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  The Shortcomings of the Risk Classification Assessment Tool of the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement

  Jaiden Price

  As of March 2019, the United States Department of Homeland Security held about 50,000 adult migrants in detention every day, and almost 375,000 immigrants were in detention during the 2019 fiscal year. Since 2013, whether an immigrant is detained or released is determined by an automated decision-making system, the Risk Classification Assessment (RCA). The RCA reportedly uses an automated algorithm to, in theory, determine an immigrant's threat to public safety or risk of flight, which then indicates if the immigrant will be held in custody. The research demonstrates that over time, the RCA algorithm has been manipulated to adversely affect immigrants’ status outcome. This presentation argues that the Trump administration’s actions resulted in the number of immigrants granted release to drastically plummet, causing unjustified incarceration. Furthermore, it dives deep into the shortcomings of the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement’s RCA tool and how its employment is unethical, unlawful, and has resulted in innumerable detrimental consequences to immigrants. To build an argument, this project is based on evidence presented by lawsuits against ICE, research papers, industry interviews, and immigrant testimonies. Additionally, this project uses its sources to give background information on how the algorithm functions and examples of inputs. As a result, the implications of this research reveals the Risk Classification Assessment should not be used as it has been by the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement.

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  The Kelmscott Chaucer Facsimile: Dystopia or Utopia

  Xinyuan Qiu

  Among the Chaucer manuscripts and printed editions, the Kelmscott Chaucer produced in 1896 is a special case that stimulates scholars’ curiosity about the purpose behind the creation of a quasi-manuscript centuries after the Middle Ages. Existing studies contend that the creative, artistic and time-consuming nature of the codex reflects Morris’s nostalgia for medieval guilds that granted craftsmen equal agency, freedom and flexibility in their work. Scholars have, however, paid little attention to the palette and paper in the Kelmscott Chaucer, as well as their interaction with other decorative elements. There is less discussion of the audience in terms of what different beholders with varied familiarity with medieval manuscripts could get from the codex. They have paid even less attention to facsimiles that are accessible for a wider audience despite material compromise. My research focuses on the Kelmscott Chaucer facsimile preserved in the special collections of Bartle Library. The black-and-white palette of the codex is a rupture in the “unity”, which, though incoherent with other lavish decorative elements, coheres with the heterogeneous Chaucer text and manuscript tradition. This heterogeneity that demonstrates Morris’s reliance on medieval examples for his utopian conception of Book arts and their manufacture, however, is visible only to those who are familiar with medieval manuscripts. Beholders without experience thereof would be too habituated to mass-produced books to detect the unusual palette. With its covertly heterogeneous decoration that conveys manuscript tradition accessible only to a select audience, the Kelmscott Chaucer, contrary to many scholars’ assumptions, implicitly challenges Morris’s socialist utopia that emphasizes equality. My research also attends to the rough-edged paper of the facsimile, comparing the paper with that Morrison originally commissioned. The comparison sheds light on a utopian attempt within a dystopia: what and how facsimiles can preserve most tangibly and efficiently despite the inevitable material compromise.

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  The Integrated Effect of Diet on Neurobehaviors and Mental Wellbeing

  Nawreen Quazi, Sienna Lee, Olicia Stala, and Abegail Vidrin

  The purpose of this study is to investigate a potential relationship between food group consumption choices, especially those rich in tyrosine, and neurobehaviors of individuals. It is hypothesized that eating and exercise habits strongly correlate with mental state and self-motivation. An anonymous online survey using the Food-Mood and Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaires was administered through community outreach and social media. The survey included questions on demographic, mental health, eating and exercise habits, and motivation. Data collection took place between January and March 2021. A total of 500 participants aged 18 and above responded to the survey. The data collected were analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation in SPSS version 25.0. Our findings suggest an association between dietary choices, motivation to perform and mental status. These results could provide the framework to support customized diet to improve motivation level and mental wellbeing.

