Abstracts and Posters 2022

Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Digitizing the Davidson Arboretum for Community Engagement
by Hope Anderson, Chloe Fisher

The Davidson College Arboretum was established in 1982. Arboretums are important because trees provide many services, including carbon sequestration, cooling, and improved mental health. The current arboretum records are 30 years out of date and exist in the form of a large, physical map and pages of attribute tables. Advancements in software, including the information mapping system ArcGIS, make collecting, storing, updating, and sharing information about the arboretum more accessible. This year, we created an ArcGIS database and have collected information on over 700 trees on campus. Of these, we created two maps of curated trees for community use: a selection of trees on the old campus quad to highlight in a walking tour and a map depicting carbon sequestration by trees within the same region. We hope our framework of displaying and storing information will be a sustainable and collaborative way to continue adding data as the arboretum is ever evolving. Overall, maintaining a record of campus trees will help Physical Plant maintain campus’ landscape, answer scientific questions about the role of trees on campus, and help facilitate appreciation for the wide range of species in our collection.

Using Pulse Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to Create an MRI
by Caitlin Welch

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the process in which a weak oscillating magnetic field is applied to a sample in a strong constant magnetic field. For the pulsed NMR experiment, a sample is placed in a permanent magnet; the sample sits within a sample coil, through which a radio frequency (RF) field is applied. The RF field causes the protons in the sample to spin from their initial parallel alignment with the constant magnetic field to some angle, depending on the length of the pulse. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an extension of the NMR lab and has many applications in medicine. For one dimensional MRIs, we apply an intentional magnetic field gradient in the direction of the RF field. With this gradient, protons at different layers of the sample will have different associated spins. Using the Voltage vs. Time graph from the oscilloscope and a Fourier Transform, we can associate the position of the protons within the sample with their corresponding frequency.

Health Disparities in the Hispanic/Latinx Community: The Impact of Perceived Discrimination
by Siena A. Senn, Dr. Lauren A. Stutts, and Dr. Kyra A. Kietrys

The Hispanic/Latinx population experiences a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and mortality. Minimal research has investigated the impact of perceived discrimination and medical mistrust on health equity. The main aim of the present study was to examine differences among perceived discrimination, medical mistrust, emotional well-being, and healthcare quality by ethnicity and income. Participants included 200 adults who completed online questionnaires through the data collection site, Prolific. Individuals who identified as Hispanic/Latinx (n = 100; 50%) reported significantly higher perceived discrimination, greater medical mistrust, and lower healthcare quality compared to individuals who identified as non-Hispanic/non-Latinx (n = 100; 50%). Participants with an annual household income less than $50,000 (n = 108; 54%) reported significantly higher perceived discrimination, medical mistrust, depression, anxiety, and stress in addition to lower healthcare quality than participants with an annual household income greater than or equal to $50,000 (n = 92; 46%). Overall, there were more disparities in these variables by income than ethnicity. Ultimately, these findings could lead to targeted interventions to mitigate adverse outcomes among vulnerable and underserved groups.

The Impact of a Values-Affirmation Intervention on Body Dissatisfaction and Negative Mood in Women Exposed to Fitspiration
by Isabella G. Pilot and Lauren A. Stutts, Ph.D.

Body dissatisfaction is highly prevalent among college women. Prior research suggests that exposure to fitspiration (fitness inspiration) on Instagram increases body dissatisfaction. Minimal research has investigated interventions to protect against the negative effects of fitspiration. Values-affirmation (VA) interventions, in which individuals reflect on a higher value (e.g., empathy) to affirm their sense of personal worth, have been successfully applied in other settings and could be helpful in this context. The present study’s primary aim was to examine the impact of a VA intervention on body dissatisfaction and negative mood in college women exposed to fitspiration. Participants consisted of 238 women randomized into three groups: VA Intervention, Fitspiration, and Control. Each group was exposed to 20 images; the VA Intervention and Fitspiration groups viewed fitspiration images while the control group viewed travel images. Additionally, participants in the VA Intervention group described the importance of their top value, and participants in the Fitspiration group completed a control intervention. Visual analog scales on state body dissatisfaction and state negative mood were completed pre- and post-exposure for all groups. Body dissatisfaction and negative mood significantly increased in the Fitspiration group from pre-exposure to post-exposure. No differences were found in body dissatisfaction or negative mood from pre- to post-exposure in the VA Intervention group. Body dissatisfaction and negative mood significantly decreased in the Control group from pre-exposure to post-exposure. These findings suggest that a VA intervention could partially protect college women from the negative effects of fitspiration exposure.

The Effects of a Hippocampal Formation Disconnection Surgery on Spatial Working Memory Performance on a Delayed Alternation Task
by Amanda Cruz, Emma Jones

Using Pulse Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to Create an MRI
by Caitlin Welch

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the process in which a weak oscillating magnetic field is applied to a sample in a strong constant magnetic field. For the pulsed NMR experiment, a sample is placed in a permanent magnet; the sample sits within a sample coil, through which a radio frequency (RF) field is applied. The RF field causes the protons in the sample to spin from their initial parallel alignment with the constant magnetic field to some angle, depending on the length of the pulse. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an extension of the NMR lab and has many applications in medicine. For one dimensional MRIs, we apply an intentional magnetic field gradient in the direction of the RF field. With this gradient, protons at different layers of the sample will have different associated spins. Using the Voltage vs. Time graph from the oscilloscope and a Fourier Transform, we can associate the position of the protons within the sample with their corresponding frequency.

Symmetry and Chirality Analysis of Biphenyls in Gas Phase
by Stefanie Coates

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14D68pZU_gUr6XSNpBSvIRdpR-AFP4ESO

The Effects of a Hippocampal Formation Disconnection Surgery on Spatial Working Memory Performance on a Delayed Alternation Task
by Amanda Cruz, Emma Jones

This study investigates how the neural pathways of the hippocampal formation are involved with learning and memory, and how disrupting the flow of these pathways can consequently impair memory performance, specifically spatial working memory. A disconnection model (a unilateral transection of the dorsal psalterium and fimbria fornix and contralateral lesion of the entorhinal cortex) is utilized to further assess the function and role of the hippocampal pathways using an alternation task in a Y-maze. Male, Sprague-Dawley rats completed one week of pre-operative training in the Y-maze before undergoing the disconnection surgery (n=4) or a craniotomy (n=10). All animals were assessed on their performance in a learned alternation task in the Y-maze and were reinforced for correctly alternating after intertrial intervals of 30 seconds. The number of errors were recorded for each trial over six consecutive weeks as a measure of spatial working memory. Histological analyses showed lower levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the left dentate gyrus (DG) in the outer molecular layer and supragranular zone, indicating deafferentation. The levels of AChE in the right DG did not show a significant increase in the OML as previous studies have shown to be present as a sprouting response from the septodentate pathway as a result of an entorhinal cortex lesion. Animals that received the disconnection surgery had significant memory impairment in the alternation task compared to the sham animals over the six weeks of testing. The results demonstrate that the connections within the hippocampal formation are vital for spatial working memory function.

Mitigating STEM Gender Bias In Recommendation Letters
by Kara Rumage, Alice Guth

Letters of recommendation can often perpetuate and uphold negative gender stereotypes through word choice. Women are more likely to be described with grindstone words, whereas men are described using standout words. Our computer program evaluates and scores letters of recommendation based on their balance of gendered words. We have also developed a grading rubric that the program uses and a list of best practices to mitigate gender stereotypes in letters of recommendation. The rubric can also function as a way to manually self-grade a letter of recommendation.

Social Contact Positively Reinforces Cocaine Intake
by Hannah Cha

The social environment impacts the amount of drugs taken by an individual. The presence of social partners impact cocaine self-administration in rats; however, the behavioral mechanisms behind this phenomenon have not been fully examined. The current study examined whether contingent social contact positively reinforces cocaine self-administration. Male Long-Evans rats were implanted with intravenous catheters, and lever pressing was maintained by 0.5 mg/kg/infusion cocaine. Cocaine-maintained responding was further reinforced by contingent access to either a social (30-s access to an age-and sex-matched rat) or a nonsocial (30-s access to a black-and-white athletic sock) stimulus. Once responding stabilized, a cocaine dose-effect curve was determined in which cocaine self-administration was reinforced by (1) 30-s and (2) 5-s contingent access to a social or nonsocial stimulus. Lastly, the social and nonsocial stimuli were switched between groups. Social reinforcement rapidly increased cocaine intake and maintained levels of cocaine intake that was 2- to 3-fold greater than a nonsocial stimulus. These effects were present across all doses and were resistant to reinforcer magnitude decreases. Social reinforcement increased cocaine intake after a prolonged period of self-administration when the nonsocial stimulus was switched to a social stimulus, and social reinforcement increases in cocaine intake persisted even after removal of the stimulus. These results indicate that social reinforcement is one mechanism that increases cocaine intake within groups. This should be considered when developing cocaine prevention and rehabilitation programs that employ social interventions.

