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Mugwort (Artemisia Vulgaris) Prevents Meadow Restoration, Deepening The Pollinator Crisis, Anna Klein, Nicole Guidi

Academic Festival

We are living in the Anthropocene, the age of human domination, no habitat on earth has been untouched by human activity. Thus, over half of pollinator populations and one quarter of wildflower populations have been lost. Pollinators are crucial for maintaining biodiversity and our agricultural products. Meadow restoration is imperative but difficult. We tested the idea of restoring 4 acres of meadow in Stratford, Connecticut, to help increase our native pollinators by using seed mixes with 42 wildflower species. After remediation, the land was tilled and seeded in December 2015 with 30 pounds of native wildflower seed mix from Ernst …

Leveling The Playing Field: Ensuring Inclusive Experiences For Cisgender And Transgender Women In College Athletics, Kaylee Stenderowicz

Academic Festival

In recent years, as the total number of transgender people has gone up, the number of transgender student-athletes has gone up as well. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) schools are taking steps to promote inclusiveness within their athletics to give every athlete the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level fairly. The NCAA recently updated the transgender participation policy by supporting a sport-by-sport approach which appears to be the best current solution to ensure a level playing field. When looking at a transgender athlete, it may appear that they have some physiological advantages, but they also have mental health …

The Mental Health Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In College Students, Jennifer Pasram

Academic Festival

During the year 2019, the entire world was faced with a new invisible threat that changed life in just a few short months. This invisible threat became known to be as COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by a coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2. COVID had started in Wuhan, China as an epidemic within the community, but quickly spread to other countries, and soon enough America was in a nationwide pandemic. A pandemic is an outbreak of a contagious disease that spreads across a large region or worldwide. COVID-19 is characterized as an acute respiratory illness that can cause a range of symptoms, …

Exploring The Dangers And Unexpected Advantages Of Blue Light, Gianna Ciardiello

Academic Festival

Blue light can have various effects on the human body, and whether those effects are beneficial or dangerous depends on when the body is exposed. When blue light is overused, the retina gets overwhelmed and undergoes oxidative damage and apoptosis, which impairs its function and can contribute to ocular pathologies such as dry eyes, visual fatigue, and cataract formation. Exposure during the biological evening can also trick the body into thinking it’s morning and suppress melatonin, hindering sleep quality and contribute to sleep deprivation and sleep-related disorders. However, during the day, that suppression of melatonin induced by blue light can …

The Opposition To Vaccinations, Aileen Briskey

Academic Festival

This presentation is about the opposition to vaccines and the Anti-Vaccination Movement.

The Anti-Vaccination Movement has been prevalent ever since the invention of the smallpox vaccine. The movement encourages people to refuse vaccinations against common illnesses, which can lead to spikes in previously controlled diseases. The Anti-Vaccination movement has caused regressions and setbacks in modern medicine by ignoring scientific studies proving vaccine efficacy and leads to health risks for vulnerable populations.

Restored Marsh Structure And Potential To Function As A Refuge For Invasive Crabs, Gabriel Garcia

Academic Festival

Restoration can combat declines in salt marshes and recover lost ecosystem services. To determine if restored marshes performed functions similar to those of a natural marsh, we conducted Spartina alterniflora surveys and field predation experiments in two restored marsh areas of differing ages and in a natural marsh. Asian shore crabs (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) were tethered in three locations at Stratford Point (restored marshes planted in 2015 and 2017, unvegetated sand/mud) and in two locations at Milford Point (natural marsh, unvegetated mud) using two tether lengths at each location. The number of S. alterniflora stems and stem height were …

Does Native Plant Density Matter For Coastal/Shrub Habitat Restoration In The Presence Of Non-Native Invasive Species?, Molly Martin, Graham Templeman

Academic Festival

Coastal forests play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and providing habitats for many species of migratory birds and pollinators. We tested if a closed canopy provided by a restored coastal forest will provide enough shade to reduce the invasive population of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). Mugwort has little value to wildlife as it’s pollen and tiny seeds are wind dispersed. It grows densely and frequently out competes native plant species. Native tree and shrub species were planted close together (~1m apart) in 2017 and 2019 on a remediated site in Stratford, Connecticut. The 0.52 ha area was covered …

Pellets Or Seeds; The Fatty Acid Composition Of Three Commercially Produced Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata) Diets And What They Provide Females For Egg Laying., Katrina Tessier