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  Second-Generation Filipina Americans: Language and Gender Roles as Influences on Identity Formation

  Ashleigh Requijo

  Since the colonization of the Philippines in 1898 by the United States, close ties have existed between the two countries. After the passing of the 1965 Immigration Act, mass numbers of Filipinos immigrated to the U.S., particularly along the East Coast, creating one of the largest Asian groups in the country. However, speculation arises when it comes to categorizing Filipinos as Asian, Latino or even Pacific Islander. The basis of identity formation relies on the intersection of multiple components such as gender, religion, hometown, parents’ background, socioeconomic status, employment and career goals, etc. Through a feminist research lens, this presentation argues that the intersections of these complex layers influence identity formation among second-generation Filipina Americans (SGFAs). Sources include interviews of college-aged SGFAs from New York and in-depth research on how close these women feel to Filipino culture, being both U.S.-born yet raised by Filipino immigrant parents. The results yielded a unique relationship between the female children of Filipino immigrants and the Philippines, reflected by their common disfluency of Tagalog and unfamiliarity with their “home country.” The estrangement these women feel toward the Philippines is highlighted by how they were raised by their parents because of their gender, along with the “Americanization” they experienced growing up in New York. Study in migration and gender is relatively new and has evolved since its commencement in the 1970s and ’80s. In order to contribute to this scholarship, this presentation amplifies the voices of Filipina Americans to shed light on their unique perspective as it highlights important differences from those of their male counterparts.

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  Parent’s Influence on Career Aspirations in College Freshmen

  Katelyn Rily-O'Connor, Eliana Moskowitz, and Asonyu Nshanji

  From a young age, children are molded by their parents and their environments. By the time they move into adolescence and begin to consider their futures, oftentimes they look to their parents, either as role models or for career guidance. Studies have shown that children value their parents’ opinions, and only believe in their own career decision-making abilities to the degree to which they think their parents believe in them. Whether subconsciously or consciously, parents become one of the main influences on adolescent’s career aspirations. This convergent mixed-methods study seeks to explore how parental behaviors influence career development in college freshmen in the United States. Data were collected from participants through an online survey, with follow-up interviews to further understand how participant’s perceptions of their parental involvement, support, engagement, and interference affected their own career aspirations. We hypothesize that parent’s career-related behaviors will have a significant impact on adolescents' career development and choice. These potential findings have a high latency of becoming a guide of support in navigating how to steer children in their career aspirations.

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  Conditions of Children Held in ICE Detention Centers During the Obama and Trump Administrations

  Emily Sadutto

  Recent media coverage has reported numerous stories of young children being held in unsafe and inhumane conditions within ICE detention border facilities under former Presidents Obama and Trump. This paper assesses the ICE detention centers compliance with the 1997 Flores Agreement. Flores was an agreement from the United States government to enforce certain practices to protect minors in detention facilities. Furthermore, this paper explores whether the conditions within the detention centers worsened from the Obama administration to the Trump administration in order to determine what policies had the most negative effects on migrant children and their experiences in those centers. President Obama heavily enforced policies of family detention, which meant that migrant families were detained together, while President Trump had a strict “zero tolerance” policy of any type of illegal immigration, which in turn lead to the practice of families being separated. This paper uses a variety of news articles to chronologically assess policy transitions and administrative responses. Additionally, it examines several court documents, interviews with migrant children, and two ICE Detention Standards manuals to determine the facts associated with juvenile treatment. Based upon these sources, this paper argues that while ICE detention centers were in violation of the 1997 Flores Agreement throughout both the Obama and Trump administrations, these transgressions greatly increased during the latter. This argument has significant value because unlike his predecessors, the new Biden administration should be held accountable if the Flores Agreement is not followed or if they fail to reform ICE detention center procedures and policies for migrant children.

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  Deceit of the Promised Land: Sex Trafficking from the Former Soviet Union to Israel

  Daniel Sahr

  Around the world, there are people who suffer human rights abuses from their government and society and yearn to leave for new opportunities to create a better life. Unfortunately, there are criminal elements that use this desperation to lure people into traps, offering them passage and upon arrival, forcing them into non-consensual work situations with no recourse or exit strategy. Israel and the Soviet Union had a tempestuous relationship, especially with regard to Jews from the republics who wanted to “make Aliyah,” a concept in Judaism that they can “return” to Israel regardless of where they were born. To support this, the Israeli government offers citizenship to Jews. By abusing this law, groups were able to traffic many Soviet women into the sex work industry, turning what appeared to be an opportunity to return to their cultural homeland into an egregious human rights abuse. The overall goal is to understand what mistakes were made in the immigration pathway that made it so susceptible to trafficking, why the Israeli government was adamant about covering it up for so long, and helping the victims get justice and serve as a more universal framework for preventing these atrocities. The first steps are to review immigration information as well as anecdotes collected from official Israeli government sources as well as survivors who have had their stories told in the years following. In addition to this qualitative information, statistical data from the Israeli government and third-party human rights organizations will be collected to provide a quantitative justification. This mixture of information is critical to creating a compelling research project as it ensures that the findings are widespread enough to have practical applications while not ignoring the individual human suffering and emotional damage and support the victims in telling their story and receiving justice.

