Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Purification And Isolation Of Α-Chloro-Β-Lactone Precursor Molecules, Matthew Ellis

Honors Projects

This research investigates the synthesis of α-chloro-β-lactone molecules, focusing on the production, isolation, and purification of two precursor compounds from chloroacetic acid and substituted benzaldehydes. While multiple methods were explored, including EDC, DIC, and DCC catalysis, DCC proved to be most effective in producing higher yields. However, challenges in purification arose due to the formation of byproducts, particularly with DCC, prompting further investigation for efficient extraction and purification techniques. DCC, however, shows a promising route for α-chloro-β-lactone synthesis, despite purification complexities.

Graph-Based Learning, Jason Gronn

Honors Projects

An educational approach to teaching students based on prerequisite knowledge they may or may not have is presented. This approach represents educational content in the form of a graph, where edges link each topic to the prerequisites of that topic. A proof-of-concept website is created based on this approach, where qualitative results are observed and a number of conclusions are drawn. Some of the findings are that, while it can prevent users from being confused by lacked prior knowledge, the users may instead be confused by the presentation of the graph structure. The work finds that the approach is workable, …

Evaluating Appropriate Participant Training Period For Anuran Auditory Surveys, Evianna Goebel

Honors Projects

Auditory surveys are common in anuran research as they can tell a lot about a species without being intensely laborious or costly. There has not been much research on training periods for those taking part in the surveys. Proper training is necessary and improper training can hinder a project and lead to skewed results. In this study, we took students from several biology 2040 classes and had them study the calls of 11 frog species in NW Ohio. From the data, we can conclude that 2 weeks of roughly 100 minutes of study time is not enough for successful results …

Feed More, Waste Less, Kaitlyn Dietz

Honors Projects

With college prices and the cost of food increasing, so has the rate of food insecurity among college students. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of availability or access to food to meet someone’s basic and necessary needs. Food insecurity is associated with lower grades, depression, higher perceived stress, and lower graduation rates. Campuses across the country are responding to the problem in a variety of ways, including distribution of food directly to students through food pantries. Meal plans are expensive in the addition to college tuition and housing. The lowest cost for a meal plan at Bowling Green …

The Social Pot: A Social Media Application, Reid Long

Honors Projects

The Social Pot is a web application that allows a user to post to Instagram and X simultaneously from one place. The user creates a Social Pot Account and from there can set their Instagram username and password within the home page. Once the user attempts to post, it will redirect them to login to X which once successful will make the tweet. Used the API 'instagram-private-api'. User needed to give access to my X Project which in turn gave an Auth token (via X redirect URL). The auth token was then sent to my endpoint in order to get …

Synthesis Of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes Of Coinage Metals And Their Application In The Activation Of Hydrogen, Maryam Akramova

Honors Projects

The main cause of the ongoing global climate crisis is the emission of greenhouse gases, and current climate reports emphasize the need to transition to low-emission renewable energy sources. Urgently needed are methods for storing renewable energy, such as synthetic fuels like hydrogen (H₂) gas; however, a challenge to the widespread implementation of hydrogen fuel is its low volumetric energy density. This thesis describes an effort to synthesize a catalyst that takes advantage of hard-soft acid-base (HSAB) mismatches to activate H₂ and facilitate its reaction with CO₂ to form hydrocarbon fuels, thereby providing a sustainable means …

Basins Of Attraction And Metaoptimization For Particle Swarm Optimization Methods, David Ma

Honors Projects

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a metaheuristic optimization method that finds near- optima by spawning particles which explore within a given search space while exploiting the best candidate solutions of the swarm. PSO algorithms emulate the behavior of, say, a flock of birds or a school of fish, and encapsulate the randomness that is present in natural processes. In this paper, we discuss different initialization schemes and meta-optimizations for PSO, its performances on various multi-minima functions, and the unique intricacies and obstacles that the method faces when attempting to produce images for basins of attraction, which are the sets of …

Modeling The Development & Expression Of Political Opinion: A Zallerian Approach, Avery C. Ellis

Honors Projects

Research focused on John Zaller's famous RAS model of political opinion formation and change from "The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion" (1992). Analyzed the mathematical and psychological underpinnings of the model, the first paper to do so in over fifteen years and the first to do so through an analysis of motivated reasoning and Bayesian reasoning. Synthesized existing critiques of Zaller's model and other literature to suggest ways to build on Zaller, utilizing fundamental reunderstandings of opinions and messages from political and mathematical perspectives. Found verification for Zaller's model, confirming its value, but also found support for the proposed …

