Research Days Posters 2024

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  The Effects of Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Kappa Opioid Receptor Expression Across Development in Rats

  Margaret Agajanov and Kelcie Schatz

  Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella term that describes the host of symptoms that may result from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The incidence of anxiety disorders in children exposed to moderate PAE (mPAE) is twice that seen in children exposed to low amounts. mPAE animal models demonstrate anxiety-like behaviors reflective of those seen in humans exposed to mPAE. Gestational day 12 (G12) in rats is a period during which the amygdala is undergoing significant development. Past studies suggest that mPAE during G12 is implicated in the anxiety-like behavior observed in rats. The basolateral amygdala is part of the anxiety circuit and is modulated by the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system. This study aims to measure KOR expression levels following mPAE on G12 to determine how these changes contribute to anxiety-like behavior observed in rats. Ongoing experiments are assessing alterations in KOR mRNA levels using RNAscope in situ hybridization.

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  Molecular Delineation of Parasitoid Community Interacting with a Range-expanding Host to Reveal Altered Interactions under Range Expansions

  Hunter Akins

  The effects of changing conditions due to climate change on species interactions are not fully understood. One outcome is that species undergo range expansions, but interactions may become out of sync as species move at different rates. Oak gall wasp species, Neuroterus saltatorius, has undergone a recent poleward range expansion from mainland western North America to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. To uncover if and how interactions with parasitoid wasps were altered under expansions, including if specialist parasitoids failed to track the host species to its expanded range, we sequenced parasitoid wasps reared out of N. saltatorius at sites throughout the native and expanded range. DNA extractions and PCR were performed on different morphospecies to sequence the Universal barcoding gene (CO1). Sequences were blasted to find the closest match in GenBank databases, and confirm families. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for each wasp family, and we used molecular delineation approaches to delineate clades.

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  State Policy and Gun Control Across America

  Rebecca Amar

  Why is there a lack of response to gun violence in America? Is there room for change in federal policy regarding gun control while respecting the individual's second amendment rights? Gun violence has become a public health crisis in the United States, and America is a country, unlike others, that fails to make change in response to violence. To explore these questions, I examine federal policy in place and the history of its development. I also examine local policy across two states, Florida and New York. The comparison of the two states' policies and rates of gun violence offers insight into these questions. I expect to find evidence supporting the notion that stricter local policy results in lower gun violence rates. I will also discover that in states with more entrenched conservative politics, responses to gun violence will be more muted than in states with more entrenched liberal politics.

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  Impact of Constructive Dialogue Modules on Binghamton University Students

  Matthew Amodeo and Kameron Cummings

  Effective constructive dialogue skills are crucial for college students’ social development. This study explored the impact of constructive dialogue modules on conflict management, affective polarization, and intellectual humility among first-year Binghamton University students. We addressed the following research question: Will the completion of the constructive dialogue module significantly impact student awareness in conflict resolution/intellectual humility/affective polarization compared to a control group of students who did not complete the module? All participants completed pre- and post-surveys (questions utilizing Likert scales) assessing these skills. Responses were analyzed through dependent and independent T-tests, which did not indicate statistical significance between students completing the constructive dialogue module and the control group. However, analysis of open-ended survey items and focus group responses revealed perceived development in constructive dialogue skills post-module completion. These findings highlight potential benefits of educational programs aimed at enhancing college students’ ability to communicate with individuals with diverse perspectives.

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  Community Engagement of CCPA Faculty with Broome County

  Matthew Amodeo and Sophie Ryan

  Community-engaged research holds numerous benefits for researchers and communities alike. This study aimed to investigate engagement efforts of CCPA faculty at Binghamton University with the Broome County community. Our research question was: How do CCPA faculty engage with the Broome County community in their research activities, and what institutional factors support or hinder their engagement efforts? Eight BU faculty members were selected through an initial investigation and contacted via email; these individuals received qualitative interview questions probing subjects such as dissemination of findings to the local community and promotion of community-engaged research within CCPA. We hypothesize that CCPA faculty currently exhibit limited engagement with Broome County, which could be remedied through social events providing opportunities for collaboration between faculty and community members. The implications of this study hold the potential to inform CCPA faculty practices related to community-engaged research, potentially fostering mutually beneficial relationships between academia and the local community.

