Digital Commons Network^™

Role Of Environmental Conditions In Determining Plant Size Differences In Restored And Natural Spartina Alterniflora, Allegra Simon

Academic Festival

Sediment composition plays a crucial role in plant growth, nutrient availability, water retention, and soil stability, factors that often differ between restored and natural salt marshes. Understanding these differences is essential for wetland restoration and environmental management. This study investigated how differences in physical conditions at a restored and a natural marsh in Connecticut impact smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) growth. Measurements of S. alterniflora height were taken at each site and estimated energy at each site via plaster erosion in the field. Plants and sediment were collected from Milford Point (natural) and Stratford Point (restored) and grown in a common-garden …

Exploring Interspecies Relationships Through Differential Equations, Isabella Zanni

Academic Festival

A differential equation relates an unknown function to one or more of its derivatives. Systems of differential equations can be used to model interspecies relationships. This paper will consider predator-prey and competition models. The equilibria of a system represent when the population rates of species are zero such that the populations are constant. We perform a stability analysis of the equilibria to determine if they are stable, unstable, or borderline. This stability will help us predict the population dynamics of the species modeled by the system.

Combined Screening Of Different Beta-Lactamases Enzymes And Cipp Protease From Staphylococcus Aureus To Identify Pharmaceutical Hits, Makayla Quinn, Daniel Witt

Academic Festival

Bacteria has evolved in much more rigorous conditions that today; they have developed mechanisms to survive. A need is for novel antibiotics is imperative. Beta-lactamases are enzymes produced by bacteria that provide multi-resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics. Beta-lactamase provides antibiotic resistance by changing the antibiotics' structure. We are also investigating a protease ClpP that is in S. aureus maintaining protein homeostasis. Here, we describe the use of an iterative in silico and in vitro workflow for identifying novel beta-lactamase and protease ClpP inhibitors. Utilizing Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) as the software for our virtual screens. Our virtual screen model evaluates compounds …

Investigating The Therapeutic Potential Of Aqp4 Inhibition In Mitigating Neurodegeneration And Cognitive Impairment Induced By Binge Alcohol Consumption, Alessia Scali

Academic Festival

No abstract provided.

More Than A Sport: The Psychological Demands And Benefits Of Being A Di Equestrian, Nikki Albert, Kayla Destephanis

Academic Festival

This project explores the psychological demands and benefits of being a Division I equestrian athlete at Sacred Heart University. With a year-round season, rigorous training schedule, academic responsibilities, and strong commitment to community service, student-athletes on the team face unique challenges. A survey of current team members (N=24) assessed perceptions of time management, mental wellness, and personal growth. Results reveal that while athletes report elevated stress, pressure to perform, and social sacrifices, they also experience significant personal development, increased self-awareness, and improved teamwork skills. These findings highlight the complex mental landscape of collegiate equestrian athletes and underscore the dual impact …

Nutrient Enrichment Alters Resource Allocation To Chemical Defenses In Invasive And Native Aquatic Plants, Paul Sampino

Academic Festival

Eutrophication may alter plant allocation to chemical defenses, affecting interactions with herbivores and invasive species dynamics. We explored the effects of eutrophication on growth and chemical defenses in native and invasive aquatic plants, hypothesizing that plants would shift resources away from chemical defenses under nutrient enrichment and that grazers would consume more nutrient-enriched than unenriched tissue. We grew fragments of each species under ambient and enriched nutrient conditions in the lab for two weeks and measured their growth, phenolics, and condensed tannin content. Growth was similar across species and nutrient status. Both native and invasive plants relaxed their chemical defense …

You Are What You Eat: Integrative Effects Of Food Supplementation On Native And Invasive Backyard Birds., Alexandria Lovasi, Lena Seerosh

Academic Festival

You are what you eat: Integrative effects of food supplementation on native and invasive backyard birds Alexandria Lovasi, Lena Seerosh, Cassandra Vallon, Vita Pivtorak, Emily J Levy Environmental factors during an organism’s early life can cause dramatic long-term effects. While these early-life effects have long been documented, we lack an integrative and comparative understanding how early-life environments get ‘under the skin’ to affect traits like behavior, morphology, physiology, fitness. Food availability is a particularly interesting early-life factor because all organisms must allocate energy toward the body's many developing systems, and limited energy results in developmental trade-offs. To assess the trade-offs …

Spartina Alterniflora Resilience And Warming Impacts On Long Island Sound Marshes, Christopher Isaac, Latina Steele

