Digital Commons Network^™

Effect Of Knowledge On Perception Of Others’ Disordered Eating Behavior, Allison I. Robinson

Student Scholar Showcase

The purpose of this study was to determine if educational interventions on eating disorders impacts individuals ability to detect eating disorders in others. This study also examined the eating attitudes of athletes and non athletes. One hundred and thirty three undergraduate college students were randomly assigned to a condition, either receiving education on eating disorders or student athletes. After the educational condition, participants were asked to complete the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner & Garfinkel,1979). Participants then read a vignette of a student athlete which described an athlete suffering from disordered eating behaviors, participants were then asked questions to determine …

The Effects Of Wearing A Sports Mask Compared To A Standard Surgical Face Mask During The Forestry 5 Minute Submaximal Step Test, Christian Kumar

Student Scholar Showcase

The rise of the COVID-19 global pandemic has forced the introduction of wearing face masks when in public spaces or in near proximity to others. Fitness facilities, rehabilitation clinics, and exercise-related gatherings have encouraged the use of a facemask during exercise in light of the increased expiration and ventilation that occurs during exercise. The purpose of this study is to determine the physiological effects and perceptions of wearing a sports mask compared to a standard surgical face mask during exercise. Male and female subjects ranging between 18-55 years of age completed the 5-minute Forestry Step Test wearing either an Under …

The Plant And The Pathogen: Elucidating The Relationship Between Root-Knot Nematodes, Ph Levels, And Arabidopsis Thaliana Development, Rachel Garnett

Student Scholar Showcase

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) within the Meloidogyne genus are considered one of the largest threats to plant health and subsequent crop yield and profit (Forghani and Hajihassani 2020; Bernard et al. 2017). As a pest that presents global consequences, its mitigation through sustainable interventions may confer results for the treatment of similar plant pathogens. A member of the Brassicaeae family, Arabidopsis thaliana, was chosen for this study to determine plant responses to RKN-standard pH media. pH was varied between control and experimental groups, and phenotypic variables of primary root length and plant height were observed and analyzed. Wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana …

Investigating Alternative Induction Of The S. Aureus 80a Prophage, Jody Caretti

Student Scholar Showcase

Widespread antibiotic resistance has quickly become one of the most concerning crises affecting modern medicine, especially in cases of Staphylococcal infections, which have become resistant to all ��-lactam antibiotics. As a result, research into alternative forms of treatment for bacterial infections is a top priority. Bacteriophage therapy is a popular candidate for replacing antibiotics, due to the way the viruses interact with the bacteria. The 80�� prophage integrates its DNA into Staphylococcus aureus strain 10616 via the lysogenic cycle, and replicates with the bacterial cell. When stressed, the bacteria stop replicating and the prophage stimulates the lytic cycle, activating transcription …

Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, Millie Martinez

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The research done last semester was on solid-phase peptide synthesis. The technique of solid-phase peptide synthesis consists of molecules that are bound to a solid frame and using protected amino acids, the peptide is synthesized step-by-step, obtaining large yields with excess reagents. This technique was used to create a peptide that mimics the membrane-proximal region of HIV-1 gp41 which plays a role in membrane fusion. The goal is to eventually introduce fluorescein labels to this peptide that will make it easier to run tests on. Ultimately, solid-phase peptide synthesis will allow the simplicity, speed, and efficiency of the reactions taking …

Canon Inc Investment Slides, Julian Torres

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

My presentation goes over my findings when it came to whether or not to invest in Canon Inc (CAJ). The presentation is based off of an investment report that we will also be completing by the end of the course.

The Impact Of Urban Green Space On Mental Health, Jana Rokitta

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

As an Environmental Studies and Psychology double major, I'm curious about how environmental factors, especially in the urban setting influence psychological constructs. During my research, I focused on urban stressors and their effect on mental health. While analyzing a case study, I looked at how urban green space can benefit mental health. Lastly, I focused on the implication of the studies for Chicago and how the uneven access to urban green space poses a social justice issue in Chicago and on a global scale. Additionally, my research includes a critical view of confounding variables that might have impacted the results.

Investigation Of Co Oxidation On Rh(111) With Irras, Faith Lewis

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is widely applied to identify small molecules adsorbed to metal surfaces. Here, FTIR was coupled to an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) system where the sample environment was carefully controlled to eliminate interference from atmospheric species. IR reflection measurements from a metal surface were performed under UHV conditions and the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) to carbon dioxide (CO2) over Rh(111) was investigated. This reaction was used as a probe reaction to determine the relative reactivity of various oxidic species. We determined the binding sites on different oxygenaceous phases and determined their chemical significance towards heterogeneously catalyzed …

Tinkering With Technology, Noelle Pittman

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Informal STEM learning outside of school can offer opportunities for children and parents to interact for STEM learning (Sobel & Jipson, 2016); however, there is a lot of variability in terms of how children and parents talk about STEM, and this STEM language can affect children’s STEM achievement in middle school (Pruden et al., 2011).

