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Zika Virus Pathogenesis Explained with Visual Aids.04/05/2018Zika virus (ZIKV) is a virus that was originally discovered in 1948 but has had little attention until the recent outbreaks in central and south American. In 2016, ZIKV infections found in Brazil were linked with congenital abnormalities such as microcephaly, calcium deposits and death. Therefore, scientists retroactively looked at the outbreaks in the past decade including the outbreak in French Polynesia in 2013. For 80% of adults the infection is asymptomatic, however there is an increased risk of the Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune inflammatory neurological disorder. There is also an increased risk of birth defects if the mother is infected during pregnancy. The is some evidence for dysregulation of the interferon pathway of the innate immune system in these infections. The gene products of this pathway contribute to RNA editing dysregulation mostly by ADAR. Due to these increased risks and the complexity of the molecular mechanisms underlying the infection, public education about Zika virus is both critical and complicated. Here we focus on the use of visual representation of data about Zika Virus in an attempt to increase overall awareness and understanding of ZIKV. The use of flow chart and scientific diagrams to convey complicated pathway analysis may aide in the public education of the risks associated with Zika infection. |
Zika Virus linked with dysregulation of RNA-editing in neural progenitor cells.04/05/2018The Zika Virus (ZIKV) originally discovered in 1947 received little recognition as a serious infection until the WHO designated it as an international public health emergency in 2016. ZIKV is a flavivirus that has been linked to congenital ZIKV syndrome with symptoms including microcephaly. The Dengue Virus (DENV), another pathogenic flavivirus, has been associated with major infections including Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome, but has not been linked to congenital symptoms. We hypothesize that this is due to ZIKV generating a stronger innate rather than adaptive immune response, whereas DENV is still initiating an innate immune response, but triggers a stronger adaptive immune response. By provoking the innate immune system, ZIKV is activating interferon (IFN) type 1 pathways, causing a cascade that ultimately activates Adenosine Deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs). If ADARs are dysregulated by ZIKV infection the changes in (mis)edited proteins may be responsible for observed neurodevelopmental defects. Using AIDD (a novel pipeline) and publically available RNA-seq datasets from three distinct human embryonic neural progenitor cell lines treated with either ZIKV or mock infection, we delineated gene expression patterns with a particular interest in ADAR1. Gene enrichment and pathway analysis was performed using DAVID and PANTHER. Our results indicate that ADAR1 is upregulated in two of the cell lines but not in the third, suggesting that the IFN type 1 pathway plays a significant role in ZIKV infection, and that changes in ADAR1 expression – and editing of neural targets - may be contributing to CZS symptoms. |
Zero-Waste: a technical challenge for a technical designer04/05/2018Waste in the garment industry has always been a problem, however recently has come to light. More and more people are beginning to acknowledge the waste affair that occurs during the creation of the garment as well as throughout the lifecycle of a garment. In majority of garment’s lifecycle, they end up going to waste and in the creation excess fabric is wasted. Due to this unfortunate truth, I accepted the challenge to attempt to produce a garment with zero-waste. I believe this is important for me as a designer to make an impact on my side of a garments lifecycle: the creation. I was originally overwhelmed with the challenge, but took the best approach I know. I turned to algebra and geometry to calculate how I would not waste any fabric. Originally the math started simple, but got more complex in my pursuit to achieve a spherical shape and including seam allowance necessary to construct the garment. This resulted in the creation of four zero-waste garments that I was unsatisfied with, however the trial and error was necessary to reach my goal. The fifth garment I had finally achieved success. I was most definitely frustrated in the midst of the challenge sewing several garments that I was not satisfied with and always having to return to my math, however all of the calculations and trial and errors proved to be worth it in the end. I can honestly say, I am more then satisfied with the outcome of the garment. |
Where 100% Performance Cotton Stands in the Athleisure Market04/05/2018The athleisure market’s newest innovation is producing a 100% cotton fabric that is comfortable, soft yet durable and light enough to be used for athletic activity. Athleisure wear is a large market that cotton has started to capitalize on. This study will question on how performance cotton compares to the favored characteristics of man-made performance fibers when being used during intensified workouts. To answer this research question, this study will design an experiment that will be demonstrated on girls, ages 18-23. During this study, each person will perform a workout in 100% cotton performance wear and then perform a work out in man-made fabric activewear with the same intensity of workout. Then all subjects will be asked a series of questions, common words/phrases from answers will be counted to fully understand their thoughts and comparisons about the feeling and comfortability of each of the activewear fabrics. This research method will provide the appropriate data to answer our research question, but will also conduct a survey for additional insight. The survey will have the same research group guidelines as the experiment to collect more thoughts about performance cotton from a larger amount of girls. After executing the two studies, the expected result is that cotton activewear will be preferred due to the comfort, movability and sustainability. This proposal supports the idea of a softer activewear that people can not only wear to work out in, but also run errands and wear throughout the day while still being comfortable. |
What Fashion Retailers are Doing to Combat Water and Natural Resource Overconsumption04/05/2018The Fashion Industry has been a long time consumer of natural resources; specifically water. It strongly depends on other industries to survive, including agriculture and manufacturing. With the rise of fast fashion, it is no surprise that with more demand for clothing creates a need for more and more natural resources to be used. Proper disposal of waste is crucial in order to not affect the surrounding ecosystems. Companies are now starting to acknowledge the unsustainable practices of their manufacturing process, and are beginning to develop new technologies in order to battle the current pollution output and natural resource consumption. Our research will focus on the how natural resources are used, the negative environmental effects, and how companies are developing new strategies and technologies to combat environmental pollution and consumption. The main form of research that will be conducted is a content analysis due to its efficiency. Using the most up to date database resources we will evaluate the information and form our consensus on what is being done to change the current problem. From the sources we have gathered thus far, we can see that companies are taking the environment into consideration when producing clothing, but may not be doing all that they should. Some possible outcomes of our research may show the rapid decline of natural resources that are crucial to keep ecosystems balanced, or that companies are not doing enough. After all research has been conducted, based on our findings, we will offer recommendations on how to better the processes in order lower the water use and waste. |
What do Millennial Women Expect in Newly Developed Cotton Athleisure Wear?04/05/2018In today’s apparel driven world, athleisure is one of the fastest growing sectors of all. Unfortunately, cotton has been losing its competitive edge to more popular synthetic materials (Morrison, 2017). In order to combat synthetic materials, top athleisure companies are offering new cotton developments (Friedman, 2016). The purpose of this study is to identify if the new cotton products within the athleisure market are meeting millennial women's expectations. To answer this research question, two research methods will be included: first, a study followed by a survey of applicable consumers, and accompanied with an analysis of the reviews millennial women left on cotton athleisure products on Amazon. The results of the study reveal what millennial women expect in newly developed cotton athleisure. The expected outcome will include: changing the perception of cotton into common sports through marketing education will increase sales. Increasing the thickness and warmth of the cotton blend will increase interest, and one main barrier to entry is price and availability differences between cotton and synthetic fibers (Demand, 2016). The study will conclude with a discussion and analysis of methods that work best for the millennial generation for marketing, the most important feature of a garment, and what drives millennial consumers to purchase. |
What can Chimpanzees tell us about the risk factors of Alzheimer’s Disease?04/05/2018Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S and represents a major public health concern. Recent evidence showed that chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, spontaneously develop the pathological hallmarks of AD- amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. We conducted a study to get a better understanding of the relationships amongst the risk factors of AD pathology, including cardiac disease and metabolic syndrome in chimpanzees. Cardiac disease is the leading cause of death for captive chimpanzees and evidence indicates that they also develop metabolic syndrome, however, it is unclear if these are interrelated. In addition, severe age- or pathology-associated cognitive decline has not been documented in this species. Serum biomarkers, hematology, and echocardiogram data were analyzed to evaluate the relationships among disease processes. We specifically analyzed glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, and total protein levels of 90 chimpanzees, housed at Yerkes, since elevated levels of these chemistries are associated with cardiac disease and metabolic syndrome in humans. Student’s t-test revealed a significant effect of cardiac disease status with age (t = -4.82, p < 0.002), cholesterol (t = -3.27, p < 0.00), and lymphocytes (t = 2.43, p < 0.002). There was an increase in cholesterol with age, which is greatly associated with cardiac disease. Lymphocytes were also elevated in individuals with cardiac disease, which may be indicative of a pro-inflammatory state. These data revealed that chimpanzees may share similar risk factors for the development of AD pathology as humans. |
Water Usage in the Fashion Industry04/05/2018Water usage in the Fashion Industry creates a huge impact on the environment and the industry. With focusing on areas such as water waste management, raw materials usage, cost and availability and the role of consumers there is hope that the production of apparel can become more sustainable. Water is a major resource needed in cotton production, therefore finding ways to foster water conservation in cotton production and utilization would have a sizeable impact on water use in the fashion industry. The apparel production industry needs to take water usage and other natural resources into consideration because it is harmful to the environment but also affects other natural resources. The purpose of our project is to discover sustainable practices for growing cotton and conserving water. We want to find a solution for making the cotton and fashion industry more sustainable to help the environment. We want to get a better understanding of the millennial consumers knowledge of the subject and apply that to a wider range of consumers to spread awareness and make a bigger impact. Our expected outcomes from our research will result in water conservation worldwide, as well as clean water, especially in less developed countries where clean water is unheard of, raising awareness among consumers about water scarcity and educate them to demand better practices, and inspiring more brands and designers to become more sustainable through their work ethic and apparel production process, and take the environment into deeper consideration. |
VR: Up-cycling Fabric Scraps04/05/2018VR is a womanswear collection, designed by Leticia Dimushi. This collection attempts to answer the question on how to reuse scraps in the industry, designing around the material found and leaving as little waste behind. 75% of all fabric is not recyclable, therefore every scrap that ends up in soil, causes exponential damage in the long run. The problem chosen to give an alternative solution to, is closing the loop from fabric production to garment manufacturing. The collection is made of 90% scraps and donated fabric, with the addition of purchased trims and findings. The inspiration being VR games relates to the secondary reality that this concept is attempting to create, a reality where resources are used to their full potential, minimizing waste and reusing what is thrown out of the cycle. The collection serves as a metaphor to use resources consciously and work towards a reality of minimal waste, where consumerism is no longer a global culture, and the production system improves in its waste management ethics. Creating a Virtual Reality, where the missing chain in to close the loop is found, and proposing a solution to how to use scraps are the main issues this collection addresses. Refining this collection and self-understanding as a designer through the process of research and industry design have been key points to the development and defined ideas on using the symbolic and chosen visual inspirations into giving answer to these issues. |
Victim/Perpetrator Gender Dyads and the Risk of PTSD and SUD Comorbidity04/05/2018Sexual assault preceding comorbid Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) has been widely established, but the nuanced influences of the gender of the victim and perpetrator bare further examination. This study sought to examine which victim/perpetrator gender dyad (female/male, female/female, male/female, male/male) leads to a greater risk of comorbidity of PTSD and SUD. Men are more likely to have an SUD, but women are more likely to turn to substances because of trauma (Nida, 2016; Truchman, 2010). While many other factors play into the development of PTSD/SUD comorbidity, research suggests that that sexual trauma is an especially high-risk factor (Dworkin et al., 2017). The most common victimization dyad is female victims with male preparators (female/male dyad) (Dube et al., 2005). Thus, the study hypothesized that female victims with male perpetrators (the female/male dyad) would exhibit the highest PTSD/SUD comorbidity. Potential participants were recruited from the ADM Crisis Center in Summit County, Ohio. The center offers detoxification to patients presenting with an SUD upon admission, and more than half of our sample also met diagnostic criteria for comorbid-PTSD. Participants were administered questionnaires, including the PCL (PTSD screen), ASSIST (SUD inventory), and SES-SFV (sexual trauma inventory) to gather data. Data is in the process of being analyzed, and will be presented at the poster presentation. |
Veteran Transitions: From Soldier to Student04/05/2018According to the United States Veterans Administration (VA), a veteran is defined as “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.” When transitioning to civilian-student life from military life, many veterans experience a variety of challenges that can facilitate or frustrate their successful transition, including finding and selecting a university, meeting its entrance requirements (e.g. ACT/SAT scores, high school transcripts) and enrolling in GI Bill education benefits. In order to assess the challenges of today’s veteran-scholars at Kent State University (KSU), I use focus group interviews with current KSU veterans as identified by the Center for Adult and Veteran Services. My study explores three broad issues related to KSU veterans (re)assuming the college role: responsibilities and relationships (e.g. family, independent living), financial constraints and assimilating to the student role. Student veterans face unique challenges because they are dealing with the demands and challenges of adulthood while also assimilating to the student role and adjusting to the cultural norms of college life. I examine the transitions to civilian life by focusing on the start or resumption of the college student role at KSU, including the resources available to help veterans pursuing higher education. This study highlights the current opportunities and challenges that exist when considering veterans and their progress towards earning a college degree. |
VEGF-A isoform ratios in Acute Myeloid Leukemia04/05/2018Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the bone marrow (BM) and blood in which the BM produces abnormal myeloblasts. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) induces blood vessel formation that contributes to tumor growth, and inhibitors of VEGF-A are used clinically. However cancer cells acquire resistance to these drugs leading to recurrence, so we are exploring alternative pathways that could lead to novel anti-VEGF-A therapeutics. Recent studies using RNA-seq analysis have shown the importance of alternatively spliced isoforms in cancer, particularly those encoding proteins with different functions. With our interest in adult AML we have generated a computational pipeline to analyze RNA-seq databases to compare the isoform expression of VEGF-A in AML BM samples with that in healthy BM samples. We asked whether VEGF-A was highly expressed in AML and whether it’s alternative mRNA splice forms were differentially expressed in leukemia BM cells compared to normal BM cells. We have successfully identified altered VEGF-A isoform expression in adult AML but not pediatric AML. This suggests different cancer processes are prevalent in adult vs pediatric disease and warrants a further examination of other cancer types. |
