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  The Improvements and Advantages of Hybrid UAS Systems in the Detection of Metals and Other Anthropogenic Objects

  Sean Notley

  The Northwestern Tier of New York is plagued by the past industrialization of the fracking industry. Anywhere west of Broome county, you are likely to find abandoned oil and fracking wells. Abandoned fracking wells are point sources for methane emissions with some estimations saying the unplugged wells, in a day, emit as much as the entire city of Buffalo's cars emit in a year. Because all wells in New York State are considered abandoned, there is legislation preventing the new installation of wells. This means that across the Western Tier, there are countless wells which lay unmanned and unplugged – constantly polluting into the environment around them. Our research project is the development of a method for the efficient location and classification of orphaned wells in the hard-to-navigate terrain of the Northeast. In creating a uniform method for locating and classifying, the orphaned well dilemma can be better managed.

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  Effects of PECS and Staff Instruction on Social Requests in a Naturalistic Setting

  Derek Order, Jessica Granieri, and Jennifer Gillis-Mattson

  Communication deficits are a core symptom of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and as a result many autistic children use Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC), such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), to facilitate communication. PECS interventions are typically taught in a classroom setting, whereas few studies have evaluated PECS use in a naturalistic setting, such as a playground. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of introducing PECS into a naturalistic setting on social requests (SR), as well as the effects of staff instruction on SR made with PECS. Participants consisted of 6 pre-school aged autistic children who used PECS. Overall, results indicated a significant increase in the percentage of correct social requests following staff instruction, and an increase in the frequency of SR made with PECS. Frequency of social requests remained consistent across phases. Implications for introducing PECS into a naturalistic setting are discussed.

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  Southern Tier Community Revitalization and Redevelopment: Endicott Lithium Battery Factory

  Logan Osborne

  This project will survey around 800 residents of Endicott, New York, to analyze their perspective on the redevelopment plans and construction of a new lithium-ion battery factory in the Southern Tier of New York. The survey will be conducted online and distributed by postcard. It will focus on the impact of the battery factory on the local environment, economy, and quality of life for residents. The questions will address community concerns, public knowledge, personal expectations, and the general opinion of the redevelopment project and battery factory. The results of this survey can inform residents, project stakeholders, and government officials about the public opinion and impact of the battery factory on the region. It can also guide future community involvement in redevelopment projects and highlight areas of concern. This survey will be conducted by a collaborative of student and faculty researchers to examine information for future reports on community revitalization and redevelopment and community representation in these projects and provide a basis for future research.

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  January 6th, 2021: The Day The World Watched A Shameless Demonstration of White Supremacy

  Sara Parkhurst

  On January 6th, 2021, the United States democracy was assaulted as rioters stormed the Capitol to prevent the genuine power transfer from Donald Trump to President Joseph Biden. They weaponized “patriotism,” holding a sense of entitlement to their “Real American” views paralleled in white supremacist history (Anderson). These insurrectionists opened an important conversation about how far-right extremism is built from exclusionary politics; specifically, the historical continuity of white supremacy and how white entitlement is fostered by the United States’ institutions (Anderson, Diem & Hawkman). Since this ideology combines with racism, I find it necessary to further investigate far-right extremism in a human rights context. I argue that January 6th was a demonstration of white supremacy through the analytical review of rioters’ rhetoric as well as their affiliations. In this report, I attempt to hold privilege accountable, and shed light on the immense threat January 6th posed to social, civil progression.

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  Associations between Frequent Cannabis Usage and Substance Abuse

  Cara Patrissy, Julia Lin, Antonietta Raymond, and Nicole Scott

  Overwhelmed with school work, or faced with mental health issues, college students often turn to cannabis and other psychoactive drugs to cope with these stressors. As a result, the misuse and abuse of these substances have become a widespread issue among college students. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the tendency of cannabis users of different frequencies toward using certain psychoactive substances. An anonymous online survey was distributed across several college campuses in the U.S., generating 702 responses. From this self-reported survey, data on the demographics of participants, as well as the frequency of use of ADHD medications, cannabis, nicotine, and other psychoactive drugs were collected.

