Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Discovering Maine's Own Freshwater Snail, Emma Donohoe, Alice Hotopp

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Maine has several freshwater snails but one is found only within the state, a type of pond snail called Stagnicola mighelsi. Previous work shows that it has been lost at half of the lakes in its Fish River Lakes stronghold, and that it survives only in very big and remote lakes. However, there are 100 year-old reports from other watersheds, and possibly undiscovered populations. Learning about this snail and the other snails we will identify can help us protect a special part of Maines wildlife, and learn about the health of our lakes and rivers. Few people know or care …

Ecological Role Of Anadromous Salmon In Aquatic Ecosystems, Janice Liang

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

As the economic, cultural, and ecological concerns grow for decreasing salmon populations, scientists and resource managers have been expanding our understanding of the ecological role of salmon and other anadromous fishes, which return from the sea to spawn in fresh water. Spawning salmon not only serve as a food source for species like bears and seals, but when they die after spawning (as all Pacific species and most Atlantic species do), their remains provide nutrients to freshwater systems, having significant impacts on the communities in the ecosystem. Given the heterogeneity in habitats, the ecological impact of nutrient inputs varies among …

The Presence Of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals Found In Cosmetics And Personal Care Products For Children, Molly Nash, Marie Abrahams

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Endocrine disrupting chemicals including parabens, triclosan, and phthalates are commonly found in popular personal care products. Research shows that children are especially vulnerable to the negative health impacts of these chemicals and face increased risk of chronic diseases and developmental deficiencies. Due to minimal governmental regulation, endocrine disrupting chemicals are commonly found in cosmetics intended for children. Previous literature indicates that early exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals can cause cognitive defects, early puberty, reproductive birth defects in males, fertility problems in females, obesity, diabetes, and increased risk of cancer and other diseases later in life. Although the regulation of cosmetic …

Shellfish Closure Trends Near Mt. Desert Island, Maine, Marianne Ferguson

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Shellfish are a popular commercial fishery harvest in Maine. However, they are susceptible to biotoxins transmitted by toxic phytoplankton, which can lead to paralytic or amnesic shellfish poisoning of the humans that consume them. The Maine Department of Marine Resources has a phytoplankton monitoring program in place to detect such biotoxins and to close areas of shellfish harvesting if need be. Since 2001, they have archived the data from every closure. One of Maines shellfish species, the Blue Mussel, is sensitive to environmental changes and is known as a bio-monitor of pollution. Therefore, a method will be developed to analyze …

The Neurotoxic Effects Of Mercury Vapor Exposure From Artisanal Gold Mining, Mackenzie Kennedy

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining is the worlds second largest source of atmospheric mercury pollution behind coal combustion (United Nations Environment Program 2012). It is estimated that 10 to 15 million people in 70 countries work in the ASGM trade and are exposed to toxic effects of mercury from an inexpensive yet effective gold processing technique. Adult mercury exposure produces localized damage to the cerebellum, visual cortex, and motor strip, leading to visuospatial problems and effects on executive functioning, mood, and memory. Early life exposure, however, is most harmful because increased exposure can damage the whole brain. In its organic …

Does Air Pollution Lead To Increased Incidence Of Breast Cancer?, Naomi Schmidt

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

This project will be examining what kinds of chemicals are released into the environment and how those chemicals affect human health in terms of cancer, specifically lung cancer. This will include looking at chemistry to look at the health effects, to see if theoretically common chemicals that are in air pollution, such as NO2 and PM, affect the likelihood of getting cancer. It will also involve looking at empirical data to see if there are more incidences of lung cancer in places with more air pollution. If there is a disconnect between theoretical expectations and reality, I will attempt to …

Vegetation Change Surrounding Parks And Reserves In Costa Rica From 1990-2000, Olivia Collins

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

The objective of this project was to analyze vegetation changes around and within the borders of national parks in Costa Rica over the time period from 1990 to 2014. Edge effects are a common occurrence where two different habitats or ecological communities border one another. The majority of the national parks and reserves in Costa Rica have been placed under protection during the last 35 years. During this time period, tourism in the country has increased as conservation efforts have strengthened. The goal of this analysis is to use Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to determine if conservation of protected …