Using the i-motif as a pH sensor in single-molecule fluorescence microscopy imaging04/05/2018We used biophysics techniques to study the behavior of the single molecule human i-motif DNA structure as a function of the pH of its surroundings. We found that the molecule folds into a compact state around pH 6.0. We used FRET trace to observing the behavior of the molecule as it folds in a common imaging buffer of time-variant pH. |
Using Mindfulness Meditation to Reduce Academic Anxiety in Struggling Readers04/05/2018Mindfulness meditation is a meditation technique which has one focus his/her attention on the present moment by acknowledging and allowing one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations to pass without judgment. For the past 35 years, mindfulness has been a growing research topic in psychological literature. However, research regarding mindfulness and its ability to help children overcome their reading anxiety is sparse. In this study, I was interested in investigating the effects of a mindfulness meditation intervention on students’ reading anxiety, trait mindfulness, efficacy, and reading comprehension. I hypothesized students who received the mindfulness intervention would show significant improvement in those areas when compared to students who did not receive the intervention. To test this hypothesis, students enrolled in a five-week corrective reading intervention program took pre-assessments to measure levels of reading anxiety, efficacy, trait mindfulness, and reading comprehension. They were then randomly assigned to one of two groups—mindfulness intervention or control. The mindfulness group practiced the intervention for five weeks, while the control group only received the intervention in the fifth week. Following the intervention, post-treatment assessments were taken to measure any changes in the variables. Results indicated a main effect of time for reading anxiety. Subsequent analyses suggested that mindfulness may have influenced this main effect of time as the mindfulness group had a greater decrease in anxiety, suggesting that the intervention may have influenced the change in anxiety. This has important implications for education, as practicing mindfulness in the classroom may help struggling students succeed. |
Using Funds of Knowledge to Prepare Haitian Students for a Progressive Future04/05/2018When creating lesson plans for students in K-12 classrooms, a key focus among teachers is to help students create connections between content learned in the classroom and experiences students have had in their lifetimes. Education in the most prevailing countries in the world is continually adapting in order to utilize the most current research findings and technological advancements. As revolution continues in these classrooms, many developing countries have fallen behind. Specifically, in Haiti, many environmental concerns have been identified, and no one is more aware of these issues than its citizens. The major challenge is that schools are limited in their ability to prepare teachers, while resources to utilize modern pedagogies in an effective way are not feasible. In a recent study in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, findings showed that although students, teachers, and administrators were very aware of the struggles of their country, they felt that there were limited options for resolutions. Additionally, many of these innovations involved finances which are not available. Interviews were conducted with Haitians of various backgrounds and beliefs. A consistent concern among participants was the lack of opportunity for satisfactory cultivation in problem solving, leadership, and career preparation. Education was determined to be the root at which the most fundamental problems can be addressed. Youth development opportunities are being designed to prepare students to push Haiti towards development. In order to accomplish this, students must be engaged in the classroom, so teachers must be trained to ensure that project-based learning and inquiry practices are being implemented. |
Using Funds of Knowledge to Prepare Haitian Students for a Progressive Future04/05/2018When creating lesson plans for students in K-12 classrooms, a key focus among teachers is to help students create connections between content learned in the classroom and experiences students have had in their lifetimes. Education in the most prevailing countries in the world is continually adapting in order to utilize the most current research findings and technological advancements. As revolution continues in these classrooms, many developing countries have fallen behind. Specifically, in Haiti, many environmental concerns have been identified, and no one is more aware of these issues than its citizens. The major challenge is that schools are limited in their ability to prepare teachers, while resources to utilize modern pedagogies in an effective way are not feasible. In a recent study in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, findings showed that although students, teachers, and administrators were very aware of the struggles of their country, they felt that there were limited options for resolutions. Additionally, many of these innovations involved finances which are not available. Interviews were conducted with Haitians of various backgrounds and beliefs. A consistent concern among participants was the lack of opportunity for satisfactory cultivation in problem solving, leadership, and career preparation. Education was determined to be the root at which the most fundamental problems can be addressed. Youth development opportunities are being designed to prepare students to push Haiti towards development. In order to accomplish this, students must be engaged in the classroom, so teachers must be trained to ensure that project-based learning and inquiry practices are being implemented. |
Up In Smoke04/05/2018The following thesis will investigate the effects of rapid industrialization in my hometown, Pittsburgh, that took place in the 19th century, and in response this thesis will be centered around the philosophy of zero-waste. In its heyday, Pittsburgh was one of the centers of the American manufacturing boom. With an abundance of natural resources and an advantageous geographic location, the city was perfectly primed for rapid growth through industrialization. This surge in development improved the city’s economy, transportation, and living standards; however, these improvements were not without negative repercussions. Besides the adverse effects the manufacturing industries had on the environment, there are strong correlations between economic growth, overall living conditions, and wastefulness. These correlations can be observed in all instances of rapid industrialization and can be applied to the fashion industry, one of the fastest growing industries in modern society. As living standards improve and clothing consumption skyrockets, massive amounts of waste are created. Much like the industrialization of Pittsburgh, clothing production to meet increasing demands consumes more energy and creates even more pollution in every step of the process. It is no surprise textile waste is the second “dirtiest” industry in the world. To avoid repeating similar mistakes, this thesis will address the issues the fashion industry faces through a zero-waste design approach. By recounting the dark history of Pittsburgh through my designs, I hope to shed more light on the challenges the fashion industry faces as well as emphasize the sacrifice the city has made to tell this cautionary tale. |
Understanding the risk factors of non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents and young adults04/05/2018Hypothesis What are the personal, genetic, environmental, and other social factors that influence an individual’s engagement in NSSI? Scholarly Methods: We conducted a literature search of articles from 2007 to 2017 from Pubmed, Medline, Psychinfo, Health Source, and CINHAL. Using the search terms “young adult” and “non-suicidal self-injury,” we found 209 articles. We excluded articles that included participants over the age of 35, studies taking place outside of the U.S., and those that did not fit our topic resulting in 43 articles. Using coding sheets, aspects such as ‘problem statements, hypotheses, independent and dependent variables, measures and statistical results’ were analyzed. Findings Three categories of factors leading to NSSI emerged; personal, genetic, environmental, and other social factors. Factors included psychiatric disorders and genetic predictors of NSSI behavior; and increased risk of NSSI related to impulsive personality of an individual. Environmental risk factors included history of abuse, peer victimization, and exposure to NSSI. Social risk factors included poverty, lack of social support, and strained parent/child relationships. Conclusion This review indicated a need for health care providers to have knowledge of the risk factors of NSSI when assessing any patient in the clinical setting to allow for refer of NSSI patients to appropriate treatment. Additionally, the review demonstrated that continued nursing research should be conducted to determine current changes in factors of non-suicidal self-injury. Additional further research should be conducted to understand the triggers contributing to NSSI behavior. |
Understanding 20th Century Spanish Architecture Through the Development of a Critical Canon04/05/2018As time moves forward, recent history begins to reveal itself to the newest generation of historians and academics. With this transition comes a contemporary lens through which recent history may be viewed and evaluated. But, in order to properly critique and evaluate said history, there must first exist an established canon of recent historical works that has been said to be worth evaluating. This investigation will consider the written theories of various architects such as Lluís Doménech I Montener, Leopoldo Torres Balbás, Carlos Flores, Luis Lacasa, Fernando Chueca and philosophers such as Miguel Unamuno, Jose Ortega y Gasset, to determine which texts are the most relevant (or perhaps irrelevant) to the development of 20th century architecture in Spain. Two international expositions of Spain will serve as the beginning and end of this investigation: the 1888 Universal Exposition of Barcelona, and the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona. By forming standards of comparison, the texts within this timeframe written by the aforementioned authors may be seen not only as an assortment of texts about Spanish architecture, but rather as a living organism that evolves to form the basis of 20th century Spanish architecture. This investigation will use criterion such as the following to serve as the basis of analysis and comparison of texts: texts which Spanish architects themselves cited and read, texts that began to from a base of theory and critique of architecture, and texts that delve into more specific themes pertaining to the creation of architecture. |
Uncensored04/05/2018For my research based fashion collection, I was inspired by the positive impact that hip hop has made for black culture. Hip hop has made a strong influence on black culture in many ways by conscious rappers who use it. Like for example the song “Keep Your Head Up” by Tupac Shakur focuses on the fact that giving up shouldn’t be an option because there are brighter days to come. The messages in these songs promote empowerment, inspiration and positivity in the black community. The collection is entitled “Uncensored” which consists of street/ sportswear garments that are heavily influenced by the hip hop aesthetic from the 90s on to the 2000s. The word “censored” is plastered on most of the CDs in the hip hop genre. I made a play on that and used the word “uncensored” to illustrate that the message will be seen and heard uncut and raw. I expanded my collection from the research of the origins of hip hop to artist who consciously use this tool to promote positivity. I took inspiration from the silhouettes of the 90s era so my collection is contrast with oversizing and fitted garments. I also used vinyl adhesive strips along with laser cutting to develop my logo “UNCENSORED” that is on a couple of my garments. The final collection consists of eight looks that have layering, laser cutting, with a nice mix of contrasting silhouettes with pulled inspiration from the nineties era. |
Turbofan Engine Performance Assessment under Imitated Failure and Non-Traditional Flight Conditions using Virtual Simulator04/05/2018Turbofan engines are the most modern type of gas turbine engine used in today’s aircrafts. These engines will continue to serve as the backbone of future modernized airliners. They promise dramatic efficiency improvements, which is mainly due to the introduction of innovative new technologies. The basic thermodynamic theory of the turbofan engine generally is not complicated; however, the snag and the main concern rests with the flow into the engine devices. This flow is compressible in nature and it is subject to a set of specified ambient conditions and a range of pressure ratios. The theory behind such arrangements gets complex upon looking at the areo-thermodynamic details of the flow structure within each device to sustain a preferable engine operation. Thus, this study undertakes evaluating the performance of a turbofan engine using a simulator model in a virtual bench setting. It is the Price Induction Engine Virtual Test Bench DGEN 380 Turbofan Engine [1]. The college of Aeronautics and Engineering acquired this simulation software-based system as an educational and research tool to help students learn and explore turbofan engines and understand their functionality. Among its features is allowing studying an aircraft engine’s control system, thermodynamic data, and aerodynamic data. The DGEN 380 Turbofan Engine is promoted for the light jet market which is a mostly propeller powered market as of today. The unique design of the DGEN gives it a high bypass ratio making it very fuel efficient and suitable to fly at the lower altitudes of personal light aircraft. This system is utilized to conduct this distinctive research study which focuses on isolated engine component failures under unconditional flight path and analyzes the reaction on the engine performance metrics when these failures occur [2-6]. Results pertaining to failure diagnosis based on the engine parameters displayed on the virtual test bench are to be presented and discussed. |
Transfusing the Bleeding Man: Nietzsche and Postmodernism04/05/2018Given the instability and falsity which seem to surround today’s current social, political, and economic climate, should we be doubting the “facts” put forth by science? To answer this question, this project focuses upon the critique of modernism presented in Thus Spoke Zarathustra to determine whether Nietzsche’s alternative is feasible today. The goal of this research is to determine what Nietzsche’s meliorism might look like today, and whether it is possible to apply a Nietzschean critique of modernist scientific certainty to the current world, which necessitates revisiting how we perceive the modern scientific perspective. Nietzsche’s ideal world lacks absolutes, truths, and facts; to Nietzsche, science is a uniquely human enterprise which is divorced from facts, and he argues against all hallmarks of science alongside anything considered concrete or self-evident. Nietzsche argues that the pursuit of science does not allow us to pursue passion and courage, and that we pursue certainty out of fear. Utilizing an experimental technique aimed at challenging an existing point of view and modifying it, this study is based in the analysis and criticism of theory and literature. This project’s methodology consists of examining primary and secondary sources in order to understand the contemporary options given Nietzsche’s beliefs. This revaluation will allow scholars to examine an alternative postmodernism that focuses on courage as the root of the human condition, as Nietzsche espoused. The result of this study is a clarification of Nietzsche’s ideas, which will allow further examination of an alternative postmodernism and the application of Nietzsche’s critique. |
Transformable Jacket to Tent04/05/2018Global Nomadism is the art of living an international lifestyle. Global Nomads travel from one country to another without a permanent job or home. An important factor that becomes of Global Nomads is that they start to lose their state of origin from their country of origin, in other words their ties to their country begins to loosen; they start to no longer belong anywhere. Global Nomads work for independent companies such as IT, writing, teaching, or crafts (artisans). Global Nomadism has become such a popular lifestyle because society is forced to come up with different ways of living in order to survive. As society has progressed and developed throughout the years living expenses are becoming higher and wages are staying the same. This factual truth leads mankind to develop a new lifestyle. The purpose of my design was to give my customer shelter along her journey. I wanted to give my customer the freedom to travel as long as she pleased and the ability to reside at any place she chose to stop at. After long days and nights of constant research and consistent trials I was able to design a jacket that can transform into a tent that can provide shelter to three to four people at a time. I used technical fabrics and innovative strategies to solve the solution to create shelter through fashion. The tent jacket is made with waterproof fabrics accessorized with a severe climate zipper that withstands temperatures as -150 degrees Fahrenheit. |
