Regulation And Effects Of Ferritin In Border Cell Migration In D. Melanogaster
Susan Afolabi
Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Biological Sciences
Drosophila melanogaster has well-characterized genetics that is amenable to manipulation. A cluster of cells in ovaries, the border cell, migrates collectively during development. Border cell clusters are useful in understanding collective cell migration in vivo and important in the study of development and disease progression. Cytokine and steroid hormone signaling pathways are important for the regulation of border cell migration. Based on previous data, we hypothesized that the ferritin complex, a target of steroid hormone signaling, modulates migration. Ferritin is an iron storage complex made of heavy and light chains. Preliminary results indicate that lowering ferritin gene expression results in defective migration. We are characterizing the spatiotemporal expression of ferritin genes. Additionally, we are mining genomic data for transcription factor binding sites that regulate ferritin expression. In the ferritin gene loci, we identified putative binding sites for both known and new transcriptional regulators. Next, we will overexpress ferritin subunits in the border cell cluster to assay any effects on migration. This work may suggest conserved roles for ferritin in other migratory cell types.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Positive Affect And Resting Heart Rate In A Racially Diverse Adult Sample
Sudeep Ahuja, Kaily Johnson, Dominique Henriques Melo, Thu Dinh, LaBarron K. Hill, PhD1
1Psychiatry, Duke
Danielle Beatty Moody, Psychology
The current study investigated the association between positive affect (PA) and resting heart rate (RHR) in a racially diverse sample of younger adults. Most prior research focused on adverse psychosocial correlates of cardiovascular (CV) health. However, it is critical to assess psychosocial factors that may be beneficial in achieving more ideal CV functioning. RHR is recognized as a predictor of future CV disease. Our sample consisted of 102 European-American and African-American (43%) adults (age range 18-40). Participants completed the 10-item PA subscale from the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, which assesses positive emotional states. We conducted multiple linear regression modeling in SPSS (v27). Our findings indicated that greater PA is associated with lower RHR (β = -0.198, p = 0.046). Notably, sensitivity analyses including self-reported rumination and discrimination did not attenuate this relationship. All results were independent of age, sex, race, body mass index, and physical activity. The findings suggest that having a more optimistic affect may promote healthier cardiac functioning, via lower RHR, even when key sources of psychosocial strain are considered. Future research should more closely consider how beneficial psychosocial factors may aid in reducing the significant CV disease burden observed in the United States.
Political Corruption And Poverty In Ghana
Lois Akomeah
Christopher Brown, Global Studies
The goal of this research is to examine the effects of political corruption on social and economic inequality in the African country of Ghana. The project uses qualitative interviews to study how corruption shapes access to resources and opportunities among the various socio-economic classes that make up the Ghanaian population. These qualitative interviews are made up of 25-30 different Ghanaian citizens, who reside in Tema. The results of the interview, alongside with general observations (whilst I was in Ghana) will be useful in strengthening citizenship and good governance in Ghana and elsewhere. The scope of this research can be applied on a global level. Political corruption is a global phenomenon and through the use of Ghana as a model country, it will show the many forms in which political corruption can manifest in and the extremities of its effect, such as social and economic disparity.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
MotionWriters: Choreographing Syntactic Knowledge Awareness
Angelika Albertorio
Ann Sofie Clemmensen, Dance
English Language Learners’ (ELLs) experiences can often be frustrating because their education may not address learning modalities that suit them, specifically when it comes to teaching English grammar. MotionWriters, a learning program created by Assistant Professor Ann Sofie Clemmensen and Dance/English Literature major, Angelika Albertorio seeks to address this problem by implementing a multimodal teaching approach that engages practicing English grammar through the involvement of the moving body. Inspired by the choreographic process, MotionWriters guides participants through a creative process structured around the creation and continuous revision of a fictional narrative. Students will go through a series of modules and creative devices/tasks. The differences of parts of speech, vocabulary, and sentence structure are explored through the whole body, including visual, verbal, and kinesthetic modes of learning. The MotionWriters pilot program is targeted at ELLs who are between the ages of nine to eleven. The community aspect of this program, coupled with the creative approach to English language and grammar, hopes to make for an interactive experience for students and inspire confidence for their future educational endeavors.
This work was funded, in part, by the Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship Scholar
The Benefits Of Mentorship: What Military Mentors Gain From Working With The Children Of Lost Service Members
Katie Alfaro-Veliz, Bernice Kissiedu, Rojin Najmabad
Anne Brodsky, Psychology
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is a nonprofit military support program that provides comfort, care, and resources to those grieving the death of a military loved one. One resource TAPS provides is a mentorship program that engages military personnel as mentors to children who are grieving the death of a loved one who served in the military. While this program is aimed at helping the children, there is extant literature showing that mentors also benefit from mentor-mentee relationships (Mendez et al., 2019) and TAPS had some anecdotal evidence that taking part in experiences like this affected mentors as well. Given the known mental health challenges facing many military veterans and active-duty members, our study looks at what effect mentorship has on the mental health and well-being of the TAP mentors. The data for this study was video interviews with 13 military mentors’ participants, which were recorded by TAPS during and after Grief Camp activities. The researchers apply qualitative methods to transcribe, code, and analyze the interviews to gain a better understanding of the mental health benefits of mentorships. This work may contribute to TAPS’ knowledge of mentors’ experiences and help them build an even stronger program.
Optimizing in-situ Longevity of Silver Nanoplates
Dariush Aligholizadeh, Lynn Krushinski1, Nicole Hondrogiannis1
1Department of Chemistry, Towson University
Mary Devadas, Towson University Department of Chemistry
Silver nanoplates are a subclass of nanoparticles with only one dimension in the nanometer range. These ultra-thin sheets exhibit useful optical properties using methods such as Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). We set out to determine a method of synthesizing Silver nanoplates using harmless reagents such as L-ascorbic acid (C6H8O6) and Trisodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7), as opposed to using strong ligands and highly-toxic reducing agents. While nanoplates have been synthesized using L-Ascorbic acid and Trisodium citrate, their longevity in solution is far less than those created using PVP and sodium borohydride. The downside of using stronger ligands and reducing agents becomes their strong bonding and difficult separation in later ligand exchanges. If weaker capping agents could be used to create stable nanoparticles that retain the nanoplate structure in solution for long periods of time, they would be far easier to use in ligand exchange reactions to load a drug molecule or chromophore for medical and sensing systems. We have found that increased concentrations of Trisodium citrate–and corresponding increases in L-ascorbic acid–have led to longer lifetime in solution for Silver nanoparticles. This synthesis could help create readily accessible nanoplates using reagents that allow customization and more careful, easy interaction with the nanoparticles.
MSF MRI 1626326, Fisher Chair grant, Fisher Endowed Chair grant, Fisher General Endowment, GSA research grant, TU Foundation grant.
Investigation Of The Protein-Protein Interactions And Function Of The Chromatin-Associated Protein Set4 In S. Cerevisiae
Shandon Amos
Erin Green, Biological Sciences
Set4 is a member of the SET domain-containing protein family in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. There are 12 SET domain-containing proteins in yeast, several of which modify histones to regulate chromatin dynamics. Relatively little is known about Set4 compared to other proteins in that family. Under normal conditions Set4 is expressed at very low levels, however, overexpressing Set4 has been shown to adversely affect cell growth and to promote the induction of stress responses. Set4 has both a PHD finger and a SET domain, which are commonly found in proteins that regulate chromatin structure and function. Previous research has shown Set4’s PHD finger is essential for its function. This project aims to predict and model the structure of Set4’s PHD finger using the Rosetta software for protein modeling and design and compare the structure to that of Set4’s paralog, Set3, in order to elucidate potential mechanisms for protein-protein and chromatin interactions. The findings from this project will be used to inform future biochemical and molecular biology assays on the function of Set4. Taken as whole these experiments contribute to the broader understanding of the mechanisms that protect cells during oxidative stress and will identify new molecular roles for the chromatin-associated protein Set4.
This investigation was sponsored by The U-RISE Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), which is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIGMS/NIH) under National Research Service Award T34 GM 136497.
Modeling The Mechanical Properties Of Cement Paste For Optimizing 3D Printing Applications Using COMSOL Multiphysics
Ashley Amundsen
Charles Eggleton, Mechanical Engineering; Scott Jones, Inorganic Materials Group, NIST
This presentation focuses on how COMSOL Multiphysicscan be used to predict ideal mechanical properties of cement paste in 3D printing applications. Concrete is a well-known material that has been widely used throughout history, and continues to play a critical role in engineering applications today. Due to its versatility and high strength, it is no surprise that builders are already using concrete for 3D printing applications. A first step in understanding the 3D printing process is to model the flow of cement paste in a simple geometry. We model the viscosity of cement paste by fitting a power law model to rheological measurements made at NIST. Rheological models of cement paste are used to simulate flow through tubes with nozzles at the end, using COMSOL Multiphysics. Simulations will provide predictions of the pressure needed to drive the flow, how the velocity of the cement paste depends on position in a channel/tube, and how shear stress/forces on the cement paste depend on position. The simulation data will be used to correlate the material properties to the 3D printing processes. Further testing aimed at defining yield stress and plastic viscosity on various forms of cement paste will also take place.
Uncredited: Uncovering The Names Behind The Colonized Modern Design Canon
Madeline Arbutus
Margaret Re, Visual Arts
Mid-twentieth century American designers had a tremendous impact on national identity and design history— and an overwhelming majority of those who are recognized are white. Korean-American merchandise designer, Alma Shon shaped standards of luxury retail in America and Black graphic designer, Thomas Miller led and contributed to the designs of logos that you still see today— and both artists go uncredited in many archives, unmentioned in design history courses and not even considered in our colonized design canon.
Curator Margaret Re’s exhibition, A Designed Life, however, has uncovered the work of Shon, Miller, and many other designers in its recreation of three traveling exhibitions that were commissioned by the U.S. Department of State during the Cold War from 1951 to 1954. In addition to composing biographies for Shon and Miller that will be included as supporting research in the virtual exhibition of A Designed Life at the Design Museum of Chicago in 2021, I have identified their work and influence in archives, in hopes of decolonizing the design canon through the inclusion of Shon and Miller’s narratives and work.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Role Of Histone Gene Mutations In Tumorigenesis
Nahum Arefeayne, Dean Pavlick1
1Foundation Medicine
Anita Corbett, Department of Biology, Emory University; Jennifer Spangle, Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University
Histones are critical for the regulation of gene expression. Multiple histones associate to form the nucleosome, which interacts with DNA to form chromatin. The nucleosome consists of a highly conserved core comprised of a hetero-octamer containing two copies each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. Missense mutations in histone genes have been linked to multiple cancer types, including pediatric gliomas & neck cancers. Such histone variants are referred to as oncohistones. This research analyzes several novel histone missense mutations to identify cancer-associated histone mutations. Using the program Missense3D, we explored the structural effects of the amino acid changes on the histone subunit. In addition to this, a goal was to elucidate the structural/functional impact of these amino acid changes on the nucleosome. With mCSM-PIP22, I quantified the change in protein-interaction affinity caused by the mutations. In future studies, we aim to assess the functional consequences of these mutations using in vivo models. Understanding the function of these core histone variants in cell growth and cell cycle progression will support additional studies in human cancer cell lines and mammalian model systems, to identify therapies that target specific processes essential in blood cancer cells expressing this novel set of candidate oncohistones.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
A Continued Look At Bilingual Speakers’ Perception And Attitudes Towards Spanish Varieties
Monica Argueta
David Beard, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
Despite that all language varieties accomplish their linguistic function of communicating, the language of the powerful social groups becomes the prestigious variety. In the case of Spanish, the Castilian variety holds this prestige which crosses significant barriers. In fact, research has found that when asked which variety is the most correct, the majority of Latin American countries place Peninsular Spanish before their own variety. This study aims to determine if Spanish Heritage Speakers agree with the views of monolingual speakers from Latin America on Castilian Spanish as the most correct, which other studies have found to be the case. This project will assess the attitudes of 30 English-Spanish bilingual speakers attitudes towards three Spanish varieties: Central-American, Mexican (Guadalajara), and Spanish from Spain (Madrid) based on degree of difference in relation to their own variety, correctness, and incorrectness, pleasantness, friendliness and intelligence of the speaker. To assess this, participants will be asked to listen to recordings of the three varieties and rate each based on the previously mentioned categories. This study hopes to continue to investigate if Spanish speakers continuously place Peninsular Spanish above other varieties.
Reflection.( A Short Animation)
Iman Asfari
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
Reflection is an animated film sharing the story of two little girls in different life conditions. One girl is a Syrian girl living in poverty in a destroyed environment because of the civil war. The other girl lives in a safe place. I used a split screen technique in the film to show a mirrored action of each girl, and close up shots to focus on the emotions of each character as determined by their environment. Also, the colors that were chosen play an important role in evoking the emotional response to their circumstance for the two girls. The project was animated on 1’s in 12 fps using the Procreate app on the iPad.
A Systematic Review Of Treatment Integrity In Behavioral Interventions For Feeding Disorders
Zohaa Awan, Emma Veshecco1, Desiree McLenithan, Olivia Schwiegerath, Betelehem Getahun
1Kennedy Krieger Institute
Adithyan Rajaraman, Psychology
A goal of applied behavior analysis (ABA) is to design and implement interventions, involving environmental manipulation, to influence socially important behavior. Treatment integrity is a measure of how accurately an intervention is implemented as planned. One area in which behavior analytic research has been successful is in the treatment of feeding disorders. Despite the documented success of behavioral interventions for feeding, reports of treatment integrity are somewhat limited in the feeding literature and have never been summarized. Without adequate treatment integrity measures, it can be difficult to correlate the effectiveness of a treatment with its procedures because we may not know whether the intervention was implemented as described. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to examine whether and to what extent treatment integrity was recorded or monitored in research on food selectivity and food refusal over the last ten years. Findings showed that treatment integrity was recorded in more than half of the reviewed studies, and the trend of reporting such data has increased as the years progressed. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of improving our understanding and dissemination of effective behavioral interventions for feeding disorders.
Legal Representation And Legal Outcomes
Thomas Azari
Carolyn Forestiere, Political Science
Abstract: How does the structure of representation in lower courts affect legal outcomes?
This research will help understand if the type of representation, whether it be private, court appointed, or public attorney makes a difference in regards to that outcome by looking at the issue through the lens of the lower courts, where people can oftentimes fall through the cracks of the justice system. As a result, this research has benefits for social justice missions and judicial equality and equity efforts. The main hypothesis is that because of differences in time and caseload, private attorneys provide the best outcomes for defendants and public defenders provide the worst outcomes. This research will employ a quantitative and qualitative method. The quantitative method will be through analysis of an observation based dataset and the qualitative method will be through interviews with people involved in the legal process. Conclusions about the nature of the way justice is carried out in our legal system and the importance of attorneys will be made based on this research.
Support Your Claim: A Scaffolded Approach To Making Arguments
Simi Bakhshi
Jonathon Singer, Education
Writing structured argumentative sentences is a difficult task that students face. To help alleviate this deficiency, students used the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework as an instructional scaffold to develop and strengthen their argumentative writing skills. The CER framework was used to compartmentalize each section into smaller manageable chunks which the students could master. Some strategies to enhance student understanding included utilizing graphic organizers as a pre-writing tool, identifying each component of CER within a text, and providing instruction through a custom CER academy. A cohort study consisted of 28 students in seventh grade science content. The overall goal of the study was to measure the effectiveness of the CER framework by improving their score by one point on the Quarter two exam CER question. Initial baseline data was taken from the students Quarter one Assessment CER scores. The next data point was taken from students’ Common Formative Assessment (CFA) scores which were determined around the middle of the semester. The final data points collected for the study were derived from students Quarter two Assessment CER scores. Data points were yielded during this study using a common rubric to seek progression and development of each student’s mastery of writing skills.
INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF RHO1 IN BACTERIAL CLEARANCE USING DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER
Briah Barksdale, Shonda Campbell
Jeff Leips, Biological Sciences
The innate immune response is an evolutionarily conserved process essential for host survival in all multicellular organisms; this process begins declining with age. While immune function generally declines with age, there is a great deal of variation among individuals in the rate of this decline. The genes responsible for this variation are not known. A previous study using 12 genotypes of Drosophila melanogaster identified Rho1 as a candidate gene that contributes to individual variation in age-specific immune function. The goal of this project is to validate the findings of the previous study and determine if Rho1 plays a role in clearing a bacterial infection with age. To assess the role of Rho1 in clearing an infection, the expression of Rho1 was knocked down using RNA interference (RNAi), and one- and five-week-old virgin females were injected with an Escherichia coli solution. Flies were given 24-hours to clear the infection, and the surviving flies were individually homogenized, and the homogenate plated. After incubation, colony count was used as the phenotype of each individual and reflected the remaining bacteria in the fly. These results could lead to improved therapeutic treatments in an aging population, providing age-appropriate drug targets to restore the immune function.
This investigation was supported by in part by a grant to University of Maryland, Baltimore County from National Institutes of Health (NIGMS/NIH) under National Research Service Award T34 GM 136497.
Assay Of An Antiparasitic Medication Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
Karis Barnett
William LaCourse, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Excess pharmaceutical waste in water is an emerging concern that can increase parasitic drug resistance, interrupt animal food chains, and threaten drinking water sources. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet (UV) detection (210 nm) is under development for detecting and quantifying antiparasitic compounds praziquantel (PZQ) and metronidazole (MET) in a medication. This method has the potential to monitor antiparasitic treatments administered to aquatic species, which can ultimately prevent pharmaceutical waste in water. The method evolved over seven experiment trials to improve resolution and Gaussian shape of chromatogram peaks. The separation of PZQ and MET in the medication has been achieved on a Phenomenex™ Luna C18 analytical column (150 x 4.60mm, 5μm, 100A) using acetonitrile:water at alternating ratios of 20:80 v/v and 80:20 v/v as a mobile phase. Mixed PZQ and MET standards in solution are being used to obtain analytical figures of merit (AFMs) (i.e., limit of detection, response factor) for validation. Adjustments of the solution matrix polarity and removing blank interferences have been used to improve AFMs. The validated method will be of great value to aquariums and related commercial organizations.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Stories Of Adult Music Learners
Dawn Baskin
Ashley Minner, American Studies
Stories of Adult Music Learners is a multimedia public humanities project which presents stories of adults who are learning or relearning to play musical instruments. The project primarily focuses on musicians ages 30 to 80, who live or work in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It also includes music professionals and community organizations that serve adult music learners in this area. Research conducted using ethnographic methods, such as oral history interviews and participant observation, explores individuals’ motivations, joys, strengths, challenges, and needs as musicians. It also seeks to understand generational differences, and how or if age impacts adults’ musical motivations, goals, and needs. Findings reveal positive perspectives on aging. The meaning adult music learners attach to their experiences shapes their identities. Musical expression has no age limit. Through a website and mini podcast series, Stories of Adult Music Learners benefits the public by highlighting a growing trend of adults seeking musical learning and the need for community education and performance opportunities for musicians of all ages and experience levels.
Performing Traditional Chinese Folk Songs
Mark Beachy
Meredith Oyen, Asian Studies
Learning about performing traditional Chinese folk songs is a window into China’s rich history and culture. In my project, I not only gather information about the historical and cultural context behind Chinese folk songs, but I also challenge myself by implementing what I have learned by performing some of the songs, some of which are hundreds of years old. What is more, I also give readers the opportunity to learn how to sing a folk song. In my video instructional guide, I teach viewers to learn a Chinese folk song in an easy, step-by-step format. I share my personal journey with an in depth, behind-the-scenes look at the making of me singing China’s most popular traditional folk song, “Jasmine.” To accompany my vocal performance, I gather musicians Yang Ling on guzheng and Blake Hodgetts on piano. Together, we combine our instruments as one and display them on a series of music videos. Additionally, I put myself under a microscope by having Michael Rose of TV’s “The Voice” fame record a video evaluation my performance of the song “Jasmine.”
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Characterizing The Role Of Shep In Border Cell Migration In Drosophila Melanogaster
Maria Bieberich
Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Biological Sciences
Collective cell migration is essential for a number of biological processes including immune response, embryonic development, and cancer metastasis. In Drosophila melanogaster, border cell clusters undergo a regulated migration across developing egg chambers. By genetically manipulating D. melanogaster, we can identify genes and signaling pathways that are essential for border cell migration. Previous work has identified the expression of the gene encoding the mRNA binding protein Shep in the border cell cluster, indicating that this gene may play a role in regulating border cell migration. To determine how shep expression is controlled, we examined its genetic locus. Bioinformatic analysis showed potential binding sites for the transcription factors Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT), which are involved in the timing and initiation of border cell migration, respectively. We will knock down shep using RNA interference and assay border cell migration to determine if shep is necessary for border cell migration. In the future, we will test for genetic interactions of between shep, EcR and STAT mutants, and evaluate the expression of the transcription factors. These experiments will clarify the role of Shep in the regulation of border cell migration.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Happiness And Wellbeing Of UMBC Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Camille Blackford
Sarah Chard, Sociology and Anthropology; Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology
The COVID-19 pandemic led to an abrupt shift in the way that college students live and study. This project examines how UMBC students have been impacted by the pandemic, with a specific focus on their wellbeing and happiness. I also examined the social and cultural resources that students draw on as sources of happiness, or as hinderances to their happiness. To complete this project, I conducted semi-structured interviews with undergraduate UMBC students (N=10). I found that, in the midst of everything, students are finding it hard to stay happy. The pandemic has created a tunneling effect that has intensified everyday sources of unhappiness and frustration. For example, while school has always been a source of stress for students, this stress has become amplified due to the pandemic. Coursework and exams feel even more stressful than they were before. On top of this, students’ various support networks, like classmates and friends, have changed, and students reported feeling like they are struggling alone. Students also reported wanting more communication and understanding between students and professors. However, despite all of this, students reported being hopeful for the future. These findings will be explored with respect to recommendations for the campus community.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
Talk It Out
Harshita Bommireddypalli
Andrea Kleinsmith, Information Systems
This research project considers the question, can interacting with a guided reflection app help students reduce stress to better cope with daily stressors in their environment. Understanding whether this technique is effective or not will allow not only students, but also professionals who work in high stress situations to be able to better cope with daily stressors, while also performing better on the job. The reflection app, designed with Android Studio, guides users through reflection by asking questions that help guide their thoughts. Participants will be third and fourth year students, divided into two groups. The first group will use the app with guided questions during their reflection while the second group will use the app without a conversation guide. Both groups will also be asked to rate their stress and reflection experience. The app records participants’ answers and ratings in text form. After gathering the responses, Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), an automated tool that performs an analysis of the word use within transcribed spoken and written text, will be applied to the data to obtain insight into the psychological meaning of word use.
Obtaining Accurate Aerosol Extinction And Backscatter Coefficients Using Ceilometers
Sarah Bowers
Ruben Delgado , Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology
How different types of aerosols in our atmosphere explicitly affect quality and visibility on any given day is not quite clear. The aerosol extinction coefficient – α – and backscatter coefficient – β – can indicate these characteristics. Ceilometers can measure the backscatter power due to aerosols, but when diffuse sunlight reaches the ceilometer’s sensors, it can alter the retrieval signal. Using this data leads to less accurate calculations. To obtain accurate calculations, a smoothing function was created to alleviate background noise. The results of the function were compared to Savitzky-Golay filtering of the backscatter power; the respective method’s gradients showed the generated function produced more distinct atmospheric layers. With this new smoothing method, it is hypothesized that more accurate values for β and α can be evaluated with the LIDAR Equation. The proposed process uses ceilometer data to calculate β and the LIDAR ratio, which together can yield α. The accuracy of the calculated α, and thus the effectiveness of the smoothing function, can be tested by comparing the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), derived from α, to sun photometer data AOD measurements.
This study is supported and monitored by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Cooperative Science Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies under the Cooperative Agreement Grant #: NA16SEC4810008.
Becoming A Skateboarder: Socialization Within A Skate Park In Baltimore City
Christopher Boyce
Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology
The rules for participation at a skate park are typically posted at the entrance; however, the most important rules are not listed. This ethnographic project investigates what these implicit rules are and the ways that new skaters are socialized into them. Using traditional forms of anthropological research, including participant observation and interviewing, this project documents the unspoken rules of skate park etiquette, cultural norms among skateboarders, and the unique cultural meanings of these practices at a skateboard park in Baltimore. This study elucidates how informal and optional communities emerge, as well as how participants become active members of such communities. By abiding by the unofficial rules of the skate park, skateboarders become members of a community and take on an identity that permeates their lives beyond the park. This may include what they wear, what they listen to, and how they speak, but may reach beyond this, shaping the ways they experience themselves in relation to the world. This study reveals insights about identity formation and processes of socialization.
Academic Vocabulary Across The Content Areas
Elizabeth Braughton
Cheryl North, Education
Throughout a student’s academic career they will be asked to answer questions with an understanding of certain directive words that are often found on tests such as explain, evaluate, compare, predict, justify, etc. After evaluating test data, the researchers found that students sometimes struggle to understand the difference between a directive to explain and one to evaluate and this often resulted in lower test scores. The purpose of this project is to ensure students thoroughly grasp the meanings of these words, whether they are being used in a math class, a social studies class, a science class, or an English class. This study focused on 7th grade students who scored 50% or below on a pre-assessment given using a list of directive vocabulary. Teachers across all content areas who have this group of students collaborated to use best practices for vocabulary instruction. Teachers focused on the universal definitions of the words, regardless of content area. The intent of this research was to improve vocabulary instruction across content areas regarding the crucial language which is used in assessments throughout academia and to ensure that students reach a score of at least 65% on the post assessment.
Evidence For Conserved Mechanisms Of Neurulation In The Zebrafish Forebrain
Dominique Brooks
Rachel Brewster, Biological Sciences
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most common type of human birth defects, primarily caused by improper neural tube (NT) formation. The bending and folding of the neuroepithelium, termed neurulation, facilitate the formation of the NT. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive neurulation remain mostly unknown. The morphogenesis of the NT is facilitated by the formation of hingepoints, subsets of neuroepithelial cells that form a wedge shape. Apical polarity and apical constriction establishment are promising areas for NTD research, as they are necessary for proper hingepoint formation. However, hingepoints have not previously been reported in the zebrafish neuroepithelium. Our work reveals cellular and molecular evidence for the presence of hingepoints within the zebrafish forebrain. Using immunolabeling and confocal microscopy, we show the apical localization of apical polarity molecules, ZO1 and PARD3, in a cluster of medial, wedge-shaped cells in the anterior neuroepithelium. Furthermore, we reveal that disruption of the actomyosin contractile ring, using the myosin inhibitor blebbistatin, prevents apical constriction and impairs forebrain development. These findings highlight the conservation of neurulation across vertebrates, which pave the way for future investigations on the cellular and genetic basis of NTDs using the zebrafish as a model organism.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Mapping Alternative Natal Care Resources For And By Black Women
Kayla Brooks
Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology; Ashley Minner, American Studies; Ngeri Nnachi, American Studies
Long-standing racial biases within the mainstream medical system in the United States have produced devastating disparities in natal care quality and health outcomes for Black women. In an effort to combat the prevalence of obstetric racism, alternative natal services catering to Black women offered by Black women are increasingly emerging. These include services offered by midwives, doulas, and childbirth educators. This project analyzed the availability of these alternative resources in the Baltimore region, how women access them, and potential barriers to care. Through online ethnographic research methods, I mapped the available resources and charted the ways that people might navigate them. In addition, I interviewed providers to get a deeper understanding of their own experiences, perceptions, and motivations in offering these services, as well as of how their clients access them and what factors might bar women from doing so. This research aims to bring awareness to the resources available in the area and highlight ways in which they can be expanded to better accommodate their clientele base and improve the health outcomes for Black women and their children. It also serves as a model for how public facing ethnographic research can assist under-supported communities and contribute to social change.
Electro-optic Polymers For Wideband THz Sensing
Benjamin Brown
Michael Hayden, Physics
The goal of this research is to create electro-optic (EO) polymers for THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS). TDSapplications like non-destructive package inspection and bio-medical imaging demand a wide THz frequency detection band. We have fabricated solid solution, EO polymers consisting of a nonlinear guest chromophore (DCDHF-6-V) and an amorphous polycarbonate host that have low dielectric constants and high EO coefficients which meet this requirement. The EO polymers were formed by pressing 75 µm thick films between two indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass slides to form sandwiches and subjected to high electric fields above their glass transition temperature. These conditions caused the dipolar guest chromophores to align with the electric field, resulting in non-zero EO coefficients upon cooling. We used electric field induced ellipsometry at 785 nm to measure the EO coefficients, finding that the coefficients were linear with respect to the applied poling field, with values of r33 as high as 41 pm/V, which is more than ten times greater than the EO coefficients in the typical inorganic crystals used for TDS. These new sensors have the potential to make an important impact in increasing the breadth and fidelity of THz TDS applications.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Characterizing the Interaction Between A Eukaryotic Arginyltransferase 1 (ATE1) And An
Aminoacyl-tRNA
Toan Bui
Aaron Smith, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Across eukaryotic organisms, the enzyme arginyltransferase 1 (ATE1) mediates important physiological functions, ranging from the stress response in yeast, to seed germination in plants, to cardiovascular development in humans, yet the molecular mechanism driving these processes remains poorly understood. ATE1 catalyzes arginylation—the transfer of the amino acid arginine from an aminoacylated tRNA to an acceptor protein, requiring biomolecular interactions that are unknown. This project aims to explore the nature of and to detect the binding interactions between ATE1 and tRNA through electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). Our results indicate a shift to higher molecular-weight bands that were distinct from those of the negative controls, providing evidence for a binding interaction between Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATE1 and uncharged Escherichia coli tRNAArg. However, the stoichiometry of this interaction was not understood. Analytical size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to confirm the stability of ATE1 in native buffer conditions to ensure proper protein folding. Ongoing work aims to define this stoichiometry and to identify differences from, and similarities to, the molecular shifts that occur in the presence of an aminoacylated tRNA. Ultimately, a better understanding of the molecular details of ATE1 and tRNA interactions may be applied to treat diseases of multiple organisms.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Language In The Workplace: An Analysis Of Korean Honorific Use In Requests And Refusals
Zoe Butler
Kyung-Eun Yoon, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
This research investigated the influence that solidarity factors have on honorific use in Korean requests and refusals Requests and refusals are face-threatening acts that require the use of politeness strategies, and honorifics in Korean have traditionally been viewed as being a display of hierarchical language based on only power and distance factors. To better understand the multidimensionality of honorifics in the Korean language, conversations occurring in the workplace setting, where there is a clear representation of the social hierarchy, from five different Korean dramas were analyzed as data. Results from this study indicated that in a hierarchically determined setting such as the workplace, solidarity did not pose a great impact honorific use in requests and refusals such that characters’ honorific use showed little variance regardless of whether solidarity factors were present or not. In the workplace setting, power was the prevailing social factor that influenced honorific use;
however, this does not mean that solidarity does not have an influence on honorific use. This result is the beginning of further research that needs to be conducted in order to better understand solidarity in relation to honorific
use in the Korean language.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
APICAL CONSTRICTION MOLECULAR MACHINERY WITHIN THE ZEBRAFISH MEDIAL HINGE POINT
Allyson Caldwell
Rachel Brewster, Biological Sciences
Bending and folding of the neural plate to form the neural tube, otherwise known as neurulation, is an early and necessary morphogenetic event for the formation of the central nervous system. Failure of the neural tube to form properly leads to neural tube defects (NTDs). Despite the frequency of NTDs, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurulation remain poorly understood. We aim to establish the zebrafish as a model system to study neurulation and risk factors of NTDs. However, neurulation in zebrafish is thought to differ from that of more commonly used models to study NTDs, as hallmarks of neurulation, such as hinge points and neural folds, have not been observed in this organism. Through the use of immunolabeling and confocal microscopy we show apical localization of actin and myosin in medial cells of the zebrafish anterior neural plate, similar to the medial hinge points of other vertebrates. Furthermore, we confirmed, using blebbistatin, that disruption of this actomyosin network prevents apical constriction, hingepoint formation and neural fold elevation and convergence. Our findings indicate that there is a high level of conservation of mechanisms of neurulation across vertebrates, paving the way for studies investigating genetic risk factors for NTDs using
zebrafish.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Synthesis Of Flex-Remdesivir Analogues As Potential Antiviral Therapeutics
Tyler Carlyle, Charlie Waters1
1Chemistry and Biochemistry, UMBC
Katherine Seley-Radtke, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Nucleoside analogues remain prevalent within modern medicine today as effective therapeutics against numerous diseases. Some are used as anticancer therapeutics, meant to target leukemias and melanomas; where others act as antivirals, targeting numerous viruses such as Dengue and Yellow Fever.