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  Parks and Recreation in Binghamton

  Peter Savrides

  Parks are an essential part of life and leisure for urban populations. We must study how to further improve new parks and better utilize old ones; we must study how communities use parks with observational data. This project takes a look at different parks and natural areas in Binghamton, NY and surrounding Broome County and how the local communities interact with them. Research on this subject is very limited to a few select cities in America, little research exists on parks of the Broome County area. Data will be collected through subject observation and survey questions concentrating on how often attendees go to parks and how they spend their time there. These visits will be spread out through multiple sessions over 4 weeks to gain a broader understanding of how park usage in Binghamton changes as the weather and seasons change from winter to spring. I expect to find a difference in the habits of families and young adults, with the former more likely to visit traditional parks with a playground and the latter more likely to enjoy natural areas that have more freedom of movement. In addition, as the weather changes to more consistently warm temperatures, I expect to observe a substantial increase in the quantity of attendees at traditional parks, but a more modest increase in natural areas due to most hikers and outdoors enthusiasts going to parks for the nature experience, and not just to get out of the house for a day. I hope for this research to aid in the construction of new parks and maintenance of old ones by more efficiently designing to suit the needs of the people of Binghamton.

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  Healthcare Inequity Among Undocumented Immigrants

  Rashmina Sayeeda

  Access to healthcare should be seen as a right for every person regardless of legal status. An efficient healthcare system relies on frequent check-ins instead of delayed interventions, which can prove costly both physically and financially for the patient. This presentation investigates alternative medicine being replaced by preventive, primary healthcare and its impacts among the undocumented immigrant population in the United States. For a demographic that does not have any access to programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare, undoumented immigrants have had to find more accessible and financially feasible methods of care. This presentation argues that while these alternative sources of medicine provide a basic level of medical care, they are insufficient and cannot act as a substitute for universal federal healthcare programs that encompass the entire American population. Some undocumented immigrants may rely on underground pharmacies for prescription drugs while others travel to Mexico for medical and/or dental care because a lower standard of care is a better option than no care at all. Primary sources consist of government websites describing state healthcare initiatives for undocumented immigrants, and an interview about the role community organizations play in closing gaps of healthcare inequity. Secondary sources include journal articles analyzing immigrant and refugee health assigning terms like “violence of uncertainty” that can be a direct cause of posttraumatic stress disorder from being held in detention centers. This presentation asserts a relationship between increasing diversity among healthcare providers and the narrowing of gaps in quality of care for undocumented immigrants. The multitude of linguistic and cultural barriers reduce the quality of care of undocumented immigrants. As undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients gain opportunities to go to medical school, more barriers get eliminated. This research presentation analyzes how to improve the standard of life of the undocumented population through healthcare access.

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  Treating ADHD with Art Therapy

  Victoria Scarlett

  The struggles caused by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have traditionally been treated with medication and behavioral therapy. While these approaches may work for some, the side effects of medications or difficulty expressing emotions in talk therapy leads others to alternative therapies. Art therapy is becoming an increasingly popular approach to treatment of the symptoms of ADHD such as emotional dysregulation, sensory processing issues, executive dysfunction, and inattention. Through the examination of research conducted on this form of therapy, the efficacy of such treatments can be evaluated. Preliminary findings show that through art therapy, many symptomatic behaviors are reduced. These successes can be attributed to multiple factors. The tactile pleasure of handling paints, with their distinctive textures, can help overcome sensory issues as well as promote healthy creativity. The encouragement of the art therapist to stay on task to its completion is extremely beneficial for individuals with ADHD, who often struggle with the beginning and/or fulfillment of tasks. Additionally, the production of a pleasing tangible result helps stimulate the dopamine-deficient ADHD brain, which reinforces the therapeutic experience with positive emotions. As a result of this research, some art therapists report that their work can help to effectively treat ADHD without medication. Given the objections by individuals with ADHD and their families to the medication-first approach to treatment, along with their concerns regarding the extent to which behavioural therapies encourage neurotypical normativity, art therapy may present itself as a welcome alternative.

