Intersections Fall 2020

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  Is the Fluorescence Quantum Yield of Tryptophan Independent of Excitation Wavelength?

  Nadia Abbass, Luis A. Ortiz-Rodríguez, and Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

  Tryptophan is a fluorescent amino acid that is commonly used as a probe in protein structure-dynamics studies. It is also widely used as a convenient standard for measurements of fluorescence quantum yields of organic and bioorganic molecules. Literature values of the fluorescence quantum yield range from 0.13 to 0.15 upon excitation of tryptophan at 270 nm in aqueous solution. Even though the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan is known with a high degree of accuracy upon excitation at 270 nm (i.e., ca. ± 0.02), this value is being used indiscriminately in the literature for the determination of the fluorescence quantum yield of molecules at other excitation wavelengths. In those studies, the assumption has been made that the magnitude of the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan does not change with excitation wavelength. This assumption is based on the so-called Kasha’s rule, which states that fluorescence emission occurs in appreciable yield only from the lowest excited singlet state of an organic molecule. Consequently, the fluorescence quantum yield is typically independent of the excitation wavelength used. However, many molecules are known to not obey the Kasha’s rule. Therefore, in this study, we examine the hypothesis that the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan does not depend on the excitation wavelength used. We also investigate if the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan varies when the salt concentration of the phosphate buffer solution at a physiological pH of 7.4 is varied. The results demonstrate that the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan depends on excitation wavelength. It is, however, independent of the ionic strength of the buffered solution in a salt concentration range from 5 to 100 millimolar. A photophysical relaxation mechanism that satisfactorily explains the excitation wavelength dependence of the fluorescence quantum yield of tryptophan will be presented.

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  Stress Measurement Wearable Device Optimized for use in the Clinical ICU

  Jacob Baraz, Max Jesurum, Mason Jiang, Cierra Spriggs, and Ryan Tatton

  The current benchmark for measuring stress in the intensive care unit (ICU) is the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ). Validated by a large population of in-patients, the PSQ is a self-reported questionnaire used in clinical and laboratory settings for assessing stressful circumstances that typically exacerbate disease symptoms. However, clinicians and nurses operating in the ICU could benefit from a more efficient system for measuring the stress of admitted patients. Monitoring physiological markers for the degree of stress can aid clinicians in providing accurate and effective treatment methods to benefit the health condition and alleviate the stress of the patient. The proposed wearable device measures galvanic skin response (GSR) and heart rate (HR) in real time, which are input to a machine-learning algorithm that models patient stress as a latent variable to be predicted. Upon securing the device to the patient, the microprocessor transmits the acquired GSR and HR signal data to an external device for analysis and interpretation. The device is unique in its ability to discriminate false positive stress obtained exclusively from HR by integrating GSR into the stress metric. Comparison matrices were used to evaluate the merits of several conceptual designs. From this analysis, a ring that measures GSR via electrode and HR via optical techniques was selected. For the fall semester of 2020, the scope of prototyping will include (1) creating a functional Arduino-based circuit with integrated GSR and HR sensors capable of detecting the two aforementioned biosignals from the finger of a subject; (2) conducting research to establish a theoretical basis for the machine-learning algorithm design; (3) and completing software design documentation, including IEEE Std 830-1998 and 1016-2009, which shall serve as references in the spring semester of 2021 during implementation.

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  Does Diet Breadth Resolve Variation in Climate Driven Range Shifts of Ohio Butterflies?

  Lydia Beera, Angie Lenard, and Sarah E. Diamond

  As a result of recent climate change, many species are rapidly altering their geographic ranges, in a phenomenon known as range shifting. In general, the shifts tend to be geographically poleward or upslope, but there is a lot of variation in the magnitude or direction of contemporary range shifts. Theory suggests that specialization might constrain range shift responses. In this experiment, we examined the relationship between the magnitude and direction of range shift responses and degree of diet specialization of Ohio butterfly larvae. We used a long-term monitoring dataset of butterfly range dynamics to test this relationship. Surprisingly, we did not find any association between the range shift responses and the dietary specialization, after accounting for the shared evolutionary history among species. In future work, different methods of quantifying diet breadth may reveal an association. Further research in the same area will be focused on finding other traits that may be predictive of range shifts.