Currently, efforts are underway to develop antiviral therapeutics against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. One nucleotide prodrug that has shown antiviral potential is Remdesivir (RDV). RDV has shown antiviral activity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and is a treatment of interest for patients with SARS-CoV-2.
The Seley-Radtke lab has long focused on the development of nucleoside analogues that possess flexible purine-base moieties, called Fleximers. This flexibility is advantageous, as it allows for the nucleoside to adapt conformations that were previously unavailable to the parent nucleoside, and still remain active or show activity not seen before. This was shown with the fleximer of acyclovir, which has displayed activity against Ebola, SARS, MERS, Dengue, and yellow fever, unlike the parent compound, which only exhibits activity against HSV. This project involves the synthesis of a series of Flex-RDV analogues to explore their antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Painting With A Camera Lens
Faith Carter-Nottage
Lynn Cazabon, Visual Arts
The goal of this art project was to investigate the concept of photorealism. Photographs were staged and digitally altered to create art reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch paintings. This project follows in the footsteps of Dutch Golden Age art by showing an artistic representation of daily life. The art produced in this project explores narratives such as the decay of mental health in an increasingly digital world and the mark the pandemic will leave on our culture. The Research and creative process revealed that the relationship between photography and painting can be symbiotic. In the first branch of the project, photographs were staged and digitally manipulated to resemble paintings. In the second branch, digital collages were made by altering Dutch Golden Age paintings. A theme of alternate history is created by turning photos into objects from a fictitious past. The final artworks obscure the line between painting and photography, past and present. Altered images can potentially rewrite history or promote certain narratives. They shouldn’t be taken at face value no matter how convincing, we must analyze the historical context in which they were made and the creator’s motivations. This project expands awareness about photo manipulation using creative visuals.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
16mm Film Archive For Visual Arts Department
ryy casper
Cathy Cook, Visual Arts
Almost six hundred 16mm films laid in an overwhelming heap with strips of film disconnected, roaming astray, unspliced, dirty, and been left to rot since the 1970’s. They occupied the end of the Fine Arts building hallway with a Steenbeck viewing machine thanks to Professor Cathy Cook and Christian Valiente who believed they would one day be useful. For this project, over the course of two semesters, I went through all of these films, archived, cleaned, fixed, catalogued, dated, keyword-ed, organized numerically and by genre. all of these films. The genres include Documentary, Educational, Experimental, Narrative, Student, Advertisements, and Miscellaneous. The earliest film found was a D.W. Griffith print from 1912 and the latest from UMBC students sometime in the mid-90s. The hope is that this archive will make the films far more accessible and allow for potential student and faculty use. With some of my most coveted footage that I found in the archive, I created my own poetic and experimental twenty minute found footage film, it happened one ritual once aboard time; which explores place, time, and intimacy.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
Teaching Children With Disabilities How To Ask Informative Questions: A Systematic Review
Meghan Ceribo, Dr. Mirela Cengher1, Matthew D. Bowman2, Dr. Lesley A. Shawler3
1Psychology, UMBC, 2Psychology Graduate Student, UMBC 3Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Mirela Cengher, Psychology
The purpose of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of studies that investigated how children with disabilities can be taught to ask informative questions. We used a combination of keywords to search for articles through PsycInfo, and then conducted reference and citation searches for all the articles that met our inclusion criteria. In total, we identified 27 studies. The studies focused on teaching different types of questions, such as who (N=8), when (N=3), what (N=4), where (N=9), why (N=1), how (N=3), and social questions (e.g., “What is your favorite game?”). The experimenters created different scenarios to motivate participants to ask questions (e.g., hiding a preferred item to teach the question “where”). Over half of the studies (52%) included a scenario that served as a test condition (e.g., hiding a preferred item), but failed to include a control condition (e.g., leaving the preferred item in sight); however, there is an increasing trend in including both conditions starting in 2007. In single-subject research, it is necessary to have both conditions to determine the effectiveness of the test condition. This systematic review is meant to inform clinical practice on teaching children with disabilities how to ask questions and direct future research.
“The Effect Of Different Gut Bacterial Environments On The Brain Of Fruit Flies”
Wujin Choi
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Our project involves a literature review and analysis of recent studies on fruit flies, environments, and brain activity based on their importance and relations to the human microbiome. The field of the microbiome and the so-called gut-brain axis have been a new and upcoming area of research involving different animal models, including the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The main objective of our project was to identify similarities and differences between Drosophila and mammalian models and to propose exciting novel directions that may advance our understanding of factors affecting brain function. With the standard approach of multiple papers being referenced, a closer scope of the subcategories including: the fruit flies microbiome, gut/brain relation, and external environments were analyzed heavily along with their data. It is vital for sufficient literature reviews to be written in order for new proposals to be thought of in the future, as the direction of future studies and research can be aided with relevant reviews.
Regulation Of Proteasome Assembly Chaperone PAC3 In Human Cancer Cells
Tessa Clement
Achuth Padmanabhan, Biological Sciences
Protein degradation is critical for maintaining homeostasis and cellular function. Most eukaryotic proteins are degraded by a multi-subunit proteinase complex called the proteasome. In cancer, elevated proteasome levels have been shown to be important in tumor progression and depletion of proteasome levels or activity results in cancer cell death and tumor regression. Consistently, small molecule active-site proteasome inhibitors have been successfully used as anti-cancer therapeutics. However, there is growing concern about the emergence of resistance against the current proteasome-targeting drugs. To overcome the limitations of existing proteasome active-site targeting drugs, we aim to identify factors and pathways that regulate the assembly of the proteasome. Understanding these factors will help identify new strategies to therapeutically target proteasomes in diseases such as cancer.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Self Discovery vs. Language Acquisition: A Comparison of German and U.S. Undergraduate Education Abroad Experiences
David Collier
Brian Souders, Center for Global Engagement and Susanne Sutton, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
How are study abroad programs that immerse students in the culture marketed in the U.S.A and Germany? Do these two countries have similar or different perceptions of study abroad and do those perceptions reflect larger attitudes about language acquisition in each country? In this study, I analyzed the discourse and components of American and German study abroad programs and I compared their construction of their programs in an international context. I utilized quantitative and qualitative data from various studies that focus on language acquisition theory and the advantages of study abroad for language learning. Initial findings indicate that the American study abroad model is presented and viewed differently than the German study abroad model. In comparison to Germany, the American study abroad model is more accommodating for the students and it is marketed as a product for the consumers. These perceptions play a big role in language acquisition because they can emphasize or not emphasize language learning for the students. Through this study, I described the differences between the American and German study abroad models and programs so that the marketing of study abroad programs can be better understood in the context of language acquisition.
Discovering And Characterizing New Functional Ferroelectric And Antiferroelectric Materials Using Computers
Autumn Cook
Joseph Bennett, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics are materials that can undergo changes in their structure and electronic states when exposed to an external electric field. The ground state of ferroelectric materials is typically classified in a polar space group, whereas the ground state of antiferroelectric materials is typically classified in a non-polar space group that allows for antipolar atomic arrangements. Here we investigate the structural and energetic relationships between a series of functional materials of chemical formula A2BX3, which include known oxides and chalcogenides. We map out the potential energy landscape of this family by inducing polar and nonpolar atomic displacements in known crystal structures and relaxing them using first-principles density functional theory. Based on the final conformation of the crystallographic structure, we can postulate on the physical properties of the derived materials by comparing the symmetry, energetics and computational profiles of them with similar, already analyzed compounds found within the literature and the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database. Guided by our results, we are able to predict the most likely stable and metastable structures of this family and postulate which members could function as next-generation materials to be used in advanced photovoltaics and energy storage industries.
Grasshopper Sparrow Song Diversity In The Caribbean
Arushi Dalal, Julia Warfield
Bernard Lohr, Biological Sciences
We compared song in the Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) populations in the Caribbean on the islands of Jamaica and Bonaire. These islands constitute two distinct subspecies of the sparrow (A. s. savannarum on Jamaica, and A. s. caribaeus on Bonaire) By studying these songs, we determined how songs across the islands varied and what these differences could mean for the species as a whole. Song recordings from each island were measured using the SIGNAL sound analysis software tool. We analyzed the frequencies and durations of introductory notes, the amplitude modulated introduction of the trill, and the trilled and final short notes of each song. We quantified differences between populations within an island and across subspecies/islands. On Jamaica, there were differences between songs of the same island. The subspecies on Bonaire had the most distinct songs compared with other subspecies of this bird as a whole, with the most rapid modulation rates, the least inter-individual variation, and the most stereotyped song patterns. These findings reveal important patterns in the cultural evolution of this behavior may act as a behavioral barrier to gene flow resulting in rapid divergence across island populations in the Caribbean.
This research was partially funded by the USM LSAMP program, supported by NSF LSAMP Award #1619676, and the UMBC Undergraduate Research Award (URA).
Investigating The Role Of Effete In Border Cell Migration In D. Melanogaster
Ayushi Dave, Alex George1
1Biology, UMBC
Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Biological Sciences
The process in which groups of cells coordinate their movements as a cohort is known as collective cell migration. This is essential for tissue development and contributes to diseases such as cancer metastasis. Our lab uses Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, to identify molecular processes regulating coordinated cell migration. Specifically, we study the collectively migrating border cell cluster, activated by polar cells, in the ovary. Here, we investigated the role of the gene effete, which encodes a ubiquitin conjugating enzyme. Ubiquitin enzymes are post-translational protein modifiers which regulate protein localization and stability. Using transgenic flies and fluorescent staining methods, we demonstrated that the Effete protein is highly expressed in the majority of follicle cells, including the border cells. Surprisingly, though, the protein is not detected within polar cells, which specify the border cells. Therefore, we are misexpressing wild type and truncated Effete in border and polar cells and predict to see defects in cell specification or migration. Our future direction is to explore expression patterns of Effete in different tissues, and to search for transcription factor sites in the effete regulatory locus. Effete has homologues in humans, so we also explored disease links through a literature review.
This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant IOS-1656550 to M.S.G.
USING PARAMAGNETIC TAGS TO ELUCIDATE THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIV-1 5′ LEADER
Faith Davis, Patricia Boyd, Kierra Regis, Jon Catazaro1
1Johns Hopkins
Michael Summers, Chemistry and Biochemistry
While the proportion of people infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) dying of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has decreased significantly over the past four decades as antiretroviral therapy has become more common, the full structure of the HIV-1 genome remains unsolved. The 5′ leader of the RNA sequence is of particular interest to solve, as it is the most highly conserved region of HIV’s genome and plays a key role in the packaging and proliferation of the virus. NMR spectroscopy is our lab’s method of elucidating RNA complexes due to its ability to collect data on dynamic complexes in solution. Our group will be using a U1A reporter protein paramagnetically tagged by M8-DOTA-SPy to induce long-range pseudocontact shifts (PCS) in the NMR spectra of our RNA construct. The goal of this project is to elucidate the tertiary structure of the orientation of the TAR and polyA stems of the 5′ leader in relation to each other to build on the Brown et. al paper published in 2020. We will show binding through electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and show PCS of a TAR polyA construct.
Student support provided by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIGMS/NIH) under National Research Service Award T34 GM 136497, NIGMS Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Grant (2R25-GM55036), NIAID grant ##8 R01 AI150498, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Using Natural Language Processing In Latinx to Study Culture Differences In Mental Health Stigmas On Social Media
Maithily Diaz
Michelle Kaufman, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior & Society,
Adolescents and young adults are prone to various types of mental distress, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health stigma prevents some adolescents from seeking treatments needed to cope with distress, particularly Latinx youth. However, there has been little research on how these youth discuss mental illness, what stigma-reduction messages resonate most, and the role of social media in these interactions. This study’s objective is to explore social media content posted by Latinx youth to determine 1) attitudes towards and stigma surrounding mental health and treatment, 2) messages they promote in regarding mental health, 3) and whether these aspects differ for posts in English or Spanish only and for bilingual users.
Using natural language processing, we will collect publicly available social media content using relevant mental health-related keywords. We will filter the large data set to include topic models of relevance and language. With the filtered data, we will conduct a content analysis to identify themes in the posts by language. This project is highly innovative, as it brings an interdisciplinary approach to an important public health issue. We will use the study results to identify potential social media intervention approaches to improve mental health outcomes for Latinx youth.
Race, Trauma, Psychosis-like Experiences, And Mental Health Care Among College Students: Study 2, Current Treatment
Noelle Diaz, Isabel Leiva, Maya Glass, Emily Petti, Pamela Rakhshan Rouhakhtar
Jason Schiffman, Psychology; Steve Pitts, Psychology, UMBC
Early intervention can be beneficial for mental health concerns related to trauma, discrimination, and psychosis-like experiences (PLEs). However, racial disparities in mental health service availability and utilization may impede youth from receiving mental health care. This study examined the degree to which PLEs, race, potential trauma, and discrimination were associated with current mental health treatment. Participants were UMBC students ages 18-25 years, who completed self-report questionnaires concerning race, current mental health treatment, experiences of trauma and discrimination, and PLEs. Associations between potential predictors and current treatment were analyzed with a binary logistic regression among the full participant sample (N=577) and, subsequently, a subset of participants who endorsed high levels of PLEs on the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ; N=287). In both the full and high-PLE samples, Asian, Black, and Multiracial participants were significantly less likely than White participants to report receipt of current mental health care, and higher PLE endorsement predicted higher likelihood of receiving current mental health care. Potentially traumatic life events and experiences of discrimination were not predictors of current treatment in either group. Results suggest that PLEs may indicate a need for treatment, and highlight significant differences in current mental health utilization among racial minority groups.
The Wild West Of Web Assembly
Thomas Dignan
Brad Potteiger, Researcher Johns Hopkins APL
Web Assembly was designed to be a safe, compact, efficient, and portable solution to bring the web up to speed with native code; but has it breathed new life into old and obsolete memory corruption techniques? In this research I explored the following questions: to what extent do modern web browsers and sandboxes protect us? How safe is it to run Web Assembly programs and should we trust them? What malicious actions can be taken within the confines of a sandboxed Web Assembly implementation? Are there any problems with the design of Web Assembly in modern browsers that could lead to memory corruption exploits? Finally I will discuss the security impact of design oversights I identified during my research and potential mitigations.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Potential effects Of Gender Dysphoria On Pain Perception In Transgender Individuals: A
Review
Skylar Diseati
Raimi Quiton, Psychology
Gender dysphoria is the distressing feeling of incongruence between assigned sex and gender identity experienced by many transgender individuals. This can be caused by an individual’s feelings about their physical traits and stress from societal gender role expectations. As psychosocial factors are known to play a role in pain perception, this literature review aims to identify whether gender dysphoria impacts pain perception. Relevant articles were selected from PsycINFO and PubMed databases using terms such as transgender identity, gender dysphoria, gender role beliefs, and pain. Selected articles showed neuroanatomical differences between cis- and transgender individuals, and increased brain activation in response to stimulation of dysphoric body parts in transgender individuals. Many studies provided support
for gender dysphoria as a proximal stressor with a role in health outcomes including chronic pain. There was also evidence that beliefs about gender roles/expectations and an individual’s feelings of security in their gender expression affected how they perceived pain, but those findings came from studies with only cis participants. While this review found articles that link gender dysphoria and pain perception, the literature on this topic is sparse and further research is required to fully characterize the role of gender dysphoria in pain perception.
Utilizing Evidence-Based Argumentative Writing – Preparing Students To Engage In College, Career, And Civic Life
Mikaila Donaldson
Timothy Johnson, Education
Evidence-based argumentative writing requires students to consider the merit, weight, and meaning behind sources to support one’s argument. This literary skill is used during Document-Based Questions (DBQs) on the Advanced Placement (AP) History exams, yet also appears in our daily lives as we consider how to interpret sources. The ability to effectively utilize evidence-based writing is an essential skill for student success in college, their career, and as a participant in civic life. In an Honors U.S. History class, 11th-grade students must learn and utilize this writing-style and employ strong document analysis and argumentative writing ability. The goal was to improve student writing and source analysis. To do this, an analysis of students’ scores at the beginning of the semester, intervention strategies, and an additional analysis at the end of the semester, was used to assess student writing. The goal was to have 80% of students demonstrate a 1+ point growth, or remain above a 4, in their written ability to utilize content-specific evidence to support and/or disprove arguments. Improvement will demonstrate that students can use skills expected of them in AP-level coursework and can interpret a wide variety of source material to come to unique conclusions.
Social Support And Physical Activity Among Older Adults: The Role Of The Community Center
Amanda Dove
Sarah Chard, Sociology and Anthropology
Physical activity is critical for managing type 2 diabetes. However, regular exercise routines are not easy to maintain and finding motivation within oneself can be even more difficult. This analysis of a series of qualitative interviews completed with older adult participants at a community center (N=22) suggests that having different forms of social support is important for continuing exercise routines. Inspiration and accountability represent two key forms of social support. For example, classmates regularly ensure that their peers are attending classes through questioning and conversation. From the support they receive for physical activity participants also begin to engage in other positive behaviors, such as eating regular and more healthy meals. It is important to understand that there are multiple forms of support and each plays a different role in encouraging older adults to continue with a physical activity regimen. Ultimately, community Centers are valuable places where older adults can receive the social support they need to continue healthy routines.
The Influence Of Female Leadership On A country’s COVID-19 Response And Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths.
Brenda Dubon
Carolyn Forestiere, Political Science
Different nations have taken different precautions to combat COVID-19. As a result, nations around the world are in different places with how severely COVID-19 has affected them and how quickly they have been able to go back to normality. This paper assesses the influence of female leadership on several COVID-19-related outcomes, such as a country’s COVID-19 response (what is termed the stringency index) and deaths per one hundred thousand people. The research question in this paper will be answered through a quantitative research design, using data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) and the Johns Hopkins Mortality Analysis. A multivariable regression test will be conducted to determine the nature of the relationship between the presence of female leadership and a country’s stringency index and confirmed COVID-19 deaths. Finally, the paper will assess the impact that additional variables, such as the nation’s GDP, population over the age of 65, and regime type, have on COVID-related outcomes as well. The main conclusion of the study is that controlling for regime type and the size of the elderly population in a county, female leadership is associated with better COVID-related outcomes.
The Nature Of Russian Thought And Culture
Michael Duong
Randy Kidd, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
Russia’s unique physical and human geography have shaped Russian thought and culture in complex ways. Russia’s astonishingly diverse flora has had a profound impact on both daily lives in Russia and the macro-economic policies of Russia. Native Russian flora– perhaps the most diverse in the world– has had an immense impact on Russian music, folklore, and literature. The diverse fauna of Russia is of equal cultural significance. Finally, Russia includes nearly 200 distinct nationalities, which have influenced all aspects of Russian thought and culture. The land, plants, animals, and peoples of Russia have all contributed to the creation of a uniquely complex and eclectic Russian culture. This research examines all aspects of this relationship, with emphasis upon the physical and human geography of Russia, in the formation of a diverse but cohesive Russian cultural identity
Sequence Conservation And Structural Modeling Of An Arginyl-tRNA Transferase 1 (ATE1)
Nna-Emeka Ejimogu, Verna Van
Aaron Smith, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Arginyl-tRNA Transferase 1 (ATE1) is a eukaryotic enzyme that catalyzes arginylation, which is post-translational modification of cellular proteins and an essential regulatorof eukaryotic homeostasis. Despite this importance, the structure, mechanism of action, and regulation of ATE1 have yet to be elucidated. In this work, we model the three-dimensional fold of an ATE1 and determine essential conserved residues that we hypothesize are involved in substrate recognition and subsequent arginylation. In particular, we have modeled the structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATE1 (ScATE1) and identified a putative location of the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) fold, which is structurally conserved amongst amino-acid transferases. Additionally, we have performed a large-scale sequence alignment across eukaryotic ATE1s to map conserved residues onto our three-dimensional model. Notably, we have identified a highly-conserved (>90%) His residue that would be consistent with the recognition of a negatively charged substrate and would be located in a structurally homologous site in bacterial amino-acid transferases. We hypothesize that this His residue is essential for substrate recognition, and site-directed mutagenesis is underway to verify this hypothesis. These results provide structural insights into the mechanism of eukaryotic arginylation, which could aid in the development of future therapeutics.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Understanding The Possibilities Of Distributed Fabrication For Storytelling
Amina El-Ashry
Foad Hamidi, Information Systems
Stories are essential to encourage growth in young elementary school aged children, an age where development is heavily shaped by society around them. We wanted to contribute a novel way for these children, their caregivers, along with others who work with them to experience new engaging types of books in a distributed manner. Our project aims to address this through the use of 3D pens, where we created an interactive tactile storybook with tangible representations that are easily identifiable to all types of children, educating them about global warming. Several brainstorming sessions with our team were conducted, focused on how to transform 2D representations of characters/backgrounds to clear 3D representations with a variety of appropriate materials. These ideas were applied in prototyping low/high fidelity versions of the story’s pages, where open ended exploration along with interactivity were essential to keep the target audience engaged. Our project so far has shown that tactile and audio representations are an effective way to create meaningful collaborative experiences children can learn from. In the future, we plan to conduct focus groups with eight to ten children where we will show our prototype, continuing to develop a narrative that is engaging and informative.
Cupping And Wellness Among Muslim Women Living In America
Maryam Elhabashy
Sarah Chard, Sociology and Anthropology; Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology
Hijama (also known as cupping) has long been practiced among Muslims for the maintenance of health and the preservation of sunnah (Arabic for prophetic practice). The practice of cupping is an ancient one. The earliest records are found in the ancient Egyptian Ebers Papyrus. Growing interest in cupping in the United States has prompted questions regarding the utility and efficacy of the practice and where it fits (if at all) within mainstream biomedical narratives. These questions have become increasingly relevant to both hijama practitioners and clients, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through qualitative interviews with hijama providers (N=8) and clients (N=7) from across the country, I explore ways in which Muslim women’s current pursuits of hijama present unique schemas of health and healing. This project builds on my previous work that focused on Muslim women’s use of hijama as a holistic medical treatment in the Baltimore-Washington area. These new findings, which explore hijama in the context of COVID-19, further elucidate the nuances of the hijama healing system. For both practitioners and their clients, pursuing optimal health and wellness during a pandemic requires navigating complex internal, interpersonal, and religious relationships.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
A Cloud Of Worries – Animated Short
Lujane Elkhatib
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
A Cloud of Worries is a looping animated short about a girl who bottles up her stress and just can’t seem to escape from her worries, even in her dreams. The stress builds up, little by little, symbolized by the red cloud looming above her head. This piece represents the state of an average individual that is plagued by stress, always feeling restless. The color scheme, a combination of blues, purples and pinks, and the watercolor-like textures were all used to create the “dreamy” night time atmosphere. All animation was done digitally, and this short made use of moving two-dimensional camera effects during certain scenes like the falling sequence to make the motion more fluid and effective. It was especially crucial to capture the restlessness felt by the girl as she was falling, so she was animated to constantly rotate and twist as she fell. This project was created as a reflection of my mental state during the weeks leading up to final exams and projects. Every student is familiar with the tension near finals time, and this piece demonstrates how the inner state of our mind can be overwhelmed by any building pressure.
UMBC Game Developers Club: 2020-2021 Team Projects
Anthony Ellis, Seth Davis, Mathias Drgon, Margaret Lucas, Lindsay McCabe, Allison Smith, Joseph Robinson
Marc Olano, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
The UMBC Game Developers Club is a professional, career-focused club dedicated to bringing students of all majors together to learn about game development, work in a team-based environment, network, and build portfolios of working, polished games. Teams this year have created games featuring a variety of genres, art styles, engines, and programming languages. This year’s games include: Planetary Devastation, a first person survival-type game in outer-space; Ele-mental, a first person shooter-puzzle using an element-changing blaster; Spare Parts, a 2-D horror survival game; Monsters of Ikuna, a 2-D beat-em-up game with horror elements and cat-girls; Dusk Before Moonlight, a visual novel about a young man turned werewolf; and Elderville, a Top-Down Dungeon Crawler where an eldritch monster fights to defend a small town.
Tiny Tacticians
Anthony Ellis, Brandon Ellis, Julius Echipare, Sohei Matsui
Marc Olano, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
This game is a collaborative project with programmers and visual artists to create a checkers-like game containing hybrid hamster-toaster characters to act as pieces to move across a buttery terrain. Collaborators utilized the open-source Godot Game Engine alongside a Git version control system in order to bring this game to life while also constructing main game mechanics via Godot’s built-in “GDScript” language and its user interface tools. The game assets are created using Clip Studio Paint to implement 2D characters into a 3D space to create 2.5D game effect. The players communicate over cloud infrastructure to an Amazon server in order to input their turn data. The game incorporates a unique twist on modern strategy games by using simple movement mechanics similar to Checkers while introducing new twists and turns as pieces can now respawn.
Student Achievement and School Funding Changes Across Maryland after the 2008 Recession
Sofia Encarnacion
Lisa Dickson, Economics
The 2008 Recession had profound effects on our economy and our schools. Most states cut their funding for education and local funding didn’t make up for this difference. Funding for education is often attributed to student achievement, but the answer to better education isn’t that simple. Maryland has the highest median income of the country, and Baltimore has the highest funding per pupil in Maryland, but has some of the lowest graduation rates. There are other factors at play for student achievement. This project examines county funding from 2008 to 2018 by local, state, and federal sources and compares them to graduation rates of each county. With each county having varying demographics of socioeconomic status and race, we can recognize patterns in student achievement with or without a change in funding.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute
Familiarity In Change
Angela Endres
Evan Tedlock, Visual Arts
Familiarity in Change is a 43 second digital animation about feeling distant from the world yet finding beauty and comfort in it. My goal for this project was to convey how I feel about my surroundings while also making this piece look cinematic, especially focusing on creating interesting transitions. I strove to achieve this feeling by combining a strong music piece with imagery of peaceful environments. One of the benefits that art has as a medium is its ability to communicate nonverbally; for example, my piece says nothing, yet the sounds and visuals instill a feeling. Art is subjective, and that reflects into psychology; each person sees and reacts to works of art differently. Such aesthetic experiences have the ability to arouse emotion whether it be joy, awe, or even negative feelings. As I have grown up watching animated pieces that have given me strong emotional responses, I now find myself wanting to do the same to others, and I would like to further strengthen my ability to use animation in this way. As I prepare for my senior project, this technique is something I hope to experiment more with.
ASK1 May Be A Therapeutic Target For Burn Injuries
ALEXANDRA ERAZO
Manik Ghosh, TLST
Apoptosis-Signaling Kinase1 (ASK1) plays a critical role in several mechanisms within the cell. ASK1 is a redox-sensitive, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) which can activate pathways for cell migration, apoptosis, differentiation, proliferation, and inflammatory responses. These mechanisms of activation have been linked to some diseases such as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, asthma, and others. Given this information, ASK1 has become an important piece in therapeutic research. In the following burn injury study, we investigated the use of a small molecule to augment the healing process of a burn wound using BJ skin cells. Later it was found that when the phosphorylation of ASK1 is inhibited, the cell migration increased significantly. In addition to this, ASK1 also promoted cell proliferation during the healing process of a burn wound. The time that it takes for the cell to heal and close the wound decreased when the cells were treated with a small molecule.
Structural Characterization Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 RNAs
Adilia Espinoza-Jones
Michael Summers, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infects millions of people each year and causes the onset of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This research focuses on probing the structures of the 5´ untranslated (5´UTR) regions of HIV-1 spliced RNA and understanding how the structure regulates the function of viral spliced RNA. The 5´ UTR of HIV unspliced RNAs is highly conserved, regulates many crucial viral activities and has been structurally characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR is a powerful tool for structural study at the atomic level, however, it has RNA size limitation of 400 nucleotides or less. To study the spliced 5´UTR in its native structure with NMR, a proper truncation site needs to be determined. Selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension, SHAPE, is a chemical probing method that detects the flexible regions of RNA at any size by using an electrophilic reagent to modify the 2’ hydroxyl groups of ribonucleotides in loops, bulges, or unbasepaired sequences. The SHAPE method helps us obtain accurate secondary structures of longer HIV genomic RNAs and validates the NMR-derived secondary structures of the 5´UTR of unspliced RNAs. Through SHAPE, proper constructs can be determined for further high-resolution NMR study.
NIAD grant #8 R01 AI150498 and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
A Review Of Brain White Matter Integrity In People Who Experience Chronic Pain
Cassie Evans
Raimi Quiton , Psychology
Chronic pain is associated with changes in brain anatomy, with most studies identifying abnormalities in gray matter. White matter is critical for efficient communication within the brain. The purpose of this literature review was to examine the existing literature to determine if brain white matter integrity is abnormal across chronic pain conditions and, if so, which white matter tracts are most affected. Articles were found in the PsycINFO and PubMed databases using the search terms pain, chronic pain, white matter, white matter integrity, and myelination. Overall, most studies report white matter integrity abnormalities in chronic pain patients, but the abnormalities do not appear to be consistent across chronic pain conditions or even across studies, with different white matter tracts reported to be affected. While the review to date has shown some promising information, further research needs to be conducted. Characterizing white matter integrity in the brain in chronic pain patients is critical to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying chronic pain, and may provide information that guides development of interventions that prevent and treat this disabling condition.
Modeling Radio Emission From Tidal Disruption Events
Omar French
Eileen Meyer, Physics
Research into black holes and their environs is a major topic of study in astrophysics because of the extreme laboratories they present to understand the nature of the Universe. Simultaneously, phenomena around black holes frequently capture the public imagination and inspire the next generation of scientists. This project aims to accurately model the radio emission from tidal disruption events (TDEs), events in which a star or cloud of molecular gas passes too near the BH and is tidally pulled apart (disrupted). Under certain conditions, some of the disrupted/shredded remnants of the cloud or star are ejected from the black hole’s vicinity. Through a few physical processes, the ejecta emits a broad spectrum of light, including radio emission. A few physical assumptions about these processes were made and compared with published results in astrophysics literature to model this emission. This model will be used in conjunction with an observational study conducted by another undergraduate to discover and identify TDEs at radio wavelengths.
The Factors That Influence STEM Ph.D. Completion Of Meyerhoff Scholars.
Lawrence Frimpong
Ken Maton, maton@umbc.edu; Mariano Sto. Domingo, Psychology
The purpose of this project is to examine the predictive variables that influence PhD completion. The research question to be examined is: do undergraduate GPA and research experience predict STEM PhD completion among Meyerhoff scholars? Information about undergraduate GPA and research experience was collected from the Maton Lab archives. Research experience was measured using surveys completed by the students about any research they have done, which includes summer research internships and academic year research. GPA was obtained from university records. PhD completion was obtained from graduate school transcripts and registrars’ offices at graduate institutions where Meyerhoff participants were enrolled and was coded (0=No PhD; 1=PhD). The sample (N=492) includes the first fourteen cohorts from the Meyerhoff Scholars Program and was 49.5 percent males (N=278) and 50.5 percent females (N=284). The cohorts comprised students from four ethnicities: Black (N=451; 80.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (N=51; 9.1%), Caucasian (N=52; 9.3%), and Hispanic (N=8; 1.4%). Regression analysis will be conducted to test the research question. This research is important because it will add to the understanding of the factors that influence the success of Meyerhoff Scholars, primarily underrepresented minority students, in PhD completion.