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  Optimizing the Purification Process for Microwave Synthesized Lead Halide Perovskites

  Lorenzo Schellack

  Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHPs) have become a promising optoelectronic material due to their bright photoluminescence, low manufacturing cost, and application in solar cells and light emitting diodes (LEDs). Quantum yield (QY) is a metric used to quantify the efficiency by which they emit light, defined as the ratio of number of photons emitted to those absorbed. Currently there are several commonly used routes for synthesizing LHPs, including the hot injection (HI) and room temperature supersaturated recrystallization (SR) methods. Each technique presents its own challenges in the form of high operating temperatures, low stability of resulting LHPs, or lack of precise control over the synthesis process. Developments have been made toward a new synthesis technique, using a microwave reactor to produce highly stable and luminescent perovskites. This microwave synthesis allows for the precise control of operating parameters while being simpler than traditional methods since it is a one-pot technique. In order to fully optimize a microwave synthesis for LHPs, work must be done to improve the purification procedure. Purification is a necessary step in the synthesis of LHPs as it allows for better analysis of optical properties and can even improve QY. Herein, we attempt to further optimize perovskites produced via microwave synthesis by comparing different purification techniques to determine which produces the most luminescent QDs.

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  Every-Body is Beautiful: Including Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Race in Investigations on Body Image

  Julia Schildwater, Jonathan Gaughan, and Alicia Clum

  Although body image satisfaction has been extensively examined in straight, white women, fewer studies have covered the nuanced differences that likely exist across other demographic groups. Previously, body satisfaction, appearance-pressures from the media and family, and body respect have been shown to vary across gender, sexual orientation, and race. For instance, some studies have shown that homosexual females have higher body satisfaction compared to their homosexual male counterparts, potentially due to greater appearance-based-pressure from the media. Additionally, women of color have been shown to experience more perceived family appearance-pressure than their white counterparts. However, women of color, especially queer women of color, appear to have higher body satisfaction than their white women counterparts, supporting previous studies suggesting protective factors of high group belongingness and cultures that de-emphasize thinness in queer women of color. Interestingly, the same is not evident with queer men of color, as their body respect has shown to be significantly lower than all other demographics. This study sought to examine undergraduates’ perspectives of their bodies in personal and familial contexts, as well as how the media may influence these viewpoints. Undergraduate students in the fall of 2016 and the spring of 2017 were given an online Qualtrics questionnaire asking a series of questions related to how they viewed their body along with a set of demographic questions. The results were analyzed using a multivariate generalized linear model in SPSS, which yielded important differences across gender, race, and sexual orientation. Significant differences were observed in the variables of body image, body respect, family’s influence on body image, and the media’s influence on body image. Future studies should consider investigating whether similar trends can be observed across different age cohorts and further examine body image with the nuances of sexual orientation and gender.

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  Uyghur Forced Labor in the Xinjiang Textile Industry: Case Study “XT”

  Johanna Seppala and Leah Wardlaw

  In 2021, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a total of “3.089 million poor people have all been lifted out of poverty … in Xinjiang.” While this may seem like a humanitarian success, the opposite is true; poverty alleviation in Xinjiang is a cover for government-sponsored forced labor programs, targeting ethnic and religious minorities in the region, such as the Uyghurs. As the result of recent reports by scholars such as Adrian Zenz, the world now knows that the Uyghurs have been victims of a plethora of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial detention, forced sterilization, mass surveillance, cultural genocide, and forced labor. For example, in 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute exposed nearly a hundred Western corporations whose supply chains included Uyghur forced labor. Our research provides an in-depth look at a single textile company in Xinjiang: Case Study “XT”. In order to determine whether forced labor occurred in this company, we looked at Chinese government reports, as well as press releases and annual reports from company “XT” itself. Additionally, by looking at the shipping records, we were able to confirm that this company ships to the United States, meaning that goods produced with Uyghur forced labor were illegally in circulation there. Section 307 of the U.S. Tariff Act (1930) bans the importation of all goods produced “wholly or in part” with forced labor. To avoid benefiting from forced labor, companies, as well as governments, should carefully examine exactly where their imported goods come from and how they were produced. Our research provides evidence on one such company, and our methodology can be applied to other companies that may be engaging in “targeted poverty alleviation” programs.