Academic Festival

Abstract: Coastal marshes along the Long Island Sound play a clinical role in reducing erosion, mitigating climate change impacts, and sequestering carbon. This study investigates the resilience of Spartina species, crucial to marsh stabilization, by comparing northern, southern, and mixed-source plants under environmental stressors like temperature fluctuations, sea level rise, and nutrient variations. Field experiments have assessed differences in plant height, shoot density, and flowering frequency among these sources. Results have shown that northern plants performed better than southern and mixed populations in key traits relevant to marsh resilience. Northern populations have shown a significantly higher shoot density than both …

Assessing The Effects Of Spatial And Temporal Variation In Sediment Conditioning On Seagrass Seed Germination And Seedling Performance, Mason Tsaglos, Torrie Hanley

Academic Festival

Mason J. Tsaglos1, Forest R. Schenck2, and Torrance C. Hanley1

1Sacred Heart University, Department of Biology, Fairfield, CT

2Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Salem, MA

Seagrass meadows provide numerous ecosystem functions and services, making conservation and restoration of these ecologically-valuable systems a high priority for coastal managers. The global decline of seagrass meadows necessitates finding consistently effective restoration methods. Recently, there has been increased interest in seed-based methods of seagrass restoration. However, these methods have had mixed success, with highly variable outcomes. Relatively little is known about how sediment characteristics, including soil conditioning by seagrasses at different spatial and temporal …

Cognitive Testing In Dogs: Long-Term Memory And Puzzle Feeders, Sophia Pertoso, Riley Lefebvre, Angelika Falandysz, Samantha Apostolico, Diego Salles, Samantha Gojcaj, Jessica Bogucki, Mackenzie Hamilton, Jack Loiacono, Sophia Poling, Deirdre Yeater

Academic Festival

This study explores long-term memory in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) using puzzle feeder tasks to evaluate problem-solving retention over time. Nineteen dogs participated in two sessions spaced one month apart, where they interacted with five different puzzle feeders designed to vary in complexity. Each session was recorded and coded for interaction types and solution times. Results showed that 14 out of 19 dogs solved at least one puzzle, and paired sample t-tests revealed a statistically significant reduction in solution time during the second session (p = 0.001), suggesting memory retention of the puzzle-solving strategies. These findings support …

Connecting Continents: Historical Analysis Of European Immigrants And Their Impact On Connecticut’S Development, Alexander Kasperuk

Academic Festival

Immigration has been a constant factor of historical growth in America’s history, forging newfound developments across a variety of fields. Whether it be fluxes of immigration affecting the nation as a whole or just within a single state, the impetus behind this research was to uncover how immigrant communities within the state of Connecticut were able to establish themselves within the state’s history. The research examines the work of local historians, museums, US Census data, naval records and genealogical records to uncover how a series of European immigrant groups partook in unique trends that significantly impacted the state’s development through …

Decoding Dolphin Dynamics: Observing Object Play Among Bottlenose Dolphins, Samantha Apostolico, Sophia Pertoso, Samantha Gojcaj, Angelika Falandysza, Diego Salles, Deirdre Yeater, Manon Themelin, Kathleen Dudzinski, Heather Manitzas Hill, Rachel Walker

Academic Festival

Whereas several studies focused on object play in dolphins, few have examined details about observers, i.e., individuals just watching the play event without participating. It has been suggested that calves and juveniles are more likely to observe others engaging in object play, but not enough evidence has been collected. Object play among bottlenose dolphins at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences was documented from 28 sessions recorded underwater. 692 object play events including observers were analyzed, involving 18 dolphins. We expected calf and juvenile dolphins to be the most frequent observers and longer play bouts to attract a greater number …

Ecology Of Beech Leaf Disease: Identifying The Forest Conditions Correlated With Infection In Northeast Ohio, Blake Logan

Research Symposium

Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) is a novel, poorly-understood threat to forests across North America. Since its discovery in northeast Ohio in 2012, the disease has affected staggering numbers of beech trees (Fagus grandifolia), resulting in increased sapling mortality. In the near future, mortality in symptomatic mature trees is expected to follow. The symptomatic striped leaves result from the activity of the nematode Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii, but the precise role this organism plays in transmission and infection is currently unknown.

Oberlin College has been conducting forest demography research at Chance Creek, a nature preserve in Lorain county, since 1974. Every …

The Shorthorn: February 24, 1959

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: February 2, 1959

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: June 2, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: June 16, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 30, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 15, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 25, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 4, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: February 25, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: January 14, 1958

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: November 19, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: October 29, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: November 4, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: October 8, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: May 1, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 16, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: April 2, 1957

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1950s

No abstract provided.