Decriminalizing (and Re-Humanizing) the ‘Squeegee Kid’
Sydney Fryer
Dena Aufseeser, Geography and Environmental Systems
Squeegee Kids are young people between the ages of 10-25 that clean windshields in Baltimore city for a small fee. Their informal but infamous work has been seen as entrepreneurial, hazardous, or criminal over the years. This project uses discourse analysis to analyze and understand the dangerous rhetoric often used to describe these young people and the historical racism that has led to this rhetoric. It also seeks to allow these young people a chance to redefine themselves through a series of interviews. This is all in the hope that, through a more humanizing approach to understanding these ‘Squeegee Kids’, their work, and the reason for it, there can be a more humane discussion around their place in Baltimore city.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Perfecting The Art Of Persuasion
Nicholas Gaffney
Cheryl North, Education
Argumentative writing is a practical, real-world skill as it teaches individuals persuasive techniques and how to advocate for themselves. Furthermore, the ability for students to support their positions by gathering and presenting logical evidence with valid reasoning that is both cohesive and fluent, is critical to effectively craft argumentative writings. This study assessed the students’ ability to back a claim with supporting and well-organized interconnected evidence. The aim was for 100% of the students to advance from their baseline category to the next higher level towards mastery. The baseline data was determined through a pre-assessment writing sample of 7th grade English Language Arts students, learning at grade level, at a suburban middle school. Student growth was determined through formative checks like weekly writing prompts, discussion boards, essays, and summative checks like classroom discussions, peer review groups, and self-assessments. The research intends to improve future approaches to teaching argumentative writing while also advancing student understanding and skill in the argumentative style of writing.
Translanguaging Is Not Codeswitching: A Comparative Analysis
Donia Galarowicz
David Beard, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
The purpose of my research is to identify which aspects distinguish the linguistic processes of translanguaging from codeswitching. Codeswitching has been defined as a shift to another language for a word, phrase, or sentence or to borrow a word or short expression from that language, adapting it morphologically into the base language and occurring in a bilingual mode. Meanwhile, Translanguaging is defined as the process by which multilingual speakers use their different languages concurrently as a means of communication. Furthermore, it has been stated that this process offers a more pragmatic approach which considers all dimensions of human communication, both linguistic and metalinguistic. Furthermore, there remains a need for a more holistic understanding of translanguaging as a relatively new concept within the field; thus, allowing translanguaging to be distinguished from codeswitching as two different processes. I have used qualitative research methods to examine literary sources regarding codeswitching and translanguaging, which has informed my honors thesis paper. Lastly, the goal of this research is to contribute to a deeper understanding of these linguistic concepts, which will subsequently inform current practices of foreign language learning and acquisition, inviting future research to be conducted.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Definitively Defining
Peter Galik
Jonathan Singer, Education
Being able to effectively communicate within a specialized disciplinary domain (such as science) is an important skill. So how can a science teacher support student understanding and appropriate use of specialized vocabulary? The main objective of this research is to investigate the use of the “Show What You Know” strategy in fostering student ability in effectively using newly acquired specialized vocabulary. This research focuses on an accelerated magnet science classroom consisting of approximately 30 8th grade students. Student test data was collected at 4 points in time over the course of the semester. The goal is to improve student understanding and application of discipline-specific terminology by 15% by the end of the semester.
Applying Art Vocabulary To Art Around The World
Kathleen Garcia
Jennifer Harvill, Education
Students often struggle with writing thoughtful and detailed responses when making inferences from artwork and supporting their statements that incorporate art vocabulary in a meaningful way. This research was conducted with a group of 7th-grade students from an urban school in a visual art class focusing on Art Around the World. Students were given a pre-test and the researchers found that students were unfamiliar with content area vocabulary critical to analyzing art. In order to improve student use of content area vocabulary, students were presented with the vocabulary using best practices in vocabulary instruction which included repeated exposure to the vocabulary in a meaningful context. Additionally, weekly informal assessments were conducted throughout the study to accurately track students’ progress through artist assessment, peer assessment, class discussions, and interactive games. Student growth was determined by the progress and improvement that they made in their written journal entries and a final test of identifying content area terms. The findings of this study showed that by repeatedly exposing students to art vocabulary in a meaningful context, students were able to demonstrate growth.
Effects Of Colored Light On Sustained Attention And Accuracy
Brianna Georges
Shawn Bediako, Psychology
Few studies have analyzed colored light and its relation to human cognition. This study aims to expand on previous light-related studies and broaden the topic’s discussion. The purpose of this study is to determine the significance of colored light and assess how it may be used to maximize efficient computer usage. It is hypothesized that: (a) exposure to warm/redder hued backgrounds will reflect higher levels of sustained attention and accuracy; (b) exposure to cooler/bluer hued backgrounds will reflect lower levels of sustained attention and accuracy; and (c) exposure to white backgrounds will not reflect significant changes to sustained attention and accuracy. To test this hypothesis, participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups corresponding to a color stimulus (Red, Blue, or White). Participants will then be asked to complete the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). A one-way MANOVA will be used to test for significant differences in Sustained Attention and Accuracy using task scores and time measurements. Significance levels will be used to draw inferences about relationships among colored light, sustained attention, and accuracy.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Invisible Playbook: Analyzing The Evolution Of Gender And Class Perscription In Cookbooks
Zaira Girala Munoz
Elizabeth Patton, Media and Communication Studies
This research examines gender and class performativity as prescribed by print cookbooks from 1950-2020. This work attempts to question contemporary assumptions that texts and technologies can be inherently post-feminist, or that there has been such an evolution in the construction of these texts that they situate themselves as post-feminist- void of binary gendered roles and regressive socio-economic assumptions of class performance and the position of women in society. A sampling of three to four cookbooks was selected from the 1950s, 1970s, 1990s, and 2010s, loosely in alignment with pre-second wave feminism, second-wave feminism, third-wave feminism, and post-feminism, respectively. Utilizing discourse and textual analysis, recipes and their anecdotal accompaniment were reviewed, as well as how the texts constructed domestic spaces and encoded class and gender within their instructions. The expected findings are that old gender norms and class performance scripts have been appropriated by contemporary texts, but with different verbiage. This research will provide support for existing literature tracing the pervasiveness of class performance, toxic masculinities, and gender binaries within cookbooks and other technical documents. This is critical in order to understand how sexism and classism are reinforced even in texts often viewed as apolitical as instruction manuals.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute
Race, Trauma, Psychosis-like Experiences, And Mental Health Care Among College Students: Study 1, Past Treatment
Maya Glass, Noelle Diaz, Isabel Leiva, Pamela Rakhshan Rouhakhtar, Emily Petti
Jason Schiffman, Psychology; Steve Pitts, Psychology, UMBC
This study examined associations between psychosis-like experiences (PLEs) and college students’ past mental health care utilization. Because disparities in mental health treatment among racial minorities have been established, this study also analyzes whether race, discrimination, and potentially traumatic events were associated with past treatment independent of PLEs. College students 18-25 years of age (N = 572) completed the Prodromal Questionnaire, Life Events Checklist, and Experiences of Discrimination Scale as self-report measures of PLEs, potentially traumatic experiences, and racial discrimination, respectively. Participants also self-reported race and past mental health treatment. A binary logistic regression assessed whether PLEs, race, trauma, and discrimination were associated with past treatment. Higher levels of PLEs and potentially traumatic life events significantly predicted past mental health treatment. Asian, Black, and Multiracial participants were significantly less likely to have received treatment compared to White participants. Consistent with prior literature, results indicate that racial minorities experienced significant differences in receiving mental health care. Further, PLEs and potentially traumatic experiences may indicate an increased need for mental health care. Given the importance of early intervention in psychosis, findings suggest the importance of elucidating factors that may impede, or indicate need for, mental health treatment among college students.
Analyzing The Effect Of NPF Dependent Chronic Pain On Ethanol Preference In Drosophila Melanogaster
Bailey Godwin
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Within the past decade, chronic pain has been found to have a higher prevalence than diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer combined. Due to the lack of effective treatments, many individuals with chronic pain tend to undergo alcohol abuse, which results in tolerance and eventual co-abuse of other drugs, as seen with the current opioid epidemic. In this project, we will characterize the mechanism of genetically manipulated NPF induced neuropathic pain in relation to ethanol preference. In mice, increased levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), the mammalian NPF homolog, is shown to decrease both chronic pain hypersensitivity, due to analgesic effects, and increase ethanol consumption. In Drosophila melanogaster, decreasing NPF is shown to decrease sensitivity to ethanol sedation. Additionally, decreased NPF signaling leads to reduced mechanonociceptive responses. However, the relation between NPF, chronic pain, and ethanol consumption has yet to be explored. We will use genetic tools available in flies to stimulate nociceptive neurons during development to induce chronic pain. We hypothesize that induced chronic pain will increase ethanol consumption due to increased NPF-dependent signaling. Depending on accessibility to collect data due to the current situation, we will conduct tests or further literature review to study this pathway.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Boosting Self-Esteem By Reducing Identity Disturbance Through A Growth Mindset Intervention
Elyssa Kristine Marie Granados, Sara R. Weiss, Julissa Zelaya, Chynae N. Meekins, Troy G. Steiner
Troy Steiner, Psychology
In our preliminary study, we discovered that people (n = 59) typically do not exhibit the virtues they rank as important, a phenomenon we call virtue discrepancy. As demonstrated in a mediation analysis, individuals higher in virtue discrepancy have lower self-esteem via identity disturbance. In an extension of that study, we aim to boost self-esteem by reducing identity disturbance through the implementation of a growth mindset single-session intervention (SSI) and by increasing awareness of one’s own virtue discrepancy. In a two by two between-subjects factorial design, participants will be randomly assigned to either participate in the SSI or a control condition and either be informed of the extent of their virtue discrepancy or left uninformed. The SSI condition consists of five modules designed to apply a growth mindset as it relates to one’s virtues. We predict that participants who complete the SSI or are informed of their identity disturbance will have greater self-esteem due to reduced identity disturbance and these effects will be multiplicative, such that those participating in the SSI and informed of their identity disturbance will receive the greatest benefit. With this study, we aim to improve self-esteem by exploring easily accessible, non-therapy interventions to reduce identity discrepancy.
Education The Development Of Student Skill In Claim Evidence Reasoning Skills
Victoria Grier
Tim Johnson, Education
The ability to interpret, analyze, and use credible sources to argue one’s point is key for studying social studies. Utilizing historical thinking skills and applying them to real world situations are not only important within the social studies discipline, but in creating informed members of society. I analyzed student ability to develop a claim- evidence- and reasoning statement in a 7th grade class consisting of 26 students. As baseline, students were assessed on a 3-point rubric. Students were tested on their ability to interpret text and construct a claim in response to a prompt. They were expected to give reasoning to support their answers. Students were given a test at the beginning of the marking period. Through instructional scaffolding and targeted practice, student’s skills were built over the marking period. At the end of this period students were reassessed. I focused on students who scored 1 point or less and coached them to excel to 2 point or more achievement. Students who scored a 3 were expected to maintain. Additionally the goal was to move 60% up one point. Instruction was implemented in daily lessons to break-down individual components. Students were supported in class and one on one instruction.
High Definition Video Effects Passthrough
Austin Grieve, Matthew Boyer, Todd Rayburn, Zachary Federici
E. F. Charles LaBerge, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
HDVID21 is a capstone project that involved developing a high definition, video effects controller that, when given an incoming video signal, outputs a real-time modified video signal based on user inputs. The device offered physical switches and knobs for adjusting video settings and effects. These effects included color inversion, chrominance scaling, luminance scaling, and a fade-to-black function. The system was implemented on an FPGA for low power consumption and high power-to-cost ratio, as well as reduced size compared to desktop computers or other similar devices. This specific project was designed as part of a zoetrope visual art project for the San Francisco Exploratorium’s art installation. Further development of this project could be used to make a modular system of hardware to implement certain video effects more efficiently than software for higher resolutions and frame rate video. The technology in this project could be applied to manually adjust the color of public displays where calibration wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
Density Functional Theory Studies Of MoS2 As A Function Of Environmental Conditions
Ellen Gulian, Dan Wines
Michael Hayden, Physics; Can Ataca, UMBC Physics Department
Density functional theory (DFT) is a versatile computational tool that is utilized across many scientific disciplines to study ground-state structural, electronic, and optoelectronic properties of solid state materials. In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been of high interest to the scientific community due to their electronic bandgap and optical properties, which make them promising candidates for devices such as phototransistors, optical detectors, solar cells, and potential qubit platforms for quantum computing. Using the UMBC High Performance Computing Center, we performed DFT and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations of physisorbed oxygen on the surface of MoS2 (a 2D TMD) using the Vienna ab-initio Software Package (VASP). We studied how oxygen interacts with single and double sulfur vacancies for various coverages and looked at a
variety of configurations for the oxygen molecules. Our results, which may be of use in determining potential device applications for MoS2, confirm that charge is transferred between the sulfur vacancies and the oxygen.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Hype Sneakers: Reselling Culture On The Internet
Kristina Han
Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology
The art of flipping sneakers has turned into a billion-dollar business. Resellers make money by identifying which sneakers will become the most desired styles, buying them up, and hyping them to potential buyers, selling them for many times the purchase price. Social media, especially Instagram which launched in 2010, has helped increase the attention on sneakers and given resellers an easier way to connect to their customers and sell shoes. In order to explore this, I conducted ethnographic research entirely online, using participant observation and interviews with Instagram resellers and their followers. In this presentation, I will draw on this research to examine the motivations of the resellers and their customers, what makes something desirable and how trends are shaped, and the sense of identity that emerges for both the reseller and consumer. This tightly focused study sheds light on the personal, social, and cultural dimensions of markets and the promotion of desire.
Identifying The Context Of COVID-19 Impact Via Social Media
Brian Hanson
Aryya Gangopadhyay, Information Systems
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of every person in the world since March of 2020. Since the major shutdown of the local businesses, large gatherings, and social activities people have and are continuing to be isolated from one another, and or become ill as a result of COVID-19. To understand the impact of this sudden shift in everyday life for the lifestyles of many people this research study leverages big data analytics to focus on contextual identification of social media posts related to COVID-19. The identification of these posts is to automatically create themes from related posts and discover what problems people have experienced because of the global pandemic. The blog posts being collected are categorized based on the type of impact that is described related to COVID-19. The automation of these contextual themes will be used for the purpose of creating a data set to gauge the response to updates of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute
Structural Characterization Of HIV-1 MAL Junction Conformers
Josiah Hardy, Canessa Swanson
Michael Summers, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus that targets CD4-T cells in the immune system and can result in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Current antiretroviral therapeutics target areas of the life cycle that are highly mutagenic. The viral genome has a highly conserved 5’-Leader that is essential for genome recognition and packaging by the native Gag-polyprotein. Identification of the minimal region in the 5’-Leader necessary for genome recognition, known as the Core Encapsidation Signal (CES) has been structurally characterized, in the common NL4-3 isolate. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry studies of NC-RNA show high affinity binding sites at a junction region (3WB) within the NL4-3_CES. Our project focuses on identifying the structure of the MAL_3WB through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, in order to investigate structural and mechanistic conservation. When these wobble base pairs are stabilized through mutagenesis, high affinity binding is lost and two distinct RNA conformers are observed through NMR analysis. Our findings suggest a potential target for new HIV therapeutics that may be designed to prohibit structural flexibility at the junction and lock the CES into these inactive conformers.
This research was funded, in part, by a grant to UMBC from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Pre-college and Undergraduate Science Education Program.
Learning Through Observation: Developing Student Understanding Of Rhetorical Analysis
Kameron Harrison
Cheryl North, Education
While the overall objective of teaching rhetorical analysis is to challenge students to examine an author’s writing thoroughly and rigorously, oftentimes, practice and development of rhetorical strategies are centered around the writing of students – those disconnected from the world of professional writing. This research posits that students must spend time examining the work of professional writers to effectively model best practices and develop their writing to a level that utilizes professional rhetorical strategies. Learning through observation – reading and annotating professional writing, both individually and in learning communities – increases students’ ability to understand and perform a successful rhetorical analysis. A student’s progression in understanding and applying essential rhetorical analysis strategies will be tracked by their ability to annotate and read examples of both nonfiction and fiction texts. This research aims to improve the instruction of rhetorical analysis through modeling, specifically concerning annotation assignments and reading, to improve the overall scores of asynchronously assigned rhetorical analysis essays completed by 11th-grade English students at a suburban high school. The research measures growth and development by comparing students’ ability to write a rhetorical analysis using a provided sample essay, an activity assigned both at the beginning and end of the semester.
Deciphering The Function Of The rlsA Gene In The Multicellular Green Alga, Volvox Carteri
Mitra Harrison
Stephen Miller, Biological Sciences
In the vast majority of plant and animal lineages, the multicellular transition occurred billions of years ago, and a plethora of genetic changes have accumulated since. However, molecular clock analyses estimate that the volvocine lineage, a diverse clade of multicellular green algae, diverged from it’s last unicellular ancestor only 200 million years ago. Volvox carteri is an exemplary model system for investigating the evolution of cellular differentiation because it exhibits a complete division of labor between distinct somatic and reproductive cell types. The genetic basis of cellular differentiation in V. carteri is the regA cluster, a tandem gene array consisting of regA, rlsA, rlsB, and rlsC. regA is hypothesized to suppress chloroplast biogenesis in the somatic cells of V. carteri, stunting their growth and maintaining their non-reproductive state. Because rlsA is regA’s closest paralog and its expression highly resembles regA’s, we suspect that rlsA has a function in regulating cellular differentiation. We have generated a rlsA overexpression construct with an inducible nitrate reductase promoter, which we will transform into regA– and wild-type V. carteri embryos. An abnormal phenotype exhibited by transformants in nitrate reductase inducing conditions could elucidate the function of rlsA and the evolutionary history of the regA cluster.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Agency In The Representations Of Medieval Aristocratic Women In The Illuminated Manuscripts Of Chretien De Troyes
Tristan Heibel
Gail Orgelfinger, English
This project expands on my English Honors thesis showing how the 12th-century poet Chrétien de Troyes explored the agency of aristocratic women within marriage. Especially in the romance Yvain, or the Knight of the Lion, Chrétien depicts the widow Laudine (later Yvain’s wife) as the guardian and governor of her lands, exercising both agency and authority, as did some historical women of the time, notably Eleanor of Aquitaine. Illustrated medieval manuscripts offer additional insight into how readers and artists conceived of women’s agency as landowners. My examination of manuscripts illustrating Yvain and others that show Eleanor demonstrates that the use of illustrations and illuminations within the manuscripts promoted courtly and chivalric conduct over the more particular themes of agency in land ownership found in the romances of Chrétien.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Assessing The Function Of Human Amyloid Precursor Protein And Its Fly Homolog APP-Like In Drosophila
Joana Hernandez
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that eventually leads to a loss of basic human brain function. The disease manifests itself through the destruction of nerve cells. The amyloid beta fragment (Aβ42) that results from the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), forms plaques in the brain which causes cell death. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has a protein APP-like (APPL) that shares a high degree of conservation to human APP. Therefore, we used powerful genetic tools and tractable neuroanatomy available in Drosophila to study human APP and its homolog APPL. We tested APPL mutants, as well as flies expressing transgenes of different
variants of APPL and human APP. A flight behavioral assay was used to analyze the effects of the expression of the different transgenes in flies that are 2 days (2d), 10 days (10d), and 30 days old (30d). To test the flies, a
drop test was conducted and the measured flight performance is a reading of the function of the motor network including identified flight motoneurons. The observations recorded will help provide better understanding of the function of APP and APPL.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute.
Analysis Of Mental Well-being Of Environmental Migrants In Maryland: A Comparison Study
Keren Herrán
Dawn Biehler, Geography and Environmental Systems; Fizza Gulamali-Majid, Division Chief, Division of Newborn and Childhood Screening, Maryland Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene
Background: It is predicted that by 2050 more than 250 million people will have to relocate as a result of climate-related change to their home environment. The existential threat posed by anthropogenic phenomena such as forest fires, floods, sea level rise, drought, and intensified weather events (e.g. tropical storms) has caused a new type of migrant to emerge. Within academic literature, these migrants are referred to as climate migrants, environmental migrants, or eco migrants, among other terms. These individuals’ migration journey and this journey’s impact on their mental health is currently an understudied research area. This study summarizes the mental health challenges climate migrants face in comparison to other forced displacement migrants.
Methods: NIH M3 mental health screenings and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants from the UMBC student population. Grounded theory guided qualitative analysis of the transcribed interviews and led to the open, axial, and selective coding of the data.
Results and Conclusion: Data analysis is ongoing and conclusions remain to be finalized. In the future, larger participant sample sizes and additional techniques to limit social desirability bias would improve study rapport. Ultimately, data analysis from this investigation will be shared with the Maryland Department of Health.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Phenotypic Characterization Of PrkA Protein Kinase In Aspergillus Nidulans
Garrett Hill
Mark Marten, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering
In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, the protein kinase PrkA is yet to be characterized. This project aimed to gain insight into the function of this protein. Previous research identified PrkA as possibly being involved in cell wall repair. By using various experimental approaches that involved deleting this kinase from the genome and observing phenotypic changes, we were able to more closely investigate the kinase’s function. The assays utilized in this project measured the growth, fragmentation, and septation rates of filamentous fungi to help determine the strength and composition of the cell wall, revealing how the organism’s phenotype changed in the absence of this protein. Characterization of PrkA will enable a greater understanding of regulatory pathways in the cell, allowing for the optimization of fungi in various fields such as pharmaceutical and enzyme production, as the cell wall plays an instrumental role in the efficiency and productivity of the fungus in these applications.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Effects Of Zinc Exposure On APPL-dependent Neurodegeneration In Drosophila Melanogaster
Malika Hiyam
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia in the elderly population, is marked by the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques mainly composed of amyloid- fragments. To better understand neurodegeneration and AD pathology, it is important to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Zinc is the most abundant trace metal in the brain, regulates synaptic function, and is associated with AD as it binds to the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and promotes Aβ aggregation. We use Drosophila melanogaster, a model organism that shares many core genes in cell metabolism with mammals, to further explore the role of zinc in AD. We hypothesize that zinc exposure will enhance neurodegeneration in flies lacking the fly homolog APP-Like gene. Effects of zinc on APPL-dependent degeneration will be assessed at the behavioral level using locomotion experiments after exposure to zinc through their food. Additionally, anatomical abnormalities found in metal exposed APPL flies will be compared to metal exposed wild-type flies by comparing neuronal shape and size. Future research will identify molecular candidates that may genetically interact with APPL. These findings would increase our understanding of how zinc regulation affects neurodegeneration and brain function to develop novel effective genetic or pharmacological AD treatments.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Bioinformatics Modelling Of MicroRNA-mRNA Interaction Network Perturbation Using Nanostring RNA Expression Data
Kathryn Hogan
Jeffrey Robinson, USG TLST
MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression. miRNAs bind complementary sequences on their target mRNAs, and form complex networks of functional interactions. Many specific miRNA-mRNA interactions have been elucidated, however, the complexity of the interaction networks means that higher-order biological effects remain difficult to validate. In this project, I worked to develop an R script for network analysis on a Nanostring dataset with microRNA and mRNA expression from an in vitro epithelial cell line. The RNA expression data was previously collected from cell cultures transfected with selected microRNAs overexpressed to test for network perturbations. The R script developed for this project generates several different plots and metrics for descriptive analysis of these miRNA-mRNA interaction networks. Plots produced include frequency distributions of 1. miRNAs targeting mRNAs, and 2. mRNAs targeted by miRNAs. The network structures were further visualized in several formats of bipartite network maps. Further network centrality metrics were generated which include degree, betweenness, closeness, and eigen centrality. By visualizing the networks and generating centrality metrics, we identify useful quantifications for properties of networks and behavior resulting from changes in miRNA expression. These will enable us to more accurately model the biology, identify therapeutic targets, and understand mechanisms of pathogenesis.
Burnout
Kelly Hom
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
In a 1:21 minute 2D animation, Burnout represents the moment when one reaches their physical and mental limitations. Through the journey of a small battery, the story reflects the draining aspects of responsibilities and how individuals commonly overwork themselves to the point of complete exhaustion. While burning out is a relatable experience, everyone will have unique scenarios. The featured scenario is a representation of a personal burnout experience. The presented perspective mimics how I feel when I look back at that particular moment in my life. In this animation, a daunting task takes the position of a massive television while a small battery acts as the energy needed to complete the task. The character design of the small battery was a self-portrait inspired by power outlets and portable chargers. The overall animation concept was inspired by the electronic devices that surround me daily. My devices and I similarly required moments of recharge to obtain enough energy for work. Because I wanted to focus on the character and its task at hand, I made the setting quite simple. To prevent the animation from feeling too static, the linework is intentionally shaky to provide more visual movement.
Why Intimacy Direction Is The Way Forward For Theatre
Caitlyn Hooper
Susan Stroupe, Theatre
Intimacy Direction is a movement pedagogy used to stage intimate moments in theatre and film. In the past decade, the demand for intimacy coordinators and choreographers has grown exponentially, but the need for this work has been around much longer. Intimacy direction arose from the need to have a safe process for choreographing intimacy that both reduced the potential for abuses of power and created better performances. This research will exemplify why the consent-based practices of intimacy direction is the only way forward for theatre by first looking at the development of intimacy direction in recent theatrical history, and then discussing intersectionality between intimacy direction and anti-racist theatre movement. Consent-based practices are transforming theatre, along with the anti-racist theatre movement, which centers Black, Indigenous and People of Color’s voices in a long overdue conversation about racial equity. These changes to the theatre systems can redistribute power to make theatre more ethical and safe. This research will not only demonstrate how theatrical intimacy creates better performances but also how it encourages society to reframe how it views sex, intimacy and consent. This crucial change in theatre culture is the only way forward.
Online Learning And Student Satisfaction During COVID-19
Ting Huang
Diane Alonso, Psychology
The COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020 changed student life as many in-person classes were replaced with involuntary distance learning, and this shift may have impacted students’ affective learning experience. In this unprecedented learning environment, it is imperative for educators to try to restore positive student satisfaction and help maintain academic progress. This research study provides a two-phased study that aims to encourage course designs that result in greater student satisfaction. In Phase I, a survey was used to receive feedback from university students regarding their online learning experience during the pandemic. The survey results reflected that student participation was correlated with course satisfaction and this data then informed the experimental study in Phase II, which varied course designs in its opportunities for student engagement. Participants were assigned to three groups of learning module designs that resembled online course designs during COVID-19. Participants were asked to engage with their module instructor and peers with different methods (i.e., discussion board, chat, speaking) to examine factors that may enhance student satisfaction. The findings of this study informed better practices in higher education to provide a richer learning environment for students during COVID-19 and further the research on distance learning.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
Spiderwebs For Long-Term Air Quality Monitoring
Ayra Hussain
Nava Rastegar, Geography and Environmental Systems; Chris Hawn, GES, UMBC
Our team’s research was focused on determining whether spatial differences in heavy metal air pollution can be detected at small scales by collecting and analyzing spiderwebs. In addition, we aimed to determine whether these spatial differences are positively correlated with land use and known heavy metal sources using data. There has existed a need for low-cost air quality monitoring that is able to detect differences at high scale and over long periods of time; bioindicators have been effectively used to monitor metals at a fine scale for years, but many of the plants commonly used as bioindicators are limited in the ecosystems in which they can be found. Spider webs have been used in several studies to test air quality, but never in a citizen science setting nor at the fine spatial scale this study proposes. The goal of this research is to be able to use spiderwebs to discover hot spots of heavy metal air pollution in South West Baltimore.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
We Were Never Welcome Here: How American History Predicted The Rise Of Racism And Xenophobia During COVID-19
Zoe Hwang
Elaine MacDougall, English
The racialization of the coronavirus led to a dramatic increase in xenophobic and discriminatory attacks against Asians in the United States, but this hostile environment is nothing new. This violence is rooted in centuries-old American traditions of stereotyping, othering, and generalizing people of non-white backgrounds, and the bigoted reactions to a global pandemic were yet another demonstration of how racism is undeniably entrenched in American culture. The primary purpose of this project is to highlight the extensive past of anti-Asian sentiments in America by contextualizing archival documents from significant and traumatic moments of Asian American history. This collection demonstrates how the spike in racist rhetoric and behavior was inevitable in a country with such a violently intolerant record. A country is exactly what its history shows. Whether it’s the Chinese massacre of 1871, Executive Order 9066 for the internment of Japanese Americans in 1942, or the racial scapegoating of the domestic mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, this is America for Asians.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Oral Exposure To Arsenic Through Food Consumption
Nneamaka Iwobi
Christopher Bradfield, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Biology
Arsenic is a highly toxic chemical that may enter the body through inhalation, dermal, and oral exposures, each of which lead to drastically different effects. The results can fall anywhere between vomiting and extreme weight loss to cancer, even death in extreme cases. As a widely distributed molecule in the environment, arsenic is commonly detected in the air, water, and soil, resulting in its presence in many foods. Though the molecule is naturally-occurring, arsenic has also been released to the environment as a result of anthropogenic activities, with a majority sources including mining, manufacturing of pigments, and pesticides. Previous literature states that arsenic is an essential nutrient at low doses, high consumption of the molecule may lead to multiple health issues and even death. While arsenic is a dangerous toxicant that can affect non-target organisms through various routes of exposure, this project will focus on the oral route of exposure particularly related to arsenic contaminated foods that is consumed on a daily basis. The general purpose of this project is to bring awareness and illustrate the adverse effects of consuming foods in significant quantities that contain arsenic.
This work was supported by NIH grant R25 ES020720 to University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A Brief History And Review Of Argentina, El Salvador, And GuatemalaEfforts In Human Rights
Caleb Jacobson
Jeffrey Davis, Political Science
The widespread violence seen throughout the world in the last century has forced a global reckoning against impunity which is evidenced through the numerous international treaties protecting and advocating for human rights. While perpetrators still often evade justice, Kathryn Sikkink has identified a ‘Justice Cascade’, an increasing legitimacy of the norm of criminal accountability for human rights violations and measurable decrease in human rights abuses that has spread internationally (Sikkink 2011: 5). Do justice-seeking movements carried out since Sikkink published her study support the Justice Cascade theory?
Addressing Food Insecurity Among College Students In Maryland
Sarah Jacobson
Margaret Holland, Geography and Environmental Systems
In collaboration with the UMBC food pantry, Retriever Essentials, I am conducting geospatial analyses and generating online webmaps that assess the pervasive issue of food insecurity among Maryland college students, to recommend how institutional food pantries can implement operational best practices to effectively meet student need during the COVID-19 pandemic.Current research states that approximately one-third of all students at two- and four- year institutions face food and housing insecurity while earning a degree. Through geospatial analysis on food and poverty rates in Maryland, my research illustrates the connection between federally recognized poverty areas and food insecurity rates to which institutions, based on their location and institution type, are most likely to provide food resources to their students.We identified campus pantry points-of-contact, and conducted a semi-structured survey to understand campus pantry operations and services in more detail, along with assessing how analyses on how COVID-19 has impacted a pantry’s ability to provide the resources needed by their students. Retriever Essentials and I plan to utilize the data as part of a comprehensive effort to assess the availability of food and basic needs resources on Maryland college campuses, and what campuses can do to better connect students with these resources.