Assessing Frequency Discrimination Ability In Ephrin-B2 Mutant Mice, Shayma Smaoui

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Tonotopy is when neurons at various levels of the auditory pathway are topographically arranged by their responses to different sound frequencies. Disruption of tonotopy leads to difficulty processing sound information. Ephrins/Eph receptors are molecules that are vital to axon guidance and topographic mapping during neural development. To investigate a role of ephrin-B2 in auditory circuit formation, I am assessing the ability of ephrin-B2 mutants to discriminate between frequencies. These assays will allow me to evaluate whether ephrin-B2 mutant mice have any deficits in discriminating between sound frequencies and whether ephrin-B2 plays an essential role in frequency map formation.

Development Of A Balance Evaluation System Using Accelerometers And Machine Learning Algorithms, Evelyn Zurawski, Sharf Abutaleb

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Prior studies have suggested that displacements of center of pressure (COP) can be used to gauge an individual’s relative sense of balance. We seek to replace conventional force platforms utilized for COP measurements due to their bulky size by estimating COP with accelerometers. This will require the application of machine learning algorithms to calculate the values acquired from accelerometers. At least one of the accelerometers will be close to the waist of the subject as our earlier experiments indicate that the best location is closer to our body’s center of mass.

Mcdonald's Investment Report, Emile Farah Cordero

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Investment Report for McDonald's Corporation. Issuing a BUY recommendation and arguing why I believe it is a good idea to invest in McDonald's.

The Lived Experiences Of Nursing Students In Nursing Education With Implicit Racial Bias, Seth Hawkins Huisenga

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Implicit racial bias negatively affects health care provided to patients of color and often leads to poor physical and psychological problems. Nurses that provide unbiased care create a more healing environment for their patients. This research will investigate the implicit racial biases of nurses throughout their education and how nursing students have experienced encounters with implicit bias. The objective of this study is to allow nursing students to become more aware of implicit biases, specifically implicit racial bias. There is limited research about teaching nursing students about implicit bias, but there are some accounts of medical students. The lack of …

Apple Investment Pitch Presentation, Samuel De Vita

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Investment pitch presentation for Apple

Target Stock Pitch, Lukasz Duda

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Powerpoint Presentation on why you should buy target shares, and the deeper explanation behind that thinking.

System Modeling Of Brain-Neuromuscular Functions For Developing Brain Computer Interface, Madelyn Mccullen, Patrick Chan

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Brain-computer interface (BCI) has been developed for the purpose of bypassing the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system to communicate or control a remote device. Prospective designs have claimed to be able to assist people with severe disabilities or apply to the practice of neurorehabilitation. Nonetheless, due to the complicated and unpredictable nature of such systems, the feasibility and reliability of available BCIs remain to be fully explored. We aim to apply system identification techniques for black-box modeling, attempting to find the most appropriate BCI system model.

Federal Cap And Trade Program Proposal And Analysis, Skylar Michaels, Thomas Crabtree, Tim Ventrella, Ryan Carr, Fiona Farrer

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Through our research on current and past environmental politics and policies throughout the United States, this group has determined that the best way for the U.S. to reduce its contribution to the causation of climate change is to implement a federal cap and trade program targeting carbon emissions.

Rethinking Recidivism, Grace Higbie, Beck Hansman, Michael Willner, Charlie O'Gorman

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Prisons are as old as civilization, yet the way incarceration looks has changed over time. One of the biggest changes is the increase of the number of people in prison, influenced significantly by the long-term rise in recidivism, or the tendency for a convicted criminal to reoffend and be re-imprisoned for a similar crime. If more people cycle in and out of the system, then prison populations rise which strains the entire justice system. This paper seeks to address recidivism in two countries with differing rates and approaches to imprisonment: the United States and Norway. We hope to provide actionable …

Do Children In The Welfare System With Different Types Of Social Support Networks Have Different Developmental/Intellectual Needs?, Bana Husseini

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Children who enter the child welfare system experience many struggles and obstacles. Often, these children do not have much family involvement such as parents, grandparents, cousins, and so on. Kin involvement is important because it provides a social support network for children, and when it is not provided, children are at a higher risk of developing developmental delays or needs. My study explored whether there’s a relationship between different types of social support networks and developmental/intellectual needs. Results showed no statistical significance between the two, suggesting no relationship between developmental needs and what type of kin involvement is present in …

Dhs Crcl Compliance Branch Internship Experience, Gabrielle Castro

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation outlines my experiential learning internship experience. While participating in the Loyola University Chicago Washington D.C. Program during the Fall 2021 semester, I interned at the Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Compliance Branch. This presentation reviews my day-to-day tasks, as well as key career-building skills and personal insights I gained throughout my time there.

