Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Effects Of Temperature Changes On Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates (How Climate Change May Affect Our Ocean's Raves), Kayleigh X. Ambrose, Molly Fleming, Carla Caceres

PRECS student projects

Many species of Dinoflagellates are capable of producing bioluminescence. Most species will have an optimal temperature range for bioluminescence production. With sea surface temperatures expected to rise, we have designed an experiment to test the relationship between temperature and bioluminescence in Pyrocystis fusiformis.

Bacterial Metabolism Of Glucosinolates From Brassica: Association With Isothiocyanate Production, Stephanie Thomas, Jiaxuan Li, Michael J. Miller

PRECS student projects

Study Focus: To explore the alternative metabolic pathways of GSLs in bacteria, present on the surface of brassica vegetables.

Hypothesis: The alternative pathways used to metabolize GSLs in bacteria located on the surface of brassica vegetables, may contribute to the high variance of human gut GSL conversion to ITC.

Concentrating On Carbon Concentration In Algae, Chandra Davies, Steven Burgess

PRECS student projects

Carbon Concentrating Mechanisms Improve Photosynthesis Rates in Low-Carbon Environments. CCMs allow the aggregation of carbon near the site of rubisco, that way even small amounts of available carbon are being utilized.

Yes, this is important to you!

Albeit somewhat indirectly, but massively nonetheless! Algae are a driving force behind the global carbon cycle, they sequester CO2 in the oceans. Understanding the mechanisms behind the tiny marine alga O. tauri gives us a better understanding of a vital global process.

Polinators In Peril - Are Illinois Native Bees Getting Smaller?, Anthony Lamb, Tristan Barley, Adam Dolezal

PRECS student projects

Why it matters.

Pollination services provided by native bees are an important natural process, providing ~150 billion dollars globally in agricultural gains.

A bee’s body size is a trait that is an important indicator of the nutritional environment. A loss of habitat results in a loss of rich nutritional environments as flowers and resource become more fragmented and scarcer.

It has been discovered that a bee’s body size is a determinant of their foraging range. The smaller the bee, the less distance they can travel for food, therefor, the more susceptible they are to habitat loss and resource limitation.

Exploring Amaranth’S Color Palette: Linking Phenotype, Plant Adaptation, And Human Health, Sarah Redman, Chance Riggins Ph.D.

PRECS student projects

Amaranthus is a genus containing species that are highly desirable, yet underutilized crops and species that are highly despised pernicious agricultural weeds.

• Cultivated species are primarily grown as nutritious pseudograins, colorful ornamentals, or leafy greens and are recognized for tolerance to heat, drought, and salinity.
• Weedy amaranths possess similar adaptive traits, in addition to evolved resistance to numerous herbicides, and pose severe challenges to global agriculture.
• Plant pigments (i.e., betalains, carotenoids) are central to understanding this impressive diversity of phenotypes and adaptive traits.

Exploration Of Squash Plant Floral Volatiles Influencing Beetle Attraction, Olivia Barrett, Nicholas Seiter, Esther Ngumbi, Joseph Spencer, Sarah Hind

PRECS student projects

Flowers emit volatiles to attract pollinators, but these volatiles can also attract pest insects. Our study builds on earlier findings that showed that cucumber beetle attraction to squash flowers is mediated by volatile release and cucurbitacin accumulation (Theis, 2014, DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400171). Of the three main domesticated squash species, only a few varieties of Cucurbita maxima had large quantities of floral volatiles and cucurbitacin (Andersen and Metcalf, 1987, doi: 10.1007/BF01020152); however, these studies were limited in the number of varieties that were examined. Here, we increased the number of C. maxima varieties examined, to identify patterns in floral volatile production, with …

How To Quantify Female Mate Preference In Threespine Stickleback, Kaithren Garcia, Megan Tucker, Meghan Maciejewski, Usan Dan, Alison M. Bell

PRECS student projects

Social behavior is diverse. For example, males from two stickleback ecotypes (whites and commons, Fig. 1) are highly divergent in courtship and parental care behavior [1]. Little is known about ecotypic differences in female behavior. In this study, we develop methods to quantify female preference in this system.

Intra- And Interspecific Variation In Tadpole Lateral Line Cells, Sarah Porth, Lisa Surber, Eva Fischer

PRECS student projects

Background

• The lateral line is a sensory system that detects motion and pressure in fish & larval amphibians.
• The sensory end organs are called neuromasts.
• A gosner stage describes the 46 stages of tadpole development

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that the number of neuromasts will vary more between species than within a species.

Stressed Out: Why Does Ancient Maize Thrive In High-Stress Conditions?, Alexander C. Lozano, Aaron Mleziva, Esther Ngumbi

PRECS student projects

Why is understanding stress response in maize so important?