Owners’ Effects on Pit Bulls’ Perceived Aggression, Friendliness, and Adoptability
by Emma Goodman

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1iCjfmh9ndlJtGs7GLdWunW0Nz-cEikdc
Pit bulls have strong ties to the Black community, and efforts to ban pit bulls have been argued to stem from prejudice against pit bull owners (Linder, 2018; Mayorga-Gallo, 2018). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects that owners’ races and genders have on pit bulls’ perceived friendliness, aggression, and adoptability. A sample of 118 participants completed this 2 (owner race: Black, White) x 2 (owner gender: Man, Woman) between subjects experiment in-person. Participants saw five fictional Facebook posts from the Charlotte Human Society depicting a recently adopted dog paired with its new owner; two target posts depicted pit bulls paired with randomly assigned owners. Participants rated the friendliness, aggressiveness, and adoptability of each dog. Additionally, this study used eye-tracking to measure how certain participants were when making decisions about the pit bulls as a function of the race and gender of their new owner (operationalized as number of fixations per time). Partially supporting hypotheses, pit bulls paired with Black owners were rated as significantly less friendly, more aggressive, and less adoptable compared to pit bulls paired with White owners. Moreover, participants were more certain when making decisions about pit bulls paired with Black owners compared to pit bulls paired with White owners. Contrary to hypotheses, no effects of owner gender were observed. Consistent with existing research, the results suggest that stigma toward pit bulls’ may be based on racial prejudice rather than the perceived aggressiveness of the dogs themselves.

Testing the Ability of Borate Transporter Orthologs to Complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae BOR1
by Jean Beltran, Alexis McDonnell, Natalie Carr, Brianna Foster

In S. cerevisiae, borate resistance is mediated by the borate transport protein Bor1p. In plants, the role of borate transport is more complicated given the organism’s need to prevent borate toxicity while maintaining high enough levels of borate as a micronutrient that supports growth. As a result of these complex needs, the borate transporter family has expanded in plants, with seven borate transporters in Arabidopsis thaliana and four borate transporters in Oryza sativa. In humans, the transporter SLC4A11 has been suggested to transport borate, but this claim remains controversial. To better understand the transport activities of purported borate transporters, we tested the ability of eleven plant transporters and one human transporter to complement a BOR1 deletion in S. cerevisiae. We show that AtBor4, AtBor5, Atbor7, and OsBor3, can each complement yeast BOR1, while the other seven plant transporters do not. Interestingly, mapping these results onto phylogenetic analyses revealing two known clades within the borate transporter family might shed light on their functional and evolutionary differences. Lastly, we show that human SLC4A11 does not support borate transport in yeast, supporting claims that its transported substrate is not borate.

Determining the Oligomeric Status and Function of Yeast Borate Transporter Mutants
by Sheridan Page, Ella Stewart

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zCZTLJpeZMU3nX6tnMrGHU7oumgS8oxg

Overcoming Lysogenization Defect (OLD) Proteins and their Molecular Mechanisms by Hailey Holck

Bacterial defense mechanisms are a growing field of research as scientists attempt to characterize new systems. Overcoming Lysogenization Defect (OLD) nucleases operate within some anti-phage defense systems. To better characterize the molecular mechanisms of OLD nucleases, we attempted to investigate the activities of the protein’s two domains. Specifically, we conducted DNA cleavage and ATP hydrolysis assays to measure the activity of each domain and how they interact with one another. Our research aims to better characterize a bacterial defense system to further our understanding behind OLD nuclease’s molecular significance.

Impact of Crop Domestication on Plant’s Recruitment of Natural Enemies
by Kate Pottle

Crop domestication encompasses the artificial selection of plants to enhance taste, yield, and storage. Recent experimental work suggests that in the process of crop domestication, key plant traits that promote the biocontrol of insect herbivores have been lost. However, it is not always clear whether insect herbivores and their natural enemies perform better on cultivated crops or their wild ancestors. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to evaluate whether crop domestication has altered the ability of crop plants to recruit natural enemies compared to their wild ancestors. We hypothesized that the volatile blends of crop plants are less attractive to the natural enemies of insect herbivores. Similarly, we hypothesized that rates of predation and parasitism of insect herbivores would be lower on domesticated crops compared to their wild ancestors. In contrast to our hypotheses, we found no consistent effects of domestication on natural enemy recruitment. Approximately half the studies reported lower natural enemy attraction and attack rates on crop plants compared to their wild ancestors, with the remaining studies finding either no or the opposite effect. Variation in effects of domestication on natural enemy recruitment and attack rates were not explained by crop, herbivore, or natural enemy type. Our results demonstrate that domestication has not consistently reduced the ability of crop plants to recruit natural enemies. Future research should consider how plant, herbivore, and natural enemy species affect the impacts of domestication on natural enemy recruitment. Understanding these context-dependencies will allow for the development of more effective methods of biocontrol in sustainable agriculture.

Stream Incision as a Driver of Habitat Change in the Southeastern Piedmont
by Roy Paul Mullinax II

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eNT6jOc1LrisFF_J6qauMIlNndR43_W4

Evaluating the Accuracy and Coverage performance of Collaborative Filtering, Content-based, and Hybrid Recommender Systems
by Brad Shook, Daniel Cowan, Drew Dibble

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1msbuy_aVkyXOfoWDp2_umwRr_HIt0bh-

Perinatal Mental Health and Interpersonal Relationships in Sexual Minority Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Isabelle Kirkwood

Existing literature has examined mental health status and mental health issues, such as depression, in mothers during pregnancy and the year following childbirth. However, this research has done little to address the experiences of sexual minority mothers during this perinatal period. Sexual minorities experience many unique struggles, such as increased lifetime stress, compared with heterosexual women. Because of this, recent literature has begun to address how sexual minority women’s perinatal mental health experiences differ from those of heterosexual women. In this study, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the existing research assessing depression, anxiety, social support, and relationship satisfaction in sexual minority mothers during the perinatal period. A total of 14 studies were included in the review, seven of which were included in five meta-analyses. Analyses compared sexual minority and heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual, and gestational and non-gestational sexual minority mothers’ experiences. We found that bisexual and gestational sexual minority mothers experience significantly more severe perinatal depression symptoms compared with lesbian and non-gestational sexual minority mothers, respectively. Relationship satisfaction and social support did not differ between gestational and non-gestational sexual minority mothers. Although no significant differences were found between depression symptoms of sexual minority and heterosexual mothers, significant heterogeneity indicate high variability between studies and the need for additional research on this population.

Nuclear structure of highly excited 11B
by Garrett Ryan

Observation of a rare type of decay, beta-delayed proton emission from a neutron rich nucleus, from 11Be may be explained by the existence of a previously unobserved state in 11B predicted to be at an energy of 11.42 MeV. In addition, there is sparse data in the region of high excitation in 11B. Using FSU’s Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator, a 16 MeV deuteron beam was sent into a 10B target. A neutron is transferred to the 10B nuclei via stripping from the deuteron beam to populate 11B. Angular distributions for the states populated in 11B were made and analyzed to study its structure. Preliminary results will be discussed.

Quantum Entanglement
by Aubrey Parks

Quantum entanglement is a physical phenomenon in which two particles’ properties cannot be described independently from each other, regardless of spatial or temporal measurements. Investigating the line between classical and quantum mechanics, quantum entanglement is vital to understand for a variety of applications, including quantum computing. This research disproves Einstein Local Reality, therefore proving quantum entanglement by splitting a beam and polarizing the photons to detect their entangled states. Additionally, the data is proven statistically significant through the violation of Bell’s Inequality. Finally, this work investigates the dependence of the phase shift of the photons against the angle of the quartz plate. Ultimately, this work proves the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, therefore disproving the locality and reality assumptions.