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  A Simplified Approach to Quantifying a Child's Bilingual Language Experience

  Isabella Beninate

  There is an increasing need to accurately and efficiently describe a bilingual child's dynamic linguistic experience during audiological evaluations. This report documents an approach at qualitatively capturing linguistic exposure and usage information in a time-efficient manner. A well-known pediatric bilingual survey was administered to 83 parents of bilingual children, obtaining information on the child's exposure (input) to and usage (output) of Spanish and English on an hourly basis (17 time frames) during a typical weekday and weekend. Parents also completed a questionnaire that obtains demographic information of the child and family, parent-rated language proficiency of the child, and a family language history profile. A factor analysis, utilizing three time intervals, indicated that condensing the full-length survey's 17 time frames to three time frames accounts for > 74% of the variation in language exposure and usage information. Data suggest that there is potential to condense the full-day diary approach (17 time frames) to a more time efficient method of collecting data from only three time intervals while capturing similar valuable linguistic information providing information to the audiology clinician about the dynamic pediatric bilingual linguistic experience. Next steps will require data collection for the full-length hour-by-hour survey and for the condensed time intervals within the same cohort of children. These data are necessary to confirm a strong correlation between the language exposure and usage information of the two approaches.

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  System for Enhanced Removal of Gastrointestinal Clots

  Neha Boinpally, Megan Buford, Emma Hammelef, Sharmila Iyer, and Keyvon Rashidi

  Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a hazardous clinical condition often resulting in morbidities and mortality in patients. After diagnosis, treatment options include administering proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), embolic agents to aid in the breakdown of the clots. At the same time, hemostasis can also be achieved using targeted endoscopic techniques and hemostatic forceps. During the procedure, the blood clots and other fibrous material are removed from the GI tract via suction from the endoscope instrument. However, this process is not overly effective with regard to removing the clots from the GI tract since the clots often cause blockages in the suction tubing of the endoscope and are not readily or easily suctioned. The objective of this project is to design a device to enhance the removal of such clots. The device under design as a result of this work consists of a small, conical, morcellating head to mechanically break up and aspirate the clots via a controlled oscillating movement before evacuation. The morcellating head will be encapsulated within a cone sheath to protect the GI tissue from damage. Furthermore, the device is operated through controls integrated with a conventional endoscope, allowing for ease of use and safety when operating the morcellating head as intended. Moreover, the device will attach to the endoscope's main accessory channel and will be disposable to reduce the risk of cross-contamination between surgeries. Overall, the device aims to efficiently remove blood clots from the GI tract by minimizing the risk damage to living tissue.

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  Self-Esteem and Suicide in Adolescents

  Sidney Brannam

  Suicide is the third leading cause of death among the adolescent population worldwide. The period of adolescence is a critical time of change and growth, and is especially important in the development of self-esteem. Self-Esteem is defined as the individual's subjective evaluation of her or his worth as a person. Positive view of the self is generally associated with successful work, relationships, and health. Some factors that may lead to a negative view of the self are stressful life events and changes and relationships. Self-esteem becomes more stable and more difficult to change in adulthood; therefore, it is critical to focus on it in adolescence to prevent negative outcomes later in life. Previous research has shown that low self-esteem is a risk factor in suicidality. In addition, it can lead to other common risk factors such as hopelessness and depression. The Self-Esteem Worksheet was developed to assess self-esteem in an idiographic manner. This scale allows for the participant to express factors related to their personal self-esteem while still allowing analysis in a quantitative manner. The current study aims to answer the questions 1) Do family environment, relationships, school performance, and physical appearance serve as significant indicators of self-esteem? 2) What are the gender differences regarding indicators of self-esteem? 3) What is the impact of substance use on suicidality and self-esteem? This study will analyze a group of adolescent psychiatric patients and their responses to the Self-Esteem worksheet along with other methods regarding self-esteem, depression, and suicidality.