These Things That Remain04/05/2018These Things That Remain - Courtney Donovan & Zoe Harr Thousands of people every year are fitted with bionic limb reinforcements and replacements - artificial knees, hips, rods, screws - but no one considers what happens to these pieces when someone passes away. These objects exist within millions of people, yet most have no idea what they look like. We were presented with an amazing opportunity to utilize these parts in a meaningful way. We were inspired by these pieces to ask questions about the things, and relationships, that are left behind when we die. Our idea is to curate a collection of these objects in a gallery setting, addressing the overarching question - when we are gone, what is left behind? While showcasing these objects in a way that creates reflection and exploration - much like a curated set of objects in a museum - we will use literature to discuss all of those elements of humanity; life, death, love, loss, and so on. As the piece is still in progress, our research will come from development of the idea, and the physical creation of the piece. We believe this project - while being unconventional - will be impactful on every audience it encounters. By presenting a set of uncommon physical objects in an artistic setting, the project will ask the viewer to consider tough questions about life and loss. It will bridge science, sculpture, and creative writing in an innovative and emotional way that has never done before at K.S.U. |
The Story of the Jews in Mexico04/05/2018The story of the Jewish people in Mexico is a captivating chronicle; a narrative that is not well-known to audiences, and not notable within universal Jewish history. However, it is a story of challenges, achievements, failures, and triumphs. It is a story of a community that thrived religiously and socially in a foreign land. The Jewish story in Mexico dates back to the year 1492, when Jewish subjects were expelled from Spain, and traveled furtively to the New World. My research shadows the lives of the Jews in Colonial Mexico, in the Mexican Republic of the nineteenth century, and in the early twentieth century, when modern Jewish immigration took place. The majority of the Jews in Mexico today are descendants of the immigrants who found refuge in Aztec lands in the early twentieth century. I am drawing together both a scholarly text, and a book where I incorporate my training in graphic design. The designed book incorporates illustrations and background designs with the text integrated into the layout. It as well includes scanned photographs and documents, and photos of artifacts relating to the time period. This research project is a multilingual venture. I have worked with primary sources written in Spanish, Hebrew, Yiddish, and English. To aid in my research I traveled twice to Mexico City, where I visited research centers, and momentous locations associated with the story of the Jews in Mexico. |
The Reality of Fiber Content Preferences04/05/2018Cotton, a natural fiber, has historically been a trusted, top choice material for consumers. Recently, worldwide cotton use has declined in favor of synthetic fibers. The research questions of this study will focus on what shifts in consumer fiber content preferences between cotton and synthetics have occurred in the past ten years. Differences in fiber production relating to sustainability may also influence consumer opinions. In recent times, the fashion industry has been under scrutiny for its lack of sustainability and large contributions to increasing global warming and negative environmental impacts. Clothing, especially in fast fashion production, uses a large amount of natural resources, adds to worldwide environmental problems. Consumer fiber content preference may be impacted by knowledge of their environmental impact. Exploratory research will consist of consumer surveys that will answer fiber content favorability with a variety of different factors, including price, material feel and wear and durability to understand why consumers might choose one material type over another. These surveys will also question consumer’s current fiber choices, and whether or not they have noticed a difference in their clothing purchased in recent years where synthetic fiber usage has been more prominent. By gathering direct consumer opinions, a better understanding of material usage shifts will be learned. The relationship of social media and fiber content will be examined by reviewing the potential variables that go into decision making to further understand the relationship between social media and fiber content preferences. |
The Pussy Hat: An intersection between needlework, feminism, and identity04/05/2018On January 21, 2017, over one million individuals participated in the Women’s March on Washington. Media coverage noted the “strong collective visual statement” created by a “sea of bright pink” pussyhats with top corners resembling cat ears (Reuters, 2017, para. 1). Months before, a campaign distributed simple patterns to knit, crochet, or sew these distinctive hats. The making and wearing of pussyhats present an interesting evolution in feminism and the recent phenomenon termed “craftism.” The purpose of this study was to employ Identity Theory to explore the making and wearing of pussyhats as “a weapon of resistance for women” (Parker, 1984, Introduction). A Google search of the terms “pussyhat” and “pussy hat” in mainstream news articles and editorial reporting between November 8, 2016, and March 15, 2017, was conducted. The initial sample was capped at 420 using a comparison method. Full content was transcribed and analyzed for reoccurring terms with the number of instances recorded and ranked. One hundred sixty-nine terms occurred at least ten times in the forty articles. Unrelated terms and terms with less than 10 occurrences were removed, resulting in a total of 121 terms in the sample to be analyzed. Of these, the most common were identified. Results indicate the presence of an identity where needle arts and feminism intersect. This study supports Lewis (2012), Parker (1984), and Pöllänen (2006). Making and wearing the pussyhat demonstrates an evolving concept of feminism, which encompasses the wide range of expressions and activities available to contemporary women. |
The Invention of America: How Eurocentrism Affected the Foundations of Spanish American Discourse04/05/2018The formation of the Spanish American discourse entails an array of sources that can be identified since the time of the Conquest of the Americas. Using an analytical research methodology, I examine the legacy of Indigenous cultures and the European discourse which predominated among the conquistadors and chroniclers. José Rabasa, in Inventing America: Spanish Historiography and the formation of Eurocentrism, exposes the tremendous influence of Eurocentrism, Western metaphysics, and racism in the perspective of the history of the Indigenous world (240). Indigenous discourse was mainly based on orality, but with the arrival of the Spaniards, as transcribed with the Spanish alphabet and later translated into a European language, it became undoubtedly influenced by the European discourse. For example, the translation of Popol Vuh, the Mayan book of Creation, originally transcribed in Quiché, sometimes shows a certain level of subjectivity, as it bears some passages that appear to detract from its authenticity and universality. Likewise, works written originally in Spanish from the European perspective tend to use a Christian and European ideology to represent that of the Indigenous; thus, my questioning their subjectivity. Consequently, it is essential to reflect on the effects that Eurocentrism has had on our understanding of the history of Latin America so that the biased perspective is changed. As a conclusion, this study reveals the subjectivity ingrained in the discourse of the colonial Spanish American period which tends to blur its veracity. |
The Influence of Genetics on Individual Differences in Neural Activation Patterns04/05/2018Individual differences in brain function arise from genetic and environmental influences and play an important role in understanding variation in executive control, cognitive ability, and personality. By collecting task fMRI and behavioral data for monozygotic (MZ) twins, dizygotic (DZ) twins, siblings (SIB), and unrelated people, the Human Connectome Project (HCP) allows investigation of the degree to which genetics shapes these differences. This study compared activation similarity patterns in the frontoparietal and visual networks across these subject groups. Activation similarity was correlated for the N-back task under conditions of high or low working memory load and across two object stimulus categories. If heritability plays a substantial role in determining neural activation, groups of higher genetic similarity should have more similar activation patterns. Indeed, in both networks considered, MZ twins showed a higher similarity than DZ twins or siblings, and DZ twins and siblings showed a higher similarity than unrelated participants. Furthermore, this correlation is emphasized under conditions of higher cognitive load in the frontoparietal network. This provides evidence that genetic influences play a substantial role in the neural basis of individual differences, and ultimately helps lay the foundation for task-related brain activation to be considered as an endophenotype for psychiatric or neural disorders. |
The impact of Hepatitis C on the relationship between cognitive function and PTSD04/05/2018Previous research has shown there is a negative relationship between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and cognitive function (Yarlott et al., 2017). In the current study, we further investigated this relationship between PTSD and cognitive function with individuals seeking detoxification treatment, focusing on the potential moderating effect of Hepatitis C status. One of the ramifications of Hepatitis C is impaired cognitive function and Hepatitis C has been shown to be increasing in individuals with substance use disorders (Solinas et al., 2015, Huckans et al., 2009). In this study, we recruited 235 participants from Oriana House, all presenting with a substance use disorder. Oriana House is a medical detoxification center for individuals of Summit County. Cognitive assessments were administered along with questionnaires about past trauma, PTSD and Hepatitis C diagnosis to the participants at the detox center. The cognitive assessment battery included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The MoCA is an indicator of mild cognitive impairment and assesses different cognitive domains including attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visio-constructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation (Nasreddine et al, 2005). Given the established relationship between PTSD and cognitive function, we expect to replicate the negative association between these two variables. Furthermore, we expect that Hepatitis C status will moderate the relationship between PTSD and cognitive function. Analysis is ongoing. |
The Impact of Consumer Disposal Habits on the Environment04/05/2018Fast Fashion has taken over the fashion industry, completely changing the process of garment design, delivery and disposal. This new way of delivery provides clothing to customers faster than ever with new styles arriving to stores as frequent as every two weeks. With the overwhelming popularity of fast fashion, consumers are buying more clothing at extremely low costs. This creates massive amounts of waste that our Earth cannot properly sustain. This raises the question of where our clothing will end up once donated. The purpose of this study is to educate retailers on how to properly educate consumers on disposing unwanted clothing and raise awareness about the effects it has on the environment. Multiple surveys will be given to residents and students in Kent, Ohio as well as an interview with Goodwill management and local donation centers. The results of the survey will show how consumers of Kent, Ohio view garment disposal. This information will help retailers educate their consumers on where their clothing is going opposed to where they believe it will go. This will in turn allow fashion companies to set the standard for healthy disposal habits. This information can lessen the negative impact the fashion industry has on our Earth. This will encourage retailers to implement new ways of disposing garments, ultimately to become more sustainable with their clothing. |
The Filter04/05/2018Social media is an extremely viable and important part of modern society. Devices like smartphones and the applications used on them have allowed people to interact with others in ways that were not possible just a few years ago. With the touch of a screen, almost any information can be shared and distributed, from photos, messages, links, polls, events, videos, and even safety updates in the case of a disaster. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and SnapChat allow for the distribution of information at unprecedented speeds and constant engagement with new content. Users are told they are more connected; they need to stay updated with what is happening in the world and to all the people around them. How does this overload of information and content affect the ways consumers interact with one another? How has social media affected the way people present themselves to others in these online interactions? Society has certainly adapted to the inception of social media. Certain tasks have gotten easier, like ordering a coffee, listening to music, or contacting elected leaders, but has human interaction suffered? This project explores the consequences of social media and how they apply to human interaction. The results of academic research on the topic including various studies, texts by anthropologists and leaders in the technological community are manifested in these three individual garments. The techniques involved in their creation represent both the positive and negative influences that social media have had in recent years. |
The Fight for Cotton in the Athleisure Market04/05/2018The progressive acceptance of a more casual dress code alongside a widespread acceptance of health and fitness have led to the current hybrid of athletic and leisure apparel known as “athleisure.” From track pants and trainers to sporty dresses Forbes estimated the rise of the trend globally, with sales climbing from $197 billion in 2007 to over $350 billion by 2020. With majority of this product presumably being created from synthetic fibers, the rise of this industry as a reflection, has created a problem with the impact it’s had in accompanying the declining cost of cotton. The effects of declining cotton prices are leading to less cotton production affecting the supply of other industries whose products have a large impact on everyone’s life, without which the global community would struggle. In order to address these problems, research will be conducted on how cotton can create a sustainable partnership with the increasing athleisure market. The research result of which, will have a large impact by creating growth of cotton in the athleisure market, resulting in further sustainability. |
The evolution of ADAR regulation within Metazoa genomes04/05/2018Dysregulation of RNA editing patterns has been linked with neurological disorders and some cancers. The most studied of these editing events occurs with adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR), which is a family of three RNA editing proteins, ADAR, ADARB1, and ADARB2. ADARs catalyze the hydraulic deamination of adenosine (A) in pre-mRNA to inosine (I), which is then read as a guanine (G). At least one family member of ADAR is found in nearly every species within Metazoa genomes. However, not much is currently known about the regulation of ADAR expression in these animals. There is evidence of activation by interferon stimulated response elements (ISRE) for ADAR1 expression linking it with the type 1 interferon antiviral response of the innate immune system. Using known ADAR DNA sequences, we investigate the evolutionary patterns observed within the promoter region for ADAR1, ADARB1, and ADARB2 to get insights into the complex regulation of RNA editing seen in the transcriptome. Genomic sequence alignments will be used to reconstruct phylogenetic trees to trace the evolutionary origin of the link between innate immunity and ADAR expression. We are using phylogenetic approaches and HMM signals to identify conserved putative regulatory elements within the promoter region as a way to find common promoter sequences for ADARB1 and ADARB2. |
The Effects of Upper- and Lower-Body Blood Flow Restriction Exercise on Vascular Function04/05/2018PROBLEM: The effects of acute upper-body (UB) and lower-body (LB) resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) on vascular function are unknown. METHODS: Vascular function was assessed in resistance-trained individuals (n=12) using venous occlusion plethysmography with five minutes of occlusion at 220mmHg to induce reactive hyperemia. Forearm blood flow (FBF) and area under the curve (AUC) were assessed at Rest, and during recovery at 15 (R15) and 45 (R45) minutes. BFR was applied at a pressure of 40% arterial occlusion pressure during each exercise, and released for 2 minutes between exercises. A 2x2x3 repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of condition (BFR, non-BFR) and group (UB, LB) across time (Rest, R15, R45) on vascular function. RESULTS: There were no 3-way interactions for any variable. There was a significant (p=0.001) group by time interaction for FBF (UB: Rest: 2.8±1.2ml/100ml/min; R15: 9.3±4.5ml/100ml/min; R45: 5.3±2.7ml/100ml/min; LB: Rest: 3.3±2.0ml/100ml/min, R15: 4.3±2.5ml/100ml/min, R45: 4.2±2.2ml/100ml/min) such that FBF was elevated at R15 compared to Rest, and was higher after UB than LB at R15. There was also a significant (p=0.02) group by time interaction for AUC (UB: Rest: 65.1±21.6ml/100ml/min, R15: 144.7±50.2ml/100ml/min; R45: 91.0±27.8ml/100ml/min; LB: Rest: 61.9±10.3ml/100ml/min; R15: 113.1±32.4ml/100ml/min, R45: 88.6±32.3ml/100ml/min) such that it was augmented at R15 and R45 compared to Rest, with greater augmentation at R15 after UB compared to LB. CONCLUSIONS: While there were no differences between BFR and non-BFR, our data demonstrate that acute upper-body resistance exercise has a greater effect than acute lower-body resistance exercise on vascular function. |