Castles In The Air: Queer Childhood In Little Women and Little Men
Emma Jett
Lindsay DiCuirci, English
With the titles of Little Women and Little Men, one would expect Louisa May Alcott’s childhood domestic literature to present universal guides on how children should grow into proper “little” adults. However, in her famous series, Alcott subverts the genre through highlighting the significance of queer expression in the spaces of childhood, allowing her characters to continue to engage in gender performance and play into adulthood. Using critical frameworks of childhood studies and queer theory, I argue that Alcott does not see childhood as a period in one’s life that is wholly disconnected from one’s adulthood. Rather, Alcott sees childhood as a time of freedom, gender experimentation, and dream casting that lingers with an individual long beyond the years where it might be deemed acceptable to partake in these activities and play. I also consider Alcott’s personal writings and correspondences to provide insight into her own views on non-gender normative behavior as well as the pressure she faced to “tidy-up” any such behaviors in characters in order for her work to be considered appropriate for the genre of children’s domestic literature. Ultimately, this research reveals the ways Alcott works within genre constraints to queer childhood and imagine a liberated adulthood.
Establishing Zebrafish As A Model To Study Genetic Components Underlying Neural Tube Defects Using Genetic Components.
Jafira Johnson
Rachel Brewster, Biological Sciences
Primary neurulation is the process via which the neural plate bends and folds around medial and lateral hingepoints to promote the fusion of the neural folds (the lateral edges of the neural plate) to form the neural tube, the precursor of the brain and spinal cord. Neurulation is frequently disrupted in human populations, causing neural tube defects (NTDs). While the underlying causes are not well understood, mutations in genes encoding Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway components are associated with severe NTDs. In mice mutant for PCP genes, it has been demonstrated that the neural plate fails to narrow due to abnormal cell polarization. The goal of my research project is to investigate whether the PCP pathway and polarity markers play a conserved role in the zebrafish embryo, in an effort to develop this organism as a model to study neurulation. Indeed, our laboratory has recently found that hallmarks of primary neurulation, hinge points and neural folds, are present in the presumptive forebrain. To test whether this defect prevents proper convergence of the neural folds, I carried out in situ hybridization on WT embryos, PCP vangl2 mutants, and shrm3 mutants using emx3 (a neural fold marker) as a riboprobe.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Phenotypic Characterization Of Aspergillus Nidulans Nrc2 Protein Kinase
Ryan Jordan
Mark Marten, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering
The purpose of this research project was to phenotypically characterize the role of the protein kinase Nrc2 in the fungal species Aspergillus nidulans. This gene has drawn attention due to its impact on the cell wall through the Cell Wall Integrity Signaling Pathway. Homologs of nrc2 have been shown to be involved in flippase activity and endocytosis pathways in other species. Quantifying the effects Nrc2 has on the cell will provide insight into kinase-mediated regulatory networks in fungi and may also lead to identification of targets for new antifungal drugs, or improved productivity in industrial bioprocesses. In order to characterize the impact Nrc2 has on cellular behavior, experiments were conducted using a deletion (nrc2 -) and control (nrc2+) strain of the fungus. Experiments were conducted to generate growth curves, and coverslip assays were used in order to obtain data related to hyphal strength, branching rate, fragmentation rate, and growth rate for each strain. These data are providing us a better understanding of the function of Nrc2 in Aspergillus nidulans.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Overcoming The Pandemic: An Analysis Of The Strategies Of Latinx Immigrants In Maryland
Victoria Joya Euceda
Yolanda Valencia , Geography and Environmental Systems
Drawing from 10-15 in-depth interviews, this study seeks to understand how Latinx populations in Maryland have been impacted by, and endure, the Corona Virus Disease (COVID -19). As of 2020, the lives of 16.3 million individuals throughout the world have been touched by the COVID-19 (The New York Times 2020). Since its emergence, it has deeply affected low-income minoritized groups throughout the United States, especially Black and Latinx peoples. Latinx immigrants face challenges of unequal socioeconomic opportunities such as being essential workers for low-wage jobs. In addition, often, their migration status justifies legal denial of healthcare access, unemployment and other social-safety-net benefits. This makes Latinx immigrants hyper vulnerable to diseases and viruses, such as the COVID-19. This study will reveal details on how this population has been affected and how they overcome the virus. This way, it extends conversations on resilience, but also conversations around injustices prompted by the immigration law and reveal the importance of expanding resources and governmental support by the state of Maryland and nationwide.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Spring Research Institute and USM LSAMP program, supported by NSF LSAMP Award#1619676.
Assessing Mutant P53 Levels Via Stable Expression And Molecular Screening In Ovarian Cancer Cells
Rahul Kamdar
Achuth Padmanabhan, Biological Sciences
Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic malignancy and the 5th leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Mutations in tumor suppressor p53 are observed in roughly 50% of cancers worldwide. Over 70% of p53 mutants comprise point mutations that confer gain of oncogenic functions (GOF). These mutants form aggregates that promote drug resistance and metastasis. Depleting mutant p53 in cancer cells results in their death. Therefore, small molecules that selectively deplete mutant p53, without impacting wild type p53, have immense therapeutic value. We aim to achieve this by identifying clinically translatable regulators of mutant p53 in ovarian cancer cells. We used Gibson assembly to clone p53 GOF mutants (R175H, R273H) with a C-terminal red fluorescent protein (RFP) tag in pLVX lentiviral vectors. Using HEK293T cells, we generated lentiviral particles with these plasmids for subsequent stable expression of RFP-tagged p53 mutants in SKOV3 (p53-null) ovarian cancer cells. Currently, we are using microscopy and Western blot to confirm mutant p53 expression. These cells will be used for a cell-based high throughput platform to screen the FDA-approved drug library for small molecules that selectively regulate mutant p53. Completing this project will identify clinically translatable small molecules for selective mutant p53 depletion in cancer cells.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Understanding The Experience Of Refugees With Disabilities And Health Difficulties In Maryland
Zulekha Karachiwalla
Foad Hamidi, Information Systems
Refugees represent around 10% of the annual immigration flow into the US. They have a high probability of having pre-existing health problems, especially because of the often unstable migration process. Our research focuses on understanding the obstacles to health accessibility within the refugee population in Maryland. We conducted six interviews with local organizers and government employees that have experience working directly with the refugees and asked them about 1) current refugee health resources and challenges in accessing them in Maryland, 2) refugees’ technology use, especially in support of accessibility, 3) Potential areas for improvements in services and technologies, and 4) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the refugee population. Our findings to date point to four priorities that have the possibility of improving refugee healthcare accessibility: 1) Improving language accessibility of health services, 2) Supporting language and cultural competency through training and increased availability, 3) Improving language support in assistive technologies, 4) providing structural support, such as more comprehensive insurance coverage and improving the user experience of navigating the US healthcare system. With nearly 50,000 refugees in Maryland, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, our work may have implications for addressing challenges refugees face concerning accessibility and health care support.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Conservation Genetics Of The Endangered Bahama Oriole
Emma Kartalia, Janine Antalffy
Kevin Omland, Biological Sciences
The Bahama Oriole is an endangered island songbird found only on the island of Andros in the Bahamas. These birds nest in palms in the developed areas of the island and in the uninhabited pine forests of the island, which make up most of the land. Andros is the largest island archipelago of the Bahamas and contains three main islands separated by water: North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. The Bahama Oriole lives on all three islands, but it is unclear whether these populations are genetically distinct or if they should be considered part of the same population. PhD student Janine Antalffy and undergraduate presenter Emma Kartalia captured orioles and collected blood samples in the summer of 2019. They sequenced DNA from 26 individuals. The sampling data represented all three islands of Andros. They isolated and sequenced two genetic loci, SLC-9 and RDP-2, which are Z-linked and nuclear loci, respectively. Based on the sequences attained using Sequencher, they found variation in both gene regions. However, preliminary analyses indicate that alleles are generally shared across multiple islands. This suggests that the islands should all
be treated as one single population for conservation purposes.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
PARABOX
Biff Katoski
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
PARABOX is a hand-drawn animated film of a surreal and existential meditation on how even in an empty vacuum created by anxiety and an addiction to living through other people on social media; there are still ways for someone to discover themselves. This film is a homage to my own journey of becoming existentially aware after breaking out a metaphorical box. During times of a pandemic, people are experiencing high anxiety and starting to question what matters in the world. I wanted to make a piece that would inspire others to pursue the journey that I made. To create PARABOX, I sketched a storyboard in Procreate and used those boards as a guide to creating the animation in RoughAnimator. Once completed, I compiled all of the scenes and sound into Adobe Premiere for editing. The color was meticulously placed, making sure that there was a gradient. As the character became more open to the world, he and the world around him became more colorful as well. The sound of chimes and gongs coupled with a mystical soundtrack illustrates a sense of curiosity as the mood shifts from an empty vacuum to a moment of opportunity and discovery. (1:55)
Visionary or Megalomaniac? The Legacy Of Vladimir Lenin In Contemporary Education
Matthew Kelbaugh
Vira Zhdanovych , Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
Communism and similar collectivist ideologies were immensely influential yet destructive in the twentieth century, and the first man to implement these ideas into the practical, political sphere was Vladimir Lenin. Under his leadership the Bolsheviks, taking advantage of the chaos and unrest which resulted from Russia’s involvement in WWI and the deposition of her last czar, seized the reins of power in 1917. By analyzing Russian, Ukrainian, and English language textbooks, primarily through their depiction of Lenin’s philosophy, role in the Bolshevik Revolution, subsequent policies, and views toward nationalism, my research indicates that Russian educators grapple with how best to represent the contentious elements of Lenin and the system he installed, while Ukrainian and English language sources are less reluctant to provide moral criticism. A comparison of Russian, English, and Ukrainian language textbooks’ analysis of Vladimir Lenin revealed different emphases to propound different historical points, as well as different national perceptions of Soviet governance, providing a nuanced perspective as Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are currently debating their complex pasts regarding the contentious issues of authoritarianism, collectivism, and nationalism.
The Kurds Of Turkey: A Tale Of Survival, Resilience, And Uncertainty
Matthew Kelbaugh, Halle Gordon, Janeann Conley
Renee Lambert-Bretiere, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
As the Ottoman Empire collapsed in the early 20th century, Turkish officials and intellectuals began to adopt an ultranationalist identity to revive Turkish strength and to retain what remained of the once-great empire. By the 1920s, due to a combination of territory loss and state-sponsored genocide, the only major ethnic minority remaining in Turkey was the Kurds, making them the natural target of Turkish ultranationalism, which solely enforced Turkish language and culture upon Kurds living in Turkey. The Kurds, however, have proved remarkably resilient despite this suppression and discrimination, and in recent decades they have succeeded in gaining greater language rights in education and media, although much work remains to be done. This research not only provides a template for the complex relationship between Turks and Kurds, but also provides a deeper understanding
for the Kurds’ role in the tempestuous Near East, as well as perhaps their future destiny in this region of the world.
Assessing Potential Indicators Of Online Radicalization
Mohammed Khalid
Anupam Joshi, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Online social networks are an essential communication tool and provide many uses while generating a wide swath of information. However, these networks are becoming a major platform for advocates of violent extremism to assemble, communicate, and propagate extremist ideology. This research, in its very beginning and introductory stages, aims to answer: is there a way to assess the words utilized by known violent extremists and determine if the prevalence of these words within a body of a given text provides signs of radicalization? Can a method be developed to elicit, from words in a given document, whether a person is utilizing terminology used by known and suspected supporters of terrorism?
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Systematic Route To Explore The Potential Energy Landscape Of A New Family Of Functional Materials
Aaliyah Khan
Joseph Bennett, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Database mining for functional materials within the Inorganic Crystallographic Structure Database can provide candidate materials with ferroelectric and antiferroelectric abilities. Candidate ferroelectrics are characterized by a polar ground state that can switch polarization through a higher symmetry nonpolar stable state and candidate antiferroelectrics are characterized by an antipolar ground state close in energy to a ferroelectric state. The energetic gaps to switching must be small in order for these materials to be considered functional materials. Here, we explore the A2BX3 family of materials for potential ferroelectrics and antiferroelectrics using first principles density functional calculations and online symmetry tools. Our methodologies reveal relationships between subgroup symmetries and the compositions of the A, B and X sites. The largely unexplored, as yet to be reported K2ZrS3 and K2ZrSe3 are candidate antiferroelectrics. They are compared to the other ground state antipolar structures with related polar states, in the same A2BX3 family. The method proposed may be used for analysis of other families of functional materials and the results of the analysis can serve as guidance for experimentalists.
This work used the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), which is supported by National Science Foundation grant number ACI-1548562 through allocation ID TG-CHE190075. The hardware used in some of the computational studies is part of the UMBC High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF). The facility is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation through the MRI program (grant nos. CNS-0821258, CNS-1228778, and OAC-1726023) and the SCREMS program (grant no. DMS-08213.
Drosophila Melanogaster As A Model To Study Autism Genes At The Cellular And Behavioral Level
Ziam Khan
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is, at once, one of the most common developmental disorders in the world and one of the most debilitating, however, its exact causes remain poorly understood. A preliminary genetic screen has identified the gene CaMKI as a molecular candidate involved in ASD. We hypothesize that mutations in CaMKI would lead to ASD-phenotypes such as sociability deficits and aberrant synaptic refinement. Using Drosophila as a model organism, we genetically ablated CaMKI and used a social assay to measure any resulting social impairment in adult flies, a hallmark of ASD in humans. Additionally, the role of CaMKI in synaptic refinement was tested at the larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) as well as in the central nervous system. Furthermore, we live-imaged CaMKI-null embryos expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCAMP to examine the activity pattern of the nociceptive class-IV (C4da) sensory cells. Our results suggest that this activity pattern is necessary for the proper development of neuronal networks, so any irregularities provide direct evidence of impeded maturation via synaptic refinement. This study explores the relationship between CaMKI and ASD which casts light on any connection between the disorder and developmental synaptic refinement, as a whole.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
The Praise Predicament: A Cross-Cultural Examination Of Praise On Children’s Motivation
Olivia Khanna
Lira Yoon, Psychology
In recent years, the effects of praising children for their intellect as opposed to their effort on a task has sparked controversy among contemporary psychologists, specifically the long-term impacts on children’s self-esteem and perseverance. Although conventional wisdom dictates that praising children for their intellect can bolster their self-esteem, there is a significant body of research which suggests that praise may ultimately hinder their capacity for success, and harm their self-esteem in the long run. These research studies are highly regarded within the field, however, they appear to lack the cross-cultural perspective needed to reach a conclusion that can be transferred to other settings and contexts. Through my research, I intend to observe the transferability of these findings: is this phenomenon observed worldwide, and are these findings applicable across cultures? To do so, I evaluate key research studies and their transferability across different demographics. The implications of this research are highly relevant for improving the learning outcomes and educational attainment of various populations.
The Biopolitics Of COVID-19: A Foucauldian Critique Of Baltimore’s Pandemic Response
Sarah Khanna
Tania Lizarazo, Global Studies; Ryan Mutter, Economics, UMBC; Chunming Yuan, Economics, UMBC
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast light on the interaction among economic policy and disease outbreaks. To further investigate this relationship, the SIR Model for Spread of Disease has been expanded upon. The benchmark model indicates that a decline in consumer spending and employment exacerbates the recession. However, these measures also prevent the spread of the virus and, therefore, lead to a reduction in the death toll. The competitive equilibrium is not Pareto optimal because patients are not cognizant of the impact of their economic choices. It is concluded that the optimal containment strategy increases the scale and duration of the recession, whilst saving approximately half a million lives. (Eichenbaum et al., 2020) Drawing on data published by the Baltimore City Health Department, I model the tradeoff between the containment of the deadly coronavirus pandemic and its associated macroeconomic costs. In doing so, I intend to demonstrate the continued relevance of Michel Foucault’s theories of Biopolitics and Biopower in today’s world. As human life becomes an acceptable medium of exchange, this philosophical framework merits careful attention. My research lends itself to the broader discussion of neoliberal healthcare policies, Baltimore’s deeply entrenched socioeconomic inequality, and the role of policymakers in promoting justice.
A Qualitative Analysis Of Business Decisions Under The Roberts Court
Thomas Kiley
Jeffrey Davis, Political Science
This paper examines the first 15 terms of the Roberts Court to determine how favorable the current Supreme Court is towards business litigants. It uses some of the same techniques adopted by Epstein, Posner, and Landes in their study “How Business Fares in the Supreme Court.” The Supreme Court’s decisions regarding businesses affect consumers and employers, influence policy making, and control lower courts’ decisions. This paper analyzes the outcomes of Supreme Court cases with either a business-related petitioner or respondent and cases where the Chamber of Commerce filed amicus briefs to investigate the Court’s support of business interests. The results show that businesses received favorable decisions in 64.0% of cases when the other side was not a business. The Chamber of Commerce received favorable decisions in 71.4% of cases where they filed an amicus brief. These results demonstrate that the Roberts Court uses its judicial power to strongly favor business interests.
Impact Of Pediatric Chronic Illnesses On Family Functioning
Woo Ko, Natalie Varela, Jerri Bivens
Lynnda Dahlquist, Psychology
It is widely known that the impact of pediatric chronic illness is far-reaching, affecting not only the child but the family unit as a whole in a multitude of ways. This literature review focused on the impact of pediatric chronic illness on family functioning and the bidirectional relationship of family functioning on child health outcomes. The review focused on peer-reviewed studies published within the last two decades that specifically addressed the aspects of communication, modeling, and coping in family functioning and their impact over the course of illness progression and management. The review included studies conducted by pediatric researchers who have studied a diverse range of chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, asthma, chronic pain, and sickle cell among others throughout the different stages of childhood development, excluding literature that looked at populations of children with developmental delays and diagnosed mental illnesses. This review will highlight the ways in which children and guardians confront challenges related to pediatric chronic illness. The findings will provide insight into the importance of supporting families who are coping with chronic illness.
Managing Mortality: An Ethnographic Examination Of Emotion In Death Care Work.
Elle Kreiner
Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology
Death care workers, such as morticians, funeral directors, and crematory operators, face death and grief as part of the typical script of their daily lives. They must undertake the emotional labor of coping with their personal feelings while caring for the deceased, maintaining professionalism, and offering empathy to clients. My project explored the intersection of emotional labor and death care work.This is an extension of my pilot project “Managing Mortality,” that was presented at URCAD 2020. In this new research I conducted virtual interviews with death care workers from around the country to gather information on personal experiences, hardships, emotional management, and organization within different areas in the field of death care work. This data was complemented by information gathered online from academic journals, video-taped funerals, reddit forums, discord servers, and other media. My preliminary findings show different tactics, such as using their own experiences with personal loss and their ability to execute their jobs professionally to mitigate their feelings. By looking at the way death care workers process their emotions and complete emotional labor, this analysis contributes to academic discussion of careers perceived as emotionally strenuous.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
Improving Accuracy In Deep Learning Methods On Compton Camera Based Prompt Gamma Imaging For Proton Radiotherapy
Gerson Kroiz, Carlos Barajas
Matthias Gobbert, Mathematics and Statistics; Jerimy Polf, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Proton beam radiotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses proton beams to irradiate cancerous tissue while simultaneously sparing doses to healthy tissue. In order to optimize radiational doses to the tumor and ensure that healthy tissue is spared, many researchers have suggested verifying the treatment delivery through real-time imaging. One promising method of real-time imaging is the use of a Compton camera, which can image prompt gamma rays that are emitted along the beam’s path through the patient. However, because of limitations in the Compton camera’s ability to detect prompt gamma rays, the reconstructed images are often noisy and unusable for verifying proton treatment delivery. Machine learning can automatically learn patterns that exist in numerical data, making it a promising method to analyze Compton camera data to reduce noise in the reconstructed images. Our work studies the accuracy and runtime performance of fully connected neural networks. In particular, this research presents the various hyperparameter studies and their impact on the network’s performance.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Modeling The Reduction Of Amplitude-to-Phase Conversion In Charge-Compensated Modified Uni-traveling Carrier Photodiodes
Junkyu Kwon, Olorunjuwon Ajayi, Ehsan Jamali1, Ishraq Anjum1
1CSEE
Curtis Menyuk, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Microwave signals are used in a wide variety of applications, including radio communications, radar, and astrophysics. The lowest-noise microwave sources to date have been produced using optical frequency combs. An optical frequency comb is an array of equally-spaced frequencies, separated by a microwave frequency and can be used to generate ultra-low noise microwave signals using a photodetector. The photodetector converts the optical frequency comb into an array of equally spaced microwave frequencies. Noise is the critical limiting factor in many applications. A primary source of noise in the generation of an ultralow-noise microwave signal with stabilized optical frequency combs is amplitude-to-phase (AM-to-PM) conversion in photodetectors. We developed a model of a 16-layer CC-MUTC (charge-compensated modified uni-traveling carrier) photodetector by modifying the model of a 17-layer MUTC photodetector that was developed by Jamali Mahabadi et al. [1]. CC-MUTC photodetectors are designed to reduce the AM-to-PM conversion. The objective of this project is to analyze a recently-designed 16-layer CC-MUTC structure to determine the reduction of the AM-to-PM conversion and thus to aid in the generation of ultra-low-noise microwave signals.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
The Process – Exploring Creative & Agricultural Processes As A Means To Promote Mindfulness & Social Emotional Learning
Ayodele La Veau
Eve Muson, Theatre; Nicole Smith, Chief Economist, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
This study is part of an Undergraduate Research Award funded project titled “The Process”. The data gathered from “The Process” will support the development of a youth engagement program. This program will utilize the fundamentals of the creative and agricultural processes as a means to teach and explore mindfulness and social emotional learning. Both the creative and agricultural processes require levels of planning, analysis, processing, development, and execution in order to be successful. These same skills of analysis can be applied to understanding our own habits and routines in order to help build our character and inform us in our relationships with others. In this study, 100 people including high school graduates, students up to undergraduate level, and Baltimore city/county residents (ages 18-25), participated in a survey surrounding topics such as creativity, exploration, and daily practices. Twenty five of whom were asked to participate in an activity and discussion based webinar (2 hours/day). The purpose of the survey was to gain insight about attitudes towards creativity, exploration and daily practices. The results of the survey were used to structure the webinar as a space to engage in deeper discussion around these attitudes, using the analysis of creative and agricultural practices.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Understanding The Experience Of Low-Income Baltimore City Families Without Access To Broadband Internet During COVID-19
Daniel Laguna, Karina Brown, Rushaad Wright, Lydia Stamato
Foad Hamidi, Information Systems; Nora McDonald, Department of Information Systems, UMBC
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused various parts of our society to move online and in turn served to further amplify the digital divide in that lacking reliable broadband connectivity can have a larger impact now more than ever before. As so many facets of the world have continued to shift into the digital world in recent years, members of our society without access to high-quality internet connectivity are prevented from being able to fully participate in this new world. The arrival of COVID-19 magnified this problem since so many services and social activities have moved online. We explored the impact of not having reliable high-speed home Internet connectivity on families in Baltimore City, with a specific focus on the impact on educational, employment, social activities, and health. We conducted pilot interviews with community participants, stakeholders working to alleviate this issue by setting up community Internet connectivity resources, and informal educators working in this space. To date, we have found that participants value connectivity and also see the importance of developing reputable, safe, and inclusive resources to ease a move online for families who are just receiving broadband Internet.
This work was funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation.
Using Differential Equations To Model In-host Dynamics Of HIV
Becky Laws, Michael Klos, Lauren Jackson1, Ashley Oaks1, Naomi Rankin1
1Mathematics, Howard University
Kathleen Hoffman, Mathematics and Statistics; Katharine Gurski, Mathematics, Howard University
In 2019 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services put forth Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America in which the goal is to dramatically reduce new HIV infections. Prevention strategies are often informed by mathematical models. We propose an in-host model of HIV, an ordinary differential equation (ODE) model comprising both the acute and chronic stages of infection, that simulates the immune response of the viral infection, as well as the HIV viral load within the body. The model incorporates biologically derived parameters. This is an important first step towards developing a model with treatment and drug resistance.
This work was funded, in part, by the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM).
Understanding Nucleus Accumbens Synaptic Plasticity In Regulating Reward-related Behaviors
Se Rin Lee
Tara LeGates, Biological Sciences
Neural circuitry regulating reward-related behaviors has been conserved through evolutionary pressure, as reward drives appetitive-seeking and social behavior crucial for survival. Various psychiatric illnesses are characterized by aberrant reward-related behaviors, such as in substance abuse, where the reward drive is aberrantly high, and in depression, where it is aberrantly low. Excitatory glutamatergic input from the hippocampus (Hipp) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) promotes firing of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) to increase dopamine release and is crucial for modulating normal reward states. Previous work suggested that potentiating or weakening the hipp-NAc synapse regulates reward-related behaviors, and thus, we wanted to determine whether this synapse is sensitive to reward. To investigate this, we examined ventral hippocampus (vHipp)-NAc synapses from D1-type or D2-type dopamine receptor expressing MSNs of mice with and without appetitive rewards. We analyzed whole-cell currents in the NAc to characterize AMPA:NMDA ratios as a measure of synaptic strength, identified changes in strength after induction of long term potentation by high frequency stimulation, and measured paired-pulse ratios to quantify changes in vesicular release probability. Together, these findings provide insight into cell-type specific synaptic functioning underlying reward-related behaviors, of which successive studies can help target etiologies and interventions for various psychiatric disorders.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Investigating The Divergence And Structure Of Chromatin Modifiers Set3 And Set4 In Budding Yeast
Se Rin Lee, Winny Sun
Erin Green, Biological Sciences
The Set3 subfamily of SET domain-containing proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are characterized by the presence of a PHD finger and divergent sequences within the SET domain that likely contribute to its inactivity as lysine methyltransferases (KMTs). Set3 is part of a histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex and binds to methylated H3K4 through its PHD finger to stabilize HDAC activity at chromatin to function in gene repression. Its paralog Set4 is lowly expressed under normal growth conditions and has little known biochemical activity and function. Recent work in the lab has affirmed its role as a chromatin-associated protein in regulating stress response genes during oxidative stress. By employing site directed mutagenesis to revert the divergent sequences and using in vitro methylation assays, we tested for potential catalytic lysine methyltransferase activity. We also aimed to delineate the structure of Set4 and compare it to Set3, which has known structure, as well as MLL5, its mammalian ortholog. Further work to uncover the biochemical pathways of these proteins is critical as their human orthologs are implicated in development, diseases such as cancer, and aging.
Speech Development In German
James Lefkowitz
David Beard, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
Students can learn individual language components through distinct methods, and phonological accuracy is one component of second-language competence. If one has native-level phonetics while replicating a stream of speech, fluent speakers will understand them. Diction classes, given to singers of foreign texts, exist for this reason (Bragger 1975). Diction training prioritizes form over function in language, contrasted with classroom teaching. The parsing of meaning does not necessarily come with phonetics training (Tahta et al. 1981), so diction students’ learning processes must be evaluated to gain insight on their L2 learning. This evaluation is important for diction education, as little is known about diction teaching linguistically, and more can be learned about its effects on language learning.
This study provides a test in German comparing beginner classroom learners and diction students’ pronunciation against advanced classroom learners, scored by native speakers’ judgment. The hypothesis is that diction students will score above beginner, but below advanced, German learners on pronunciation. This has implications about the importance of phonetic training in classroom settings, along with potentially leading a diction student from phonetic learning to instructional learning (Yang 2006). This study will also investigate diction styles of teaching, a mode of instruction rarely examined in literature.
Use Of Density Functional Theory And First Principle Thermodynamics In Understanding Lead Oxide Surface Transformations
Joshua Leginze, Robert Zochowski, Ryan Grimes
Joseph Bennett, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The atomistic and electronic structure changes that occur when Pb cations dissolve in aqueous environments is not well studied. Density functional theory (DFT) is a computational tool that can be used to model solid state chemical systems, but is not well suited to compute solvation effects, dissolution, and redox behavior. Here we employ a DFT and thermodynamics model that incorporates first-principles total energy calculations and experimentally determined thermodynamics data in a Hess’s Law approach to overcome the limitations of DFT. We use this model to investigate the surface thermodynamics of the initial stages of litharge (ɑ-PbO) dissolution and find that it is thermodynamically unfavorable for ɑ-PbO to release subsurface Pb atoms in aqueous solution, but it is favorable to exchange surface Pb atoms with two hydrogen atoms. Overall, we are able to link atomistic changes in lead oxide (PbO) in contact with water to surface thermodynamics and changes in the electronic structure to the changing bonding environments of the surface atoms. These results can be used to understand the decomposition of PbO structures, and guide further studies on applications where PbO is in contact with water.
This work was funded by the Middendorf Foundation.
Race, Trauma, Psychosis-like Experiences, And Mental Health Care Among College Students: Study 3, Future Treatment
Isabel Leiva, Maya Glass, Noelle Diaz, Emily Petti, Pamela Rakhshan Rouhakhtar
Jason Schiffman, Psychology; Steve Pitts, Psychology, UMBC
Psychosis-like experiences (PLEs) are associated with distress and functional impairment, with evidence suggesting benefits of early identification. Prior research has outlined the link between PLEs, trauma, and racial discrimination; however, their impact on treatment-seeking is unclear. Given known racial disparities in treatment for racial minorities, this study examined the impact of race, trauma, discrimination, and PLEs on intent to seek treatment among individuals experiencing high PLEs. Study participants were Asian, Black, multiracial, and White college students aged 18-25 years who endorsed PLEs above a “high-risk” cutoff (N = 279). Participants answered online questionnaires on PLEs, trauma, discrimination, and future mental health treatment. A multiple linear regression was used to examine potential predictors of intentions to seek treatment. PQ score and potentially traumatic life events were significant predictors of intentions to seek treatment. Asian participants were significantly less likely to consider future treatment compared to White participants. Black and multiracial participants did not significantly differ from White participants in treatment-seeking intentions, nor did discrimination significantly predict treatment-seeking. Results suggest there may be race-related differences in intent to seek treatment among college students experiencing PLEs. These findings emphasize future need to investigate factors that influence help-seeking for racial minorities experiencing high PLEs.
Legacies Of The First-Called: Saint Andrew And Claims To Apostolic Succession In The Rus’-Byzantine World
Danylo Leshchyshyn
Sufian Zhemukhov, History
This historical study examined the evolution of claims to apostolic succession involving Saint Andrew the First-Called in the Byzantine Empire and Kyivan Rus’, an understudied subject in modern scholarship. After a careful examination of primary sources, the author concluded that the Patriarchate of Constantinople began asserting its claim as the successor to the Apostle Andrew only during the Iconoclasm controversy of the eighth century, and that this narrative fully solidified in Constantinople once the Constantinopolitan Church began seriously feuding with the Papacy in Rome. In regard to Kyivan Rus’, a critical reading of primary sources revealed that Kyivan claims to Andrean apostolic succession originated in a 12th-century political conflict between the Grand Princes of Kyiv and the rulers of the northeastern cities of Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal. These findings shed light on the historical origins of Andrean succession narratives maintained by the modern Churches of Constantinople, Ukraine, and Russia, and consequently reframe the current Moscow-Constantinopolitan Schism.
Falls In Nursing Homes
Yehuda Leventhal
Louise Murray, Aging Studies
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2017) approximately three million people present annually in the emergency room following a fall. Furthermore, the CDC (2020) reports that more than one out of four older people (ages 65 and older) fall each year. According to the Nursing Home Abuse Center (n.d.), a typical, 100-bed nursing home reports at least 100 to 200 falls per year. Falls in general are the leading cause of injury in adults aged 65 years or older. Serious falls can result in injuries such as hip fractures, which in turn can lead to decreased functional independence and quality of life. One risk factor for falls is increased age for many reasons including overall weakness and frailty, balance problems, cognitive problems, vision problems, medications, acute illness, and environmental hazards (Jin, 2018). In order to explore the impact of falls among the nursing home population, I will provide an overview addressing the statistical incidence and prevalence of falls and address risk factors and causes in this setting. The individual, community, and societal impact will be addressed as will potential preventative measures to decrease the risk of falls among this vulnerable population.