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  Collections Management and Preparation at the Binghamton University Art Museum

  Jason Anglum, Richard Quiles, Charlene Kim, Marie Lee, and Paige Velez

  Museum collections management and preparation refers to the physical and digital storage, display, record-keeping, and presentation of the objects for which a museum provides stewardship. The Binghamton University Art Museum provides student interns the opportunity to learn about these fields and conduct important work for the collection. The collections management interns each have individual projects that benefit the museum in different ways. This work ranges from researching and refining metadata on the museum’s website, identifying and processing donations and loans, accessioning objects and creating files in the museum’s database, and condition reporting. The preparator intern has the unique opportunity to learn the art of matting, framing, lighting, and presenting artworks. Performing this work enables the intern to understand how presentation impact’s a visitor’s experience intellectually and emotionally. All of the interns’ tasks help them understand museum operations, serve the institution’s goals, and provide contributions to the objects and visitors.

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  Huey Long and “Share Our Wealth”: Impactful or Forgetful?

  Angelica Aparicio

  In 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression, the Louisiana Senator Huey Long began a campaign to make “Every man a king.” Long’s “Share Our Wealth” plan proposed a guaranteed income of $5,000, to be funded by a wealth tax and caps on inheritances and income. Long’s plan thus represents the first serious proposal for a basic income by a high-ranking American politician. Yet, because most scholarship focuses on his authoritarian impulses and his 1935 assassination, Long’s place in the history of basic income remains scarcely studied. By analyzing Long’s speeches, successive Share Our Wealth proposals, and personal accounts, this project investigates Long’s intellectual and political influences and asks what his legacy means for basic income debates today. In particular, this research explores how Long was greatly inspired by the Bible and populist beliefs instilled by his upbringing in Winn Parish, LA.

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  Renewable Portfolio Standards Throughout the United States: Strengths and Weaknesses of Current Renewable Energy Policies

  John Arnold

  This project reviews the Renewable Portfolio Standards of individual states, to analyze their strengths and weaknesses at encouraging renewable energy. The RPS will be evaluated on a series of criteria to examine their effectiveness and how realistic they are. The first criterion will be the goals set by RPS for renewable energy production within their state and their timeline for achieving transitions. The change in renewable energy usage after the establishment of the RPS will be examined to determine legitimacy of the standard, and its ability to combat climate change. In order to assess the practicality of RPS, the technology required to meet the goals established will be explored through literature review of currently available technology. These assessments will be used to determine the need for more RPS in the future, what currently limits RPS from reaching their goals, and what is preventing them from being adopted in more states.

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  No Strings Attached? The Benefits of Conditional Cash Transfers on Child Development vs. a Universal Basic Income

  Maria Fernanda Assaf Mattei

  Universal basic income (UBI) has been proposed as a policy to improve child development outcomes. Yet while no widespread UBI program exists, several Latin American countries have adopted conditional cash transfer (CCT). The conditions these programs attach to benefits generally pertain to child care and development, such as requiring school attendance or regular doctor visits. The programs have been successful: research shows that several factors used to measure child development (age-grade distortion, mental health, prospects for further education, etc.) improve in children from families that receive financial assistance. This might suggest that a UBI program would lead to more widespread and dramatic effects. However, a careful review of CCT research shows that improvements in child development are directly related to the required conditions in the CCTs. Countries looking to implement a “no strings attached” UBI to benefit child development might thus consider a more widespread CCT program instead.

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  Effects of Perfluorooctanoic Acid on Dermal Irritancy in Three Dimensional Skin Constructs

  Thomas Avallone and Susan Flynn

  In recent years “forever chemicals” have received much attention for the potential to cause harmful cancers, hormonal damage, and developmental issues. These chemicals can be found in a wide variety of products including clothing, which is particularly concerning as it allows them to come in direct contact with human skin. Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) is among this group and was the primary compound investigated due to its widespread use in clothing. A highly differentiated three dimensional skin model derived from Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes (NHEK) was exposed to this chemical at varying time intervals. Dermal irritancy induced by PFOA was evaluated through an MTT-assay, which indicates cellular metabolic activity through a colorimetric assay. It was found that an introduction with these chemicals to the skin constructs reduces metabolic activity. Future trials must be completed to affirm whether the effects of PFOA are consistent in these models across varying exposure lengths.

