During the fall 2021 semester, I participated in an immersion experience working in the community to identify a global health problem. I spent my time volunteering in a “choice food pantry”, Serve City in Hamilton, OH. Throughout my experience, I had the opportunity to speak with many different members of the community as well as […]
C02: Development of a Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine
Influenza virus is a RNA virus that can cause yearly epidemics worldwide. This virus has also been known to cause many pandemics in human history. This independent literature research will ask and answer the question: Why is influenza still a major public health issue and what steps can be taken to prevent future influenza pandemics? […]
C03: Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Dispersions Calculated with the MOND External Field Effect
We present calculated dispersion profiles of four Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies, which include the Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND) external field effect (EFE). Our model of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) contains ten thousand stars, and the internal gravity of the dwarf is modeled as Plummer potential. In addition, we treat the host galaxy as […]
CO4: Popes and Public Engagement during Trips Abroad: An Analysis of Vatican II Policies Driving Papal Diplomacy, 1964-2021
This study explores the hybridity of the Vatican’s public diplomacy by contextualizing the papacy as both a political and religious office since Vatican II. It uses a textual analysis of papal foreign speeches spanning 1964 to 2021 to understand the evolving rhetoric and engagement practices during state visits and ecclesiastical missions abroad. 1,307 speeches were […]
C05: Public Diplomacy Competition in the United Nations: A Comparative Analysis of Ireland, Norway, and Canada’s UNSC Election Campaigns
Governments use public relations to advance their interests in both domestic and foreign affairs. In international organizations like the United Nations, governments employ public relations campaigns to manage image, reputation, expectations, and issues in political environments filled with elite frame competition from both allies and foes alike. This study uses a qualitative approach to compare […]
C06: Interactive Data Visualization of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccination Patterns in Ohio
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic is a public health crisis affecting the United States since early 2020, and specifically affecting Ohio since March 2020. Over the course of the past 2 years, the number of cases, deaths, and hospitalizations has fluctuated depending on the different Covid-19 variants, vaccinations, and government mandates. Using publicly available Covid-19 data […]
C07: The Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization on Leaf and Root Economics in Prairie Plants
The midwestern prairies of the US are in decline and restoration of native biodiversity has proven to be a difficult process. The restorative role of the below-ground microbial communities in human-disturbed landscapes is a vital one. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have coexisted with land plants for millions of years, providing a number of benefits, but […]
C09: Elucidating Interactions between Adenovirus and DNA- PK
For Adenovirus (Ad) to undergo a successful replication cycle, proteins expressed from the early gene region 4 (E4) function in regulating the host’s DNA damage response (DDR). In mutant viruses with a deletion of the E4 region (E4-), one particular DDR kinase — DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK)— is able to ligate the ends of Ad […]
C08: Predicting Plant Abundance in a Restored Prairie
In restoration ecology it is important to understand the processes that promote abundance in plant communities. Two of these processes are plant functional traits and plant-soil feedback. Plant traits have been proven useful in predicting abundance across many ecosystems due to their reflection of varying resource allocation in different environments. Plant-soil feedback estimates emerge through […]
C10: Determining How Activation of the DNA-Dependent Protein Kinase Impacts Adenovirus Replication
While human adenovirus (Ad) infection can cause severe illness, antiviral treatments often cause serious adverse effects and have limited efficacy against severe Ad infection. Ad infection activates the cellular DNA damage response (DDR), which triggers activation of protein complexes such as the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) that hinder viral infection. However, Ad wields several viral […]