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  Development of Core Body Temperature (CBT) and Heart Rate Wearable Device

  Brenna Carbone, Madison Castellanos, Jonathan Chen, and Jenna Wagner

  Hyperthermia is a condition when the body's heat-regulation system is overwhelmed and a person's core body temperature (CBT) is above 100.4°F (38°C). This is a major risk among athletes and occupational workers in the military, construction, manufacturing, and emergency response who engage in intense physical activity. Currently the gold standard to measure CBT is through a rectal thermometer. While rectal thermometers are accurate, they are quite invasive and do not provide a way for continuous monitoring. Other skin and oral thermometers which are considered noninvasive are not accurate because they only measure surface temperature and are easily influenced by other artifacts such as motion or the external environment. There is therefore a need for a wearable device that can continuously and noninvasively monitor CBT while also being as accurate as the rectal thermometer. This project details the creation of a continuous monitoring system that uses heart rate to accurately predict CBT through a chest belt placed at the upper thorax. Heart rate signal is more stable than temperature sensors and through a correctional algorithm the estimated core body temperature can be measured and used to warn of possible hypothermia. The device will also relay information to an external device that can notify coaches or other members of dangerously high CBT, so they can ensure the user stops physical activity. Overall, this noninvasive continuous monitoring system can be used in a variety of applications and will help expand the wearable device market and prevent temperature related illnesses such as hypothermia.

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  Recovery Among Homeless Populations with Severe Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders

  Abigail M. Cross

  Homelessness among persons with severe mental illness (SMI) and co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD) is a prominent social issue in the United States today. Not only do persons with SMI make up a significant portion of the overall homeless population, SUDs make it more difficult for them to recover successfully. Recovery among these populations is multi-faceted, and all aspects of recovery should be accounted for so that this population has the best chance to succeed. There are a number of programs in place that attempt to place persons with SMI and SUD into housing while providing treatment, including Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). PSH uses a Housing First (HF) approach, meaning that treatment and sobriety is not a requirement to get housing. The research shows that HF is largely successful in providing stable housing for these populations, but drop-out rates are still large. Programs need to accommodate for these issues by strengthening the supports already provided, or providing new and improved supports. As of now, there is not enough data to assess how COVID-19 affects the recovery of these populations. Either way, new and improved supports can foster the success of this vulnerable population.

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  Changes in Expression Profiles of Energy Metabolism and Cellular Calcium Balance Genes in the Mammalian Inner Ear During Development

  Audrey Freedman

  The incurable and devastating disease of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) affects a majority of the elderly worldwide. As humans age, their cells of the inner ear, which are responsible for hearing, undergo degenerative aging, as well as apoptosis (programmed cell death). Scientists believe that ARHL may be associated with specific cell types of the inner ear known to be high in mitochondrial concentration. These sensorineural tissues as well as the specific neurons, namely hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, and cells of stria vascularis, are susceptible to irreversible cellular damage. A decline of mitochondrial function is common in various age-dependent neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondrial health is tightly regulated by Ca2+signals, which plays an important role in ARHL. Calcium and other cations enters via mechanotransduction channels when a sound from the outside environment comes in the inner ear that cause the hair cell bundles to deflect to one side with sound frequencies. Thus, the goal of this study was to reveal the intrinsic mechanisms that relate to energy metabolism and cellular calcium balance genes expression levels in the mammalian inner ear from early development. Changes in expression of energy metabolism genes in the inner ear cells were examined in mouse models, comparing these gene expression profiles in mice ranging from embryonic day 16 to adult age of up to 4 months. Mouse models are widely used to study mammalian hearing and comprehensive databases are available. Here, databases were used to compare with preliminary data that was obtained in Dr. Ruben Stepanyan’s laboratory that had indicated the expression of mitochondrial metabolism genes can alter with age, possible affecting hearing. Once this data was obtained, it was compared on a spreadsheet and graphed using Excel. The following graphs of expression levels were made: fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of all genes studied, spiral and vestibular ganglion neurons, inner and outer hair cells, and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) of all the individual genes. In doing so, we were able to identify mitochondrial metabolism and cellular calcium balance-related genes that can undergo changes in expression levels in the mammalian inner ear, thus providing their importance in hearing.