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  Associations Among Motives for Cannabis Use, Expectancies of Cannabis Use and Chronic Pain in a Young Adult Sample

  Ashley Shayya, Callon Williams, and Brendan Walsh

  Nationally representative data indicate that cannabis use and chronic pain are both highly prevalent in young adults aged 18-24. Preliminary research suggests that young adults use cannabis for pain relief. Additional research regarding the motives and expectancies of cannabis use in this population are needed to better understand the associations among cannabis use motives, expectancies of cannabis use and chronic pain in young adults. The purpose of this study was to extend prior work on pain, cannabis use motives and expectancies in young adult cannabis users in order to inform efforts towards prevention and intervention for both cannabis use and chronic pain. Young adults aged 18-24 were recruited for this study using an online convenience sampling platform, Amazon’s MTurk, where participants were recruited in exchange for monetary compensation. Participants completed a series of validated psychological measures regarding pain (Graded Chronic Pain Scale), cannabis use motives (Marijuana Motives Questionnaire) and expectancies for cannabis use (Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire). Multiple linear regressions were run to test associations between cannabis variables and chronic pain. Gender by pain interactions were evaluated to test for gender differences within the multiple linear regression models. After controlling for relevant sociodemographics and hazardous cannabis use, pain was uniquely associated with coping, conformity, expansion, routine and pain motives (ps ≤ 0.002). Additionally, pain was associated with expectancies for global negative effects (p = 0.000). These findings suggest that although young adults who experience pain may expect greater negative effects of cannabis use (e.g., mood swings, carelessness, short-tempered) they may also hold unique pain-related motives for their cannabis use. Researchers and clinicians should consider assessing pain in the context of cannabis use studies and interventions.

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  Development and Conservation of Flood Plains

  Jesse Sippel

  In Broome County flooding has been a core cause of property damage and a danger to residents; most recently historic flooding occurred in 1976, 2006, and 201l. The reoccurrence of record-breaking floods in the County has become an alarming issue and has caused hundreds of millions in property damage in the past decade alone. In a shift from prior prevention methods using levees, floodwalls, and dams, the County government has moved towards enacting smaller-scale flood mitigation strategies. The conservation and protection of floodplains allow for the increased absorption capacity of wetlands, thus lowering the extent of flooding damages. Thus opportunities arise in Broome County for increased cooperation between urban and rural legislators, in the combined effort of preventing flood damages through maximizing the County’s wetland absorption capabilities. Through data collected from government websites, local news articles, and interviews with County legislators this study describes the current situation in Broome County, comparing currently planned policies with existing flood problems throughout the County. Increased urban and rural communication and cooperation allows for more effective policies to be implemented, limiting the opportunity costs that arise from protecting unnecessary flood plains while maximizing the effectiveness of flood mitigation strategies throughout the County.

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  The Unique Experience of Living in Non-Urban Kentucky as LGBTQ+ Youth: Encouraging Wider-Inclusivity in Protection Policies for The LGBTQ+ Community

  Renn Sizemore

  Discrimination and opression can be a part of a queer person’s daily routine, such as going to the supermarket, attending classes or mass, and even at home. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ community does not have complete, protective rights in the United States despite recent expansion of legal rights through progressive jurisprudence. However, advancement of equal rights in the legal arena does not adequately address or protect everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. In the discussion of LGBTQ+ rights, conversation often adopts a dichotomous approach to queer issues, and as a result, can exclude those who do not fit into one simple category. An intersectional approach recognizes that different social categorizations create interactive and independent systems of discrimination and privilege. Specifically, there has been little research of queers in non-urban areas; most scholarly research is based in urban areas and coastal regions. This research focus could be attributed to the “escape to urban oases'' for queers; however, there are still a large portion of the LGBTQ+ community in non-urban areas. My research project will be taking an intersectional approach to the unique experiences of queers within non-urban areas of Kentucky and how they go about creating connectedness, inclusivity, recognition, and affirmation (internally and externally). Most of the research will focus on the personal stories of myself and others, being qualitative in nature. A large emphasis will be placed on the culture of non-urban Kentucky; more specifically, family, faith, education, and community. With a culture deeply rooted in tradition and faith, religious exemptions are a common discussion within non-urban Kentucky, so this will also be explored. It is my hope that this research will bring attention to the unique, but not exclusive, experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, and aid in pushing for wider-inclusivity in protection policies for the LGBTQ+ community.

