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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
A Match Or A Mismatch: Comparing College Stated Learning Goals To Student Learning Goals And Perception Of Educational Quality
Stander Symposium Projects
An institution’s ability to meet students’ learning expectations influences student perceptions of educational quality and usefulness. Currently, colleges and universities are trying to provide evidence of these attributes through various summative assessment instruments. However, the content and structure of most assessment instruments measures what students have retained, not actual cognitive change or instances of goal achievement. This study surveyed a random sample of students at a four-year liberal arts college asking them to describe their personal learning goals and quantify the quality and usefulness of the education they received. The students’ goals were then compared to the stated goals of …
Extremum Seeking Control Observer Design For Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Linear Time-Invariant Systems
Stander Symposium Projects
In this proposal a control strategy, we try to address the problem of output (performance) function for an observer of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) linear time-invariant system by applying the Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) approach. By this control approach, we drive the performance function to its maximum or minimum value. The construction of a seeking algorithm is used to drive the system states to the desired set-points that maximize or minimize the value of an objective (performance) function. Also, Lyapunov's stability theorem and the perturbation theory including the averaging method is used in the design of the extremum seeking controller structure …
Multistage Flash Desalination With An Integrated Solar System
Multistage Flash Desalination With An Integrated Solar System
Stander Symposium Projects
Desalination is considered to be a promising solution to overcome the problems of water shortage especially for countries that have dry weather conditions with less rainfall around the year. Thermal processes have the highest capacity among all other desalination processes but it consumes significant amount of fossil fuel which severely affects the environment in diverse aspects. On that end, the importance of using renewable energy source such as solar desalination has increased in the present time. In solar desalination, the energy can be transferred in the form of either thermal energy as used in thermal storage technologies or electrical energy …
Mentoring Essentials: Assisting Junior Faculty With Career Development
Mentoring Essentials: Assisting Junior Faculty With Career Development
Stander Symposium Projects
As junior faculty progress within their careers an opportunity presents itself to provide this group with assistance in order to master the necessary components of teaching, research, and service expected within the profession. A key stakeholder within this support system may be senior faculty and the role they can play in fostering the career development of junior faculty.Junior faculty who are successfully mentored experience a wide variety of benefits that may provide a springboard to reaching both personal and professional goals and objectives. “Among these outcomes are an individual’s job satisfaction, research productivity, teaching effectiveness, socialization to the profession, salary …
Confessions Of A Sorority Woman: Impacts Of Hazing On New Members Of Panhellenic Greek Lettered Organizations
Stander Symposium Projects
The purpose of this study was to examine how Panhellenic Greek lettered organizations might choose to haze their new members and how being hazed impacted a new member, physically and mentally. Participants responded to a web-based survey that asked individuals to identify what they believed constitutes hazing, hazing acts they have been asked to engage in, and outcomes of joining a Panhellenic organization. Both new members and initiated members received the survey. For data analysis, participant responses were compared using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). New members of Panhellenic Greek-lettered organizations defined organizational unity and mental/emotional instability as an outcome …
Bridging The Gap: The Impact Of An Intensive English Program On Female Middle Eastern Muslim Students Social Experiences
Stander Symposium Projects
This study investigates the impact of intensive English program (IEP) on female Middle Eastern Muslim student abilities to interact with native English speakers at a Catholic institution. The sample consisted of eight female Middle Eastern Muslim students who already completed IEP, currently enrolled in IEP, or was able to waive IEP requirements through testing. Through a qualitative approach, factors associated with female Middle Eastern Muslim students’ social experiences were explored. Findings detailed challenges based on religion, English proficiency, cultural differences, and campus support. Recommendations are presented for staff members, IEP instructors, and students to assist in improving the social success …
Under Pressure? The Relationship Between Reciprocity, Intimacy, And Obligation In Self-Disclosure
Under Pressure? The Relationship Between Reciprocity, Intimacy, And Obligation In Self-Disclosure