Roles Of Community Engagement And Church Leadership In Participatory Forest Management: A Case Study Of Woji Church Forest In Northern Ethiopia, Grey Benjamin

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Research on participatory forest management (PFM) typically involves the study of ownership-use relationships among local communities and state or federal governments. This study examines the management of natural resources by a religious institution--the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (EOTC)--whose followers protect thousands of small fragments of indigenous Afromontane forest scattered all across Northern Ethiopia. Using social surveys, group discussions, and community mapping we identify differences in norms and forest management activities of three distinct groups--priests, farmers, and women--living in and around Woji Church Forest in Northern Ethiopia. Community members offered a first-hand look into how their religious beliefs and leadership affect …

Does Bisphenol-A Cause Obesity In Humans?, Xuan Du, Lidia Henderson

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

This project will analyze the link between bisphenol-A and obesity in humans using epidemiological and toxicological research.

Combustion Products Of Ethyl Tert-Butyl Ether Using Synchrotron Photoionization, Rong Yao, Martin Ng, David Osborn, Craig Taatjes, Giovanni Meloni

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

The photolytically Cl initiated oxidation reaction of ETBE was investigated at the Advanced Light Source located in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Using the multiplex photoionization mass spectrometer data were collected at the low pressure (4-8 Torr) and temperature (298 – 700 K) regimes. Data analysis was performed via characterization of the reaction species photoionization spectra and kinetic traces. A reaction schematic including branching fractions determination is presented and discussed.

Investigation Of Oxidation Reaction Products Of 2-Phenylethanol Using Synchrotron Photoionization, Magaly Wooten, Anthony Medrano, David Osborn, Craig Taatjes, Giovanni J. Meloni

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Photolytically Cl-initiated oxidation reaction of 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) was carried out at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Using the multiplex photoionization mass spectrometer, coupled with the tunable vacuum ultraviolet radiation of the ALS, data were collected at low pressure (4 – 6 Torr) and temperature (298 – 550 K) regimes. Data analysis was performed via characterization of the reaction species photoionization spectra and kinetic traces.

Microwave Properties Of Magnetic Nanowires Arrays, Daniel Adams

Innovate UNO

This study focused on examining high-frequency properties of magnetic nanowire arrays. The microwave was produced by a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and transmitted through coplanar waveguides (CPW). The CPWs are 300 µm long with signal line width of 20 µm, ensuring minimum losses due to radiation. CPWs were fabricated through the photolithography process. The magnetic nanowires were fabricated through e-beam lithography on top of the CPW. The VNA was used to feed the CPW and measurements of the FMR absorption allowed us to understand the effect of interaction between nanowires on their dynamic properties.

Is Horizon Sampling More Powerful Than Depth Sampling?, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Imaging Molecular Structures With Atomic Force Microscopy, Unurbat Erdenemunkh, Tyler Flanagan

Student Works

As part of the LEEP project we repaired the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and wrote a user manual on using AFM. Then we scanned Self Assembly of Copolymer Films collaboration with Prof. Sergio Granados –Focil and Copper Oxide Nanocubes with Professor Prof.Luis Smith.

Pre-Breakdown Arcing In Dielectrics Under Electric Field Stress, Allen Andersen, Jr Dennison

Graduate Student Presentations

No abstract provided.

Electrostatic Discharge In Solids, Allen Andersen, Jr Dennison

Graduate Student Presentations

No abstract provided.

Sound And The Moving Image:Critical Characteristics For Spectator Response, Kara Rader, Rafeeq I. Roberts, Matt Egizii, Jeffery Allen

Undergraduate Research Posters 2013

The prevailing wisdom in the film and video production industries is that audio information outweighs visual information when it comes to spectator responses, but there are few empirical studies to support this claim. In previous research, four critical characteristics of sound have been identified: (1) Music, (2) visual/sound contradictions (defined as sound that is inconsistent with audience expectations based on visual information), (3) multi-channel sound, and (4) sound quality. Building on our previous research into music and film, we have found that many researchers have looked into the question of how music affects emotions (Eschrich et al., 2008; Have, 2008; …

Data Analysis Using Regression Modeling: Visual Display And Setup Of Simple And Complex Statistical Models, Emil N. Coman, Maria A. Coman, Eugen Iordache, Russell Barbour, Lisa Dierker

Yale Day of Data

We present visual modeling solutions for testing simple and more advanced statistical hypotheses in any research field. All models can be directly specified in analytical software like Mplus or R.