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  The Systemic Side of Disinformation: The Reid Technique as Exploitative Knowledge Production

  Jayden Perez

  The Reid Technique is a police interrogation technique that relies on pressure to elicit information from people suspected of a crime. The Reid Technique optimizes the intense stress of being under interrogation to pressure people to confess, which leads to an unfortunate rate of false confessions. This paper draws on theories of systemic disinformation to articulate the effects of disinformation within the US justice system. Firstly, by encouraging interrogators to misinterpret their implicit biases as "intuition," the Reid Technique disproportionately affects people already vulnerable to the prejudices encoded within what is considered common knowledge. Secondly, by encouraging interrogators to falsely claim that they have evidence that, in fact, does not exist, the Reid Technique exploits vulnerable people by causing them to doubt their experiences as a legitimate form of knowledge.

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  Art & Capitalism

  Tristan Pesqueira

  This research paper explores the impact which the economic conditions of capitalism have had and continue to have on art. Through analysis of various case studies and other examples of the predatory nature of capitalism being expressed in the art world, the paper highlights the issues brought about by the commodification of art, such as the diminishing quality and authenticity of works of art. The paper also investigates the role of the art market, and how it derives the value of art from the status of the artist rather than artistic merit of the work. Research into the economic conditions of artists is also presented, highlighting the necessity of status in living as an artist. This research is presented with the hope that there can be a reevaluation of the relationship between capitalism and art while advocating for alternative approaches that prioritize the intrinsic value of art rather than its monetary value.

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  Design and Synthesis of Methyltransferase Inhibitors to Treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections

  Michael Piacquadio

  Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common opportunistic pathogen that is responsible for nearly 10% of hospital-acquired infections. P. aeruginosa infections have become increasingly difficult to treat due to rising antibiotic resistance; thus, novel methods of treatment must be developed to combat infection. P. aeruginosa releases pyochelin to acquire nutrients and disrupt host biological processes. Pyochelin-deficient strains of P. aeruginosa demonstrated significantly lower growth ability and virulence. Because of pyochelin’s role in virulence and the unique proteins involved in secretion, the pyochelin biosynthetic pathway is an effective drug target for P. aeruginosa treatment. Before pyochelin is released, the precursor molecule is methylated by the PchF methyltransferase. We synthesized a PchF inhibitor which is expected to block methyltransferase activity, preventing pyochelin release. This inhibitor would effectively treat infections of P. aeruginosa and other iron-chelating bacteria, leading to new pharmaceuticals that can treat bacterial infection without the concern of antibiotic resistance.

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  Understanding 5th Grade Students Perspective of STEAM through Sketches

  Maria Pignatelli, Michael Payne, Kayla Casazza, and Faith Orzeck

  Creative thinking is becoming a significant element of students’ learning to prepare them for today’s complex work environments (Battelle for kids, 2019). While the ideas of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics have led to incredible advancements to the global economy, incorporating design thinking can help foster creative thinking in our educational environment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand fifth grade students’ perspectives of STEAM within a local school district. Data was collected from participants through a task administered by the STEAM teachers for two fifth grade classes. This task contained 5 separate sections, with room for students to illustrate their image of each element of STEAM, as well as to answer two questions as to what they illustrated and why they illustrated it. By analyzing the data for these fifth grade classes, the school district can look deeper into how students are expressing and understanding STEAM.

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  Human Rights Granted to Children of Incarcerated Parents

  Lili Pitkowsky

  As the rate of incarcerated women increases, issues concerning pregnancy-related treatment and motherhood policies in jails continue to grow. Without proper federal and state laws in place, women’s basic human rights are violated in jails across the country, which puts both their physical and psychological needs at risk. However, an additional growing problem is the violation of the rights of children born to incarcerated parents. There is an inherent contradiction of providing children a chance to bond with their parents without treating them as prisoners. In my research, I will use a human rights lens to explore the rights children of incarcerated parents are guaranteed, by delving into specific policies and programs that have proved effective and ineffective. To do this, a closer inspection of state policy will be conducted, comparing outcomes from nursery-based incarceration programs and immediate separation at birth.