Stander Symposium Projects
Studies of self-disclosure conducted in the lab report that individuals report greater liking for those who disclose highly intimate information; whereas field studies report that individuals report greater liking for those who disclose information of lower intimacy. One possible explanation for such inconsistent findings is that laboratory studies typically create a scenario where the recipient of self-disclosed information is expected and obligated to reciprocate. Field studies, however, remove the obligation for the participant to reciprocate, thus creating an unbiased evaluation. Thus far, research has not directly compared the level of intimacy with whether the participant is obligated to respond or …
Mostly True: An Exploration Of My Family History
Mostly True: An Exploration Of My Family History
Stander Symposium Projects
Family histories are tricky things, especially when the people in the stories don't necessarily want to talk about their pasts. My family immigrated to the US in the early 1800's, many to escape the anti-Semitism that was rampant in their countries. Through a series of personal interviews, family stories passed down from generation to generation, and my own imagination to fill in the gaps, I have compiled a series of short stories about my family and their lives in America from their arrival here in the 1800's to the present day. Although each family has a different story to tell, …
Root Cover Pebbling On Graphs
Stander Symposium Projects
A graph is a mathematical object that can be described as a set of vertices and a set of edges. An edge joins one vertex to another. The existence or absence of an edge between two vertices can represent a relationship or absence of a relationship between two objects. Two vertices are said to be adjacent if there is an edge that joins them. Imagine placing pebbles on the vertices of a graph. We can move a pebble from one vertex to an adjacent vertex using certain pebbling moves in which two pebbles are removed from a vertex and one …
Examining The Role Of Self-Esteem In The Association Between Emotional Vulnerability And Psychological Well-Being.
Stander Symposium Projects
The purpose of the proposed study was to examine the association between emotional vulnerability and psychological well-being, and test whether the association varies based on level of self-esteem. Researchers define psychological well-being as an appraisal of one’s life where a person gives conscious evaluative judgments about one’s satisfaction with life as a whole (Grossi et al., 2013). Emotional vulnerability is defined as the degree to which a person renders himself or herself exposed to the emotional pain of rejection. Experiencing social rejection has a negative effect on self-esteem, however, having high self-esteem may buffer the self against the pain of …
Changes In Relative Abundance And Spatial Distribution Of Dominant Overstory Taxa In An Old-Growth Forest Over 30 Years
Stander Symposium Projects
The temperate deciduous forests of eastern North America are subject to an array of ecosystem drivers including anthropogenic disturbance, gap dynamics, and both local and regional climate events. An ongoing “mesophication” trend has been observed in many of these forests where communities are shifting from oak dominance (Quercus spp.) to more mesophytic, shade-tolerant species (Acer spp.). Using a 30-year dataset (1979–2010) collected in an old-growth forest in southeastern Kentucky, we examined decadal patterns of distribution and relative abundance of dominant overstory taxa: oaks (Quercus spp.), maples (Acer spp.), hickories (Carya spp.), and beech (Fagus grandifolia). Overstory stem data were divided …
Characterization Of The P53 Signaling Pathway In Urodele Amphibians During Lens Regeneration
Characterization Of The P53 Signaling Pathway In Urodele Amphibians During Lens Regeneration
Stander Symposium Projects
Urodele amphibians such as the red spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, and axolotl are commonly used to study organ regeneration due to their remarkable ability to regenerate organs such as limb, tail, spinal cord and lens. The newt is able to regenerate the lens solely from dorsal iris pigmented epithelial cells in 30 days following removal. Axolotls, neonate salamanders, invoke curiosity because they can only regenerate their lens two weeks post hatching although they have the same regeneration potential as newts for limb, tail, and spinal cord. Using these animal models the role of the p53 protein, a tumor suppressor protein, …
Restorative Justice: The Alternative Outlet For Criminal Behavior
Restorative Justice: The Alternative Outlet For Criminal Behavior
Stander Symposium Projects
As members of the University of Dayton Social Justice Club, our group carried out a semester long project focused on Restorative Justice in conjunction with the Montgomery County Mentoring Collaborative. We were assigned to Belmont School and each given a young girl to work with. Each young girl we were paired with had a history with incriminating behavior. Our responsibility included talking with our partner and helping them claim responsibility for their actions. Additionally, we talked through previous decisions and their consequences to encourage the girls to start thinking about the impact of their actions.