Academic Festival

Maternal nutrition of birds prior to egg formation impacts the quantity and quality of eggs produced by the mother. More specifically, the amount and type of micronutrients, i.e. amino acids and fatty acids, in the diet can impact the micronutrients found in the eggs. Thus, diet composition can have lasting impacts on the development and overall health of the chicks. However, much of what is known about the impact of specific fatty acids in the maternal diet on egg composition is from studies on laying hens and not on wild birds. Furthermore, although most avian research on passerine birds use …

Allelopathic Interactions Between Duncanopsammia Axifuga And Ulva Lactuca, Naeema Kandawala

Academic Festival

Allelopathic Interactions between Duncanopsammia axifuga and Ulva lactuca

Naeema Kandawala and Dr. LaTina Steele

Biology Department, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT 06825

Abstract

Coral reefs are a diverse and complex ecosystem that provide important food, livelihood, and services. Algae are prominently associated with coral reef degradation. Invasive algae are known to overtake coral-dominated habitats by tactics of poisoning, smothering, and shading, causing a reduction in coral cover. The study was conducted to determine the allelopathic interactions between the ubiquitous macroalga Ulva lactuca and the Indo-Pacific coral Duncanopsammia axifuga. We conducted a lab experiment with a randomized block design with …

The Suitability Of Fringing Salt Marshes As Nesting Habitats For The American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, In Long Island Sound., Cithlaly Palacios Garcia

Academic Festival

The American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is an important natural resource worth millions of dollars on the world market. Products harvested from Limulus hemolymph are used to test vaccines for the presence of harmful bacterial toxins saving billions of people from becoming ill. Horseshoe crabs are a dominant abundant species within estuaries particularly during spawning season and increase local biodiversity where their eggs are consumed by fish, shorebirds and numerous invertebrates. Better management is needed as the population is in decline in Connecticut. They are known to spawn on sandy beaches and records of spawning crabs in marshes …

Small Grassland Restorations May Not Be Enough To Restore Local Bird Diversity, Jonathan Austin, Alexandra Belotii

Academic Festival

Due to excesive human development along coastal regions, coastal grasslands are one of the rarest habitats in the Northeastern U.S., particularly in Connecticut. After intensive remediation in the early 2000s on 26 acres of upland at Stratford Point, CT, 20 acres of grassland was seeded with common native grass species such as switch grass (Panicum virgatum), and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). The site was burned once in 2012. Several acres of missing coastal habitats surrounding the newly restored grassland have been recently restored since 2014 including saltmarsh (4 acres), meadow (2 acres) and forest/shrub (2 acres). We …

Are Horseshoe Crabs, Limulus Polyphemus, Functionally Extinct In Long Island Sound?, Ann Bassey

Academic Festival

The American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus), is an economically and ecologically important species that lives throughout Long Island Sound. They are used as bait, and pharmaceutical companies produce medical products from their blood. Two no-harvest zones were established in 2006 by the State of CT in hopes of preventing population decline. An annual census of the spawning adult population by SHU students and citizen scientist volunteers since then was conducted May-June during high tides of full and new moons. Additional population dynamic information was collected including mating patterns and age structure. The spawning population is declining and varies by …

Interventional Orthopedics: The Future Of Musculoskeletal Injury Treatment, Shannon Jordan

Academic Festival

As a result of a largely aging population and continuously increasing life expectancy, the prevalence of orthopedic injury in the United States continues to rise and harps a significant burden on both the health care system and the millions of patients suffering each day. The current treatment options, most notably surgical procedures, and opioid narcotics, are fraught with subpar results and can cause adverse or worsening effects, warranting a consideration into what can and should be done differently in the treatment of these injuries. Interventional orthopedics is a non-surgical approach that falls under the umbrella of regenerative medicine, the type …

An Investigation Into The Effects Of Social Support And Well-Being On The Burnout Rate Of Female Collegiate Athletes, Alyssa M. Leva

Academic Festival

For female collegiate athletes there is added stress to what is normally placed on students to perform well, by their teammates, coaches, and themselves. There are many studies that focus on the relationship of burnout with factors such as well-being, social support, coaching style, etc. individually. However, there are few that examine them all together and in relation to athlete and coaching gender and class level. Coaches are such a vital role in the life of a student-athlete and many aspects of their coaching style, personality, and even gender could have an impact on the burnout rate and well-being. Additionally, …

Delineating Accessory Olfactory Bulb Anatomical Projections To Downstream Social Brain Centers In Mice, Paige Schroeder, Brooke Cyr, Dayne Rayford