The effects of blocking amylin receptors on oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 mice.04/05/2018Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are key pathologies in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Amylin is a peptide hormone that has been previously shown in our lab to have therapeutic effects in patients with AD, specifically, reducing said pathologies. Pramlintide (PRAM) is the mouse analog of amylin that is non aggregating and is being used in this experiment. The mechanism of action of PRAM is unclear and is being investigated in this study. Our main question is whether the therapeutic effects of PRAM are a result of the regulation of PRAM centrally through its receptor in the brain, or if these benefits are due to increases in overall metabolic function, and these will be tested on APP/PS1 mice, a mouse model of AD. This was investigated by administering chronic PRAM peripherally, with and without the amylin receptor antagonist (AC187) via ICV. Brain tissue was collected from these mice and immunohistochemistry was carried out for different oxidative stress and inflammation markers present across treatment groups. Preliminary results show a decrease in oxidative stress and inflammation markers mainly when PRAM is administered without the inhibitor. Together this suggests that amylin’s therapeutic effects are dependent on the amylin receptor, and in turn, shows a central role of amylin’s normal functionality. |
The Effect of Defective Methionine Metabolism in Neurodegenerative Disorders04/05/2018The methionine cycle becomes disrupted in diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s due to increased reactive nitrogen species which block methionine synthase (MTR). In a defective methionine metabolism cycle, there is a decrease in methyl donors such as betaine and SAM which is linked to a decrease in H3K4me3 and mitochondrial gene expression. To counteract the defective methionine cycle, neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were first treated with homocysteine to replicate neurodegenerative conditions and study the efficacy of betaine supplementation. Betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) has previously only been known to be found in the cytoplasm of the liver and kidney cells, however our data has shown that BHMT is present in the nucleus of neurons where it interacts with chromatin which allows the conversion of homocysteine to methionine in the nucleus. The pathway mediated by BHMT is induced by betaine and inhibited by SAH, thus decreasing betaine concentration under inflammatory conditions. After treating cell cultures with betaine, it was discovered that H3K4me3 concentration increases, thereby increasing mitochondrial gene expression. By performing western blots, we found BHMT regulates genes in the nucleus. These data suggests that supplementing neuronal cells with betaine will serve as a neuroprotective therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Looking in cell cultures provides an insight into the mechanisms and therapeutic targets that can rebalance the methionine cycle and help to develop potential neuroprotective therapies. |
The Effect of Cx43 on the Motility of Prostate Cancer Cells04/05/2018Prostate cancer (PC) is a very common type of cancer in males and metastatic growth often leads to death. Connexins (Cx) are important to intercellular communication and may also play a role in metastasis. Cultured PC3 metastatic prostate cancer cells have high levels of Cx43 and readily migrate in Boyden chambers, a model for metastasis. We previously silenced Cx43 in PC3 cells and tested their migration in Boyden chamber assays. Silencing Cx34 reduced the motility of the migratory PC3 cells. Conversely, LNCaP prostate cancer cells are not migratory and express very little Cx43. We hypothesized that over-expressing Cx43 in LNCaP cells would enhance their motility. To test this, we transfected LNCaP cells with a Cx43 expression plasmid and used Boyden chamber migration to analyze their motility. Transfection of the LNCaP cells with the Cx43 expression plasmid increased migration 2-fold compared to the control empty expression plasmid. Knowing the role that Cx43 plays in cell motility can lead to new ways to target and treat metastatic prostate cancer. |
The Drag Nuclear Family; How Theatre Challenges the Heteronormative Nuclear Family04/05/2018Fictive kinship is a concept by Kath Weston used to describe how LGBTQ+ individuals form alternative families among friends and relationships. Using this as the basis for exploring how drag culture has a similar model to the contemporary nuclear family. The musical La Cage Aux Folles has excellent examples of both fictive and drag families and we can use this to compare to the play Hosanna and contrast how drag and fictive families are portrayed in theatre. Using sources like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Paris is Burning as representations of drag queens and using these to compare representations of drag culture on the stage we can dissect how the concept of a nuclear family crosses boundaries to apply to drag families and fictive families in LGBTQ+ culture. La Cage Aux Folles’s comedic approach to familial ties and fictive kinship is a stark contrast to Hosanna’s dark yet realistic feel. The LGBTQ+ families featured in both shows can be translated to the nuclear family concept and then using both scripts and media as examples to show how this concept can be applied to drag and fictive families. Weston’s fictive family concept can be extended beyond just a family and child relationship; with drag families you also see sibling rivalry and other familial relationships. The conflicts that are created from familial ties within both scripts can translate to any audience; these kinds of tensions arise in any family, and the resolutions found within both shows are plausible conclusions to the problems presented. |
The Cost of Modernity: Resisting the Logic of Human Disposability in the Victorian Radical Press04/05/2018This project tackles an entrenched belief in Victorian economics and social policy: that “less valuable” human lives could be justifiably disposed of in the name of social stability and free market capitalism. This theory had material consequences in the nineteenth century as Britain embraced an increasingly laissez-faire version of capitalism. The government repealed the former welfare system, forcing the unemployed to choose between the humiliation of the workhouse, the risks of emigration, or starvation. However, the working-class people these policies sought to discard were not passive victims. Risking imprisonment, they utilized an illegal, “unstamped” newspaper culture to highlight the cruelty of these policies and argue for the value of their own lives. In these newspapers, the affected population characterized the New Poor Law as a form of murder, described emigration as forced “transportation” or “disposal,” and argued that their lives were more valuable than the “idle” wealthy who grew rich off of the products of their labor. The recent digitization of these unauthorized newspapers enables us to uncover these voices. Examining early Chartist resistors to later Socialist writers, we investigate the rhetorical strategies of Victorians who stood against this logic of disposability. The questions this research raises remain vital in our current political climate. As we continue to debate who belongs in the nation and the value of different human lives, this research illuminates the historical roots of those debates and the strategies that our predecessors used to argue against the disposal of human life. |
The Consumer Perspective on Consumption and Discarding Apparel04/05/2018The apparel life cycle is going into overdrive as production times have sped up monumentally, with clothes being bought and in turn thrown away constantly, all while harming the environment and causing waste. The task at hand is to analyze consumers current awareness of this cycle and where they fit into the big picture. Furthermore, the goal is to research how all fashion consumers’ buying and discarding habits and how they may affect this life cycle and the environmental impact it may have, especially with common materials such as cotton. Many consumers may not be aware of this cycle and how they are affecting it, and the goal is to fully understand their awareness levels and knowledge. Additionally, the goal is to see what consumers think they know, and what common knowledge is readily available by research and observation. The expected outcomes are a full understanding of current apparel life cycle affects with a focus on cotton, and how much consumers know in regards to their own environmental impact when they consume and discard goods. By researching patterns of increasing shopping habits and discard habits, we can understand how consumers participate in this cycle. Observation of resale and secondhand stores and their popularity would show if consumers are aware of their impact as they buy used goods instead of brand new. Conversation and overall research of customer’s opinions and thoughts on the subject will provide insight on how the subject is seen and discussed. |
The Connection Between German Extenzminimum and Spanish Vivienda Minima04/05/2018Extenzminimum, defined as the minimum habitable dwelling, is a concept developed in Germany following World War I. In principle, it is a means of generating housing solutions that used an economy of space and materials and could respond to the housing crisis facing Europe. Such a housing crisis arose as vivienda minima in Spain during and after the Spanish Civil War. This topic investigates how the idea of extenzminimum is shared with Spain and how that idea influenced the concept of vivienda minima even when geographical and political barriers existed between the two nations. This project will study architectural works and concepts in Germany and Spain during the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s. Specifically, the works of Ernst May (Neue Frankfurt), Alexander Klein (Residential Building and Apartments for Single Workers), Walter Gropius (Hansaviertel, Grosssiedlung, and Siemensstadt), Miguel Fisac (Chain houses), and GATEPAC. These works are important because each architect was influenced by or wrote about minimal habitable dwellings. The resultant architecture will demonstrate how those ideas were interpreted and if the German response to minimal habitable dwellings is related to the Spanish response. This paper will consult primary and secondary sources such as writings of May, Klein, and Gropius in Germany during the extenziminimum movement. In addition, the writings of Fisac and GATEPAC will further the understanding of Spain’s interpretation of vivienda minima and determine if those ideas are related to Germany. |
The Commercialization of UAS/Drones in the Delivery Sector/Services04/05/2018Over the past few years, Unmanned Aircrafts Systems (UAS) commonly known as drones have gained a lot of popularity. This popularity did not just bloom within the Aviation Industry but in the delivery/business sector as well. This research will cover the commercialization of drones within the delivery sector and how this new venture will affect persons living in the United States (U.S) with companies such as Amazon, United Parcel Service (UPS) and the famous pizza chain Dominos just to name a few, gearing up to add UAS/drones as part of their delivery services fleet. This research will focus on the city of Kent, Ohio which consists of a large population of college students, college faculty, and staff. This research was conducted by the distribution of questionnaires electronically through use of via email to persons who stay in the city limits of Kent, Ohio. The demographics of these residents were comprised of college students, college faculty and staff and residents. Two (2) different set of questionnaires were distributed, one that focused on the persons who worked within the aviation field and another that focus on a person who did not. Results showed that most persons agree that the process of delivering packages via drones would be faster, however, their privacy, security, and safety would be put at risk in the process. |
The Butterfly Effect: Exploring the Behavior of Change through Transformable Clothing04/05/2018The Butterfly Effect is a transformable eveningwear collection inspired by the behavior of change. The eveningwear market faces the challenge of a short garment life cycle, and most gowns are only worn once. Transformable clothing allows one garment to be changed to create two or more different looks, which encourages it to be worn multiple times. By using modular transformations, individual parts that move independently, the wearer can customize the garment to fit her needs and strengthen her personal connection with the clothing. The collection development began with research on the inspiration and concept of transformation. A study was conducted through personal interviews that asked participants about their shopping habits, sustainability, transformable clothing, and the eveningwear market. Based on the findings, initial sketches and samples of construction techniques were created and proposed to a review panel. First muslins--rough full-scale garments--were constructed and presented, then second muslins--fully finished garments--were constructed to reflect suggested changes. After an evaluation with external critics, final fabrics were purchased and final garments were constructed. The final collection consists of seven looks, and each has one garment that can be transformed. The final fabrics include a combination of eveningwear fabrics and knits, all in monochromatic shades of purple. Through the research and development of the collection, seven eveningwear looks were created that reflect the behavior of change. They transform into new looks that provide versatility for the wearer and extend the garment life cycle. |
The Barcelona Beourgeoisie: Personal relationships between bourgeoisie members and architects influence Spanish modern style04/05/2018Relationships between important families who were part of the bourgeoisie in Barcelona during the late 19th century played a significant role in the establishment of modern architectural styles and practices. Complex interrelationships existed during this time between significant figures of various disciplines and influential families. Architects who were at the forefront of modern architecture in Barcelona at this time include Martorell, Gaudi, and Montaner, each of whom had ties to Antonio Lopez’ project for his grand mansion and pantheon. Eusebi Guell is related to the Lopez family through marriage, and the architects maintain close ties and work relationships with them. The architectural works which were designed and built for these families were no doubt influenced by these complex interrelationships, especially since politics and social influence were directly correlated with the bourgeoisie lifestyle. This paper explores the connections which existed between the Spanish bourgeoisie in an attempt to prove that the personal influences of close contact and interaction between client and architect affected designs in a manner which helped shape the Spanish modern style which would emerge in Barcelona in the 20th century. Various academic journals and books have been written about Gaudi’s career, which include communications between Guell. Primary resources written by historians exist on the topics of the bourgeoisie in Barcelona. This paper will consult direct accounts of the important figures discussed as well as research which studies their relationships and the architecture which pertains to them. Specific sources include articles published in academic journals, interviews, and bibliographical accounts. |
Sustainable Sourcing in the Mass Market and Consumer Behavior04/05/2018ABSTRACT Marinkov, Madalynn F., Kent State University. Moon, Da Hye, Kent State University. Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing in the Fashion Industry: A Case Study. Major Professor: Jewon Lyu. Multiple responsible sourcing methods such as the use of organic cotton or sustainable fibers have been adopted by major retail companies such as Walmart, Target, and Gap Inc. These sourcing methods focus particularly on cotton, the way it is produced, and the traceability in all stages of the retail supply chain. Sustainability in the fashion industry is inevitable due to common knowledge of how harmful all elements of the industry are to the environment and people. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of these responsible sourcing methods in terms of purchasing behavior and the effect that green initiatives have on mass-market consumers in the industry today. A case study with an in-depth interview method will be used to assess consumers who often shop at major retail companies such as Target, Walmart, and Kohl's, roughly a few times a month. This interview will educate consumers on sustainable sourcing methods and the steps they themselves can take to help the industry go green. The results of this study are expected to be positive in terms of consumer awareness and desire to choose companies to support that align with sustainable beliefs. This study aims to urge consumers to consider purchasing products from companies that source materials sustainably and are worth the cost. The expected results should be upstanding as far as other studies have shown that consumers are willing to spend more to receive quality clothing that is created in the most harmless way possible. |
Sustainability in the Fashion Industry: Public Environmental Concerns and Consumer Perception of Organic Production in the Cotton Industry.04/05/2018A May 2017 study conducted by Mintel’s British Lifestyles concluded that 67% of UK adults are “concerned about the future of the environment” (Dover, 2017). Top environmental concerns consist of water contamination and “proliferation of public waste” by in large (Staff, 2011). One of the most widely used chemicals in cotton production is aldicarb. Aldicarb is a highly toxic insecticide that is applied directly to the soil (Cornell University, 1993). The production of organic cotton would greatly reduce the risk of contaminating ground water and would provide a healthier work environment. Unfortunately, challenges are present when it comes to organic cotton production. Organic cotton is more expensive to produce than traditionally grown cotton. This is due to its increased vulnerability to destructive natural elements and increased risk of loss of crop. The ultimate market challenge currently is producing organic cotton at a competitive price on the same level as recycled polyester and plastic. Water bottles and other plastic objects are presently abundant materials occupying space alongside other waste. Recycling polyester and plastic is comparatively a cheaper process because it is obtained second-hand at close to nothing, conserves natural resources and energy, and lowers emissions (Staff, 2014). Therefore, the primary purpose of research is to provide an in-depth analysis on consumers’ concerns with sustainability and organic production in the cotton industry. To address this purpose, the paper will also examine the scholarly literature on this topic and research conducted by environmental organizations around the world. |
