Summer Undergraduate and Creative Activities Program (SURCA) Abstract Booklet 2023

Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Program

Abstract Booklet

2023

TheSummer Undergraduate Research andCreativeActivities (SURCA) program offersa high-impact experience through faculty-mentored undergraduateresearch, collaborativeengagement,and astudent-facultylearning community.

Studentsandfacultyfrom all collegesandschoolsat Widener Universityparticipatedin this program andpresentedtheir projects.

SURCASymposium

Friday, September 22, 2023

University Center Atrium

SEPTEMBER23, 2023

Dear SURCA Symposium Attendee,

Welcometo the14th Annual SURCA Symposium! TheWidener SURCA students and faculty mentorsenjoyed another amazing SURCA experiencethissummer It wasa dynamic,engaging,and amazing environment during our weekly professional development lunches Wethank theWidener University

Administration for their support of thisprogram.Wecontinued to beimpressed by our studentsand faculty mentorswho demonstrated a commitment to their scholarly and creativeprojects.

Wehad 63undergraduatestudentsand 36faculty mentorsfrom theCollegeof Arts & Sciences,School of Engineering,Collegeof Health and Human Services,and School of BusinessAdministration participatein SURCA thissummer The2023 SURCA Symposium features49 poster presentations.

TheSURCA program providesa seriesof eventsintended to foster cohesiveness among thefaculty and student participants.Studentsalso havelearned from alumni and their peersin different disciplines TheSURCA weekly sessions included presentationsdesigned to promotescholastic,professional and personal development Wehosted Widener alumni speakerswho spokeabout their personal experiencesin graduateschool,theworkforce,and thejob search/graduateschool application process Invited guestsserved asprofessional mentorsasthey spokeon panelsthroughout thesummer Other activitiesincluded Starsand S?mores,a discussion with President Stacey Robinson,a career development session,and a trivia game Our faculty played an activerolein leading discussionsthissummer They demonstrated thebest of Widener?scommitment to building strong faculty/student connections

Wehopeyou enjoy learning moreabout theprogram and theproject outcomes from thestudentstonight

Sincerely,

Dr Loyd Bastin,Co-Director SURCA Program & Coordinator of UndergraduateResearch, and Dr.AngieCorbo,Co-Director SURCA Program

Widener University Summer UndergraduateResearch andCreativeActivitiesProgram

SYMPOSIUMSCHEDULE

OpeningRemarks: 3:00-3:15pm

SessionI:3:15-4:15

SessionII:4:30-5:30pm

AwardsCeremony:6:00pm

STUDENTPRESENTATIONSCHEDULE

BIOCHEMISTRY

Session1

McGlyn(27)

McHenry(28)

Silverio(44)

Session2

Baratka(1)

Mackiewicz(23)

Oladeji (34)

BIOLOGY/ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Session1

Brown/Sandre(3)

Brown/Poole(4)

Clarke(8)

Harris(18)

Session2

Conrad(10)

Peyton(35)

Ruberte/ Queirolo(40)

CHEMISTRY/CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Session1

Ruggiero(41)

Samohod(42)

Schlosser (43)

Session2

Gordy(17)

Kuehn(20)

McCullough(26)

ENGINEERING/COMPUTERSCIENCE A

Session1

Cruz(11)

Lafosse(21)

Philip(36)

Session2

Connelly(9)

Mendenhall (30)

ENGINEERING/COMPUTERSCIENCEB

Session1

Bhaireddy(2)

DiPietro(14)

Hun(19)

Session2

Feliciano(15)

Stock(46)

ENGINEERING/COMPUTERSCIENCEC

Session1

Chaves(7)

Fornes(16)

Stipe(45)

HUMANITIES

Session1

Deegan(13)

Pititto(37)

Williams(48)

Session2

Bachand(49)

Popp(38)

Session2

Martin(25)

Sweet (47)

SOCIAL SCIENCE/SOCIAL WORK/ BUSINESSA

Session1

Cuevas/Beller (12)

Landue(22)

Mereshensky/

Scharfetter (31)

Session2

Margera/ Hoffman(24)

Nitti/ Warholic(33)

SOCIAL SCIENCE/SOCIAL WORK/ BUSINESSB

Session1

Bustraan/ Zimmerman(5)

Carsley(6)

Reyes/Potts(39)