• Maize, along with rice and wheat, provide at least 30% of calories to over 4.5 billion people
• Increases in flooding events has heavily impacted natural vegetation and crop production
• Combinatorial stresses, particularly flooding and herbivory, remain understudied for both modern and ancient verities of maize
• Ancient maize may be a superior genetic resource for flood-tolerant corn

Observing Reactive Events At The Aqueous Graphene Oxide Interface Using Deep Neural Network Potentials, Lukas Kim

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Observing And Exploring Intrinsic Characteristics Of Type Ia Supernova, Connor Langevin

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Mathematica Assessment Of Spatial Reasoning Development After Virtual Reality Collaboration, Arthur Odenheimer

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Gl(1|1) Graph Connections, Andrea Bourque

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Opers On The Projective Line, Wronskian Relations, And The Bethe Ansatz, Ty J. Brinson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Trophic Relationships Between Tadpoles And Other Aquatic Organisms In Sub-Tropical Ponds, Kira Cates

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Generative Adversarial Networks Take On Hand Drawn Sketches: An Application To Louisiana Culture And Mardi Gras Fashion, Stephanie Hines

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Pressure Ulcer Prevention: A Quality Improvement Project, Noah Blevins, Graci Borders, Brett Bentley, Carly Crutchfield, Rachel Dillion, Jacob Dyer, Heleigh Eldridge, Taylor Emmons, Suzi White

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

A pressure ulcer is an injury that affects the underlying tissue and skin and is primarily caused by prolonged pressure on the skin. During a clinical rotation at a small rural teaching hospital, pressure ulcers were prevalent in an estimated 80% of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) during a three-week period. Approximately $26.8 billion are spent every year in the United States treating pressure ulcers. The purpose of this quality improvement project is to provide staff education to ICU nurses in order to reduce and prevent the prevalence of pressure ulcers in patients. A thorough literature review was …

The Perception Of Minority Student-Athletes’ And Non-Athlete Students’ Learning Experience At A Predominately White Institution, William Wellman, Jelani Garvin, Jane Zhang, Steve Chen

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

This study examined mainly African-American and minority students' learning experience at a regional public university in Appalachia for the purpose of improving the existing academic support services and creating a safe diverse learning environment for racial minority students.

Frequency Of Genetic Variants At The Mc1r Locus In A Student Population, Emmalea K. Dowdy, Grace C. Stubblefield, David K. Peyton

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The Melanocortin-1 Receptor gene (MC1R) encodes a protein that is associated with pigmentation in vertebrate animals. An extraordinary number of variations in this gene have arisen over time due to the importance of pigmentation in camouflage, photosensitivity, vitamin D production, and other evolutionary factors. Variations in the MC1R gene sequence became important to survival as humans migrated out of Africa and into cooler climates with less sun exposure, where lighter skin pigmentation (and therefore more vitamin D production) was key to survival. These genetic variations (alleles) continue to exist in modern humans. Recent research into the MC1R gene variations shows …

Research, Testing, And Validation Of Small Satellite Designs: Cubesats, Cansats, Pocketqubes, And Femtosatellites, Jason A. Combs, Jose L. Garcia

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The focus of this project, through research and testing, was to prepare various elements of small satellite experiential education curriculum. Rather than be constrained to the expensive and long-term timelines of a larger satellites, students can assemble, test, and operate various classes of small satellites in a valuable learning experience that will prepare them to work on larger projects. The true benefit of a PocketQube, CanSat, or femtosatellite is that they can be built with less money, less experience, and less long-term commitment while providing a scaled version of the real-life satellite development process that will engage and inspire students. …

Novel Gain-Of-Function Mutations In The Telomerase Rna Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Keenan Conley, Madison Frazier, Melissa Mefford

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Yeast are eukaryotic organisms that contain liner chromosomes. At the ends of these chromosomes, there are special regions known as telomeres. Telomeres are composed of non-coding nucleotides that serve to protect the vital coding DNA found throughout the rest of the chromosome. During the process of DNA replication, however, telomeres become progressively shorter which can lead to cellular senescence. To solve this issue, yeast express the enzyme telomerase. Telomerase is composed of a telomerase reverse transcriptase protein (TERT) and telomerase RNA (TLC1) in yeast. When telomeres become too short, telomerase extends telomeres by adding to the 3’ overhang. Telomeres shorten …

Technology In Workplace Communication By Generation, Hannah Meadows, Christy Trent

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The purpose of this research study was to determine the generational differences in the use of communication technology in the workplace. Most employees feel a deeper sense of connection to those in their own generational group. This survey looks at ideologies across four generations, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z, to help give employers some insight into why employees feel this way and encourage better communication in the workforce.

