A rare rock type known as a shonkinite was found in the Adel Mountain range of Southwest Montana near the Missouri River and we set out to determine its crystallization history and magmatic evolution. As a first step towards this research goal, thin sections were made, and a petrographic analysis was conducted to determine composition […]
B12: Substituent Effects of Carbodiimide Fuel Reactivity
In biology, out-of-equilibrium, or “dissipative,” systems are crucial to functionality, using a constant supply of energy to continually function. We can mimic this behavior simply using chemical fuel reactions that result in the formation of a transient bond. Most other groups studying systems of this kind have used 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) as the fuel. Here, […]
B13: Global Health Issue: Neoliberal Ideologies and the Cultural Blame Associated with the Use of Food Assistance Programs in the U.S.
Food insecurity is a global health issue that leads to detrimental effects to physical and mental health. This study looks closely at the barriers people experience in obtaining reliable and nutritious food, as well as the prevalence of chronic illnesses among families that experience food insecurity. This study was conducted at a local food pantry […]
B14: Characterizing the Role of NHE11 in Mammalian Sperm Physiology Using Crispr/Cas9 Gene Edited Mice
Sodium Hydrogen Exchangers (NHEs) are a family of proteins which are important for regulating the pH of a cell. Previous studies have found certain NHE proteins to be essential for sperm cell motility and fertility. There still remains one completely uncharacterized NHE protein: the NHE11 protein. Work in our lab has found that in mammals, […]
B15: Periodical Cicadas: The Potential Effects of Habitat Destruction on the Density of Magicicada spp. From 1987 to 2021.
Every 17 years, the Brood X periodical cicadas of the genus Magicicada (M. cassini, M. septemdecim, and M. septemdecula) emerge in Indiana and western Ohio. Like many other species, these cicadas are facing the effects of habitat destruction and climate change. Magicicada needs a specific ground temperature in order to emerge. Given that warmer temperatures […]
B16:Measuring Attention and Response Dynamics Across Choice Types
Students in the Computational Cognition Laboratory conducted a group project focused on creating a framework to conceptualize and model cognitive processes during typical decision making tasks. Our study explores how decision-making differs depending on whether there is an objective, correct response or whether one is expressing a personal preference. Importantly, this project combined standard choice […]
B18: Creating Vibrotactile Haptic Sensations Using Electro-Rheological Fluids
Haptic technology is an area of study involving creating the feeling of touch through the use of vibrations and forces. Commonly seen today in most handheld devices, which vibrate as users type on their screens, the area of haptic technology provides a way to deliver sensory information to individuals beyond the senses of hearing and […]
B21: The Effects of Psilocybin on Maternal Behavior
Certain psychiatric medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can be harmful during pregnancy and the postnatal period, having been shown to lead to birth defects and reduce maternal behaviors. These factors may require birthing parents to temporarily stop taking such medications, but ceasing them may pose a risk to the parent. This presents an […]
B22: How Universal is Arrhenius Behavior?
Diels-Alder click chemistry is a widely researched topic of chemistry through which polymers can be synthesized under relatively mild conditions. These polymers can then be crosslinked through Diels-Alder (DA) chemistry into materials containing temperature responsive linkers. In this project, DA bonded materials of varying crosslink density and polymer length were made into gel-like materials and […]