Effect of Development on Cove Sedimentation in Lake Wylie, North Carolina
by Leah Sarkisian

Increased sedimentation has become a major problem along coves in Lake Wylie, North Carolina. Some amount of cove sedimentation is natural, but upstream development increases the rate at which this occurs and ultimately shortens the reservoir lifespan and decreases lakefront property values. Development creates impervious surfaces that lead to increased erosion of the landscape and resultant downstream sedimentation. This study aims to better understand the relationship between upstream development and downstream cove sedimentation by comparing sedimentation in five different coves along Lake Wylie. We observed two undeveloped coves (<10% imperviousness) and three developed coves (>13% imperviousness) to better understand this relationship. The Livingstone Coring system was implemented to obtain cores that we tested for sand content, organic content, and magnetic susceptibility. A galvanized probe was also used to measure sediment thicknesses. We found that development is associated with higher sedimentation rates, greater frequency of sand pulses, and a greater delta volumes. Specifically, developed coves had higher sedimentation rates (average of 2.2 cm/year) and higher sediment volumes when normalized by basin area (average of 4.8cm) when compared with undeveloped coves (1.8 cm/year; 1.4cm). Furthermore, imperviousness is the greatest indicator of delta volumes (p<0.05). These results indicate that ongoing development will significantly impact the lifespan of the reservoir. As land use continues to change towards increased impervious surface coverage, it will be important for governmental organizations to consider the downstream effects of development and work to minimize soil erosion associated with development.

Social Anxiety! in the STEM Classroom
by Talar Terzian

Social anxiety manifests itself in people and causes self-doubt, worry, and an inability to interact with others for fear of judgement. This project intends to recognize and highlight social anxiety as it appears in the STEM classroom. It will expand upon how anxiety materializes in various settings and propose, via a how-to guide, different methods for STEM educators to help reduce and hopefully remove this barrier while enhancing learning for these individuals within the curricular and classroom setting. This study will include data collected regarding the level of anxiety evoked by certain standard activities/activity formats in STEM classrooms. There will be identification of activities that trigger high levels of social anxiety and those that minimize levels of social anxiety in the classroom. The how-to guide will provide alternatives to high-anxiety-inflicting activities.

Characterization and Treatment P. aeruginosa and E. coli Biofilms
by Ashley Henneberger, Taylor O’Byrne, Emma Heiderscheit, Kiki Fagan

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacterium commonly found in groundwater and sewage water. This bacterium produces a biofilm that enhances surface adherence, nutrient acquisition, and subsequent virulence of colonies. P. aeruginosa poses one of the largest threats to healthcare environments, especially given the rise in antibiotic resistance. However, there is evidence that P. aeruginosa-specific bacteriophages can provide more effective treatment of biofilms. In this study, we characterize variations in biofilm development between E. coli and P. aeruginosa isolates. We investigate the ability of bacteriophage to reduce biofilm formation, supporting an exciting alternative treatment method of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Single Photon Interference
by Mitchell Trigg

Classical mechanics describes the behavior of large bodies of mass, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of smaller, subatomic particles. Quantum mechanics allows information to be transmitted instantaneously through space. We evaluated the coincidence counts coming from the split photons. This experiment uses the concept of indistinguishability to show that when a photon encounters two identical paths, it can go into a superpositioned state between both paths, allowing the photon to interfere with itself.

Treasure Trees, Race, and Development in Davidson by Christopher Chao

https://drive.google.com/open?id=13wE3aXTIjGtv9T0fj5Azc2ZfO_SFwrsb

The Porcine Lens as a Model System for the Longitudinal Study of Post-Translational Protein Modifications via Mass Spectroscopy
by Julie Moock

The developmental pattern of the mammalian lens provides a unique model to study biological aging and its effects on proteins. Changes to the state of the lens proteome are implicated in cataract formation and similar alterations in other tissues play roles in many age-related diseases. As outermost epithelial cells mature, they elongate and concentrically form a non-nucleated core of fiber cells predominantly containing α and β/γ crystallin proteins. Post-translational modification (PTM) is prevalent in the low protein turnover environment of differentiated lens fiber cells, resulting in the accumulation of more PTMs as the age of fiber cells increases towards the nucleus. The lens can be systematically divided into sections based on this spatiotemporal gradient to examine the prevalence of PTMs across different layers, providing novel data on longitudinal protein aging from a single end-point tissue. Porcine lenses recovered from pigs up to 6 months in age were decapsulated and treated with a dissolution buffer to collect successive layers of the lens in solution. Optimal dissolution time was calculated to achieve layers equal in protein content, and a data-dependent acquisition (DDA) library of all PTMs was constructed from pooled lenses using mass spectroscopy techniques. The dissolution method yielded layers equal in protein content and initial gel imaging suggested increased age-related proteome changes with inreased proximity to the lens nucleus. The porcine lens provides an efficient model for analyzing the effect of biological aging on proteins in a vertebrate species.

Examining online disclosures of LGBTQ+ identity
by Lyra Seaborn

On National Coming Out Day, LGBTQ+ individuals across the world disclose their sexual and/or gender identities on social media platforms such as Twitter, an act which can serve to build community and benefit well-being. While the COVID-19 pandemic led to decreases in mental health across identity lines, LGBTQ+ folks have reported even greater negative psychosocial consequences. The present study investigated the effects of the pandemic on language characteristics of Coming Out Day Tweets by comparing samples from 2018 and 2021 using three natural language processing techniques. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was used to analyze pronoun usage, while the Evaluative Lexicon (EL) provided measures of valence, emotionality, and extremity and the Meaning Extraction Method (MEM) was employed to extract thematic content. 2018 scored higher on positive valence while 2021 possessed greater negative valence, although the language in 2018 tended to be more extreme for both positive and negative scales. However, both samples presented overall positive emotionality scores, likely as a result of the personal and celebratory nature of Coming Out Day. The 2018 sample was found to contain a greater count of first-person singular pronouns, whereas 2021 displayed more first-person plural pronouns. This difference may indicate a societal shift towards more collectivist values in the wake of the pandemic, though it runs counter to previous literature that associates first-person singular pronouns with depressive states.

How the Success of HBCU STEM Education Can Be the Framework for Inclusion in Predominantly White Institutions
by Hugh Perry

In the field of physics education, racial discrimination is prevalent in every level. This is especially prevalent in college education because a high percentage of African American students step away from the field after introductory courses. That is due to many factors, such as support, cost, and identity. However, Black students have found a place to thrive in physics at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HBCUs are one of the highest institutions in physics degrees earned per year. This study will identify why that is and how to implement those ideas into a how-to-guide for other institutions such as primarily white institutions (PWIs) like Davidson.

Morphology of Stream Sediments in Upper Creek, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC
by Stine Ornes

Fluvial terraces and other geomorphic formations reflect both the depositional and erosional history of a landscape in relation to the larger watershed. Portions of the Blue Ridge Mountains have a recent history of high-impact land use and studying the resulting legacy effects can enable a more comprehensive understanding of sediment transportation and storage. Extensive logging initiated in the late 19th century in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains cleared the majority of the forests in the area. It is also known that catastrophic floods and landslides in 1916 and 1940 had a significant impact on the landscape and nearly wiped out nearby settlements along Wilson Creek. These events likely mobilized a large amount of fine-grained sediment through local watersheds, including Upper Creek’s main channel and its tributaries. In contrast, the nearby Linville Gorge was never deforested and recent work indicates that terraces within the Gorge date to the Mid to Late Holocene. The goal of this project was to understand how deforestation impacted valley bottom sedimentation in Upper Creek. Preliminary results, including mapping of all terraces along the river, indicate that formations along Upper Creek are characteristically different than those found along the Linville River. This suggests that Upper Creek experienced additional sediment deposition; several terraces mapped along Upper Creek suggest a pulse of sediment was delivered to the lower reaches of the channel. The morphology of terraces and debris fans along Upper Creek indicate that the recent logging of the area impacted the morphology of the channel and its floodplains.

Evaluating the Accuracy and Coverage performance of Collaborative Filtering, Content- based, and Hybrid Recommender Systems
by Izzy Moody, Aubrey Parks, Bryce Anthony

Recommender systems make predictions for users by analyzing and filtering existing information. Our study implements and evaluates collaborative filtering, content-based and hybrid recommender systems. Further, we investigate a variety of significance weightings and similarity thresholds using runtime parameters in efforts to find the most accurate prediction methods.

Artificial reefs designed with high vertical relief may yield greater densities of fish by Virginia Gilliland

Artificial reefs are commonly used to restore degraded habitats or enhance existing fish habitat. Artificial reefs can vary in shape, size, and material (e.g., concrete, metal). Knowing how these physical characteristics relate to fish can help managers design, construct, and deploy the structure best suited to meet habitat enhancement goals. Past studies have suggested more complex reefs may harbor higher densities of fish. However, it is less clear to what extent this relationship varies with reef height (e.g., vertical relief) and reef area (e.g, horizontal extent). To further address how physical makeup of reefs influences quantities of fish present, we asked, (1) How does vertical relief and horizontal extent relate to fish density on artificial reefs? and (2) Does this relationship vary by reef material, reef depth or reef deployment time? Echosounder surveys of seven artificial reefs off North Carolina, US suggest taller artificial reefs may support higher densities of fish. We found concrete and ship materials both exhibited increasing values of fish with increasing vertical relief while metal pieces remained more consistent with increasing vertical relief. These results demonstrate that reefs designed with higher vertical relief and complexity may support greater densities of fish, though we were not able to account for specific species. There was also a positive relationship between reef area and densities of fish present on artificial reefs. Rather than deploying multiple low relief structures, managers may consider fewer structures with higher vertical relief.