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  Supporting Americans with Disabilities: UBI vs Targeted Benefits Programs

  Benjamin Ayertey

  The amount of support provided to people with disabilities in America today may be growing, but it is not enough for them to live comfortably in their own country. In comparison with a non-disabled person, the expenses associated with a disability can be more than ten times higher. Currently, this research is investigating the possibility of using an UBI to support the existing welfare programs they have in order to provide them with better support. Research has been conducted on the subject of how we can acknowledge equality without compromising the individuality of people, which has been identified as a dilemma in the current field research. Moreover, they believe that people should be able to guard their own well-being within the limits of their abilities and functions, and that they should also have the right of freedom.

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  Personality Type as a Predictor for Exercise Type and Frequency Among College Students

  Elena Baldo, Cara Patrissy, Kayla Taufman, and Jenna Polis

  Recreational exercise is a popular activity amongst college students that provides a multitude of mental and physical health benefits. This study aimed to explore how the Five-Factor Model of personality can predict the recreation preferences of college students. An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was administered through Google Forms to college students. The data included 1356 responses collected from social media platforms and QR codes. The survey consisted of self-reported questions on demographics, exercise quality and frequency and personality traits. Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze data in SPSS version 28.0. The results found significant positive associations between extrovert personality types and various exercise habits. Additionally, there were negative correlations between anxious personalities and various physical activities. This study suggests that personality types and perception of self may have significant influence on physical activity patterns, which supports a customary training approach that supports achieving fitness goals based on personality types.

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  Deriving Major Theoretical Principles from the Natural Sciences to Create a Transdisciplinary Approach for Social Problem-solving

  Mirella Berkowitz, Ava Oksenhendler, and Nabiha Chowdhury

  The integration of major theoretical principles into a transdisciplinary theoretical framework provides a comprehensive process of evaluating contemporary social problems and creating appropriate solutions. The application of knowledge of natural sciences is integral to solving complex social problems. This process involves understanding relevant literature and theories along with finding the intersection of internal and external factors across the study of evolutionary theory & pro-sociality, environment, and biology & health. The major theoretical principles will be integrated into a framework to categorize complex social problems and test social variants. This selection process ensures that optimal solutions are advanced.

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  The Relationship Between College Students and Eyewitness Identification

  Emma Blanton, Brittany Race, Sienna Lee, Abigail Blumofe, and Joseph Bica

  Forensic psychology research has predominantly focused on analyzing eyewitness identification reliability and the factors associated with it. This study is further adding to this research topic by examining the relationships between academic concentrations and classifications on eyewitness identification. A Qualtrics survey was created to collect data from a large number and variety of participants. The 252 students who answered the survey watched a simulated theft, completed three distractor tasks, and then were presented with a target-present or target-absent simultaneous lineup. They subsequently made an identification or rejected the lineup, gave a confidence rating, and provided their demographic information. While there were a limited number of concentrations, interesting patterns suggest the classification, as well as if they’ve declared a major, are related to their accuracy and reported confidence. Some potential reasons could be exposure to information from psychology or a difference in the way they process or encode the crime.

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  Auditory Learning of Seventh Chords

  Riya Bolander and Sung-Joo Lim

  Being able to identify different types of musical chords is an essential skill for students pursuing a music degree. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to learn even after extensive traditional ear training. Based on prior studies demonstrating the effectiveness of implicit videogame training for learning difficult sound categories, this study investigated whether such a novel form of videogame training can serve as an alternative method to facilitate the learning of musical chords. 30 participants underwent either traditional or videogame training for 60 minutes across two days. Both training conditions resulted in significant, comparable improvements in accuracy and speed in identifying musical chords. However, the two conditions yielded slightly different levels of improvements depending on the chord types. These results suggest that even difficult musical chords can be learned effectively without explicit instructions. These findings will benefit music students as having alternative training may make this tedious process more enjoyable.