Sustainability in KSU Dorms04/05/2018Sustainability is the endeavor to create an ever increasing economically and environmentally efficient system of operation for a given entity. In the Kent State University residence halls, this currently is exemplified by controlled water pressure, and electricity as well as alternative sources of energy, window sensors to control air conditioning, and lighting such as replacing all fluorescent light bulbs with LED bulbs. Our team was interested in investigating ways to increase the sustainability of the university. We hypothesized that we could improve the sustainability of the university’s energy resources through new solutions to lighting in the residence halls. In order to determine how to achieve this goal, we interviewed specialists in the following departments: Residence Services, Campus Security, Office of University Architect, and Sustainability. After our interviews we concluded that the university level of sustainability in the residence halls is high. We determined that the next step was to find a more effective lighting solution in community areas. Our team met with an electrical engineer on campus, and we determined that automated LED light fixtures in the hallways and bathrooms would obtain a high level of sustainability. Residence Services is willing to perform test runs to finalize our project. The LED lights will be placed in the hallways, lounges, and bathrooms in the residence halls, even though the fixtures are costly at first, LED lights are more efficient and will last longer especially since they will be motion sensored and will not be on at all times. |
Sustainability in Fashion Design04/05/2018Inspired by the nostalgia of growing up in the desert combined with 80s silhouettes emerges the colorful fashion design collection entitled “Dusk.” “Dusk” brings traditional southwestern-wear to the contemporary fashion market while focusing on leather techniques/surface design. There is a moral dilemma in using leather as a textile; while it is beautiful and functional, is it wrong to use animal skin on something as frivolous as clothing? In attempts to explore this predicament and move towards ethical fashion design, “Dusk” uses a technique called up-cycling, which is the process of taking unwanted clothing from thrift stores and tearing them apart to make an entirely new garment, and large scraps of leather that were left unused due to damage or size. Using this method, I have created five aesthetically pleasing, yet sustainable garments. After making these garments, I have concluded that sustainable practices are possible when it comes to leather in fashion design, but there is a time cost. These garments took hundreds of hours of meticulous planning, hand painting to achieve uniformity, designing, and constructing. At the rate that the fashion industry moves, it would be hard to implement these practices on a large scale, but not impossible. |
Survival of the Sustainable04/05/2018Consumers today have encouraged growth of the fast fashion market. Due to the nature of the industry, this encourages material waste. Fostering the use of natural fibers such as cotton offers the potential for more clothing reuse and recycling. (Ward, Hewitt, & Russell, 2013) According to the Council for Textile Recycling (2018), only 15% of U.S. worn textiles and clothing are donated or recycled; the remaining 85% is discarded in landfills. Our long-term goal is to educate today’s consumers so to help them understand the effects of fast fashion and textile waste on a global scale. In this research, we will pursue two specific objectives: Examine U.S. consumers’ disposal habits, as well as their awareness and perceptions of the impact they have on the growing volume of clothing ending up in landfills. Investigate the competitiveness of cotton in the reuse/recycle post-consumer clothing market. It is important that all parties gather to help make a difference in the disposal of clothes. Consumers can help accomplish this goal by shopping with brands that may be slightly higher priced, but overall better quality instead of replacing fast fashion products. Retailers might help persuade their customers by informing them of financial and environmental benefits their campaign is offering. Long term benefits in preventing clothing waste would be less CO2 in the air from long term decomposition of clothing in landfills as well as higher quality clothing designed to last rather than the lesser quality clothing that stems from the fast fashion market. |
Surface Analysis of Venus's Atmosphere and Geophysical Events (SAVAGE)04/05/2018The 2017 NASA Space Academy at Glenn Research Center has developed an innovative lander/orbiter concept to obtain long term scientific data on the surface of Venus. The science objectives of this study were driven by the 2013-2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey and the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG) 2014 Final Report. Recent developments in high temperature electronics eliminate the need for insulated or cooled pressure vessel, creating the opportunity for smaller and cheaper extended lifetime landers. The objective of this concept study is to propose a preliminary design for a technology demonstration of high temperature sensors and electronics on a scalable long-duration surface probe and orbiter system that would return the first in situ temporal data on the climate and seismic activity of Venus. Sensitivity studies in surface probe mass scaling were applied and resulted in an increase in science return. Power and communication studies revealed that a mission consisting of five surface probes and two CubeSat communication orbiters are potentially feasible and worth future study. |
Stylish Safety Worldwide04/05/2018To be stylish and functional are two things that the modern day globetrotter put extreme value on. With this in mind we have created a designer jacket that will take you and everything you need to exciting destinations. Our jacket has room for the all of the essentials; passports, birth certificates, maps, a phone, a built in wallet and even a pocket where you can store medical supplies and/or snacks. In many countries pickpocketing and robbery are very real issues and a major concern for those who are traveling to or within them. Many young people desire the freedom to spread their wings and adventure however Ten of the worst cities for petty theft around the world are incredibly popular attractions for young people to visit. These cities are; Barcelona Spain, Rome Italy, Prague Czech Republic, Madrid Spain, Paris France, Florence Italy, Buenos Aires Argentina, Amsterdam Netherlands, Athens Greece, and Hanoi Vietnam (independent co.uk). Young people often feel unsafe in unfamiliar cities so we have created a jacket which our customer can carry all items of value close to him or her as opposed to in a bag or purse which can easily be pick-pocketed or stolen. |
Students' Perceptions of Crime04/05/2018Imagine you are a student sitting in a classroom. Wouldn’t it be easy to look past the underlying secrets of the students around you; after all, ignorance is bliss? Everyone has secrets and some secrets include criminal activities. Some may possess and use illegal drugs, while others sell drugs, and some may have even committed violent crimes. News media sources indicate that crime is all around us, but it can be clandestine and manifest itself in some of the most heinous manners in our society. While law enforcement may possess a collection of insightful knowledge, experience, and education, a community may provide a broader overview regarding the underlying details that law enforcement may be missing. Utilizing data collected by way of a convenience sample survey conducted with Kent State University students, this project examines students’ opinions of factors that contribute to crime and how they would like to see crime resolved. Given concerns about campus safety, this research seeks to inform the current literature on issues of crime reduction. |
Student Run Pop-Up Shops Build A Unified Community While Providing Retail Experience and Promotion of Student Creativity04/05/2018A problem on campus is that students do not have a proper outlet to sell their creations. In response, this proposal is to better Kent State University by creating the opportunity for students of all majors to promote themselves by selling new merchandise that they have created and/or old items, in good condition, for which they no longer have use. Furthermore, this will extend the opportunity to have businesses from downtown Kent connect with the University, creating a more close-knit community. This will start as a temporary concept to gain knowledge about what locations, products, and times are best for this operation. With better understanding and support, the program will become a more permanent and regular function. This is an excellent way for people to promote themselves and gain business experience by utilizing their talents and Kent’s available resources while showcasing the University’s values of its students. |
Stressed Out: A Survey of Income, Work Ethic, and Home Life04/05/2018As part of the requirements for experiential learning, our Spring 2018 Research Methods class has conducted an anonymous survey study. In this study, we asked a series of questions, including income, work ethic and home life. We hypothesize that 1) having animal(s) at home will reduce stress levels compared to having children at home, 2) being single is less stressful than being married, divorced, or widowed, 3) having a high work ethic will increase your stress levels, and 4) having a higher income increases stress in life. Data collection is ongoing for this project and will conclude in early March 2018. |
Solution for Make-up Artists Bound to a Wheelchair04/05/2018After discovering the vast amount of people living their life in a wheelchair, it is disappointing to see their limitations within the fashion industry. Finding a product that benefits a specific career for their needs is essential and not a priority in the world. In discovering the difficulties of workspace access for make-up artists bound to a wheelchair, we created a solution through making a detachable table and make-up bag. This allows for the customer to easily transfer necessities from home to the appointment while also having access to her beauty products alongside. The table we designed allows a handle for easy transportation with velcro on the bottom allowing adaptability for multiple arm chair sizes. Snaps are located at the end of the table where the make-up bag is attached. The bag has multiple compartments that display the utensils in an organized fashion. This makes it easier to access and allow for a smoother consultation. For a compact travel opportunity, the bag can be folded to protect the materials for moving to the next client. As a whole, each of these details allow for a successful career in the make-up industry without facing limitations. |
Shifting Images: Architecture and identity in the Second Spanish Republic 1931-193704/05/2018The Spanish Pavilion of the 1937 Paris international expo designed by Lluis Sert and Joseph Luis Lacasa and the Nuevos Ministerios (Madrid) designed by Secundino Zuazo; Commissioned by the same government, represents a shift of communication of two very different traditions that are presented to the rest of the world. What does the shift in architectural style from traditional to modern mean for the Second Spanish Republic? How much of the architectural development and the overall image of Spanish architecture is dictated by the government of the Second Spanish Republic? Zuazo’s Nuevos Ministerios represents the past and everything the Second Spanish Republic represented, while the Spanish Pavilion represented a new approach to Spanish architecture. This research project will further develop the findings of others and shed new light on governmental involvement in the display of identity fitting of Spain. The Second republican government’s involvement in the representation of an architectural identity has presented a shift in Spain’s image to the world, one of traditional preservation and another of 20th century modernism. In order to approach this concept in its appropriate contexts, the use of primary and secondary sources, such as books, journals, and exerts. From historians such as: Stafford Katherine, Lilia Maure Rubio in her book; Secundino Zuazo Arquitecto, Carlos Flores, and Masterson Algar. Comparing and contrasting, proving and disproving, as well as agreeing or disagreeing with the evidence to support my argument. |
Service Learning at Women's Center04/05/2018Being culturally competent is a beneficial skill as a public health professional. As a Community Based Public Health major I will be spending a majority of my time working with the community. The Women’s Center at Kent State University strives to help women live healthy lives by providing a variety of services. The focus of my service was to work with the Pantry and Career Closet. These areas helped individuals, both men and women at Kent State to have access to items such as food and career clothes. My service allowed me to work with people of different cultures and allowed me to get to know them on a personal level. This enabled me to develop my skills and knowledge in cultural competency and sensitivity. My time at the Women’s Center prepared me to be more comfortable and understanding of many cultures. |
Service Learning at Cleveland Clinic04/05/2018In the fall semester of 2017 I had a service-learning experience at the Cleveland Clinic Solon Family Health Center. The Family Health Center had a problem getting patients to return for vaccinations, especially the multiple series vaccines. Because the center lacked time and resources, I was able to intern with them to assist and help improve the vaccination rates. I reviewed the files and information regarding vaccinations and developed a protocol for calling patients. These phone calls were used for setting vaccination appointments as well as educating patients on vaccines. Another project I worked on was assisting patients with living wills and advanced directives. Once patients received their paperwork for these items, I would call and assist them through the information as well as answer any questions they had. I completed volunteer training and certifications prior to any work. Throughout my time at Cleveland Clinic, I gained proficiency with health care software, medical record indexing, and patient communications. During my service-learning experience I was able to help hundreds of patients, as well as gain real-world medical experience. |
Seasonal Trends in Road Salt Runoff in Semi-Urban Constructed Wetlands04/05/2018In areas that receive snow, road salts are applied to impervious surfaces to clear the snow and ice. The resulting liquid water carries these dissolved salt ions with it to nearby waterways as runoff. The increasing salinity of urban aquatic ecosystems is a potential hazard to aquatic life, and while many studies have investigated the behavior of road salts in streams and lakes, little has been done to examine wetlands. We investigate the type and quantity of salts found in two semi-urban constructed wetlands on Kent State University’s campus in northeast Ohio. Combining high resolution conductivity data with less frequent surface water samples that determine the concentrations of road salt components (chloride, acetate, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) results in a robust data set that describes the response of urban wetlands to the application of road salt. Conductivity is measured with in situ sensors that give the relative amount of ions in the water, and surface water samples are analyzed via ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy to describe and quantify the composition. Preliminary results indicate that indices of salt are extremely variable (specific conductivity ranges 689-22300 μs/cm; chloride ranges 74-423 mg/L), and are elevated in the winter months. Insights into salt trends in wetlands, and their potential hazards to aquatic life, can be used to help managers of constructed wetlands make more informed decisions about which salts could minimize negative environmental impacts while still maintaining safe roadways. |
Saving the World Through Sewing04/05/2018The name of the project being developed is called “Saving the World Through Sewing”. My group is developing this project to inspire others to recycle and use their old items to create something new. In fashion, there is a lot of fabric waste. We wish to use fabric from old clothing items to either weave or sew fabric together to make a new fabric for recycled furniture. This project will encourage creative thinking by showing my fellow college students that is possible to save the world though recycling. Students will hopefully be careful about purchasing goods from companies who choose to waste fabric and other goods that can be harmful to the earth and the creatures who live upon it. They will hopefully recycle old things and turn them into something new. “The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that, in terms of carbon emissions, the amount of clothing already recycled each year is equivalent to taking one million cars off the road. But Americans still throw away 13 million tons of textiles — about 85 percent of their clothes — each year, accounting for 9 percent of total non-recycled waste.” (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-to-stop-13-million-tons-of-clot…) |