Efficacy of a Brief Loving-Kindness Meditation Intervention
by Brien Culhane

Our study assessed the efficacy of a 90-minute loving-kindness meditation (LKM) intervention for undergraduate wellbeing. LKM is a form of meditation central to Buddhist practice wherein one cultivates an affective state of kindness directed towards all beings. Studies assessing multi-week LKM interventions examine only the long-term effects of LKM on wellbeing. Studies assessing brief LKM practice only examine the short-term effects of LKM on wellbeing. Our study examined the long-term and short-term effects of a 90-minute LKM intervention on undergraduate wellbeing. Participants were 58 Davidson students. Upon completing the baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the wait-list control group. About a week later, participants met in person for a 2-hour session. Participants first completed the pre-intervention assessment, then the intervention group completed the LKM intervention in another room while the control group had a 90-minute study hall, and finally participants completed the post-intervention assessment. Two weeks later, participants received the follow-up assessment. Participants were assessed on measures of positive and negative affect, satisfaction with life, stress, anxiety, self-compassion, and self-criticism. Immediately post-intervention, participants in the intervention group experienced greater reductions in negative affect and stress as well as greater increases in self-compassion and positive affect in comparison with the control group. At follow-up, participants in the intervention group experienced greater increases in positive affect in comparison with the control group. These results indicate that a brief LKM intervention can affect wellbeing in the long-term as well as the short-term—where its effects are strongest.

Queer Normativity: The Role of Race & Gender in Perceptions of Sexuality and Gender Identity
by Trinity Davis

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hLsmqTiJSEvgP86GveeeKFGbRDb8tSN7
The existing literature of overwhelmingly qualitative research has evidenced that the normative idea of a queer individual is a White man, with minimal supporting evidence from quantitative studies. This study quantitatively investigates perceptions of White men’s, Black men’s, Black women’s, and White women’s sexuality and gender identity to determine if the aforementioned racial-gender groups are associated with queer identities differentially. To achieve this aim, 181 Davidson College students completed an IAT and four self-report measures to quantify different dimensions of their perceptions of sexuality and gender identity. In the IAT, results indicated that the non-prototypical groups (i.e., Black men, White women, and Black women) were more quickly associated with LGBTQ+ identities compared to White men, such that the difference in latencies between White men and women was the smallest. In contrast, the difference in latencies between White men and Black women was the greatest. Additionally, White women received the highest LGBTQ+ fit score (followed closely by White men), whereas Black men and women received significantly lower scores. Moreover, participants named the most LGBTQ+ White women in the least time compared to other groups, while naming the least LGBTQ+ Black women in more time. These results partially support Purdie-Vaughn and Eibach’s (2008) theory of intersectional invisibility, which postulates that White men are the queer prototype and Black women are the least prototypically queer due to androcentrism and ethnocentrism. Specifically, while a White man remains a prototypical queer person, a White woman is the most prototypical queer person.The existing literature of overwhelmingly qualitative research has evidenced that the normative idea of a queer individual is a White man, with minimal supporting evidence from quantitative studies. This study quantitatively investigates perceptions of White men’s, Black men’s, Black women’s, and White women’s sexuality and gender identity to determine if the aforementioned racial-gender groups are associated with queer identities differentially. To achieve this aim, 181 Davidson College students completed an IAT and four self-report measures to quantify different dimensions of their perceptions of sexuality and gender identity. In the IAT, results indicated that the non-prototypical groups (i.e., Black men, White women, and Black women) were more quickly associated with LGBTQ+ identities compared to White men, such that the difference in latencies between White men and women was the smallest. In contrast, the difference in latencies between White men and Black women was the greatest. Additionally, White women received the highest LGBTQ+ fit score (followed closely by White men), whereas Black men and women received significantly lower scores. Moreover, participants named the most LGBTQ+ White women in the least time compared to other groups, while naming the least LGBTQ+ Black women in more time. These results partially support Purdie-Vaughn and Eibach’s (2008) theory of intersectional invisibility, which postulates that White men are the queer prototype and Black women are the least prototypically queer due to androcentrism and ethnocentrism. Specifically, while a White man remains a prototypical queer person, a White woman is the most prototypical queer person.

CSC 381 Comparing the Accuracy and Coverage Performance of Recommender Systems
by Charlie Gillespie, Henry Waddill, Brooke Whitcomb

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Hq8o193EpCLQFmZDRUHi4DMSHtSYWyrm

Isolation of Environmental Bacteriophage
by Taylor O’Byrne, Ashley Henneberger, Emma Heiderschiet, KiKi Fagan

The increasing threat of antibiotic resistance presents the need for a safe and effective, alternative method for controlling bacterial infections. Bacteriophages capable of infecting a wide range of bacteria have been successfully identified and isolated and, in select cases, applied clinically through phage therapy to treat antibiotic resistant infections. The potential clinical application of phage therapy is promising, but gaps remain in our knowledge regarding practicality, safety and efficacy. In this study, we demonstrate the successful isolation of environmental bacteriophages that are capable of infecting various strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) previously isolated from students at Davidson College including an E. coli strain that is resistant to commonly used antibiotics.

Effects of Nalbuphine on Methamphetamine-Induced Locomotor Behavior
by Mackenzie Morris, Natalie Hall

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1C9C020TujMWRDAu3dJo7ds-USLrYweMo

Stories Behind the Numbers
by Bri Foster, Nahi Nadra, Sidney Knowles, Ella Williams, and Kaitlyn Lazorchak

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MJR6KFvo1eroWrpP1zhasTcMEeMvSvx1
The FIRST Action Team share responses collected from a student-only event entitled “Stories Behind the Numbers” conducted in November 2021. Action Team students gathered anonymized student experiences regarding STEM courses and majors at Davidson. The goal of this event was to collect and share these stories to help create more welcoming environments so that all students can succeed in STEM.

Performative or Reparative? How Colleges’ Apologies for Slavery Affect Student Experiences
by Ciara Coger

In recent years, American universities have apologized for their histories of slavery and racism. This study combines two research areas to understand the implications of such apologies. One area of research in social psychology observes apology statements and the presence and absence of specific qualities (e.g., Kirchhoff et al., 2012). The other area of psychological research has explored the implications of racism on Black identity, forgiveness, and perceived discrimination (e.g., Leach et al., 2011). I examine universities’ apologies to determine how distancing and reparative strategies affect students’ forgiveness and sense of belonging. I hypothesize a significant effect of race, where Black participants will be less willing to forgive and have weaker feelings of belongingness in comparison to White participants. Additionally, I predict a significant effect of condition. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three apologies to read where the presence of distancing strategies promotes less forgiveness across all apology conditions, despite race. Significant results may promote better practices towards reparations and encourage universities to better support and understand how their words and actions, or lack thereof, affect implicit attitudes and feelings of students.

The Efficacy of d-Amphetamine to Reduce Cocaine Seeking and Intake in Male and Female Rats
by Barry Yao; Alexandra Johansen; Hannah Cha
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1t7ZtNAUDheyE_Pwf3vBRCg51EbUZ4Lqk

Ultrafast Optics and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
by Caroline Capuano, Caitlin Welch, Dr. Tim Gfroerer, Dr. John Yukich
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1W7jyLDILAo9wvWTZnmDHZWoEQa2valvs

Evaluating the Accuracy and Coverage performance of Collaborative Filtering, Content-based, and Hybrid Recommender Systems
by Henry Howell, Dominic Flocco, Tasos Pagounas

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1X6rlXPHbv7dXIqntIyTng8MZoiz3LZrq
As sectors of entertainment and e-commerce continue the rapid transformation to online retail, the amount of information available to users has increased massively. As a user, it can be overwhelming to search through the vast number of choices presented to you, thus the introduction of recommender systems. Just as an increase in technology created ease of access to information, so too can technology condense information into usable data. The goal of recommender systems is to reduce this overload of information presented to users into a concise list of item recommendations. It uses data to do this in a variety of ways which is what we looked to investigate in our project.