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  Spells, Tragedy, and Love: Impacts of Epicurean Philosophy in the Eighteenth Century

  Sara Boudreaux

  Lucretius’s Six Books of Epicurean Philosophy is a long, dense book filled with a double translation of ancient philosophy in prose. Due to the nature of the book, it seems to have a small, scholarly reach. Mysteriously, it seems to have passed through many hands over its time after printing. However, the book has deep ties beyond philosophy, to love and death. Lucretius, the original author, died of madness from a love potion. Thomas Creech, the translator, committed suicide after a rejected proposal. Sofia Potocka, a prostitute turned noblewoman through her lovely charms, is one of the owners. It is impossible to deny the book’s impact on the people who have interacted with it. A study of Epicurean philosophy may reveal the strangely strong emotions surrounding the writing and reading of this text.

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  The Significance of Toys and Games on Ancient Mediterranean and Modern Gender, Societal Values and Human Development

  Leila Brolly

  Play is an essential component of physical, cognitive, and social development, and the toys and games children use have a developmental influence. In order to adequately foster children’s growth, it is vital that they engage with toys encouraging the highest quality play. This research analyzes texts about play activities and objects in Ancient Greece and Rome, where play was considered instrumental in educating the young about their future roles. In addition, this research examines modern studies about children’s play, involving the lenses of gender and psychological play theories. It also compares the differences in developmental benefits of toys between genders and across time, determining if there is a gender gap aided by a difference in quality between “girl’s” and “boy’s” toys and activities. These findings relate to the historical gender disparity in our society, and emphasize the importance of utilizing toys that are equally capable of supporting the successful growth of every child.

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  Health Consequences of Judicial Decisions

  Sondrea Browne Low, Ellen Davis, and J. Koji Lum

  Dickman and others (JAMA Int Med 2024) estimated that there have been 64,565 pregnancies resulting from rape carried to term in the 14 states with total abortion bans since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade. Extensive analyses of the impact of maternal stress, violence, war, and abuse on the genetic imprinting of their developing fetuses indicate that offspring resulting from rape are likely to have altered expression of a number of genes including glucocorticoid receptor NR3C1, IGF2/H19, MEST, and PEG that affect fetal growth and development and are associated with imprinting disorders (IDs). Here we estimate the disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for the 64,565 individuals resulting from maternal stress induced altered gene expression across a range of plausible scenarios to better understand the health consequences of judicial decisions.

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  Office Hours, A Conversation About Their Use and Usefulness

  Yael Bruk

  This project aimed to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of office hours for students. Research commenced during the Spring 2023 semester, followed by periodic adjustments, improvements, and feedback collection spanning through Fall 2023 to Spring 2024. The overarching objective of the extended student-run office hours was to facilitate discussions on degree planning and provide writing assistance, alleviating the need for direct professor engagement. Furthermore, these sessions were designed to assist students in exploring various academic pathways, including majors, minors, and pre-professional tracks, and developing corresponding plans. While student support remained a central focus, the primary aim was to refine office hour practices in the post-pandemic academic landscape. The study's results hold the potential for enhancing office hours across different courses; providing general academic advising; and making resources more accessible to disadvantaged students, including first-generation college students, first-generation American students, and students for whom English is not their first language.

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  The Evolving Concept of Neurodivergence and Challenges in Operationalizing Diversity

  Brooklynn Burchett, Mia Grosso, Raymond Romanczyk, and Jennifer Gillis Mattson

  Neurodivergence is a social-cultural identity not exclusively tied to any condition but often used by individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. In scientific literature, neurodivergent is widely operationalized as autism, ADHD, and learning conditions (Clouder et al., 2020). The present study investigated the proportion of college students who identify as neurodivergent and which diagnostic labels they use to describe themselves in a sample of 215 Binghamton undergraduate students (M age = 18.93 years, SD = 1.20). Among those who identify as neurodivergent (n = 28), 75% reported a clinical and/or self-diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental condition, and 25% reported having non-neurodevelopmental conditions such as anxiety and depression. These findings shed light on the evolving definition of neurodivergence as a social phenomenon in contrast to disorder-based research criteria. Demographic information will also be compared across the neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent identifying groups.