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  Medical Disinformation: Niche-market Targeting in the Black Press during the AIDS Epidemic

  Sydney Pottinger

  This paper analyzes the distribution of information about AIDS by the Black press from 1983 to 1990. The information in articles published by Amsterdam News, a historically black newspaper, evolves as experts release accurate AIDS information during the same period. The conspiracy theories and false claims attributing AIDS to other populations shown in earlier Amsterdam News publications are corrected over time by helpful, truthful information released by doctors, as shown in later articles. My analysis of this trend relies on theories of niche-market targeting and definitions of mis- and disinformation to create a historical case study of the relationship between disinformation about medical conditions in the Black community and the role of the medical community in addressing that disinformation.

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  The Bush Administration and Guantanamo Bay: The Difference Between Public and Private Information

  Emma Quenneville

  One major factor of George Bush’s tenure was the War on Terror, and the aftermath, specifically the controversy surrounding the Guantanamo Bay prison. Bush and his cabinet consistently gave speeches, public addresses, and generally put out public information denying the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, or more commonly known as torture. In this delivery of misinformation, the American public is led to believe that their government is imprisoning terrorists and handling them according to their crimes, when in reality that could not be further from the truth. The Department of Justice then issued memorandums that would lead to Bush’s justification of giving the order to use enhanced interrogation. This “advice,” given in the form of memorandums, blatantly denies every public piece of information given by George Bush. The differences between “public” and “private” information are vast, and truly expose the conditions of Guantanamo Bay.

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  Driving Force: Automotive Supply Chains and Forced Labor in the Uyghur Region

  Mia Rabkin, Laura Murphy, Kendyl Salcito, and Yalkun Uluyol

  There are over 30,000 parts in a typical passenger car and every single part is at high risk or made with Uyghur forced labor, implicating over 96 international car companies such as Tesla, Volkswagen, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Honda, and, GM. The Chinese government has deliberately shifted raw materials mining and processing and auto parts manufacturing into the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR or Uyghur Region), essentially making international supply chains captive to repressive programs and systematic forced labor. The 78-page report is broken down into Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Nickel, Batteries, Car electronics, and Other Car Parts. This investigation has led to an ongoing Senate Inquiry into 8 major automotive companies, the US and Japan launching an international task force on forced labor in supply chains, an investigation into forced labor at Volkswagen, and has been referenced repeatedly by every major news outlet except the BBC.

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  The Purpose of "Just Talking": The Role of Sex and Emotions

  Liat Radetsky, Jillian Holen, Adrianna Agnello, Estelle Garrett, Claudia Smith, and Leora Wasserman

  “Just Talking” is an emerging phenomenon used to maintain casual, non-committal relationships; it is intentionally ambiguous and lacks definitional consensus. Analysis of the “Just Talking” terminology allows for further understanding of the role of sex and emotions within college hook-up and dating culture. Qualitative data from same and mixed-gender focus groups (n=37) and quantitative survey results from open-ended questions on the “Hook-Up Study” (n=335) have shed light on the purpose behind the “Just Talking” stage, suggesting that its purpose is often related to “keeping options open” more so than other coded categorizations. The role that emotions and sex play in the overall purpose of “Just Talking” as well as the gender differences in responses are important elements of the phenomenon. Differing perspectives on the purpose of “Just Talking” may be reflective of the differing perspectives that exist on the connections between sex, emotions, and the phenomenon itself.

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  Exercise Therapy as a Treatment for Men’s Mental Health

  Salman Rahman

  By analyzing qualitative and quantitative studies, reviewing articles, and collecting personal anecdotes, my research determined mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are often under-diagnosed in men and how exercise therapy can be a viable intervention. Inaccessibility to traditional forms of treatment and stigmas surrounding seeking help stem from traditional masculinity patterns and have been shown to be a likely cause behind these statistics. Through the analysis of primary literature in scientific journals, exercise therapy has been suggested to be a very effective intervention for treating poor mental health through the experiences of patients. The serious lack of attention and research surrounding men’s mental health in the western world has led to men’s death by suicide rates to nearly quadruple the rate of women, although women are diagnosed with mental health disorders at a higher rate. The implementation of exercise therapy into mainstream treatment for mental health has potential to improve the lives of many men by providing an accessible treatment that more men are willing to utilize.

