Document 1547692

WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY
STUDENT RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP SYMPOSIUM
April 12, 2016
SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE
TIME
9:00-9:45
EVENT
Opening Ceremonies
DISCIPLINE
LOCATION
Troy Theater,
Swint Hall
10:00-12:00
10:00-11:45
10:00-11:45
Session 1A
Session 1B
Session 1C
History
Criminal Justice
Biology, Chemistry
and Environmental
Sciences
Donahue 128
Donahue 129
Acker G-10
11:00-2:00
Fine Arts Gallery
Exhibition
Gallery, Kirby Hall
11:45-12:45
Lunch
Benedum Dining
Room, Swint Hall
12:30-2:00
Poster Session
2:15-3:45
2:15-3:45
Session 2A
Session 2B
McDonough Center
Performance Gym
Acker 315
Donahue 128
2:15-3:15
4:00-5:00
Session 2C
Session 3A
4:00-5:00
Session 3B
5:00-6:15
Dinner
Benedum Dining
Room, Swint Hall
6:30-7:00
Awards Ceremony
7:00-8:30
Haig Presentations
Troy Theater,
Swint Hall
Hawk Auditorium,
Acker Science Center
Computer Science
International Studies
and Political Science
English
Laut Honors, Justice,
Gender and Diversity
Philosophy and
Theology
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Acker G-10
Donahue 128
Acker G-10
THIS YEAR’S COVER ART WAS DESIGNED BY MARIAH COTTRILL. MARIAH IS A
SENIOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR.
LOOK FOR THIS SYMBOL THROUGHOUT THE ABSTRACTS…IT INDICATES
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES DIRECTLY ADDRESSING
APPALACHIAN ISSUES. A SPECIAL AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED BY THE
APPALACHIAN INSTITUTE.
LOOK FOR THIS SYMBOL THROUGHOUT THE ABSTRACTS…IT INDICATES
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES RELATED TO GENDER AND
DIVERSITY STUDIES. A SPECIAL AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED BY THE
GENDER AND DIVERSITY STUDIES PROGRAM.
LOOK FOR THIS SYMBOL THROUGHOUT THE ABSTRACTS…IT
INDICATES FINE ARTS EXHIBITION PROJECTS.
2
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
_
Mr. Levi Morris
Wheeling Jesuit University, B.A., 2011
Political and Economic Philosophy
Physics minor
University of Pennsylvania Law School,
J.D., 2014
Keynote Address:
“The Role of Wheeling Jesuit in
My Religious Quest”
Levi Morris originally hails from the village of Stafford, Ohio. After
attending Monroe Central High School and Washington State
Community College, Levi came to Wheeling Jesuit University,
drawn in by all it had to offer. Levi was a Political and Economic
Philosophy major with a minor in Physics, a track and cross
country runner, an editor for the Cardinal Connection, and a
member of the Theater Guild, Alpha Sigma Nu, and the Laut
Honors Society.
Levi graduated from WJU second in his class and was accepted
into the University of Pennsylvania Law School. While attending
law school, Levi met his wife, Grace, online. Levi currently lives in
Philadelphia with his wife and two cats, and works as an attorney
in the corporate and securities group at the law firm Dechert LLP.
3
Wheeling Jesuit University
Student Research and Scholarship Symposium
April 12, 2016
9:00-9:45
Opening Ceremonies: Troy Theater, Swint Hall
Welcome: Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, Professor of Psychology and Symposium
Committee Chair
Welcome: Fr. James Fleming, S.J., University President
Introduction of Keynote Speaker: Dr. Robert Phillips, Vice President for
Academics and Dean of Faculty
Keynote Speaker:
Mr. Levi Morris
Attorney, Dechert LLP
WJU Alumni, 2011
Keynote Address: “The Role of Wheeling Jesuit in My
Religious Quest”
Opening Blessing: Fr. Donald Serva, S.J., Academic Associate in Biology
10:00-12:00
Session 1A: HISTORY [Donahue 128]
Session Moderators: Mr. Jamey Brogan, Director of Campus Ministry, Mission &
Identity
Ms. Kristin McCombs, Adjunct, Psychology and
Professional Education
10:00-10:15
Addyson Beaver [Rutherford]
From a War of Annihilation to Genocide : How Nazi Policy and
Practice in the East Shaped the Execution of the Final Solution
10:15-10:30
Falon Weidman [Simpson]
The Celtic Druids: Separating Myth from Reality
10:30-10:45
Padraic Slattery [Rutherford]
The Polish Home Army and Their Relationship with Polish Jews
10:45-11:00
Sarah Smith [Rutherford]
The Nazi’s Treatment Towards People
11:00-11:15
Sam Peduto [Rutherford]
The Atomic Bomb: Decision
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10:00-11:45
11:15-11:30
Jacob Plichta [Rutherford]
The Role of the Italian Theater in World War II
11:30-11:45
Rachel Enders [Rutherford]
Switzerland, Illusions of Neutrality, and a WWII Profit Motive
Session 1B: CRIMINAL JUSTICE [Donahue 129]
Session Moderators: Dr. Dan O’Hare, Assistant Professor of Theology and
Religious Studies
Ms. Karen Taylor, Assistant Coordinator, Academic
Resource Center
10:00-10:15
Dean Redinger [Driscoll]
Capital Punishment and Religiosity
10:15-10:30
Sarah Peters [Driscoll]
How Reliable is Eye Witness Testimony?
10:30-10:45
Samantha Happ [Driscoll]
The Ku Klux Klan: An Analysis of Klan Rationale
10:45-11:00
Carley Kuminkoski [Driscoll]
The Validity of the Strain Theory
11:00-11:15
Nick Messner [Driscoll]
Lovers and Liars: A Look into Lying and Deception Among
Intimate Partners
11:15-11:30
Ashley J May [Driscoll]
Shoot or No Shoot: What Would You Do in the Eyes of Law
Enforcement?
11:30-11:45
Vickie Zanes [Driscoll]
Equal Punishment For All? An Examination of Drug Sentencing In
Two Local Counties
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10:00-11:45 Session 1C: BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
[ASC G-10]
Session Moderators: Ms. Marybeth Emmerth, Associate Professor and
Respiratory Therapy Program Director
Ms. Kimberly McManis, Clinical Assistant Professor of
Athletic Training
10:00-10:15 Harry Lee [Shurina]
EGCG Inhibits Epithelial Growth Factor-Induced Invasiveness in
Prostate Cancer Cell Lines
10:15-10:30 Anh-Dao Le [Shurina]
The Effects of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate on Src-Kinase Activity
10:30-10:45 Elizabeth Bain [Sylvester]
Synthesis and Characterization of Metal Complexes Derived from
Amino Acids and 2-pyridinecarboxaldhyde
10:45-11:00 Shelby Caddies [Sylvester]
Synthesis of Nickel and Iron Complexes with Amino Acid Derived
Schiff Base Ligands
11:00-11:15 Whitney Workman [Railing]
Investigation of Possible Contamination of Surface Water by
Fracking in Northern WV
11:15-11:30 Samuel Adams [Stout]
A Sustainable Farm For Our Future
11:30-11:45 Evan Hodel; Bret Szeligo [Fuller]
Proposed Thermal Decomposition Pathways of Various
Cis-dicarbonylbis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II)
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11:00-2:00
STUDENT FINE ARTS EXHIBITION: Kirby Gallery
Session Facilitator: Ms. Georgia Tambasis, Assistant Professor of Visual Arts
Session Moderators: Dr. Zahra Mohebbi, Adjunct, Social Sciences
Dr. Amy Criniti Phillips, Assistant Professor of English
Presenting Artists:
11:45-12:45
Arika Kemp
Drawing from Observation: Still-Life
Haley Kindall
Artistic Explorations in Contemporary Spiritual Dilemmas
Jessie Martin
Recycled Identity
Rubis Ngenzi
Conversations of Akrikan Identity Through Art
Aaron Prince
Negative Space and the Abstraction of the Image
Rachel Wadell
Exploration of Biology and Art
LUNCH: Benedum Dining Room, Swint Hall
Lunch with our Keynote Speaker in the Executive Dining Room
12:30-2:00
POSTER SESSION: Performance Gym, McDonough Center
Session Moderators:
Posters 1-5:
Mr. Patrick Plunkett, Associate Professor of Computer
Science
Ms. Carrie Hanna, Director of Compliance and Student
Formation
Posters 6-10:
Dr. Ben Stout, Professor of Biology
Dr. Mohammad Hadadzadeh, Assistant Professor of
Physical Therapy
Posters 11-15:
Dr. Justin Tyler Owns, Assistant Dean of Students
Dr. Peter Ehni, Associate Professor of Physics
Posters 16-21:
Ms. Debbie Wilkinson, Clinical Assistant Professor of
Nuclear Medicine and Title IX Coordinator
Mr. Greg Sheperd, PC Support Manager
Posters 22-26:
Dr. Beverly J. Whelton, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Dr. Chris Petrosino, Dean of Graduate and Professional
Studies
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Posters 27-30:
Dr. Thomas J. Conti, Adjunct Instructor for Professional
and Graduate Studies
Dr. Andrew Cook, Professor of Biology
Posters 31-34:
Dr. Leslie Quinn, Academic Associate in Biology
Ms. Karen Fahey, Instructor in Nursing
Posters 35-40:
Dr. Helen Faso, Professor of Nursing
Ms. Carrie Abraham, Clinical Associate Professor of
Physical Therapy
Posters 41-43:
Mr. Marshal D. Carper, Owner, Carper Communications
Dr. Nancy Bressler, Assistant Professor of
Communications and Composition
Posters 44-48:
Ms. Natalie A. Mogan, Area Coordinator
Ms. Sarah Mogan, DDI CABER Consulting Associate
Posters 49-54:
Mr. Joseph Shaffer, Clinical Education Coordinator and
Assistant Professor Athletic Training
Mr. Dave Dennis, Athletic Training Program Director
(Number is poster location)
ATHLETIC TRAINING
1. Anthony Connacher [Shaffer]
The Effects of Cryotherapy with Early Activation Exercises
2. Emily Bednar [McManis]
A Comparision of Rotator Cuff Treatments
3. Dylan Seeley [McMannis]
The Effect of Simulated Hypoxic Training in Normobaric Conditions
4. Dakota Stillwell [McManis]
Burnout Syndrome Prevalence in Undergraduate Students
5. Maria Palmquist [McManis]
The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy Compared to Land-Based Exercise
Rehab
6. Stephen Probert; Troy Mendenhall [McManis]
Effectiveness of the Edge Tool on Cervical Spine ROM in Comparison
with Conventional Soft Tissue Mobilization
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7. Dominique Craft [McManis]
Perception of Cortisone Injections of Wheeling Jesuit Athletes
8. Melinda Earnest [Shaffer]
The Effects of Specialization on Knee Injuries
9. Brittany Miller [McManis]
The Effects of the Combination of ASTYM, Eccentric Exercise, and Joint
Mobilization on Lower Extremity Soft Tissue Injuries
10. Spenser Sninchak [McManis]
Prevention of Arm Injuries in Baseball: A Research Study
11. Mia Jordan [McManis]
The Effects of Four Weeks of Corrective Exercises on Functional
Movement Systems Scores in Waitresses
12. Kassidy Forsen [McManis]
Determining the Effectiveness of Deep Tissue Massage for Athletes with
Back Pain
13. Ryan McCann [McManis]
The Prevalence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: Artificial Turf vs.
Natural Grass
14. Alexis Brahler [McManis]
The Effects of Stretching on the Prevalence of Lower Limb Injuries in Tae
Kwon Do Athletes
15. Allison Litz [McManis]
The Effects of Therapeutic Modalities on Gymnasts with Low Back Pain
BIOLOGY
16. Rachel Wadell [Stout]
Illustrating the Key to the Crayfish of West Virginia
17. Kenya Simmons [Rastall]
The Effects of Raising Betta Fish in Different Musical
18. Lydia Tambasis [Cook]
Testing Justicia Americana for Antimicrobial Effects
19. Kelsey Ptaszek [Rastall]
The Effects of Enrichment on the Behaviors of Captive Golden Lion
(Leontopithecus rosalia) and Cotton-Top (Saguinus oedipus) Tamarins
20. Lacee Dobrovich [Rastall]
The Effect of Species-Specific Music on Household Felines
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21. Danielle M. Gavorcik [Rastall]
Effects of Scent Enrichment on the Behavior of Captive African Wild Dogs
(Lycaon pictus)
22. Charles Myers [Cook]
Identification and Total Count of Bacteria in an Aquaponics System
23. Lucy Hritzo; Marguerite Lichay; Alexis Smith; Xiuli Yang; Valeria Culotta;
Utpal Pal; J Stephen Dumler; Dennis Grab [Cook]
Neurological Tick-Borne Lyme Disease: Investigating the Role of a
Borrelia Burgdorferi Gene Important for Invasion of the Blood Brain
Barrier
24. Amy Schattel [Lief]
Spatial Distributions of Prostate Cancer Found Using the Transperineal
Template-Guided Mapping Biopsy Method in the Initial and Repeat
Biopsy Setting
25. Mariah Pacifico [Cook]
Use of the Ames Test to Determine the Mutagenicity of 4­
methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM)
CHEMISTRY
26. George Bell [Railing]
Synthesis of Dithiocarbamate ligands
27. Megan Blackburn; Meredith Rohan [Railing]
Does Science Education Affect College Students' Perceptions of Harm
and of Availability of Prescription Opioids
28. Jason Burch [Railing]
Perception of Harm of Prescription Drugs Among College Students Based
on a Student's Home State
29. Brett M. Szeligo [Coffield]
Preparation and Stability of Cis­
dicarbonylbis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II)
30. Victoria Hall [Railing]
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Dithiocarbamates
31. Stephen Hansknecht [Railing]
Synthesis of Amines for use in Dithiocarbamate Synthesis
32. Holly Kraus [Railing]
Use of Drug of the Week to Educate Chemistry Students about
Prescription Drugs and Abuse
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33. Brenna Becca; Emily Dalton [Railing]
Perception of Harm of Prescription Drugs Among College Students Based
on a Student's Year in School
34. Nicholas King [Railing]
A Chemical Analysis of Iron Contaminates from Acid Mine Drainage in the
Freshwater of Wheeling
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
35. Arika Kemp [Stout]
Coal Combustion By-Products
36. Maire Austin; Scott Lopez [Railing]
Use of Native plants in Removing Nitrates from Waste Water
37. Prisca Jibikilay [Railing]
Investigation of Possible Metal Contamination in Creeks Around Wheeling
38. Ngaleu Sonia [Stout]
Correlation Between Red Wigglers Worms’ Environmental Conditions and
their Rate of Reproduction
MATHEMATICS
39. Taylor Lubinsky [Brodie]
Mathematical Billiards
PHYSICS
40. Wolfgang V. Zober [Ehni]
Design of a Tunable Nd:YVO4 Self-Raman Laser for Sodium Lidar
PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
41. Brock McGivern [Hyman]
Cardinal Communication: Improving Communication for the Wheeling
Jesuit University Baseball Team
42. Mary Meiman [Hyman]
Facebook Advertising for Plato’s Closet Bridgeville and Clothes Mentor
Bridgeville
43. Bryce Brochu [Hyman]
Social media for Men's Lacrosse, Wheeling Jesuit University
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PSYCHOLOGY
44. Mariah Cottrill; Maddie Holt; Skylar Patten; Emily Robinson; Dr. Bryan
Raudenbush [Raudenbush]
Effects of Congruent vs. Incongruent Product Scent Administration on
Online Purchasing Behavior
45. Megan Randolph; Samantha Happ; Megan Rush; Kayla Gross
[Kirkpatrick]
Ignatian Identity at Wheeling Jesuit University: Study of Current Students'
and Alumnus' Perception of Their Jesuit Education
46. Megan Randolph; Jessica Pontis; Rebecca Brown; Sarah Mitchell
[Raudenbush]
The Effects of Taste and Food Evaluation on Food Neophobia
47. Johannes Strauss; Taylor Ulisse; Sarah Sleevi [Hull]
The Impact of Remorse and Orientation on Sexual Assault Sanctions
48. Miranda Miller; Cydney Comfort [Raudenbush]
The Effects of Activities and Emotions on Time Perception
RESPIRATORY THERAPY
49. Ali Smith [Emmerth]
Educating Children on Asthma
50. Ryan S. Rafa [Emmerth]
COPD Patients’ Locus of Control Affecting Hospital Readmission and
Reimbursement
51. Logan Hudson [Twarog]
Use of Magnesium Sulfate Supplementation in COPD Patients: A
Dependent Samples Study
52. Michael Gregorcic [Twarog]
Vitamin D Levels/Supplementation and Control of Asthma
53. Darcy Bebo [Emmerth]
The Effects of Low Albumin on Nosocomial Pneumonia
54. Kaitlynn Rizzo [Emmerth]
Congestive Heart Failure and Leading Causes for Readmission
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2:15-3:45
Session 2A: COMPUTER SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS [ASC 315]
Session Moderators: Ms. Brittany Rife, Web Services Specialist
Mr. Wilson Turner, Registrar
2:15-3:45
2:15-2:30
Matthew Tracy; James McConn; Alex Collins [Orzolek]
Jamaal: A Web Based Database Application
2:30-2:45
David Powers; Monelle Jibikilay; Adou Mukwa [Orzolek]
Web Application for Respiratory Therapy Evaluations
2:45-3:00
Brentley Auman; Christian Gatwaza [Orzolek]
Senior Project for WJU Campus Ministry
3:00-3:15
Wolfgang V. Zober [Brodie]
A Combinatorial Analysis of Euchre
3:15-3:30
Sean Shields [Brodie]
An Extension of Buffon's Needle Problem
3:30-3:45
Kristin Cooper [Brodie]
Weird Dice
Session 2B: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
[DONAHUE 128]
Session Moderators: Mr. Vincent Sirianni, Campus Visit and Special Events
Coordinator
Ms. Cecilia Einloth, Associate Coordinator, Academic
Resource Center
2:15-2:30
Franck Simo [Driscoll]
International Students From Low Income Backgrounds: Are the
Jesuits’ Universities & Colleges Prioritizing Their Education?