Earth’s Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
by Taylor Thomas McFadden

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zE8eOfr4lpONm1dM3gKFyK89AsD3kxHc
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which the rotational axis of the nucleus of an atom is disturbed by a magnetic field. NMR has multiple applications across different scientific field’s including but not limited to chemical spectroscopy and diagnostics in medicine with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). I utilized the NMR phenomenon to study the frequency of Earth’s magnetic field and several techniques used in MRI technology – Spin Echo and Fourier Transforms. These techniques are simplified one dimensional versions of the multidimensional MRI methods used in medicine. They are primarily used to analyze varying frequencies of magnetically polarized nuclei precessing through an external magnetic field after being aligned with an initial polarization field. The different frequencies of precession depend on the environment and the chemical composition of the molecules being observed in the patient. Analyzing this methodology in one dimension provide an informative and foundational explanation for MRI technology, and how nuclei in different samples (namely water and fluorobenzene) behave in the presence of magnetic fields.

Remember Your Cravings Away? The Effectiveness of Odor-Evoked Autobiographical Memory Retrieval in Curbing Chocolate Cravings
by Serena Hu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xdWeM5-NnZqDmavAQYxlqO_jIUFSCkye

Evaluating the Accuracy and Coverage Performance of Collaborative Filtering, Content-based, and Hybrid Recommender Systems
by Anh Hoang, Malavika Kalani, Mike Remezo

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ql2aZINDhcm-HfEd4H0VZp3mstvC_yY-

Mechanical Analogy for Ohm’s Law
by Aislinn Whalen

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1a9rfLuspXjGOhePngkCZovBGuTHoW1B8

How does friend group leadership impact bodily coordination?
by Julia Marshall

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UmyA1mN4qTqSacRSnJ3Qaepi6ipUTLhY

Malathion Exposure Upregulates PRDM12 Expression in Xenopus laevis
by Valeria Donoso

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1u-UYrCy7_KKkswksbHd3lL3wnCigus5Y

The Influence of Physical Attractiveness on the Likelihood of Drug Use
by Anna Davis

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16tv_gn1N0ZMSSJgAty38Xx6f94RC19Z0

Mental Illness in South Asia
by Shyla Khan

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1paUhhRH46lfw1dmZCPYUiC2c62pHSwsh

New Orleans Smoking Law: Health and Economic Effects
by Joel Maury-Holmes

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FNUq0whk2QsZutYwplnEeGgJEbfs9-XK

Knight in Shining Armor? Men’s Motives for Displaying Benevolent Sexism in Romantic Contexts
by Helen Zhang

Women often prefer benevolent sexist (BS) men more than non-sexist men in romantic relationships. An abundance of past research has investigated why women endorse BS, but limited research focuses on why men display BS. The present study utilizes a correlational design to explore the motives behind men’s display of BS in romantic contexts. A sample of 331 participants ages 18-40 who self-identified as heterosexual men completed an online survey. Participants first demonstrated their display of benevolent sexism by building their own dating profile on a fictitious dating website. After, participants completed the predictor measures of their perceived romantic attractiveness of BS to women and their awareness of BS by reading a scenario. Then, participants completed four additional measures: participants’ precarious manhood beliefs, gender role beliefs, paternalistic chivalry, and endorsement of BS attitudes (order randomized). As predicted, participants’ perceived romantic attractiveness of BS, traditional gender roles beliefs, and precarious manhood beliefs all individually positively predicted their display of BS. However, in a complete model, participants’ gender role beliefs was the strongest predictor of BS display, followed by their perceived attractiveness of BS. Paternalistic chivalry was not a significant predictor in the model. These results held even when we controlled for participants’ BS attitudes. Furthermore, in exploratory analyses, we found that participants’ awareness of the harm of BS negatively predicted their display of BS. These results give insight beyond simply why men hold BS attitudes, but also the specific motives behind men’s display of BS in romantic settings.

Changing Participation in the STEM Classroom to Improve Student Success
by Andy Nguyen

https://drive.google.com/open?id=162FUwmpLRnsztXDSf5Fh35BAOe3rdVLM
It’s a common practice among professors to ask questions during lectures so that students can participate. Some professors use cold calling as well, where they ask questions to students who don’t have their hands raised. However, this poses a barrier for students who come from less privileged backgrounds or are less competitive about voicing their knowledge. Long lectures and long labs further make participation and retention more difficult for students. This proposal introduces literature and reviews findings on factors that impact a student’s participation in the classroom. Through statistics and case studies, it then concludes with effective methods to improve student participation in the classroom and proposes a possible best practices resource for teachers to adapt into their teaching.

Characterizing the Role of Slitrk1 on Rohon-Beard Neuronal Development in the Zebrafish Embryo Using CRISPR/Cas9
by Paul T Gomez

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RLRNp7qnFE6kjKBQU1Zaz4qCPTaL_nMh
The improper development of the nervous system facilitates the occurrence of complex neuropsychiatric disorders. Slitrks (1-6) are a family of proteins that regulate synapse and neurite formation. Mutations in slitrk genes, especially slitrk1, are associated with several disorders like Tourette syndrome. In zebrafish, eight slitrk orthologs are expressed throughout the developing nervous system. Previous work in our lab suggests that slitrk1 knockdown (KD), using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (AMO), leads to decreased mechanosensory neurogenesis in the zebrafish spinal cord. However, concerns regarding AMO off-target effects warrant a comparison to mutant phenotypes. Here, I used CRISPR/Cas9 to induce a novel knockout (KO) of slitrk1 in founder embryos and test the hypothesis that slitrk1 loss-of-function reduces mechanosensory neurogenesis. After verifying a functional system by inducing the KO of tyr and causing mosaic pigmentation loss in fish, I aimed to maximize biallelic mutation frequency by targeting slitrk1 at multiple sites. PCR amplification of the target sites followed by gel electrophoresis suggest the occurrence of gene editing. However, the excess load of Cas9 caused a significant increase in embryonic mortality and atypical morphologies. In accordance with the slitrk1 AMO studies, slitrk1 KO induced a decrease in the mean number of mechanosensory neurons in the embryonic spinal cord. Despite these changes, no effects were observed in the early motor behaviors of mutant embryos. A more complete characterization of slitrk1 function requires rigorous probing into mechanosensory neurogenesis at multiple developmental stages, as well as other traits, such as neuronal morphology, axonal branching, and disease-related behavior.

Impact of Impostor Phenomenon and Stereotype Threat for Women in Physics: Using Outside Intervention to Mitigate Negative Effects
by Jaimelee Felipe

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dG5ScHaj6gFJQOs1wW6YcTJQu4q9HoZG
Impostor phenomenon and stereotype threat affects women in physics in disproportionate ways than men. Numerous studies have shown women to have a lower sense of belonging and identity in physics compared to their male counterparts. With the knowledge of past research done on this topic, I searched for solutions and how to best implement them. This project focuses on how groups outside of the classroom such as Women in Physics (WiP) can mitigate impostor phenomenon and stereotype threat and improve a sense of belonging and identity. In this project, I looked at the barriers women face and propose a best practices guide that WiP groups, specifically on college campuses, could use to create an inclusive and welcoming environment. This project is the starting point in investigating solutions that can be done with outside interventions for WiP and can be further applied to other types of outside interventions such as a site visit, office hours, or conferences in future work.

Characterizing Muller Glia Response to Injury in Embryonic Zebrafish
by Ben Pate

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16tsYg2j1aCP3xxwgD4B0ppTvbiwXPYe6
Zebrafish eyes contain all cell types that human eyes do; however, their retinas have one major difference: in adults, Müller glial (MG) cells are able to respond to injury, re-entering the differentiation cycle, and effectively transforming into retinal neurons to heal the retina.  Although much is known about the underlying mechanisms of this process, studies have yet to determine when zebrafish embryos develop this regenerative capability.  The present study sought to determine the efficacy of a novel injury protocol, and then characterize the response of MG cells to this injury in embryonic zebrafish, ranging from four days post-fertilization (dpf), to 11 dpf.  Embryos at three and seven dpf were injured, and allowed to recover for one or four days. Following recovery, their retinas were examined for evidence of MG-derived regeneration.  First, this study demonstrates the efficacy of a novel, simple injury protocol at damaging zebrafish retinas without manual injection or ablation of ocular tissue.  Secondly, this study suggests that zebrafish embryo MGs may develop their ability to re-enter the differentiation process as early as three to four dpf, based on the number of MG cells visible in injured vs uninjured retinas.  These results narrow down the developmental window for future investigation into embryonic zebrafish MG regenerative capability, and will help future researchers uncover additional signaling pathways and mechanisms that aid in the onset of this regenerative ability.