Manipulation Of The Wnt Signaling Pathway And Analysis Of Gene Expression In Axolotls
Manipulation Of The Wnt Signaling Pathway And Analysis Of Gene Expression In Axolotls
Stander Symposium Projects
After injury humans produce scar tissue as part of the wound healing process. This process does not generate new tissue, but prevent the remaining tissue from further damage. Without the ability to create new tissue, humans are limited in their capacity to regain lost function after severe injury. However, axolotls have the ability to regenerate a variety of organs within the first two weeks of hatching, allowing for complete recovery of tissue function. Specifically lens regeneration is studied due to the dynamic changes that occur in the surrounding iris tissue following lens removal. Dorsal and ventral iris cells proliferate and …
Defective Proventriculus (Dve) A New Member Of Dv Patterning In The Eye
Defective Proventriculus (Dve) A New Member Of Dv Patterning In The Eye
Stander Symposium Projects
In multi-cellular organisms, axial patterning is required to generate three-dimensional organ from its primordia during organogenesis. Drosophila eye serves as an excellent model to study patterning and growth. In Drosophila eye, Dorso-ventral (DV) patterning is the first lineage restriction event in the developing eye. The early eye primordium begins with the default ventral fate on which the dorsal eye fate is established by expression of a GATA-1 transcription factor, pannier (pnr). We have identified defective proventriculus (dve), a K50 homeodomain gene as a novel dorsal gene that plays a crucial role in Drosophila eye development. We have found that dve …
Research Exercise: Ethos - Appropriate Solar Technology For Bihar, India
Research Exercise: Ethos - Appropriate Solar Technology For Bihar, India
Stander Symposium Projects
An investigation of the potential for appropriate solar technology in Bihar, India, including solar thermal refrigeration systems. The feasibility of solar PV cells within a micro grid system was studied for applications to existing refrigerators. This is pre-work for an upcoming ETHOS immersion in Bihar, India.
Does That "Ring A Bell?" The Effects Of Music-Induced Emotions On Recall Of A Story
Does That "Ring A Bell?" The Effects Of Music-Induced Emotions On Recall Of A Story
Stander Symposium Projects
This research examined the effects of music-induced emotions on memory for information from a story. Previous research has revealed that music is a reliable tool for mood manipulation (Vuoskoski & Eerola, 2012), and emotion has been shown to be a memory enhancer (Janke, 2008). Tesoriero and Rickard (2012) provide two major theories for how music and memory interact, emotional arousal theory and mood congruence theory. The emotional arousal theory predicts that when emotions are aroused there will be an overall enhanced memory for attended information. Further, the mood congruence theory predicts enhanced memory for information that is congruent with reported …
Are Young Children’S Music Preferences Associated With The Singer’S Race?
Are Young Children’S Music Preferences Associated With The Singer’S Race?