2:30-2:45
Erin Gabrielle Marcum [Poffenbarger]
The Impact of 20th Century Women’s Movements on 21st Century
Women in Latin America
2:45-3:00
Jan Michel Krempin [Poffenbarger]
Migration and Xenophobia in the European Union
3:00-3:15
James Blumhoff [Poffenbarger]
Theory and Policy: A Look at American Foreign Relations and
Theory
3:15-3:30
Maria Tennant [Driscoll]
A Deeper Look into Religiosity and its Affect on the Public Opinion
of Same-Sex Marriage
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3:30-3:45
2:15-3:15
Kaitlyn Conner [Driscoll]
USA Patriot Act and Human Rights
Session 2C: ENGLISH [ASC G-10]
Session Moderators: Mr. Mark Phillips, Chief of Staff
Ms. Jane Neuenschwander, Assistant Professor of
Professional Education
4:00-4:45
2:15-2:30
Megan Steele [Voorhees]
Realistically Uncanny: Bierce's Take on Truth
2:30-2:45
Graham Davis [Whitehead]
The Concept of Free Will in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood
2:45-3:00
AnnaMarie Marsilio [Phillips]
The Proto-Feminist Art of Passing Within the Eighteenth Century
3:00-3:15
Mary Meiman [Voorhees]
People Without a Cathedral
Session 3A: LAUT HONORS, JUSTICE, GENDER AND DIVERSITY
[DONAHUE 128]
Session Moderators: Dr. Larry Driscoll, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Dr. Jonathan H. Lief, Professor of Biology
4:00-4:15
Melinda Earnest; Anh-Dao Le [Criniti Phillips]
Palliative Care and Family
4:15-4:30
Amy Schattel [Phillips]
A Look at the Schism Women Feel in Modern-Day Society: We
Are Not Superwoman
4:30-4:45
Elizabeth Nawrocki [Wrobbleski]
The Praxis of Inclusion: Rethinking the Church's Sexual Morality
through our Call to Christian Activism
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4:00-5:00
Session 3B: PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY [ASC G-10]
Session Moderators: Dr. Michael A. Kirkpatrick, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Jeremy Vittek, Assistant Professor and Director of
Professional Education
4:00-4:15
Aaron Prince [McGinnis]
The Chiastic Structure of Walter Benjamin’s Theses on
the Philosophy of History
4:15-4:30
Nicholas King [Whelton]
Popper's Resolutions to the Problems of Demarcation and
Induction
4:30-4:45
Aaron Prince [O’Hare]
Strong-grid Society in Paleolithic Cave Art
4:45-5:00
Nicholas King [McGinnis]
Zen and Transcendental Phenomenology on Experience
5:00-6:15
Dinner: Benedum Dining Room, Swint Hall
6:30-7:00
Awards Ceremony: Troy Theater, Swint Hall Auditorium
Presentation of Awards:
Ms. Georgia Tambasis, Assistant Professor of Visual Art
Dr. Mary Railing, Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Jessica Wrobleski, Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious
Studies
Closing Remarks:
Dr. Robert Phillips, Vice President for Academics and Dean of Faculty
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7:20-9:00
Haig Presentations – Acker Science Center Hawk Auditorium
Session Moderator: Dr. Julie Osland, Associate Professor of Psychology
Elizabeth Bain
Chemistry
Research Mentor: Dr. Emily Sylvester
The Synthesis and Characterization of Bidentate Schiff Base Metal Complexes of Iron and Nickel with Ligands Derived from Amino Acids and 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde
Utilizing amino acids in ligands for transition metals can have applications in biochemistry and
metal catalysis. Ligands have previously been created using different amino acids like alanine,
valine, and phenylalanine, which were successful in producing metal complexes of Cu2+, Ni2+,
and Co2+. Earlier work at Wheeling Jesuit University was aimed at synthesizing bidentate Schiff
base ligands from 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with L-phenylalanine (pyim). The goal of this
research is to synthesize and characterize iron and nickel complexes of these ligands and a
variety of anionic donors. The current work has focused on the synthesis of nickel complexes of
the formula Ni(pyim)X2, where X- = Cl-, ¬¬SCN-, NO2- , and iron complexes of the formula
[Fe(pyim)3]2+. Characterization methods including 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy are used to
assign coordination modes and geometries for these complexes.
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Anh-Dao Le
Biology
Research Mentor: Dr. Robert Shurina
The Effects of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate on Proto-Oncogene Tyrosine-Protein Kinase Src (SrcKinase) Activity in HT-1080 Cells
Epigallocachin-3-galate (EGCG) is an antioxidant found in green tea. HT-1080 is a line
of invasive human fibrosarcoma cells. It has been found that metastasis of HT-1080 cells is
inhibited by the presence of EGCG. My results have also shown that high concentrations of
EGCG (>100µM) are toxic to HT-1080 cells. The mechanism by which either of these happens
is unknown. One pathway of suspect is the Src-kinase pathway. This pathway is controlled by cSrc activity and plays an essential role in cell motility and metastasis. My results thus far have
shown that the presence of EGCG increases the amount of Src-kinase in HT-1080 cells but
decreases the amount of phospho-Src. This demonstrates that the levels of functional Src
proteins are reduced by the presence of EGCG.
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Gyen-Hyung Harry Lee
Biology
Research Mentor: Dr. Robert Shurina
(-)Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Inhibits Invasiveness in Prostate Cancer Cell Line DU-145 under in
vitro Microenvironment Created with HT-1080 Conditioned Media
Among tea flavonoids, (-)Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) is known for its antioxidant
property and inhibitory ability against cancer invasion in both in vitro assays and animal models.
In the previous study conducted by Go et al., it was demonstrated that 40 μg/ml of EGCG can
decrease the level of angiogenic factors, such as the basic fibroblast growth factor [1]. Thus, for
this study, 40 μM of EGCG was used to treat various cancer cell lines – mainly DU-145, an
epithelial prostate cancer cell line. Although EGCG seems to inhibit metastasis, the pathways
regarding this inhibition are poorly understood. This lack of certainly may be due to the complex
environment of in vivo tumors. To further investigate the molecular roles of EGCG on cancer
cells, particularly in cell invasion, I utilized the medium conditioned in fibrosarcoma cells via
fluorescent gelatin degradation assay to create an artificial microenvironment for DU-145. My
results presented the possibility of narrowing down potential interaction sites of EGCG to the
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway and integrin pathway.
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Rachel Wadell
Biology
Research Mentor: Dr. Benjamin Stout, III
Illustrating the Key to the Crayfish of West Virginia
Biological illustrations serve as a method of conveying information that is sometimes preferred
to photographs. Dichotomous keys often feature illustrations in order to help scientists identify
species in the field. The current key to the crayfish of West Virginia is outdated, so a new one is
being constructed. Dr. Zachary Loughman from West Liberty University is an astacologist, a
crayfish expert, and he has discovered five new species in the Appalachian area. The goal of
this research was to contribute accurate illustrations to be used by Dr. Loughman in an updated
book, Key to Form I Male Crayfishes of West Virginia. An Appalachian College Association
Ledford Fellowship (June 2015) was sought and obtained to finance time and equipment
needed to support dozens of illustrations. A Wacom Cintiq 13HD graphic tablet was purchased
and used along with a program called “Inkscape” to construct the illustrations. Using
photographs of crayfish from the West Liberty Astacology Lab, diagrammatic drawings were
made for different anatomical portions of all the crayfish species present in West Virginia. The
resulting images were worked and reworked until they were acceptable for use in the key. It was
concluded that in order to construct images for a dichotomous key, emphasis should be placed
within images by use of line, texture, and scale. To make images diagrammatic, control of
proportion, shading, and perspective is essential. Using the Cintiq as opposed to tracing paper
was beneficial because it allowed the images to be edited without having to start from scratch.
Biological illustrations are useful for visualizing complicated concepts, including the speciation of
closely related organisms, and can often be more beneficial than photographs. The overall
implication of this project was to provide a useful resource for scientists in the field that is more
beneficial than previous keys.
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Wolfgang V. Zober
Physics and Mathematics
Research Mentor: Dr. Peter Ehni
Physics Through the Usage of Laser Spectroscopy of Sodium in the Earth’s Mesosphere
Within the upper atmosphere, specifically the mesosphere, there is a layer of non-ionized
sodium atoms between 80 km and 105 km above the surface. This layer, created though the
ablation of meteors, weakly emits a doublet, two spectral lines D2 and D1 which are
respectively 589 nm and 589.6 nm. Through a process known as sodium florescence lidar,
researchers can specifically target these wavelengths to measure the concentration of sodium
in the mesosphere. This provides temperature measurements in this region and allows
scientists to explain and separate solar and Earth induced heat changes in the atmosphere.
This will also enable scientists to further understand middle and upper atmospheric chemistry,
structure, dynamics, and gravity waves, all of which play a fundamental role in atmospheric
modeling. As such this project is an in-depth analysis of building a laser for this purpose.
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WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY
Student Research and Scholarship Symposium Abstracts
Explanation of the coding system: The following abstracts are presented in alphabetical
order by first author. For the oral presentations, the information in the brackets includes the
time of the session (e.g., 2:00-3:30), the session section (e.g., 2C), and the location of the
session (e.g., ASC-G10). For poster sessions, the bracketed information includes the time of
the session (e.g., 12:30-2:00) and the poster board number where the poster is to be found
(e.g., P4).
Adams, Samuel: [11:15-11:30] [1C] [ASC-G10] A Sustainable Farm for our Future. With
the world’s population growing, the need for fresh organic food sources is also
growing. Two styles of farming have tried to support this growing demand. One is aquaculture
(fish farming) and the other is growing fruits and vegetables in hydroponic systems (soilless
water based farming). These styles of farms have been successful in producing food to fill the
needs, yet they produce waste products that need to be treated or removed. With aquaculture
the waste is ammonia and with hydroponics it’s chemical salts. If we were to combine the two
farming techniques into a single aquaponics system, then the fish’s waste will provide the plants
with nitrates, and the plants will clean the water for the fish without producing salts, because the
nitrogen cycle converts ammonia (fish waste) into nitrates (plant food). This experiment employs
a tank for fish, an air pump, water pump, and a swirl filter to remove solid fish waste, a growing
bed filled with media, growing lights, water heater, and plumbing to cycle the water throughout
the system. Thus far the experiment has produced some positive results. The 200 fish had an
initial weight at the mean average of 3.79 (g), and the current mean average is 35.7(g). This is a
tenfold increase in the first year. The beds produced among other herbs and vegetables, 43(g)
dill, 20(g) sage, 3.227(Kg) green beans, 113(g) kale, 6.0(Kg) mixed lettuce, 287(g) green
peppers, 1.483(Kg) cabbage, and 464(g) celery. The result of this experiment shows that
sustainable farms can produce proteins and vegetables in a controlled ecosystem. These
systems can be built and operated in our planet’s food deserts, providing a sustainable food
sources. Further testing is necessary to find which plants and fish perform the best in these
types of systems.
Auman, Brentley; Gatwaza, Christian: [2:45-3:00] [2A] [ASC-315] Senior Project for WJU
Campus Ministry. This project involves data gathering and data manipulation built into a userfriendly web site. The RSVP system involves creating an event and sending out a link to a page
that allows others to RSVP to an event, as well as functions to cancel an event and update an
event and RSVP. Reports are generated by specifying a date range, and then a table is shown
with all events that fall between the date range as well as summary statistics on those events.
Reports can also be generated on attendees. Programming languages used on this project
include, but are not limited to, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Ajax, PHP and mySQL.
Austin, Maire; Lopez, Scott: [12:30-2:00] [P36] [GYM] Use of Native Plants in Removing
Nitrates from Waste Water. The significance of this study was to use plants to lower the
nitrate concentration found in the runoff of the Wheeling Water Treatment Center. The
concentration of nitrates being unleashed into the Ohio River from the Wheeling Water
Treatment Center was above 1ppm which is a high enough to accumulate and cause negative
environmental impacts. Phytoremediation is the use of plants for in situ treatment of polluted
land areas. In order to determine this affinity for nitrate absorption in the plants, they were tested
in a hydroponics system at Wheeling Jesuit University. Soy bean plants were chosen to clean
up the water because of their efficiency in the nitrogen cycle of converting nitrates into
21
environmentally friendly nitrites, which can be more easily accepted by the Ohio River
ecosystem. The soy beans where grown in a Crop King Hydroponic System where the roots are
in a stream of nutrient water. Measurements of pH, conductivity and nitrate concentration of the
recycled water were taken weekly. The analytical technique used for determining the nitrate
concentration was the Lamotte Nitrate Testing method while the pH and conductivity were found
using a portable electrode. Over a period of roughly a month the conductivity and the pH
steadily increased until the plants died. The determination of the nitrates concentration did not
yield any results since the method implemented was not sensitive enough for detecting a
change in concentration. The next step in improving this research is to use native plants in
Wheeling as well as using a more
sensitive analytical technique.
Bain, Elizabeth: [10:30-10:45] [1C] [ASC-G10] Synthesis and Characterization of Metal
Complexes Derived from Amino Acids and 2-pyridinecarboxaldhyde. Utilizing amino acids in
ligands for transition metals can have applications in biochemistry and metal catalysis. Ligands
have previously been created using different amino acids like alanine, valine, and
phenylalanine, which were successful in producing metal complexes of Cu2+, Ni2+, and Co2+.
Earlier work at Wheeling Jesuit University was aimed at synthesizing bidentate Schiff base
ligands from 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with L-phenylalanine (pyim). The goal of this research is
to synthesize and characterize iron and nickel complexes of these ligands and a variety of
anionic donors. The current work has focused on the synthesis of nickel complexes of the
formula Ni(pyim)X2, where X- = Cl-, ¬¬SCN-, NO2- , and iron complexes of the formula
[Fe(pyim)3]2+. Characterization methods including 1H NMR and IR spectroscopy are used to
assign coordination modes and geometries for these complexes.
Beaver, Addyson: [10:00-10:15] [1A] [D-128] From a War of Annihilation to Genocide : How
Nazi Policy and Practice in the East Shaped the Execution of the Final Solution. During the
Second World War, Nazi racial ideology motivated Hitler to open a second front of the war in the
East against Soviet Russia. Hitler expected a swift victory and the total annihilation of the
Bolshevik foes, leading Germany to invade Russia on June 22nd, 1941 with the campaign
named Operation Barbarossa. This invasion marked a new stage of the war which included
Nazi-sponsored mass murder in the East, while simultaneously marking the beginning of the
end for Nazi Germany. By opening the Eastern front and embarking on the total annihilation of
the Soviet Union, Hitler had set the stage for the mass murder of the Soviet people, Soviet
Prisoners of War, and Soviet Jews, which in turn had set the stage for the Final Solution, or the
murder of all of Europe’s Jews. The goal of this paper is to show the series of events that made
the Wehrmacht into a machine of mass murder, starting with Germany’s invasion of the Soviet
Union in 1941. These events were highly motivated by the radical Nazi racial ideology, and I will
demonstrate how German policies based off this ideology ultimately led to the genocide of
millions of people, both of the Soviets and those who perished in the Holocaust. The evolution
of Nazi policies and practices of war after the invasion were unlike any other in modern times
and opened a new realm of brutality for German soldiers, ultimately leading to specialized killing
squads. These new policies and procedures, such as the killing squads, allowed the Germans
to think more sadistically about how to solve their problems and deal with proclaimed enemies
of the state, thus leading to the massive genocide known today as the Holocaust. A close
examination of the series of events and decisions made by the Germans from 1941 until the
execution of the “Final Solution” will construct a timeline of events that puts the Holocaust into a
perspective of being the product of a series of measures taken by the Nazis, policy overflow
from the invasion of the Soviet Union, and a last resort to preserve the integrity of the Third
Reich.
22
Bebo, Darcy: [12:30-2:00] [P53] [GYM] The Effects of Low Albumin on Nosocomial Pneumonia.
Low albumin levels in patients with Nosocomial Pneumonia is suspected to be a big factor in
readmission rates of patients in the hospital setting. Nosocomial Pneumonia can affect any age
group but the geriatric population are at the greatest risk. Due to poor nutrition, this population is
more apt to suffering from protein malnutrition from low albumin levels. Improving a patients
nutritional needs while hospitalized should improve their albumin levels and immune system
thus reducing their chances of contracting Nosocomial Pneumonia and being readmitted to the
hospital. New health care laws implemented by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
are holding hospitals responsible for any type of nosocomial infection during a stay at their
facility. Hospitals are being fined for excessive readmission rates within thirty days of patient
discharge. These new laws are supposed to protect patients and make hospitals more aware of
patient care. This law does not take into account a patient’s poor immune system due to protein
malnutrition. Being able to link malnutrition and low albumin levels to a patient’s immunity will
decrease fines leveled on hospitals. This study will hopefully show a significant amount of
patients that have been diagnosed with Nosocomial Pneumonia had low levels of Albumin when
they were admitted to the hospital. If a link between Nosocomial Pneumonia and protein
malnutrition can be proven, this can potentially save hospitals millions of dollars in Medicare and
Medicaid reimbursement from the federal government. Hospitals will also be able to focus on a
patients nutritional needs during their stay to improve blood serum protein levels and their
immune system. This should make it less likely for a patient to acquire a nosocomial infection,
thus preventing thirty day or less readmissions.
Becca, Brenna; Dalton, Emily: [12:30-2:00] [P33] [GYM] Perception of Harm of
Prescription Drugs Among College Students Based on a Student's Year in School. The
purpose of this research is to identify the perception of harm and availability of prescription
opioids, mainly Vicodin. The main focus of the research is to discover whether a student’s year
in school plays a significant role in these perceptions. Through this research, our goal is to
make the public more aware of prescription drug abuse and common
conceptions/misconceptions about prescription drugs. This research was conducted by
collecting data from students who attend Wheeling Jesuit University by means of anonymous
surveys. The results of the perception questions are then tested against the student’s year in
school marked on the survey. With prescription drug abuse being an increasing problem in the
Ohio Valley, it seemed fitting to see how college age students perceived prescription drugs.
Students were asked various questions including where they thought people acquired Vicodin,
other than from a prescription, as well as various insights on the percentage of people
using/abusing prescription opioids, mainly Vicodin.
Bednar, Emily; Shaffer, Joseph MS, ATC, PES; Schoolcraft, Christina MA, ATC, CES: [12:30­
2:00] [P2] [GYM] A Comparision of Rotator Cuff Treatments. Rotator cuff injures are extremely
prevalent in athletes and individuals who participate in sports or activities that call for excessive
overhead motion of the shoulder. Four muscles, and their tendon attachments make up the
rotator cuff. The insertions of these four tendons allow for distributed stability and support of the
shoulder girdle and rotator cuff. Rotator cuff pathologies present with multiple treatment options,
which allow individuals to choose whether they wish to receive conservative treatments, or non­
conservative treatments. Conservative treatments typically consists of physical therapy and
therapeutic modalities, whereas non-conservative treatments traditionally consist of surgery,
followed by an immobilization period, with physical therapy and therapeutic modalities following
thereafter. The purpose of this study is to compare the treatment options and determine if one
has more advantages than the other. Participants will be selected through the use of athletic
coaches and direct communication with the Athletic Trainers. Each eligible participant must be
between the ages of 17 and 25 and must have a clinically diagnosed rotator cuff pathology in
23
the past five (5) years. A total of twenty (20) participants will be asked to fill out the survey. Each
eligible participant will be asked to fill out an informed consent form, indicating they understand
the procedure that will be followed, any risks involved, and the contact information of the lead
investigator. Research will be conducted by way of a survey that assesses current lifestyle,
range of motion, strength, and current perceived pain. Each participant will be asked to state
whether they had conservative or non-conservative treatment. Participants included in the
collection of data included eligible individuals who were between the ages of 17 and 25, who
currently have or have had a clinically diagnosed rotator cuff pathology in the past five (5) years.
Those who would be excluded did not meet the eligibility requirements of age and clinically
diagnosed rotator cuff pathology. After the surveys are collected, a comparison will be made
between those who received conservative treatment, and those who received non-conservative
treatment. Using the factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) method, a difference
in strength, range of motion, and pain will be sought out between the two comparison groups.
The aim of this study is to compare conservative and non-conservative treatment options and
their effect on perceived strength, range of motion, and pain in individuals who have suffered a
rotator cuff tear. It is hypothesized that the participants that received non-conservative
treatment, which includes surgery followed by a period of immobilization preceding physical
therapy and therapeutic modalities will have higher perceived strength and range of motion, as
well as lower perceived pain.
Bell, George: [12:30-2:00] [P26] [GYM] Synthesis of Dithiocarbamate Ligands. Dithiocarbamate
ligands, R2NC(S)S-, have applications in transition metal chemistry. The organic portion of the
ligand, the R groups, influence the electron distribution in throughout the rest of the molecule.
This affects the strength of the metal-sulfur bond which affects the physical and chemical
properties of the complex. The dithiocarbamates are synthesized from amines, R2NH, and
carbon disulfide. Most amines used are commercially available and only have a simple alkyl or
aryl substituents as the organic (R) group. The aim of this research project was the synthesis of
novel amines. Synthesis of novel amines with electron-withdrawing groups, like halides or
carbonyls, provide complexes with different chemical and biological properties. The synthesis
and characterization of novel amines and corresponding dithiocarbamates will be described.
Blackburn, Megan; Rohan, Meredith: [12:30-2:00] [P27] [GYM] Does Science Education
Affect College Students' Perceptions of Harm and of Availability of Prescription Opioids.
The purpose of this research is to identify the perception of harm and availability of prescription
opioids, mainly Vicodin. The main focus of the research is to discover whether students’ majors,
particularly science and healthcare, play a significant role in these perceptions. Through this
research, our goal is to make the public more aware of prescription drug abuse and common
conceptions/misconceptions about prescription drugs. This research was conducted by
collecting data from students who attend Wheeling Jesuit University by means of anonymous
surveys. The results of the perception questions are then tested against the majors identified on
the survey. With prescription drug abuse being an increasing problem in the Ohio Valley, it
seemed fitting to see how college age students perceived prescription drugs. Students were
asked questions such as where they thought people acquired Vicodin from, other than from a
prescription, as well as various insights on the percentage of people using/abusing Vicodin. The
data will be analyzed and final conclusions will be drawn on if a student’s major influences the
perception of harm of prescription opioids. The implications of this research are to make the
general population more aware of the perceptions of college age students about prescription
drug abuse. It could also be used as a tool to design better future programs about raising
awareness of prescription drug abuse in the university setting.