Role of Hemoglobin in the Nucleus of Neurons04/05/2018Expression of hemoglobin has been found to be expressed in neurons in both humans and rodents. In certain parts of the brain, specifically in the cortex, hippocampus, and substantia nigra, hemoglobin alpha and beta subunit mRNAs and proteins have been found. Both of the hemoglobin subunits, Hba and Hbb, are localized in the cytoplasm but only Hbb is found in the nucleus. Another study found that Hba immunoreactivity in mouse neurons from the cortical and hippocampal neurons in axons and dendrites but observed no Hba in the nucleus. We identified Hbb interacting proteins by performing co-immunoprecipitation and then liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results of the co-IP and LC-MS showed there is a relationship between Hbb and both mitochondrial and nuclear proteins including histones in both rat and human brain primary neurons. Combining the results of our research with previous studies show promising results that could reveal how the expression of hemoglobin and the localization of hemoglobin in the brain changes with different environment conditions. These findings are important to understand the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Parkinson’s disease because each disease has been linked to the misexpression or subcellular localization of neuronal hemoglobin. To better understand the consequences of altered hemoglobin I am studying hemoglobin subcellular localization and the effects of inflammation. |
Reducing Food and Housing Insecurity at Kent State04/05/2018Public Health students in the Public Health Interventions I class at Kent State University took the initiative to understand the issue of housing insecurity and hunger at and around Kent State. We were surprised at the extent of the problem, and decided to host an event at the campus student center to create awareness. We hoped to motivate action by passing out paper bags filled with information regarding hunger and a small snack. We took pictures to post on our various social media pages to spread the word, and came up with the hashtag fight fhi, or fight food and housing insecurity. The results of our initiative showed us that food insecurity is more common that we realized, and we can no longer stay quiet about this threat to public health. |
Re-Use-A-Bowl04/05/2018One of the biggest issues on college campuses are waste that is being put into landfills by students and faculty. This trash greatly damages our environment. As a solution, Re-use-a-bowl is a new, green way to get meals at Kent State University dining halls. Currently, students use cardboard takeout containers to get food. After finishing the food, students throw away containers in a trash can already full of other containers. Instead of using disposable cardboard boxes, students can use plastic containers and reuse them. The Re-use-a-bowl plastic containers are easily washable and will undoubtedly help the environment and the local Kent community. The Re-use-a-bowl containers will also greatly reduce trash at Kent State University and save thousands of dollars within the first year of switching. |
RACK1 regulates axon outgrowth and point contact formation through local translation in developing neurons04/05/2018During development, neurons must extend processes and make connections with their appropriate targets. This process is dependent on multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms, and if disrupted, neurodevelopmental disorders can result. We previously demonstrated that Receptor for activated C kinase (RACK1), a ribosomal scaffolding protein, regulates the adhesion and motility of developing neurons through its regulation of point contacts, adhesion points located in the tips of pathfinding axons. Furthemore, RACK1 regulates the local translation of β-actin mRNA, which is necessary for appropriate axon guidance. However, RACK1 has multiple signaling and ribosomal functions, and how the ribosomal binding function of RACK1 contributes to neural development is unknown, Thus, we specifically investigated the ribosomal binding function of RACK1 in point contact formation, axonal outgrowth, and local translation. We overexpressed RACK1-WT, RACK1-DE (a mutant form of RACK1 that cannot bind ribosomes) or a control construct in embryonic mouse cortical neurons. Immunocytochemistry was performed, followed by quantification of point contact formation, axon outgrowth, and local translation of β-actin. Overexpression of RACK1-DE inhibited BDNF-induced point contact formation, and also led to a significant decrease in axonal outgrowth. We are currently examining whether �-actin protein levels decrease following overexpression of RACK1-DE; this is expected because RACK1 mediates the local translation of �-actin. Together, these experiments show that local translation mediated by RACK1 regulates adhesion and axon outgrowth in the developing nervous system. We previously identified aberrant expression of RACK1 in Down syndrome, and thus these results have implications for the pathogenesis of this neurodevelopmental disorder. |
Queer and Black: How Black LGBT Students Navigate Life04/05/2018This study will explore how young queer black students conceptualize their blackness in relation to other aspects of their identity. We will conduct in-depth interviews with several university students between the ages of 18 and 24 who self-identify as Black and as members of the LGBTQ+ community. There is a lot of discrimination in the Black community towards Black people who identify as LGBTQ+; the high levels of religiosity present in Black culture (Sherkat, 2002) as well as the emphasis on preserving Black male masculinity in the face of dehumanizing and emasculating oppression (Kilanski, 2003; Riggs et. al. 2004) contributes to the homophobia. As a result, homophobia has remained prevalent in many Black spaces, a fact which alienates Black LGBTQ+ members. However, while many non-Black LGBTQ+ people can find safety and acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community, there is still an element of racism that exists within the LGBTQ+ community which still ostracizes Black members. Queer Black youths must then navigate these two communities which often oppose each other and the youths themselves. Through this study we hope to understand this process of navigation and how it affects their identity, experiences, and worldviews. |
Qualitative Analysis of College Men's Perceptions of Sex04/05/2018Objective: The goal of this study is to use qualitative analysis to explore college men’s understanding and perceptions of sexual activity. Background: College is understood to be a time for young adults to gain independence and explore new aspects and activities of life, including relationships and sexual activities. One problematic outcome of this exploration is sexual violence; 25% of college men perpetrate sexual violence of some type. To better understand the causes and experience of sexual violence, it is important to understand the way college men perceive sex and sexual activities. Subjects: The participants recruited were Kent State college men, n = 472. Methods: Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) was used to code college men’s responses to two questions: “How would you define sexual activity?” and “What does it mean to have sex?” Results: Nine major themes emerged: Methods, Language/Communications, Reasons for Sex, People Involved in Sex, Outcomes/Consequences, Experiential, Assumptions of Sex, Male-Centric View, and Imperatives. Each of these main themes contains multiple sub-themes. Discussion/ Conclusion: The emergence of multiple themes indicates the complexity of college men’s thinking regarding sexual activity. One of the major themes that emerged is male-centric thinking, which is characterized by responses placing emphasis only on the participants’s experience of sex and lacking prioritization of their partner’s sexual experience . This lack of prioritization could be a possible explanation for what attitudes lead to the behavior of sexual violence perpetrated by college men. |
Pyrite Morphology, Texture, and Trace Metals Across a Weathering Profile (from Parent Rock to Soil) of Ohio Coal Shales04/05/2018Acid mine drainage refers to the acidic outflow of water from a mining site caused by the weathering of pyrite, FeS2, which is present in coal. Oxidation of pyrite, within underground mine work and surface waste, releases sulfuric acid and metals, such as nickel, cobalt, arsenic, and lead into surface and subsurface waters. AMD negatively impacts water quality, wildlife, and human health. The aim of this study was to determine changes in pyrite particle size, morphology, texture, and composition during the weathering of the parent coal-shale rock. This was accomplished by collecting scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) element maps of pyrite in the following materials: (1) the parent coal-shale rock; (2) rock powder before and after simulated weathering; and (3) soils developing on historic mine waste. Shale samples were crushed to 63, 250, and 2000 µm and subjected to an artificial weathering process over several months to observe if particle size impacted the degree of weathering and its effect on mineral morphology. Soils were collected at various depths and prepared as thin sections. The commonest morphologies and textures seen were framboidal, octahedral, porous, oxidation rims, and replacement textures. Oxidation rim textures are most abundant in the soils. Iron and sulfur oxide concentrations observed over a range of particle sizes (1 µm to 2000 µm) and surface topographies (uniform to highly variable) indicate that oxidation increases as particle size decreases. Preliminary results suggest the release of AMD worsens as topography and particle surface area increase. |
Promoting Exercise by Exploring Expectations of and Desire for Physical and Mental Affective Benefits04/05/2018Prior research has demonstrated that inducing positive expectations of exercise (e.g., that exercise can make people feel better mentally or improve mood) can lead to greater self-reported exercise intentions and behavior. We expanded upon these findings by making a distinction between affect that is experienced mentally (e.g., feel better mentally) versus physically (e.g., bodies feel better) and affect high (e.g., energized) versus low (e.g., calm) in arousal. We examined whether messages that described different types of affective benefits led to greater intentions to exercise, compared to information about health benefits (the control conditions), and further hypothesized that affect experienced mentally versus physically would lead to higher intentions. Participants were 323 adults recruited online through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions in a 3 (expectation: positive affect low arousal vs. positive affect high arousal vs. health benefits) x 2 (type of benefit: mental vs. physical) design. Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find any differences in intentions to exercise across groups. We did find that participants in the physical benefit conditions reported lower expected fatigue after exercising than the mental benefit conditions. The main effects and interactions on other outcomes of interest were nonsignificant. The null results may have occurred if our manipulation was not strong enough and participants were not sufficiently engaged due to the online nature of the study. It is also possible that these distinctions between affect do not actually influence intentions to exercise. |
Phase Separation in Necrotic Cells04/05/2018Necrotic cells are known to develop characteristic membrane blebs. We measured the protein concentration within necrotic blebs and found that it can be reduced by as much as twenty-fold compared to the main cell body (CB). These results raise two questions: 1. Why do proteins vacate the bleb? and 2. How can osmotic equilibrium be maintained between the bleb and CB? Our photobleaching and ultracentrifugation experiments indicate extensive protein aggregation. We hypothesize that protein aggregation within the CB shifts the chemical equilibrium and draws proteins out of the bleb; at the same time, aggregation reduces the effective molar concentration of protein in the CB, so that osmotic equilibrium between high-protein CB and low-protein necrotic blebs becomes possible. |
Perceptions of Homeschooling04/05/2018Homeschooling has become an increasingly popular form of educating children over the years, with many studies showing homeschooling to be beneficial for the academic and personal well-being of students. In spite of the potential benefits of homeschooling, research suggests that this educational minority may be stigmatized and stereotyped. This stigmatization and stereotyping, if internalized, can negatively affect how these individuals view themselves, which is subsequently associated with lower self-esteem. Researchers have compared the self-esteem of homeschoolers relative to their non-homeschooled peers, yet little research exists examining how stereotypes affect homeschoolers, including the extent to which they internalize stereotypes and whether their self-esteem is affected by these stereotypes. Using an online survey of 540 respondents, this study seeks to address this gap in literature by examining public and self-perceptions of homeschoolers, as well as the association between self-perceptions and self-esteem. It is hypothesized that those homeschoolers who have internalized negative perceptions will possess lower self-esteem relative to those who have not internalized negative perceptions. Preliminary findings suggest that public perceptions of homeschooling are consistent with common stereotypes, and that internalizing these (positive and negative) stereotypes is associated with self-esteem for individuals who have been homeschooled. |
Patterns of RNA editing in the Human Nervous system04/05/2018RNA editing plays a critical role in the physiological development and functional plasticity of the human nervous system. The most common editing transition is adenosine (A) to guanine (G) substitution catalyzed by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes. ADAR expression is in part controlled by interferon stimulated response elements (ISRE), thus linking expression with innate immune response against viral infection. The most studied ADAR sites are in the coding region for glutamate receptors which are involved in both development and plasticity of nervous cells. The role of dysregulated ratios of RNA editing sites in the disease pathogenesis requires a clearer understanding of the role of RNA editing in normal neuronal development and healthy tissues. Here we begin to delineate the normal RNA-editing patterns seen throughout neural development as well as in different areas of the brain in adult samples. Relevant RNA-seq data samples were collected from the SRA database and analyzed using AIDD pipeline, designed in our lab for exploring transcriptome diversity. ADAR isoform expression as well as many other transcripts involved in neural developmental pathways are highlighted. In addition to isoform differential expression, RNA editing sites will be identified in all datasets. This compilation of RNA editing patterns across multiple RNA-seq datasets from nervous tissues at various stages of development will help highlight new protein targets for future studies. |
Organic Cotton in the Athlesiure Market04/05/2018The objective of proposing Organic Cotton in the Athleisure market is to integrate organic cotton as a staple fiber in the newly formed Athleirsure market. The first step of beginning the process of integration would be to raise public awareness, which will develop a positive perception of the fiber. By developing a positive perception this increases the need for organic cotton in the Athleisure market, resulting in the cotton industry capitalizing on market share in this critical and fast growing market. Ways to develop competitveness in this market segment will be through research. Researching what other fabrics and fibers complement organic cotton will develop many different avenues organic cotton can be used in. Thus creating a positive perception of organic cotton in athleisure market.The outcomes we expect to receive are changing the way consumers view organic cotton and an increased use of organic cotton in the Athleisure market. |
Optimization of Solar Panels through Form Finding04/05/2018Use of solar panels is rapidly increasing throughout the world as programs are in place to advocate for this technology. Unfortunately, due to solar patterns, many locations are impractical leading designers to ask how could design be adapted for use in areas they are currently considered ineffective? A study of sun orientations across the cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; Anaheim California; and Vancouver, Canada provides reference points indicating angles of optimum sun hours among each location. Digital 3D models are developed based on each city’s datum, creating numerous forms in response. Models are then tested through digital software to understand the effect of each form with respect to their proper cities as well as improper cities. Further iterations are created and tested based on previous results. Optimized solar panel designs are then 3D printed in scaled versions to investigate the systematic assembly and interaction. Each city generates a specific form that is unique to its location. This study intends to broaden the field of solar panel design and strives to create prototypes that react to specific locations and climates. Key Words: Altitude, Azimuth, Orientation, Solstice |