Advancing Student Evidence-Based Writing Through Scaffolding
Justin Levine
Timothy Johnson, Education
Evidence-based claims are important for both social studies classes and career readiness. This research examines how to help students write evidence-based claims in the context of World History. Grades and student attendance records that I used were mostly retrieved from the school database. This database is known as Schoology. It is similar to Blackboard, and it is used for turning in and grading assignments. It has an archive section that preserves nearly everything that occurred over the duration of the class. To gauge student understanding and development, the grades of assignments that demanded students to use evidence-based claims over time were looked at. These grades were determined based on how well students understood and answered the question. The method to developing their skills was to start with just evidence based claims, and then move on to having them also do reasoning. prayers, poetry, historical narratives, (Imperial) court records, etc. It also included archeological evidence like inscriptions and wall-art. Overall, students were asked to cite evidence on a wide variety of both primary and secondary sources.
Exploring Facebook Groups To Understand The Impact Of Social Media In Assisting Minority Groups During Pandemic
Victor Li
Sanorita Dey, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical facilities across the USA are trying their best to provide available and state-of-the-art treatments to COVID patients. However, many of these patients have experienced several chronic and severe symptoms for months although they are clinically tested as COVID negative and are officially declared as fully cured from COVID-19. These groups of people are commonly known as COVID “long haulers”.
Most of the long haulers are not being able to seek any medical treatment (since no known treatment can be used to reduce the severity of these symptoms and since the medical facilities are still struggling with new patients everyday). The members of the long hauler community have created several Facebook private groups where they share their conditions, seek advice from other members, and try to find mental support from others who are facing the same conditions.
The purposes of this project are the following: first we want to analyze the posts of the Facebook COVID-19 long halers’ groups qualitatively and linguistically and next, we want to design and build online visualization tools that can better organize the most discussed topics in these groups in one platform.
The End Of History Or Something More? A Debate On The Post Cold War Future With Neoliberal Theorists
Chandler Louden
Daniel Ritschel, History; Dr. Amy Froide, History Department
This project is a theoretical analysis of responses to the undelivered “Cold War dividend” that was expected to arrive after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. A well-known prediction of this dividend came from Francis Fukuyama. Fukuyama’s influential book, The End Of History (1992) predicted the belief that liberal democracy was victorious in the Cold War and had become the only viable politico-economic system. The final product of this project was an analytical research paper. The sources for research were selected works from articles and books featuring Fukuyama, his critics, and neoliberal theorists. This work is in the field of political history. Fukuyama described liberal democracy as the final form of government and wrote that the world was moving to be more concordant. Unfortunately, the world of 2021 is far different from the predictions suggested as the future predicted failed to occur. This analysis was framed as a debate between Fukuyama and his contemporaries. This project will provide insight and analysis into neoliberal ideology and the ideas of the future political economy from the 1990s and 2000s.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Using Anchor Fingers To Help Beginning Guitar Students Switch Between Chords
Michael Lunz
Brian Kaufman, Music
To move between chordal structures with minimal frustration and maximum ease of motion is an important skill on guitar. Three classes of students at Montgomery County middle school were assessed in their ability and speed with which they could move between two common chords to get baseline data. During this unit, students were taught to practice using an “anchor finger” as a method to move quickly between two chords with shared notes. Students were instructed to use the anchor finger to keep the common note, string, and shared finger between two chords. The method minimized the students need to reposition the entire hand while decreasing the time it took to switch between chords with common tones. At the end of the unit, students were given a summative assessment to evaluate their ability to move between chords in tempo to the song Best Day of My Life, by American Authors. The goal was for 75% of students to maintain a tempo of 100 bpm while changing between chords using an anchor finger with a single strum by the first beat of each measure.
Testing For A Species Concept In Betta Splendens
Yiwei Ma
Tamra Mendelson, Biological Sciences
Many species recognize and respond preferentially to conspecific individuals, which begs the question of if there exists a “concept” or “template” that allows individuals to identify both sexes of the species as belonging to the same group. To test this question, this study aimed to determine if Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) have a “species template.” In operant training procedures, females were conditioned to prefer conspecific over heterospecific males, and then further tested to determine if the training caused them to prefer female conspecifics. This study is the first to test for the existence of a “species concept” in animals using an operant condition procedure.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
The Significance Of ACE2 Receptor For SARS-CoV-2 Entry On Relationship Between Vaping And COVID-19 Risk
Sahar Mahate, Terence Lesigues
Weihong Lin, Biological Sciences
Vaping is linked to irritation of respiratory epithelium and increased quantities of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein receptor, which may play a role in increasing the risk of COVID-19 among users who vape. The onset of COVID-19 is caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which enters host cells of certain organs using the ACE2 receptor. Understanding the mechanism of the pathway used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells via the ACE2 receptor and the mechanism causing increased production of ACE2 by vaping will help determine the relationship between vaping and COVID-19 risk. This study seeks to review and analyze current literature on these mechanisms to prepare for future research. A possible future study would seek to further explore the relationship between vaping and COVID-19 risk using human survey data and animal models. Animal models exposed to e-cigarette aerosol and then SARS-CoV-2 would be compared to animal models with only exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and the presence of ACE2 receptors in lung cells would be measured to determine the role of ACE2 in COVID-19 risk.
Windows Anomaly Detection
Amina Mahmood
Anupam Joshi, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
As the most popular operating system in the world, many attacks are devised against Windows by hackers and state adversaries. An attacker can invade the system through various backdoors to get undetected access. Although many backdoors are not stealthy, they are enough to crash the system or steal data. A more stealthy type of attack can often be accomplished through rootkits, code that allows consistent and undetectable presence on the system. There is a challenge in finding a tool that would be useful in scenarios of malware, rootkits, and logging inside a Windows system that would be able to display all of the system’s data. In this paper, a minispy minifilter will be introduced that is capable of being used in such various scenarios. Since it runs in the kernel, it can show data to the analyst bypassing the adversary’s attempts to fool user space detection tools. We propose to open-source this tool so others can freely use and build upon this to detect rootkits. This work was jointly done with my graduate student labmate, Swapnil Bhosale.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Beyond Mere Diversity: Measuring Factors That Produce Equitable And Inclusive Work Environments
Henri Maindidze
Tomas Yufik, Psychology; Heather Walker, Saint Louis University
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are constructs that are currently at the forefront of discussions about how organizations can best utilize their talent. However, most strategic planning in this space emphasizes diversity and, more significantly, diversity along demographic lines. Consequently, literature that examines the influence of equity and inclusion on organizational outcomes broadens the understanding of how companies can best serve their employees. This pilot study expanded on said literature by exploring the employee experience concerning equity and inclusion within a team using a self-report assessment developed during an internship. Items were based on research measuring inclusion and trust within teams. Participants were gathered through a snowball convenience sample, and the goal was to recruit at least 278 individuals to have sufficient data to analyze. All participants were employed adults over 18 years old and occupy several levels within organizations, with no exclusion criteria established. The assessment examined the following constructs: a) perceptions of their direct supervisor, b) sentiments of coworker cohesiveness, c) their sense of belonging to the team, and d) perceived recognition and rewards. The findings intend to enrich research focused on factors that produce inclusive work environments.
Examination Of Flavor Vanillin In E-liquid On Mouse Models Using Comparative Chemosensory Behavioral Experimentation
Olufolake Majekodunmi , Ogechi Elemuo, Avantika Krishna
Weihong Lin, Biological Sciences; Tatsuya Ogura, University of Maryland Baltimore County
The popularity of electronic (e)-cigarettes has dramatically increased in recent years. Flavors in e-liquids promote the use of e-cigarettes by evoking pleasant sensations associated with nicotine intake and masking chemosensory damage. Vanillin, commonly in desserts, is a popular flavor that is known to associate olfactory cues with a positive vaping experience. However, research has demonstrated that flavored e-cigarette liquids like vanillin, when aerosolized by high heat, contain irritating and cytotoxic compounds. We hypothesized that the addition of Vanillin to nicotine containing e-liquid would increase overall liquid consumption due to masking the unpleasant taste of nicotine and long-term exposure to e-cigarette aerosol would impair olfactory-guided behavior due to adverse impact on nasal olfactory epithelium.
To investigate the taste of e-cigarette flavors, we performed a two-bottle taste test with a solution of vanillin and water. We also investigated olfactory-guided behaviors by performing two-week aerosol exposure followed by a T-maze preference test for vanillin solution over water. T-maze results indicated that exposed animals tended to favor e-liquid solution over a water sample. More experimentation must be completed upon two bottle taste test exposure, however comparison of results predict that the addition of Vanillin to nicotine-containing e-liquid solutions lead to overall preference.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Stroke Telerehabilitation: Technology Probe Design
Tobi Majekodunmi, Adegboyega Akinsiku1, Frances Watson2
1Department of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Helena Mentis, Information Systems
The American Heart Association (AHA) projects that an additional 3.4 million US adults will have had a stroke by 2030. Due to this projected number of stroke occurrences, the AHA and the American Stroke Association concluded that society must increase the accessibility of rehabilitation and acute care services. Telerehabilitation has been suggested as a solution to address accessibility issues, but there is currently a lack of specified equipment for remote rehabilitation. Moreover, due to the disruptive nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for remote rehabilitation for stroke survivors has increased. Thus, telehealth and telerehabilitation have become a critical element for teams of medical specialists in providing effective healthcare. My research is motivated to better understand the technical needs of a stroke telerehabilitation system. In a qualitative field study with medical specialists, my team developed a design framework for future stroke telerehabilitation systems. To test our framework, and better understand the needs and desires of stroke telerehabilitation system users in a real-world setting, my team designed a technology probe (a qualitative co-design tool used to test new technology and elicit and collect feedback from its users). This presentation will provide the details of my team’s technology probe.
This research was funded, in part, by the USM LSAMP program, supported by NSF LSAMP Award #1619676 .
Remote Sensing Of Water Color In The Great Lakes Region Using NASA’s EPIC
Spectroradiometer.
Rohan Mandayam
Pengwang Zhai, Physics
The concentration of chlorophyll A of phytoplankton in the Great Lakes, specifically Lake Erie, was determined using remote-sensing reflectance measurements obtained from the EPIC spectroradiometer. An algorithm based on the difference in the reflectance of three spectral bands (443 nm, 555 nm, and 670 nm) was used to obtain the ocean color index of the Great Lakes region. The correlation between the color index and the Chlorophyll A concentration acquired from another NASA satellite, the Aqua MODIS sensor, was then analyzed. We found that the ocean color index can be used to determine the concentration of phytoplankton, and therefore the variation in the color index over time can be used for the detection of algal bloom patterns in the Great Lakes region. Data from the year 2017 was used for this analysis.
Wrongful Convictions
Riya Manocha
Carolyn Forestiere, Political Science
This research was conducted to understand what commonalities exist between individuals that have been exonerated after being wrongfully convicted of a crime. A criminal justice system is expected to provide justice for individuals who have consequently suffered from the unlawful actions of others. Yet, oftentimes we see the system abusing its power and doing injustice to its society and certain individuals. Wrongful convictions have unfortunately been a recurring issue in the United States over the last several years. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, since 1989, there have been over 2,700 individuals who have been exonerated of crimes they were falsely convicted of. Quantitative data was collected from various case studies and interpreted using a Most Similar Systems design to understand what common factors exist between individuals who have been exonerated. Results could suggest that most of the commonalities found between wrongfully convicted individuals are the product of structural inequity and bias.
Comparison Of Autism Linked Genes, SHANK3 And DLGAP2, In Humans With Its Fly Orthologs, Prosap And Vulcan
Luz Martinez
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Scaffolding proteins play a critical role in the postsynaptic density structure of the excitatory synapses, regulating processes such as glutamate receptor trafficking, signaling efficiency, and dendritic structure. Due to the interconnected network of synapses and proteins, mutations can cause genetic variability in scaffolding proteins which can cause postsynaptic density dysfunctions in synaptic plasticity, signaling efficiency and dendritic spine morphology, increasing the risk for autism spectrum disorders. Two families of proteins in humans linked to autism spectrum disorders are SHANK and DLGAP. In this review we provide a side by side comparison of 2 autism linked genes in humans, SHANK3 and DLGAP2, and compare it to its fly homologs, Prosap and Vulcan, respectively, analyzing how these genes affect the anatomical, molecular, and behavioral components in both humans and Drosophila melanogaster. We will also address unknown information about these genes and discuss ideas on how to achieve further progress in this field.
LSAMP.
Identifying The Academic Obstacles Facing Student Caregivers
Nicholas Martorelli
Christin Diehl, The Hilltop Institute
Today, millions of students take on the role of caregiver while enrolled in higher education. These students provide uncompensated care for loved ones, such as parents, grandparents, partners, spouses, and siblings. Student caregivers often encounter obstacles in balancing their caregiving responsibilities while trying to achieve academic success. In this study, we explored resources for student caregivers at public universities in Maryland and compared them to identify best practices and systemic gaps in support. Through a survey we created, student caregivers at UMBC were provided the opportunity to report on a variety of academic challenges and identify potential recommendations and resources that would provide more support for their unique needs. Additionally, through qualitative interviews, this population had the opportunity to give detailed academic support feedback and share their own stories and experiences with being student caregivers. As a
result, we were able to identify additional resources and policy recommendations to specifically support and impact student caregivers’ success at UMBC.
Surface Scanning Analysis With The Laser Antenna Surface Scanning Instrument
Max Mason, Andrew Seymour 1
1Green Bank Observatory
Pedro Salas, Green Bank Observatory
The surface of the Green Bank Telescope(GBT) is subject to deformations due to heating and other external factors. Efficient observations require the shape of the dish to remain as close to a paraboloid as possible. In order to improve the efficiency of the observations, the surface of the telescope is scanned using the laser antenna surface scanning instrument(LASSI) for correction. Many small holes exist in between panels, which makes it difficult to accurately measure the deformations. To make accurate measurements of these deformations, unwanted artifacts were masked, allowing the deformations of the primary reflector to be measured with a higher accuracy. The author compared masking at two different steps during data processing using two different strategies; computing a mask based on the noise properties of the scans, and based on the positions of the holes on the surface. The scans were compared against the movement of the active surface to determine which masking strategy was more effective. These residuals were compared with different methods of statistical analysis. Masking using the noise properties of the scans showed the lowest residuals with respect to the active surface, the approach currently used by LASSI to mask holes and spaces between panels.
A Review Of The Efficacy Of Treatments For Comorbid PTSD And Chronic Pain Across Sociodemographic Characteristics
Lexie Mathis
Raimi Quiton, Psychology
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain are commonly comorbid conditions. Several treatments for this comorbidity have preliminary evidence supporting their efficacy, but a standard treatment has yet to be identified and much remains unknown regarding efficacy in diverse populations. This literature review aimed to identify treatments for comorbid PTSD and chronic pain and to investigate whether the efficacy of treatments differs based on sociodemographic characteristics. Relevant articles were selected from databases using search terms related to PTSD, pain, and treatments. Selected articles had to provide information about treatments for comorbid PTSD and chronic pain or relevant background information. Several treatments were identified, including pharmacological and alternative treatments. Populations treated included veterans, inmates, refugees, and sexual assault/interpersonal violence (IPV) survivors, although no research has examined treatment efficacy across these populations. While this literature review shows that many treatment options for comorbid PTSD and chronic pain have shown promise, further research is needed to identify a treatment standard for this comorbidity and to provide further information on efficacy across sociodemographic characteristics. These aspects are important to consider, as determining the characteristics that correlate with disparities in efficacy can help to identify which treatments are best suited for each individual.
The Tortoise And The Bear
Sohei Matsui
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
An animated short replicating an industry-style production pipeline to tell a parody of the folktale The Tortoise and the Hare. The story revolves around two forest friends, Harold the Bear, and Tuts the Tortoise, betting on a race to reach the other side of the forest. Who will reach the finish line first? This project revolves around all parts of animation development, production, and direction. The film was organized by creating storyboards and a timed animatic before the animation was made in Clip Studio Paint and then compiled into Adobe After Effects. As the director of the project, I communicated with and worked alongside voice actors, visual development artists, and composers to help construct a lively cartoon atmosphere for the film. In light of the pandemic, we found creative ways of communicating our visions for the project through using Discord calls and Google Drive cloud services. The end result was made through the collaboration of all the team members using many different mediums of creative expression to create a story of friendship.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Mono-logging On: Writing Solo Performances In Virtual Space
Duncan McAdam, Nicholas Leiva, Mercedes Fuller, Michelle Chaney, Lara Truslow
Lynn Watson, Theatre
The students of THTR 223 – “Vocal Training for the Actor II” began with the same assignment, to write and perform a solo monologue. The research question then was: how would students accomplish that task? The research methodology reflected in this process is formally known as “Practice as Research” (PaR). Starting with prompts from instructor Lynn Watson, each student discovered their own devices to find inspiration. One student wrote from the perspective of a self-aware character who has been cast as comic relief in an otherwise serious performance, investigating the conflict of not being able to react as they typically would. Another method used was to write a piece based on real life events that impacted the student, blurring the line between character and performer. Other students made use of dramaturgical prompts or free-writing exercises to inspire scenes, and in some cases created entire worlds in which to set their pieces. Research documentation was presented through performances of the monologues and students’ commentary on their process. Though their methods varied, each student inserted themselves into their work and created deeply personal, impactful performances that are a testament to individual creativity, and to the stories that we all have to tell.
Quantum Otto Engine With Interacting Particles
Jacob McCready, Nathan Myers
Sebastian Deffner, Physics
Quantum Otto Engine with interaction particles
The performance and operation of quantum heat engines differ from their classical analogues due to the unique effects that result from quantum mechanical phenomena. Hence, the study of these quantum phenomena and their impact on engine performance is important to the understanding of the thermodynamics of the quantum realm. The exchange statistics of indistinguishable particles is one such uniquely quantum property that can be exploited to enhance the thermodynamic efficiency and power output of a quantum heat engine. To this end, we examine a quantum Otto engine with a harmonic working medium that consists of two contact-interacting particles, either bosons or fermions. For scale-invariant driving, we explore the interplay between inter-particle interactions and wave function symmetry features on engine performance.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, as well as through the Donald N. Langenberg Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Physics department.
An Analysis Of Black Women’s Health Geographies Resulting From The War On Drugs
Malaysia McGinnis
Dawn Biehler, Geography and Environmental Systems
Since the late 1970s in Baltimore City, the disenfranchisement, surveillance, and oppression of Black people in neighborhoods reduced to high drug traffic areas are “justified” by the policies and discourse surrounding the War on Drugs. Black people overall have increased exposure to psychological distress. The 80s crack-cocaine epidemic in Baltimore City left the groundwork for the racialized and gendered drug “crisis” that affects even today. This study uses discourse analysis of news reports, literature, and health strategies of rehabilitation centers to understand the technologies constructed for controlling Black communities, and the impact this has on the health of Black women. I draw primarily upon the work of McKittrick, Bledsoe, and Wright regarding capitalism’s anti-blackness and conceptions of Black people’s a-spatiality. I build from this with the work of Fothergill et. al., Rhodes and Johnson, as well as Stevens et. al. about protecting the rights Black Women in healthcare with improved cultural sensitivity. I contribute to this discussion that the war on drugs since the 1970s has continued to have negative effects on Black communities in Baltimore City through the 2010s. Following the work of Stevens et. al., there are specific considerations to be made for Black women’s healthcare.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute
A Systematic Review Of ABA Treatments That Address Inattention, Hyperactivity, Or Impulsivity Associated With ADHD
Desiree McLenithan, Olivia Schwiegerath, Zohaa Awan, Betelehem Getahun
Adithyan Rajaraman, Psychology
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent diagnosis affecting more than 6.1 million individuals nationally. ADHD is defined by certain behavioral characteristics (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity), which can pose significant challenges that interfere with academic achievement, occupational performance, friendships, and family interactions. Many pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments have been evaluated in the treatment of ADHD characteristics. Of those treatments, applied behavior analysis (ABA) involves the planned arrangement of environmental consequences to change behavior. Despite the ostensible fit between the ABA approach and the treatment of behaviors associated with ADHD, that which ABA has accomplished in the mitigation of ADHD behavioral characteristics has yet to be sufficiently outlined. In this systematic review, we summarized four decades of research on ABA treatments that address inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity exhibited by individuals diagnosed with ADHD. We discuss our findings in the context of a proposed paradigm shift in the conceptualization of ADHD from biological and cognitive causes to a behavioral framework.
Under-employment And Abuse Intervention Response
Sebastian McNary, Finch Grace
Christopher Murphy, Psychology
Previous research has found significant associations between unemployment and abuse intervention program (AIP) drop-out. However, the findings regarding employment status and post-AIP recidivism are mixed. The current study investigates data from participants in a community-based AIP in order to determine whether participants who differ in employment status display different rates of recidivism during the 2 years after scheduled completion of treatment. Using self-reported employment status, participants were separated into 3 groups (full-time employed, partially employed, and unemployed). Maryland Judiciary Case Search was utilized to collect data on recidivism during the follow-up period. The recidivism data was coded by type of offense (partner violence, general violence, and other protection order involvement). Participants in the full-time employed group had significantly less recidivism than those who were partially employed or unemployed for each type of offense, and had significantly less recidivism overall. We will also present data to test various explanations linking employment difficulties to post-program recidivism. These results indicate that employment support may be a crucial part of AIP treatment in ensuring that participants are able to both attend treatment and commit to making change.
Develop Scientific Skills With C-E-R Tified Methods Of Writing Conclusions
Manuel Miranda
Jonathan Singer, Education
Synthesizing scientific experimental data, results, and observations is a foundational piece of the scientific method and should be implemented in high school science classrooms through an organized technique called the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) method. This technique can enhance synthesis/conclusions to encourage future scientists with the fundamentals of scientific writing. An appropriate conclusion should include a concise claim, satisfactory evidence, and adequate reasoning. Without this process, scientists are unable to share their experimental results and personal discoveries with the scientific community. For my urban secondary institution field experience, it appears that most, not if all students, have difficulty synthesizing science phenomena. By the baseline data collected, students required a graphic organizer to write a CER before writing it without scaffolding. Comparing tenth grade, high performing chemistry students to eleventh grade, high performing physics students, students were evaluated according to the district’s corresponding rubric after various CER-based instruction. Growth is measured by how students’ achievement improved from the baseline data collected in adherence to the Baltimore City’s rubric on CER’s.
Thanks to Dr. Singer, Dr. North, my mentor teacher Dr. Pannu, and my chemistry and physics students for their assistance and support.
Recurring Moment – A Time Travel Puzzle Platformer Video Game
Kristian Mischke, Mark Medija, Aidan Newell, Jacob Yepez, Aaron Griffin, Wilson Fang
Marc Olano, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
A student development team worked with modern software tools to create a 2-dimensional side-view puzzle platformer style video game. This project exhibits a unique time-travel mechanic that prompts the player to solve puzzles in a non-linear fashion. The video game character enters time-machine devices that transports them to the moment they were first activated—this enables the player to interact with the events of the past and their past selves (AKA doubles). The player must be careful to progress through the puzzles without disrupting the actions of their doubles. This project was the collaborative effort of both Computer Science and Art students using the Unity 3D game engine. The program was written using C# and leveraged Unity’s built-in Physics libraries. The data structures and programming logic that contribute to the time travel mechanics are a noteworthy feature of this project. Artists used the Procreate app and other state of the art software like Photoshop to create the game’s animated sprites and backgrounds.
Identification Of Critical Iron Transporters Via RNAseq In The Gram-negative Bacterium Cellvibrio Japonicus
Alexandra Misciagna, Noor Alain
Jeffrey Gardner, Biological Sciences
Bacteria have developed complex mechanisms to import nutrients from their environments, and studying bacterial nutrient transport can lead to a better understanding of essential features and allow for the development of biomedical and biotechnological applications. Iron is essential for aerobic bacteria and one mechanism that Gram-negative bacteria import iron is via TonB-dependent transporters, which are multi-protein complexes that have components in both the inner and outer membrane. Interestingly, some environmental bacteria can have over 40 TonB-dependent transporters, but their specific functions remain unknown. Our work used the Gram-negative bacterium Cellvibrio japonicus to study TonB-dependent nutrient transport, specifically looking at iron uptake. Using RNA sequencing data collected from C. japonicus cells grown in high and low iron media, we performed a transcriptomic analysis to identify up-regulated iron transport genes. We found 16 up-regulated iron transport proteins, 14 of which were part of TonB-dependent transport systems. Additionally, we discovered several operons predicted to play a role in iron metabolism. Future work will validate the RNAseq analysis by generating gene deletion mutants of the identified TonB-dependent transporters and assessing their growth on iron-rich or iron-poor media to characterize each gene’s role in iron metabolism.
This research was funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DE-SC 0014183).The research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medicine of the National Institute of Health under Award Numbers RL5GM118987, UL1GM118988, TL4GM118989,5TL4GM118989, 5UL1GM118988, and 5RL5GM118987. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Health.
Acoustic Similarity Between Yearling And Adult Males In Orchard Orioles
D’Juan Moreland
Kevin Omland, Biological Sciences; Michelle Moyer, Biological Sciences
Male song in Orchard Orioles (Icterus spurius) has been studied extensively. However, there have been no rigorous comparisons among males of different age classes. We compared song between yearling and older males to better understand the function and development of song in Orchard Orioles. Moreover, we aim to determine if we can group them together in our ongoing work comparing male and female song. There are two age classes of males in Orchard Orioles: yearlings and older males. In this study we used fifteen yearling individuals and fifteen older individuals and selected three songs from each individual for analysis. Using Raven Pro, we analyzed and documented twelve different variables for each song. We then took the average of the three songs for each individual in all variables and ran T-Tests. These analyses resulted in no significant difference between yearling and older males in any of the twelve ariables, leading to the conclusion that songs of the two age classes are acoustically similar overall. This study, however, only measured statistical difference between males; thus, the next step is to run equivalence tests on the data to show statistical similarity.
Charge Transfer From Semiconductor Nanorods
Rachel Morin
Matthew Pelton, Physics
Modern technology’s ability to convert light into electrical energy has its roots in semiconductor physics. For example, light from the sun is transferred into electrical current with solar cells made of semiconductor elements such as silicon. By creating nano-sized semiconductors (nanorods) on the scale of 10-8 meters, the efficiency of solar cells can potentially be improved while lowering costs. To understand the processes that would be involved in using these nanorods in a solar cell, this project aims to quantify the rate at which a single nanorod transfers electric charge to a molecule on its surface. A pulsed laser excites the electrons in these nanorods to a higher energy level. After a certain amount of time, the electrons either return to their original state, emitting a photon, or transfer to an energy level in the attached molecule. The charge-transfer rate is determined by comparing the excited-state lifetimes of nanorods with and without molecules. As a first step, the excited-state lifetimes of single nanorods from two different samples were measured, and one was determined to be suitable for future measurements. Ongoing work is now attempting to measure single nanorods from this sample with one molecule on the surface of each nanorod.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and by the UMBC Physics Department.
Pleasant And Unpleasant Nature Sounds: A Validity Study Of Nature Sound Stimuli
Angel Munoz-Osorio
Lynnda Dahlquist, Psychology
Distraction pain studies have used pleasant sounds as distracting stimuli; however, those studies fail to report the validity of the sound stimuli that they use. Furthermore, the effects of using unpleasant sounds as a distracting stimulus have been understudied. The purpose of this study was to collect validity data on pleasant and unpleasant nature sounds to be used in future distraction pain research. Participants completed an online survey and rated 10-second sound recordings using an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). NRS anchors ranged from 0 (neutral) to 10 (most pleasant) for pleasant ratings and -10 (most unpleasant) to 0 (neutral) for unpleasant ratings. Analyses will compare the pleasantness and unpleasantness valence of sounds. Expected pleasant sounds should consistently score higher on the pleasant NRS and lower on the unpleasant NRS, while the opposite should be true of unpleasant sounds. This is the first step in determining the types of sounds that could be used in a future study that will explore the effects of sounds on pain. The implication of this research is to inform clinicians on how to provide a low-cost, non-pharmacological intervention for better pain management for those suffering from chronic or acute pain.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
Terms And Conditions Of Sex – A Short Film
Manal Murangi
Sarah Sharp, Visual Arts
Terms and Conditions of Sex is a short film bringing light to an often overlooked aspect of surviving sexual assault. The story of survivors so often ends after the trial, when the rapist is either acquitted or convicted on the charges. But for the survivor, life goes on and the trauma can leave a lasting impact. I wanted to shed light on this issue, by presenting it in the form of a narrative film. The film follows the story of Amara, a young graduate student attempting to date again after being assaulted at a party. Through the film she struggles with previous boyfriends, retreating into depression, and faces the difficulties of negotiating consent with a new partner. During the course of this film, I consulted with several survivors and as I did, I understood how common this experience is. It is common knowledge that the needs of survivors are often neglected in every stage after an assault, to the point that many women do not even report them. It is my hope and goal that this film, in addition to providing new information, will affirm and assure survivors that we are not alone.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Heuristic Searching For Good “Xeno Alphabets” Of Amino Acids
Mickey Muscalli
Stephen Freeland, Individualized Study
I used heuristic searching methods of computer science to search for sets of 20 amino acids which match the genetically encoded “natural alphabet” used by life as we know it. I therefore began exploration with the simplest heuristic search possible: a hill climbing algorithm. The hill climbing algorithm produced several amino acid sets which represent similar/better values to the “natural alphabet” in terms of range/evenness. This search is a deliberate step in a larger program of research which seeks to understand the ways in which the standard amino acid alphabet formed during evolution. This study clarifies how our current definition of a “better” set of amino acids could be improved and how future searches might change to reflect that. Specifically, this research lends credence to the idea that future searches should be aiming for sets similar to the natural 20, rather than blindly searching for sets which maximize the range and evenness of volume and hydrophobicity respectively.
Learning From StoryCorps: The Resilience And Empowerment Of Afghan Immigrant Women
Crystal Najib
Anne Brodsky, Psychology
This research is aimed to better understand the challenges, struggles, risks, and fears of Afghan women immigrants to the U.S. as well as how they have overcome them. The study focuses on the resilience and empowerment of Afghan immigrant women who have fled a war-torn country in search for a better life. In the past four decades Afghanistan has been extensively damaged by the on-going war. While there is gender inequality in the United States, compared to Afghanistan, the treatment of women in the U.S. is much better. This study uses the StoryCorps archive as the main source of data. StoryCorps is an independently funded organization that provides people across the U.S. the opportunity to record and preserve the stories of their lives. Nine usable audio recorded interviews, averaging 45-60 minutes long, were obtained from the StoryCorps archive. Data were transcribed, checked for accuracy, stripped of identifying information, and the interviews coded using a coding framework based on the Transtheoretical Model of Empowerment and Resilience (TMER [Brodsky & Cattaneo, 2014]). Findings provide better understanding of Afghan immigrant women’s successes and may suggest ways communities and individuals can support the success of other women and future generations.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Communities In Distress: A Global Comparative Qualitative Study Of People’s Experiences Of The COVID-19 Pandemic
Rojin Najmabadi, Shannon Cobb, Chloe Fong , Jenny Zhao
Anne Brodsky, Psychology
The onset of COVID-19 has altered lives worldwide. An unprecedented pandemic, COVID-19 has ignited research to understand how individuals and communities are experiencing and coping with this pandemic. The purpose of this study is to contribute to this growing knowledge. Using data collected from an international survey, we analyzed one of the open-ended survey questions (Is there anything else about the COVID-19 crisis, or how it has impacted your life or your household that you’d like to share?) to examine similarities and differences in how individuals of different nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds experienced the first 6-months of COVID-19.