24
Blumhoff, James: [3:00-3:15] [2B] [D128] Theory and Policy: A Look at American Foreign
Relations and Theory. This paper looks at the aspects of Neoliberalism and Neorealism which
become apparent in several cases of U.S. foreign policy. This paper is meant to understand
how we as political scientists see specific examples of the application of the theories that we
use in specific cases, not as a way of understanding systemic conditions but actual policy
process and outcomes. To do this we look at policies from the Obama and Nixon
administrations that are similar to see the different approaches and ways of addressing world
events and the resulting policies. This paper finds that the Nixon administration fits into the
neorealist tradition of international relations while the Obama administration fits the neoliberal
ideal. However, this paper also finds that some actions are not fully explained by either theory.
The primary example of this is the separation of domestic and international politics, also in
cases where policy is reactionary to other actions or events.
Brahler, Alexis: [12:30-2:00] [P14] [GYM] The Effects of Stretching on the Prevalence of Lower
Limb Injuries in Tae Kwon Do Athletes. Introduction: Currently, mixed martial arts (MMA) style
fighting is the fastest growing sport in the United States, along with being the most popular full
contact sport. Encompassed within MMA is Tae Kwon Do, which originated in Korea. Tae Kwon
Do is focused mainly around intricate and precise kicks; an injury to the lower limbs could
potentially be catastrophic. Lower limb injuries are the most prevalent, making up 46.5% of all
injuries, accompanied with upper extremity at 18%, back at 10%, and the head at
3.6%. Research has found that active application of a neuromuscular warm-up would help to
reduce the rate of incidence of lower extremity injuries. In this study the control group will
perform static stretching while another group performs dynamic stretching and Proprioceptive
Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching. Thus, proper stretching with the PNF technique
could potentially prevent lower limb injuries. Tae Kwon Do athletes from the Olympic Tae Kwon
Do Academy will be chosen as participants for this study. Athletes who signed up to participate
will be meeting with the researcher to receive the details of the research and all inclusion
material. Each participant will be given a consent form to sign before they are randomly
assigned to their groups by a secondary investigator. Three examiners will be instructed on the
stretching techniques and will be placed with their assigned group. All groups will be separated
into different rooms to perform their stretching that will last ten minutes each. Each stretch will
be held in intervals of thirty seconds for four times each, except for the dynamic stretching group
which has different requirements as stated. After the stretching all participants will continue their
training or competition together. Each individual will be examined by a medical professional for
injuries after each training session and each tournament. The research will last for one full year.
The participants should be between the ages of 18 to 30 years old and have an orange belt or
higher. This study has one independent variable, types of stretching, resulting in a three level
between designs. Thus, the study can be defined as a one-way analysis of variance, (one-way
ANOVA). The dependent variable of this study was the number of injuries. This was analyzed
by comparing the total number of injuries for each group over the yearlong span of the study.
Conclusion: Most injuries that occur during Tae Kwon Do training and in competition can be
avoided by a proper stretching protocol. There is little known about the effects of stretching on
injury rates, especially in the mixed martial arts world. With the growing popularity of the sport
there is an increasing need for injury prevention. Not only will this study benefit Tae Kwon Do
athletes, but also anyone in mixed martial arts and any athlete in general.
Brochu, Bryce: [12:30-2:00] [P43] [GYM] Social Media for Men's Lacrosse at Wheeling Jesuit
University. The goal of this thesis was to properly and smoothly run the social media accounts
for the Jesuit Men’s Lacrosse Team on the Wheeling Jesuit Campus. The end result of this
project at hand was to continue to grow the Jesuit tradition and values in the lacrosse world,
along with exposing the successes of the Jesuit Men’s Lacrosse Team. Previous to receiving
25
the responsibility of the program’s media output and marketing, there were already multiple
accounts in existence. It became necessary to take those accounts and figure out the most
efficient way to produce a successful marketing campaign and create excitement for the
program. Upon taking the reigns of the social media accounts, the project's methodology was to
watch the number of visitors to each page, including the fluctuation of followers, narrow the
sources, and focus more effort into one account. By this time, a transfer of power had happened
as the Head Coach stepped down, leaving the program’s marketing in a vulnerable position.
With a lack of leadership and guidance, along with an uneventful couple of months for the team,
the accounts were left deserted. Another outcome for this project could now be to decrease a
great deal of marketing responsibility for the new, inexperienced, and young Head Coach
through the use of smoothly running social media accounts.
Burch, Jason: [12:30-2:00] [P28] [GYM] Perception of Harm of Prescription Drugs Among
College Students Based on a Student's Home State. The purpose of this research is to
identify the perception of harm and availability of prescription opioids, mainly Vicodin. The main
focus of the research is to discover whether students’ home states play a significant role in
these prescriptions. Through this research, our goal is to make the public more aware of
prescription drug abuse and common conceptions/misconceptions about prescription drugs.
This research was conducted by collecting data from students who attend Wheeling Jesuit
University by means of anonymous surveys. The results of the perception questions are then
tested against the states marked on the survey. With prescription drug abuse being an
increasing problem in the Ohio Valley, it seemed fitting to see how college age students
perceived prescription drugs. Students were asked questions such as where they thought
people acquired prescription opioids, other than from a prescription, as well as various insights
on the percentage of people using/abusing prescription opioids, mainly Vicodin. The data will be
analyzed and final conclusions will be drawn on if a student’s home state influences the
perception of harm of prescription opioids. The implications of this research are to make the
general population more aware of the perceptions of college age students about prescription
drug abuse. It could also serve as a tool to design better future programs about raising
awareness of prescription drug abuse in the university setting.
Caddies, Shelby: [10:45-11:00] [1C] [ASC-G10] Synthesis of Nickel and Iron Complexes with
Amino Acid Derived Schiff Base Ligands. The research we are conducting involves the
synthesis of new nickel and iron complexes using amino acid-derived ligands. Specifically, the
reaction of 2-pyridine carboxaldehyde with an amino acid (alanine, phenylalanine, and
methionine) is employed to generate a bidentate Schiff base ligand, L. Reactions of Ni(X)2 (X­
= NO3- , SCN- , Cl- , OAc- ) with two equivalents of L were explored as a means of generating
six-coordinate Ni(L)2X2. Similar reactions were performed using in situ generated ligands with
both nickel(II) and iron(II) starting materials. In addition to characterization and geometry
determinations, pH studies are conducted to determine if the ligand retains its acidic hydrogen.
Connacher, Anthony: [12:30-2:00] [P1] [GYM] The Effects of Cryotherapy with Early Activation.
In the Athletic Training profession, modalities, treatments, and rehab exercises are a part of
everyday protocol. Especially in the collegiate setting, there are often more sports and more
athletes to take care of. Whether it’s an acute injury, muscle tenderness, or a chronic injury,
cryotherapy tends to be used to reduce pain or help during early stages of inflammation. The
PRICE method has been the gold standard treatment for athletic trainers for several decades
now. However, the number one cause of injury in athletics is previous injury. This brings out the
question of whether or not athletic trainers can be doing more to prevent this from occurring. As
evidence based practice and medicine become a larger part of the profession of athletic training
each year the method of icing injuries has come under scrutiny claiming that ice is not an
26
effective treatment method. Recent studies are causing people to believe that the usage of ice
needs to be reduced or done away with completely in order to better an athlete’s return to play
process and prevent injury. While there is some evidence to support the use of alternate
methods such as early activation exercises and mechanotherapy, there is also evidence to
support the use of ice and other cryotherapy methods. Further research is needed in order to
determine the effectiveness of ice. Participants will be selected from the list of presently injured
athletes at the time the study is performed. Athletes will be taken from Wheeling Jesuit teams
whom are willing to participate. The athletes will be chosen from those with a previous history of
lateral ankle sprains. Participants will be excluded if they are recovering from any type of
surgery, or any type of soft tissue injury. The participants will consist of both male and female
athletes between the ages of 18 and 23 years old. Each injured athlete will be approached by
the researcher and will be asked if they are willing to participate in this study. To achieve an
effective sample size 20 to 25 athletes will be chosen. The researcher will explain to the athlete
the purpose of the study, what their role will be, and have them sign a consent form. This will be
done on a one by one basis as each athlete involved comes in for his/her first treatment
session. This study has the potential to be a stepping stone in order to improve our profession.
Coaches, trainers, parents, doctors, and athletes all have their own personal opinions on how
injuries should be handled based on what they themselves have experienced. While that can be
helpful in determining an effective treatment method it may not the best available option. Based
upon what is learned from this study other injuries could potentially be looked at to determine
better treatment methods, and athletes will be able to return to play faster than previously
possible.
Conner, Kaitlyn: [3:30-3:45] [2B] [D-128] USA Patriot Act and Human Rights. The purpose of
this research is to examine the articles of the Patriot Act and its enactment in response to the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and to discover whether a relationship exists between its
enactment and human rights violations outlined by the United Nations.
Cooper, Kristin: [3:30-3:45] [2A] [ASC-315] Weird Dice. My research topic is based on “weird
dice,” also known as Sicherman dice discovered by George Sicherman. Weird dice are dice
with non-standard numbers, but when rolled in pairs have the same probabilities as those of
standard dice. In my presentation, I will consider 4-sided dice, 6-sided dice, and 8 sided dice,
determining all possible pairs of weird dice of these sizes.
Cottrill, Mariah; Holt, Maddie; Patten, Skylar; Robinson, Emily; Raudenbush, Bryan: [12:30-2:00]
[P44] [GYM] Effects of Congruent vs. Incongruent Product Scent Administration on Online
Purchasing Behavior. The present study investigated whether the administration of a congruent
vs. incongruent product scent during an online shopping session influenced participants’ product
ratings and purchasing behavior. Participants (n=80) rated 10 on-line products. Three of these
products constituted the experimental conditions (leather jacket, fruity cereal, fresh brewed
coffee) for which the congruent scent accompanied the online shopping experience via a
Aroma-Crystal ultrasonic piezo crystal essential oil diffuser attached to the USB port of the
computer. Participants were asked to rate a) the quality of the product and b) the maximum
amount they would be willing to pay for the product. Independent t-tests were performed
between the item ratings in the control condition (no scent) vs. the item ratings when a
congruent product scent was administered. Consistent trends were noted such that congruent
scent administration increased quality ratings and the amount participants were willing to pay for
these products (such as coffee product with coffee scent). Further, if the product was related to
the scent being administered (such as coffee with breakfast foods or sneakers with leather), the
participants also rated those products as having a higher quality and cost. Given the continuing
increase in online shopping, the administration of congruent product scents could further bolster
27
ratings of product quality and revenue. Future research should examine actual purchasing
behaviors in-store vs. online during congruent scent administration.
Craft, Dominique: [12:30-2:00] [P7] [GYM] Perception of Cortisone Injections of Wheeling Jesuit
Athletes. In today’s health care facilities, cortisone injections are seen more and more often as
the preferred treatment for pain reduction, both by health care providers and patients. It is often
chosen because of the wide availability and efficiency of treatment. Not only can treatment be
received at outpatient clinics, but it can be done within a quick time frame. Also, pain reduction
among many patients can be seen immediately after treatment. However, current research
illustrates that there are also many risks concerning cortisone treatment. Clinicians and
researchers alike are concerned that cortisone only provides short term effects, and that
treatment must be ongoing in order to maintain beneficial results. There is also the concern that
cortisone injections are treating the symptoms of pain, but they are masking the true
problem. Many athletes are going through with this treatment without the understanding of what
it is meant for, and what side effects may be produced. The purpose of this research study is to
discover the perceptions of cortisone injections of college-aged athletes at Wheeling Jesuit
University. All participants in this research interview will be full time student-athletes that attend
Wheeling Jesuit University, ages 18-22. The researcher will meet with each athlete to conduct
the semi-structured oral interview, as well as visually observing the non-verbal responses of the
athletes. At this time, the researcher will ask open-ended questions that relate to perceptions of
cortisone treatment, including previous treatments, why athletes consider cortisone, potential
side effects, or other comments. The responses of the athletes will be recorded in written form,
as well as audio recorded to ensure validity, and then made into charts in the form of a
spreadsheet. The investigator will also be visually observing any non-verbal messages as well,
to take into account the responses the athletes may not want to portray to the interviewer. The
results of the athlete’s verbal and nonverbal responses will then be developed into emerging
themes. Using the grounded theory method, the themes will become the basis for a new theory
concerning the experiment. The perceptions of cortisone injections of college-aged athletes will
potentially emerge among the athlete’s responses. Cortisone injections are widely used among
much of the injured population. It is often seen as a quick and efficient pain reliever; however,
many people are unaware of the side effects that may occur with these types of treatments, or
the benefits they ultimately provide. Current research proves that cortisone is a therapeutic
treatment that relieves pain and is often a choice treatment of physicians and patients
alike. However, many athletes receiving this treatment may not understand why, or the role that
cortisone plays in management of an injury. This leads to progression of injuries because
athletes seek pain relief, without addressing the real issue at hand. The goal of this research
study is to understand these perceptions of athletes concerning cortisone injections.
Davis, Graham: [2:30-2:45] [2C] [ASC-G10] The Concept of Free Will in Truman Capote's In
Cold Blood. On November 15, 1959 Richard Hickock and Perry Smith slaughtered four
members of the Clutter family in a rural Kansas town. These murders and the events that
followed intrigued Truman Capote to travel to Kansas in order to understand why these
gruesome acts were committed. Throughout this process Capote came to understand the
mentalities and histories of the two criminals. Capote spent time with the two murderers as well
as the law enforcement members that were involved in the case in order to get the full story that
was first published in 1965 in The New Yorker and later published as a book, In Cold Blood, in
1966. While Richard Hickock saw himself as a conman who found his way into the wrong place
at the wrong time, Perry Smith believed that because of his past and the way he was treated,
fate had sealed him into committing the murder. Capote frames Smith’s view of Smith’s own life
as one that falls in line with that of a literary naturalist perspective. Literary Naturalism states
28
that there are two main forces that work against humans: Fate, the concept of having no control
over one’s actions, and Nature, the forces of the natural world aligned against the individual.
The two fundamental causes for Perry’s naturalistic perspective are his Genetics and his
Environment. Criminal Justice also has a theory that makes a correlation between heredity,
family background, and criminal behavior, Biology and the Family. As Capote studied the men
and their past, he found out that both of them came from troubled backgrounds but that
ultimately they had complete control over their decisions when they committed the robbery and
murder of the Clutter family. In In Cold Blood, Capote allows the murderers to present their
stories just the way they were told to him. However Capote skillfully uses the testimonies of
others such as Perry’s sister and father, as well as Richard’s parents, to disprove Perry’s belief
that he had no control over his own actions. Capote juxtaposes the perspective he has identified
in Perry with the concept of free will in order to show that there is general conflict in the belief as
to why Perry committed the crimes he did. Capote shows that despite the naturalistic
perspective that he identifies in Perry he ultimately had the choice when it came to his actions.
In Cold Blood is an argument for free will and against the perspective of naturalistic fate.
Dobrovich, Lacee: [12:30-2:00] [P20] [GYM] The Effect of Species-Specific Music on Household
Felines. The purpose of this experiment was to test the validity of a similar previous experiment
of species-specific music on felines. Certain species-specific songs were created with the
frequencies that are found in feline vocalizations. These three songs were taken and tested
against two classical music songs to see which elicited more response from the felines. The
classical music songs were Gabriel Faure's Elegie and Johann Sebastian Bach's Air on a G
String. These two classical songs were chosen due to the frequencies that fall close to a
human’s resting heartbeat and normal vocalizations. This makes the songs more pleasing to
humans and therefore a good test for the felines. The five songs were played for thirty minutes,
three times a piece. There was a rest of one minute in between each of the tests. Each song
was played multiple times to ensure the responses were close to identical. This was done so
that each feline responded to each song in the same way each time it was played and to ensure
that they were not just shocked by the sudden noise. The thirteen felines tested were monitored
during the songs and whether they had an active, passive, or no response to the music. The
result of the species-specific music had a success probability, both active and passive
responses, of 1. This means that every time a species-specific song was played the felines
responded to it. The probability of success of the classical music was 0.54. The failure
probability of no response to the classical music was 0.46 compared to the failure probability of
zero from the feline music. The thirteen felines tested were also of different ages. The younger
cats in the previous experiment were thought to have a more active responses to any type of
music than the older cats. This is due to the frequencies found in the species-specific music that
were higher than normal cat vocalization frequencies. Higher than normal frequencies are more
effective with the young. This is the same in human vocalizations, such as using baby talk with a
child. The felines in the age range of 0-2 years had a probability of an active response of 0.6.
The felines in the age range of 4-6 years had a probability of an active response of 0.28. This
data shows that the hypothesis of the previous experiment was supported. The felines were
almost twice as likely to respond to the species-specific music than to the classical music and
the younger felines were twice as likely to have an active response than the older felines.
Earnest, Melinda; Le, Anh-Dao: [4:00-4:15] [3A] [D-128] Palliative Care and Family. Typically,
an individual’s family is present at the start of life, throughout the course of life, and eventually at
the end of life. Thus, families must have an impact on all aspects of an individual’s life, even end
of life (palliative) care, often making decisions regarding treatment plans. However, if family is
not present, the burden of a decision may fall solely on the patient or the patient’s medical
caretakers. The purpose of this research is to look at the relationship between patients in
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palliative care situations, their families, and their medical caretakers and how family involvement
affects the perspective taken in caring for the dying. The effects of surrogate decision making on
families of terminally ill patients is specifically detailed.
Earnest, Melinda; Shaffer, Joseph; Slaughter, Melissa: [12:30-2:00] [P8] [GYM] The Effects of
Specialization on Knee Injuries. An increase in traumatic and chronic overuse injuries has
occurred in the youth and collegiate atmosphere in recent years. Current studies present a gap
in the literature regarding the effects of long-term, rigorous stress on the body in athletes who
have been specializing since a pre-adolescent age. Specialization is the limitation of
participation in athletics to a single sport paired with intentional focus on training in order to
increase development and elite performance. Moreover, whether this effect leads to a likelihood
of overuse or acute knee injuries in competitive collegiate athletes is yet to be discovered.
Considering the high incidence of injury to collegiate athletes, there is a need for further
research so at-risk collegiate athletes may be identified and enrolled in injury-prevention
programs. The purpose of the proposed research is to determine if there is any correlation
between the age at which an athlete specializes in a single sport and knee injuries. The specific
knee injuries recorded in this study are: ACL tear, PCL tear, MCL tear, LCL tear, meniscus tear,
and patellofemoral pain syndrome. This is a correlation study performed on collegiate male and
female athletes. The setting of the study is Wheeling Jesuit University. The selection of the
participants will be a convenience sample and voluntary. Criteria for the sample population are
as follows: male or female collegiate single-sport athletes who compete for Wheeling Jesuit
University between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three. The age of each test subject at
which one of the six listed knee injuries occurred and the type of knee injury that occurred will
be measured. All recorded data will be statistically analyzed using SPSS software and the
appropriate tests. Data analysis is currently being performed. It is suggested that future
research include a comparison of age, knee injury, and sport. It is also suggested that future
research include a functional assessment of participants and at-risk athletes done by athletic
trainers or certified medical professionals. Following the completion of data analysis, further
conclusions will be made. Keywords: specialization, knee injuries, collegiate athletes
Enders, Rachel: [11:30-11:45] [1A] [D-128] Switzerland, Illusions of Neutrality, and a WWII Profit
Motive. During the Second World War, Switzerland maintained a standard of neutrality. Winston
Churchill once claimed that Switzerland had “the greatest right to distinction” among neutral
countries and that the small mountain state remained “largely on our side”. Within the last few
decades, however, new information has come to light about Switzerland’s role and interactions
during the late 1930’s and early 1940’s – information that casts shadows on Switzerland’s claim
of neutrality. While there was certainly a national defense motive for trade with Axis powers, as
well as a generally accepted eagerness to maintain “business as usual”, Switzerland’s fiscal
policies and economic interactions, in combination with their actions after the war, were a
method for the Swiss to make a profit. To investigate Switzerland’s motives and craft the
project, the author used post-war reports, results of investigations, and nonfiction books, as well
as wartime documents, correspondences, and secret records. It was discovered that the Swiss
banks and investors, both private and state run, were both openly and secretly trading with the
Reich government. The project investigates five different aspects of the wartime economy:
foreign trade, banking, insurance, gold transfers, and cultural assets. With such partitioning, a
clearer view of the Swiss wartime economy can be seen as a whole. Switzerland’s wartime
economy remains significant for a few reasons. It affects how historians view wartime
economics in general. It influences our views on neutrality and how neutral states should
behave. Furthermore, there are victims and survivors of the war and the Holocaust who have
lost assets and prized possessions due to Switzerland’s trade with Germany. In the end,
Switzerland cannot take credit for as much neutrality as has been claimed.