Ophidia04/05/2018Ophidia Katie Crum The research for my fashion collection was investigating how the ready to wear market can incorporate artisan work to provide consumers quality, lasting garments that are distinctive. The inspiration for this collection was from the texture’s found from a snake’s lifespan. The fast fashion industry moves quickly, trying to keep up with new trends. This cycle is creating a huge amount of textile waste. The mass production of garments is lowering the quality of the garments and this fast pace industry is leaving out craftsmanship. The goal for this collection is to bring back the idea of celebrating artisan work while trying to be more sustainable in textile development. How can artisan work be incorporated into the ready to wear market to create better quality garments and approach a more sustainable development of cloth? I began investigating how sustainability can be approached by the fast fashion industry through up-cycling. By taking apart second hand jeans and re-cutting them into strips I was able to develop a new textile. In addition, I fabricated more textiles through creating new prints, weaving fabric and knitting full-fashioned garments. I incorporated fur with grommets on the surface to create a new scale like texture. The color palate consisted of black and white so the focus was on surface design and textures. The collection consists eight looks, which incorporate different textiles and surface designs inspired from textures found in a snake’s lifespan. The collection successfully integrated artisan craftsmanship with sustainable methods to create distinctive clothes. |
Nurses on Boards in the State of Ohio04/05/2018A 2010 report by the Institute of Medicine identified nursing as a key element in healthcare reform efforts. As a result, state and national coalitions formed to increase the number of nurses serving on boards. Despite these efforts, nurses remain underrepresented on all types of boards, including decision-making boards at a local and state level. This descriptive study involved the analysis of 53 state-level boards in Ohio. Using a master list of boards compiled by the Ohio Nurses on Boards Coalition, Information about each board was collected from agency websites and analyzed to determine board purpose and composition, including the presence of nurses on the board. Data was gathered and synthesized into a matrix for comparison. Findings: Three (5.6%) boards had nurses on them. Further, out of 509 total state board members, only 13 (2.5%) were nurses. Boards with nurse board members serving include the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, Ohio Board of Nursing, and the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services. Though nurses serve on these health-related boards, all other health-related boards were lacking nursing representation. Nurses provide an essential role in other boards at a state level due to their compassion, regard for the community, leadership abilities, and decision-making skills. Nurses must advocate for themselves and actively pursue roles in both local and state boards as they make valuable additions to many types of decision-making boards. |
Nurse Staffing Legislation04/05/2018Nurse staffing remains a complex issue with conflicting solutions proposed by stakeholders. Consensus remains elusive, with varying staffing policies state by state. Prominent efforts to address suboptimal staffing include legislation mandating specific nurse-to-patient ratios. Opponents of mandated ratios cite inadequate evidence, declining reimbursement, abdication of nursing judgement and practice-autonomy, and a lack of consideration of other complex factors such as nurse education, skills, experience, and patient acuity. Alternative efforts include legislation mandating public reporting, limiting mandatory overtime, and staffing committees and plans. This poster will offer a comparison of state legislative models to address nurse staffing challenges from Ohio, California, Indiana, and Michigan. Arguments in support and in opposition of the various legislative models will also be presented. |
Natural High-Tech: Engineering Cotton04/05/2018The concept of genetic engineering has seemingly developed an unpopular stigma, especially when it comes to food, but in regards to cotton, genetically modifying this plant and its agriculture process has become a necessity for survival. There are too few cotton consumers that are educated and/or interested about the concept of genetic engineering, and those that are aware of this topic generally have a negative view. Although genetic engineering is unfavorable to the public eye, cotton is now being developed and reconstructed in ways that produce higher-quality fibers while avoiding harmful chemicals. The need to not only market, but properly inform, of these benefits that genetically modified cotton contrives is our main objective, and in order to achieve this, we must first evaluate the level of consumers’ awareness and their perceptions. We will use a Content Analysis approach with information gathered from social media users’ interactions regarding the topic. Our purpose is to eventually reveal the realistic ugliness of the cotton market without the advancements of genetic engineering to gain consumers’ attention. After showing a horrifying world riddled with pollution, chemically-induced disease, and unsustainable practices, the concept will shift to cotton, genetic modification, and the immensely pertinent, positive effects they have on our world. After successfully gathering scientific evidence as well as social media related research, this information will be reviewed to help devise proper consumer education and marketing strategies to improve the understanding about sustainability within the fashion industry. |
Natural High-Tech: Engineering Cotton04/05/2018The concept of genetic engineering has seemingly developed an unpopular stigma, especially when it comes to food, but in regards to cotton, genetically modifying this plant and its agriculture process has become a necessity for survival. There are too few cotton consumers that are educated and/or interested about the concept of genetic engineering, and those that are aware of this topic generally have a negative view. Although genetic engineering is unfavorable to the public eye, cotton is now being developed and reconstructed in ways that produce higher-quality fibers while avoiding harmful chemicals. The need to not only market, but properly inform, of these benefits that genetically modified cotton contrives is our main objective, which we will execute through social media platforms. With an emotional approach combined with subtle scare-tactics, these advertisements displayed on social media will portray the realistic ugliness of the cotton market without the advancements of genetic engineering to gain the viewer’s attention. After showing a horrifying world riddled with pollution, chemically-induced disease, and unsustainable practices, the concept will shift to cotton, genetic modification, and the immensely pertinent, positive effects they have on our world. After successfully marketing the benefits of genetically engineered cotton, consumers will have a better understanding of the positive contributions that this process has to offer to the industry, as well as a stronger stride towards an overall sustainable market. These factors will help continue pushing production towards greater and bigger advancements in the industry. |
Musculoskeletal Phenotypes and Locomotor Ability Across Inbred Strains of House Mice (Mus musculus)04/05/2018Locomotion is important across mammals, and how body size and limb length correlate to locomotor performance can be critical to survival. However, we know little about the genetic architecture of limbs in mammals. Our goals were: 1) quantitatively characterize variation in limb lengths across inbred strains of house mice; 2) characterize the genetic architecture of phenotypic variation in limb elements; and 3) relate phenotypic variation in limb elements to measures of locomotor performance. We analyzed, using the SYSTAT program, limb dimensions of 435 females from 42 inbred mouse strains commonly used in laboratory research and compared them to body size. We found that fore- and hind-limb length were significantly different among strains demonstrating genetic contributions to limb lengths. Broad-sense genetic heritability (G2), or the ratio of total genetic to phenotypic variance, ranged from 0.80 (fore- and hindlimb length) to 0.27 (toe length) suggesting that a modest to considerable percentage of limb length is genetically determined in these mice. All limb dimensions exhibited strong genetic correlations with body weight, while limb shapes demonstrated negative correlations with body weight suggesting a size-correlated decrease in relative limb length across house mice. Among limb elements, we saw the highest genetic correlations in the hindlimb and between homologous elements of the limbs. Finally, we observed few correlations between limb elements and performance measures suggesting size plays a more significant role in performance than limb proportions. Overall, our results suggest that mice represent a strong model for studying the genetic architecture of limb elements in mammals. |
Muscle thermogenesis in female rats shows no change over the estrous cycle04/05/2018Obesity in the United States has become a more prevalent issue with increased food accessibility and decreased physical activity. One way to counteract obesity focuses on increasing kilocalories burned through generating heat. Abundant interest focuses on white and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis, while less is know about the regulators of thermogenesis in skeletal muscle. Our laboratory recently found heat production in rat skeletal muscle after exposure to the odor of a natural predator (ferret). The scent of the predator activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing activation of muscle thermogenesis. Thus far, we only demonstrated this effect in male rats and mice. The goal of this study was to establish whether female rats also show predator odor-induced muscle thermogenesis, and to ascertain if it varied over the estrous cycle. Diestrus and proestrus phases were confirmed using cytology, and predator odor-induced thermogenesis was assessed at both phases. Rats were exposed to predator or control odors, and muscle temperatures were measured using transponders implanted in gastrocnemius (leg) muscle. I identified induction of heat in female rat skeletal muscle in response to predator odor compared to control. There was no detectable difference between proestrus and diestrus phases of the estrous cycle. From this, I concluded that predator odor induces a significant increase in muscle thermogenesis in females rats similar to what we have seen in male rats, independent of the female estrous cycle. This increase in muscle thermogenesis, regardless of sex, promotes negative energy balance and can be harnessed to counter obesity. |
Molecular typing of Streptococcus pyogenes isolates collected at a Mongolian Hospital (Ullanbaatar, Mongolia)04/05/2018Molecular typing of Streptococcus pyogenes isolates collected at a Mongolian Hospital (Ullanbaatar, Mongolia) Samantha Mackey1, Dipendra Thapaliya1, Jhalka Kadariya1, Bulgan Davaadash2, and Tara C. Smith1 1 Kent State University, College of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology, Kent, Ohio 2 Bacteriological Reference Laboratory, National Center for Communicable Diseases, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Streptococcus pyogenes is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing an estimated 1.8 million cases and 517,000 deaths each year. S. pyogenes infection disproportionately affects low-income countries where routine surveillance is not available. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology and antibiotic resistance patters of clinically relevant S. pyogenes isolates to better understand the burden in this under-served population. A convenience sample of 41 S. pyogenes isolates collected between 2007 and 2016 by the Bacteriological Reference Laboratory, National Center for Communicable Diseases, Ullanbaatar, Mongolia, and sent to our lab for molecular typing. The emm gene was sequenced and emm type was assigned. We also carried out multi-locus sequence typing (MLST); antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out via the Vitek-2 system. We observed 18 distinct emm types among the 41 S. pyogenes isolates. stG6792.0 was the most common emm type, accounting for almost one-third of the isolates followed by emm2.0 and emm 82.0. A total of seven sequence types (STs) were detected among 15 tested isolates. The most common ST type was ST55 accounting for one-third of the isolates. Additional MLST analysis is in progress. Most of the isolates were susceptible to all tested drugs. The findings of this study provided some insights regarding the molecular characteristics of S. pyogenes in Mongolia that will be crucial for future surveillance studies. The information about antibiotic susceptibility patterns and molecular types can help to devise better treatment strategies for S. pyogenes infections, and inform vaccine development. Key words: Streptococcus pyogenes, Mongolia, emm typing, multi-locus sequence typing, drug resistant |
Minimizing Plastic Bag Usage at Kent State04/05/2018This project identifies the need for plastic bag recycling on the Kent campus because the plastic bags like those used at the markets have negative environmental effects. Markets like Eastway and Prentice and other dining locations use plastic bags that cannot be recycled in the single-stream recycling used at Kent State. These plastic bags then end up in landfills and oceans, harming wildlife and people alike. By surveying student attitudes about environmental issues, interviewing members of the Sustainability department, and researching the effects of plastic bags on people, the animals, and the environment, we have concluded that Kent State should make plastic bag recycling receptacles accessible to students and faculty. We have also concluded that the university should provide one reusable bag to each student and incentivise the use of reusable bags at the markets. |
Microscopic Wonders: The Correlation Between Zooplankton and Phytoplankton04/05/2018The purpose of this research is to identify several abiotic and biotic factors that correlate with the most robust zooplankton populations in several northeastern Ohio reservoirs. Characterized as vital members of marine and aquatic ecosystems and forming the base of many marine and aquatic food webs in conjunction with phytoplankton, zooplankton require competent levels of phytoplankton in their community to flourish. Phytoplankton, being buoyant microorganisms containing chlorophyll, in turn depend upon abundant levels of sunlight and inorganic nutrients, such as phosphorous and nitrogen, to sustain their populations in aquatic environments. Water samples were taken from Lake Rockwell, Walbourne Reservoir, and Deercreek Reservoir in 2016 and 2017. Through the use of ion chromatography, lachat, and flourometer analyzing techniques, levels of soluble reactive phosphorous, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium were obtained for these Akron and Alliance reservoirs. These abiotic factors were then compared to amounts of phytoplankton and zooplankton within both areas, gathered via microscopy. Preliminary data suggests that higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorous correlate with higher levels of phytoplankton, which consecutively correspond to higher levels of zooplankton in our study reservoirs; however, further data analysis is to be completed. |
Methods to Enhance Contrast in MRI Scans Using Nanoparticles04/05/2018MRI scans use a combination of radio waves and magnetic fields to create an image of tissues within the body. In recent experiments, MRI is being used to image the vasculature of the brain and parts of the hypothalamus. Using contrast agents in MRI, it is possible to gain enhanced detail in acquired images. A contrast agent can improve the signal of tissues during a scan. The typical agent used is Magnevist (Gadolinium-DTPA). One issue with Magnevist is that the gadolinium portion can become toxic by becoming unattached from the rest of the molecule. The Kent State Chemistry Department has recently synthesized two new nanoparticles, a gadolinium-based nanoparticle (GdNP) and a gold-based nanoparticle. GdNP is approximately ten times stronger than Gd-DTPA allowing the GdNP to provide the same contrast enhancement with ten percent of the concentration needed with Magnevist. Targeting agents further decrease the number of molecules needed for the desired image, by binding to specific areas of the tissues being researched. This reduces the toxicity of the Gd by having less enter the body. The targeting agents used are fluorogold (FG) and evans blue (EB). FG targets neuroendocrine cells in the hypothalamus while EB targets serum albumin (SA) in the blood vessels. The nanoparticles being worked with bind to EB or FG, allowing the SA or the neuroendocrine cells to contrast more with the surrounding tissue. Beyond MRI, these nanoparticle techniques can also be used in microscopy. |
Metal Content of Kent State Stormwaters04/05/2018Metals like zinc and lead are toxic in small quantities and can only be removed from water with expensive processes. Kent State University is considered a municipality by the EPA and as such is responsible for managing the quantity and quality of its stormwater. There are many urban sources of metals, including brake dust from cars, roof flashing, various galvanized metal products, and storm grates. We collected over 170 samples during storm events and measured particulate Fe, Zn, Ni, Pb, Mn, and Cu in stormwater draining portions of the KSU campus. Median metal concentrations in stormwater were 1655 ug Fe/L, 81 ug Mn/L, 44 ug Zn/L, 3.8 ug Cu/L, 1.85 ug Ni/L, 4.6 ug Pb/L, but maximum concentrations ranged from 5–40 times higher than medians. Zn and Pb both saw spikes in particulate concentrations above the probable effect concentration. This means there is a strong chance for the particles to cause harm to biota that come into contact with the stormwater sediment. These results will assist in future studies to further the understanding of metal behavior in stormwater. |