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  Signifying Identity with Makeup in the Late Roman Empire

  Madison Cardiel

  The research revolves around the idea of “gender performativity,” in which a person’s gender identity is taught by society and reinforced by culturally-acceptable behaviors. I explore this theory through the lens of the late Roman Empire (between the third and sixth centuries, C.E.) and the cosmetic practices that women employed during that time. My findings include the fact that makeup was an integral part of the construction of Roman womanhood, and that social class was inextricably linked to beauty. For example, the image of an intellectual, wealthy woman became the image of beauty, and so cosmetic practices centered around this ideal. This linkage between femininity and social power is significant because it reveals many of the underlying ideals of the Roman Empire, as well as the ways in which women could achieve social mobility and influence in a society that systematically oppressed them in a myriad of ways.

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  Why Do We Delight in Celebrity Misfortune?

  Caitlin Chan

  Whereas most people sympathize with others' pain, empathetic response can be muted towards celebrities. We may also experience more schadenfreude, or joy in others’ misery, for celebrities than with people we know personally. This project explores multiple factors, including celebrity obsessive disorder (COD), theories of schadenfreude, and gender bias. Schadenfreude tells us about how we fantasize about others and live through their lives, however, we take pleasure in their downfall because of their lifestyle. It reflects on us because then we also see how this person is living this fantasy life and we delight in their misfortune because of envy and the fact that we don’t have the pleasure of living this life. This project also considers research suggesting that closely following celebrities or people of high status tends to increase our moral disengagements and decrease our empathy. There is an underlying popular belief that because they are famous, “they signed up for it” or “they knew what they were getting into”. The media plays a large role in spreading false information, which then spreads quickly on apps such as X (formerly known as Twitter). Such information, combined with the obsessions and pathological disorder of celebrity worship, can lead to immense hate and worrisome results. A particular case study that will be mentioned in my video essay is Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Through this story, we see the immense hate that Amber developed due to the fandom and support for Depp. People ridiculed Amber Heard immensely on social media, which caused her to go completely silent. It was later discovered that both parties were in the wrong, yet the media and hardcore fans of Johnny Depp tore into that woman with no mercy.

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  How did Covid-19’s Learning Environment Isolate Teenagers and Cause Social Stress?

  Ethan Chandre

  Previous literature suggested that Covid-19 quarantines/ lockdowns affected adolescents and young children in negative ways. The research suggested that lockdowns were the leading cause of stress, and for the people who already have stress, it served as an amplifier. Many studies suggest that since young children and teenagers need to socialize, but they can’t because of the restrictions, it is common for them to feel depressed and stressed out. Feelings of depression and anxiety have been known to cause destructive qualities if left untreated such as, hostile behavior, weight loss and even suicidal thoughts. I plan on collecting data from adolescents and young adults (17-24) via an online poll, as well as in person interviews. I expect the findings to support my hypothesis that the learning environment during Covid-19 isolated teenagers socially, as well as the social isolations causing unnecessary stress.

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  How to Improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in U.S. Schools

  Nicholas Chan

  This project aims to determine solutions to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in U.S. school buildings that can accommodate each school’s needs. This project will compile knowledge regarding common issues school buildings face that contribute to poor IAQ and possible solutions to remedy their effects while considering the cost-efficiency of said solutions. The methods of research in this project include the review of academic literature, an online survey, and interviews of students and faculty on the Binghamton University campus. The results of this project serve as guidelines to help school districts more easily determine a cost-efficient system to improve IAQ in their school buildings, therefore, improving the well-being of the students and staff. This project will be conducted via collaboration between student and faculty researchers to develop solutions to poor IAQ environments in school buildings to provide a foundation for future research.

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  Multiscale Channelized Biomimetic Scaffolds for Tissue Vascularization

  Yan Chen and Yingge Zhou

  Tissue engineering aims to address organ failure through engineered tissues. My research focuses on creating biomimetic scaffolds with ideal biomechanical properties and biocompatibility, utilizing 3D printing, bioprinting, electrospinning and molding. We electrospun microtubes with over 5 um in diameter to mimic capillary vessels, which provides topography for cell attachment, growth, proliferation, and vascularization. Combining scissored microtubes with hydrogels, composite scaffolds can be bioprinted with improved scaffold strength and cell viability. To reduce cell damage during bioprinting, slow-gelling material was introduced and molded into 3D-printed sacrificial molds to fabricate hydrogel scaffolds. Future steps involve integrating electrospun microtubes with slow-gelled hydrogel scaffolds to create multiscale structures. This research contributes to evolving tissue engineering, offering potential solutions to the organ shortage.