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Forsen, Kassidy; Shaffer, Joe; McManis, Kimberly: [12:30-2:00] [P12] [GYM] Determining the
Effectiveness of Deep Tissue Massage for Athletes with Back Pain. A majority of people will
suffer from back pain throughout their lifetime. Will deep tissue massage of the back help to
significantly decrease this discomfort? This study will determine if the traditional method of
massage can counteract chronic low back pain. Participants for this study would be obtained
through surveys provided throughout university athletic training rooms. The total amount of
participants should be close to 50, with all of these athletes having a complaint of low back pain
lasting upwards of 2 months. Participants will be divided into one or two groups, one receiving
deep tissue massage, and the other receiving effleurage. The treatments would be provided by
a trained and certified athletic trainer. The participants will be provided with surveys throughout
the study to obtain subjective reports of pain and function. Descriptive analysis will be used to
determine popular themes derived from the survey results. The results will hopefully show a
difference between the two groups; common themes will arise of an overall decrease in
symptoms.
Gavorcik, Danielle M.: [12:30-2:00] [P21] [GYM] Effects of Scent Enrichment on the Behavior of
Captive African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus). Environmental enrichment has been implemented in
almost every facility containing captive animals with the goals to increase activity, reduce
stereotypic and abnormal behaviors, increase utilization of the environment, and increase
behavioral diversity. This study investigated the effects of scent enrichment on the activity levels
and behaviors of 5 captive African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). The pack of dogs included two
breeding adults and their litter of 3 one-year-old pups: one male and two females. A total of six
scents were presented to the dogs, with one scent treatment being placed onto an immobile
rock structure once a week. The various scents were beef blood, coffee, catnip, mint extract,
orange extract, and mouse blood. The locations and behaviors during pre-enrichment (baseline)
and enrichment were observed using instantaneous scanning sampling for two hours at 5
minute intervals. The behaviors were observed using a categorical behavior list, but were
ultimately categorized into ‘inactive’ or ‘active’ behaviors for analysis. Overall, the scent
enrichment did not show any significant effect on the dogs’ activity levels. However, certain
trends were observed. Generally, the two adult dogs had no interest in the enrichment, except
for the female ‘sniffing’ the catnip enrichment once. For each scent, the pups were interested in
the enrichment immediately after coming into their enclosure by exhibiting ‘sniffing’ only. The
male pup, however, showed more interest in the enrichment and would come back to the rock
enclosure to investigate by sniffing once more for the following scents: beef blood, coffee, and
orange extract. The scent enrichment also did not show any significant effect on the dogs’
activity levels or behaviors. Although scent enrichment did not appear to have any effect on this
pack of African wild dogs, a longer and more diverse study would be necessary to determine the
complete impact of scent enrichment on this species.
Gregorcic, Michael: [12:30-2:00] [P52] [GYM] Vitamin D Levels/Supplementation and Control of
Asthma. This project includes having patients who were professionally diagnosed with asthma
be tested for their level of vitamin D. If the level is low they will fill out an Asthma Control Test
(ACT) to evaluate their level of control they feel they have over their asthma. After the patients
fill out the ACT they will be given a calcium supplement that will be taken for four weeks . After
the four weeks another test for Vitamin D levels will be run and the patients will fill out the ACT
again to see if the supplementation had an affect on their control of asthma.
Hall, Victoria: [12:30-2:00] [P30] [GYM] Synthesis and Characterization of Novel
Dithiocarbamates. Asymmetrical secondary amines were synthesized following the recently
published reductive coupling of nitroarenes and olefins. These amines were subsequently
31
converted to novel dithiocarbamates. Dithiocarbamates are a well-established class of ligands
which form stable complexes with most transition metals. Synthesis of novel amines with
secondary functionalization (halides, carbonyls) provide complexes with different chemical and
biological properties as well as the possibility of further structural modifications. UV-VIS, IR, and
NMR give the insight into the physical properties of each unique ligand. The synthesis and
characterization of these new ligands will be reported.
Hansknecht, Stephen: [12:30-2:00] [P31] [GYM] Synthesis of Amines for use in Dithiocarbamate
Synthesis. Dithiocarbamates have many uses in a wide variety of fields, including agriculture,
medicine, and solar energy. These dithiocarbamates are formed from amines. In line with
research being done previously at WJU, several amines were synthesized for use in producing
novel dithiocarbamates. Cumene, benzene, and 4-nitrotolouene were each chosen as starting
materials. Both cumene and benzene underwent nitration reactions to form nitrocumene and
nitrobenzene respectively. Using recently published procedures, each of the nitrated species,
including 4-nitrotoluene, was then coupled with an organic olefin to produce amines for use in
the formation of dithiocarbamates. Products were characterized using IR and NMR
spectroscopy.
Happ, Samantha: [10:30-10:45] [1B] [D-129] The Ku Klux Klan: An Analysis of Klan
Rationale. The research explores the idea that Ku Klux Klan crimes can be understood
through the social learning theory and techniques of neutralization with the hope of limiting or
eradicating hate crimes for the future. The information found varies in how it relates to these
theories with an emphasis on four of the five techniques of neutralization and a plethora of
information relating to the social learning theory.
Hodel, Evan; Szeligo, Bret; Coffield, James; Fuller, Jason; Duffy, Norm: [11:30-11:45] [1C]
[ASC-G10] Proposed Thermal Decomposition Pathways of Various Cis
dicarbonylbis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II). Dithiocarbamates (DTC) are bidentate organic
ligands capable of binding to various metals. First synthesized in 1964, the cis­
dicarbonylbis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II) complex (Fe(CO)2(S2CNRR’)2) (where R and R’
are organic substituents) continues to provide a wealth of information regarding organometallic
bonding. Recent thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies of several of these iron
dithiocarbamates with different organic substituents have been performed in order to provide
insight into the thermal decomposition of metal-DTC complexes. Depending on the nature of the
dithiocarbamate ligand, i.e., the identity of R and R’, these complexes appear to decompose
either by the loss of both carbonyl (CO) ligands simultaneously, or by the initial loss of a single
CO ligand, followed by dissociation of portions of the dithiocarbamate ligand ultimately
forming iron sulfides and/or iron. Initial loss of one CO ligand implies the formation of a fivecoordinate intermediate, Fe(CO)(S2CNRR’)2 and/or a bridged dimer of this five-coordinate
intermediate, (Fe(CO)(S2CNRR’)2)2. The experimental results from 1) changing the identity of
R and R’, 2) using a simultaneous combination of two instruments (TGA and FTIR) allowing the
examination of the gaseous products of the decomposition, 3) changing the rate of
decomposition, 4) varying the gaseous atmosphere (N2, Ar, or air), and 5) the stability of
proposed intermediates has yielded valuable insights into both mode and mechanism of these
thermal decompositions.
Hritzo, Lucy; Lichay, Marguerite; Smith, Alexis; Yang, Xiuli; Culotta, Valeria; Pal, Utpal; Dumler,
Stephen J.; Grab, Dennis: [12:30-2:00] [P23] [GYM] Neurological Tick-Borne Lyme Disease:
Investigating the role of a Borrelia Burgdorferi Gene important for Invasion of the Blood Brain
Barrier. Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) that is transmitted by
Ixodes species ticks, is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States and Europe.
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Newly revised estimates from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggest that there are likely
to be over 300,000 new cases per year in the United States. The infection can be difficult to
diagnose and a substantial fraction of untreated patients develop neurological complications
known as neuroborreliosis, although how the spirochetes invade the brain and central nervous
system remains enigmatic. Using a well-documented in-vitro model of the human blood brain
barrier (BBB) I compared gene expression of Bb both before and after their transmigration
across the BBB. Of 92 Bb genes known to be expressed when interacting with mammalian
cells, one gene, lmp1, displayed an average 41-fold increase in gene expression among the
transmigrated spirochetes vs. those that did not. To confirm lmp1’s role, wild type (WT) Bb
(B31-A3 clonal strain), ∆lmp1 mutants (KO) and in Bb KO in which lmp1 was complemented,
were compared for their ability to transmigrate across confluent immortalized human brain
microvascular endothelial cell (HBMEC) monolayers grown on Transwell inserts. Dark-field
microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess spirochete
number and viability after transmigration. Compared to WT, the ∆lmp1 Bb mutants showed a
decreased HBMEC crossing phenotype, while complementing lmp1 to the Bb ∆lmp1 strain
restored the WT Bb BBB crossing phenotype. In conclusion, these studies suggest a role for Bb
lmp1 as a virulence factor in neuroborreliosis.
Hudson, Logan: [12:30-2:00] [P51] [GYM] Magnesium Sulfate in Exacerbations of COPD
Patients: A Dependent Samples Study. The objective of this study is to determine whether
taking a daily magnesium sulfate supplement of 400 mg every morning for one month will help
alleviate symptoms of COPD and increase quality of breathing and quality of activity level.
Patients will be asked to complete the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) twice, once before they
start taking the daily supplement and again after taking the supplements daily for an entire
month. The CAT is a questionnaire containing eight questions relating to the impact that COPD
has on the patient's daily life.
Jibikilay, Prisca: [12:30-2:00] [P37] [GYM] Investigation of Possible Metal Contamination
in Creeks Around Wheeling. The research that I conducted was based on the discovery
of metal contamination of surface water around Wheeling, WV. The main purpose of this
research was to find transition metals, if there were any, that could contaminate the water
surrounding the city of Wheeling. Water contamination of heavy metals result from natural
sources such as weathering of minerals in rocks that leached and released chemicals into
streams. Furthermore, there are potential manmade impacts on water contamination in
Wheeling and this is mostly due to the disposal of industrial waste and also to the mines.
Resources like coal release metals in various ways including coal ash and water runoff from
new and old mines and slurry impoundments. All the samples collected are analyzed by Atomic
Absorption spectroscopy (AA), from there we know what metals are in the water surrounding
Wheeling. Plus, the benefits of knowing the content of the water surrounding Wheeling is to
avoid a lot of disease because it is a threat not only to the human kind, but also to the animals
and plants.
Jordan, Mia; Shaffer, Joseph: [12:30-2:00] [P11] [GYM] The Effects of Four Weeks of Corrective
Exercises on Functional Movement Systems Scores in Waitresses. The Functional Movement
Screen (FMS), developed to identify limitations or asymmetries in 7 key developmental
movement patterns, is known to help improve quality of movement and decrease injury risk.
Literature shows that a score of 14 or less (with a maximal possible score of 21) places the
individual at an increase risk for injury. This project is designed to determine the effects of a 4
week corrective exercise program on individual waitresses in the local community. Twenty two
waitresses, between the ages of 18-35, all from 5 different restaurants, will take part in the
research project. Each participating waitress will be scored on the FMS by a Certified Athletic
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Trainer (ATC) who is a FMS provider. An exercise program will be developed by Move2Perform
based on their score. Each individual will report to the ATC 3 times a week for 20 minute
sessions of corrective exercises. A FMS will be performed again at the conclusion of the 4 week
session to compare results. Statistical significant will be calculated based on pre and post FMS
test results at the (p-values < 0.05) significance. The improvement of the FMS scores may help
to illustrate the use of a corrective exercise program to decrease dysfunction and asymmetries.
This research will continue to add ways to use the FMS to help improve quality of movement
and performance.
Kemp, Arika: [12:30-2:00] [P35] [GYM] Coal Combustion By-Products. The study was
performed to see if the products including; gypsum, a drywall component, cement, and
possible road treatment for winter weather, would be safe for consumers . The buffering
capacity was tested to determine the ability to make products out of the by products of coal
combustion, fly ash. At TraDet Laboratories the EPA method 1312: Synthetic Precipitation
Leachate Procedure was followed in order to analyze the samples. The sludge material was
prepared with different ratios of lime. The sludge/lime mixture was mixed with extraction fluid
and with DI water to compare. Extraction vessels were used to filter off the solid sludge material
from the liquid. The liquid was used for analysis of acidity, alkalinity, and major metals. Metals
analysis of eighteen samples has been compared to Dr. Stout’s database of pre-existing data of
coal slurry results. The results show that the higher ratio of lime caused the levels of Ca to
increase, due to lime being a compound of CaCO3. The major metals that appeared in the
samples at high levels include Selenium ranging from 5 ppb to 21 ppb, Arsenic ranging from 1.6
ppb to 5.4 ppb, and Ca, Mg as hardness ranging from 1000 ppm to 4130 ppm. The pH of the
samples was recorded to be very basic, meaning having a pH 11.7-12.5. The results that
compared to Dr. Stout’s data do not have any statistical difference to the study. The conclusion
of the experiment is that the lime mixtures with sludge increase the buffer capacity, but the high
concentrations of major metals needs to be addressed depending on the products the mixture is
being used to produce.
Kemp, Arika: [11:00-2:00] [GALLERY] Drawing from Observation: Still-Life. Last
semester in my drawing class I worked on perfecting my skills in drawing still-lifes from
observation. For my final project I wanted to create a still-life that not only showed my
skill in capturing the objects but also elevated them into a higher purpose. In this still-life
drawing my chosen objects such as jars of milk, eggs, and a block of cheese, are carefully
arranged by me in order to create an interesting composition. My choice of medium is charcoal
because not only is it challenging, but also allows me to capture different values of highlights
and shadows. The definitions between the dark background causes the lighter values of the
eggs and milk to stand out in the foreground. I used a variation of line quality and value changes
from light to dark in order to make the work more fluent and bring out the importance of these
simple objects in everyday life.
1.Title: Farmer's Market
Medium: drawing
Date: 2015
Dimensions: 12x12 inches
Kindall, Haley: [11:00-2:00] [GALLERY] Artistic Explorations in Contemporary Spiritual
Dilemmas. Using the process of drawing my work explores how in our contemporary
culture we worship technology. My ideas are connected to the subject of how we
depend on cellphones for everything in our lives including inner thoughts, religious beliefs, and
politics. For example, my piece titled IFoe(n) brings attention to the desire to be with or within
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this virtual reality. Everyday fads or trends such as yoga, buying organic, and celebrities as role
models manifest themselves in various ways; both negative and positive. Throughout my
journey as a student artist, I will continue to explore the affects of technology and social
networks within contemporary culture for my senior exhibit next year.
King, Nicholas: [12:30-2:00] [P34] [GYM] A Chemical Analysis of Iron Contaminates from
Acid Mine Drainage in the Freshwater of Wheeling. Wheeling is a city on the Northern
Panhandle of West Virginia that was once a center of industry and commerce amid the growth
of fossil fuel industries in the state, especially coal. But the prospect of sustainable wealth and
growth has left us today with only a legacy of ruins, pollution and the loss of biodiversity not just
around the city, but Appalachia as a whole. Exploring areas close to these sites and buried
layers of the past has revealed the presence of runoff containing metals such as Iron and other
acidic compounds going into streams and ultimately in the Ohio river. This runoff is known as
acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage forms from water flowing into abandoned mining sites
that have pillars of FeS2 (pyrite) as well as exposure to atmospheric water vapor forming iron
hydroxides and hydronium which lowers the pH of streams past natural conditions. The
reactions are as follows: 2 FeS2 + 7O2 + 2H2O;2Fe2+ +4SO42-+4H+ 4Fe2+ +O2 +
10H2O;4Fe(OH)3 + 8H+ Analysis will be performed with techniques such as nitric acid
digestion, AA spectroscopy, and electrometric pH analysis. I hope that this data will contribute to
our growing knowledge of the scars left on Appalachia by industry long gone.
King, Nicholas: [4:15-4:30] [3B] [ASC-G10] Popper's Resolutions to the Problems of
Demarcation and Induction. Karl Popper was an early 20th century philosopher of science who
became a leading figure in the field mainly due to his system of critical rationalism and
falsification. Falsification was a resolution to figure out what the best, most reliable theories
were amongst the confusion and chaos of the early 20th century in which Marxism and Freudian
psychoanalysis grew as well as relativity, quantum mechanics, and fascism. Popper could not
decide which theory to go with because each theory had a large number of confirmations, so
much so to the point that it seemed the whole world confirmed whatever was expected by the
theory you adhered to; this reliance on only confirmation is a form of bias called confirmation
bias. So Popper investigated theories in the other direction to see if theories could be tested to
be demonstrated to be wrong. Popper seemed to have found a solution when Einstein acquired
his first observations of gravitational lensing as predicted by relativity to test the theory; Popper
used this test of the theory of relativity to establish the criterion of falsifiability, or testability so
that scientific theories can be demarcated from pseudoscience and one can know if a theory is
false. Another problem that Popper deals with that will be discussed in this project is the
problem of induction. The problem of induction is a result of induction not guaranteeing
conclusions from observations such as the classic example of inducting from observing a group
of black swans that all swans are black. Popper at this point must determine if induction can be
saved or must be forsaken in scientific arguments. Falsification and Popper’s logic of scientific
discovery and knowledge attempt to solve such problems to ground the growth of scientific
knowledge of the natural world as it truly is.
King, Nicholas: [4:45-5:00] [3B] [ASC-G10] Zen and Transcendental Phenomenology on
Experience. This paper will be a comparative analysis of Zen Buddhist philosophers such as
Dogen and Takuan Soho and their influence and retrospective analysis by Kyoto school
philosophers Nishida and Tanabe on experience and its connection to reality; we will study
these eastern outlooks in contrast to the grounding of experience in the western school of
phenomenology developed by Husserl. Through this study we will observe the development of
the eastern ideas of Emptiness and later absolute nothingness interpreted by Kyoto school
thinkers as a mediator or a contextualizing medium of experience and all things and note their
35
criticism of western ontology. With these ideas and critiques in mind, we will see if Husserl’s
ground of the life-world can stand to such criticism and perhaps show if a ground is necessary
for experience and precluding being and nothingness. To further understand the line of thought
of pre-modern Zen philosophers, we will take a look at the influence of the ancient Indian
philosopher Nagarjuna, whose writings of Emptiness as the highest truth and “essence” of
things leads to a deontology of Buddha-nature in much of Buddhist thought, especially in
Kamakura period Japan onward. Instead of viewing Buddha-nature (the true nature of things) as
substance or primary and secondary qualities, Buddha-nature as Emptiness is a way that gives
meaning to being and nothingness rather than establishing itself as one and operating against
the other. Husserl establishes in phenomenology a newer way in western though to suspend
representation and prejudice in a phenomenological epoche so that, from a first person point of
view, reality unfolds as it really is. From such experience, the rational structures of the
experiences of you, others, and the objects of these experiences take part in an intersubjective
constitution called the life-world. In light of eastern criticism of western ontology, we will
conclude whether or not the phenomenological epoche and the concept of the life-world can
ground experience with its extreme a priori and even consider if experience necessitates such
grounding at all or manifests spontaneously as Emptiness.