Manufactured Main Streets: Defining and analyzing a new type of retail development04/05/2018As shopping malls decline and the big-box era wanes, a new trend in retail development is emerging. The Manufactured Main Street (MMS) is a mixed-use outdoor shopping center that imitates the look of the traditional small-town main street, but retains the private commercial elements of the shopping mall. This study is an analysis of these sites, which are well-documented in real estate literature, but have not been thoroughly examined beyond this field. A more thorough analysis of these projects, considered through the critical perspective of the urban geography, defines these developments, and creates a typology of the different forms that MMSs in the U.S. take using case studies of projects in Ohio and content analysis of real estate literature. Research shows that MMS are created through three different processes: downtown addition, downtown creation and demalling. Case studies of MMSs indicate a progression from the traditional main street and shopping malls, highlighting the intersection between for-profit development and a nostalgia that permeates our built landscape. This critical reading of the landscape examines issues of privatization of public space and criticisms of resultant urban sprawl. |
Lockdown: A Closer Look Into A School Shooting04/05/2018This research examines the event and effects of the 2012 high school shooting in Chardon, Ohio. Besides from the media, very little information was published concerning this event, and it is not talked about today. This being said, our goal is to write a book to provide the public more insight into events such as these, give the victims a voice, and determine factors that can allow our generation to stop these heinous acts. The goal of our research is to determine an explanation for this event, as well as gain insight about the survivors, including discussions about their families’ and friends’ struggles. The focus of this book is mainly on qualitative methods, including interviews, our own research interactions and our field observations, and textual analysis. Interviews will be conducted with a variety of people; including, but not limited to: surviving victims; families of both the deceased and living victims; eyewitnesses; those directly involved in the case, including defense attorneys and prosecutor; among others. This book also contains our own personal empirical accounts of these experiences, creating a more journalistic-style. However, it does also include some statistical and data analysis based on secondary data. With all of the continued gun violence today, we feel this is an especially important topic to present about. We hope this presentation will help provide some relief for those affected by the crime, as well as to provide direct emotional and research insight to help the public to understand these events and their implications. |
Localization of the G-Protein Coupled Estrogen Receptor 1 in the Developing Zebra Finch Syrinx04/05/2018In songbirds, the vocal organ (syrinx) is located at the junction of the trachea and the bronchi. Males and females use this structure to vocalize, but in select species, males additionally utilize the syrinx to produce song for courtship and nest defense. In parallel with this behavioral ability, certain features of the syrinx such as mass and muscle fiber size are greater in males compared to females. How these dimorphisms arise, however, is not known. Estradiol is believed to contribute, but the mechanisms of its action are not clear. The nuclear estrogen receptors (ERa and ERb) have limited expression within the syrinx suggesting that another receptor(s) is required. One possibility is the membrane-bound G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). This receptor is expressed in the zebra finch brain and antagonism of it affects the volume of select song control nuclei (a dimorphic feature). As a step towards understanding whether GPER1 is important for dimorphisms in the syrinx we analyzed its expression during ‘snap shot’ ages of development. Male and female zebra finches were collected at post-hatching (P) days 15 (n=4 males, 2 females), P25 (n=7 males, 6 females), P30 (n=9 males, 5 females), and P35 (n=3 males, 2 females). Animals were perfused, the syrinxes collected, sectioned on a cryostat, and processed for GPER1 protein using standard immunohistological techniques. Data analysis is ongoing, but the prediction is that if GPER1 contributes to sex differences in the syrinx, its expression will be dimorphic at one or more of the examined ages. |
Literacy Assessment in Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students Using Miscue Analysis04/05/2018The problem that deaf/hard of hearing students tend to face is that their on standardized reading tests, scores tend to be significantly lower than that of their hearing peers. The aim of this study is to find ways we can improve literacy assessment in deaf/hard of hearing students that will lead to improved instruction. I will perform a miscue analysis with scored retelling, and compare this with the standardized test scores for one middle school age student. The student will read the story to the best of their ability and retell the story to assess their reading accuracy and comprehension. Once finished the evaluator critiques how he or she read the short story by marking the story with the following codes; omissions, additions, substitutions, self-correction and repetition, the student gets scored on how major or minor the misuses are (-1,.5). The total miscues are subtracted from the total words then divided by the total words to get a percentage. That percentage is the percent of words correctly read by the student. The student is asked to retell the story and is scored out of 10 to get a score on their comprehension. A 99% accuracy on the miscue analysis is considered excellent and an 85% or higher on the retelling is considered excellent. Based on the results that are found, teachers will implement interventions to improve the student's overall scores. This will be compared with the student’s latest Ohio and standardized test scores in terms of quality and type of information. |
Life on the Edge: Edge Effects of a Coastal Neotropical Forest on Benthic Macroinvertebrates04/05/2018Edge effects are the changes that occur at the boundary of two adjacent ecosystems and have long been described in the scientific literature as it regards to forest fragmentation and deforestation. Edge habitats often experience environmental conditions different than those found in the interior of forested ones and these differences have been found to impact the communities which form in these habitats. However, most literature on edge effects focuses on terrestrial systems and leaves a lack of studies into the effects of edge habitats on aquatic systems. Benthic macroinvertebrate communities of two neotropical streams in Campanario, Costa Rica were collected and assessed for differences in community structure between an edge and interior habitat. Greater abundance, taxa richness, and diversity was predicted to be found in the interior stream. Additionally, dissimilarity was predicted to be found in the communities of each habitat. A total of 116 specimens were collected representing 7 orders and 12 families. The interior stream was found have significantly greater abundance, richness, and diversity than the edge stream. Moreover, macroinvertebrate composition between habitats were found to be significantly dissimilar from each other. Additionally, a predominance of the shrimp family Palaemonidae was found in both streams. These results support previous research which suggest that the differences in terrestrial habitats influence aquatic systems too. Further study into the influence of edge effects on streams and other aquatic systems is needed as fragmentation of forested habitats continues due to an increased need for additional agricultural space. |
Legalism and Women: Rethinking Women’s Roles Within the Church04/05/2018This research paper explores the oppression of women within the Christian community. Through looking at biblical interpretation and theological ideas this paper uncovers the root and cause of violence against women that keeps them spiritually oppressed and inhibits their flourishing. Using analysis of scripture and exegesis of Biblical text, both in original Greek and in translation, I found mistranslations and interpretation of text that lead to the limitation of women's roles within the Church. I contend that these limitation do not let women to flourish spiritually, thus inhibiting their own point of salvation. |
Labeling is Out of Fashion: Technology Towards Sustainability in the Apparel Industry04/05/2018This project explores the approach of addressing sustainability on a global scale, by changing a small detail in the fashion industry. On every garment sold, hangtags and labels act as key communication tools between consumer and seller at point of purchase. Relating extensive product information, some of these minute pieces are mandated by law, others are attached for marketing and consumer convenience. Information relayed, ranges from the more concrete price and style numbers to the psychological aspects such as social concerns or ethics. All of this data is valuable, but fleeting as the tags and labels end up in landfills along with the 11 million tons of American textile waste. With 80 billion new garments being sold each year (Ross, 2015), the amount of materials and energy that go into making a static tag or label seems futile. Based on surveys given out and by experimenting with technology such as near field communication (NFC), this project discusses the potential of tackling the second most polluting industry in the world, by eliminating the traditional label. Improvements in supply chain management, consumer education, knockoff control and how they can contribute to increased sustainability are examined. |
KSU College of Public Health Hunger and Homelessness Week 201704/05/2018Homelessness is a widespread public health issue that affects college students across the United States and inhibits their academic and professional growth. Kent State University is not sheltered from homelessness which is demonstrated by ubiquitous anecdotal evidence experienced by many students here at Kent State University main campus. My public health interventions I class implemented an awareness-based intervention in the student center during Hunger and Homelessness Week with the ultimate goal being to reduce homelessness at Kent State University. Our community partner was Flashes Fighting Hunger which was an organization comprised of students and faculty dedicated to reducing hunger and homelessness at Kent State University. After the intervention was implemented, we found that the community discourse surrounding homelessness among students was lacking, and most importantly that there is a significant lack of quantitative evidence surrounding homelessness at Kent State University. |
Kent Retail White Space Opportunity: House of Anjali Apparel and Fitness04/05/2018Is fashion important to fitness participants? In recent years the trend of athletic wear as fashion called athleisure has become increasingly popular. There has also been an emphasis on health and fitness awareness. In a survey distributed to local Kent students and residents, we found that fitness is something that people are involved in quite regularly. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they attended group fitness classes multiple times a week, twenty-three percent responded that they attend fitness classes at least once a week, and fifteen percent said they attended at least once a month. These findings suggest that people are working out consistently and often. In our survey we also asked respondents how important fashion is to them in fitness. A majority (sixty-two percent) said they care to some extent about fashion when working out. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they care a lot about fashion in relation to fitness. That means eighty-eight percent of respondents care in some degree what they wear and how they look while working out which shows that there is a market for fashionable athletic wear. Going back to the athleisure trend, we were also curious to see how often people wear their athletic wear outside of fitness activities. We asked how likely respondents were to wear athleisure in their daily lives outside of fitness. Thirty-one percent said they wear the trend in their everyday wardrobe. Fifty-three percent said they wear the trend in their daily lives at least part of the time. |
Is Content Everything?04/05/2018My submission is a comparison between different fabrics and markets. The main research is to see if the audience can decipher between the three identical garments. One garment will be made by purchasing low quality fabric from JOANN, the second a higher quality fabric from Mood and the last is up-cycled from a local thrift shop. They will then be presented side by side without elucidation on the fabrics contents. The guests will guess which garment they think is which, and hopefully they will not be able to tell which is up-cycled. Incorporating price in the research is important as well, noting the economic difference. I will reveal the fabric contents at the end or somewhere accessible after a guess is made. The hope is to discover that up-cycled fabric functions well and is aesthetically comparable to its expensive counterpart. |
Investing the Role of Per2 in the Onset of Depression04/05/2018Depression affects roughly 350 million people worldwide. It is the number one psychological disorder in the western world, yet the biological cause of depression remains unknown. Antidotal evidence indicates disruption of normal circadian rhythms is associated with increased risk of depression, such as shift workers and those suffering from seasonal affective disorder. Preliminary data indicate that chronic stress results in decreased expression of Per2, a circadian clock gene, in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), which is a brain area known to regulate emotional responses. The aim of this research project is to investigate the role Per2 plays in regulating depressive like behaviors. The experimental design includes manipulating Per2 expression by injecting short inhibitory (si)RNA or control siRNA into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and examining the onset of depressive-like behaviors. I expect that the injection of siRNA Per2 in the BNST will reduce Per2 expression and lead to depression in rats. This will be evident by increased floating in a forced swim test and decreased sucrose preference. |
Investigation of biofilm interference in macrophage-mediated immune defense against Staphylococcus aureus04/05/2018S. aureus biofilm infections, common in patients with chronic wounds or artificial implants, are clinically significant due to their ability to subvert the human innate immune response, especially through disruption of macrophage behavior. Previous investigations suggest that S. aureus biofilms attenuate macrophage inflammation by disrupting NF-κβ-coordinated transcription of iNOS, IL-6 and IL-1β. However, the primary mechanism by which this disruption occurs is not yet known. This study seeks to investigate two potential biofilm-mediated disturbances in the intracellular signaling pathway by synthetically polarizing M1 macrophages via stimulation of either Nod2 or TLR2, two known initiators of the NF-κβ activation pathway. Subsequent co-culture with biofilm conditioned media exposes these treated cells to biofilm components known to disrupt this process. Quantification of any changes in inflammatory macrophage behavior via qPCR and nitric oxide (NO) assays can help identify Nod2 or TLR2 pathways as dysfunctional in biofilm-related infections. Insight into this mechanism can lead to a better understanding of both the innate immune response to pathogens as well as to the development of new antimicrobial therapies to treat antibiotic-resistant biofilm infections. |
Investigating the Influence of Teacher’s Motivation Types and Resource Utilization in Physical Education on Elementary Students’ Leisure-Time Physical Activity: A Multilevel Analysis04/05/2018Purpose: Building-up students’ physical competence and confidence by attaining knowledge and skills in the classroom setting can have a positive effect on health and well-being. Despite the profound physical education influence, little is known about the extent to which PE teacher’s motivation and resource utilization are linked to leisure-time PA. Thus, the purpose of the study was to examine whether elementary students’ leisure-time PA participation varies according to PE teacher’s motivations. Methods: Data were collected from 740 students self-administrated questionnaires and 48 PE class observations in which those students were nested across four schools located in urban Ohio, during 2016 -2017 Results: The analysis began with a one-way Random-Effects ANOVA model to determine variability of PA. The final model presented that individual variables as a predictor of leisure-time PA reduced the within student-level variance by 3.4% and the classroom factors accounted for 70 % of children’s activity. It is clear that the association between class characteristic variables are far stronger at class level than at the student levels (ICC 73%). The effect of average class factors varied across the mean PA, respectively, extrinsic motivation (γ01=13.83, p=0.001), intrinsic motivation (γ02=11.06, p=0.011), and leisure-time PA motivation (γ03 = 36.63, p =0.017). Conclusions: The study presented teachers’ motivations were positively related to leisure-time PA among elementary school students. Since there were few studies investigating the effects of classroom factors on leisure-time PA in accounting for student’s dependency within the classroom, the findings provided significant evidence that the classroom PE teachers can enhance the magnitude of student’s outside activity. |
Investigating Electrospun Fibers Containing Dyes04/05/2018Increasing research on micro-scale fibers formed by electrospinning is driven by their unique physical properties such as structural integrity, flexibility, and large surface-area-to-volume ratios. Dyes are widely used in the textile industry, as well as in food science, and display applications. In this work, we incorporate dyes into micro-scale fibers by electrospinning a homogeneous solution of polymer and dye dissolved in a common solvent. We study the response of certain fibers to the polarization of light, changes in temperature, chemical vapors and changes in pH. Because of the flexibility and large surface-area-to-volume ratios of the fibers, these composite fibers containing dyes could potentially be useful in a wide range of applications including flexible or wearable sensors. |