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  Parallel Barriers: A Self Study in the Struggles in Implementing a YPAR Project with High-Risk High School Students

  Mandy Skinner

  As an emerging research epistemology, youth participatory action research (YPAR) presents youth with opportunities for empowerment and agency, and social sciences researchers with knowledge and insight from local experts. Early YPAR projects have led to improvements in schools and communities, with local youth initiating these changes. YPAR can be a powerful platform for youth agency, but it does come with challenges. This presentation is a self study reflecting the struggles that I, as a researcher-educator, faced when engaging local students who were considered “high risk” in a YPAR project. This research bridges the gap between scholars who research education from the peripheral, the teachers who are in the thick of it, and students. This study revealed the similarities in my struggles with conducting a YPAR study as a researcher and my day to day teaching as an educator. Ten students initially volunteered to participate in the YPAR study. We met once a week and corresponded through digital platforms. The goal was to develop support systems for high risk, English as a New Language (ENL) students. Throughout the project, I kept a research journal, which became the foundation for this self study. Analysis of this journal revealed seven barriers I faced as a researcher-educator: (a) uncertainty, (b) connection, (c) pressure, (d) guilt, (e) powerlessness, (f) disconnection, and (g) belonging. The barriers I faced as a researcher-educator reflected the same struggles that students faced in their own education. As the division between researchers, teachers, and students grows, we can acknowledge these parallel struggles and lean on them to connect, find common ground, and support each other in overcoming them in both contexts.

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  Uncovering How Partner Interchangeably Affects Mutualistic Outcomes In A Species Complex Of Seed-dispersing Ants

  William Smisko and Carmela Buono

  Generalized mutualisms involve guilds of partners exchanging services with reciprocal fitness benefits. Partners within guilds vary in traits, affecting the quality of services and partner fitness. Research aimed at uncovering how partner interchangeability affects mutualistic outcomes largely considers variation in partner species identity. Aphaenogaster ants are mutualists, dispersing seeds of 30-40% of understory plants in North American forests that are adapted to dispersal by ants (myrmecochores). This dispersal by ants is highly specialized and disruptions due to climate change could greatly affect forest understory communities. Impacts such as changes in temperature could result in shifting functional ranges of species causing increased interspecific competition. A. rudis and A. picea are known seed dispersers that are polyphyletic and have overlapping ranges and phenology. We aim to uncover if functional variation partitions between named species and among separated populations. We collected colonies of three populations of each named species. We then performed lab behavioral trials where we measured foraging activity, rates of dispersal, and preference of seeds of four myrmecochore species with differing phenology. Using Principal component analysis and linear and generalized linear models, we found that behavior differed between the named species. A. picea had more workers actively foraging, while A. rudis moved more seeds. A. picea and A. rudis preferred seeds of different plant species, with early-foraging A. picea preferring Anemone acutiloba, a myrmecochore species that dehisces seeds earlier than other species. There was also variation in behaviors among populations, with more variation within A. rudis than within A. picea. Our findings suggest significant functional differences in this ecologically important species complex are partitioned primarily among putative species, but also varies within species. Our research also has implications for how climate change might affect this important interaction, as previous work shows that putative species have different thermal tolerances and foraging times.

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  The Effects of Vilazodone, YL-0919, and Vortioxetine in L-DOPA Treated Hemiparkinsonian Rats

  Samantha Smith, Ashley Centner, Michael Coyle, Sophie Cohen, Kayla Elder, and Mark Melnik

  Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a debilitating, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms, including bradykinesia, tremor, stiffness, and postural instability, that result from significant nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) loss. The current gold standard treatment for PD involves replacement therapy via the DA precursor L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA); however, 90% of patients eventually experience choreic and dystonic side effects termed L-DOPA induced dyskinesia (LID). A key driver of LID is neuroplasticity within the serotonin (5-HT) system leading to the unregulated release of L-DOPA derived DA from 5-HT terminals into the striatum. Previous work has implicated the dual action of 5-HT1A receptor agonism and 5-HT transporter (SERT) blockade as an effective therapeutic method for attenuating LID. The present study examined 3 purportedly similar pharmacological drugs, Vilazodone, YL-0919, and Vortioxetine, that act as 5-HT1A agonists and SERT blockers. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats received unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) to deplete DA neurons. Thereafter they received 2 weeks of L-DOPA treatment until they developed stable abnormal involuntary movement (AIMs) akin to LID. Rats were also assessed for motor performance with the forepaw adjusting steps (FAS) test. Results revealed that Vilazodone and Vortioxetine significantly reduced AIMs and maintained L-DOPA beneficial prokinetic effects. In contrast, YL-0919 unexpectedly had no effect on LID though it did maintain L-DOPA motor performance. Overall, these findings support pharmacological targets within the 5-HT system that reduce LID. They also provide evidence for unique features of Vilazodone and Vortioxetine, both FDA approved compounds, as potential adjunct therapeutics for LID management in PD patients.

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  What is Color?: Mazviita Chirimuuta on Color Relationism Seen Through Paintings

  Lea Son

  How to explain color? Is it a property of things in the world, or is it produced through processes of visual perception? This has been a central question for philosophers of color. Some lean toward the explanation of physicists who are able to measure color through the frequencies of electromagnetic energy that colored objects reflect, and chemists who attribute color to the microphysical properties of things. Others, however, argue that it is produced through physiological processes, since our perception of it is dependent upon photoreceptors on our retinas, and on processing of this information by our brains. This process of interpretation of visual stimuli factors in contextual information like the play of light and shade and the distance of the object from the viewer, but it also is shaped by language and the color categories we have in our repertoire. Philosopher of color, Mazviita Chirimuuta, argues for a new approach- what is called a “relationist” understanding, that sees color as neither one thing nor the other, but as something that is produced through an interaction between physical properties of things and our processes of perception and interpretation. My project examines and analyzes particular paintings to illustrate Chirimuuta’s arguments about the nature of color and our perception of it. I argue in support of her approach, using the analysis of paintings to demonstrate the limitations of conventional understandings of color. I will draw attention to aspects of those approaches that Chirimuuta strongly objects to, and to show what her perspective can reveal to us about what color is.

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  Urban and Rural Riparian Forests: Coleoptera Communities and Soil Characteristics

  Amanda Sprague-Getsy and Vashti Mahadeo

  Urbanization has been shown to be detrimental to ecosystems and to negatively impact ecosystem services and biodiversity, contributing to biological homogenization. This study focused on Coleoptera communities and soil characteristics (pH and conductivity) in urban and rural riparian forests, which are streamside forests that serve as transitional zones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Urbanization in these areas can lead to habitat loss, increased pollution, excess nutrients, and altered hydrology. Beetles (order Coleoptera) in these ecosystems can be affected by urbanization and preserving their biodiversity is important since they provide essential services such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. In 2019, beetles were collected once a month from June to August in urban and rural riparian forests in the Greater Binghamton area. In 2020, soil samples were collected to determine the differences between urban and rural riparian forests. We hypothesized Coleoptera communities would be less abundant and less diverse in urban habitats. Additionally, we predicted that urban soils would have a lower pH and higher conductivity compared to rural soils. We collected 1310 beetles and 11 families were identified. Family Carabidae was the most abundant (59.8%). Results are inconclusive on trends of urbanization since we observed comparable levels of abundance and taxon richness. However, abundance and richness were, on average, higher in urban sites which could be due to excess nutrients, diverse vegetation, and other subsidies in urban riparian forests. We found that on average, pH was higher and conductivity was lower in urban soil samples. The higher pH could be due to better than previously thought buffering capacity in urban areas and low conductivity could be due to runoff over impermeable urban land cover.

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  Media, Law, and the Gay/Trans Panic Defense

  Dylan Strober and Harrison Picallo

  The gay/trans panic defense is a legal strategy that is used to try to lower the sentence of a defendant in cases of assault, claiming that certain actions were justified because an individual had “deceived” them as a result of their sexual or gender orientation. We analyze how cultural perceptions of gay/trans panic shape the way we understand the legitimacy of this legal defense. We look at this in two ways: first, we are using a media analysis to examine how gay/trans panic is represented in film and television to understand how it becomes culturally legitimized. Second, we conduct a survey to gather data about how people from different parts of the United States understand the defense, and gauge if there is a correlation between certain beliefs that they hold and their sympathy towards the defense. We anticipate that political and geographic differences may correlate with perceptions of the defense's legitimacy, given the fact that it is still permissible in many states and has led to lighter sentencing of aggressors.

