Hardwood forest ecosystems were primarily oak and hickory tree species, preserved through natural fires. Due to fire suppression in the last century, invasion of insect pests, and changing climate, these forests are slowly changing to domination by maples and beech. One strategy of oak and hickory regeneration is utilizing prescribed burns to create an open […]
B07-P: The Effects of Deer Exclosures on Seed Dispersal by Ants in Forests of the Miami University Natural Areas, Oxford, Ohio
The indirect impacts of white-tailed deer overabundance (Odocoileus virginianus) on forest ecosystems are not well understood, particularly their leaf-litter invertebrate communities. Long-term studies with deer exclosures (>10 years) conducted in forests of the Miami University Natural Areas suggest a significant relationship between the presence of white-tailed deer and the abundance and diversity of ant populations. […]
C08-P: Qualitative Identification of Transition Metals at the ppm Level using Precipitation Chemistry and Digital Microscopy
In this qualitative experiment the researchers bring back classic precipitation chemistry on various transition metal ion solutions (Ni2+, Pb2+, Co2+) at very low concentrations. Nickel can be precipitated as a red dimethylglyoxime complex, cobalt as a reddish-brown 2-nitroso-1-naphthol complex, and lead as a yellow iodide compound. As this is a qualitative experiment color will be […]
B44-P: Burial Rates of Sediment, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in Three Retention Ponds in an Agricultural Landscape under Conservation Tillage
Lakes and ponds play a disproportionate role in removing sediment, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from their global cycles, thereby mitigating potential negative environmental effects such as global climate change and harmful algal blooms. However, how sequestration rates change over a pond’s lifetime, and how rates are affected by conservation tillage practices in their watershed remain […]
B18-P: Evaluating Mechanical Properties of MRE Artificial Arteries
Artificial arteries are made in a myriad of ways and have just as many uses within the medical field. The focus of this research is to vary the amount of iron content along with the magnitude of the applied magnetic field to alter the sample’s mechanical properties such that they accurately represent arteries within people […]
A42-P: Associations Among Proinflammatory Cytokines, Insulin Resistance, and Subjective Sleep Quality
BACKGROUND: There are 27 million adults in the U.S. diagnosed with type II diabetes mellitus, a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance regards the inability of the body to properly respond to insulin at target receptors, leading to increased blood-glucose levels from suppressed GLUT transporter expression. The presence […]
B26-P: A Novel Optical Method for Quantifying Neural Activity
Assessment of neural activity in awake and behaving animals is notoriously complex, and often challenging for undergraduate students to implement in their research. In the last two years, a new technology has emerged that has dramatically simplified the assessment of neural activity in awake behaving animals, called Fiber Photometry, making it potentially useful in an […]
B02-P: Converting Random Fluctuations to Useful Work – An Efficient Nanoratchet
The field of atomic, molecular, and optical physics focuses on how atoms and molecules interact with light. In our experiment, we use several coupled optical lasers to create a series of potential wells, a pattern of high potential energy that causes atoms to become trapped in a three-dimensional gridlike layout, known as an optical lattice. […]
B45-P: Development of a Portable Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy System for Tissue Flowmetry
Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) is a technique used in biomedical optics that uses collimated light — a laser — to explore flow rates in the body. Significant applications for DCS include analysis of rates associated with blood flow and cerebral spinal fluid, though DCS can be applied in many situations. DCS is an attractive technology […]
B19-P: The Population Genetics of a Stream Breeding Ambystomatid: Evidence of Recent Range Expansion
A. barbouri is a stream-breeding salamander that is endemic to two small geographic regions in the Midwest and Central Tennessee, and its sister species, Ambystoma texanum is a common related species distributed throughout the Midwest. In this study, we analyzed the distribution and population genetics of these two species in the Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio tri-state […]