Kraus, Holly: [12:30-2:00] [P32] [GYM] Use of Drug of the Week to Educate Chemistry
Students about Prescription Drugs and Abuse. The purpose of this research is to
increase students’ understanding of prescription drugs and decrease the likelihood of
abuse. Through this research, our goal is to make the public more aware of prescription drug
abuse and common conceptions and misconceptions about prescription drugs. Common
abused prescription drugs among students are Adderall, Xanax, Vicodin, and
Percocet. Prescription drug abuse is an increasing problem in the Appalachian region and the
goal is to decrease the likelihood of abuse through heightened education on the matter. The
proposed method for this research includes a “Drug of the Week” post on the students’
Blackboard for an organic chemistry course; this survey includes the structure, reactivity, use,
and hazards or symptoms for each drug. Pre- and post- surveys will determine if this method
was successful in educating students about the harms of prescription drug abuse.
Krempin, Jan Michel: [2:45-3:00] [2B] [D-128] Migration and Xenophobia in the European
Union. The process of European integration has led to interdependence on the continent.
This interdependence has been vital in peace preservation. At the same time, there has been
an observable increase of xenophobia throughout several member states of the European
Union (EU). Citizens which see European integration as a threat to their culture and their
country’s sovereignty join nationalist movements or vote for right-wing parties. This research is
sectioned into two parts. Firstly, it determines if there has in fact been a measurable rise of
xenophobia in the EU. Secondly, it evaluates the influence of a country’s net migration rate on
the development of xenophobia within the country. In order to measure xenophobia, election
results over time are under examination. The research concludes that there is an indication for a
recent rise of xenophobia within the EU. Countries with positive net migration rates have
experienced a rise of xenophobia, while there is no such indication for countries with negative
net migration rates.
Kuminkoski, Carley: [10:45-11:00] [1B] [D-129] The Validity of the Strain Theory. In today’s
world, people are expected to meet the goals of success through legitimate means. People set
common goals, for example, the American Dream, valued by a certain society and have socially
acceptable means for achieving these goals (Durkheim, 1893). When there are limitations in
social structure, such as lack of income, lack of a job, and a lack of education, people often
cannot attain the goals through lawful means. As a result, some individuals will resort to deviant
36
behaviors, which include criminal acts such as theft or stealing (Merton, 1949). This is known as
the Theory of Anomie by Emile Durkheim and the Strain Theory by Robert Merton. The purpose
of this research is to test the Strain Theory developed by Robert Merton. Reinforcement of the
Strain Theory came from the Anomie Theory developed by Emile Durkheim and Robert
Agnew’s General Strain Theory. I have tested the Strain Theory by randomly selecting core
classes on Wheeling Jesuit’s campus and surveying students. The surveys consisted of
questions about whether the students agree or disagree with Emile Durkheim’s Anomie Theory,
Robert Merton’s Strain Theory and Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory.
Le, Anh-Dao: [10:15-10:30] [1C] [ASC-G10] The Effects of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate on SrcKinase Activity. Drinking green tea is believed by many Asian cultures to have various health
benefits, including better skin and improved digestive health. Epigallocachin-3-galate (EGCG) is
an antioxidant found in green tea. HT-1080 are a line of invasive human fibrosarcoma cells. It
has been found that metastasis of HT-1080 cells is inhibited by the presence of EGCG. It has
also been shown that high concentrations of EGCG (>100µM) are toxic to HT-1080 cells. The
mechanism by which either of these happens is unknown. One pathway of suspect is the Src­
kinase pathway. This pathway is controlled by c-Src activity and plays an essential role in cell
motility and metastasis. The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effects of
epigallocatechin-3-gallate on Src-protein levels in HT-1080 cells. A cytotoxicity curve has been
set up to determine a concentration of EGCG that can be worked with. Cells were treated with
100µM EGCG and when compared to untreated cells they were 42% less viable after a 24-hour
incubation period.
Lee, Harry: [10:00-10:15] [1C] [ASC-G10] EGCG Inhibits Epithelial Growth Factor-Induced
Invasiveness in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines. Among tea flavonoids, (-)Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate
(EGCG) is known for its antioxidant property and inhibitory ability against cancer invasion in
animal models. Although EGCG seems to inhibit metastasis, the pathways regarding this
inhibition are poorly understood. To investigate the molecular roles of EGCG on cancer cells,
particularly in cell invasion, fluorescent gelatin degradation assay was used to quantitatively
compare the invasive index of EGCG-treated and untreated fibrosarcoma cell line: HT-1080.
The results showed that the invasiveness of EGCG-treated HT-1080 cells is significantly
inhibited when compared to the control cells (Standard X2 Test: P=0.0003). Furthermore, during
this experiment, it was shown that EGCG seemed to suppress cancer cell proliferation in HT­
1080 without significantly affecting its viability. This finding suggested a possibility that there
may be a cell pathway involved in cell proliferation and invasion of HT-1080, which is inhibited
by EGCG. I hypothesized this cell pathway to be the epithelial growth factor (EGF) pathway,
which promotes the growth of epithelial cells. To confirm whether this pathway was involved in
the inhibition of cell invasion in EGCG-treated cells, the presence of EGF in HT-1080 cells was
tested by using an epithelial prostate cancer cell line: DU-145. DU-145 was grown in the
conditioned media extracted from a HT-1080 culture, and tested for its invasiveness. The results
showed that DU-145 in serum free EMEM media + HT-1080-conditioned media was clearly
more invasive than the cells in serum free media only (X2 = 62.2097; this data is extremely
significant at p < 0.01).
Litz, Allison; Shaffer, Joseph; Dennis, Dave; McManis, Kim: [12:30-2:00] [P15] [GYM] The
Effects of Therapeutic Modalities on Gymnasts with Low Back Pain. Gymnastics is a sport that
hasn’t been highly researched in the area of therapeutic modalities associated with lower back
pain. Therapeutic modalities are defined as an intervention used to heal someone. The back is
a very common spot for injury in gymnasts and amounts to billions of dollars a year in doctor
visits. This is why athletic trainers want to try to stress to athletes how important it is to do the
little things right to try and prevent the causes of these injuries. Muscular injuries are very
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common in gymnasts, since they twist their bodies into positions that are beyond the normal
limits of flexibility from the ages of 2-4 years old. After years of training up to 6 hours a day if not
more, that takes a serious toll on the body. This is where muscular injuries can start to occur.
There are also many other injuries that can happen to the low back, and when dealing with a
possible spinal injury there are certain precautions and tests that need to be done, to make sure
there is nothing that can further harm the individual’s health. If the pain is simply muscular or
ligament/tendon related that’s where therapeutic modalities can come into effect.
The subjects that are being recruiting for the study will be competitive gymnasts between the
ages of 10 to 16 years old suffering from muscular low back pain. In order to qualify for this
study the athletes must have either a grade I or grade II muscle strain. The athletes will be
selected from local gymnastic centers. The study will be performed on the participants on a daily
basis. The gymnasts will come into the athletic training room every day prior to and after
practice. Group A (experimental group) will come into the training room 45 minutes before
practice, and group B (control group) will come into the training room 35 minutes prior to
practice. The therapeutic modalities that will be performed on group A are ultrasound, electrical
stimulation, and a heat pack prior to practice and ice immediately following practice. The results
will be based on whether or not the therapeutic modalities relieved the lower back pain of the
gymnasts in group A. The results will be split into two groups, those whose pain was relieved
and those whose weren’t. A percentage will be taken from those two groups to determine how
effective the therapeutic modalities were on gymnasts with lower back pain. A percentage of the
results will be taken and placed into a chart to determine the effectiveness of therapeutic
modalities in gymnasts with musculature low back pain. This research will be able to show
treatment methods to help gymnasts at a younger age be able to treat low back pain. More
knowledge about gymnastics itself and how therapeutic modalities can help treat low back pain
will be discovered. This research has the potential to open up a lot of doors and different areas
of study when it comes to competitive gymnastics in both men and women.
Lubinsky, Taylor: [12:30-2:00] [P39] [GYM] Mathematical Billiards. Mathematical billiards studies
the path of a ball under ideal conditions. Previous studies have considered the path of a billiard
ball launched at a 45° angle (or a slope of 1). My focus of study is the path of a billiard ball
when launched at a slope of 1/2 or a slope of 1/3. Questions investigated include which corner
the ball ends up in and the number of times the ball hits a cushion. For example, it is shown
that when launched at a slope of 1/2 on a billiard table of width a, where a is odd, and with
height b ≡ 1 mod a, then the number of hits of the ball is 2b+a. If a|b, then the number of hits is
(2/a)b+1.
Marcum, Erin Gabrielle: [2:30-2:45] [2B][D-128] The Impact of 20th Century Women’s
Movements on 21st Century Women in Latin America. Throughout Latin American history
women have played a significant role in bringing about development and democratization.
Women’s groups have served as the heart of many movements that successfully instigated of
positive social change and therefore changed the culture in Latin American countries. Past
women’s participation in various movements has provided possibilities for current and future
women that would not have been available to them otherwise. The object of this research is to
understand the ways in which one generation of women impacted the lives and opinions of the
next generation by seeking an answer to the question: How have the actions of 20th century
women’s movements in Latin America improved the opportunities for 21st century women,
particularly in regards to their social, economic, and political lives.
In order to understand these impacts, participation in women’s groups and confidence in
women’s groups was compared to recent trends in indicators of progress such as: female labor
force participation, educational attainment, birth rates, percentage of women holding public
office, and the Gender Inequality Index. Based on the historic patterns and recent indications of
38
development, it is expected that participation and confidence in women’s groups will continue to
rise and will therefore further the advancement of economic, social, and political progress
indicators. These advances will continue to increase the opportunities of current and future
generations of women and positively affect the attitudes and opinions of Latin American citizens
about the capabilities of women in the public sphere.
Marsilio, AnnaMarie: [2:45-3:00] [2C] [ASC-G10] The Proto-Feminist Art of Passing
Within the Eighteenth Century. The literary theory of passing allows eighteenth-century
female authors Eliza Haywood and Delarivier Manley to put pen to paper and write stories that
contribute to the progress in the proto-feminist community. Elaine Ginsberg, the author of
Passing and the Fictions of Identity defines the theory of passing as: “By extension, ‘passing’
has been applied discursively to disguises of other elements of an individual’s presumed
‘natural’ or ‘essential’ identity, including class, ethnicity, and sexuality, as well as gender, the
latter usually effected by deliberate alterations of physical appearance and behavior, including
cross-dressing” (3). By comparing the main characters of Rivella in Manley’s work The
Adventures of Rivella and Fantomina in Haywood’s text Fantomina; Or, Love in a Maze to their
respective authors there is a clear understanding about how truly difficult it was be a woman
during this century.
Passing as another person or different personas in this time period was not an easy task.
Fantomina passes as many different identities in order to gain dominance over a man. The
character of Rivella passes through her written texts in order to gain respect. By assuming the
role of an author, Rivella is able to transgress through gender roles. Both women assume
different female personas in order to undermine the patriarchy. However, the main question is
whether or not these works actually end with a proto-feminist message. The tale of Fantomina
ends with a pregnancy and with her mother sending her off to a convent, while on the other
hand, the narrative of Rivella ends with the literary author getting put in jail for her writings. Are
these texts actually proto-feminist? Do they or do they not contribute to the proto-feminist
movement of the eighteenth-century because of their endings? Do the endings undercut the
proto-feminist themes and the importance of passing? Eliza Haywood and Delarivier Manley
were working with the resources that were available to them at the time. Through the theory of
passing, however, and the way that Haywood and Manley end their texts, these works succeed
as proto-feminist texts of the eighteenth-century. These two female authors and the endings of
their stories, no matter how conventional and traditional they are, show that it was possible for
women authors to get a proto-feminist message across to their readers. Even though Haywood
and Manley had to make compromises on the endings of their stories, the proto-feminist themes
are nonetheless strong and evident.
Martin, Jessie: [11:00-2:00] [GALLERY] Recycled Identity. As a student artist I have
been working on creating a body of artwork that investigates ideas based on
discovering identity in various stages of our lives. For example my piece titled
Glissando depicts how music became a part of my identity, as well as art. The piece represents
the ways that music itself becomes art. Although I work in all various art media, I feel as if in
sculpture I am able to better express myself. I have included two other sculpture pieces in the
exhibit. Through each piece that I have created I used some form of recycled material, including
newspaper, metal work, and found objects. Through this I wanted to show how most of us do
not have just one identity, but many.
1. Title: Glissando
Media: Mixed media/ sculpture
Date: 2015
Dimensions: Variable
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2. Title: Through
Media: Mixed media/ wearable sculpture
Date: 2016
Dimensions: Variable
3. Title: The First Order
Media: Mixed media/ sculpture
Date: 2016
Dimensions: Variable
May, Ashley J.: [11:15-11:30] [1B] [D-129] Shoot or No Shoot: What Would You Do in the Eyes
of Law Enforcement? Does one’s perception of the use of force reaction by a law enforcement
officer change before and after acting as an officer in a simulated police-citizen interaction? The
principal objective of this paper is to demonstrate the change in perception of one’s own
projected responses when being asked to put themselves in the position of a first
responding law enforcement officer. This paper will also review the past, relative research, and
explain definitions and statistics needed to understand the use of force. The sample will include
20-25 Wheeling Jesuit University students (at least 18 and older) who were recruited through
classroom sign-ups, word-of-mouth, and information distributed throughout the school.
Participants will be asked to rate their responses based on: no action, verbal action, physical
action, less than lethal action, and lethal action. The participants will then interact with a
computer simulated officer-citizen situation, and have to respond using one of the Use of Force
responses defined by the National Institute of Justice. After this simulation, the participants will
then take a post-survey. The responses in the pre-survey, the simulation, and the post-survey
will be collected and analyzed. As hypothesized, the data should show an increase in
aggression when rating their responses. Future collection of data would include expanding to
different schools and/or communities.
McCann, Ryan: [12:30-2:00] [P13] [GYM] The Prevalence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament
Injuries: Artificial Turf vs. Natural Grass. The prevalence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
injuries has increased significantly over the past couple decades due to a multitude of factors;
one being the use of artificial surfaces (i.e.- artificial grass and turf) as opposed to natural grass
play surfaces. Injuries such as these can have a detrimental effect on an athletes’ career
whether they’re participating in rec-leagues or competing at the collegiate level and everything
in between. This study will ultimately contribute to the data that has already been published in
order to further benefit the professional medical field as a whole. Research has shown that
factors such as temperature, playing surface conditions, and the design of artificial grass and
turf fields increases the likelihood ratio that an anterior cruciate ligament injury will occur.
Providing significant data regarding ACL injuries could assist in creating prevention strategies
for athletes and influencing decisions regarding what playing surfaces should be used for
competition. In this study, it will be hypothesized that anterior cruciate ligament injuries will be
more prominent on artificial turf surfaces in Division II Collegiate athletes as opposed to those
who participate on natural grass surfaces. As a secondary working hypothesis based on further
published data, it will also be hypothesized that the two female groups will show a higher
incidence rate in ACL injuries than that of the males in their corresponding groups. Participants
of this study will be volunteers ranging in age from 18-23 that are currently participating in
Division II NCAA athletics in the Mountain East Conference. All participants must not have any
past history regarding knee injuries which includes soft tissue, ligamentous, and bone due to the
potential of an increased likelihood of an ACL injury occurring which would skew the data.
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Participants must be active participants of their team; red shirts and grey shirts will be excluded
from the study. A minimum of 100 participants will be recommended for this study with a 1:1
ratio of female to male athletes and with the anticipation that at least 10% of these participants
will suffer an ACL injury during the established study time frames. A magnetic resonance image
(MRI) will determine whether a participant has suffered an ACL injury. It will be assumed that
physicians dealing with participants that have suffered an ACL injury are trained to properly
interpret an MRI reading. All data will be recorded by the athletic training staff of the
corresponding university or college and will be kept in a secured area whether that be an office
space that requires a key for entry, locked file cabinet, or on a computer with a password key in
order to protect the privacy of the participants and the validity of the data. Following the end of
the academic year the data would be submitted to the primary examiner of the study for
statistical analysis using a one way ANOVA test in order to determine the statistical significance
of the results. The results would hopefully support the hypothesis that ACL injuries are more
prevalent on artificial turf surfaces as opposed to natural grass surfaces.
McGivern, Brock: [12:30-2:00] [P41] [GYM] Cardinal Communication: Improving
Communication for the Wheeling Jesuit University Baseball Team. The goal of this project was
to minimize communication barriers between the Wheeling Jesuit University baseball team, the
athletic department, student body, and the Wheeling community. To do this, it was necessary to
improve the program’s online and social media presence. This improvement began with the
creation of Facebook and Instagram accounts associated with the team. In addition, I strove to
generate revenue with the idea that this would lead to an improved brand image. Successful
attempts to fundraising include: hosting corn-hole tournaments, working as part of the event
staff during a Pittsburgh Steelers game, and selling Cardinal Baseball clothing orders. Up to
this point, the plan has proven successful; the social media accounts have over 100 followers
who can interact with the site. The fundraising has also proven successful thus far, as over
$2500 has been raised for the team. This project is an ongoing process that will be modified
until its completion at the end of the baseball season.
Meiman, Mary: [12:30-2:00] [P42] [GYM] Facebook Advertising for Plato’s Closet Bridgeville and
Clothes Mentor Bridgeville. This project explores the effectiveness of advertising on Facebook
for Plato’s Closet Bridgeville and Clothes Mentor Bridgeville. The objective is to increase both
stores’ Facebook presence and, by extent, the customer base of both stores. Other objectives
include using Facebook to attract more customers to the store and learning Facebook for
Business and adapting it and my skills to broaden the audience. To accomplish this, I generated
ads and targeted a select audience for each one. These ads have proven a varying degree of
success, as they target different audiences to sell different products. For example, an ad for
maternity wear is targeted only to women who have expressed an interest in maternity and baby
products on Facebook. Overall, this project is a success so far: both stores’ pages have seen an
increase in page “likes” and in the amount of people that interact with the page in general.
Meiman, Mary: [3:00-3:15] [2C] [ASC-G10] People Without a Cathedral. Stories do not exist
without characters and characters do not exist without stories. Without characters, there is no
way to further the plot of a story; the story just turns into one long description of a setting. Even
if the characters are not human, for example, a child’s show about talking trains or a fairy tale
that includes talking animals, they are a necessity for the overall development and
comprehension of a story. Characters, in their turn, do not exist without stories to create them.
People are people, names are names, but what gives these people and names meaning are the
stories and events that unfold around them. Characters in American history became the figures
they are because their stories were popularized; “George Washington” is a combination of two
relatively popular names, but when put together, make a famous character: the father of the
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United States of America. Even in one’s personal life, one’s friends and family members
become characters in his or her life because of many shared stories. In fiction, in order for the
story to be successful, readers must be able to relate to the characters in some way. The
characters not only further the plot of the story, but they also provide insight into the motives,
actions, and beliefs of society at the time the work was written. In Raymond Carver’s
“Cathedral,” there are only three primary characters, but those three characters carry the story
in such a meaningful way that no others are really needed. While other people are referenced in
the story, the three characters – the husband, the wife, and Robert – are the focus of the short
story. Throughout Carver’s “Cathedral,” the characterization of the husband, the narrator, allows
readers to experience the emotions of the characters and provides insight into the societal
behaviors of the time and the society’s treatment of blind people. In addition, Carver highlights
the husband’s epiphany of both his and Robert’s humanity.
Messner, Nick: [11:00-11:15] [1B] [D-129] Lovers and Liars: A Look into Lying and Deception
Among Intimate Partners. The goal of this study is to investigate lying and deception between
intimate partners. The study begins with definitions of main terms such as lying, long distance
relationship and intimate partner and will be followed by identifying key variables and how they
are interrelated to deception between intimate partners. Next, the research explores a numerical
value on how often people lie to their intimate partners on a weekly basis and will look at a
variety of reasons why one do so by collecting data from a survey. A survey will be given out to
70-100 voluntary participants. The data will be compared to the findings of 92% of people lied to
their intimate partner (Cole, 2001) and conclusions that people lie on average of 13 times per
week (Robinson, 1996).