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  Membrane Separation of Cu-67 for Use in Theranostics

  Benjamin Fugate, Maura Sepesy, Kevin Pataroque, and Christine Duval

  Because of its β− and γ decay routes, 67Cu is a very promising radioisotope for use in theranostic cancer treatments. Currently, 67Cu is produced through the irradiation of either 68Zn or 67Zn in a cyclotron, a traditional nuclear reactor or a linear electron accelerator. Once formed, a small amount of copper (nanograms) has to be separated from the large amount of remaining zinc (grams) and undesired byproduct isotopes such as 66Ga, 67Ga, 64Cu, 61Cu, 58Co. Currently, such separations are performed in resin-packed columns and can require 4 h to purify a 5 g target. These procedures may involve multiple columns and require the target to be dissolved and reconstituted several times in different solutions and concentrations of acids. The complexity and length of resin-based separations combined with the 2.58-day half-life of 67Cu has caused a shortage of 67Cu for research and clinical trials.

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  Port Injection Site Sanitization (PSS) Dispenser Design

  Ya Gao, Lindsey Greenwood, Rachel Mann, and Katherine He

  Peripheral venous catheters (PVCs) are the most used device in hospitals, used for intravenous medication and for drawing blood. It is estimated that over 150 million catheters are inserted into patients each year in the US. About 250,000 patients with PVCs get catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBIs) which are estimated to have a $2.8 billion additional cost nationwide and a 12%-15% mortality rate. It is also estimated that a 1.6% decrease in the incidence of CRBIs would yield a cost savings of $113 per inserted catheter. These statistics denote a clinical need for a reduction of infections caused by PVCs, saving money, and more importantly, the lives of patients. These infections are most commonly caused by contamination at the catheter hub. There is only 40% adherence to current sanitization procedures, which call for the hub to be swabbed with an alcohol wipe and wait for the isopropyl alcohol to evaporate before administering treatment.

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  Does Gamified Training Increase Job Performance? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

  Bao Ho and Brooke Macnamara

  Gamification is the application of game elements such as badges, points, leaderboards, to a nongame area of activity. The corporate setting has burgeoned in incorporating gamification into areas such as recruitment, training, and marketing with established corporations reported to have success in gamifying their business. However, the current literature report mixed results on whether gamified training could lead to an improvement in performance. This article attempts to summarize the current state of gamified training and its effectiveness by conducting a meta-analysis on the subject. Although an effect size was calculated, the result was unreliable due to a lack of papers meeting our criteria of inclusion for the meta-analysis. This implied a lack of rigorous empirical research methodology on this topic. As gamification becomes more prevalent in training settings, this paper hopes to provide recommendations for future researches in examining the effectiveness of this novel training model.

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  Orchestral Diversity: Analyzing Diversity in Music Conservatories

  Claire Jeffress

  Many industries and institutions realize the value of diversity in improving creativity, innovation and productivity and are adopting policies to improve diversity. Professional symphony orchestras, however, were late in adopting this movement and the data reflects that. A 2015 report by the League of American Orchestras indicates that 86% of musicians in adult orchestras are white. Furthermore, the same study indicates that racial diversity decreases from youth to professional orchestras (League of American Orchestras 2015). The purpose of this research project is to analyze data from music conservatories to indicate a change in diversity over time as well as further inquire about why there is a much smaller percentage of black and Latinx symphonic musicians in professional orchestras than in youth orchestras. Music conservatories are institutions focused on education in musical performance and composition. These institutions are the university style institutions that accept the best high school graduates from youth orchestras and prepare those students for professional careers in music. Ultimately, as I hypothesized, I was able to determine that as of 2015, minority representation in music conservatories is less than in youth orchestras but greater than in adult orchestras. Through learning about the orchestra pipeline, we can find ways to increase minority representation in American orchestras.