Data analysis in any substantive field can be easily accomplished by translating statistical tests in the intuitive language of regression-based path diagrams with observed and unobserved variables. All models we presented can be directly specified and estimated in analytical software.

Students can particularly benefit from being taught the simple regression modeling setup of the path analytical method, as it empowers them to apply the techniques to any data to test …

Will Hubbard Brook Soils Be A Source Or Sink Of Carbon In A Changing Climate?, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Exploring Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Beaver Ponds In Southern Rhode Island, Molly K. Welsh

Senior Honors Projects

Climate change is one of the largest environmental issues facing humanity today, having the potential to alter fresh water availability, agricultural yields, forest productivity, and global sea levels. As climate change is likely to increase the intensity of extreme weather events, the potential for massive human and financial consequences is of further concern. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change asserts that climate change is due to anthropogenic alterations of the atmosphere’s composition, with additional contributions from natural biochemical processes. In particular, the rapid increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere can trigger atmospheric warming as these …

Charge Transport And Electrical Degradation Research For Power Grid Applications, Allen Andersen, Jr Dennison

Graduate Student Presentations

No abstract provided.

Session E-4: What's Up With The Higgs Boson? Teaching Particle Physics In High School, Peter Dong

Professional Learning Day

Best-selling books, popular PBS specials, and multi-billion-dollar machines all attest to the fascination with particle physics - including many teenagers. Physics and physical science classes can capitalize on this interest by talking about high-profile results, such as last summer's Higgs Boson Discovery. This session will answer some basic questions about contemporary particle physics and suggest some ideas for lessons and projects in particle physics.

Session E-1: Hiding In Plain Sight, Micah Fogel

Professional Learning Day

Were the plays of William Shakespeare really written by Francis Bacon, who left a coded signature in plain sight? Can spies send messages without using codes and without getting caught? Steganography is the art of hiding messages in plain sight but in a way so that only those in on the secret can find them. We'll learn a few tricks about how to hide messages in pieces of text or sound and image files on a computer.

Session F-4: Using Web Tools And Strategies To Enhance Student Engagement, Jackie Naughton, Frank Tomsic

Professional Learning Day

Web tools and strategies will be introduced and modeled. Teachers will leave this session able to immediately implement the tools and strategies in their classrooms. Participants must bring their own devices.

Soil Chemistry Response To Wollastonite (Casio3) Addition At Hubbard Brook, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Open Access: What We're Doing And How It Helps You, Sandra G. Yee, Joshua Neds-Fox, Michael Priehs, Nancy A. Wilmes

Library Scholarly Publications

Presentation to faculty in Wayne State University's (WSU) Department of Mathematics about Open Access Initiatives at WSU, and how to participate in Green OA as a matter of course in research and publication.

Insights Into Forest Soil Carbon Dynamics From Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Chris E. Johnson

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Warcreate And Wail: Warc, Wayback, And Heritrix Made Easy, Mat Kelly, Michael L. Nelson, Michele C. Weigle

Computer Science Faculty Publications

[First slide]

The Problem

Institutional Tools, Personal Archivists

• ON YOUR MACHINE

-Complex to Operate

-Require Infrastructure

• DELEGATED TO INSTITUTIONS

-$$$

-Lose original perspective

• Locale content tailoring (DC vs. San Francisco)
• Observation Medium (PC web browser vs. Crawler)

Campaign Logistics, Mapping, And Discussion (Climate), Student Group

U.S. - Japan Bilateral Workshop on the Tropical Tropopause Layer: State of the Current Science and Future Observational Needs

No abstract provided.

Campaign Logistics, Mapping, And Discussion (Djf), Student Group

U.S. - Japan Bilateral Workshop on the Tropical Tropopause Layer: State of the Current Science and Future Observational Needs

No abstract provided.