Using Zip-Level Population Data To Predict Food Truck Success In Chicago, Willa Countryman, Shane Riley, Avery Tritz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The purpose of this study was to determine the best place to open a food truck in Chicago by creating a predictive model formed from nationwide demographic data. The model was trained on data from over 200 US ZIP codes, to identify patterns that might predict the viability of a given area’s food truck market. Our Random Forest classification model identified bike commuters, millennials, density, and more as predictors of market success, and consistently predicted the Loop as the most viable area for food trucks in Chicago. This suggests that food truck entrepreneurs in Chicago should focus on these markets.

Gerber/Hart Library And Archives Internship, Sarah E. Gerards

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation presents the history of the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, discusses the T-shirt project and archival preservation, and unpacks queer history.

Marjorie Kovler Center Survivors Of Torture Internship, Carinne Jarvis

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

In my presentation, I discuss what I learned and experienced throughout my service-learning internship with the Marjorie Kovler Center's Survivors of Torture Program.

Understanding Mental Health Stigma, Lainie K. Krumenacker

Scholars Week

Understanding Mental Health Stigma

Lainie K. Krumenacker

Problem or Purpose

Mental illness affects nearly 1 in 5 adults according to the National Institute of Mental Health and yet discrimination against mental illness is not only relevant, but considered a risk factor as stigma can be responsible for treatment delay. Individuals suffering from mental illnesses may not seek treatment, as they may fear they will be regarded negatively which can lead to detrimental health outcomes (Shrivastava, et al., 2022). Where is the disconnect if so many adults are experiencing mental illness? Why isn’t it more widely researched with a solution focus, …

Communication Is Key, Stephanie Munsch, Bailey Ellingsworth

Scholars Week

Abstract

This paper is an evidence based look at the efficacy of ventilation communication in the intensive care unit (ICU) and the resources that we found to be useful in expanding said communication. This topic has become more prevalent today due to COVID-19 and the rising numbers of ICU admissions and ventilator use. We looked at various studies that found that patients on ventilators who lacked good communication with their nurses had negative mental and physical effects. Examples of this include increased rates of anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder among ICU survivors. The evidence also found that effective …

Iv Infection Control, Coleman White, Hannah Oswalt

Scholars Week

Infection is one of the most discussed topics in the nursing world, and one topic that is commonly overlooked is IV tubing related to infection. The current rules on CCU/PCU include labeling the tubing, changing the tubing every 72 hours, and cleaning the site with an alcohol swab before injecting medications. While these rules in place are evidenced based, and work properly, there is more research that has been conducted stating better practice to control infection related to IV tubing. Through utilization of theoretical framework along with several quasi-experimental research, we have evaluated infection control effectiveness through “Scrub the Hub” …

How To Control Healthcare Associated Infection, Yeojin Son, Jungyoon Hur

Scholars Week

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) are infections patients acquire while receiving care in hospital. The main reasons of occurring the infections are insufficient knowledge about infection control and decreased compliance with rules by hospital protocol. The purpose of this evidence-based presentation is to exemplify how to control HAI via motivating healthcare workers to comply with infection control policy.

Prevention Of Medical Device Related Pressure Injuries (Mdpris), Mauritzio Ramirez, Audrey M. Fulkerson, Mason L. Chandler

Scholars Week

Throughout our clinical rotations, we noticed many patients who had developed pressure ulcers caused by medical devices, which are often referred to as MDRPIs. We acknowledged this as a problem and decided to look into it further. We reviewed various articles to find the best practice when it comes to preventing/minimizing these injuries. We analyzed a meta-synthesis, a qualitative study, and an experimental study and used that as our research on the topic. After reviewing these articles, we will present our findings to a local hospital to make recommendations on how they can better prevent/minimize MDRPIs. In conclusion, MDRPIs are …

The Benefits Of Bedside Shift Report, Sarah Frank, Jordan Reed, Jordan Higgins

Scholars Week

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of bedside shift report in the health care setting. This research will focus on an inpatient department, which is a 25-bed acute care unit with 4 special care beds. This department currently utilizes the SBAR method. However, this can improve when used in conjunction with bedside shift reports. The use of bedside shift report will improve communication and nurse-patient relationships, provide more patient privacy, and decrease time spent giving report. The use of bedside report may require a related intervention of patient teaching, so that the patient understands the purpose …

Benefits Of Increasing Patient Engagement In Plan Of Care, Madison Gillentine, Stephanie Phelps

Scholars Week

This presentation’s focus is implementing ways to engage patients in their own plan of care during hospitalization. Patient’s presenting their needs early on during a hospital stay has been shown to improve nurse-patient communication and overall engagement. When a patient has felt that his or her specific needs have been made aware to the nursing staff, one feels more like an individual rather than a bed number. The patient will become a more active member in his or her care which leads to better outcomes and satisfaction. The more comfortable and open a patient is with the nurse about his …