Academic Festival

Opposite sex chemosignals ("pheromones") have shown to be critical for the expression of myriad social behaviors in rodents. Pheromones gain access to the brain via the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), and chemosensory information is then sent to downstream limbic sites where these signals are further processed and interpreted, resulting in appropriate social behavior expression. However, the organization of AOB projections to downstream limbic sites involved in social behavior is not well understood. To uncover the organization of AOB mitral projections to social limbic sites, we used adeno-associated viral (AAV) retrograde tract tracing targeting the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis …

Effects Of Ulva Sp. On Water Quality: Implications For Coral Reefs, Aidan Murphy

Academic Festival

To better understand effects of macroalgae on water quality in reefs, Ulva sp. a genus of fast-growing macroalgae commonly associated with coral reefs worldwide was grown in a lab in conditions typical of coral reefs for five days. Calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, phosphate, and nitrate were measured in the experimental tank containing Ulva sp. as well as the control tank that did not contain Ulva sp. twice per day (before grow lights came on and before the lights went off) on days one, three, and five. Given limited tank and grow light availability, replication was achieved by repeating the experiment four …

Using Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing To Test The Hotspot Hypothesis, Mariah Daley

Academic Festival

In this work I will test a longstanding, but largely untested, evolutionary theory known as the hotspot hypothesis. The hotspot hypothesis predicts that when the same trait evolves independently in different, but related, species, the same gene will be co-opted to control the development of these traits. To test the hotspot hypothesis we will look at two different nematode species, Caenorhabitis elegans and Oscheius tipulae, which independently evolved a rounded tail shape trait. We aim to learn if the same gene is used to control the development of this trait.

Myogenesis Stimulation In C2c12 Cells By Capsaicin, Jenifer Rodrigues, Kendall Decker, Brenna Regan

Academic Festival

Myogenesis, the key process involved in the formation of muscle tissue, allows for locomotion in humans and many other organisms to occur (Kurosaka et al. 2016). Humans rely on muscle cell regeneration via myoblasts to maintain muscle mass, especially in the setting of acute muscle loss due to injury, or a chronic illness such as muscle dystrophy. Kurosaka et al. 2016, found that capsaicin, a chemical found in peppers, acts upon the transient receptor potential cation channel vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) pathway, which is involved in myogenesis. The experiment conducted will aim to 1) replicate previous capsaicin experiments performed in the …

Genomic Analysis Of The A-Beta Mating-Type Locus Of Schizophyllum Commune, Margaret A. Lalor, Lauren Bayreuther

Academic Festival

Schizophyllum commune is a mushroom-forming fungus that has long-served as a model system for investigation the molecular control of development through study of its complex mating system.

The Debate Of Physician-Assisted Suicide, Kennedy Spiering

Academic Festival

Advancement in technology has drastically changed the healthcare system, ultimately giving rise to a greater life expectancy compared to older generations. However, the improvements in drugs and medications have also led to quickening death with the help from a physician. This idea has influenced a debate between the duty of a physician to heal rather than harm an individual. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if there is enough evidence to justify the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. Through an evaluation of journal articles within the Sacred Heart University library database as well as Google Scholar, the role of …

Behavior, Environment, And Genetics As Causes Of Obesity As An Epidemic, And How America Can Prevent The Negative Stigma Associated With The Obese, Talia Nieto

Academic Festival

This poster goes over Obesity as an epidemic. Obesity has become a huge health problem in America and around the world causing the disease to be deemed an epidemic (James et al. 2001). The key topics discussed in the poster address what obesity is, why obesity is an important health issue, what the weight stigma is and how it effects the obese, and what makes a person obese. Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems (Daundasekara et al. 2019). The Weight Stigma surrounding obesity is characterized as the discriminatory acts and ideologies …

Protein Targeting Of Amyloid Precursor Protein In Cultured Neurons, Maria Hatziminadakis

Academic Festival

Protein Targeting of Amyloid Precursor Protein in Cultured Neurons

The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is widely expressed in the central nervous system and appears to play a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding the normal targeting and processing of the APP protein in neurons will provide insight into the mechanisms that result in the pathophysiology associated with Alzheimer’s. We have expressed a FLAG-tagged human APP construct in cultured and visualized its distribution using immunocytochemistry. Preliminary data suggests that the APP protein is expressed in both the somatodendritic (cell body and dendrites) domain and axons of the cultured …

The Effects Of Gender Inequality On Women In Stem Fields, Melanie Walenda

Academic Festival

The prominent social phenomenon of sexism in U.S. society has embedded itself into society’s ideologies, oppressing the opportunities available to women across the board, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The disparities in gender in these fields can be seen starting at a young age in school and before even entering the workforce. As the inequality continues in the workplace, it has detrimental effects on both the longevity and success of women’s careers. Women struggle to gain respect and authority in the workplace, which is reflected in the gender pay gap that is evident across all …