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  Guantanamo Bay Public Service Announcement

  Abe Teicher

  My research project is creating a public service announcement (PSA) for the people in North Carolina explaining the state’s role in the rendition, detention, and interrogation (RDI) program of the CIA. The ultimate goal of the PSA is to encourage the state of North Carolina and anyone who was involved in the stopovers to issue an official and public apology. I will work with the North Carolina Stop Torture Now organizationon to help them raise the public awareness needed to garner such an apology. At the height of the RDI program, North Carolina served as a midway point between overseas and Guantanamo Bay. Aero Contractors Limited is a private charter company that has been connected to the CIA for its role in supplying planes and pilots to take detainees to Guantanamo Bay. The video will be about two minutes in length, with the goal of humanizing the detainees. Too often people get complicated statistics and numbers thrown at them that veil the humanity of these people. I will use the artwork that detainees produced to show how similar they are to other people in hope of encouraging more sympathy toward them and action to improve their situation. I am compelled to show the staggeringly low conviction rate in Guantanamo Bay as a meaningful statistic that together with the art, can rally people to push harder for a public apology. While a public apology is a good step forward, there is nothing that can be done to completely make up for what the detainees endured in their many years at Guantanamo Bay.

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  Development and Evaluation of An Educational Video For High School Students On Vaping And Other Nicotine Products

  Randi Traison, Samantha Cosme, Shira Ellenborgen, Ilana Neusner, Austen Hyrnda, Christopher Felice, Candace Kim, and Ada Lam

  Background: Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), especially vaping, have increased in use and resulted in severe lung injuries (EVALI). In 2020, there were nearly 3.6 million middle school and high school (HS) students who vape. More research is needed to identify effective teaching strategies for adolescents on ENDS. Our previous research found that high school students’ experiences with vaping were related to social and behavioral influences, a knowledge deficit, and media exposure. They suggested a video educational intervention. Purpose: To develop and evaluate the implementation of a vaping survey and educational video in a high school classroom setting and to further explore the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of high school students regarding nicotine products. Methods: For the educational video, we videotaped interviews with six college-aged vapers. They were asked seven open-ended questions that elicited dialogue regarding their experiences with ENDS products. A process evaluation was then conducted. Students from a rural high school in a health education completed our validated TABS survey, viewed the developed video, and then participated in a semi-structured focus group to evaluate the video and survey. An interview was conducted with their teacher. COVID-19 restrictions dictated the process take place through a virtual platform. Results: Feedback obtained from the students indicated that there was a knowledge deficit about ENDS ingredients; the survey was easy to complete and understand, and the video was an appropriate length with dramatic relief achieved. The teacher, with no prior education on these products, suggested the video be used as an introduction to ENDS education for students. We then developed a follow up demonstration module. Conclusion/Implications: This vaping video educational module aims to reduce the knowledge deficit and usage of ENDS in adolescents. Testing of the effectiveness of this recently developed intervention is pending in a local high school with 100-125 students.

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  Analyzing The Connection Between Illicit ADHD Medication Use and Caffeine Use

  Devon Umeozor, Rebecca Koltun, Jumza Khan, and Sara Mccan

  Over the past decade, the illicit use of ADHD medication has become an increasingly popular method for students on college campuses believing that it will boost their academic performance. The use of such drugs in an academic setting has been shown to temporarily increase one's ability to concentrate and study efficiency. Caffeine is another substance widely consumed by college students that supports focus and concentration. Both caffeine and ADHD medications are considered stimulants, although caffeine is a weaker form. Stimulants have been described to prime the brain for further stimulant use. As part of a larger study, we investigate whether the use of caffeine is correlated with ADHD medication use. An anonymous survey was shared on social media targeting U.S. college students. Demographic questions included gender, age, major, and academic class. Other questions asked were about the use of illicit ADHD medication, frequency, and perception. Over 500 undergraduate students from campuses across the Northeast completed the survey. Data was collected using a Google survey and analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient in SPSS, Version 25.0. Data collection is still going on. Our results suggest that there might be an association between high caffeine use and use of stimulants.