Statistically Principled Deep Learning For Sar Image Segmentation, Cassandra Goldberg

Honors Projects

This project explores novel approaches for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image segmentation that integrate established statistical properties of SAR into deep learning models. First, Perlin Noise and Generalized Gamma distribution sampling methods were utilized to generate a synthetic dataset that effectively captures the statistical attributes of SAR data. Subsequently, deep learning segmentation architectures were developed that utilize average pooling and 1x1 convolutions to perform statistical moment computations. Finally, supervised and unsupervised disparity-based losses were incorporated into model training. The experimental outcomes yielded promising results: the synthetic dataset effectively trained deep learning models for real SAR data segmentation, the statistically-informed architectures …

Activation Of Hydrogen By Sterically Modulated Coinage Metal Catalysts Via Mutual Quenching Of Hard/Soft Acid/Base Mismatches, Zach Leibowitz

Honors Projects

To mitigate the devastating environmental impacts of climate change in the coming decades, it is imperative that we replace the use of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric. As these renewable energy sources are inherently intermittent, there exists a need for sustainable mechanisms to store renewable energy for later use. While the direct use of dihydrogen (H₂) as a combustible fuel would allow for energy storage without the harmful release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) upon combustion, the practicality of H₂ as a synthetic fuel is limited by its low …

Fall Forward, Spring Back: Drivers Of Synchrony In The Sea Star Crawl-Bounce Gait Transition, Brady R. Nichols

Honors Projects

The Froude number is the ratio of kinetic energy to gravitational potential energy used during locomotion and is often used to analyze gait transitions. Here, I compare and contrast the human walk-run gait transition, which occurs at a consistent Froude number of 1 because there exists a mechanical speed limit to walking, and the sea star crawl-bounce gait transition, which occurs around Froude numbers of 1*10^-3. In this thesis I investigate why sea stars exhibit two gaits despite lacking brains and moving at Froude numbers far below other known gait transitions, hypothesizing (1) that the crawl-bounce transition may be mechanical …

Analyzing The Efficacy Of Covid-19 Travel Bans: A Regression Analysis Approach, Mallory Kochanek

Honors Projects

Some might associate the term ‘public health’ with the pandemic that occurred in 2020. COVID-19 spread like most have never seen in their lifetime. It is useful to look at the effectiveness of the travel re- strictions in mitigating the spread of the global pandemic. Using linear regression and network regression, we obtain parameter estimates to determine the relation of predictors, such as network effect, percentage of urban population and GDP, on the COVID-19 incidence rate for the months January to April of 2020. Linear regression does not ac- count for the correlation structure of the data. Network regression, on …

Scandium Triflate-Catalyzed Aromatic Aldehydic C-H Activation, Nicholas Griffin

Honors Projects

Herein described is a scandium triflate-catalyzed C-H activation of commercially available aromatic aldehydes achieved in low yields. The reaction occured in a one-pot synthesis over a two-hour duration and required minimal purification. Inclusion of a fluorine-tagged phenol allowed for reaction monitoring via ¹⁹FNMR.

Understanding The Beauty Of Mathematics By Composing Claude Debussy's Syrinx Into Mathematical Equations, Mackenzi Mehlberg

Honors Projects

Mesmerizing melodies and narrative storytelling are exemplified in Claude Debussy's Syrinx. As a well-known piece of solo flute literature, it is considered beautiful. Conversely, mathematics is seen as logical, and by implication not beautiful. Using Fourier Analysis, Syrinx can be represented in a different context: a series of mathematical equations. These mathematical equations can then be played as a different interpretation of Syrinx. With this interpretation, we see that mathematics is beautiful.