Miller, Brittany; Shaffer, Joseph; Dennis, Dave McManis, Kim: [12:30-2:00] [P9] [GYM] The
Effects of the Combination of ASTYM, Eccentric Exercise, and Joint Mobilization on Lower
Extremity Soft Tissue Injuries. Men’s Lacrosse has a high number of injuries, especially soft
tissue injuries of the lower extremity. With such a high rate of injuries, come an increased
number of athletes who are unable to participate. In this study, a combination of ASTYM,
eccentric exercise, and joint mobilization will be used on lower extremity soft tissue injuries in
attempt to help decrease pain while increasing range of motion. The participants in this
research project will be members of the Wheeling Jesuit University men’s lacrosse team who
are between the ages of 18-22 years old. All players will be asked if they have or previously
have sustained a lower extremity soft tissue injury and if they are still having symptoms; if they
answer yes, they will be asked to participate in the study. The primary setting for this project will
be at Mountain River Physical Therapy Clinic under the supervision of one of the Physical
Therapists there. All participants will undergo 18 treatments in a six week period; this means
they must attend three times a week. Every athlete will have their own chart where their
measurements and progress will be recorded during each visit. In order to support validity and
verify that the proper response is recorded, the examiner will review any notes made with the
athlete at the end of every visit. The results will be recorded after the athlete completes their
last visit. Once every athlete has undergone their last visit, the examiners will take all records of
every athlete and compare their first visit’s records to their last visit’s records. This study will
allow Physical Therapists, Certified Athletic Trainers, and Athletic Training Students to observe
and examine the effects ASTYM, eccentric exercise, and joint mobilization will have on the
healing process of various soft tissue injuries.
Miller, Miranda; Comfort, Cydney: [12:30-2:00] [P48] [GYM] The Effects of Activities and
Emotions on Time Perception. The effects of three different activities and emotions on time
perception were observed for this study. Thirty-six participants volunteered for this study
ranging between the ages of 17-23. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the
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three conditions; video game, control, and political movie. The participants performed the
assigned activity for exactly 20 minutes and the time perceived by the participant was recorded.
The results were then analyzed by a univariate test. Since a small convenience sample size
was used, and the duration of the activities was only 20 minutes, no significance was observed
between the three activity conditions. Although, this study did illustrate three trends towards a
correlation between the emotions of the participants and the time perceived. Within the video
game group, there was a positive correlation between anger and the time perceived. This
means that as the anger level increased, that the activity was perceived as longer. In the
control group, there were negative correlations between the emotions, fatigue and depression,
and the time perceived. This means that the more fatigued the participants were the fast the
time pasted. Also, the more depressed the participants were the faster the time passed. If this
study was conducted again, a larger sample size would be used and the duration of the
activities would be longer. This may alter the results to acquire significance between the
different activities on time perception. If significance is then found, fun activities can be
implemented in situations that may need a therapeutic strategy to decrease time perception.
Myers, Charles; Dr. Cook, Andy: [12:30-2:00] [P22] [GYM] Identification and Total Count of
Bacteria in an Aquaponics System. The purpose of this research experiment is to determine the
types and counts of bacteria, heterotrophs and autotrophs, in regions of the aquaponics system
at Wheeling Jesuit University. The aquaponics system consists of a three hundred fifty-gallon
fish tank with one hundred twenty-eight bluegill within the tank. The fish tank is connected to
plant beds via PVC tubing, allowing the fish water to drain into the plant beds. The main focus of
the system is to convert the nitrogenous waste secreted by fish, ammonia (NH3), into usable
forms of nitrogen for the plants such as, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-). By doing this,
the plants get the nitrogen they need to grow and the fish water is filtered. The lifeblood of the
whole system is being able to convert the nitrogen. The nitrifying bacteria, Nitrosomonas and
Nitrobacter, accomplish this process. There are several other heterotrophic bacteria that reside
in the system that can be beneficial such as the ammonifying bacteria. I have found six different
heterotrophic bacteria within the fish tank, all gram-negative coccobacilli. The reasoning that all
are different is because of different results for catalase and oxidase testing. Further testing will
be done on these bacteria. I have found two different heterotrophic bacteria within the plant bed,
including a gram-negative rod and a gram-positive rod. Testing and sample runs still have to be
conducted for autotrophic, nitrifying bacteria.
Nawrocki, Elizabeth: [4:30-4:45] [3A] [D-128] The Praxis of Inclusion: Rethinking the
Church's Sexual Morality Through Our Call to Christian Activism. Despite significant
developments in the scientific and social understanding of human sexuality, the Catholic
Church’s teaching on sexual morality has developed very little in the modern period to reflect
these developments. As a Church called to radical inclusion, we must reconsider the theoretical
underpinnings of our teaching on sexual morality and transform the unjust cultures such
teaching supports. With respect to LGBT people in particular, there is a need for a new culture
of full welcome and inclusion within the Church. An historical-critical reading of key passages in
scripture, a look at the intellectual development of the understanding of human sexuality, and an
openness to the ongoing revelation and transformation of the Church are essential for a
conversion of the Catholic attitude toward sexual morality. H. Richard Niebuhr has written of the
transformational role of Christ in culture, extending the role of “transformer” to all
Christians. Not only is the culture surrounding the Church in need of transformation towards
justice, but indeed the culture within the Church as well. This transformation of culture requires
more than just a rethinking of our theoretical foundations. Transformation is achieved through
the Christian call to activism. The organization DignityUSA is an example of this Christian
activism within the Church. While upholding the tradition of the Catholic Church, DignityUSA
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advocates for a more holistic understanding of human sexuality in the Church. Through
organizations like this, an acknowledgement of the diversity of sexuality within the Church, and
a developing understanding of mystery of human sexuality, the Catholic Church need not fear
conversion, but recognize the call from God to more deeply include all people in the community
of the Church.
Ngaleu, Sonia: [12:30-2:00] [P38] [GYM] Correlation Between Red Wigglers Worms’
Environmental Conditions and their Rate of Reproduction. The aim of this experiment is to study
the rate of reproduction and the growth of red wiggler worms grown on leaves, grass cuttings,
straw, and food waste. Worms are involved in the decomposing process of organic substances
that are later used as organic fertilizers for plants. There exists a considerable amount of
literature about worms and their impact on the growth of plants, but very little on how to grow
these worms, which happen to be one of the key factors in vermicomposting. The results of this
experiment show that red wigglers reproduce and grow twice as fast when grown on straw than
when grown on food waste, leaves, or grass cuttings. For instance, after three weeks, there
were 20 individuals grown on straw versus 6-10 on the other foods. However, red wigglers
grown on straw are more slender (5.63g average) when compared to the worms grown on food
waste (3.52 g average). When fed on food waste, worms have a higher individual mass (0.55 g
average) than the worms grown on straw (0.45 g average), but they reproduce slower. Red
wiggler worms grown on leaves seem to grow slower when compared to the worms grown on
the other foods. After three weeks there are only 11 individual worms grown on leaves versus
10 at the beginning. Red wigglers grown on grass cuttings tend to die. When trying to increase
the rate of reproduction of worms, it would be highly recommended to do so on straw.
Ngenzi, Rubis: [11:00-2:00] [GALLERY] Conversations of Afrikan Identity
Through Art. Throughout my art classes, the theme of my projects tends to be
based on Afrikan culture. More specifically, my work represents my own identity as a
Rwandan. Through my work, I discuss my own perspective of Afrikan culture. For instance, my
work crasseux depicts inequality among social classes. In this work, the shoes are working
shoes hanging by a rope, frozen and stuck, unable to move much like the inability from moving
upward in social class. Another work illustrates malaria, a yet still uncontrolled disease in Afrika.
In my future projects, I will continue to portray a various aspects of Afrikan culture such as
hairstyles. Hopefully, my artwork will bring a better understanding of Afrikan culture.
1.Title: Crasseux (Mucky)
Media: Sculpture
Date: 2015
2.Title: Umuco (Culture)
Media: Watercolor
Date: 2015
Dimensions: 18x24 in
3.Title: Envahisseur (Invader)
Media: Watercolor
Date: 2015
Dimensions: 18x24 in
Pacifico, Mariah: [12:30-2:00] [P25] [GYM] Use of the Ames Test to Determine the
Mutagenicity of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM). The Ames test is a widely
employed method that uses bacteria to test whether a given sample can cause mutations. The
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Ames test was developed in the 1970’s by Bruce Ames. The test is a fast and sensitive assay of
the ability of a chemical to induce mutations in DNA. Secondary mutations occur spontaneously;
these mutants are called back mutations. A 48,000-gallon storage tank along the Elk River
leaked a chemical called 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol and an estimated 10,000 gallons of
crude MCHM spilled into the Elk River. MCHM is used in the coal industry in the separation
process of usable coal from other debris. In this research project, the Ames test was used to
test the mutagenicity of MCHM and determined the number of mutant bacteria produced by
back mutations. The results and conclusion for this experiment are to be determined.
Palmquist, Maria: [12:30-2:00] [P5] [GYM] The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy Compared to LandBased Exercise Rehab. Have you ever seen a child playing in the water and was able to pick up
their much heavier parent or sibling? Have you ever wondered why they were able to pick up
someone that may have weighed twice as much as them? This is due to buoyancy. Buoyancy
is one of the main reasons this environment may be a great tool for patients who are
rehabilitating an injury. For health professionals, it is important to find the best form of treatment
that they can for their patients. Although there is research on the topic of aquatic therapy, there
still are gaps as to how patients really feel about the treatment they are receiving. Aquatic
therapy is still an underused form of rehabilitation, so more studies and research need to be
conducted to help show the advantages it can have on patients. The purpose of the quantitative
proposal is to determine whether aquatic therapy is a better treatment for particular patients
through observation of their feelings and pain scale. The study will include a total of thirty
healthy participants. They will be recruited for the study through their physical therapist or
athletic trainers at the college level no more than an hour away from WJU. The participants will
then complete a baseline survey and they will be randomly assigned to a therapy environment.
There will be 15 per group. The study will be for six weeks, one hour session, every Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday. They should be age 18 or above and be able to attend all therapy
sessions. The Visual Analog Scale, (VAS), is used in the healthcare professions to test for
subjective pain. It is on a scale of 0 to 10, 10 being the most unbearable pain. The State-Trait
Anxiety Inventory, (STAI), measures two types of anxiety; State Anxiety, which deals with
events, and Trait Anxiety, which deals with personal characteristics. Scores for the STAI range
from 20 to 80. Higher scores correlate with greater or high anxiety, while low scores show mild
anxiety. Ten of the patients should be between the ages of 18 to 30 yrs. old and twenty of the
participant should be 30 yrs. of age or older. When reviewing data, the one way ANOVA and the
repeated measure ANOVA will be used. The one way ANOVA will be used for the comparison
of data between the aquatic and land-based therapy. The repeated measure ANOVA will be
used for a comparison from pre-test to post-test within each group. Aquatic therapy is an
underused therapy option, but has some substantial benefits over land-based therapy. Aquatic
therapy can help decrease swelling, make it easier to move, be a more relaxing environment,
show psychological benefits such as faster progress and safety. Aquatic therapy can even
more importantly reduce the possibility of re-injury.
Peduto, Sam: [11:00-11:15] [1A] [D-128] The Atomic Bomb: Decision. Many countries today
have nuclear weapons, but only one country has used it against another country. President
Truman’s decision to drop the Atomic Bomb on Japan was one that had to be made. Using this
deadly and destructive weapon saved many American lives. The atomic bomb would be used
as a weapon of war in the manner prescribed by the laws of war stated by Truman. Which
meant that he wanted it dropped on a military target and not on a city that only had civilians.
While Japan believed in fighting until the end and no surrender, Truman believed “when you
have to deal with a beast, you have to treat him as a beast”. When trying to find information
about this key part of history many countries had an input. The top two with the most information
was of course Japan and United States but the Soviet Union, Great Britain, and Germany also
45
played a huge role in using the Atomic Bomb. The main goal of the project is to show and leave
no doubt to any viewers that the dropping of the Atomic Bomb had to be done. My first course
of action was to find books from both Japan and the United States. That way if there was any
bias towards the bomb, I would be reading both sides. My next objective was to find material on
each Ruler or President at the time, which was Roosevelt and Truman for the United States,
Stalin for the Soviets, Churchill for Great Britain, and Hirohito for Japan. This was a huge part of
the project because many of the Grand Alliance leaders would meet and discuss actions of
using the bomb and when to use it. After looking over and reading all the material, there were
many documents dealing with citizens and soldiers from the United States glad the bomb was
dropped. There were also documents from Japanese citizens saying there was no need to drop
the bomb because Japan was on the verge of surrendering. After finishing my thesis and
presentation I believe that because of how Japan respects its cultures and traditions, they would
have kept fighting until the last soldier, civilian and child. In the end the final decision that was
made to drop the atomic bomb over Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused the great empire
to surrender and this resulted in many American, Japanese, and other civilians lives being
saved.
Peters, Sarah: [10:15-10:30] [1B] [D-129] How Reliable is Eye Witness Testimony? It is
suggested that eyewitness identification and testimony is not very reliable. The United States
Justice System depends on it from case to case in order to prosecute criminals, but just how
unreliable is eyewitness testimony? According to the Innocence Project (“Eyewitness
Misidentification, n.d.), eyewitness identification is the single greatest cause of wrongful
convictions nationwide (“Eyewitness Misidentification, n.d.). Poor eyewitness identification
accounts for 72% of all cases that have been overturned by DNA evidence (“Eyewitness
Misidentification, n.d.). It appears that human memory is not a dependable enough source to be
used when another person’s freedom or even life is on the line. If eyewitness testimony is so
poor, why does the justice system continue to rely on it? Eyewitness identification is defined in
criminal court as, “evidence received from a witness who has actually seen an event and can so
testify in court” (Driscoll, 2015). Typically, eyewitness testimony is given by an ordinary,
innocent individual who happens to witness a crime take place. Juries, judges, and attorneys
alike have a hard time disbelieving the word of an innocent bystander. Previous Supreme Court
Justice, William J. Brennan, claimed, “There is almost nothing more convincing than a live
human being who takes the stand, points a finger at the defendant, and says, ‘That’s the one!’”
(STARR, 2012). Most faulty eyewitness errors are the result of an honest mistake rather than
deliberate misidentification. While eyewitness testimony may be convincing, just how unreliable
is it? This study aims to explore the degree of unreliability of eyewitness testimony by placing
individuals in a simulated video crime and interviewing them after the crime has been
completed. The process will attempt to imitate a real criminal investigation. Following interviews,
each witness’s testimony will then be compared to the actual events in order to determine how
reliable or unreliable his recollection was. It is expected that this experiment will expose that eye
witness testimony is too unreliable to be used as evidence in court. This experiment will
hopefully also demonstrate the importance of the interview process during a criminal
investigation.
Plichta, Jacob: [11:15-11:30] [1A] [D-128] The Role of the Italian Theater in World War II. This
project will examine the specific impacts of the invasion of Italy and ensuing campaign on the
peninsula by the Allies during World War II. Through careful examination of numerous primary
and secondary sources, the author demonstrates the dramatic effect of the theater had on the
war’s outcome. The invasion defined combat strategies on both fronts, tied down critical Axis
resources, provided a proving ground for Allied techniques and commanders, gave a massive
strategic advantage to the Allies in southern Europe, and most importantly removed Italy from
46
the war entirely. The goal of this paper is to relate the reality of this to the reader, forcing them
to critically analyze their own personal perceptions of the war, and bringing them to consider the
wider impact and greater importance of the Italian campaign.
Powers, David; Jibikilay, Monelle; Mukwa, Adou: [2:30-2:45] [2A] [ASC-315] Web Application for
Respiratory Therapy Evaluations. The Respiratory Therapy department stores and sorts
evaluation forms as well as perform statistic calculations of the results. All of which are done by
hand, which can be a rather time consuming task. We were asked to develop an application that
will be able to complete these tasks in a faster and more efficient manner. To accomplish this
task, a web application will be developed using ASP .NET, the Visual C# programming
language, MySQL, HTML, and CSS. The MySQL database will store all evaluation submissions
as well as student and faculty user account information. Through learning and research we
shall develop an application, which will allow student, instructor, and clinical site evaluations to
be completed and stored more efficiently than current procedures. Faculty will be able to
quickly view statistics including totals and averages from the submitted evaluations. With the
completion of this application, the Respiratory Therapy department will have a simple and
efficient method to complete and manage all of its evaluation information.
Prince, Aaron: [4:00-4:15] [3B] [ASC-G10] The Chiastic Structure of Walter Benjamin’s Theses
on the Philosophy of History. Walter Benjamin’s famous Theses on the Philosophy of History is
divided into twenty numbered paragraphs that envision a model of historiography in which the
historian brushes history “against the grain.” However, the numbering of the paragraphs is not
uniform throughout the work; while the greater part of the work is numbered one through
eighteen, the final two paragraphs break from the sequence and are labeled A and B. While
Benjamin would likely oppose the idea that any work can have a singular, definitive
interpretation, one method that will help open up new readings of the Theses is to propose that
theses I-XVIII fit a chiastic structure. This will unfold the work in four ways. First, it will highlight
common themes found in corresponding sections in I-XVIII. Second, it will allow theses A and B
to be held up as a reflection of the preceding theses. Third, it will allow interpretation of the text
to be performed analogously to Benjamin’s proposed historiography. Finally, it will place front
and center thesis IX, the famous picture of the angel of history and the storm of progress.
Prince, Aaron: [11:00-2:00] [GALLERY] Negative Space and the Abstraction of the
Image. These two works were done as part of a class on watercolor. For these I was
interested in exploring negative space, the effects produced by different wash
techniques, and the abstraction of the image. The first work is a non-representational image
using a variety of glazing and wash techniques. For the second, I wanted to incorporate visual
elements from the style of Paleolithic cave paintings found in caves such as Lascaux and
Gabillou through a series of images.
1. Title: Non-representational painting with a blank square
Medium: Watercolor
Date: 2015
2. Title: Therianthropic woman
Medium: Watercolor
Date: 2015
Prince, Aaron: [4:30-4:45] [3B] [ASC-G10] Strong-grid Society in Paleolithic Cave Art.
Anthropologist Mary Douglas introduced the idea of grid and group to describe the relationship
between individuals and society. Grid is the society’s classification system that defines the
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status of the individual, while group is the pressure exerted by the communal identity on the
individual. Within this framework, describing a society as strong or weak grid and strong or
weak group can allow comparisons with other societies that exhibit these traits. Strong grid
societies can be expected to “exert a great deal of control over the individuals and are marked
by a fair amount of ritual.” Based on the strict adherence to a classification system present in
the artwork of European Paleolithic caves and the evidence of social classification, the
Paleolithic society(s) that used these caves can be considered a strong-grid society.
Probert, Stephen; Mendenhall, Troy: [12:30-2:00] [P6] [GYM] Effectiveness of the Edge Tool on
Cervical Spine ROM in Comparison with Conventional Soft Tissue Mobilization. There have
been claims made regarding the use of the EDGE tool by the inventor, Dr. Erson Religioso, and
his colleagues, however, published research that incorporates the use of the EDGE tool does
not exist. Therefore, the objective of this study is to observe the effects the EDGE tool has on
cervical range of motion. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with two
experimental groups and one control group. The control group receives thermotherapy through
the use of a hot pack, and the experimental groups use thermotherapy as well as either
The®Stick or The EDGE Tool, depending on the group. The study was conducted at Wheeling
Jesuit University in the Athletic Training Clinic under supervision of a Certified Athletic Trainer.
Measurements: Measurements of left, right, and forward cervical flexion were taken as the
outcomes for this study. Measurements for left and right cervical flexion were recorded using an
inclinometer and forward cervical flexion was used using a clinical tape measure, measuring the
distance from the chin to manubrium. Baseline measurements at the beginning of the study as
well as pre- and post- treatment measurements were recorded. The data were analyzed using
SPSS statistical software. A 8 X 2 Within-MANOVA was performed for each cervical motion.