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  The Relationship Between Delay Discounting & Exploitation Behavior

  Kaylyn J. Johnson, Rock Lim, Amanda R. Merner, and Heath A. Demaree

  Individuals make decisions about whether or not they will explore or exploit their environment every day, but it is unclear how impulsivity, or an individual's rate of delay discounting, impacts this decision. It is hypothesized that individuals with higher rates of delay discounting exhibit more exploitative behaviors. Participants in this study were given the 27-item Monetary Choice Questionnaire asking them to choose between receiving a small reward immediately or a larger reward at a later time to measure their rate of delay discounting. High levels of delay discounting occurred when individuals preferred smaller, immediate rewards. Low levels of delay discounting occured when individuals preferred larger, delayed rewards. They were then asked to complete the Horizon Task, which measures a person's directed exploration, random exploration, and exploitation. When an individual chose a slot machine that was optimal during the Horizon Task, they were said to be exhibiting exploitation behavior. Delay discounting and exploitation were found to have a non-significant correlation. As such, we found no evidence that delay discounting relates to exploitative behavior.

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  Best Practices to Make Online Learning an Advantageous Tool for Students with Specific Learning Disorder

  Sanchi Kalra

  Online education has been prevalent for years, but with the spread of the Covid-19, it became the most viable option for students all over the world. Out of these students, an estimated 15-20% of them show signs of what the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes as Specific Learning Disorder (SLD). Students with SLD experience difficulties with learning and using academic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. These difficulties are independent of intelligence. Over the past two decades, SLD has also been referred to as dyslexia or a learning disability. While adapting to online instruction could prove difficult for students with SLD, it is also an opportunity to provide them with a more individualized and flexible education. Research about online learning and SLD from before the pandemic led to the identification of best practices for instructing students with SLD during, and possibly after, the pandemic. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to determine whether making accommodations such as asynchronous learning materials, multimedia instruction, and text reading affordances available would lead to an online learning environment that would be advantageous for students with SLD. Research indicates that asynchronous learning, multimedia instruction, and text reading affordances can lead to be better learning for students with SLD. Asynchronous learning materials are materials, such as video recordings of lectures, that students can access outside of designated class times. Multimedia instruction involves presenting information in multiple formats such as images and audio, as opposed to solely text-based learning. Affordances such as adhering to certain recommended fonts and styles of writing can also make text more accessible to students with SLD. None of these supplements to instruction have proved universally helpful to students with SLD. Therefore, it is best to let the students to decide which accommodations are useful and when. Online learning presents a unique opportunity to make these accommodations available and allow students to pick and choose which of these accommodations best assist them.

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  The Protestant Reformation and Interior Church Architecture - Art Exhibition

  Winston Kam and Catherine Scallen

  The first half of the 16th century saw an international religious and cultural conflict that rose within Western Christianity between Roman Catholics and the newly established Protestants. Key figures such as Martin Luther and Jean Calvin challenged papal authority and the Catholic church's ability to define Christian practice thus instigating the Protestant Reformation. Within church confines differences in values and beliefs such as the legitimacy of purchasing salvation through indulgences or interpretations of the Eucharist transformed the spaces in which Protestants practiced their new version of Christianity. As a result of this split, Lutherans encouraged the display of a restricted range of religious images through an adherence to the Ten Commandment's prohibition of idolatry and creation of sculpted images of God. Overt religious images in public spaces and churches were subject to attacks from the most radical iconoclasts. Often religious artworks were commissioned through private enterprise allowing for the preservation of select works to remain untouched to this day. This exhibition aims to expose the transition of church elements and design through a replication of the first Protestant cathedral and a collection of artworks seen within these sacred spaces or related to the region. The Torgau Castle Chapel was consecrated by Luther himself. Within its barren white and gold accented walls the modest chapel features three lone elements, a grand organ, a white stone altar and an elevated ornate pulpit. The interior space differs considerable with the Brussels Cathedral. Under the strict jurisdiction of the heavily Catholic Spanish Empire, this massive cathedral houses a wide array of stained glass windows and atlantes of the twelve apostles on par with Catholicism's incorporation of religious images aiding in worship. Through an analysis of visual elements present within the Brussel Cathedral and the Torgau Castle Chapel, conclusions can be drawn about this initial religious impetus to further explain how Northern Europeans evolved to further define their religious spaces to accommodate a changing belief system. In addition, a supplemental collection of objects and artworks from a number of locations will further illustrate the Protestant Reformation's effect on Northern European renaissance art. Ultimately, this comprehensive exhibition space mockup touches upon both aspects of exhibition design and curatorial work.