Stander Symposium Projects
Few studies have examined Racial/Ethnic (R/E) Identity in early childhood. The current study utilizes a novel approach to measuring this construct and, further, investigates whether R/E Identity is related to cross-race acceptance. African American and White kindergarten children were asked to rate the quality of 4 female and 4 male singers, each of whom is depicted on a video clip. Among the 8 video clips are 2 pairs of female singers and 2 pairs of male singers. Within each pair of same-sex singers, one is Black and the other is White. The same sound track is used for each pair. …
Behavioral Activation In A Homeless Shelter: Development And Validation Of The Behavioral Activation Treatment Efficacy Measure
Stander Symposium Projects
Beginning in the summer of 2013, Reeb and colleagues implemented a Behavioral Activation (BA) Program in a homeless shelter for men. Based on operant conditioning, BA is a “therapeutic process that emphasizes structured attempts at engendering increases in overt behaviors that are likely to bring [the person] into contact with reinforcing environmental contingencies and produce corresponding improvements in thoughts, mood, and overall quality of life” (Hopko et al., 2003, p. 700). Quantitative and qualitative results show that BA has efficacy in increasing homeless men’s participation in various shelter activities (Reeb et al., 2014). With funding from the Graduate Student Summer …
Externalizing Symptoms As A Risk For Unintentional Injuries In Children
Externalizing Symptoms As A Risk For Unintentional Injuries In Children
Stander Symposium Projects
The objective of this study is to understand the influence of externalizing symptoms (e.g., hyperactivity, oppositionality) on unintentional home injuries in children. Childhood unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in children under 18 years of age (Krug, Sharma, & Lozano, 2010). Past research has shown that the presence of certain behavioral disorders may impact the risk of childhood injury (Pastor & Reuben, 2006). These disorders include Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). The psychiatric symptoms of these disorders comprise of externalizing symptoms such as aggression, hyperactivity, and oppositionality (inadequate cooperation or compliance by the child; American …
Risk And Resilience: A Prospective Analysis Of The Complex Effects Of Internalizing Problems On Alcohol Use In Adolescence
Stander Symposium Projects
Previous research suggests that there exist both risk and protective mechanisms for the relationship between internalizing problems and alcohol use outcomes. The present study aims to determine whether deviant peer affiliations and risk aversion are two protective mediating mechanisms of this relationship. A risk mechanism of high negative emotionality, consistent with the tension reduction hypothesis, will also be investigated. For exploratory purposes, the mediators will be tested on three separate alcohol use outcomes: frequency of use, frequency of heavy use, and problematic use. Data from age cohorts 9, 12, and 15 (N=2,339) of the Project on Human Development in Chicago …
Diminishing The Discipline Gap: Restorative Justice As A Promising Alternative In One Urban School
Diminishing The Discipline Gap: Restorative Justice As A Promising Alternative In One Urban School
Stander Symposium Projects
Across the nation, the education system is responding to student misbehavior with zero tolerance policies that parallel the punitive practices found in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Zero tolerance policies have contributed to the “discipline gap,” wherein schools punish racial and ethnic minorities more often and more severely than they punish whites. One alternative to punitive punishment is restorative justice, which aims to foster respect, responsibility, and empathy in members of school communities. This project evaluates the relationship between restorative justice and out-of-school suspension rates in an urban school district. It also serves as one of the few studies …
Relative Value And Momentum Weighting For A Concentrated Portfolio Of Health Care Stocks
Relative Value And Momentum Weighting For A Concentrated Portfolio Of Health Care Stocks
Stander Symposium Projects
A key factor in portfolio returns is the weights given to stocks in a portfolio of stocks. Capital Asset Pricing Models indicate that the weight assigned to a stock should be based on its risk premium to the market. In recent years, attention has focused on firm size, relative valuation, and earnings momentum as the appropriate weighting strategies. In this study I focus my attention on large size firms in the health care sector using a concentrated portfolio of the 10 largest holdings in the SPDR Health Care ETF. I use a combination of relative value and momentum weighting strategies …
Modeling The Relationship Between Non Durable Consumer Expenditures And Stock Market Prices: An Empirical Analysis For The Period 2004-2014
Stander Symposium Projects
BEA consumer expenditure data is divided into three components:(1) durable, (2) non durable, and (3)service expenditures. In this study we examine the relationship between non durable consumer expenditures and consumer discretionary and consumer staples sector price movements. Rational expectations theory suggests that increasing demand for non durable goods increases the sales and earnings of the firms operating in both of the above sectors. In turn, this results in rising sector prices. Using linear and log linear regression we test the hypothesis that the regression coefficients are positive and statistically significant. Quarterly data is used in the study with the time …
Are Intermediate Stage Product Prices Early Warning Indicators Of U.S. Final Goods Prices? A Covariance Analysis For The Period 2004-2014.