The Effect of Sport Expansion and Relocation on Employment and Home Values
by Landon Schabes

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ysyKSlQINb7XFJ7wznrn08FRuyWuU_31
This study uses a difference-in-differences design and a linear fixed effects regression model to measure the effect of sports teams expanding or relocating to new cities on housing prices, unemployment rates, and total employment within that city. In an era in which sports stadiums are more frequently paid for (at least in part) with public money, I wanted to explore if the assumption often made by policymakers – that luring teams with public subsidies for new stadiums is worth it – are rational. Overall, I found that sports stadium construction had a large effect on both housing prices and total employment within cities, but it did not much affect the unemployment rate. 

HeNe Cavity Laser
by Lauren Arkell

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1THBSnLz9cP2oCfpDMcuG3CAVUjBsB97J
The goal of this experiment was to observe a standing wave in a HeNe laser cavity. I analyzed the longitudinal modes of the laser using a scanning Fabry Perot interferometer. It is important to understand the spectral properties, like the bandwidth, of a laser in many applications. This project allows for a variety of experiments involving intracavity optics. One relationship that I investigated was between the longitudinal mode spacing and the laser cavity length. The longitudinal mode spacing is the separation, in frequency space, between peaks which are generated by constructive interference from certain wavelengths. The cavity length is the distance between the high reflector mirror and the output coupler mirror. After varying the cavity length and collecting an array of data, I confirmed that the cavity length is inversely proportional to the mode spacing.

Investigating the Role of Slitrk5a in the Developing Zebrafish Nervous System
by Benjamin Sempowski

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Duls34Jc9G-MBNCmUVMIqkTvt-BNqVTm
Slitrks are transmembrane proteins expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) that regulate multiple important aspects of neuron growth and survival, although the roles of these molecules have not been well characterized. Recently, alterations in Slitrk gene sequences have been associated with complex neuropsychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and Tourette’s syndrome. Specifically, alterations in Slitrk5a, a member of the Slitrk family, have been identified in populations of individuals with OCD and Tourette’s syndrome. Preliminary studies from other researchers have identified that loss of Slitrk5a in mice leads to OCD-like behaviors. This study aims to create a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (null) line of the Slitrk5a in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and to examine their behaviors to determine if loss of Slitrk5a expression increases OCD-related behaviors. Single and triple gRNA Slitrk5a-targeted mutants have been created, have grown to maturity, and are in process of being genotyped. Due to differing database annotations of the Slitrk5 gene, PCR and sequencing have been more challenging than expected. Initial genotyping results are still inconclusive as the purity of gDNA extracted from the zebrafish tails has been poor. In preparation to measure/assess zebrafish behaviors related to anxiety after confirmed null mutants are available both the novel tank test and the novel object approach task behavioral assays were optimized using EthoVision XT software. Specifically, fish that are more anxious will require longer time to explore the upper regions of a novel tank as well as more hesitant to approach a novel object compared to controls. This research begins to elucidate Slitrk5a’s roles in neuronal development and behavior with the potential to provide insights into the development of neural circuits and neuropsychiatric conditions.

The Impact of EOR-1 on NHR-25 Occupancy in the C. elegans Genome
by Catherine O’Connor

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NzltSumA57wrBbpdKso0K4VOIFFB8uAu

Investigating a Potential Interaction Between NHR-25 and EOR-1 in C. elegans
by Erin C. Mansell

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OB21VotMlXC9Kd9xoQhYYPr4x4fF_IpA

Identifying novel binding sites for the nhr-25(ku217), a mutant version of the NHR-25 transcription factor in Caenorhabditis elegans
by Kimberley Tanatswa Muchenje

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14ma6-2xt5dO3hAUAREDBOlB3fd5tD21g

Semi-supervised Learning of Track Geometries in Time Projection Chambers
by Emilio Villasana

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tMMWVaKWnnTq7bS-lH21q5eFN1DtvkeA

Generative Adversarial Network(GAN) For 3D Point Clouds
by Chenruizhe Hu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UzESgHklyLiR20ofW2C-t585lkoFya6A

Developing Sustainability within Start-Up Organizations: A Critical Analysis of the Davidson Community Fund
by Kamryn Walker

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JvnNGnXlBMqCaSI-cfRlPhoM763e6ECR

Using a Michelson Interferometer to Study Laser Diode Coherence for Narrowband Monochromatic and Broadband Light
by Pranjal Singh

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1awtoa5XRdxYtJw2bAJYksLwaRALgL76c
The Michelson interferometer is an arrangement that has been consistently used, throughout modern history, for a wide range of experimental research. From the null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment in the 1880s, to the detection of gravitational waves by LIGO in 2015, we have been able to adapt the configuration to fit our needs. This experiment uses the Michelson interferometer, in conjunction with a laser diode emission source, to investigate the relationship between coherence length and spectral bandwidth as drive current is changed. Furthermore, we study the agreement between the extracted coherence length values from the optical spectra and the measured values from the interferograms. Our results show that at lower currents, the laser source functions like a light emitting diode (LED), producing broader optical spectrums and narrower interferograms. In contrast, at higher currents, we see narrower optical spectrums and broader interferograms as the laser source evolves toward single-mode lasing operation.

Phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary responses of Brassica rapa to artificial fruit predation
by Jill Paquette, Sarah Green

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fIRzD3lrxJX6nCCBrOO71zWe2oeAK0eq
Brassica rapa, or wild mustard, is an annual herb that is related to many human cultivated crops, including bok choy, canola, and cabbage. The species and its relatives are often considered weeds or invasive. Due to its agricultural and natural abundance, its leaves, flowers, and fruit are a frequent source of food for herbivores. Here, we study whether fruit predation, or frugivory, in B. rapa elicits changes in growth and development (phenotypic plasticity) or results in adaptive evolution over subsequent generations. This investigation included 200 plants separated into 4 treatments prepared for varying levels of frugivory (0, 10, 20, 30 fruits removed). Fruit were removed with scissors, starting with the largest fruit, 19-21 days after the first flowering date. As this experiment continues, we will ask the following questions: 1) Do we see phenotypic plasticity in response to fruit predation? Does the degree of plasticity correspond to the severity of the treatment? 2) Will we see plastic responses in the next generation in response the treatment experienced in the parental generation (transgenerational plasticity)? 3) Will we see similar results in Sarah Green’s complementary experiment where she imposed leaf herbivory treatments on B. rapa? 4) In future generations, if we permit genetic exchange between plants of different treatments (gene flow), will that stall or promote adaptive evolution in response to fruit predation? This experiment has so many directions that future students could address and I am excited to see what they choose to explore.

A Classical and Quantum Mechanical Exploration of the Plane Pendulum
by Pranjal Singh

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17zJ4YQPi50DzTP-KX_ZKV06_S0gdyOoG
The plane pendulum system is widely discussed in classical mechanics and has many real-life applications that we see in our everyday lives. Because of its ubiquity, the pendulum almost becomes ordinary. However, when explored deeper, even within a classical framework, we see that two limits to the system begin to emerge, namely the simple harmonic oscillator and the free rotor. This behavior only continues to grow more fascinating when placed in a quantum-mechanical context. Our research investigates the quantum-mechanical plane pendulum which has solutions in the form of Mathieu functions. We then use a diverse set of mathematical tools and visualization methods to present the two limits of the quantum plane pendulum. We begin with a classical exploration of the pendulum limits and then transition to the quantum-mechanical formulation. Here we generate the energy eigenstates and use different techniques to study the plane pendulum approximation for the same two limits of the classical pendulum. Finally, we construct wavepackets to study the time evolution for these localized states, visualize wavepackets in numerous ways, including studying wavepacket revival behavior using the autocorrelation function.

The Novel Oxford Nanopore Sequencing of the Plant Triodanis perfoliata
by Mimi Ughetta

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dd-iG_sf6HZA2rccdOUsYNri3I6MpnWV
Triodanis perfoliata (Campanulaceae), found locally within the surrounding area of Davidson, North Carolina, is of interest to study for its unique mixed mating system. More specifically, its dimorphic cleistogamy allows for reproduction through both cross-pollution and internally with closed-flowers. However, the potential adaptive value of this mechanism along with the relevance of this species to the local ecosystem remains unexplored. To facilitate the study and future molecular analysis of this plant, I sequenced its genome through Oxford Nanopore techniques and subsequent assembly. In my experiment, T. perfoliata leaf tissue was collected, and its DNA isolated for sequencing in a MinION. Assembly was attempted through both the minimaps and canu pipelines on a Galaxy server. The T. perfoliata samples were shown to be of high quality through Qubit, NanoDrop, and gel electrophoresis, and resulting genomic reads were shown to be of good quality through N50 and Qscore values. This data can be used for further assembly and annotation of this species’ genome in order to identify genetic regions of interest.