The global survey was available in four languages and received 2,026 responses. Approximately 300 responses to our focal open-ended question were received and translated into English. A mix-methods approach is used to gain an inductive understanding of response content and patterns on both the individual and societal level. Quantitative data are analyzed to further explore the emerging patterns among respondents. Overall, this study aims to contribute to the growing body of research on how individuals and communities across the world are experiencing and responding to COVID-19.
Influence of COVID-19 at UMBC: Analyzing Predictors for Undergraduate Students’ Academic Success
Jane Nam, Sarah Turner, Mansha Maheshwari, Jeniffer Khorsandian, Mireille Alcheikh Hanna, Mike Spano, Aysha Nasir, Samantha Galczyk
Susan Sonnenschein, Psychology
For the past 11 months, COVID-19 has impacted the quality of life and learning of UMBC students’, which in turn has possibly affected their academic success and engagement. The pandemic has elicited potential financial, medical, and academic strains for students. This study will investigate variables that positively and negatively affect students’ academic success during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are currently collecting data from UMBC undergraduate students, by inquiring them to complete an online survey that includes questionnaires about their motivation, engagement, and self-reported GPA. Additional factors such as family and peer support, institutional support, student home environment, and access to technology are being measured. Potential stressors include lack of financial income, deprecation in mental health, and inadequate access to technology. The descriptive results will demonstrate what the stressors and protective factors are for UMBC undergraduates during COVID-19. Furthermore, regression analyses will show the effects of these two categories of factors on these students’ academic engagement and achievement. We also will conduct analyses to see if various subgroups of students (e.g., first generation students) are differentially affected by the impact of COVID-19 or have independent factors affecting them.
A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: Examining Linkages Between North Korean Propaganda And U.S.-Bilateral Relations
Harini Narayan
Kyung-Eun Yoon, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication; Renee Lambert-Bretiere, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
The people’s approval is a vital component of retaining nationalism for states facing international conflict. For one state to maintain a constructed image of another, the government may employ diverse mediums to shape public opinion aiming to unite the people behind a common cause. The insulated nature of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) presents a unique example of propaganda utilization as the main nationwide outlet of information regarding foreign nations available to its people. Western-centric theories historically dominate the study of foreign relations, neglecting the role of elements such as history, nationalism and ethnicity which interact to form an Asian nation’s outlook on the West. This research refocuses this by examining how the DPRK government depicts the global West, particularly the U.S. in political posters to promote their propaganda to their people. Valuable insight can be gained regarding the causes behind tenuous relations between the United States and DPRK as well as the implications of ongoing events that will shape the nature of bilateral relations in the years to come. To accomplish this, a content analysis approach is utilized to examine different sources of open-source media, specifically political posters from the DPRK in chronological order alongside historical events.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Parent’s Role In Distance Learning During COVID-19
Aysha Nasir
Susan Sonnenschein, Psychology; Elyse Grossman , UMBC; Julie Grossman, Psychology, UMBC
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), parents are playing a more direct role in their children’s education. This study addresses three questions: 1) What types of activities are parents engaging in to assist their children with distance learning? 2) How do distance learning activities reported by parents vary by the age of the child? 3) Is there an association between stress reported by parents related to distance learning and the number and type of distance learning activities parents reported completing? Participants included 361 parents with children under the age of 18. Survey responses were coded into six categories, including: monitoring, providing technological support, teaching, communicating with teachers, providing emotional encouragement/motivation, and other. The survey was analyzed using STATA. Preliminary analyses indicate that monitoring activities were reported more by parents of older children whereas teaching and providing technological assistance were reported more by those with younger children. Parents who engaged in distance learning reported being stressed, regardless of the type of activity in which they engaged or the age of the child. Data will provide insight into how COVID-19 has impacted parents’ role in education.
Establishing A Cell-Based High-Throughput Screen To Identify Pathways Targeting ZNF217 Levels In Ovarian Cancer Cells
Nithya Navarathna
Achuth Padmanabhan, Biological Sciences
Due to the lack of early reliable diagnostic markers and effective therapeutics, ovarian cancer continues to be the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. As over 70% of ovarian cancer cases are metastatic, there is an urgent need to identify factors that drive metastasis and to develop clinically translatable therapeutic strategies. Despite Zinc Finger Protein 217’s (ZNF217) established role in driving ovarian cancer metastasis, factors regulating this key transcription factor are unknown. This knowledge gap has limited us from targeting ZNF217 in metastatic ovarian tumors. To overcome this limitation, I will establish a cell-based high-throughput screen to identify novel factors and small molecules that regulate ZNF217 in ovarian cancer cells. To achieve this goal, I used lentivirus-mediated gene delivery to stably express RFP-tagged ZNF217 in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. SKOV3-RFP-ZNF217 cells will be used to screen siRNA and FDA-approved drug libraries for novel regulators of ZNF217, with RFP intensities being used as a surrogate for determining ZNF217 levels. After optimizing assay conditions for SKOV3-RFP-ZNF217 cells, I will proceed to set up the high-throughput screen. In conclusion, my work will identify small molecules and genetic factors regulating ZNF217 and pave the way for targeting this key pro-metastatic transcription factor in ovarian cancer cells.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Determination of Selectivity And Diffusion Coefficients For Ammonium Recovery By Donnan Dialysis
Ouriel Ndalamba, Michael Fleming, Utsav Shashvatt
Lee Blaney, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering
Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are essential for crop production. However, nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff and wastewater discharge forms dead zones in surface water, disrupting aquatic ecosystems. To address this issue, we developed a novel approach to nutrient recovery. Our strategy employs electrochemical potential gradients across a semipermeable membrane to selectively recover nutrients from wastewater into draw solutions containing benign salts. For example, as ammonium (NH4+) transports from the waste solution to the draw solution, sodium (Na+) ions are transferred in the opposite direction. This process is termed Donnan dialysis. By recovering ammonium, we will reduce nutrient pollution and create a sustainable source of nitrogen-based fertilizers. The specific objectives were to (1) determine the selectivity of the CMI-7000 cation-exchange membrane for NH4+ over Na+ and (2) measure the diffusion coefficients for NH4+ and Na+ in CMI-7000. To achieve objective (1), cation-exchange membranes were placed in solutions containing NH4+ and Na+ until Donnan equilibrium was established, then selectivity coefficients were calculated. For objective (2), synthetic waste solutions with NH4Cl and draw solutions with NaCl were separated by the CMI-7000 membrane and allowed to come to Donnan equilibrium. Using experimentally-determined concentrations of NH4+ and Na+, we calculated the diffusion coefficients.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Disaster-Resilient Information Communication Technologies For Disaster Management
Zachary Neuhaus
Steven McAlpine, Individualized Study
The goal behind this research is to approach the complex issues of resiliency and communication infrastructure failures in disasters through an interdisciplinary perspective. The study looks at the interdependence of society and disaster management professionals on technology, specifically the information communications technology infrastructure and the emergency management phases: disaster prevention, mitigation response, and recovery. When a disaster hits, communication technologies such as cellular, radio, and internet networks are greatly hampered. Disaster management starts to lose its ability to share real-time information and communicate amongst agencies making adequate disaster mitigation, response, recovery and difficult. In order to solve this complex issue, we look towards disaster resilient technology such as Delay-Tolerant Networking.
Claim-Evidence-Reflection
Anthony Nguyen
Jonathan Singer, Education
Scientific argumentation is essential to students’ scientific literacy and is a fundamental skill employed by many scientists in fields such as physics, biology, and chemistry. Proper argumentation involves a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) structured response where individual claims are supported by data. Baseline data has implied that students in my urban high school class struggled to construct effective CER arguments. Many student responses lacked evidence or reasoning for their claims and in other cases students provided evidence to support a claim that they did not have. As such, this research focused on how implementing self-reflection into the CER writing process can improve student awareness of inconsistencies and errors in their arguments. To gauge student progress, students were evaluated on a five-point rubric focusing on the clarity of their claims, the use of data and evidence and finally the quality of their reasoning. The goal of this research was to increase students’ skills by one rubric score and data points were taken at the beginning, middle, and end of a quarter.
Women’s Rights In Confucian Countries: A Challenge On The Contemporary Social Development
Ivy Nguyen
Christopher Brown, Global Studies
This research will examine the impact of globalization on customs and traditions against women during the age of technology in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, the countries that were and are still influenced by Confucianism. While Confucianism is well-known for its ethical and moral teachings, it also includes ideas on women’s role in society that sharply contrast global ideals of gender equality. Focusing on women’s rights, I correlate gender norms expressed in television shows and social media with health and social indicators including sex-ratio-at-birth, access to reproductive healthcare and educational enrollment rates. Comparing these correlations in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, the results of this project show how global discourses on gender equality are challenging traditional values emphasizing male supremacy. This research serves as a case study for understanding how modern ideals challenge cultural norms related to women’s empowerment and also suggests potential ways of addressing the consequences of gender inequality.
An Analysis Of Directive Speech Acts Of Korean Women: Mother And Daughter-in-law Interactions
Kevin Nguyen
Kyung-Eun Yoon, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
The aim of this study is to analyze and interpret the directive speech acts that Korean mothers utter towards their daughters-in-law. Specifically, it examines the types of strategies and honorific speech styles that Korean mothers-in-law employ when making requests and commands. As the generational gap suggests, the younger generation of Korean women struggle to fulfill the role of housewife that are imposed upon them by the older generation. Their mothers-in-law, in particular, assert certain directives that are associated with these traditional gender roles and expectations. Data were collected from two Korean dramas, within five years apart from when the drama was produced. Dramas that depict intergenerational conflicts with difficult relationships between the mother and her daughter-in-law were chosen for the data collection in this study, and also allows for pragmatic investigation. In order to determine whether Korean mothers vary their speech level and request strategies depending on the role of the addressee, this study also compared interactions between the mother and her biological son, or in other words, her daughter-in-law’s husband. Various social and contextual factors, such as power and solidarity, influence the mother’s linguistic behavior towards her daughter-in-law and the type of interpersonal relationship possessed between the two individuals.
“Ice To Meet You” A Holiday PSA by Chase Nickoles
Chase Nickoles
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
Inspired by mysterious noises in his attic, Chase Nickoles’ short film “Ice to Meet You” is a tale promoting kindness to those less fortunate during the holiday season. A man returns to his cabin during a harsh snowstorm and after settling in with a nice hot chocolate and his sleeping cat, he begins to hear noises coming from above. A flutter of rational and irrational possibilities makes him nervous to face whatever is living in his attic, but he never could have guessed who was making them. Made in December of 2020 as a final project for ART 341 – Intro to Animation, the film was created on Autodesk Sketchbook, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Premiere. Through the creation of the film, Chase was able to explore new techniques, a streamlined workflow, and duality in the character design of the main characters.
Good Time Charlie: An Animation In Cyanotype
Noah Nies
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
Good Time Charlie is my visual exploration into the relationship between imagery, place, and process, combining formats of digital and analog to make an animated short. In an effort to marry my interest in both animated and photographic art, I developed a unique process using digitally animated images printed in cyanotype to make visuals with depth, texture, and feeling. The cyanotype process is one of the oldest in photography and gives to the film the same timeless quality it has, feeling both alien and familiar as a childhood home. In the film we follow Charlie and his husband Danny on their journey to see his father on his death bed, as they traverse the far North of Canada to his childhood home. I began by drawing outlines in Adobe Photoshop and filling colors in Adobe After Effects. The images were transformed into negatives and printed on clear acetate, then exposed to sheets of hand coated paper and processed. Finally, they were reshot with a digital camera and compiled into video again, giving a uniquely textured image as well as hundreds of printed images as a testament to its creation. (~2:30)
The Redesign Of The MC Hammerhead Kinetic Sculpture
Megan O’Neill , Lake Amtmann, Zach Barker-Frey, Caleb Fuller, Joshua Hecht, Grace Lawrence, Andrew Park, Matthew Pham, Victoria Seo
Steven McAlpine, Individualized Study
The UMBC Kinetic Sculpture Team will share their process for redesigning the “MC Hammerhead” kinetic sculpture, including research on sustainable design (McDonough and Braungart 2002, 2013), Agile methods of project management (Ullman 2008) and integrative strategies for combining the expertise of majors from engineering, visual arts, information systems, anthropology, psychology, and Asian Studies (Miller&Boix Mansilla 2004).
The Team will share art and engineering sketches, photos of the design and build process, and videos of the test ride of the twenty foot shark sculpture. Team members will discuss their experiments with reclaimed materials, including how they tested material integrity through prototyping. Building on the visual communication the Kraken Upcycle Team used regarding plastic accumulation as the new monster of the sea, the Shark Sculpture Team will create visual metaphors highlighting the importance of using recycled plastics.
The project is continually evolving in iterative cycles, merging past teams’ work with current team members’ personal experience and skills that they bring to the project. Finally, the team will discuss the broader impact of sustainable design through examples such as WashedAshore.org and the work of artist Angelia Haseltine Pozzi.
This work was funded, in part, by the Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship Scholar
Probing Interactions Between Bacterial Ferrous Iron Acquisition Proteins FeoA And FeoB Through Peptide-Binding Studies
Sean O’Sullivan
Aaron Smith, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Iron is an essential nutrient and is particularly important for pathogenic bacteria during infection. To obtain this element, bacteria employ multiple pathways depending on the source of iron. One such pathway is the ferrous iron transport (Feo) system, which is a multi-protein system (FeoA/B/C) that is dedicated to the uptake of Fe2+ (ferrous iron), which is prevalent in anoxic and/or reducing environments. While it is unknown how FeoA and FeoC function in concert with the membrane protein FeoB to transport metal across the membrane, these two proteins are important for pathogenic bacteria to establish infections, necessitating their study. This project aims to characterize FeoA and FeoB from different bacterial species in order to understand how these proteins work together to transport Fe2+. In silico peptide docking experiments on several FeoA and FeoB variants have revealed critical residues necessary for protein-protein interactions. Additionally, naturally occurring fusions of FeoA and FeoB proteins have been recombinantly expressed, purified, and are being structurally characterized to determine the atomic-level details of FeoA-FeoB interactions. Combined, these studies shed light on ferrous Feo-mediated iron transport, which could be leveraged in the future to combat diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Dis/join: Unification Of Sound, Music, Narrative, And Animation In Liz And The Blue Bird
Paul Ocone
Steven McAlpine, Individualized Study
Through detailed formal analysis, this paper explores the integrative artistic techniques used to embody the narrative of the anime film Liz and the Blue Bird, which focuses on the musical and interpersonal relationship of two intimate friends who play in their school band. The film communicates their relationship through a number of techniques that intimately connect sound (music/sound design) and animation; these specific artistic choices link back to the relationship, which moves from a state of “disjoint” (disconnection) to connectedness. Dis/joint, the central theme of Liz and the Blue Bird, is expressed through a multiplicity of forms that blur the boundaries between music, sound, and animation. The film’s collaborators intentionally devised strategies that transcended these boundaries in order to create a unified film. These strategies, from coordinating precise, mathematical timings to using the technique of decalcomania to create both animation and music, demonstrate a commitment to experimental artistic collaboration. The paper argues that Liz is not merely a film about music, but one that uses the integration of sound and music with visuals to embody the film’s theme of dis/joint. Liz is thus an exemplary case study of artistic collaboration through audio-visual relationships in film.
this Is It – a Poetic Response To The Anti-Asian Racism During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Calista Ogburn
Lia Purpura, English
During the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic which saw a rise in anti-Asian racism and targeted hate crimes, poetry has served as a healing practice for many Asian Americans. Each poem in my collection this is it touches on the feeling of loss, loneliness, and the combined grief and rage of experiencing racism as an Asian-American woman. The illustrations and poetry work together to emphasize the normalized and unjust racism that Asian-Americans have faced and are continuously fighting against. Pursuing the route of self-publishing was an act of independence and artistic control. Additionally, including a close community of creators in the process was a significant part in the creation of the collection. Writing and sharing poetry serves not only as a healing process but also builds a sense of hope for justice within American society during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Automatically Generated Phase Portraits For Understanding Biological Systems
Oluwateniayo Ogunsan
Daniel Lobo, Biological Sciences
Mathematical models are useful for formally and precisely representing complex biological mechanisms, which develop and adapt in response to the changing environment. These models can be easily visualized and understood with phase portrait diagrams—a representation of the dynamic behaviors of a system with respect to their variables as they vary with time. However, producing these phase portrait diagrams is a laborious process reserved to mathematical experts. Here, we developed a computational methodology to automatically generate phase portrait diagrams to study biological systems. The method only needs to take as input the equations describing the biological system and it outputs automatically a complete phase portrait diagram including the critical points and their stability, the nullclines of the system, and a vector space of the trajectories. Originally, we demonstrated this novel framework by applying it to systems of two nonlinear equations and classical biological systems, such as logistic growth. Now we have expanded our framework to deal with systems of three or more nonlinear equations in order to accurately analyze more complex biological systems. This computational tool will aid in our understanding of regeneration, cancer, and metabolism, paving the way for new biological discoveries and novel treatments in medicine.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Blows!: Exploring Traditional Caribbean Whaling Culture Through Paint On Glass Animation
Camille Ollivierre
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
Blows! is a visual research project that consists of a collection of paint-on-glass animation studies created using a homespun multiplane camera rig and Dragonframe (a stop motion animation software). By combining “fluid frame” experimental animation techniques & personal heritage, this project has served as a supplemental learning tool to refine my understanding of physical under-the-camera production with digital compositing as well as incorporating information related to my own cultural identity. My parents are from a small island province called Bequia, which is located in an archipelago known as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The last of the island’s active whaling practices are neatly depicted in the documentary The Wind That Blows!; production began in 1989 and continued through 2013. By using this film as the starting point of my research and reference for rotoscoping, I was able to create sequences for my senior film about how tourism has negatively effected Bequia’s historic relationship with whaling.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Social Determinants Of Maternal Health Among Low-income Mothers In Maryland
Chidera Osuigwe
Jennifer Callaghan-Koru, Health Administration and Policy
The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries. The high maternal mortality rate in the U.S can be attributed to various issues stemming from both medical conditions and social determinants of health. In order to evaluate the role that social determinants have on maternal health outcomes among low-income mothers participating in home visiting programs in Maryland, this study analyzes qualitative data previously collected from home visitors and program managers between July and August 2020. Coded excerpts from 15 in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions were summarized in thematic charts following the Framework analysis approach. Memos were developed to describe themes and outliers in the data. Preliminary results identified multiple social determinants of maternal health for low-income mothers in Maryland, including food security, housing instability, intimate partner violence, as well as challenges navigating the healthcare system. In order to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce disparities in the U.S, effective approaches to address social determinants of health may need to be expanded.
Smart Cities For Economic Development And Sustainability
Anuoluwapo Osunnuyi
Lauren Edwards, Public Policy
Many developing countries are moving towards rapid urbanization. For example, the whole of Africa is expected to have at least 1.2 billion urban residents by 2050. However, with this rapid growth comes many living and health issues. There is inadequate waste management, bad transportation systems, congested cities, high risk of diseases, high poverty levels, and much more that need to be addressed quickly. Smart cities can develop technology that helps cities provide a proper foundation, energy, transportation, resources, jobs, and services to people living there. This study is a systematic review of research assessing the important factor for smart city implementation. I am currently clarifying my selection criteria and will begin identifying appropriate research articles based on that criteria. Then I will identify the specific factors needed to build a smart city. I will also assess the current research for gaps in understanding about smart city implementation. Given my previous research, I know that there is a need for more research about smart implementation in developing cities. I hope to glean a deeper understanding of smart city implementation, in general, to guide my future research into smart city implementation in developing countries.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute
Understanding Emotional And Persuasive Design For Digital Products In Entrepreneurship: An Integrative Case Study
Andrew Park
Andrea Kleinsmith, Information Systems; Gary Rozanc, Department of Visual Arts
This project reinforces the important role of emotions and their cognitive processes in digital and interactive products. Understanding the impact that positive emotions have through design systems will create delightful user experiences and end-satisfaction that will mutually benefit both consumers and business stakeholders. As a whole, digital products are becoming increasingly prevalent in people’s hands. My capstone project consists of four deliverables that demonstrate how emotional and persuasive design, when properly designed for, meets the business and entrepreneurial goals of a digital product. This includes a 1) scholarly literature review highlighting sources pulled from my disciplines of Psychology, Human-Centered Computing, Information Systems, and Entrepreneurship and how each contribute to successful design 2) Sproutful – a smart plant watering system that monitors mental mindfulness and meditation. This is the applied component where I will apply the literature review to building the prototype plant and mobile app. This will explore how using Don Norman’s 3 levels of design and BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model will ultimately meet the product’s business goals and users’ needs. 3)Thesis and research question 4) Case study documenting the process and research done to create a successful Sproutful prototype.
Effect Of Lisinopril Dosage On Level Of ROS & A-42 Aggregation Present In Drosophila Melanogaster
Crystal Parry, Noah Reger1
1Biological Sciences
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Lisinopril is a cardiovascular medication used in clinical settings to lower blood pressure. Findings from previous studies show administering Lisinopril to certain fly lines lowers the amount of mitochondrial respiration. In most biochemical pathways, oxygen is the final electron acceptor. Electrons that are transferred to oxygen can be unpaired, making them very reactive. This produces reactive oxidative species (ROS) that damage components of the cell. Cells can produce antioxidants that can clear ROS to reduce their impact. Glutathione is one of the antioxidants the cell uses to combat oxidative stress. When glutathione is oxidized, it can also cause damage. Excess of the oxidized form of glutathione has been implicated in higher amyloid beta plaque load in neurons, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. We hypothesize that increasing doses of Lisinopril will lead to increased levels of glutathione, which will decrease levels of amyloid beta plaque in the form of A-42 protein aggregation in Drosophila melanogaster. We will use methods such as genetic manipulation and immunohistochemistry to confirm the proposed relationship between ROS and Alzheimer’s disease to identify novel molecular players that regulate this interaction. Our results will shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying ROS-dependent progression of Alzheimer’s disease phenotypes.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
A Review Of The Relationship Between Race And Physiological Stress System Function.
Anestis Patrikios
Raimi Quiton, Psychology
In the United States, African Americans and other people of color are disproportionately affected by many health conditions, including more severe pain-related disability and chronic pain. While evidence supports that factors such as accessibility to healthcare services and provider biases may contribute, they alone do not account for race-related health disparities. Chronic race-related stressors such as discrimination may cause changes in physiological stress system function that increase risk for a variety of health conditions. This literature review aims to identify and examine the literature on the relationship between race and physiological stress system function. Databases used for this review include PsychInfo, PsychArticles, and PubMed. Relevant articles were selected from databases using relevant search terms including HPA axis, cortisol, sympathetic nervous system, race, and race disparities. Several studies report evidence for altered physiological stress system function in people of color; however the link between these alterations and health disparities remain unclear. This review provides information that may reveal physiological mechanisms underlying race-related health disparities and contribute to development of novel preventative interventions or treatments.
Improved Repeatability And Performance Prediction Of Additively Manufactured 17-4 Stainless Steel Using Tensile Testing
Jason Pentsil
Marc Zupan, Mechanical Engineering; Michael Duffy, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly done through 3-D printing, provides a means by which parts can be manufactured on demand. Through the efforts of AM, scientists and engineers have been able to more efficiently create precipitation hardened (PH) stainless steel alloys that can provide improved corrosion and strength properties. AM provides an opportunity to reduce production costs and improve material longevity and performance. The dependence of mechanical and physical properties of additively manufactured (AM) 17% Chromium – 4% Nickel (17-4 PH) stainless steel structures on heat treatment and geometry will be examined in this study. The material properties of this material will be determined through tension testing where the sample’s stress can be measured up until it fractures. Key properties determined by this test are the elastic modulus, yield strength, ultimate tensile stress, and strain to failure. Through the use of fractography, the journey a material goes through until failure can be better understood. The fracture surface of a sample will be analyzed to evaluate the cause of failure while the quantitative data collected during testing provides evidence of the mechanical behavior prior to fracture.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Assistantship Support (URAS) Award from the UMBC Office of the Vice President for Research.
Role Of TRNA Diversity In Programmed Translational Frameshifting In Budding Yeasts
Kelsey Person
Philip Farabaugh, Biological Sciences
Proteins are synthesized in cells by a process called translation during which successive three nucleotide codons uniquely specify amino acids to be added to the growing protein. Non-standard events can occur during translation, like programmed translational frameshifting, which allows the expression of alternative forms of a protein by shifting reading frame at specific sites in the mRNA, either upstream (-1) or downstream (+1). The efficiency of frameshifting is influenced by the abundance of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) that read the frameshifting signal, which has changed during evolution. Our goal was to study evolution of tRNAs necessary for +1 programmed frameshifting in budding yeast related to the commonly studied brewer’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Utilizing a tRNAscan program, we identified tRNA genes in the genomic sequences of many different species of budding yeast, across multiple clades. Using Excel to organize the data, we were able to analyze the distribution of genes across many species of yeast. With this information, we could compare the distribution of tRNAs and frameshift sites across different clades. The final goal will be to determine if there is a connection between the pattern of distribution of tRNAs and that of frameshift sites across these yeasts.
This work was funded, in part, by the U-RISE program at UMBC, which is supported by the NIGMS/NIH under National Research Service Award T34 GM 136497.
Genetic Analysis Of Ypk2 As The Ultimate Kinase In Controlling Protein Synthesis Accuracy
Kennedy Person, Grant Wunderlin
Philip Farabaugh, Biological Sciences
Accurate translation involves proper protein synthesis in order to ensure proper cellular function. We have demonstrated the involvement of a kinase pathway in regulating accuracy, but we haven’t conclusively demonstrated that Ypk2 is the ultimate kinase in the pathway. We believe Ypk2 is necessary for accurate translation based on preliminary data our lab has gathered. Inducing mutations into the genes that encode Ypk2 should allow us to better evaluate its functional role in the proposed kinase pathway. We will introduce point mutations into the Ypk2 gene through the use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to perform genome editing in the hopes of generating a loss of function mutant. We hope that making mutations in Ypk2 will help us determine the phenotypic effect of these mutations, which, being closest to the end of the kinase pathway, should be epistatic to all other more upstream mutations. Eliminating Ypk2 in any of those backgrounds should result in high errors which should provide us with a greater understanding of its influence on translational accuracy.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Democracy And Division: How Do Americans’ Views Of Those With Opposite political Values affect Their Trust In Democracy?
Zane Poffenberger
Carolyn Forestiere, Political Science
Democracy in America is facing intensified challenges as false claims over the 2020 Presidential election and the subsequent insurrection attack on the Capitol building has deeply divided Americans. The main research question focuses on how an individual’s view of those of the opposite political party affects their trust and support for democratic institutions. Support for democratic norms has decreased since the 1990s and at the same time, the polarization of politics has become increasingly visible. This research aims to understand if the current political climate has influenced how Americans view those of the opposite political party and second, as a consequence, their support for democratic institutions. The primary data for this project will come from surveys that will include randomized treatments to assess how partisans think about people who identify with the opposite political party as a means to determine if these attitudes also influence trust in democratic institutions. These results will be analyzed utilizing quantitative methods and compared to trends in data collected from past U.S Presidential elections through the American National Election Studies archive.
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Sword Shibe
Maggie Poletti, Angellynn Siaw, Kecheng Tao, Reilly Moloney, Samuel Tayman, Zachary Barker-Frey
Marc Olano, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Computer science and visual art students collaborated to create a 2-dimensional action game. It was developed using the Unity game engine. Visuals were digitally created using professional artist software. The game is played by a single player and is heavily combat orientated. The player controls a sword-wielding dog that can move in all directions on the map as well as dash and attack with a sword. A variety of enemies appear and fire projectiles into their surroundings. The player takes damage when hit by a projectile and, when enough damage has been taken, the player’s current progress is lost and the player either restarts from the beginning of the game or from a previously-reached checkpoint. To progress through the game, the player needs to clear out all enemies within a given level while also surviving by quickly reacting to and avoiding incoming enemy projectiles.
Building A Nation: How National Service Requirements Affect Patriotic Sentiment
Katherine Poteet
Carolyn Forestiere, Political Science
This study analyzes the impact of mandatory national service requirements on a country’s overall level of patriotism among European countries. Popular rhetoric suggests that countries struggling with social cohesion, national pride, or dissatisfied youth may be able to combat their problems by implementing mandatory civil or military service requirements for their populations, bolstering the country’s infrastructure in the process. This study looks at European countries with mandatory civil or military service requirements to determine if they exhibit higher levels of patriotism than those with all-volunteer civil and military organizations. The study utilizes bivariate and regression analyses and case vignettes of three European countries who previously required mandatory service but have abolished such programs to determine if the overall levels of patriotism in these countries has changed.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Hair Cut Roller Coaster
Kevin Pounds
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
As a roller coaster enthusiast, I have realized that wild hairstyles are a staple of any theme park. Roller coasters tend to ruin one’s hairstyle, due to their intense nature. These hairstyles were the inspiration for Hair Cut Roller Coaster, as a theme park guest gets an unexpected haircut on a roller coaster. In designing the animation style, the goal was to be simple, yet realistic. It was important for certain aspects to be detailed, such as the track, for visual appeal. The chaotic layout of the roller coaster was also used to mirror and support the emotions of the characters and the story. A realistically abstract soundscape was created to match the visual art style. To achieve this, inspiration was taken from the noises of a train barreling down the track on a wooden roller coaster. The sounds were designed to match the simplistic nature of the animation. To create this animation, several pieces of Adobe software were used, such as Animate, Audition, and Premiere Pro. Altogether, Hair Cut Roller Coaster is a comical looping animation. Hold onto your hair, it’s going to be a wild ride!
Uncertainties Spiritual And Temporal: The Plight Of England’s Catholic Nuns At The Dissolution Of The Monasteries
Meredith Power
Amy Froide, History
A variety of communities of religious women dotted the English landscape in the early sixteenth century. Most all but vanished after the Reformation. The women at the head of these communities wielded various amounts of power, both inside their walls and in the local towns and villages. As the English Reformation took hold in the 1530s and monasteries were abolished, these women responded to the upheaval in their lives in a variety of ways. Some accepted their fates and meager pensions, while others turned to powerful allies and patrons for assistance and relief. Some women renounced their vows, and others fled to the European continent to maintain their Catholic faith without fear of persecution. Few records about the nuns survive, but a careful review of pension rolls, state papers, and correspondence from this tumultuous period reveals that England’s Catholic nuns responded to the criminalization of their faith and the loss of their homes in both familiar and surprising ways. Two thousand women’s lives were uprooted when the government closed and destroyed all of England’s Catholic religious houses. Their abrupt disappearance, both from their local communities and the historical record, merits further study.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Neural Structure-function Analysis For Connectome Biomarker Identification
Varsha Pudi, Lydia Fozo1
1Johns Hopkins University Student
Marisel Villafañe-Delgado, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Identifying biomarkers to evaluate and describe the progression of neurological disorders and diseases is a promising approach involving several cutting-edge technologies. Neuroimaging modalities, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) have limited practical use in a clinical setting. These imaging modalities are, however, very useful in a research context and are used to construct connectomes which depict the connectivity in the brain. Identifying reliable and reproducible connectome-based biomarkers requires the characterization of deviations or changes in connectivity between controls and subjects with neurological diseases or disorders. However, there are challenges associated with reproducible research for biomarker identification due to differences in neuroimaging data pre-processing pipelines, scan variability, and variability among subjects. Reproducible biomarkers have the potential to significantly contribute to the treatment of neurological disorders by reducing patient diagnosis and treatment time, reducing the cost for disease management, and increasing treatment access to the general population.
This work was funded by a Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory grant.