Creating Project Contrast: A Video Game Exploring Consciousness And Qualia, Pierce Papke

Honors Projects

Project Contrast is a video game that explores how the unique traits inherent to video games might engage reflective player responses to qualitative experience. Project Contrast does this through suspension of disbelief, avatar projection, presence, player agency in storytelling, visual perception, functional gameplay, and art. Considering the difficulty in researching qualitative experience due to its subjectivity and circular explanations, I created Project Contrast not to analyze qualia, though that was my original hope. I instead created Project Contrast as an avenue for player self-reflection and learning about qualitative experience. While video games might be just code and art on a …

Using Deep Neural Networks To Classify Astronomical Images, Andrew D. Macpherson

Honors Projects

As the quantity of astronomical data available continues to exceed the resources available for analysis, recent advances in artificial intelligence encourage the development of automated classification tools. This paper lays out a framework for constructing a deep neural network capable of classifying individual astronomical images by describing techniques to extract and label these objects from large images.

Baseball’S Evolution In The 21st Century, And How It Exemplifies Human Response To Change, Jonathan Sharpe

Honors Projects

The game of baseball has changed a lot in the past twenty years. It can be primarily attributed to the explosion in data analytics and how they are used to evaluate baseball players. This led to different player profiles being preferred and eventually led to the development of players changing. As a result, the strategies employed have also evolved and turned into a different game than seen only a couple of decades ago. This paper will explore the changes that the game has seen. On the other hand, Major League Baseball has also implemented its own changes to try and …

The Theatre Of Math: The Stage As A Tool For Abstract Math Education, Blaine Hudak

Honors Projects

So often in the education of Mathematics does instruction solely consist of the lecture. While this can be an effective method of communicating the ideas of math, it leaves much to be desired in gathering the interest and intrigue of those who have not dedicated their lives to the study of the subject. Theatre, by contrast, is a tool that has been used in the past as means of teaching complicated and difficult to understand moral and emotional subjects. While Theatre and Mathematics have been used in combination many times in the past, it is most often done in the …

Teaching About The Global Refugee Crisis, Melissa Kafer

Honors Projects

Around the world, there are more than 30 million refugees (UNHCR, 2023) facing language barriers, cultural differences, prejudice, racism, and xenophobia. The number of admitted refugees in 2022 has more than doubled since 2021 (Duffin, 2022), and yet, many Americans do not know or understand the global refugee crisis. There are misconceptions in America that cause lack of empathy, bias, and prejudice towards refugees. Through the creation of four lesson plans, this research project aims to discover Americans’ misunderstandings regarding refugees and teach them about the crisis to remedy the misconceptions. This study includes a literature review detailing appropriate teaching …

The History And Significance Of Taxidermy Bird Collections In North America: Bgsu's Own Undervalued Collection And Its Future, Kristin Burnside

Honors Projects

Taxidermy, despite its association with the bizarre and outlandish, has a rich history and culture that helped to define post-Civil War America and its pursuit of knowledge and reconnection with nature. With the widespread publication and availability of how-to guides, natural history collecting and taxidermy became accessible to any individual regardless of age, gender, or class. The hobby required physicality and courage to collect unique and interesting specimens, and intellect and creativity to conserve and display them, all of which inherently connected the avocation with respect. With varying levels of success, hobbyists experimented with different chemicals, such as arsenic, in …

Testing Pedagogical Approaches To Online Lecture: Effects Of Background Music And Interactive Video Series On Student Retention Of Prior Conception-Correcting Information On Climate Change, Roya Franseth

Honors Projects

Climate change is a pervasive element in our modern lives, yet many harbor ideas about climate change and associated climate mechanisms that are misinformed or incorrect. Ideas like these – prior conceptions (ideas that people carry with them into learning experiences about a subject) – are studied in varying degrees across fields. The geosciences do not have a particularly robust collection of research on the subject of geoscience-specific prior conceptions. At the same time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, alternatives to in-person lecture such as online lecture have become normalized. The original aim of this paper was to determine if …

Glass: The Material That Defines Us, Madisyn Rex

Honors Projects

This Honors Project is an exploration of the intersections between glass science, geology, glass art, and my own personal experience with glass.

Classification Of Seven-Dimensional Solvable Lie Algebras With A5,2 And A5,3 Nilradicals, Robert Dolan

Honors Projects

This paper provides a classification of seven-dimensional indecomposable solvable Lie algebras over the reals for which the nilradical is isomorphic to A_5,2 and A_5,3. We follow a technique that was first introduced by Mubarakzyanov.