Over the 8 trials, participants’ range of motion significantly increased in forward cervical flexion
(p=.026) and left cervical flexion (p=.009) but not in right cervical flexion regardless of treatment
the subject received. When comparing the mean differences of pre-treatment to post-treatment
measurements, all subjects showed a significant increase in cervical ROM for forward, left, and
right flexion (p<.001). While all subjects showed an increase in ROM, results indicate there was
significant interaction between the pre- and post-treatments and the condition; participants that
received instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization techniques demonstrated significant
increases in range of motion in left (p=.013) and right cervical flexion (p=.008) compared to
participants that received only heat application. There were no significant differences between
the EDGE tool and The®Stick. The study shows that the experimental groups with the EDGE
Tool and The®Stick are both effective in increasing cervical range of motion based on any given
treatment. There is no significant data that suggests one technique of instrument-assisted soft
tissue mobilization is better than the other. Previously published research shows that The®Stick
has a positive effect on muscle flexibility, showing a 64% increase in muscle flexibility from pre­
test to post-test11. Since the data shows no significant differences between pre- to posttreatment measurements when comparing the EDGE Tool to The®Stick, it can be concluded
that the EDGE tool is a viable option as a technique for increasing soft tissue extensibility.
Further research on the EDGE Tool is suggested to better determine its effectiveness on other
areas of the body, the impact frequency of use has on results, and also to study its effects on
other soft tissue limitations.
Ptaszek, Kelsey: [12:30-2:00] [P19] [GYM] The Effects of Enrichment on the Behaviors of
Captive Golden Lion (Leontopithecus rosalia) and Cotton-Top (Saguinus oedipus) Tamarins.
Golden Lion (Leontopithecus rosalia) and Cotton-Top (Saguinus oedipus) Tamarins are small,
highly social primates that are native to South America. Since these primates have such
complex social behaviors and interactions, they have been widely studied. The purpose of this
study was to observe and compare the natural behaviors of captive Golden Lion and Cotton­
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Top Tamarins at the Oglebay Zoo and to analyze the effects that various types of enrichment
have on these behaviors. The two categories of enrichment studied were gustation/olfaction and
visual/cognitive. Mango, peppermint extract, and a puzzle feeder were the materials used for
enrichment. The normal behaviors of each species were observed first using a video camera.
Then, the behaviors of each species after introduction to each type of enrichment were
observed, also using a video camera. After analysis of collected data, it was concluded that
there was no significant correlation between the behavior of each species of tamarin and the
type of enrichment used. There were also no significant differences in behavior between the two
species of tamarins, as is apparent in the constructed ethograms for each species.
Rafa, Ryan S. SRT; Twarog, Cam; Emmerth, Marybeth; Shaffer, Joseph: [12:30-2:00] [P50]
[GYM] COPD Patients’ Locus of Control Affecting Hospital Readmission and Reimbursement.
As the baby boomers population continues to age, there is an increased need for healthcare
professionals to manage and treat chronic conditions. One of the most common diseases
affecting this population is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); this condition leads
to numerous hospitalizations as a result of the exacerbation of the disease. So much so,
patients are even being readmitted after their initial hospitalization, and insurance companies
are noticing the increased readmission rates. Under the Readmission Reduction Program, the
insurance companies will not reimburse the hospitals for care given to these patients if the
patient was readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. This research emphasizes
the need for proper discharge planning and follow up care after a patient being admitted to the
hospital for COPD exacerbation. The hope was this research would yield favorable results that
might direct health care professionals when attempting to provide better discharge and follow up
care. The purpose of this research was to link COPD patients’ determined locus of control to
their readmission visits to the hospital. The utilization of the Multidimensional Health Locus of
Control Scales assisted the researcher is determining the locus of control internal verse external
locus. Internal locus views their disease process as something they have control over; whereas,
external locus focus on the external aspects when explaining their disease process to which
they have little control over. It was hypothesized that COPD patients’ determined to be an
external locus would have a considerably increased amount of admissions to the hospital due to
COPD exacerbation. Over a six week period in the fall of 2015, members of the Primary Care
Resource Center (PCRC) at Wheeling Hospital met with COPD patient’s that were going to be
discharged for the hospital. At this time, the PCRC staff asked the COPD patient’s if they would
like to participate in the research. The procedure was explained and the patients were given a
consent form to sign. The PCRC staff asked all the questions aloud from the survey and then
accessed the patients’ electronic medical record to record their readmission history. At the end
of the six week period the surveys were scored and the data was interpreted utilizing ChiSquare of independence/cross tables 2 x6. The results were reported with the highest
cumulative probability being for the five internal locus that had only one or less
admissions within thirty days of one another. The highest probability of being within the 95%
sample standard deviation is 11%. The following discussion was mentioned: Although not a very
high probability due to small sample size within the allotted time frame, the above of information
is beginning to support the hypothesis that internal locus as less likely to be readmitted to the
hospital. The following conclusion was made: If a future continuation of this research yields
results that are deemed statistically significant, locus of control may be a valid psychological tool
in the prediction and prevention of COPD patients at increased risk of readmission.
Randolph, Megan; Happ, Samantha; Rush, Megan; Gross, Kayla: [12:30-2:00] [P45] [GYM]
Ignatian Identity at Wheeling Jesuit University: Study of Current Students' and Alumnus'
Perception of Their Jesuit Education. The purpose of this study was to highlight which
objectives are most central to an Ignatian education at Wheeling Jesuit University through an
49
online survey. The survey was taken by 558 Wheeling Jesuit University past or current
students, with self-report data of class or alumni status, graduation year, Catholic high school
attendance, Jesuit high school attendance, and whether the participant was a psychology
major/minor. The twenty-five questions were decided on by a focus group of researchers and
were designed to encompass the main aspects of a Jesuit education. Each question was rated
on a 1-5 Likert scale with 1 indicating that the participant strongly disagreed with the statement
and 5 indicating strongly agree. Each item was also timed so that the researchers could
interpret the findings of how long each question took. The last item on the survey asked for a
personal testimony of the participants’ time at Wheeling Jesuit which will be analyzed
qualitatively at a later date. No significant effects were found for psychology majors/
minors. Means of each question number were described in hopes that this could lead to further
research and identify the items participants viewed as a major part of their Jesuit
experience. Significant differences were found between question numbers, question times by
decade, and question time per question.
Randolph, Megan; Pontis, Jessica; Brown, Rebecca; Mitchell, Sarah: [12:30-2:00] [P46] [GYM]
The Effects of Taste and Food Evaluation on Food Neophobia. The purpose of the current study
is to determine if looking at an individual’s papillae count on his/her tongue is related to
neophobia, the fear of trying new foods. Recent studies have indicated there are gender
differences among men and women and trying new food. In addition, research has shown that
the number of taste buds an individual has can potentially allow him/her to determine the
difference between certain foods. Participants in the current study were recruited via a
convenience sample of students from a small, private liberal arts university. Sixty-nine
participants filled out four questionnaires related to their attitudes and eating behaviors, eating
disorders, eating habits, and food neophobia. Participants were then presented with a mock
buffet and asked to choose a typical lunch or dinner meal. In addition, a picture of each
participant’s tongue was taken in order to count the number of papillae. Results were analyzed
using a One-Way ANOVA. Analyses revealed a correlation between the papillae count and the
participants’ rating of the P.T.C. strip. Moreover, results demonstrated that as the number of
papillae count increased, the more a participant was likely to be food neophobic. Finally, it was
found that while the food neophobics ate less overall and consumed less protein, they managed
to consume more vitamin B3 and niacin compared to the neophilics and average eaters.
Redinger, Dean: [10:00-10:15] [1B] [D-129] Capital Punishment and Religiosity. The
purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between Christian religiosity and
support for capital punishment. This research was done in response to the recent severe drop in
public support for capital punishment in the United States. Through the use of survey research,
this thesis will have the potential to show what kind of relationship religiosity, ethnicity, and age
have with an individual’s views on capital punishment.
Rizzo, Kaitlynn: [12:30-2:00] [P54] [GYM] Congestive Heart Failure and Leading Causes for
Readmission. Although the symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure have already been identified
and many studies have been conducted, it has yet to be seen as to what the leading symptoms
causing these patients to be readmitted into the hospital are. Therefore, the purpose of this
study is to evaluate the symptoms of patients suffering from congestive heart failure at 2 local
hospitals in order to determine which symptoms are the leading causes for readmission.The
charts that will be used in this study are those of patients who have suffered from congestive
heart failure and have been readmitted back into the facilitating hospital within 30 days of
discharge. These charts will come from 2 separate hospitals that share the same medical
library, East Ohio Regional Hospital and Ohio Valley Medical Center. The charts will be viewed
and analyzed for symptoms of congestive heart failure that each patient displays.
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Sacco, Elizabeth; Meiman, Mary: [2:15-3:45] [2B] [D129] A Literature Analysis and Comparison
of the Therapeutic Benefits of Social Media and Family. The use of family as a resource in
therapeutic settings dates back to the very beginnings of psychotherapeutic theory.
The benefits of psychotherapy include social support, a decrease in depressive symptoms,
emotional closeness with others, and prevention and management of negative social pressure.
However, with the dawn of technology in the western world, our lives and support networks
have moved online, and the question remains: where is our support network when we need
them? As people turn to the internet with questions about their health and emotions, it is
imperative to acknowledge that people are developing their own support and therapy online, as
opposed to a strictly face-to-face discussion. The present study evaluated literature relating
to positive effects or benefits of social media to the individual and compared them to the
therapeutic benefits found in individuals who can and do use family as a resource. A
complicating factor was the definition of family, which through a thematic analysis (a type of
qualitative analysis evaluating common themes in responses), the researchers operationally
defined as “the individuals that one chooses to define as one’s own unit.” In our meta-analysis,
we found that in some of the research, the online contact resulted in better overall mental health
than was found without the online contact. In accordance with the well-established use of family
as a resource in therapy, the present study gives credence to the theory that family can be
expanded to include relationships developed using social media based on the thematic
definition established above.
Schattel, Amy: [4:15-4:30] [3A] [D-128] A Look at the Schism Women Feel in ModernDay Society: We Are Not Superwoman. Pulling recent data from business, psychology,
sociology, history, and women’s studies sources, this capstone looks at the impossible ideal
society has created for the working mother. It contains a detailed analysis of how women’s role
in society has shifted in the minds of both the global populace and women but has not been
reflected in the infrastructure of the United States. Women in modern-day society are asked to
perform the Herculean tasks of raising a family and succeeding in their careers, with societal
pressures condemning them if they cannot be the ‘perfect’ mother and high achieving employee
at the same time. The project also seeks to show how other countries are helping women
succeed in both spheres and eliminating the pressures young women feel when they pursue
both a rewarding career and a happy family life. This is a piece that exposes why change is
desperately needed in our society by highlighting the anxiety women feel when faced with the
decisions of family life versus work life. It seeks to encourage change in societal perceptions of
women’s roles and expectations in the modern-day family and workplace by casting light on
some of the double standards present in our current views of a successful woman. Right now
America’s ideologies about a woman’s dual role are causing a culture of criticism and
discontent. Women in America are faced with an impossible decision about family and having a
career at the same time. They cannot possibly succeed at both without a change in society’s
understanding of their role within it or a change in the infrastructure as America moves into the
future.
Schattel, Amy; Dr. Merrick, Gregory: [12:30-2:00] [P24] [GYM] Spatial Distributions of Prostate
Cancer Found Using the Transperineal Template-Guided Mapping Biopsy Method in the Initial
and Repeat Biopsy Setting. A growing diagnosis in middle to later aged men in the United
States of America is prostate cancer (pCa). There are various ways to diagnose the various
forms of the disease and currently there is constant debate about which biopsy method is most
accurate and useful. In a minor but significant portion of men diagnosed with pCa, their cancers
are not found until after receiving at least one negative biopsy. These late findings may be due
to the fact that the standard diagnostic biopsy used to confirm pCa, the Transrectal Ultrasound
51
(TRUS) biopsy, samples only the posterior part of the prostate gland. The purpose of the
project was to show statistically whether the Transperineal Template-Guided Mapping Biopsy (
TTMB) method is more effective at diagnosing low grade and regional specific prostate gland
cancer than the standard TRUS biopsy. From January 2005 through October 2015, 1118 men
underwent the TTMB diagnostic exam at Wheeling Hospital Schiffler Cancer Center in search of
pCa. Samples were taken from 24 regions of the gland. All data was entered into an in-house
database and the data was separated by the number of current and prior biopsies. The data
was broken down into various categorical and continuous variables using Excel. The data was
then analyzed using chi –squared, one sample t-test, two independent samples t –test, paired ttest, one-way ANOVA, and multivariate analysis tests on the Stata (Version 14.0) platform.
Statistical significance was set at P≤0.005. When this data is broken down by Gleason
Score(GS), which range from 1-10, a striking observation can be made. Over half the time that
cancer is found in subsequent biopsies the cancer has a GS of ≥7 and is located in regions the
TRUS exam cannot sample. These high grade and regional specific cancers may metastasize
to other organs if not found and treated. Another notable finding was that at initial biopsy with
TTMB, cancer was identified in 74% of cases. We have shown that the TTMB method is more
effective than the TRUS method at finding high grade and regional specific cancers in the initial
and repeat biopsy setting.
Seeley, Dylan: [12:30-2:00] [P3] [GYM] The Effect of Simulated Hypoxic Training in Normobaric
Conditions. The purpose of this study is to test the efficacy of training with simulated hypoxic
masks, in regards to increased VO2 Max lactate levels, for emerging rugby athletes. The
selected participant will undergo a 6-week study in which he will undergo rigorous physical
activity. The examiner will conduct a pre-study VO2 Maximum test with Anaerobic Threshold
being derived from the VO2 Maximum to provide a baseline. The following day the subject will
perform sprint training in the morning with lactate levels being taken to provide a baseline. In the
evening the subject will perform a timed mile with lactate levels being analyzed as well. The
training will occur three times per week, specifically on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The
subject will wear a hypoxia simulator mask whilst performing these exercise bouts during the
study but not at baseline or final testing. The results would show it whether or not it would cause
erythropoiesis and an enhanced VO2 Maximum,which translates to greater athletic
performance. Lactate levels would also be analyzed to check and see if advancements were
made in the Glycolytic pathway.
Shields, Sean: [3:15-3:30] [2A] [ASC-315] An Extension of Buffon's Needle Problem. Buffon’s
Needle Problem asks for the probability that a randomly dropped needle touches one of a
number of equally spaced horizontal lines. Laplace extended the problem to include both
horizontal and vertical lines. In this presentation we investigate two sets of parallel lines which
meet at an arbitrary angle. We will find the probability that a needle crosses a vertical line,
horizontal line, or both. We will also determine the probability that it crosses any line at all.
Simmons, Kenya: [12:30-2:00] [P17] [GYM] The Effects of Raising Betta Fish in Different
Musical Environments. Is it possible to change the aggressive behavior of a betta fish by raising
it in a specific controlled environment? This experiment focuses on how raising betta fish in
certain environments can affect their behaviors. Six baby betta fish were acquired and observed
for a week. The fish were split into three different music genre groups. There were two fish in
each of the music genre groups. The music genres were rap, classical, and rock music. For the
next six weeks the fish were raised in these groups. My hypothesis was that the classical music
would make the fish more passive in their aggressive fighting behavior, and that the rap and
rock music would make the fish more aggressive. The results show that the classical music
genre group was more aggressive, while the other two groups did not show much change from
52
the first original week of testing. The results were recorded by counting the amount of times
each fish chased, fled, or tied to bite the other betta fish. These statistics were taking the first
week when the fish were being observed, and then every two weeks for the six week duration
period. The rap group’s initial chasing median was three times per fight, after six weeks the
chasing median slightly changed to four times per fight. The classical groups chasing median
started at two times per fight and after six weeks advanced to seven times per fight. The rock
music group chasing median started at three chases per fight and ended at two chases per
fight.
Simo, Franck: [2:15-2:30] [2B] [D-128] International Students From Low Income
Backgrounds: Are the Jesuits’ Universities & Colleges Prioritizing Their Education? This
research's objective is to explore the international student population at all 28 Jesuit Universities
and Colleges and to determine whether these institutions provide support (academic and
financial) to the education of international student from low income backgrounds. The data
observed for this research are the scholarships programs; the partial and full. These
scholarships are examined to determine how much each Jesuit institutions contribute to the
education of their international student populations from low income background through their
scholarship process. This examination of the scholarship process at all Jesuit Universities and
Colleges reveals whether the Jesuit institutions prioritize the education of international students
from low income background.
The availability of full or partial scholarships will determine the level of engagement or
contribution of 28 Jesuit Universities and Colleges to the education of international students
from low income backgrounds.
Slattery, Padraic: [10:30-10:45] [1A] [D-128] The Polish Home Army and their Relationship with
Polish Jews. On September 1st 1939 Nazi forces invaded Poland and took control of the
country. For six years the Nazi regime controlled the Polish state. Inside of the occupied state
the Polish Home Army was the resistance movement against the Nazi occupation. This study
reveals the relationship of the Polish Home Army and Polish Jews during the occupation. During
the occupation the Home Army was often extremely Anti-Semitic and did not work with Jews
against their common enemy. There was an exception to the Anti-Semitism in the Polish Home
Army. That exception was in Warsaw, there was collaboration between Jews and Poles. There
were two distinct cases, one being the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Where Jews rose up against
their Nazi occupiers and took over the ghetto in Warsaw. This would not had been possible
without the help from members of the Home Army. With the help of the Poles, the Jews were
able to beat back the Nazis. Another instance of collaboration was during the Warsaw Uprising,
where the Polish Home Army decided to take back the city of Warsaw from the Nazis. The
Home Army worked closely with the Jewish Fighting Organization as they fought back against
the Germans. These two cases are unique instances where Jews and Poles decided to work
together to fight a common enemy.
Smith, Ali: [12:30-2:00] [P49] [GYM] Educating Children on Asthma. Asthma is a respiratory
condition causing inflammation of the airways resulting in shortness of breath and wheezing
because of spasms in the bronchi of the lungs. The training of a Respiratory Therapist is to
treat patients with cardiopulmonary disorders like asthma. The results of lung function test
using a Spirometer on children determine the level of their asthma. Many things could cause
the exacerbation of asthma like dust, smoke, animals, pollen, or even exercising. Parents and
children need to be knowledgeable about the asthmatic condition. The children who have
asthma must be informed about the evidence-based therapy designed for asthma treatment and
prevention of exacerbation. The intent of the assessment of the patient and caregivers
knowledge will be determined. This level of assessment is important to identify. The second
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assessment is determined immediately after Lorian’s book is read. In part, the book is written
for the child to comprehend the asthma condition they live with. The researchers want to
determine how important and effective the book will be, by measuring children’s increased
knowledge concerning asthma after reading “Fairy Tale Asthma”.
Smith, Sarah: [10:45-11:00] [1A] [D-128] The Nazi’s Treatment Towards People. The
German’s treatment of African American prisoners of war, captured French colonial
troops, and African-Germans civilians during World War II reflects discrepancies in Nazi racial
policy because while blacks were collectively viewed as racially “inferior” they did not all receive
the same treatment. Despite being dedicated to creating a racially pure empire, pragmatic
concerns prevented the Nazis from administering a collective policy of violence or extermination
towards peoples of African descent. The seemingly ingrained racism towards people of African
descent, spurred on by propaganda that Germans were fed for years, caused the development
of policies that restricted the daily lives of African-Germans, but never did it reach a level with
the prohibitions that were administered to Jews. This racism also caused many Germans to
view African Americans as “inferior” but because they were American, the Germans did not view
them as being on the same plain with Africans. German sentiment and racist ideology towards
Africans that served in the French Army often manifested itself in much more murderous ways;
not only because they were a reminder of the loss Germany had suffered during World War I,
but also because they represented how some German women allowed themselves to be
“coerced” into falling in love with these soldiers. Because of these perceived differences the
Germans had separate policies or ideologies for the individual groups of people of African
descent. African Germans faced forced sterilization, discrimination, and marginalization in
society, but not murder. African Americans, who were civilians – often musicians – living in
Germany, often experienced little discrimination except when the Germans decided to ban jazz,
but when they were placed in prisoner of war camps many times their music skills and high
profile status would save them from the worst treatment because the Germans would try to
trade them for Germans captured by the United States. African American soldiers report
different types of treatment they received once imprisoned and perhaps this is because the
most violent reaction towards black soldiers occurs in high tension situations like at the Battle of
the Bulge or when the Nazis capture airmen that were bombing their country.