Pathfinders: Identity Experimentation Through Role-Playing Games
Sara Rainess
Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology
Role-playing games can provide the opportunity for individuals to experiment with their personal identity without facing significant real-world consequences. One such role-play game is Pathfinder in which small groups can play in-person or online. Players create characters to form an “adventuring party” where they face conflict together. Being guided by the gamemaster, players collaboratively create a shared, enacted narrative and negotiate their own placement in the story, allowing each player to become the main character in their own story. Through interviews with players as well as participant observation in online gameplay and subreddit discussions, I explore the ways young adults use role-playing opportunities afforded within the game to engage in experiments in identity formation and relationship negotiation. The in-game interactions allow players to form and reform their identities as is often done in real-world situations. These in-game experiments have the potential to influence how people navigate their real world selves and relationships. Seeing this in action allows a better understanding of how identities are crafted in interaction.
Analyzing The Role Of Convents In Medieval German Society
Maila Raphael
Susanne Sutton, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
This research analyzes the impact and role of convents in medieval German society (1000-1200 AD). Nuns were obliged to withdraw from the rest of the population to focus on spiritual life; however in practice, this did not always mean complete isolation. Convents interacted with and affected the world around them, and thus played an influential role in many sectors of medieval society. While each convent was unique, with different degrees of prestige and power, there are commonalities in how they impacted their communities and culture. This research project investigates the significance of the opportunities convents provided for women in leadership and scholarship, as well as the role convents played through the Catholic church, a cornerstone of medieval German culture. As part of the church, convents provided wide-reaching social services and affected many lives. This research was conducted by analyzing primary sources, in addition to studies and other secondary sources, in order to draw conclusions regarding the impact of convents on their communities and academia of the time. Through exploring these interactions, this research brings light to the importance and effect of nuns’ work on medieval German society.
A High-Throughput Arduino-Based TEER Meter With A Microfluidic Platform For Pharmacokinetic Studies
Adam Ratajczak, Curtis Jones
Chengpeng Chen, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Endothelial cells exist along the circumference of all blood vessels, often acting as a major line of defense determining what is allowed to leave the bloodstream and enter the rest of the body. Therefore, if any outside agent is to enter the body through the blood, it must be allowed through this barrier. This has major implications in the pharmaceutical industry, as many drugs must enter and exit the bloodstream to be effective. Trans Endothelial Electrical Resistance (TEER) is a measure of the electrical resistance across an endothelial cell line. Such a measurement can elucidate the effectiveness of a given drug regiment, as low resistance implies higher permeability between the cells. A TEER meter measures this resistance, but most meters are expensive and offer a limited amount of data per use. Thus, we present a novel Microfluidic system, using Arduino-monitored electrodes, to produce a TEER meter capable of producing many accurate, quick measurements for a fraction of the standard price. Moreover, we present herein an experimental design to demonstrate a direct application of this meter in the pharmaceutical and other related industries.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Changing Leaves
Matthew Ratcliffe
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
Changing Leaves is a walking exploration of the shifting seasons and how time moves through people as we move through life. The person made of leaves represents the viewer strolling through all four seasons to arrive back at the same point. This animated short loop was created using a mixture of fall leaves combined with digital compositing. Though new to stop motion animation, I focused on creating smooth interesting transitions and visually enticing scenes. The process of working with hundreds of crushed up leaves really allowed me to take a step back from digital drawing and enjoy tactile sensation. The entire film was shot in a makeshift home studio with a DSLR camera. Through the use of green screen, I was able to composite layers of stop-motion animation to create this film.
Comparing Fish And Crustacean Species on Harvested Vs. Non-Harvested Oyster Reefs
Aiman Raza
Matthew Ogburn, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; Allison Tracy, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Oysters support one of the largest and most important fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay. They provide many ecological services such as water filtration, denitrification, and habitat for other species. However, due to issues such as habitat degradation, disease-causing parasites, and over-harvesting, the number of oysters in the bay has significantly decreased. I am interested in seeing how protecting oyster reefs affect other species that live around them, specifically fish and crustaceans. To answer this question, I analyzed GoPro footage of oyster reefs from three tributaries in the Chesapeake Bay: the James, Great Wicomico, and Choptank Rivers. Each tributary had one reef that was actively harvested and a neighboring reef where harvesting was prohibited. I watched each video and recorded the number and type of fish and crustaceans that I saw and tried to identify each to the species level. I found that there was a higher abundance of fish and crustaceans on protected reefs compared to harvested reefs, as well as higher diversity on protected reefs. This study provides evidence that fish and crustacean species benefit from creating no-harvesting areas and highlights the importance of oyster reefs for healthy ecosystems.
This work was funded, in part, by the Chesapeake Research Consortium’s C-StREAM program.
ELUCIDATING THE 3D STRUCTURE OF THE HIV-1 5′ LEADER
Kierra Regis, Patricia Boyd, Faith Davis
Michael Summers, Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects helper T cells and suppresses the activity of the human immune system. Currently, some treatments can aid in managing HIV, however, there is no cure. Due to the high mutation rate of HIV-1, current therapies have the potential to become ineffective. The 5′ leader is a site in HIV-1’s RNA genome, including the untranslated region, that has a low mutation rate which plays a critical role in mRNA packaging and transcription. Thus, characterizing the 5′ leader will be significant toward developing new HIV-1 therapeutics. Our group uses paramagnetic labeled M8-DOTA-SPy tagged U1A protein, to induce long-range pseudocontact shifts (PCS) within the 5′ leader to elucidate its 3D structure. TAR and polyA are regions of the 5′ leader of interest in this work. This project aims to investigate the possible stacking interactions that TAR and polyA undergo and will propose possible locations within TAR and polyA to place the U1A binding sequence. We will then show the binding of the protein TAR constructs through electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). In this work, we will also be able to show PCS of TAR and polyA constructs.
This work was funded, in part, by an NIGMS Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Grant (2 R25-GM55036), NIAID Grant #8 R01 AI150498, NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC, and a grant to UMBC from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Pre-college and Undergraduate Science Education Program.
Black Lives Matter and Media Framing
Patrick Reid
Fernando Tormos Aponte, Political Science
After a summer of an important racial reckoning in the United States, there is an increased awareness about the consequences of media coverage and portrayals of racial dissent. The way that the media portrays protest events shapes how the public understands and perceives those events. The use of insensitive or even implicitly racist messaging among media outlets to portray racial justice events has an impact on public discourse on racial justice. This research uses articles from the Baltimore Sun’s coverage of the Baltimore Uprising of 2015 to examine media portrayals of h Freddie Gray, who died in the hands of Baltimore police, and the subsequent events of the Uprising. I use grounded theory qualitative coding techniques to identify specific framings that connote implicit biases in the media and used these to observe how the Baltimore Sun reported on the racial justice movement, specifically Black Lives Matter during this time period.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Nuclear Deterrence And Counterproliferation In North Korea
Eliana Reynolds
Devin Hagerty, Political Science
Nuclear proliferation in North Korea is a global problem that threatens the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other countries around the world. After decades of U.S. and multilateral diplomacy, the situation has progressed to a dangerous standoff and one of the most vital and challenging problems in international security. The following research examines U.S. foreign policy on North Korea from the Clinton through the Trump Administration from the perspective of deterrence and the security dilemma. Economic pressures, the development of multilateral relationships, belligerence versus positive rhetoric, and diplomatic efforts were analyzed to provide meaningful context for the development of a comprehensive and specialized strategy for the Biden Administration to consider concerning the North Korea nuclear problem. By formally ending the Korean War, promoting the ideals of South Korea’s Sunshine Policy, and increasing multilateral cooperation with China, Japan, and South Korea, the Biden administration can expect to maintain an effective deterrence strategy that will significantly improve U.S.- DPRK relations and aid in accomplishing short-term goals such as halting the further proliferation of weapons and preventing potential conflict.
Easing The Stress Of Mice: LED Wavelengths Influence Stress Among Laboratory Mice
Triana Rivera-Megias
Troy Steiner, Psychology; Alonso Heredia, Division of Clinical Research, Institute of Human Virology
Clinical researchers often find themselves in a race against time for finding cures for diseases; alongside them in this figurative rat race, and playing no small part, is laboratory mice. Much like humans, mice experience daily stressors that may impact their overall health. The amount of stress in laboratory mice is directly related to housing conditions and the number of procedures they are subjected to during the research process Critically, stress disrupts a number of psychoimmunological processes which disrupt the veracity of the vaccines/treatments being developed. Environmental conditions, (e.g. lighting exposure), influence the amount of stress the mice experience. Here, we explored the influence of exposure to different light wavelengths on laboratory mice’s stress (as indicated by cortisol levels). A panel of LED and incandescent lights were exposed to mice during an invasive procedure to compare cortisol levels among groups. The differences in these groups allow us to determine the influence of various lighting wavelengths and which is optimal for reducing the stress forced upon laboratory mice. Not only can the mice’s suffering be mitigated, but the time and cost required to create these lifesaving vaccines/treatments can be reduced— saving lives can literally be as simple as changing a lightbulb.
CHARACTERIZING THE TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF PLANARIAN FISSION
Alizay Rizvi
Daniel Lobo, Biological Sciences
Planarian worms can reproduce asexually by undergoing fission. During this process a worm can break itself apart into two separate pieces, each regenerating a complete new worm. It is currently unknown the signaling and regulatory mechanisms controlling this behavior. Here, we developed an experimental assay to record planarian fission behaviors and employed it to generate and analyze their fission temporal dynamics. The assay we designed consists in isolating a number of planarian worms in well plates, placing them in a dark chamber, and recording their behaviors with a camera connected to a computer. We tested this approach with two independent assays, each recoding the fission behavior of 12 worms for a week. The data was then analyzed, and the temporal fission dynamics computed for each worm. The results show that on average planaria started fission 50 hours after isolation. This work will pave the way for discovering the signaling mechanisms controlling planarian fission behavior.
Acknowledgement: We thank the members of the Lobo Lab and the planarian regeneration community for helpful discussions. This work is supported by the Undergraduate Research Award, UMBC.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Newtown Pippin: A Patriotic Apple
Rachael Rizzutto
Amy Froide, History
This is a historical study of the social and economic significance of the Newtown Pippin apple in the United States from the eighteenth century to the present. Apples are an old world fruit brought to the Americas by English colonists in the sixteenth century. The Newtown Pippin or Albemarle Pippin developed in the mid-1730s and grew in popularity due to important American figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington who considered the fruit patriotic. Not long after its discovery, the apple’s popularity would spread to Victorian-era England, further expanding American trade in the global market. Over the years production and consumption of this apple has significantly decreased. There are several reasons for this, but perhaps the most significant would be the cultivation of hardier and foreign varieties, like the Granny Smith, and the disappearance of the American cider tradition. However, the revitalization of the American cider tradition and a push for more variety in our food are now improving the status of the Newtown apple. I have used sources from historians, orchardists, and food diversity movement organizers such as USDA statistics, interviews, and scholarly articles to assess the Newtown Pippin’s changing role in American history over the last three centuries.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Examining Contextual Reward And The Associated Behavioral Sex Differences
Roshae Roberts, Alyson Blount
Tara LeGates, Biological Sciences
The brain incorporates a variety of information, sensory and contextual, enabling organisms to respond to changes in the environment. The acquisition of contextual information associated with rewards is critical for guiding behavior to obtain that reward, and alterations of that reward processing are prevalent across many psychiatric disorders. This study aims to examine contextual reward associations with the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) paradigm. This test involves an arena with two visually distinct chambers connected by a small corridor. For reward conditioning, mice were confined to one chamber in the presence of a reward (either food or social interaction) and the other chamber in the absence of a reward. Mice were then returned to the arena and allowed free access to both chambers to determine if an association was made. Overall, this study compared sex differences in CPP for different kinds of rewards. Our results will contribute to understanding reward-behavior and determine if mice exhibit sex preferences during social interaction. This will provide foundational insight towards determining how memory and reward dysfunction contribute to related psychiatric diseases.
An Analysis On How Instagram Affects Self-Esteem In Young Adults
Catherine Romero
Diane Alonso, Psychology
Social media has been growing for years at a rapid pace and is a common form of networking among young adults (YA). However, there have been concerns about the impact social media applications such as Instagram (IG) can have on self-esteem (SE). The purpose of this study was to discover if what participants are viewing on IG impacts their SE. The experiment included 90 participants, all students from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). The participants took The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) twice, once before and once after a week of viewing their assigned Instagram (IG) accounts to see if there was a significant change in their self-esteem ratings at the end of the week. There were three types of categories that participants were randomly assigned to observe, either 15 motivational accounts, 15 mental health accounts, or 15 luxury lifestyle influencers. Results expected to show that participants assigned to the mental health or motivational categories will have their RSE scores increase. Meanwhile, those who follow the luxury condition would see no change or a decrease in RSE score. This study aimed to discover if what we view on IG can affect SE and how it impacts SE in YA.
Public Health In Northern Brazil’s Refugee Borderlands
Dominique Ross
Felipe Filomeno, Political Science
Since the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela began in 2010 hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled to Brazil, with many taking shelter and seeking medical attention in the border state of Roraima. Although the Brazilian constitution guarantees universal healthcare to all within its borders, studies show Venezuelan migrants face various barriers to healthcare in the region, which have worsened their overall health status. This study focuses on the cultural barriers and discrimination they face as they try to access the public healthcare system. Based on an analysis of official documents, news stories, and interviews with actors working in the healthcare response to Venezuelan migrants in Roraima, the study concluded that local governments and the federal government have not fulfilled their obligation to guarantee universal and equal access to healthcare by imposing restrictive policies directed towards migrants, not properly accounting for language differences, and not providing adequate support to reduce migrants’ vulnerability.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Voter Suppression In America: How Voices Are Kept Quiet
Cameron Rybacki
Sarah Fouts, American Studies
The 2020 election is officially over and Joe Biden has been inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, yet over half of the Republican party continue to question the election results. As unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud fueled by Trump and his supporters dominate the headlines, I argue that voter suppression of Black and Latinx voters should instead be foregrounded as a major threat to democracy. This research will examine voter suppression in presidential elections using content analysis of newspaper and scholarly articles. First, I will compare incidents of voter suppression found in the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections to evaluate the effects of the 2013 Shelby County v Holder decision which rendered some sections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 unconstitutional. Next, I will evaluate incidents of voter suppression in the 2020 election. Lastly, using scholarly work, law reviews, and policy proposals, I will analyze ways to protect the right to vote. This research bridges the fields of American Studies and Political Science by evaluating the topics of voting and elections through a humanities lens to bring a greater understanding of how voter suppression affects the citizens of our democracy.
The Gospel Of Evangeline: A Fiction Project Exploring The Power Of Childlike Wonder
Ryan Saladino
Sally Shivnan, English
My novel The Gospel of Evangeline follows an eleven-year-old Southern girl in 1957 with a gruesome mystery on her hands: her father, a travelling preacher with whom she spends every waking moment, has been gunned down behind a diner in a small Georgia town. In her search for answers to this tragedy, she aligns herself with some of the townsfolk, who all have secrets and demons of their own. The mystery transcends that of murder, and becomes a question of idealistic childhood, disillusioned adulthood, and the rocky transition between the two. Evangeline’s investigations shed light not only on her father’s killing but on the enigma of growing up and the place of childlike wonder in the adult world. This presentation will showcase my main avenue of research: analyzing how adult art forms utilize the child’s point of view. I’ve deconstructed how different films, including Tideland (2005), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), and The Florida Project (2017), and novels, e.g., Ellen Foster, equip their young protagonists with the tenacity to survive their threatening environments. My presentation will highlight brief excerpts of these works as well as illustrative passages from my own novel to create a unique evaluation of childlike innocence.
EFFECTS OF THE UV-FILTER OCTOCRYLINE IN D. MELANOGASTER
Isabella Salguero Cespedes
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
This study will determine if the ingestion of the organic UV-filter Octocrylene affects fitness and brain function using Drosophila melanogaster. Octocrylene traces have been found in soil, seawater and fish tissue, and a previous study found Octocrylene in the majority of analyzed breast milk samples. Octocrylene is an ester widely used in cosmetic products and sunscreens due to its UVB-UVA ray absorption qualities. Past studies suggested the possibility that Octocrylene and associated compounds cause nervous system depression and developmental and metabolic gene impairment. If Octocrylene ingestion is an imminent possibility for certain groups of humans, as past investigations suggest, it thus becomes necessary to assess its possible toxicological risks. We hypothesize that Octocrylene ingestion will negatively affect fitness and fertility of adult flies. We will examine the effects of a range of environmentally relevant Octocrylene concentrations in Drosophila by quantifying survival rate to assess mortality, and by quantifying egg laying rate to assess fly fertility. In view of the scarcity of past Octocrylene research, the character of this study is initially exploratory. In conclusion, our project represents the first study to use Drosophila as a powerful genetic model to understand the effects of Octocrylene ingestion on fitness and behavioral performance.
This research was partially funded by the USM LSAMP program, supported by NSF LSAMP Award #1619676.
Clinical Professionals’ Choice Of Instructional Arrangements In Behavior Analytic Programs
Ann Jeanette Santos
Mirela Cengher, Psychology
The purpose of this study was to provide an updated assessment of the choice of instructional arrangements by professionals who identify as a Board-Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®), Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) or Board-Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D®). There is ample evidence documenting the effectiveness of behavior-analytic intervention in teaching skills to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (National Standards Project, 2015). With the uprise in this application to treat children diagnosed with ASD, differences in the delivery of this practice have emerged. Over a decade ago, a survey on clinical practices revealed that some were aligned with empirical evidence, while others were not. To determine the practices of various behavior analytic programs, we administered a 26-question online survey to 15,677 professionals who hold the aforementioned credentials and whose primary work area is in developmental disabilities. Four hundred and twenty-eight participants provided information on their program’s practices, such as the number of skills taught within a set. The results of the survey varied among practices delivered to this population. Some of the most commonly chosen response options were aligned with scientifically based research, while others were not. The outcomes and possible implications are discussed in further detail.
Physical Management Survey
Olivia Schwiegerath, Desiree Walker, Zohaa Awan, Betelehem Getahun
Adithyan Rajaraman, Psychology
Applied behavior analytic interventions are often implemented to address dangerous problem behavior exhibited by children and adolescents, many of whom have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Due to the severity of certain problem behavior, physical management (e.g., floor restraints, escorts to safe locations) is sometimes required as an emergency procedure. Additionally, certain evidence-based therapeutic procedures incorporate physical management. Some researchers have argued that, although sometimes necessary, the routine use of physical management procedures in practice may not only be unsafe, but nonpreferred and potentially traumatizing for clients and staff (Lavigna & Donellan, 1986). The social acceptability of physical management procedures has never been explicitly evaluated, but an understanding of practitioner preferences is important for the development of safer, less-intrusive treatment practices. The purpose of this study was to survey (a) the specific experiences of behavior analysts who use or supervise physical management procedures in their practice, and (b) their subjective thoughts and opinions regarding the overall use of physical management. We disseminated a Qualtrics survey, via email, to Board Certified Behavior Analysts® across North America. Results are discussed in the context of bridging a gap between practitioner preferences and best-practice recommendations.
Development Of A Pharmacokinetic Model Of The Sustained Subconjunctival Delivery Of Timolol Maleate
Alexandra Seas
Erin Lavik, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye which causes increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and can lead to vision loss when untreated. Drugs such as timolol maleate can reduce IOP, thus reducing tissue degeneration. Microsphere formation of timolol maleate has already been investigated, and can deliver timolol in aqueous phase for several days when administered via subconjunctival injection. This novel delivery technique has the potential to increase patient control of this disease, and decrease the need for continued doses of glaucoma medications. Following the previous experimentation, a short-term formulation was developed, which successfully delivered timolol over five days in vitro, but led to measurable amounts of timolol over 60 days in vivo. A computational model has been developed to better understand this discrepancy as well as overall transport of timolol in the eye. This model uses a differential equation approach to explain short-term and long-term release outcomes. The input data is previously collected in vivo Timolol release data in rabbits, and various tissues in the eye are modeled as compartments with first order rate constants. Furthermore, the model will yield predictive outcomes of drug delivery in eye tissues, and has the potential to be a powerful tool in vision research.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Property Dependence On Heat Treatment And Geometry Of Additively Manufactured 17-4 PH Stainless Steel
Maddy Selby, Julianna Posey1
1Mechanical Engineering, UMBC
Marc Zupan, Mechanical Engineering; Michael Duffy, UMBC, Mechanical Engineering
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3-D printing, provides a means by which parts can be manufactured on demand. Specifically, powder bed fusion Direct Metal Laser Sintering allows for different types of metals and metal alloys to be additively manufactured. Of particular interest for next-generation vehicle systems that will operate in harsh environments, precipitation hardened (PH) stainless steel alloys can improve corrosion and strength properties. In this work, the dependence of mechanical and physical properties of AM 17% Chromium – 4% Nickel (17-4 PH) stainless steel structures on heat treatment and geometry are examined. Samples from two different AM builds with identical geometric layouts were studied under different treatment conditions: one as-built without post-processing heat treatment; and one under three thermal processing stages. Surface roughness was measured on both the upskin and downskin of twelve unique thin fin structures built at four different angles with three different thicknesses along with eight zig-zag structures with varying bases and width reductions. Vickers hardness testing from the thin fin structures showed less variation in hardness for heat-treated samples and produced no apparent trend between hardness, build angle, and sample thickness.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
“Flexing” Anything But Muscles: An Analysis Of Social Media Trends And Conspicuous Consumption
Fatimah Shaalan
Liz Stanwyck, Mathematics and Statistics
In this era, there is an ever-growing importance for both consumers and brands to understand social media’s influence on conspicuous consumption. Conspicuous consumption often comes in the form of purchasing luxury goods to elevate social-class status or represent a social identity. Today’s internet-users are constantly being bombarded with advertisements. Internet trends pertaining to products and brands often serve as unintentional advertisements driven by consumers. Such advertisements are likely to increase conspicuous consumption. I discuss previous research to better understand how users perceive online advertisements and how brands approach online advertising. These formal online advertisements tend to occur from “social media influencers” or directly on websites. Then I discuss results of a regression analysis of the influence of popular culture on randomly selected companies from Twitter “trending topics”.
Morphological Shape Dynamics during Planaria Growth And Degrowth Behaviors
Noor Shaikh
Daniel Lobo, Biological Sciences
Planarian worms have the extraordinary ability to grow when fed and degrow when starved over more than one order of magnitude in lengths, during which they maintain their body and organ proportions. It is currently unknown what are the precise morphological dynamics during these behaviors as well as which genes are controlling the maintenance of worm proportions and shape. Towards these goals, we present a morphological analysis of the growth and degrowth shape dynamics of planarian worms. Two populations of planarian worms were isolated and kept separately for 10 weeks. One population was fed regularly twice per week, while the other was starved. Microscopy pictures of each worm were taken every week and their shapes subsequently analyzed computationally. Results showed that the morphology length-to-width ratios of the fed population increased from an average of 4.84 to 7.03. In contrast, the morphology length-to-width ratios of the starved population decreased from an average of 6.81 to 6.69 during the same time period. These results suggest that the regulatory and biophysical mechanisms controlling worm length-width proportions depend on the energy availability in the system. In conclusion, growing and degrowing worm behaviors may be characterized by differentiated metabolic states modulating morphological whole-body shape proportions.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Crystal Engineering For Non-Linear Optical Properties
David Shelly
Paul Smith, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Allenes are a structurally unique class of organic compounds containing a pair of cumulated carbon-carbon double bonds. This feature of their structure causes a 90 degree twist in the structure, which gives rise to the potential for axial chirality. Only a few of these compounds have been made as crystals, leading us to wonder how they might pack in a crystal lattice. Introduction of electron donating and electron withdrawing substituents further increases the novelty of these compounds by allowing the propagation of electron transfer through a crystal, potentially leading to electroluminescent properties. Two synthetic approaches of preparing 1,3 diaryl allenes are being explored. The first involves the use of a palladium catalyst to couple a propargylic carbonate to an aryl boronic acid. The second utilizes a copper (I) catalyst to couple a terminal alkyne to a carbene produced in situ from an N-tosyl hydrazone. The synthesized allenes are to be studied crystallographically to determine the nature of pi stacking in the crystal structure, as well as photochemically to determine the nature of their interactions with light. The results of the synthetic efforts will be presented.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Interpretation Of Models Of Care In Residential Communities For Older Adults
Sydney Siegel
Louise Murray, Aging Studies
Residential care communities that serve older adults represent a diverse and evolving industry incorporating a wide range of services and models of care. Three prominent models of care in such settings are resident-directed care, person-centered care, and the culture change model. Current research highlights inconsistencies in the application of the varying frameworks. Using qualitative research methods, I explored the understanding of these three models of care in residential communities serving older adults with the goal of identifying key themes associated with their definition, interpretation, and implementation. Qualitative data from interviews, consisting of open-ended questions and key phrases, with administrators of three residential communities serving older adults, were evaluated to identify key themes and unique characteristics of implementation. The data analysis revealed that while only one participant reported use of a specific model of care, elements from each of the three models of care were found in all of the participant interviews. While the interviewees discussed many of the same themes and concepts in their interviews, a common understanding and interpretation of the specific models of care did not emerge. While not externally generalizable, these findings add to the general body of knowledge regarding the models of care.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Interposer-Based Reverse Engineering For Safety Critical Applications (APLINT)
Avinash Singh, Jericho Tabacolde, Nathaniel Killoran, Taylor Baranoski
E. F Charle LaBerge, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering; Bradley Potteiger, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab; Dan Cohen, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
Reverse Engineers who debug and conduct vulnerability analysis of any Cyber-hysical System (CPS) must have a comprehensive understanding of the systems they work with. Reverse Engineers may receive a CPS in the field that they are not familiar with and force inputs into the CPS to analyze outputs, a process known as reverse-engineering. It is important that Reverse Engineers can analyze signals between various systems to characterize them into systems that would otherwise remain unusable “black-boxes”. In response to this issue, the tea developed the Applied Physics Laboratory Interposer (APLINT), an FPGA-based signal processor designed to aid engineers in understanding a system’s functionality. The APLINT supports a sampling frequency of at least 1 MSPS in a wide range of applications to manipulate amplitude, frequency, and phase characteristics of a probed signal. Adaptiveness of the design allows the engineer to define their own interface to completely characterize the tested system. In addition, the low latency makes the hardware interposer ideal for applications such as analyzing CAN-protocols in autonomous vehicles, military signal-jamming, and RF communication interception.
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.
Academic Self-Efficacy, Career Expectations, And Program Satisfaction Among Undergraduate Meyerhoff Scholars
Swati Singh, Meghan Flynn1
1Psychology, UMBC
Mariano Sto. Domingo, Psychology
This study examines program satisfaction among the members of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program. Previous research suggests that students’ expectancy-value beliefs played a mediator role between science self-efficacy and the satisfaction relationship (Domenech-Betoret et al., 2017). Founded in 1989, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program (MSP) is a STEM intervention program aimed at promoting scientific careers for underrepresented, minority students. We will a) compare the scholar’s satisfaction with the MSP’s various components at the end of their fourth year, and b) test the hypothesis that the expectancy to enter a Ph.D. program mediates the relationship between science self-efficacy and program satisfaction among Meyerhoff scholars. Program satisfaction is defined in this study as the students’ perceived usefulness of the various components of, as well as the overall satisfaction with, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. The sample for this study includes two Meyerhoff cohorts, M26 and M27–those who entered Fall 2014 and Fall 2015, respectively. The total sample size is approximately 100 participants. We will utilize data administered at the end of each of the Spring semesters. Correlation, t-tests, and mediation analyses will be conducted to test our hypothesis.
Magic Mirror
Marian Singletary, Mason Hillmar, Vanessa Lake, Nicholas Crutchfield
E F Charles Laberge, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
The MMIR (Magic Mirror) project is a connection between the user and the smart mirror system to assist the user for easier product setup and customization, as well as being a voice-interactive personal assistant.The MMIR system will be run through the combination of two existing systems: MMIR and Google Voice Kit. These systems require an involved setup, in which the user will need coding experience. The system that is created bridges the gap; it is a program that gives the user an interface to set up the MMIR and the Google Voice Kit to their own custom preferences. The main component of the project is the user interface. This graphical user interface (GUI) allows the user to make custom changes to their preferences with the pre-existing modules included with MMIR. Additionally, the interface allows the user to create their own custom modules. This GUI works with the configuration file and as the user adds or creates modules to the layout of the mirror it will get added to the configuration file with module default settings. In conclusion, the user interface goals have been met,but development of the system is ongoing.
The Role of Shared Language in Genetic Counseling
Matthew Snider
Ana Oskoz, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication
Genetic counseling is a process to evaluate and understand a family’s risk of an inherited medical condition. Genetic counseling services are widely used among families with inheritable diseases, yet members of the Latino community participate in genetic counseling services at significantly lower rates. In trying to identify factors which may promote participation among Latinos, previous research had identified that Latino patients prefer bilingual counselors, suggesting a shared language impacts the patient-counselor relationship. Therefore, this study aims to explore the role a shared language plays in the delivery of successful counseling.
For this small-scale study, information was gathered through online interviews with five Maryland genetic counselors. The Webex interviews, which ranged from 30 minutes to one hour, were analyzed qualitatively through a content analysis focusing on emerging themes from the counselor’s responses. The results indicated that the presence of a shared language plays an essential role in helping patients relate to their providers and the lack of one affects a counselor’s ability to establish rapport due to modifying their speech for ease of translation. These findings also highlighted the positive effects of linguistic representation in genetic counseling. Additionally, methods of promoting counselor biliteracy rates were identified.
The Development Of School Policy For Student-Teachers (STs) At UMBC
Michael Spano
Michele Wolff, Shriver Center
This independent research study observed the effects of how “student-teachers” (STs) such as SI PASS leaders, peer-mentors, etc. were treated among their professors and classmates. Some would be perceived as TAs and others would be treated at the same level as a student. The problem with the treatment of STs comes from the gap in UMBC policy. The lack of policy guidelines creates a grey area for ST’s rights, privileges, and responsibilities. This uncertainty leaves the rights of STs up to interpretation between the professors and their advisors. By interviewing professors in ST supervising positions and their students, the feedback and data from these interviews can be used to develop a common guideline that the university can implement into policy. The addition/improvement of guidelines in the University System of Maryland policy would benefit the experiences of STs, professors, and students because it would give a more clear understanding of who STs are and why they are in the classroom. This study suggests that this lack of guideline clarity could be an issue in other schools all around the country. The results of this study will provide a final guideline that can be implemented into school policy.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Economic Globalization And Mass Incarceration In The US
Alexis Stone
Tania Lizarazo, Global Studies
The mass incarceration industrial complex in the US has many contributing factors, one of which being the United State’s role in economic globalization. At a time of major election year policy shifts, heightened racial tensions, and community scrutiny of the criminal justice system and its treatment of Black people, this research serves to critique how neoliberal economic policies and global incentives contribute to the prison industrial complex. This research was developed during Fall 2020 in the African Americans and The Criminal Justice System course at UMBC, and revised for URCAD using a critical anti-neoliberal framework. An interdisciplinary study of the history of African Americans and the criminal justice system was conducted, affixed to and analysed against the scholarship produced on economic globalization and neoliberal policies. Through the application of case studies, varying theoretical frameworks, and history, it is shown that from the state to national level, the United States has had a vested interest in the proliferation of the mass incarceration industrial complex, as encouraged by economic globalization and neoliberal policies.
Investigating The Functional Properties Of Autistic Genes In Drosophila Melanogaster
Aris Stovall, Cameron Anderson1
1Biological Sciences, UMBC
Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects patient communication and social behavior. The spectrum of symptoms likely depends on a wide variety of genes that underlie disease phenotypes. Here, we will manipulate autism genes and investigate their effect on neuronal development. Recent studies have identified 8 genes associated with autism in humans. Interestingly, orthologs of all 8 genes are present in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit flies. We used the pain-sensitive rolling pathway in fly larvae to investigate the molecular function of the autism genes at the anatomical and behavioral level. For this, we mechanically poke control and experimental organisms with manipulated autism genes in nociceptive neurons exclusively. and use the behavioral changes as a readout of alterations after network impairment. We found that knockdowns of genes Chd1 and Prosap, decreased rolling frequency as compared to controls. Interestingly, epigenetic properties have been previously described for Chd1. Therefore, we will now use a novel approach that induces restrained stress in flies and has transgenerational effects via epigenetic mechanisms. Our data indicates that the Drosophila nociceptive network could be used to study the molecular and cellular function of autism-associated genes and provide insight into their neuronal function.