An Analysis Of Energy Production And Efficiency In Various Longbow Archery Models, Hannah Mcpherson

Honors Projects

An analysis of the energy production and efficiency of three lab-tested longbow models is undertaken. The first model, which is constructed to not allow flexing of limbs and which uses a frictionless cart and track in place of an arrow, demonstrated an efficiency of 50% +/- 40%. The second model, which is constructed similarly to the first with the exception of a wooden dowel now being used as an arrow-like object, demonstrated an efficiency of 13% +/- 3%. The last model, a 3D printed longbow with flexible limbs using the wooden dowel as an arrow-like object, demonstrated an efficiency of …

Using Cyclic-Step Chronopotentiometry To Explore Electron Mobility In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Jasmine Hopson, Ian Mcneil

Honors Projects

In this project, we are making dye-sensitized solar cells using titanium dioxide and the dye from raspberries. We are exploring how electrons diffuse through these systems. To do this, we perform cyclic chronopotentiometry where we cycle between periods of applying a voltage to achieve a certain current and periods where the current is stopped. We focus on the time-dependent decay of the voltage when the current is stopped and fit these decays with a bi-exponential model. We compare the results of devices with and without lithium perchlorate in the electrolyte solution since lithium lowers the energies of the acceptor states …

Power Play: The President's Role In Shaping Renewable Energy Regulation And Policy, Luke Bartol

Honors Projects

With the impacts of climate change becoming more and more apparent every day, finding means of effective action to mitigate its effects become increasingly critical. While localized work can play an important role, federal action is necessary to have the most widespread and effective impact, especially on interconnected issues such as clean energy. Congressional action is the avenue of change at this level, however in an increasingly partisan and divided environment, progress on this front is far short of what is needed.

Looking to the president is logical here, both as a single actor more insulated from partisan fights, but …

The Current Support Theorem In Context, Ethan Winters

Honors Projects

This work builds up the theory surrounding a recent result of Erlandsson, Leininger, and Sadanand: the Current Support Theorem. This theorem states precisely when a hyperbolic cone metric on a surface is determined by the support of its Liouville current. To provide background for this theorem, we will cover hyperbolic geometry and hyperbolic surfaces more generally, cone surfaces, covering spaces of surfaces, the notion of an orbifold, and geodesic currents. A corollary to this theorem found in the original paper is discussed which asserts that a surface with more than $32(g-1)$ cone points must be rigid. We extend this result …

An Analysis Of Tidal Mixing Front Dynamics And Frontal Biophysical Interaction In The Harpswell Sound Shelf Sea, Lemona Yingzhuo Niu

Honors Projects

Tidal Mixing Fronts (TMFs) are prominent hydrographic features of tidally energetic shallow shelf seas, representing the transition from mixed to stratified waters. These frontal boundaries often host enhanced phytoplankton primary productivity, as complete vertical mixing exhumes nutrients from depth to the light-lit surface. Existing observational programs for locating TMFs include infra-red satellite imagery of sea surface temperature (SST) and vertical profiling of temperature and density. However, challenges in observationally distinguishing mixed from mixing using only conservatively mixed hydrographic properties persist. A novel approach based on phytoplankton in-situ oxygen production response to light is proposed in this paper to distinguish stable …

Diatom Blooms In Harpswell Sound: Seasonality, Succession, And Origin, Charlie Francis O'Brien

Honors Projects

Harpswell Sound (HS) is an inlet in northeastern Casco Bay that exerts control on Gulf of Maine ecosystem health, yet its complex phytoplankton community dynamics have not been characterized with sufficiently detailed analyses. In this research, high-resolution automated microscopy and current velocity observations were used to test the seasonality, ecological succession, bloom origin location, and potential toxicity of populations in HS between 2020 and 2022. Winter months could exhibit slow accumulation of diatom biovolume. Cold, salty surface water has net outflow in winter as nutrients from depth are replenished during net upwelling conditions, and populations could be exported from the …

Modeling Uv Light Through N95 Filters, Lorenzo Hess

Honors Projects

Reuse of N95 FFRs helps mitigate the effects of shortages. UV-C exposure is an ideal method for the decontamination necessary for FFR reuse. Recent research quantifies the transmittance of UV-C through the 3M1870+ and 3M9210+ FFRs [1]. Other research measures the reduction in viral load in relation to UV-C exposure time [11]. We design and program a ray tracing simulator in MATLAB to characterize the distribution of scattered photons in N95 FFRs. We implement an object-oriented FFR with configurable physical characteristics. We use the simulator to record the number of photons available for decontamination in each sub-layer of the filtering …