Stander Symposium Projects
In this study I examine the correlation patterns between the price movements for the four intermediate stages of production and final demand prices. Since changes in final demand prices reflect both the levels of demand for goods and services and the rate of inflation, they are particularly important to investors in the financial markets.Using step-wise regression analysis, I develop predictor equations that show final demand prices as a function of the prices for the four intermediate stages of production. Monthly times series for the above price variables over the period 2004-2014 are used in the analysis. I expect all of …
A Study In Dividend Investment Strategieshigh Yield Vs. High Dividend Growthfor The Period 2008 - 2014
Stander Symposium Projects
From a total return perspective, there is an on-going debate among financial analysts as to which is the better strategy: (1) investing in high yield stocks or (2) investing in stocks with high dividend growth rates. Since stocks with high dividend growth rates also tend to be lower yielding stocks, the strategy debate is often more about low vs. high levels of yield. In this study I test several hypotheses: (1) low yield stocks outperform high yield stocks, (2) high dividend growth rate stocks outperform low dividend growth rate stocks, (3) high dividend growth rate stocks outperform high dividend yielding …
A Covariance Analysis Of Consumer Healthcare Expenditures And Healthcare Sector Price Movements
A Covariance Analysis Of Consumer Healthcare Expenditures And Healthcare Sector Price Movements
Stander Symposium Projects
In recent years, an increasing portion of consumer expenditures on services is allocated to healthcare. The aging of the U.S. population, the Affordable Healthcare Act, and the rising per unit costs of hospital trips all have influenced this trend. In this study, we test the hypothesis that healthcare sector prices covary directly with consumer expenditures on healthcare services. Using regression analysis, we regress 5 Healthcare sector ETF's on Healthcare consumption expenditures. The ETF's are: (1) Healthcare Sector ETF (XLV), (2) Healthcare Equipment ETF (XHE), (3) Biotech ETF (XBI), (4) Pharmaceuticals ETF (XHP), and (5) Healthcare Services ETF (XHS). Quarterly data …
Determining Volume Changes From Overhead Video Surveillance
Determining Volume Changes From Overhead Video Surveillance
Stander Symposium Projects
Cost effective persistent wide area surveillance is a challenging real-world problem that research has not sufficiently tackled yet. At present, surveillance corporations spend millions on human analysts to monitor live or recorded video feeds. Depending on the application, the analysts may be looking for unauthorized activities, suspicious behavior, or a more specific sequence of events. Human performance is costly and is often affected by ambiguous definitions of anomalies as well as natural factors such as fatigue. We present a fully automatic 3D change detection technique designed to support persistent overhead surveillance in changing environmental conditions. The novelty of the work …
Brain Machine Interface For A Robotic Arm
Brain Machine Interface For A Robotic Arm
Stander Symposium Projects
The purpose of this project is to expand the capabilities of an existing interface of controlling a static robotic arm with brainwaves. Brainwaves are collected with an Emotiv EPOC headset. The Emotiv headset utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to collect the brain signals. This project makes use of the Emotiv software suites to classify the thoughts of a subject as a specific action. The software then sends a keystroke to the robotic interface to control the robotic arm. The team is to identify actions for mapping, implement these chosen actions, and evaluate the system’s performance. The actions chosen and their implementation would …
Classification Of Vehicles Using Monocular 3d Reconstruction
Classification Of Vehicles Using Monocular 3d Reconstruction
Stander Symposium Projects
State of the art 3D reconstruction techniques utilize frames from a video sequence to render a 3D model of the scene. Our 3D reconstruction technique utilizes Speeded-Up Robust Features along with optical flow points to create a dense point cloud. Each point within the model has been tracked from frame to frame and triangulated into its (X,Y,Z) model position. We present an application for these structure from motion models that exploits our previous work in 3D object classification. In our experiments, we reconstruct a parking lot scene that contains several vehicles. The first step of our object classification algorithm is …