This investigation was sponsored by NIH/NIGMS MARC U*STAR T3408663 National Research Service Award to UMBC.
Stimulus Equivalence
Franklin Sun
Mirela Cengher, Psychology
Derived reinforcers are stimuli that acquire reinforcing properties by virtue of having been associated with already established reinforcers. Their reinforcing properties transfer from one stimulus to another, in the absence of direct instruction. This study examines the transfer of reinforcing functions by establishing derived reinforcers with neurotypical adults. We established three-member equivalence classes (i.e., where stimuli are associated to each other), and expanded them by adding an additional stimulus to each class and pairing one stimulus in one class with a conditioned reinforcer. During transfer of function tests, five of our six adult participants chose the derived reinforcers more than other stimuli. Three participants required remedial training or testing prior to demonstrating transfer of function. These results show that stimulus equivalence is an effective and efficient method to establish derived reinforcers.
Generational Wealth
Joann Sunday
Peggy Re, Visual Arts
The purpose of this project was to relate a film to the real world. The outcome gets portrayed as an infographic (a visual image, usually with charts and graphs). The film chosen for my work is titled, Knives Out. In the movie, multi-millionaire Harlan Thrombey excludes his descendants from his will. In the real world, some people with an income above $500,000 plan on doing the same with their offspring. Focusing on 17 of these real-life people as well as the movie character, Harlan Thrombey this infographic compares their thoughts, the reason regarding their decision, hopes for their offspring, and plans concerning their money. Watching the film and reading various articles helped me gather my analysis. The reports detailed what the millionaires and billionaires think about their wealth and how they wish to handle it. The results of this study show that both fictional character Harlan Thrombey, and many of the real-life wealthy elite, have similar reasons for not leaving an inheritance with their children.
Awakening Black Holes: Looking For Tidal Disruption Events In The VLA Archives
Kaitlyn Szekerczes
Eileen Meyer, Physics
The goal of the project was to look for radio emission from jets associated with tidal disruption events (TDEs) in archival radio data. TDEs occur when a super-massive black hole “eats” a star. These black holes probably exist within most galaxies, but are difficult to detect without actively accreting material. Few clear cases of TDEs have been reported, so new examples of jetted TDEs are important to understanding their physical origin. The Very Large Array (VLA) is a sensitive, high-resolution radio telescope that has observed the entire sky at various frequencies. The VLA has a large “field of view”, meaning that when directed at an object, more within the vicinity were detected. This enabled finding repeatedly observed galaxies to look for TDE events (sudden radio emission that fades over a few years). The pointing information for the VLA’s history was downloaded to understand how often parts of the sky were observed. This was cross-referenced with public surveys to determine the most observed galaxies, identifying where to start looking for radio transients. The later stage involved adapting an automated analysis pipeline to produce images, and training an algorithm to look for sudden appearances of radio sources coincident with galaxy positions.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Impact Of COVID-19 On Undergraduates Over Time
Olufunmilayo Telli, Emily Lamb, Claire McCaulley, Angel Munoz-Osorio, Jerri Bivens, Natalie Varela, Woo Ko
Lynnda Dahlquist, Psychology
The current study seeks to understand the impact of the transition from in person learning to online learning on undergraduates, approximately 12 months after the COVID-19 pandemic and associated campus closure. Our previous research in Spring, 2020 identified many areas of risk for students, such as academic functioning, learning environment challenges, and mental health. Data indicated increased difficulty in academic functioning in comparison to before the campus closure, clinically elevated traumatic stress symptoms, and racial disparities in sibling care responsibilities. The current study will investigate whether these areas of risk have changed from the beginning of the pandemic to now. Approximately, 150 undergraduate students will be recruited and asked to complete an online survey via Qualtrics on how the campus closure has impacted their academics, learning environment, mental health, responsibilities, and perceived social support. Analyses will be conducted to identify potential risk factors that may contribute to students’ academic functioning and stress. Implications of this study may include providing professors and university administration with a clearer understanding of how students have been impacted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Binder-Free Manganese Dioxide Cathode Performance In Flexible Batteries
Micah Thorpe
Deepa Madan, Mechanical Engineering
The development of flexible batteries can eliminate the design limitations that non-flexible batteries cause in today’s wearable electronic devices. Energy density and charge/discharge performance of Zn-electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) flexible batteries with chitosan-based alkaline polymer electrolyte was used to investigate the effectiveness of binder-free flexible EMD cathodes. With the elimination of the non-conductive binder in the EMD cathode, greater electrochemical performance of the cathode is achieved. A hydrothermal process was selected to chemically deposit MnO2 through reduction on etched stainless steel (SS) mesh substrates using manganese sulfate (MnSO4) and potassium permanganate (KMnO4). The impact of Cu, Bi, and Co additives to the EMD cathodes is also investigated to see if any electrochemical improvements can be achieved. Linear scan voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) were conducted to quantify the electrochemical performance of the EMD cathodes in full cell assembly. The results are used for comparison to ink spreading methods of MnO2 deposition on SS mesh.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Contextualization Of Social Studies Content
Max Trumper
Timothy Johnson, Education
In order for students to effectively engage with social studies content, they must be proficient at Contextualizing source material. Piecing together relevant information to provide a fuller understanding of material is a skill that will benefit students in high school and beyond. Growth in social studies skills, processes, concepts, and content will be measured by district and teacher-developed formative, summative, and performance assessments. Evidence of Student growth will be measured by achievement on baseline document analysis, using a four point historical thinking skills rubric during the third quarter. This will be followed by another document analysis at the midpoint and final. 100% of grade nine High School students will demonstrate growth toward mastery of the content, as measured by performance on these HCPSS (Howard County Public School System) approved performance tasks.
The Role Of COVID-19-Related Discrimination And Ethnic Identity In Chinese Americans’ Psychological Well-Being
Ada Truong
Charissa Cheah, Psychology; Kathy Vu, UMBC; Xiaoli Zong, UMBC
The racialization of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has increased racism toward Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans, which poses substantial risks for their psychological adjustment. Ethnic identity has been found to either buffer or exacerbate the negative effects of racism among ethnic minority individuals. However, whether Chinese Americans’ ethnic identity moderates the association between their experiences of racial discrimination and their psychological adjustment in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. The present study examined: (a) the association between perceived COVID-19- related racial discrimination and Chinese Americans’ psychological well-being; and (b) the moderating role of ethnic identity in this association. Chinese American adults (N = 399; Mage = 44.14 years; 75% females) reported on their perceived COVID-19-related discrimination, ethnic identity, and psychological well-being. Multiple regression analysis revealed that COVID-19- related discrimination predicted lower levels of psychological well-being among Chinese Americans. However, ethnic identity buffered this negative association. Therefore, having a stronger sense of their ethnic identity protected Chinese Americans’ psychological well-being against the effects of COVID-19-related discrimination. These findings indicate the need for anti- racism initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as community programs that
strengthen the centrality of ethnic identity among Chinese Americans.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Decoherence At The Quantum Speed Limit
Alexandria Udenkwo
Sebastian Deffner, Physics
Understanding the rates of consumption for quantum resources is intimately related to the development of truly quantum devices. To this end, several “speed limits” have been formulated that give upper bounds on the rates of quantum evolution. An open question is how these various formulations compare, and which version gives an accurate and practically relevant estimate for how fast resources are consumed. In our work we focus on two of the speed limits, namely the geometric quantum speed limit (QSL) and the resource speed limit (RSL), to measure the rate of consumption of coherence. More specifically, we analyze the dynamics of a qubit that evolves under pure decoherence in both the energy and logical basis. Using the dynamics of the evolution, we compute the QSL and RSL and we find a concise and tight estimate of the rate of decoherence in simple quantum information processing.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Analysis For Correlation Between University And County
SARITA UPRETI
Abhijit Dutt, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
In this project, we want to analyze the COVID cases in different campuses of US universities. We shall compare COVID-19 infection rate in campuses with the overall infection rate in the city and or county where the campus is located. We shall also study whether there is a specific difference in infection rates between rural and urban counties. So far, we have seen a correlation between the number of COVID cases in the universities and cases in the county. Full results will be presented once our research is completed.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Learning To Play Musical Dynamics In A Virtual World
Michael Vekstein
Brian Kaufman, Music
Accurately performing dynamics is a fundamental skill for musicians of all ages and skill levels. How loudly or quietly an instrumentalist plays can provide musical works with energy, emphasis, and expression. It is important that musicians know how and when to play dynamics. Teachers at a Baltimore County middle school devised an eight-measure playing test for students consisting of dynamic markings, including
crescendos and decrescendos. Baseline data on student skills interpreting dynamics was collected. Throughout the semester, the teachers put extra focus on dynamic markings that exist in all of their playing material, which students submitted once per week in recordings. At the end of the semester, the same eight bar dynamics test was given to the students in order to assess how much, if at all, students advanced their skills in playing the written dynamics without prompting from the teachers, demonstrating that they have a deeper understanding of the concept. The target was for students to play at least 75% of the dynamic markings correctly.
Examining Photovoice As A Participatory Action Methodology
Mahitha Vijily Saya, Allison Stein, Elaina McWilliams, Naqiya Ghulamali, Sachi Sheth
Bronwyn Hunter, Psychology
Photovoice is a participatory research method that aims for participant and community engagement and empowerment. The method involves participants taking photographs relating to their lived experiences, often relating to social problems, and then displaying these photographs at public exhibitions to promote broader awareness and social change (Wang & Redwood-Jones, 2001). Although many studies report using this method as a form of participatory research, there may be wide variation in how, when, and to what extent researchers engage in partnerships with individuals who are not affiliated with academia. From a larger systematic review of studies using participatory research methodologies, we selected the 27 articles that mentioned photovoice in their title or abstract. Our research examined whether and how researchers partook in power sharing, identity and culture acknowledgment, and resource exchange throughout the six phases of research. We anticipated that photovoice is most collaborative during data collection and analysis phases of research. We hope this study will encourage researchers using photovoice to reflect on and enhance their use of participatory methods across the stages of research.
Investigating Targets Of Jak-STAT And Ecdysone Signaling In Border Cell Migration By Binding Motif Analysis
David Waldron, Mallika Bhattacharya, Sunny Trivedi
Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Biological Sciences
Spatiotemporally regulated cell migration mechanisms are conserved in different contexts of development and disease in numerous species, including in Drosophila melanogaster. A migratory cluster of cells, border cells, are a unique model system as their migration can be monitored in vivo in conjunction with genetic manipulations. Janus Kinase and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (Jak-STAT)
and Ecdysone (steroid hormone) pathways are prominently involved in border cell migration. Besides these transcription factors, microRNAs (miRs) can also modulate protein synthesis for target genes throughout development. We are interested in discovering gene targets specific to migration and understanding if the signaling pathways co-regulate any targets. We used FIMO on the Galaxy Project public server and TargetScanFly v.7 to predict transcription factor binding sites, such as STAT92E and miRs. Mind bomb 2 (mib2) and Eip75B had binding sites for EcR and STAT92E, indicating potential co-regulation of the genes in border cell migration. Conserved binding sites were also seen for miRs which will be validated in vivo. Our work suggests let-7 may contribute to border cell regulation through a role in a STAT signaling feedback loop. This could help identify migration specific targets in disease including metastatic cancers.
This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant IOS-1656550 to M.S.G.
Generation Of A dp2 Mutant In Volvox carteri Through the CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing System
Sierra Wallace, Michael LaScola
Stephen Miller, Biological Sciences
The green alga, Volvox carteri is an excellent model for exploring the origins of multicellularity as it has just two cell types and is closely related to unicellular Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. A multicellularity trait that is poorly understood is regulation of cell division number. Volvox typically does 11-12 mitotic divisions while Chlamydomonas does one to five. This study focuses on the retinoblastoma-regulated cell division activator, dimerization partner (DP). Chlamydomonas has one dp gene, while Volvox has two, dp1 and dp2. Volvox dp1 mutants do fewer rounds of cell division than the wild type. The goal of this project is to understand the role of dp2 in cell division number. Here we used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to make a dp2 knockout mutant. At gross inspection, this mutant appears not to be obviously affected for cell division number. Currently we are in the process of more carefully characterizing the phenotype and using the same genome editing system to make a dp1-dp2 double mutant. This work should lead to a better understanding of the role of Dp proteins in regulating cell division number in Volvox.
This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIGMS/NIH) under National Research Service Award T34 GM 136497 to the U-RISE Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
Grasshopper Sparrow Song Diversity In The Caribbean
Julia Warfield, Arushi Dalal
Bernard Lohr, Biological Sciences
We compared song in the Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) populations in the Caribbean on the islands of Jamaica and Bonaire. These islands constitute two distinct subspecies of the sparrow (A. s. savannarum on Jamaica, and A. s. caribaeus on Bonaire) By studying these songs, we determined how songs across the islands varied and what these differences could mean for the species as a whole. Song recordings from each island were measured using the SIGNAL sound analysis software tool. We analyzed the frequencies and durations of introductory notes, the amplitude modulated introduction of the trill, and the trilled and final short notes of each song. We quantified differences between populations within an island and across subspecies/islands. On Jamaica, there were differences between songs of the same island. The subspecies on Bonaire had the most distinct songs compared with other subspecies of this bird as a whole, with the most rapid modulation rates, the least inter-individual variation, and the most stereotyped song patterns. These findings reveal important patterns in the cultural evolution of this behavior may act as a behavioral barrier to gene flow resulting in rapid divergence across island populations in the Caribbean.
This research was partially funded by the USM LSAMP program, supported by NSF LSAMP award #1619676 and by the Undergraduate Research Award.
Meta-Analysis Of Sexual Conflict In Temperate And Tropical Biomes
Dante Washington, Ryan Bacon
Mercedes Burns, Biological Sciences
In our meta-analysis, we focus on the possible publication bias of sexual conflict in temperate and tropical biomes. Our knowledge of ecology depends greatly upon equal representation of biomes, and an integral part of science is to avoid bias in results. Thus it is important to identify any publication bias toward any biome. A large proportion of scientific researchers are based in temperate regions (North America, Europe). Furthermore, temperate biomes are often considered “normal” compared to tropical regions. Temperate regions’ shorter breeding seasons lead to the assumption that sexual conflict is more common. Our question asks if there is a publication bias against tropical regions in the study of mating and reproductive behavior. A specific search string was used to search the databases Academic Search Ultimate, Agricultural and Environmental Science Collection, and Web of Science, and we returned ~7,600 results. After review, only papers that focus on reproductive behaviors of wild populations in temperate or tropical biomes, excluding desert and arctic areas, will be accepted. We expect a return rate of approximately 10% accepted papers. Categorizing the papers as temperate or tropical will allow us to evaluate any potential biases between temperate and tropical regions.
Testing The Effects Of Entresto On The Heat Stress Response Of Drosophila Melanogaster
Grace Waterman, Sabtain Saroya
Jeff Leips, Biological Sciences
The elderly suffer from heat stress and have difficulty coping with such stress relative to younger people. Therefore, it is important to study how vulnerable individuals like the elderly can more efficiently cope with heat stress. Entresto is a blood pressure medication that is commonly prescribed in patients with congestive heart failure or hypertension, like many elderly patients. In humans, blood pressure medications may have an impact on response to heat stress because temperature regulation often occurs by the dilation or constriction of blood vessels. To investigate whether Entresto has an impact on response to heat stress, we are using Drosophila melanogaster, or fruit flies, as a model organism. We are testing the effects of Entresto on heat stress response in young, middle aged, and elderly flies of different genotypes. After heat stressing Drosophila, we will determine the differences in recovery time and lifespan after a heat stress event in three ages and three genotypes of flies. This will allow us to model the different ages and genetic backgrounds of human patients taking Entresto. In the future we can test the effect of a variety of drugs on heat stress response among a broader range of genotypes.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
COVID-19 Telehealth And Telerehabilation Reflections: Understanding The Stroke Survivor And Caregiver Perspectives
Frances Watson, Adegboyega Akinsiku1
1Information Systems
Helena Mentis, Information Systems
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, and rehabilitation is an important aspect of stroke survivors’ recovery process. However, due to the disruptive nature of COVID-19 pandemic, health services and rehabilitation for stroke survivors have needed to be achieved remotely. Thus far, my team has conducted qualitative field studies (interviews and observations) with medical stroke rehabilitation specialists to investigate their best practices, in order to inform our understanding of how to design future stroke telerehabilitation systems. To further our understanding, we expanded our interviews to stroke survivors and their caregivers to hear about their experiences with using telehealth and telerehabilitation services during COVID-19 pandemic. This presentation will provide an overview of our recent finding and set of design recommendations for the future of stroke telerehabilitation systems.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Theoretically Speaking: The Impact Of Music Theory Instruction On The Performance Ability Of Middle School Musicians
Jacob Weinstein
Brian Kaufman, Music
Similar to learning to read text, learning to read standard musical notation involves a complex process of decoding patterns. This project was designed to improve pattern recognition skills in music students at a Baltimore County middle school through the introduction of foundational theoretical concepts, notably intervals and basic harmonic structure. The objective was to get students reading and decoding musical notation not by identifying individual notes, but by quickly recognizing patterns so that they would be able to perform at tempo without falling behind. Students were given a preassessment to establish baseline data. Students recorded teacher-assessed performances of short musical pieces at a comfortable tempo using SmartMusic, a browser-based music assignment program with access to many method books. During the unit, students practiced identifying intervals and basic chords/arpeggiations and were given formative assessments to monitor their progress. At the end of the unit, students were given a summative assessment to measure their development of these skills. The goal was to get students performing basic selections at a 20% tempo increase from where they started – a metric that gives insight into the fluency with which students are able to recognize and interpret patterns.
The Association Of Acculturation With Sedentary Behavior By Race-Ethnicity: Data From NHANES (2011-2016)
Sara Weiss, Ashley Splain BS
Tasneem Khambaty, UMB/UMBC Gerontology
In the United States, higher levels of acculturation (immigrating individuals assimilating to the dominant culture) are associated with worse health outcomes (e.g., diabetes mellitus, obesity), potentially through increased sedentary behavior. Accordingly, we used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey – designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children – to examine the association of acculturation with sedentary time in different race-ethnicity groups. Acculturation was measured as: 1) the extent to which individuals spoke English vs. their native language at home and 2) length of time lived in the US. Sedentary time was measured as self-reported minutes sitting per day. In a descriptive analysis of 13,501 participants, we found that individuals more likely to speak their native language vs. English were less sedentary (more active) during the day. In contrast, increasing duration of years lived in the US (10-15 years vs. <1 year) was associated with less sedentary (more active) time. We also observed that Mexican-Americans with higher levels of acculturation had the highest sedentary behavior compared to Asian, and Non-Hispanic Black populations. These contradictory findings highlight the need for additional research to help decrease sedentary behavior in all race-ethnicity groups in the US.
Improving Student Writing By Analyzing Author’s Craft
Jennifer Wells
Cheryl North, Education
Writing research has shown that one way to improve one’s writing skills is not just by writing more, but by thinking about one’s writing (Hillocks 1987). In the classroom, this could mean asking students to examine exemplary writing from published authors, analyzing what the author has done in terms of craft, and then applying it to their own writing. In an effort to improve 11th grade students from a suburban high school, the researchers found that students struggle with organizing their writing in the most successful way for the writing assignment at hand. The researchers had students analyze event sequences and expositional structure before applying what they have learned to their own writing. The researchers engaged in direct instruction, modeling, and extensive opportunities for practice and revision. Student growth was measured over the course of one marking period by examining student writing on multiple assessments, such as interactive games, in-class and homework assignments, and the final quarterly assessment. Results of this study will determine future planning and teaching strategies; and recommendations for educators will include best practices for assisting students with analysis of event sequences and evaluation of an author’s expositional structure to improve student writing.
Jump Starters
Aaron Wescott, Joe Robinson, Julia Blurton-Jones, Mike Colclough, Phoebe Oh, Zachary Rosenberg, Cade Christianson
Marc Olano, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
As a team, Artists and Computer Scientists worked together to create a new 3-Dimensional arcade-style racing game called Jump Starters. Working with C++ and existing programs in Unreal Engine 4, the team adjusted the physics to make the vehicle’s movements fluid and fun to play. In conjunction with snappy animations and 3D models made in Autodesk Maya 2020, the cartoony aesthetics meet the smooth gameplay. The jumping mechanic adds a unique twist to the racing formula, as the player can utilize it to perform a variety of tricks, from dodging attacks from opposing racers to taking challenging shortcuts that would be otherwise inaccessible. With the jumping system tied to both the speed-boost and the car’s energy (health) systems, players will need to carefully navigate the racetracks, understand where to use their energy efficiently, all while keeping enough speed to beat their opponents. The Jump Starters team combined collective expertise to provide a gaming experience that is easy to pick up, and fun to master.
Essential
Aaron Wescott
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
Waking up with a cough, a young grocery store employee makes his way to work during a pandemic. Doing a multitude of repetitive and taxing tasks throughout the day while dealing with rude and inconsiderate customers, he gets increasingly exhausted. Ever closer to his breaking point, will we ever find out what is keeping him working?
In a simple, digitally hand-drawn animation, Aaron Wescott’s personal life is brought to the screen. Seeing the world he inhabits through his limited use of color, cartoonish art style, subtle background details, and dynamic sound design, he tries to immerse us in the story of his life, working during the COVID_19 global pandemic.
Assessing Engineering State Of Mind Of First Year Undergraduate African American/Black Students In Scholar Programs
Jameka Wiggins
Jamie Gurganus, Mechanical Engineering
An examination of first year African American/Black undergraduate students’ state of minds were evaluated at UMBC over the course of the student’s first, Fall 2020, semester. Student’s in this population are currently enrolled in ENES 101 virtually. Additionally, UMBC houses well-known scholar programs that support a 15% of the first-year engineering students. Through these programs, students receive various guidance and support to students throughout their tenure.
Using a mix-method assessment, students were initially asked to participate in the Engineering State of Mind Instrument (ESMI), a recently tested and developed tool, at UMBC by Dr. Gurganus. The ESMI provides immediate evaluation to the student, assisting them in understanding their attitudes, perceptions, motivations and self-efficacy in pursuing an engineering degree. Students are able to use the results and recommended interventions to improve any mindset deficiencies. African American students, who participated in the instrument, were asked to engage in a follow-up interview providing a more detail of their current mindset about the engineering field. Additionally, scholar affiliated, and non-affiliated programmed students were classified for further comparison of the programmatic impact. While conducting the interview, a series of questions were included regarding the intersection between virtual learning and belonging within the engineering community.
This work was funded, in part, by UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute
Effective Off-Label Use Of Schedule I Drugs For PTSD And Its Barriers: A Justice & Equity Argument
Margaret Williams
Andrea Kalfoglou, Health Administration and Policy
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most challenging psychiatric conditions to treat. The current standard of care includes some form of exposure therapy and the use of antidepressants. Many patients do not respond adequately or discontinue therapy because it requires repeated exposure to triggers. The lack of effective treatment is profound because PTSD has such a detrimental effect on the quality of life and carries a very high risk of suicide. People with PTSD may experience dysfunction in daily activities like sleep, concentration, social relationships, and employment status. Symptoms can begin shortly after the traumatic event(s), or months to even years later. In the U.S., the lifetime prevalence of PTSD among adult Americans is 6.8%. Privately-funded research indicates that Schedule 1 drugs including, cannabis, MDMA, and psilocybin have the potential as efficacious treatments for PTSD. However, because these drugs are defined by the federal government as drugs of abuse that have no therapeutic benefit, there are significant barriers to conducting research with these drugs. The federal government needs to take steps to lift the barriers preventing additional research on the treatment potential of Schedule 1 drugs for PTSD.
Computational Implementation Of Noise Performance Modeling For Short-Pulse Lasers
Brandon Wilson
Curtis Menyuk, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering; Shoakang Wang, CSEE
Since their invention in 2000, frequency combs generated by short laser pulses revolutionized the measurement of time and frequency, which in turn impacted a broad range of applications—ranging from radar, to autonomous vehicles, to environmental and medical sensing, to material science, to astrophysics, and to basic physics. Noise determines the attainable measurement precision in each of these applications, and the noise of a laser pulse is characterized using the power spectral density (PSD), which is a measurement of the pulse energy fluctuations as a function of frequency. Theoretical calculations of the PSD have relied on computationally time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations or inaccurate analytical calculations. We have developed dynamical methods that are both computationally efficient and accurate. In this work, we present a MATLAB package that we have developed that can produce results in several minutes through an object-oriented programming approach. The user gives as the initial input the basic parameters that govern the laser. Within a few minutes, the package produces the energy, frequency jitter, and a phase jitter. We have made this package available on our research group’s website. This development will make our computational dynamical methods more widely available and should enhance the future development of frequency combs.
NSF.
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Visual Source Analysis
Mairin Wright
Timothy Johnson, Education
Within the Social Studies field, the use of primary and secondary sources is vital to the understanding of historical events. Mastery of visual source analysis is a foundational building block of advanced historical thinking. This project supported and examined twenty eleventh grade World History students at Meade Senior High School and their ability to analyze and interpret visual source documents within the historical field. Using Meade Senior High School’s eight-point Critical Thinking IB Rubric, students were graded on their ability to analyze and interpret various visual sources such as charts, maps, photographs, political cartoons, propaganda posters, and maps to understand the historical context they represented. The target goal was to have 85% of the students improve two-points on the IB Rubric or 25% growth over the course of four months, or maintain their skill if they already recieved an 8. Their learning was supported through small group targeting to focus on close reading strategies to practice the analytical skills needed to recognize important contextual evidence within the visual sources. Frequent assessments in class allowed for growth in the student’s ability to write and verbalize the interpretation of the various visual source documents through the use of evidence.
The Role Of Leadership And National Factors In Building An Effective COVID-19 Response
Kateryna Yakusheva
Brigid Starkey , Global Studies
The COVID-19 pandemic caught the world vulnerable and unprepared. Several factors contributed to the failure of policy responses at the national level. Most governments lacked experience dealing with large-scale infectious disease outbreaks and were slow to implement proper response measures. States with better management strategies in place, due to prior experience with SARS and other novel viruses, coped better, at least initially. But there was too little learning across time and space. This study centers on COVID-19 responses in four comparative case studies. The research looks at both national characteristics and leadership traits in an effort to determine why some states have managed the pandemic better than others. At the societal level, public trust in government significantly impacted the effectiveness of the pandemic response. On the individual dimension, cognitive complexity and sensemaking capabilities have mattered the most. Furthermore, strong communication strategies are a factor that crosses both levels of analysis and presents as a key ingredient in cases of measured success. This research examines successful leadership traits and pandemic strategies with an eye toward learning from them as policy planning for future crises moves forward.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
Finding The Sun
Michelle Young
Corrie Parks, Visual Arts
A girl wakes to a mysterious, dark world at the disappearance of the sun. We follow her journey across the land and up a mountain as she seeks to restore the light of the sun, though in truth her presence alone sheds enough light for her world. This 2D animated film’s assets were animated in Adobe Photoshop utilizing AnimDessin, composited in After Effects, with an original score created with Garageband. Supplementary sounds were both self-recorded and edited in Adobe Audition and created in Ableton Live. This film explores self-discovery and the mindset that a single person can bring light and leave a positive impact no matter where they go, and that you are enough.
Analyzing The Expression Of Shroom3 In The Zebrafish Anterior Neural Plate
Rianna Zacharias
Rachel Brewster, Biological Sciences
Primary neurulation is the process via which a flat sheet of cells, the neural plate, bends at hingepoints to form the neural tube, the precursor of the brain and spinal cord. The neural plate bends and folds around the medial (MHP) and dorsolateral hinge points (DLHP) to promote fusion of the neural folds. MHP formation involves apical constriction of highly polarized epithelial cells, mediated by recruitment and contraction of an actomyosin belt. The Brewster lab has recently observed bi-lateral clusters of cells that form at the lateral edges of the zebrafish neural plate and appear to undergo reverse/basal constriction, and hence have been labeled “reverse hingepoints” (RHPs). We hypothesize that RHPs are essential for elevating the neural folds, a prerequisite for neural tube closure. The goal of my project is to determine whether Shroom3, an F-actin binding protein implicated in apical constriction of MHPs, is also required for RHP formation. We predict that Shroom3 will localize to the basal surface of RHPs where it would recruit actomyosin contractile machinery. To begin testing this hypothesis, I will perform wholemount in situ hybridization to determine whether shroom3 mRNA is expressed in the zebrafish anterior neural plate in cells that form RHPs.
Tornado Distribution, Seasonality, And Intensity Trends East Of The Mid-Atlantic Appalachians
Mohsin Zaidi
Jeffrey Halverson, Geography and Environmental Systems
This research project analyzes the intensity, spatial coverage and seasonality of tornadoes in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. areas east of the Appalachians for the past 70 years in order to understand their trends in relation to the changing climate and weather patterns. Official data published by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), formerly known as the National Climate Data Center (NCDC), and compiled by Delmarvanow and Tornadoproject.com was analyzed from 1950-2020. Tornado intensities (using the Enhanced Fujita [EF] scale) per state and per month were recorded and compiled to determine trends in frequency and intensity. Spatial density analysis reveals the maximum of tornado occurrence east of mountainous terrain. Time series analysis explores if there are possible trends over seven decades due to shifts in Earth’s climate. Seasonal analysis explores distribution of tornadoes in the Mid Atlantic related to genesis by warm season convective storms, tropical cyclones and infrequent cool season events. A histogram reveals frequency of tornado intensity by EF category. Any potential increase in the future frequency and intensity of tornadoes will have immense ramifications on the safety of the general public.
Is It Balanced? A Look Into Student’s Progress Of Balancing Equations
Sofia Zarate
Jonathan Singer, Education
In Chemistry, it is important for students to learn how to balance equations and understand the law of conservation of matter since it is used in later units. My mentor and I choose to track our students’ progress for their understanding on balancing chemical equations. We decided to track both Chemistry classes by first giving them a pre assessment to obtain a baseline and establish the target of 65% of students meeting their group standard. Dividing students into three groups: students that scored below 6 points will increase their score by 5 points, students that scored 6-8 points will increase by 3 points, and students that scored 9 points or higher will maintain that level of achievement. After determining a tiered growth target, we taught students the material focusing on modeling and guided practice throughout the lessons. We provided a midpoint assessment to measure the students’ progress with balancing equations which was used to further differentiate instruction before giving them the unit test.
The Obedient Body: Investigating Trained And Culturally Informed Movement Biases
Gretta Zinski
Ann Sofie Clemmensen, Dance
Bias has become a buzz word in the movement for diversity and inclusion in our evermore diverse country. In posting the questions, what exactly is a bias and how do they affect our daily lives, this research investigated how biases manifest in movement habits using three movement prompts to call upon various biases including; the availability bias, confirmation bias, selective treatment bias and the in-group bias. Several patterns of emotional and physical reactions were observed from the submitted filmed and written responses. The first prompt inspired shame, betrayal, covering of the face and incorporation of everyday objects. The second prompt triggered fakeness, frustration and pantomime, and the final prompt surfaced longing, carving space with the limbs and touching one’s own body with their hands. These patterns show there is a common and physical way biases influence our experiences and will be further explored as artistic themes in this project’s final creative dance film. This study will serve as a basis for further investigation into the ways movement choices differ across cultural differences, and ultimately develop dance movement practices from these findings to deconstruct our perceived knowledge where these biases begin to turn into prejudice.
This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
4/9/2021