Sninchak, Spenser: [12:30-2:00] [P10] [GYM] Prevention of Arm Injuries in Baseball: A
Research Study. Majority of non-contact sports do not result in injury. Baseball has been an
exception that oddly has seemed to see a continual rise in the amount of injuries. More
specifically, arm injuries continue to rise each year. Tommy John surgery has now become
more common among younger athletes than it has ever been. The struggle right now is trying to
pin point the root of this issue and devise a plan to prevent further arm injuries from occurring.
The goal of this research study is to prevent arm pathologies among baseball athletes. The
study will gather information that will be collected during the course of one competitive season.
The information collected will consist of the number of arm injuries that are sustained throughout
the season. Participants will be asked to complete a strengthening program that emphasizes on
the muscles that assist in the completion of a throwing motion. Results may suggest that by
maintaining equal and adequate strength, arm pathology can be significantly reduced. There
may be evidence that suggest compensation by muscles that assist in a throwing motion can
lead to such injuries. This could be due to certain muscles working harder than needed. In
conclusion, this study may give baseball athletes an opportunity to find better ways to help
prevent arm pathologies.
Steele, Megan: [2:15-2:30] [2C] [ASC-G10] Realistically Uncanny: Bierce's Take on Truth. As is
often the case with new literary movements, the tradition of Realism began with a
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revolt. Deeply affected by Charles Darwin’s publication of On the Origin of the Species, the
writers of the second half of the nineteenth century threw away the excesses of the Romantic
Age and grounded themselves in truthful observations of the world. Ravaged by the Civil War
and left to adjust to a rapidly changing society, Realist authors attempted to present obejectively
the new world that was developing around them. The typical Realist, according to William Dean
Howells, wrote stories of the average life and used concrete details, simple language, and
objectivity to describe the “smiling aspects of life” (Voorhees Realism). Developing alongside
Realism was the school of Psychological Realism, founded by Henry James. James diverges
from Howells and conventional Realism because he believes that reality is subjective and is
“perceived through the prism of the artist’s mind” (Voorhees James). James wanted to know
why his characters did what they did, not just what they did. Within the realm of Psychological
Realism is where Ambrose Bierce lies. Bierce is an unconventional realist to say the least, but
his personal brand of Realism lends even more truth to the revelations of his works. For
example, Bierce’s story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” diverges from strict realism
because it includes some fantastical and dreamlike elements, but these qualities bring him into
alignment with Psychological Realism because they allow him to describe honestly the
subjective reality of the spasms of a dying mind. Along with the fantastic elements, Bierce also
uses staples of Realism such as simple and concrete language, accurate depictions of everyday
lives, and violence that was usually associated with the frontier. Not only does Bierce’s realism
allow for a startling and compelling story, but his brand of realism also works to bring
understanding to the illogical chaos that ensued during and in the aftermath of the Civil War. In
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Bierce makes a statement about the violent nature of
war, and how the psychological trauma became a part of his society.
Stillwell, Dakota: [12:30-2:00] [P4] [GYM] Burnout Syndrome Prevalence in Undergraduate
Students. When asking an undergraduate student, “How are you today,” the typical answers are
tired, exhausted, stressed, or “burnt out”. This feeling is referred to medically as Burnout
syndrome and, although often overlooked as part of the “typical” college experience, it is an
increasing issue affecting both the physical and emotional health of graduate and
undergraduate students alike. Although not currently a diagnosable medical condition there are
three agreed upon symptoms are emotional exhaustion, alienation, and reduced performance.
Presently, there are few studies that research the frequency of Burnout syndrome in
undergraduate students attending Universities/Colleges in the United States. The purpose of
this study is to not only show the prevalence of Burnout syndrome in undergraduate students,
but also, the classification of Burnout syndrome, frenetic, underchallenged, or worn-out,
undergraduate students exhibit most frequently. This study will focus on the prevalence of
“burnout” and frequency of the frenetic, underchallenged, and worn-out subtypes. The study
population will be men and women, between the ages of eighteen and twenty four attending
schools in the Mountain East Conference, in health care undergraduate majors. The Burnout
Clinical Subtype Questionnaire Students Survey (BCSQ-12-SS) will be administered. The
researcher will be using survey monkey to distribute the surveys. The survey will be
anonymous. No identifying questions will be asked of the students during the survey. The
students will be given 6 weeks to complete the survey. At this point, the results of the surveys
will be collected from all completed surveys. Each subtype has corresponding questions. The
“frenetic” subtype is connected to questions 1, 4, 7, and 10. The “underchallenged” subtype
questions are 2, 5, 8, and 11. The “worn-out” subtype is related to questions 3, 6, 9, 12. These
questions scores will be calculated separately, using descriptive analysis, so as to calculate the
frequency of each subtype. The researcher will be conducting an independent t-test for each set
of the subtype connected questions. Research not performed, to date. The hypothesis for this
study is there will be a correlation between student’s perceived stress level (physical, emotional,
and academic), and the occurrence of burnout syndrome during their health care related
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undergraduate education. Originally only for people in health care, burnout has now gained
attention from many professions that spans from office worker, doctors, CEOs, and in this study
students. The BCSQ-12-SS is tool researchers can use to measure the frequency of burnout in
the student population. With the information gathered from the BCSQ-12-SS, not only can
burnout be identified in students, but it can place them into the three subtypes: frenetic, underchallenged, and worn-out.
Strauss, Johannes; Ulisse, Taylor; Sleevi, Sarah: [12:30-2:00] [P47] [GYM] The Impact of
Remorse and Orientation on Sexual Assault Sanctions. Ninety undergraduate students (44
males and 46 females) enrolled in a private college participated in a survey in which they read
two campus date rape scenarios, both involving alcohol. The scenarios were identical except for
whether remorse was or was not shown by the perpetrator. In addition, there were three ways in
which the sexual orientation of the characters in the scenario was varied: heterosexual malefemale (with the male being the aggressor), homosexual male-male, or homosexual femalefemale. The sexual orientation of the characters was the same in the two scenarios read by
each participant. Participants were asked to imagine themselves in the role of a member of a
student conduct board, assigning what they thought were the appropriate sanctions for the
perpetrator (if any). Participants selected the category of misconduct that they thought resulted
in the most appropriate punishment for the case (the categories were listed in order from least
to most serious and briefly explained), and indicated the level of responsibility of the perpetrator
on a five-point, Likert-like scale. Participants also indicated which sanctions (from a list of 17)
that they thought would be appropriate punishment. Results showed that participants
recommended significantly more severe sanctions when the perpetrator was not remorseful
than when the perpetrator was remorseful, F (1, 90) = 18.8, p <.001; no remorse M = 5.01, SD =
.10; remorse M = 4.47, SD = .09. A rating of four corresponds to on-campus punishment (social
probation), and a rating of five corresponds to suspension from campus. Participants also
thought that the perpetrator was significantly more responsible for his or her behavior in the no
remorse than in the remorse condition, F (1, 90) = 6.28, p = .014; no remorse M = 4.82, SD =
.08 remorse M = 4.67, SD = .08. There were no differences in recommended sanctions or
responsibility ratings due to the sexual orientation of the characters in the scenarios.
Our results suggest that remorse plays a significant role in how college students evaluate the
behavior of their peers. In essence, expressing remorse allows a perpetrator to stay on campus.
Perhaps remorse (and staying on campus) allows for restorative justice to have an impact on
the individuals involved and to change the campus culture. Our results suggest that participants
regard sexual misconduct similarly regardless of the sexual orientation of the individuals
involved. Presumably almost all our participants were heterosexual. In the future, we would like
to study the perceptions of people with gay sexual orientations about sexual assault.
Szeligo, Brett M.; Coffield, James E.; Duffy, Norman V.; Fuller, Jason F.; Hodel, Evan M.:
[12:30-2:00] [P29] [GYM] Preparation and Stability of Cis
dicarbonylbis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II). Since their first reported synthesis in 1964, the
cis-dicarbonyl-bis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II) complexes have been the subject of many
structural and spectroscopic studies. Our research over the past few decades have included IR,
Moessbauer, multinuclear NMR, XPS, and TGA studies. During that time period, concern was
expressed concerning the long-term stability of these compounds, but repeated elemental
analysis indicated little change in composition, especially from the loss of CO.
Parallel studies on the PNMR spectra of paramagnetic tris(diorgano-dithiocarbamato)iron(III)
complexes gave insight into the bonding of these spin-crossover complexes and their distinctive
PMR spectra. Recently, a study reported that our method of synthesis for cis-dicarbonyl­
bis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II) was observed to produce an impurity of
tris(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(III). Examination of the PNMR of our sample of cis­
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dicarbonylbis(dibenzyldithiocarbamato)iron(II)revealed, in addition to the expected peaks for the
iron(II) complex, a broad peak in the range of 24 ppm. This peak corresponds to the location of
the CH2 peak for the corresponding paramagnetic Fe(III) complex. This calls into question the
extent of decomposition over time of the numerous other cis-dicarbonyl­
bis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II) which have been used for TGA studies.
Each of the other cis-dicarbonyl-bis(diorganodithiocarbamato)iron(II) complexes have been
examined by PNMR and the results analyzed for the extent of the possible decomposition. The
diamagnetism of each sample has been determined and the apparent magnetic moment
calculated. The implications of these results to the earlier reported TGA determinations will be
presented.
Tambasis, Lydia: [12:30-2:00] [P18] [GYM] Testing Justicia Americana For Antimicrobial
Effects. Historically, plants have always been an integral component of natural medicinal
remedies. As the years have progressed, chemical compounds have been harvested from a
variety of plant species to make antibiotics; these have been essential for treating a wide range
of medical conditions. However, as the bacteria affecting patients have become increasingly
resistant to antibiotic treatments, it is necessary to find new sources of compounds capable of
fighting the diseases of today. The purpose of this study was to examine the compounds of
several different components of Justicia americana to see if any part contained any viable
chemical components that could one day be used as new antibiotics for the treatment of
diseases. The screening of several parts of Justicia americana was studied for antibacterial
activity against two gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa)
and one gram-positive bacterial strain (Staphylococcus aureus). The Kirby-Bauer was used for
this experiment. The parts of the plant specifically studied were the roots, rhizomes, and leaves
of Justicia americana. Three different extracts, water, ethyl acetate, and alcohol, were obtained
to test the different chemical compounds that were extracted by each solvent.
Tennant, Maria: [3:15-3:30] [2B] [D-128] A Deeper Look into Religiosity and its Effect on
the Public Opinion of Same-Sex Marriage. This research examines the relationship
between religiosity and the public opinion of same-sex marriage. The data will be taken from
surveys conducted in various core classes at Wheeling Jesuit University. I believe the results
will generally indicate that there is a relationship between religiosity and the public opinion of
same-sex marriage. And most specifically that higher religiosity will lead to negative or opposing
opinions on same-sex marriage.
Tracy, Matthew; McConn, James; Collins, Alex: [2:15-2:30] [2A] [ASC-315] Jamaal: A Web
Based Database Application. Our project centers around the creation of a web-based database
application for the storage and retrieval of volunteer firefighter certification information and the
updates surrounding them for a local volunteer fire department. In our research prior to
beginning its construction, we determined that our best course of action was to use visual studio
(visual C#) combined with MySQL workbench to implement the desired features to our
application. Not only would this allow us to go about the creation process smoothly, but it would
also allow for ease of publishing and hosting later through Microsoft Azure, should our client
choose to pursue that course of action. In general, the project has given us an opportunity to
learn more practical ways to use and appreciate HTML, visual C# and MySQL, as well as how
difficult it can be to incorporate multiple languages together into a single end product effectively
and efficiently. If the project is successful in the way that we intend it to be, it is our desire that it
be flexible enough that other stations could potentially use the same framework for their own
endeavors. We hope our new found knowledge will lead us to continue learning different
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avenues of approaching the creation and implementation of web based applications, and
dynamic, multi-level programming as a whole.
Wadell, Rachel: [11:00-2:00] [GALLERY] Exploration of Biology and Art. These three
pieces focus on biological subject matter including anatomy, plants, and animals. The
work takes examples of natural subject matter that may be seen by scientists on a
regular basis, and changes the context. In this way, science becomes art. The Monarch and
Spine contrasts life and lifeless images, while comparing similar shape and form. The Crosssection was created using a sgraffito technique to carve all of the cells, then stained with
watercolor. The epidermis, cortex, pith, fiber cap, phloem, and xylem are all visible. Finally,
Adventure abstracts the anatomy of the pelvis and places it in an entirely different setting. All
three pieces work together to encourage an appreciation of the beauty that is found in biology.
1.Title: Monarch and Spine
Media: Marker and Watercolor
Date: 2015
Dimensions: 18x24 in
2.Title: Cross-section
Medium: Watercolor
Date: 2015
Dimensions: 15 in diameter
3.Title: Adventure
Medium: Watercolor
Date: 2015
Dimensions: 18x24 in
Wadell, Rachel: [12:30-2:00] [P16] [GYM] Illustrating the Key to the Crayfish of West
Virginia. Beginning in the early 16th century, biological illustration has been a useful tool
in scientific research. Since then, illustrations have developed to serve as a method of
conveying information that is sometimes preferred to photographs. Dichotomous keys often
feature illustrations in order to help scientists identify species in the field. The current key to the
crayfish of West Virginia is outdated, so a new one is being constructed. Dr. Zachary Loughman
from West Liberty University is a scientific expert on crayfish. As an astacologist, he has
discovered new species in the Appalachian area. The goal of this research was to contribute
accurate illustrations to be used in the updated key to the crayfish of West Virginia. Accurate
illustrations depict each species in a simplistic manner to emphasize distinctive structures, but
still contain enough detail to make the crayfish species distinguishable from other species. To
construct the illustrations, a Wacom Cintiq 13HD graphic tablet was used, along with a program
called “Inkscape”. Using photographs of crayfish from the West Liberty Astacology Lab,
diagrammatic drawings were made for different anatomical portions of all the crayfish species
present in West Virginia. The resulting images were reworked until they were acceptable for use
in the key. It was concluded that in order to construct images for a dichotomous key, emphasis
should be placed within images by use of line, texture, and scale. To make images
diagrammatic, control of proportion, shading, and perspective is essential. Using the Cintiq as
opposed to tracing paper was beneficial because it allowed the images to be edited without
having to start from scratch. Biological illustrations are useful for visualizing complicated
concepts, including the speciation of closely related organisms, and can often be more
beneficial than photographs. The overall implication of this project was that it provides a useful
resource for scientists in the field that is more beneficial that previous keys.
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Weidman, Falon: [10:15-10:30] [1A] [D-128] The Celtic Druids: Separating Myth from Reality.
The Celtic Druids have held a place in people’s imaginations for centuries, and have made
appearances in folklore, modern art, film, and literature, and even in legends of Catholic saints.
Despite their cultural significance, little is known about these people who did not keep written
records, and historians have created several theories on who they were and what their role was,
and if they even existed at all. I propose that the Druids were an organized, hierarchical class of
learned individuals who were an integral part of Celtic society, but who also maintained aspects
of the barbaric culture in which they lived. For this project, I have analyzed the folklore
surrounding the Druids, in order to gain perspective on how they have been perceived over the
centuries. I have also interpreted the accounts of the classical writers, which are the only written
primary sources available on the Druids. Lastly, I have researched the studies and theories of
various historians regarding the Druids. Though they existed centuries ago, the Druids have
held a significant place in culture over the centuries, and it is important to separate the fact from
the fiction of these people. Furthermore, the study of the Druids can reveal information about
the Celtic way of life during this time period and provides historical context for related events,
such as the Gallic Wars and the spread of Catholicism to the British Isles.
Workman, Whitney: [11:00-11:15] [1C] [ASC-G10] Investigation of Possible
Contamination of Surface Water by Fracking in Northern WV. Hydraulic Fracturing wells
pump hundreds of chemicals into the ground including known toxins and carcinogens. There are
nearly 200 wells in Ohio County, WV alone. During this process some of these toxic chemicals
leach out of the system and contaminate groundwater. Heavy metals and other waste products
such as Bromide ions move from this source water into the local streams and creeks which are
filtered through water treatment plants. The water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out
these heavy toxins. Therefore, drinking water can be contaminated by the hazardous waste
products of hydraulic fracturing. This can lead to respiratory, sensory, and neurological damage.
Our research is aimed at testing local groundwater for trace levels of these toxins. We have
been testing for both Bromide ions using titration techniques and heavy metals such as
Magnesium, Arsenic, Lead, Iron and Chromium using AA instrumentation.
Zanes, Vickie: [11:30-11:45] [1B] [D-129] Equal Punishment For All? An
Examination of Drug Sentencing In Two Local Counties. The purpose of this
research was to examine the idea of sentencing disparity in Belmont County (Ohio), and Ohio
County (West Virginia). Sentencing disparity refers to unequal treatment based on factors such
as sex and race. This research focuses on crimes relating to possession or distributing of drugs,
because it has become such an epidemic in the Ohio Valley. This research examines the
punishment received to males vs females as well as members of different races. There will also
be an examination of punishment between the two counties. Research was gathered on drug
charges in the mentioned counties, over a three-year period (2012- 2015). Of those charged,
the researcher began separating the offenders by type of crime and severity of crime. The
researcher then grouped cases that were similar in offense into the categories (male vs female,
African American vs white) on which the researcher was examining for the purpose of her
research.
Zober, Wolfgang V.: [3:00-3:15] [2A] [ASC-315] A Combinatorial Analysis of Euchre. In Euchre,
a card game, there are certain hands that can be won no matter what actions occur during the
game. This project uses combinatorial analysis to calculate the probability of obtaining such a
hand. This analysis is dictated by the number of trump cards in the player's hand.
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Zober, Wolfgang V.: [12:30-2:00] [P40] [GYM] Design of a Tunable Nd:YVO4 Self-Raman Laser
for Sodium Lidar. Within the upper atmosphere, specifically the mesosphere, there is a layer of
non-ionized sodium atoms between 80 km and 105 km above the surface. This layer, created
though the ablation of meteors, weakly emits a doublet, two spectral lines D2 and D1 which are
respectively 589 nm and 589.6 nm. Through a process known as sodium florescence lidar,
researchers can specifically target these wavelengths to measure the concentration of sodium
in the mesosphere. This provides temperature measurements in this region and allow scientists
to explain and separate solar and Earth induced heat caused changes in the atmosphere. This
will also enable scientists to further understand middle and upper atmospheric chemistry,
structure, dynamics, and gravity waves, all of which that plays a fundamental role in
atmospheric modeling. This is an investigation into creating a tunable Nd:YVO4 self-Raman
laser as a tool for sodium lidar. A C-cut Nd:YVO4 crystal is pumped with 808 nm light from a
laser diode to produce 1084 nm light within the crystal. The crystal then undergoes Stokes
emission at 1178 nm. This newly emitted light is then taken through a process known as
frequency doubling which halves the wavelength into the desired 589 nm. This is further
improved on by having the laser tunable. Such that the final output wavelength of the laser can
be changed. This allows the full mapping of the Sodium doublet spectrum.
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SPECIAL THANKS TO…
Ms. Connie Crecion and her crew of students for photocopying
and binding the programs
Ms. Carla Cash, Mr. Chris Kreger and Ms. Brittany Rife for web
design and computer support
Ms. Kelly Klubert and Mr. Phillip Stahl for Public Relations
Ms. Mariah Cottrill for Program Production
Parkhurst for food service
Physical Plant for room preparations
Our volunteer judges and moderators
Our research mentors
The students of WJU
2016 Symposium Organizing Committee
Ms. Carla Cash (Information Technology Services)
Dr. James Coffield (Chemistry, Haig Coordinator)
Ms. Mariah Cottrill (Student Representative)
Dr. Helen Faso (Nursing)
Dr. Rhonda Haley (Physical Therapy)
Ms. Kelly Klubert (Public Relations)
Mr. Christopher Kreger (Information Technology Services)
Dr. Alison Kreger (Physical Therapy/IRB Chair)
Dr. Julie Osland (Psychology, Haig Coordinator)
Dr. Bryan Raudenbush (Psychology, Committee Chair)
Ms. Brittany Rife (Information Technology Services)
Mr. Philip Stahl (Public Relations)
Ms. Georgia Tambasis (Fine Arts, Fine Arts Gallery Coordinator)
Ms. Karen Taylor (Academic Resource Center)
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