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  Healthcare: The Causative Factor of the Punitive Prison System

  Julianna Raimonda

  The laws and regulations put into place by the federal and state government regarding healthcare in New York State prisons do not compare to the ineffectiveness of them put into practice, and therefore have pushed a punitive system within correctional facilities. The lack of healthcare infringes on the rights of health guaranteed to every citizen, which includes the right to control their own bodies. By removing one of the only things inmates have control over in their lives causes their self-esteem, self-worth, and ambition to deteriorate. Without feeling healthy and strong physically, inmates feel incompetent and lack the motivation they need to grow and become the best version of themselves before they go back into the community. Neglecting the minimum standards of medical treatment given to inmates coerces punishment and specifically targets the inmate’s simply for being sick, therefore steering them away from rehabilitation, and towards recidivism.

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  Synthesis and Characterization of Pd/CeO2 Single Atom Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

  Samantha Ramesh and Prabhu Bharathan

  Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted considerable interest for their potential to improve the efficiency of chemical reactions. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a Pd/CeO2 SAC for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). CeO2 nanocubes as the catalyst support were successfully synthesized and characterized by XRD and TEM. Single atoms (Pd1) were loaded on the nanocubes to create the SAC. It is expected that the Pd/CeO2 SAC would show improved ORR activity compared to the Pd nano-crystalline catalyst, highlighting the potential of SACs for improving catalytic performance. Additionally, this work could pave the way for the extension of this method to other metals and supports, leading to a better understanding of how catalysts can be designed to maximize the ORR performance.

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  Anatoliy Golitsyn’s Epistemological Disinformation

  Daniel Reznikov

  In 1961, KGB agent Anatoliy Golitsyn defected to the West. In his attempts to collaborate with American intelligence agencies, Golitsyn generated a number of memoranda to the CIA that accused subsequent defectors of operating as double agents. This paper interprets Golitsyn's writings through an epistemological approach to facts that distinguishes between situations in which what we know to be true is based on fact and situations in which we turned out to be right, but only because we were lucky (known as the Gettier Case). I argue, that Golitsyn's writings reflect a common epistemological strategy in disinformation campaigns that resembles the Gettier Case. Ultimately, as both FBI and CIA responses to Golitsyn show, the very existence of disinformation is enough to create debate about the existence of a knowable truth. The more disinformation generated, the more likely it is that some of it (through luck) will realize the desired effect.

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  Skin Topography Analysis for Forensic Application

  Clara Rodriguez, Sophia Hanna, and Christina Odendahl

  Skin topography analysis, especially fingerprinting, has been used with high levels of success in forensic studies to identify individuals. Since fingerprints are not always left at crime scenes, we investigate the potential utility of prints left from other anatomical sites as a means of identifying their subject. An image processing and pattern recognition code is used to identify key features in images of skin topography of the mid-anterior forearms, back of the hands, and underneath the wrists over a 1-2 month period. These features are then analyzed to determine if topographical features in skin other than fingerprints remain the same over time. Preliminary evidence indicates skin topography, not just fingerprints, stays consistent over time, suggesting that topographical skin prints from multiple regions of the body can be useful for forensic identification of individuals at crime scenes. A larger study including multiple subjects, however, is needed to verify these findings.

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  For Your Eyes Only: Do Visual System Differences Between Predators and Conspecifics Influence Perception of Lizard Body Coloration?

  Andrés Rojo

  Because predator and prey each see the world in different ways – with different color perceptions and visual acuities – whether colorful traits of animals arise as a result of camouflage or social signaling is not always readily apparent. Water anoles (Anolis aquaticus) are Central American lizards that use visual signals in conspecific interactions. We compared lizard and avian visual models to examine lizard conspicuousness to conspecifics and predators. Using the image processing software ImageJ and the plug-in micaToolbox, visual system models of lizard predators and conspecifics were applied to photos of A. aquaticus and their substrates obtained from a field survey in Costa Rica. Our results suggest that predators may detect water anoles more conspicuously than water anole conspecifics. Rapid body color change, which was not examined in this study, could help to mitigate the high conspicuousness of anoles to their avian predators.