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  Accommodating Face Mask for Those with Hearing Impairments

  Anushka Khanna, Emily Hauser, Rashi Shukla, David Yo, and Adam Portugali

  As COVID-19 continues to spread in our society, wearing face masks have become an integral part of daily life. For users with disabilities, specifically those with hearing impairments, the utilization of face masks creates additional problems. The obstruction of facial and visual expressions from mask wearing poses an increased difficulty in communicating with individuals when lip reading is not accessible; additionally, the elastic straps that hold the mask in place can become entangled or dislodge hearing aids, creating more discomfort for the users. Further, blocking a majority of the face from view makes it harder to see critical vital and life-threatening signs of potential seizures and strokes. While there are some current solutions, many are highly specific, while others are expensive and inefficient. Therefore, this project aims to develop a mask that can alleviate these issues at a more accessible, sustainable, and cost level. The physical and chemical properties of various materials, including hydrophobicity, wettability, and skin biocompatibility, will be evaluated to validate the design. We propose an improved 3-layer mask system with a small clear window through each layer to promote visualization of the mouth and support proper filtration of air flow. A nose pinch will be incorporated to diminish fogging of glasses, as well as a redesigned head strap that repositions the straps away from the ears will prevent the accidental displacement of hearing aids.

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  Novel Wearable System to Monitor, Predict, and Acutely Treat Epileptic Seizures

  Jackie Kresic, Katherine Glaess, Sunayana Jampanaboyana, and Cathy Tao

  Epilepsy, a chronic condition involving recurrent and unprovoked seizures, affects over 50 million individuals globally. Characterized by abnormalbrain activity, these seizures affect the daily functioning of individuals, and increase the risk of further physical, mental, and emotional harm.Traditional treatment options such as invasive brain surgery and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) do not fully prevent the occurrence of epileptic seizures,can remain ineffective for certain individuals, and can lead to severe adverse effects. To reduce the incidence of serious lifestyle complications, weare proposing a novel design for a daily-use wearable that involves biopotential monitoring, seizure prediction, and an automated acute interventionstrategy to reduce the severity of impending epileptic seizure events. The design context entails a specific focus towards adults experiencing tonic-clonic seizures, the most serious type of generalized seizure. Our design is based on the principle that non-invasively stimulating the vagus nerve canhelp to stabilize abnormal brain activity, an approach that is termed non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS). The overall system consists ofthree main components: the Embrace Watch by Empatica, Empatica's App for Embrace, and an nVNS device. Empatica's proprietary, clinicallyvalidated, and FDA-cleared technology and predictive algorithm are integrated into the system to perform the functions of monitoring and predictingpotential epileptic seizures. The nVNS device will generate the appropriate current needed for stimulation of the vagus nerve. The current workinvestigates the feasibility of the nVNS device with respect to internal circuitry, software functionality, and external housing. Validating this portionof the overall design will help establish the validity of this proposed design as a cohesive non-invasive epilepsy management system that reduces thelikelihood of serious lifestyle complications due to epilepsy.

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  Height and Light: Optical Profilometry Characterization for Conservation of Abraded Plastics

  Sarah Lavin

  This project aims to understand how surface polishing affects different materials in the context of art conservation. These materials include both those used in the creation and preservation of art objects, and those used to house and display them in a museum. Conservators at SBE Conservation and Cooper Hewitt have been working on two series of art objects, Still Life #46 and Still Life #54 by Tom Wesselman, for the past 6 years. The two sculptures are identical with the difference being that those from the Still Life #46 series were backlit while the others were not. Working with conservators from the Cleveland Museum of Art and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, we are investigating characterization methods to rapidly and quantitatively evaluate polishing protocols to preserve these art objects. These sculptures are made out of plastic, specifically cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), which is commercially known as UVEX. These sculptures, made in the mid 1960s, have scratches and abrasions from time and wear that need to be polished and conserved. There are three polishing materials (Novus 1, Novus 2, and Novus 3) used in three different combinations that have been tested in this study.

