level of performance anxiety compared to athletes who reported a low level of perceived family support. However, students with a higher level of mental toughness would report low levels of performance anxiety, regardless of their perceived level of family support. No significant correlation was found between performance anxiety in athletes and perceived family support.  However relations were found between mental toughness and performance anxiety, as well as praise and understanding from parents and mental toughness.

This project investigates the integration of dance improvisation in the choreographic process. Specifically, it explores contact improvisation, improvisation to create movement material and improvisation with costume. Contact Improvisation is a partner dance form based on the physical principles of touch, weight, and momentum. This practice explores ideas such as falling, rolling, counterbalance, being lifted and lifting. Over the course of 25 hours, a six-minute duet dance was created. During the choreographic process, many methods were used to learn and incorporate improvisation skills into a dance piece. Methods such as watching archival videos on Contact Improvisation, skill development, game structures, and verbal prompts inspired movement improvisation. An additional element of improvisation with bubble wrap costumes contributed to heightened auditory and tactile senses, increasing movement possibilities. This creative process has resulted in new knowledge about the dance form of improvisation and how to integrate it into choreography. This duet will be performed publicly at the BFA dance concert in Stoner Studio Theater on April 23, 2022.

The presence of a large inter-arm difference (IAD) in blood pressure (BP) at rest is an established indicator of cardiovascular risk. Acute aerobic exercise and acute isometric exercise, conditions that induce complex and multi-faceted mechanisms, alter the IAD in BP, indicating a potential for therapeutic intervention. Recently, our lab has examined the effect of two distinct stimuli that provide a narrower view into bilateral BP control. Specifically, the trigger or recruitment of nociceptors (i.e., pain receptors) through a cold pressor test (CPT), and mechanical and metabolic receptors through a combination of active (ALM; targeting mechanical and metabolic receptors) and passive limb movement (PLM; specifically targeting metabolic receptors) may provide insight into bilateral BP control. CPT: Briefly, while participants had one hand immersed in 3° Celsius water for three minutes, bilateral BP and hemodynamic measurements were taken at: 0:30, 2:00, immediately post, and two-, four-, and six-minutes post CPT. PLM: Similarly, bilateral BP and hemodynamic measurements were conducted pre- and immediately post three-minute sets of active (i.e., unweighted) and passive (i.e., unweighted, arm moved by investigator) bicep curls, separated by five-minute rest periods. Four total limb movement sets were randomized by both arm and condition, and controlled by a metronome. An overall difference in the CPT response was noted between IAD (i.e., IAD 10mmHg at rest; Punique and robust influence on bilateral BP and IAD. Future work examining unique modulators of IAD may ultimately provide a growing insight into this complex physiological phenomenon.

One major stress response pathway is the heat shock response (HSR), which is mediated by the transcription factor, heat shock factor (HSF). The HSR is activated in cells exposed to conditions that induce protein misfolding, such as: high heat, oxidants, and other chemical stresses. Under such stressors, HSF activates expression of the Hsp70 chaperone, which helps cells deal with protein folding stress. However, HSR activation also leads to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage cellular molecules. To combat this, cells are known to utilize endogenous antioxidants to scavenge free radicals through redox reactions. Therefore, we previously examined the effect of feeding an exogenous antioxidant, resveratrol, on the ability of wildtype Drosophila to withstand heat stress. Treatment with 100uM and 400uM resveratrol increased the ability of the flies to withstand heat stress-induced paralysis. We hypothesize that this result occurred because the flies had increased HSF activity due to the resveratrol treatment. To examine this hypothesis, Drosophila larvae expressing HSF-GFP were dissected to obtain salivary glands. These glands contain large polytene chromosomes that allow for visualization of HSF chromosomal binding using confocal microscopy. The most easily visible binding site is an HSF doublet binding at the Hsp70 loci. Salivary glands at room temperature function as a non-heat shock (NHS) control and exhibit no binding of HSF-GFP at the Hsp70 loci. Salivary glands heated to 37C for 10, 20, 40 minutes function as the positive control and exhibit the expected Hsp70 doublet from HSF-GFP binding of the DNA. We are testing variable concentrations (100uM, 200uM, and 400uM) of resveratrol dissolved in 0.5% DMSO to determine if it activates HSF-GFP binding of the DNA in salivary glands under non-heat shock conditions. Future experiments may examine if the HSF-GFP is transcriptionally active when cells are treated with resveratrol.