Perceptions of Trauma and Success in DEOMI Black History Month Posters
by Yamilex Perez Figuereo, Johanna Lagunas

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BRHPykdNJvNVOzuLBXIzqElWnZm4_xVK

Investigations into the Sequence Contributions of Genetic Silencing
by Stephen Skrynecki

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1J7mh18dK4sO2PQA89PvDq-oun-zgIxMR

The Effectiveness of MLK Day Poster Type on Raising Awareness
by Olivia Lee, Brie Burrell, Heidi Meyer, Tej Munshi, Serena Hu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LhJmpoFmkurlzLT94T0pZHs04naKab4v

Types of Disability on National Disability Employment Month Posters
by Shyla Khan, Isabel Austin, Liz Simms, Marissa Lassell

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tBedCuBQRAexVR4DG-4v-drRdq6raBnT

Developing a Protocol to Analyze Generational Methylation Patterns in Brassica rapa
by Kamryn Graham

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ml9UqzIK0yttyP7nmDHhFDyJjq287J0d

Nuclear Hormone Receptor NHR-85 Regulates mRNA Processing, Binding, and Methylation in C. elegans
by Nick Havill, Harsh Patel

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wThTZ4oqXVb_BarJHxNSINumkr4nOW1p
To examine how the transcription factor NHR-85 regulates transcription and translation of mRNA in the protein synthesis pathway, we conducted differential expression analysis between wildtype nhr-85 and the nhr-85(ok2051) mutant in C. elegans. We found that seven genes involved in mRNA regulation were differentially expressed in the nhr-85(ok2051) mutant. These seven genes control a broad range of mRNA functions including mRNA processing, methylation and binding. Regulation of transcriptional and translational components by NHR-85 signify the protein’s importance in nematode development and growth.

NHR-85 Impacts Genes found in PVD Neurons of C. elegans and Regulates Egg-laying Processes
by Phoebe Fowler, Chenlu Qin

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1S7NAbuuUnugz-Xa1ATiAgZFzB39qkO8O
Nuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription factors activated by steroid hormones. NHR-85 is a NR in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans with known insect and human homologs.3 However, its function has not been fully explored. Here, we use genomic analysis to show that NHR-85 regulates genes in PVD neurons and outer labial sensillum, and it may impact egg-laying processes through regulation of genes involved in G protein signaling. Future studies on NHR-85 and its homologs could fully explore their roles in G-protein signaling and influence on neurosensory functions.

Did Climate Change Affect the Decision to Leave Manhattan During the COVID-19 Lockdown?
by Michaela Gibbons

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zbx181msNy0nQuzHRSTveZKB9PWrXvDc

Astrometric Analysis of Double Stars WDS 20418-0430 and WDS 06367-2237
by Caroline Capuano

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sSHAwCJrHX4zb8nWFxGE51by0vk_ZbN-
Double star WDS 20418-0430 and triple star WDS 06367-2237 were observed using the Las Cumbres Observatory to perform new measurements of the angular separation and position angle of these two systems. Observing the movement of the two systems is crucial for the determination of the physical relationship between the stars, specifically if they are binary star systems. The average angular separation and position angle of WDS 20418-0430 was found to be 9.36” and 219.57o, respectively. The average angular separation and position angle of the three stellar pairs of WDS 06367-2237 were found to be 8.98” and 336.16o for AB, 37.45”and 224.39o for BC, and 35.13” and 238.20o for AC.

Electron Spin Resonance
by Gavin Greenhill

https://drive.google.com/open?id=16Y4uMo1mQZmQ5T-y2VbLpyBTMq1hilRG

​​Characterization of nhr-85 as a Transcriptional Repressor and Regulator for Developmental Timing Genes in Caenorhabditis elegans
by Alines Lebron-Torres and Kamryn Graham

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hLsmqTiJSEvgP86GveeeKFGbRDb8tSN7

nhr-85 inhibits muscle function gene expression in C. elegans
by Brooks Baay, Drew Beamer

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1peWLCxoPPOV4nXBTOq1NLmtaEgFq7m5H

Elucidating the effects of the nhr-41(ok584) mutation on the gene expression pattern in C. elegans to uncover the role of nhr-41 during the L2 and L3d worm stages
by Belle Ange Itetere, Kimberley Muchenje

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vt01ZSf3GhZOXVAgzzHvbFzaGG4MVkD7

Chemo-sensation: NHR-41 Regulates Methyltransferase Activity
by Jingyun Qian, Emma Nguyen, Debbie Thurtle-Schmidt PhD

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lCkMu7aDHvPPMriOvRJHBXC4mSU3ENRI

NHR-41 regulates dauer formation and localized in chemosensory neurons. Despite the unique localization of nhr-41 in C. elegans, there is very little known about its regulatory mechanism of dauer formation in chemosensory neurons. The goal of this project is to identify possible chemosensory genes nhr-41 are related to. We will take the pair-end RNA sequencing data of wildtype C. elegans and nhr-41(NR2D1) mutants in the L2 stage. Then, the transcription differences between two groups of C. elegans will be compared using Galaxy, a  bioinformatics analysis platform. Then, R studio will be used to visualize differential expression. Finally, to identify the co-expressed genes controlled by nhr-41 through enrichment analysis, gene module analysis tool will be used. We found that NHR-41 regulates methyltransferase activity, which is known to promote dauer arrest. Therefore, future studies could examine nhr-41 collaborating with DAF proteins to regulate dauer formation.

Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression to Explore Insulating Mechanisms in C. elegans
by Alinés Lebrón-Torres, Dr. Debbie Thurtle-Schimdt

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1B5fGsdzV4u0r5N-8DtNvmyxBdnJd0_MP

How are the Resulting Anxieties of COVID-19 and Climate Change Related to Substance Abuse?
by Ben Craig

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BGhbVULWtCWBK9LMA-c-0yWtjn8QiszR

Using a Michelson Interferometer to Study Laser Diode Coherence for Narrowband Monochromatic and Broadband Light
by Pranjal Singh

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1awtoa5XRdxYtJw2bAJYksLwaRALgL76c
The Michelson interferometer is an arrangement that has been consistently used, throughout modern history, for a wide range of experimental research. From the null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment in the 1880s, to the detection of gravitational waves by LIGO in 2015, we have been able to adapt the configuration to fit our needs. This experiment uses the Michelson interferometer, in conjunction with a laser diode emission source, to investigate the relationship between coherence length and spectral bandwidth as drive current is changed. Furthermore, we study the agreement between the extracted coherence length values from the optical spectra and the measured values from the interferograms. Our results show that at lower currents, the laser source functions like a light emitting diode (LED), producing broader optical spectrums and narrower interferograms. In contrast, at higher currents, we see narrower optical spectrums and broader interferograms as the laser source evolves toward single-mode lasing operation.

nhr-85 Regulates C. elegans Intestinal Lipid Metabolism
by Tomás Quintero, Walker Willis

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Dpx8oGk6u-wWuq5dqHu4W64pfq5PaZ4_

Investigating the Rules of Genetic Silencing in Yeast
by Ruby Nguyen

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VNKiwWYsbyVQy9lAaoPxTnrMy6bpaWC-

nhr-85 Represses Genes Involved in PVD, Intestine, Epithelial System and Outer Labial Sensillum Tissues in C. elegans
by Maria Karla Gonzalez Aguiar, Alexis Moore

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FjTB957rzjV0MYaKNZHi0oumszI2lUPV
Expression of nhr-85, a member of the nuclear hormone receptor family, has been identified in various cells in C. elegans. However, nhr-85 expression in different tissues is unknown. We investigated nhr-85 expression in tissues by looking at differential gene expression and tissue enrichment for the wildtype and mutant of nhr-85. Here we show upregulation of the mutant nhr-85(ok2051) in PVD, intestine, epithelial system and outer labial sensillum tissues. We further analyzed two genes involved in PVD (a type of sensory neuron) and they showed high levels of upregulation compared to the wildtype. These findings suggest that nhr-85 represses genes involved in PVD, intestine, epithelial system and outer labial sensillum tissues.

Phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary responses of Brassica rapa to artificial fruit predation
by Jill Paquette, Sarah Green

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fIRzD3lrxJX6nCCBrOO71zWe2oeAK0eq
Brassica rapa, or wild mustard, is an annual herb that is related to many human cultivated crops, including bok choy, canola, and cabbage. The species and its relatives are often considered weeds or invasive. Due to its agricultural and natural abundance, its leaves, flowers, and fruit are a frequent source of food for herbivores. Here, we study whether fruit predation, or frugivory, in B. rapa elicits changes in growth and development (phenotypic plasticity) or results in adaptive evolution over subsequent generations. This investigation included 200 plants separated into 4 treatments prepared for varying levels of frugivory (0, 10, 20, 30 fruits removed). Fruit were removed with scissors, starting with the largest fruit, 19-21 days after the first flowering date. As this experiment continues, we will ask the following questions: 1) Do we see phenotypic plasticity in response to fruit predation? Does the degree of plasticity correspond to the severity of the treatment? 2) Will we see plastic responses in the next generation in response the treatment experienced in the parental generation (transgenerational plasticity)? 3) Will we see similar results in Sarah Green’s complementary experiment where she imposed leaf herbivory treatments on B. rapa? 4) In future generations, if we permit genetic exchange between plants of different treatments (gene flow), will that stall or promote adaptive evolution in response to fruit predation? This experiment has so many directions that future students could address and I am excited to see what they choose to explore.

nhr-85’s Role in Regulating Neuronal Function of C. elegans
by Josh Chen, Miles Davis

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ojBi4JkUYUfTGQcBUq75dhEc0Hdo4FYn

Treasure Trees, Race, and Development in Davidson, North Carolina
by Chris Chao

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hi6HhVgM7g_eBRzzs-DbTpk9N2GgLvos

Prozac Exposure Alters Gene Expression in Developing Tadpoles
by Darlene Diaz

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wovWSOGEnE1UjkaqpIHSmZNM1-pFIf6Q

Drought Resilience in Catawba Corn
by Walker Willis, Daisy Hoover

https://drive.google.com/open?id=15CvXI_mBYd77L942w_VHNuXhJLz-Mp9J

Physics Gravity Race
by Lauren Arkell, Caroline Capuano, Gavin Greenhill, Taylor McFadden, Aubrey Parks, Evan Pritchard, Pranjal Singh, Duncan Snider, Leo Tamburro, Mitch Trigg, Caitlin Welch

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lzLzLcdM8lc82mIDLddyyZC4GsFxIv3U

Remember Your Cravings Away: The Effectiveness of Autobiographical Memory Retrieval in Curbing Chocolate Cravings
by Serena Xinyu Hu

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YimCdz4qy1OlCnNiEJ5U1iBWP9Poh-Q7

Synthesis and Characterization of Recyclable Silicone-based Vitrimer Nanocomposites
by Ruby Zhou

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oM09evT6uBkvCSyNrcxfmPcS2rN3Ly_v
Vitrimers are a unique subset of cross-linking polymer networks. These materials contain dynamic covalent bonds within their network structure, which undergo chemical exchange under thermal stimulation. Due to this bond exchange, vitrimers can maintain desirable physical and mechanical properties like thermosets (e.g., car tires) while simultaneously flowing like thermoplastics (e.g., plastic water bottles) under elevated temperatures. This bond exchange reaction hence imparts reprocessing and recycling capabilities that are typically not associated with thermosets. To better realize the potential of vitrimers industrially, more studies need to be performed on vitrimer composite synthesis and characterization. In this study, we synthesize novel silicone-based vitrimer composites by incorporating silica nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. The polymer matrix is synthesized by cross-linking boric acid and hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in a catalyst-free environment. We show a successful loading of silica nanoparticles into the vitrimer up to 6wt%. We demonstrate through welding experiments, the ability of these materials to self-heal over time at room temperature. Furthermore, we characterize these materials using rheological stress relaxation, and frequency sweep measurements at various temperatures and compare them to a virgin sample that contains no silica nanoparticles. We find that these vitrimer composites can be reprocessed at temperatures above the glass transition temperature. Our results show that by integrating silica nanoparticles in PDMS vitrimers, the vitrimer composite preserves many of its thermo-mechanical characteristics.

Electron Spin Resonance
by Gavin Greenhill

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1qLISt4Owk5oa7ban8HGsqE83L5z_BNLn

nhr-85 Impacts Genes found in PVD Neurons of C. elegans and Regulates Synaptic Function
by Phoebe Fowler, Chenlu Qin

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1MYmGfTkQL-1Jp5kzo9c_QC9fAVUwCv1L
Nuclear receptors (NRs) are transcription factors activated by steroid hormones. NHR-85 is a NR in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans with known insect and human homologs.3 However, its function has not been fully explored. Here, we use genomic analysis to show that NHR-85 regulates genes in PVD neurons and the outer labial sensillum and may impact neuromuscular junctions and locomotive pathways in C. elegans. Future studies on NHR-85 and its homologs could fully explore similarities between regulation of neuronal pathways in humans and C. elegans.

Impacts of Wildfire On Edaphic Microarthropod Communities
by Carlos Vargas

https://drive.google.com/open?id=110t-LZNqm3y7oFGeNNzV3QRLMuwVQJXT

Body image and skin color dissatisfaction among women of Chinese descent
by Serena Xinyu Hu & Dr. Jessica Good

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WBaksuc4gjUJeKAmqqDN1UJDWInFsC6p

Plasticity and Adaptive Evolution in Brassica rapa
by Sarah Green, Jill Paquette

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uTWmR0yDBd3ub5mAjJwEZfxlLL3-Tjhs

Development of Spiroboron Redox Mediators for Metal-Air Batteries
by Kathryn Coladonato, Angelo Dean, Alexa Greenwood, Jonathan Nicoleau

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Y3CT-bFEAO-DsWf065jQySHKfH1qNKI4
Alkali metals like lithium react violently with oxygen and water, releasing enormous quantities of energy in the process. However, when performed in a battery under controlled conditions, the reaction provides electricity in a portable, more useful form. A Lithium-Air battery utilizes ambient oxygen to oxidize lithium metal, potentially allowing us to harness the flow of electrons to power vehicles, homes, and other electrical apparatuses. Development of metal-air batteries has been hindered by side reactions, byproduct buildup, and the presence of multiple phases of matter that inhibit flow of charge throughout the electrochemical system. Introduction of a redox mediator to the solvent medium could drastically increase the battery’s lifespan and optimize electrochemical performance. This presentation will describe (1) the synthesis of two diamine ligands incorporated into a spirocyclic boron-centered redox mediator and (2) the construction of bulk redox reactions to evaluate stability and reversibility.

An Analysis of Teacher Wages and Graduation Rates
by Blake Botelho

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1fOpQiMCCA56xzSvKk70MfzRYrASFwOTE

Implementing a Solution to Counteract Harmful Effects of Stereotype Threat at Davidson College
by Preston Ito, Pat Kielb

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17zWwcTMmdjrPXuE5VfEhLlrSmA7cwsjL
Research has shown that stereotype threats increase anxiety and decrease the performance of students. To combat this, research has found that when the stereotype threat is made obvious by instructors, the effect of the stereotype threats decreases. We created a handout for instructors to use in order to decrease stereotype threats in academic environments at Davidson college. We hope these handouts will make the classroom environment more inclusive and will attract more people into studying STEM.

We’re All Friends Because We All Work Together: An Ethnographic Look at a Full-Inclusion Preschool Classroom
by Anna Lewis

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cdxbggFDqrhSqexQHyC2Sja8VqW8XSw-

The Effects of Lorazepam and Diphenhydramine on Motor Performance in Male Rats
by Natalie Hall, Mackenzie Morris

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1bqlt7x6VifxpCOBpTHlHhhUU4EZ6wlQ4

Does Climate Change’s Impact on Clean Water Availability Affect the Spread of Covid-19?
by Sam Cascio

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1itPjoYFGh4RvEZ6uHWNCNmUURzCgqNHO

How do Historical Global Warming Temperature Increases Impact Covid-19 Mortality?
by Harrison Turner

https://drive.google.com/open?id=14SFF_keNQh_UDWTi8G2DtrDUMhxWQwOy

Did the COVID-19 Economic Crisis Change the way lawmakers vote on Environmental Issues?
by Cassie Stoltenberg

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ODrmycYh0SIWpzbsntdyzNRLRKqNeryV

How does Internet Usage during the Covid-19 Pandemic Impact Climate Change?
by Clayton Tribus

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HoP0gFCo0s3H76z7JzQNXTGiYYA_1XOO

Are Countries Climate Change and Healthcare Policies Related?
by Cole Walter

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AjBgFvOs3NGonk_hJHEipjELJG3qSQDd

Air Pollution, Socioeconomic Status, and COVID-19
by Andrew Pitts

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RpPnLomjl9tPe3HITL9_UvrC1Az22jCQ

Understanding the Origins of Word Order Patterns: How Children Communicate Without Speaking
by Jessica Villiger

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LMAJkvpGBj5Vx8J1FEhHdVIMwyXeUJYY