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  Wheelchair Athlete Concussion Baseline Data: A Pilot Retrospective Analysis

  Jonathan Lee, Michael Harper, Michael Uihlein, and Kenneth Lee

  After a thorough literature search and through experience at adaptive sports events, we identified a lack of established guidelines for Sport-related concussion (SRC) evaluation and management in wheelchair athletes. Wheelchair athletes are a unique population, and certain conventional methods of evaluating SRC in able-bodied sports cannot be used. For example, wheelchair athletes' underlying disabilities restrict the use of standard balance testing protocols. In addition, some wheelchair athletes have concurrent traumatic brain injuries and may have baseline cognitive deficits associated with their disability that mimic the symptoms of a concussion. This research focused on discussing current concussion management guidelines in Adaptive Sports and formulating a new Concussion Management Protocol (CMP). We developed a CMP that incorporated the Wheelchair Error Scoring System (WESS), a seated balance test based on the Balance Error Scoring System to evaluate ataxia. We collected baseline data on wheelchair athletes that included a concussion history, symptoms, Standardized Assessment of Concussion and WESS. Baseline data was collected at 39th National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) where 81 athletes were asked to complete all aspects of the baseline exam. Out of the 76 patients who tried the WESS, only 28 could complete the full test. Those who were unable to perform the WESS had limitations with the wheelie balance task which led to the adaptation to an alternative test, the King-Devick. We also discovered that 43% of the athletes reported a history of a concussion.

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  The Influence of Reduced Speech Signal Audibility on Masked-Speech Recognition for Young Adults with Normal Hearing

  Alyssa Liusie and Peter A. Calandruccio

  Challenging communication environments, in which listeners must recognize and comprehend the target speech of interest amongst acoustic background competition, are prevalent in everyday life. Older adults with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), which occurs due to inner ear or neural pathway damage, are known to have significant difficulty hearing in such environments, and especially those with competing background talkers present (such as in noisy restaurants). Previous work in the Speech and Auditory Research (SpAR) laboratory has indicated that older adults with SNHL have deficits using prosodic contour differences (i.e., intonation differences) between target and masker speech to improve target speech recognition, even when using prescriptive amplification (i.e., individualized hearing aid amplification). This study aims to build upon these previous findings and determine whether the inability to take advantage of prosodic contour cues in multi-talker backgrounds for older adults with SNHL is related to reductions in speech audibility. In this project, young adults with normal hearing (HL), or have hearing thresholds within normal limits, were presented with speech that had been processed to match the audibility profile of older adults with SNHL (i.e., speech was presented via a simulated hearing loss program). The younger NH participants were presented with speech that matched the average frequency-dependent audibility of the older adults with SNHL from a previous experiment (Wasiuk et al., 2020). Prosodic contour cues of target and masker speech were systematically manipulated to be flat, normal, or exaggerated. Target speech was presented with two competing talkers in the background (i.e., two-talker maskers). It was hypothesized that a simple loss of audibility, as experienced by older adult listeners with SNHL, can significantly impair a young NH listener's target speech recognition in a multi-talker environment. This research has important implications for older adults in real-world multi-talker environments, and may contribute to the improvement of hearing aid amplification technology to help those with SNHL communicate more effectively in their everyday lives.

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  Charge Transport Properties of BO-Chelated Azadipyrromethenes

  Tingrui Ma, Muyuan Zhao, and Geneviève Sauvé

  Intramolecular BO-chelated azadipyrromethenes are promising organic semiconductors. Here, we evaluated the electron and hole mobility of a series of BO-chelated azadipyrromethenes using the Space Charge Limited Current(SCLC) method. In order to determine the mobility of the material, Mott Gurney's law was applied using the film thickness and slope of the J1/2 versus voltage plot in the SCLC graph. The best electron mobility observed for BO-chelated materials is 4.64—10-6 cm2V-1s-1 and the best hole mobility is 7.38—10-4 cm2V-1s-1. These results suggest that BO-chelated materials are promising p-type semiconductors for electronic applications.