Fungi In A Warmer World: Fungal Diversity In The Tropical Miocene Climate Optimum Of The Clarkia Region Of Idaho, Usa, J. Fairchild, L. Lennex-Stone, T. Horsfall, L. Tarlton, S. Jones, A. Caldwell, O. Vanderespt, L. Smallwood, A. Patel, J. O'Keefe, I. Romero, N. Nunnez Otano, M. Pound

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

A knowledge gap associated with how fungal communities change in response to climate was identified in the 2018 State of the World Fungi report (Willis, 2018). While it is virtually impossible to test in the present, fungal assemblage changes can be studied in sediments from a warmer-than-present period such as the Miocene Climate Optimum (MCO) (Romero et al. 2021; O’Keefe 2017). The Fungi in a Warmer World project aims to generate and analyze a global-scale data set of fungal biodiversity, ecology, and associated flora from MCO sediments. This dataset will be used to model past fungal assemblage changes across the …

Morphometrics Of The Rare Earwigfly Merope Tuber, Nicholas Finch, Sean O'Keefe

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Merope tuber Newman (Mecoptera: Meropeidae) is a rare North American species of earwigfly, which is closely related to common scorpionflies. “Earwigfly” refers to three different species: the Western Australian Austromerope poulton, the South American Austromerope brasiliensis, and finally, the Eastern North American Merope tuber. This last species was the focus of our study. Johnson’s 1995 study was based on 160 earwigflies, where he measured the female abdomen length, male and female forewing length, and male basistylus and dististylus length. In their 2014 study, based on 82 earwigflies, Skvarla, Hartshorn, and Dowling measured head width, pronotum width, forewing length, abdomen length, …

Encouraging Increased Ppe Compliance: A Quality Improvement Project, Christen Ballard, Hannah Carpenter, Skyler Harper, Angela Marcum, Suzi White

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to minimize infection transmission from patient to healthcare worker, or vice versa. During a clinical rotation in a large urban teaching hospital, it was noted that a number of nurses failed to adhere to proper PPE policies. A literature review focusing on thirty-two studies found that average nurse compliance to proper PPE is 34%. This review included an overall discussion of factors affecting compliance, as well as a more in-depth review of the effect of education on PPE compliance, how comfort and proper fitting affects compliance, and the general effectiveness of PPE when used …

“The Never Ending Story:” Circularizing Ch. Viii In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Chisom Iloegbunam, Melissa Mefford

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Chromosomes are molecules of DNA that hold large quantities of genetic material in an organism. Generally, in nature, eukaryotic chromosomes are linear while prokaryotic chromosomes are circular. Since they are linear, eukaryotic chromosomes possess telomeres, or repetitive nucleotide sequences, on their ends. This significant difference in structure requires different additions to the basic replication process. In prokaryotes, replication starts at a single point on the chromosome and continues until the whole chromosome has been copied. In eukaryotes, replication happens in fragments with multiple starting points. Because of this more complicated replication process, the free 3’ ends of our DNA cannot …

College Students’ Knowledge And Use Of Herbal Supplements: Informed Decision, Health Risk, Or Marketing Ploy?, Jillian Wallshield, Wilson Gonzalez-Espada

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The purpose of this study is to better understand the extent to which college students from Eastern Kentucky use Herbal Supplements (HS). The research questions for this study were:

• How do the participants find out about HS?

• How helpful do participants perceive the HS they take to be?

• What misconceptions do participants have regarding HS?

• Does a positive or negative attitude towards science change the usage rate of HS?

A New Colorimetric Assay Of Apurinic/Apyrimidinic (Abasic) Sites Of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (Dna) Using Bicinchoninic Acid [, Isaiah O. Stephens, Elizabeth M. Thomas

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP or abasic) sites are DNA lesions that result from the loss of a nucleobase by hydrolysis of the N-glycosyl bond. It is estimated that AP sites are the most frequent lesions in cells with about 10,000-50,000 times per day per cell under typical aerobic conditions [2]. The formation of AP sites is caused by environmental and cancer therapeutic genotoxins such as alkylating agents, oxidizing agents, ionizing radiation, and ultraviolet radiation.

Drone Mapping On Eagle Lake Dam, Nathan Sparks, Timothy Hare

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The Eagle Lake Dam is an iconic part of Morehead State’s campus. It can be seen from much of campus and serves as one of the best views around. It is also the single most important structure on campus. A significant percentage of the campus would be damaged or impaired, as well as many people would be endangered if the dam failed. Hence, I am starting a multi-person and multi-year initiative to monitor Eagle Lake Dam using UAV and remote sensing technology. I hope to have teams make annual 3D models of Eagle Lake Dam over the next several years …

Beetle Diversity Within Ecosystems; Insight Of The Order Coleoptera In The Eastern Kentucky Region, Blake Branham, Hannah Pyles, Charles Lydeard, Sean O'Keefe

2022 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Having a multitude of definitions, biodiversity can most commonly be seen as the variety and diversity of life within an ecosystem. Its relevance is crucial for species survival and resource availability; a lack of biodiversity sets an ecosystem up for failure, reducing its productivity, species richness, and increasing organismal vulnerability. Measuring biodiversity is crucial for the understanding of an ecosystem’s health, giving scientists knowledge of its stability, productivity, and persistence. This collected information can be implemented in various ways outside the scientific field as well, such as with policy decisions and legal regulations. Biodiversity is most commonly analyzed through quantitative …