Can Running Make You Smarter? -- Effects Of Running On Adult Neurogenesis In The Hippocampus, Amanda Fasolino

Academic Festival

Running can be an intense and strenuous form of exercise on the body but it greatly benefits overall health. Current research shows that running can not only improve physical health, but it can also improve mental health. The body’s biological response to consistent long-term running causes an increase in neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. This increase results in higher cognitive function and can be used in combination with traditional therapies to treat mental health disorders including depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Running induced hippocampal neurogenesis may be the key potential mechanism targeted for developing pharmaceutical treatment for neurodegenerative diseases …

Tobacco Farming, Addiction, Promotion Of Gender Equality, Well-Being And Monopoly Of The Indian Market, Ranjit Singha, Yogesh Kanna S

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women's land rights are still suppressed in India because men hold most of the land, and men decide what crops to grow. Tobacco use and farming are both detriments to one’s health. It causes cancer, and cancer treatment is unavailable in the majority of India's remote areas. On the other hand, tobacco is grown in remote regions of India, and cancer hospitals are concentrated in major cities. There are eight states in India's north-eastern region, but only one cancer treatment facility in Guwahati, Assam. There is a need for new cancer hospitals in the north-eastern part of the country, where …

Diverging Women On The Mommy Track To The Career Track, Sunaina Arora, Neeraj Kumari

Journal of International Women's Studies

The review paper discusses the Mommy Track phenomenon and interventions required to bring women back on the career track. It collates the literature to understand the Mommy Track phenomenon from organisations and economic perspectives. The Mommy Track is a path which is taken by high performing women to take a career break in order to rear children. The idea is to switch back to career tracks when childcare duties require less time. Gender parity initiatives have tried to bridge male and female labour gaps to bring back women to career tracks. Changes in government interventions, organisation policies, and individual attitudes …

Competencias De Estudiantes Universitarios Griegos Para Una Práctica Sostenible De La Igualdad De Género, Ioanna Kitta, M. Cristina Cardona-Moltó

Journal of International Women's Studies

La educación para el desarrollo sostenible de la igualdad de género ha sido conceptualizada como un vehículo para la adquisición de competencias y el mantenimiento sostenible de la igualdad y equidad en el mundo. Sin embargo, a pesar del compromiso de los gobiernos e instituciones de educación superior a facilitar la formación necesaria, los egresados universitarios salen del sistema sin las competencias necesarias para un ejercicio y desarrollo profesional sensible al género. El propósito del presente estudio fue explorar el nivel de competencia en cuestiones de género examinando la eficacia percibida para una práctica sostenible de la igualdad de maestros …

Non-Sexist Language In Vacancy Titles: A Proposal For Drafting And Translation In International Organisations, María López Medel

Journal of International Women's Studies

Current and past research confirms the existence of a gender gap that prevents women from earning the same salaries as men, having equal access to typically male sectors, and climbing the professional ladder to the highest positions of management. The separation of the sexes often starts at home or at school, with girls being led to choices of gender-stereotypical careers or domestic life. This needs to be tackled from various angles, and one tool for this is non-sexist language. Sexist language makes women invisible and secondary by referring to them in the masculine and has been proven to negatively affect …

Does Entrepreneur Gender Matter For Entrepreneurial Motivation: Answers From Micro Small And Medium Enterprises (Msmes) Of Assam, Ankita Sarmah, Bedabrat Saikia, Dhananjay Tripathi

Journal of International Women's Studies

With regard to SGD-5, this study attempts to examine the association between entrepreneur’s gender and their entrepreneurial motivation and to discover if entrepreneur’s gender influences the motivation. The study further tries to see if entrepreneurial motivation varies on the grounds of entrepreneur’s gender. Based on a qualitative approach, the study uses interview data of 320 MSME entrepreneurs from Assam, India. Two hypotheses—there is no association between entrepreneur’s gender and the entrepreneurial motivation (H01) and there is no significant difference between the mean rank of male and female entrepreneurs with respect to their motivational factors (H02)—are postulated and tested using Chi-Square …

Increasing The Supply Of Organs: What Method Is Most Ethical And Practical For The United States, Rachel Wolf

Academic Festival

Organ donation is a massive problem in the United States and everyday people die due to lack of organs/ organ donors. There must be a way in which there can be an increase in organ donation without causing any negative ethical implications. Although the U.S. should not force people into giving their organs to those who need them, our society should do more to promote organ donation through public policy “nudges”and increased education on the benefits of organ donation. People have a right to make their own choices about their organs, but society has an obligation to inform people and …