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  Effects of Consumption of Vitamin Supplements on Mental Health

  Kyle Romeo, Emma Rebarber, John Quigley, Nathan Yaragudri, and Vitan Shah

  Nutrient deficiency is a well-known factor of poor mental health functioning. The purpose of our study is to assess the relationship between consumption of supplements and overall mental health. An anonymous online survey was administered through Social Media (Instagram, Facebook) WhatsApp, Text Messages and GroupMe. The survey included basic demographic questions and questions on diet, nutrition, mindset, stress, resilience, and mental distress. More specifically, we questioned subjects on their overall supplementation habits. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze data in SPSS version 25.0. Our results suggest there is an association between supplementation and neurobehaviors. This may be an indicator of supplementation as a salient solution to poor nutrition habits in the US, specifically in regard to effect on mental health. Certain supplementation exhibited more significant behavioral changes than others, which is a fascinating avenue for further research.

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  Navigating Systemic Limitations on Public Defense

  Abigail Rothleder and Robert Rose

  Under both the United States Constitution and the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court, public defender offices are tasked with effectively defending their clients’ human rights to life, liberty, property, and to the due process of law. In the past, public defender offices across New York State have faced barriers in providing such representation, as they have historically suffered from a lack of resources and funding. More recently, however, their problems have shifted to a lack of accessibility of programs for their indigent clients. In our research, we will identify the systemic limitations on public defense that the Broome County Public Defender’s Office encounters and evaluate how they navigate those limitations. We will be conducting a review of the legal, financial, and other external restrictions that have been placed on the office, and consider the effectiveness of the legal practices of triage and holistic defense in combating these limitations.

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  Influence of Diet Quality and Mental Well-Being

  Mary Sanchez, Caleb Yoo, Tiffany Wang, and Adam Rosenburg

  Increasing evidence suggests that the average American diet is contributing to the increase in mental health issues, with 8.4% of all American adults having experienced at least one depressive episode. Our research study explores the relationship between the food consumed and mental wellbeing. An anonymous online survey was conducted through Google form and shared through social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and GroupMe. This survey included basic demographic questions and questions regarding the individual’s dietary patterns and mental health status. The results were analyzed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient in SPSS version 25.0. There is a positive correlation between mental wellbeing and consumption of components of the Mediterranean diet such as a variety of fruits and vegetables. Inclusion of nutrient dense food may significantly increase mental well-being.

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  Solitary Confinement: Cruel and Unusual Punishment

  Harper Sanders

  This project uncovers the reality of solitary confinement as practiced in the United States Federal Prison System. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century- when confinement made its debut in America’s prison system, psychiatric research has consistently proven that complete isolation is severely dangerous. Regardless of if an isolated inmate had a preexisting mental illness or not, confinement leaves the mind vulnerable to a long list of possible, and highly probable, conditions ranging from chronic anxiety to complete psychosis. The link between psychological harm and solitary confinement is an established and recognized relationship among all associated fields, including law. Recently, there has been more legislature passed aiming to restrict the use of isolation. However, the practice is still in effect across the United States, and is therefore still severely harming affected inmates. My project aims to make clear that solitary confinement is torture and should be named unlawful.

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  Examination of Hepatic Cancer Rates in Varying Trichloroethylene Concentrations in the Contamination Zone of the IBM-Endicott Chemical Spill

  Justin Shade and Sayantan Saha

  In 1979, International Business Machines spilled 3700 gallons of a volatile organic compound, trichloroethylene (TCE), beneath its facility in Endicott, NY. TCE is a known carcinogen and has been associated with elevated levels of hepatic cancer in previous toxicological studies. For these reasons, the researchers conducted a case-control study to determine if there was an elevated risk of hepatic cancer in Endicott preceding the spill. In addition to common practices employed in case-control studies, such as survey data collection, the researchers also employed multidisciplinary methods of data visualization to illustrate the relationship between the spill location and elevated hepatic cancer rates. The geographic relationship between the number of hepatic cancer cases and their locations relative to groundwater TCE concentrations indicates that there is a strong correlation between the presence of TCE and an increased incidence of hepatic cancer. This conclusion is further supported by cancer registry data, which depicts Endicott as having a higher incidence of hepatic cancer than Broome County and New York State.