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  Remarkable Sensitivity of the Prospective Photodynamic Therapy Agent 6-Selenoguanine to pH

  Collin Merrick, Sean J. Hoehn, Luis A. Ortiz-Rodríguez, Sarah Krul, and Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

  The photophysical properties of the canonical DNA/RNA nucleobases can be modified by selective functionalization. The carbonyl functional group at the C6 position of guanine or 2-amino-6-oxopurine, for example, can be removed to form 2-aminopurine, thus replacing the ultrafast internal conversion pathway to the ground state observed in guanine with slow internal conversion and intersystem crossing pathways in 2-aminopurine.1 Similarly, substitution of the carbonyl oxygen in guanine with a heavier atom results in a redshift of the absorption spectrum and a remarkable modulation of the electronic relaxation pathways of the DNA nucleobase. More specifically, sulfur substitution redshifts the absorption spectrum of guanine and allows for efficient population of the reactive triplet state upon ultraviolet excitation.4 This reactive triplet state makes 6-thioguanine useful in photodynamic therapy applications, as it can participate in reactive oxygen species generation. Substitution of the carbonyl oxygen with an even heavier selenium atom further redshifts the absorption spectrum of guanine, while also increasing the molar absorptivity coefficients in the near visible wavelengths (350-400 nm).5 If the excited state properties of 6-selenoguanine are also conducive to reactive oxygen species generation then this DNA derivative could be used as a potentially superior topical photodynamic therapy agent. The rationale for this hypothesis is that a redshift in the absorption spectrum allows for deeper penetration of light into tissue during a photodynamic treatment.

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  Behavioral Observations Surrounding a Diet Change of Zoo-Housed Matschie's Tree Kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei)

  Sarah Miller, Noah T. Dunham, and Diana Koester

  The diet of zoo-housed animals has significant implications to many aspects of each species' health and survival. A recent study revealed the diet of free-ranging Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) to be mostly browse-focused, including plants like leaves, ferns, and orchids. Prior to those findings, zoo-housed tree kangaroos were fed diets, mostly biscuit-based, that differ vastly from that of free-ranging tree kangaroos possibly contributing to widespread issues within zoos concerning obesity and low reproductive success. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (CMZ) houses two Matschie tree kangaroos which, in 2019, underwent a significant diet change from a more traditional, baseline, biscuit-heavy diet to one that is more leaf or browse-heavy to better reflect that of free-ranging tree kangaroos. Therefore, we are currently investigating how the behavior of zoo-housed tree kangaroos change after this diet shift. Baseline behavioral data was recorded at CMZ from December 2017 to November 2018 on the female tree kangaroo prior to implementing the new diet and behavioral data is currently being collected on the same female as well as the male tree kangaroo housed at CMZ after the new diet. Behavioral observations were made instantaneously at thirty second intervals for a period of twenty minutes using ZooMonitor from video recordings captured with the Annke camera system. Using a G-test, our preliminary results show that the female tree kangaroo's activity budget differed significantly between the baseline and browse-heavy periods (G=446.9 )

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  Grid Modernization using Simulated Communication Networks and Distribution Systems

  Trey Minnich, Anna Jaskoviak, and Austin Subler

  The installation of a widespread readily available power system in the United States has been one of the number one engineering achievements of the 20th century. Now that a strong structure is in place to supply distribution electrification across the country, the next step is the modernization of these systems. Many distribution systems have not been modernized due to high costs associated with changes to the system. Modernization in the 21st century revolves around a high demand for clean energy as well as real time voltage/power flow analysis of these systems. In this project we will provide simulated models of distribution systems to show the potential effects of modernization techniques on the system before substantial investments are made. These simulations will be performed using Matlab Simulink in order to utilize the block diagram simplification layout. The simulations will demonstrate the modernization techniques of implementation of a wind generation source as well as a representative smart metering system to communicate voltage information. These techniques will be applied on two distribution feeder designs. The first design is a modification of the IEEE 13 node test feeder, chosen for its common features of shunt capacitors, overhead and underground lines. The second simulation design is a portion of Case Western's campus running from the medical center company substation control house to the load of the Millis Science Center basement vault, representing an in use system. Both systems will receive the modernization techniques of wind generation and metering systems. Through this project shareholders can review such effects on the system before choosing to invest.