Session2

Mecate(29)

Morales/Moreta(32)

Widener University

Summer UndergraduateResearch andCreativeActivitiesProgram

2022 SURCASYMPOSIUMWINNERS

Biochemistry

MichaelaJemison(AlexisNagengast)

DetectingphenotypicdifferenceofAlzheimer?sprogressioninavarietyofDrosophilagenotypes

Biology

ZacharyAnderson(CarolineFortunato)

Understandingthebiogeographicalpatternsofmicrobialcommunitieswithinthegrasslandsoils ofNortheasternPennsylvania

Business&Computer Scicene

Shea?lynHubbs&Daniel Wiedl (BabatundeOdusami &YoungHaKi)

GreenbondperformanceintheUnitedStates

Chemistry

ElanaNguyen(Robert Mishur)

Microwave-assistedsynthesisoftransplatin,trans-[Pt[NH3]2Cl2]

EngineeringA

JaredWare(BabakEslami &KamranFouladi)

Investigationofeffectofmeltingtemperatureonthequalityof3DprintedpartsoutofPLA filaments

EngineeringB

BrianHoffman(DipenduSaha)

ConversionofStyrofoamintovalue-addedproducts

Humanities

MadisonSmith&M?NyaPreston(JordanSmith)

HiddenHistoryofWidener

Molecular Biology

AdamOladeji (Michael Toneff)

TransientexpressionofmiR-200cdoesnotpermanentlyinhibitbreastcancercellaggression

Social ScienceA

ZoraDeSeignora&KaitlynLathrop(AngelaCorbo)

Belonging,inclusion,andcollaborationincommunicationstudies:Buildingself-awarenessand community

Social ScienceB

CloëDi Flumeri &MarissaFowler (JeremyBackstrom)

Intimatepartnerviolenceduringcivilwar

Widener University

Summer UndergraduateResearch andCreativeActivitiesProgram

ABSTRACTS

Ident if ying t he sex deter minat ion gene doublesex in Stiphra sp. by degenerate PCR

BaileyBaratka

Research Advisors:Dr AlexisNagengast,Dr Stephen Madigosky

Sex determination istheprocessthat resultsin differences between malesand femalesof a speciesinitiated by chromosomal differences.Sex determination (SD)varies between species,but thesimilaritiesbetween the pathwayscan beexamined using an evolutionary perspective.Speciesthat haveextremedifferences between maleand femaleshavewhat isknown assexual dimorphism Thepathway behind SD isbest characterized in thefruit flyDrosophilaand several geneproductshave been identified,such asdoublesex (dsx) Thegenedsxhas been found in multiplespeciesof insectsthat aremore distant in theevolutionary treefrom fruit flies,such as beetles(Coleoptera) Thisisconsistent with thehypothesis that theSD pathway evolved from theend of thepathway to thebeginning.Jumping sticks(Stiphra)aremoredistant from fruit fliesin thephylogenetic treeof insectsthan beetles Therefore,wehypothesizethatdsxwill have sex-specific expression that resultsin thesexual dimorphism of jumping sticks Previouswork isolated genomic sequencewithCyclommatusmetallifer finae(stag beetle)primersand wasconcluded to not bedoublesexsequenceand showed that theDNA sample wascontaminated Therefore,new DNA wasisolated from a jumping stick and wasused in degeneratePCR.Those productswerecloned intoE coliand then sequenced The sequencefound wasnotdsxand wasfound to codea protein mostsimilar toGVQW3,aprotein with unknown function expressed in theretina of humans For future work,new primerswill bedesigned with theupdated databasesto reperform theexperiment and isolatedsx in an attempt to identify theSD pathway in jumping sticks

Upgrading t he Baxter Resear ch Robot ?Attaching a Humanoid Robotic Hand

Chetan

R. Bhaireddy

Research Advisors:XiaomengShi

Baxter isa two-arm,6-foot-tall humanoid robot built by Rethink Roboticson 22September 2011 It wasdesigned for simpleindustrial taskssuch asloading,unloading,sorting, and handling of industrial material Even though discontinued in 2018,Baxter actsasa significant research robot in variousclassroomsand roboticslabsacrossthe country and hashad a hugeimpact on collaborativerobotic technology

Thisproject isa part of a long-term research project which involvesimproving variousaspectsof Baxter to develop a remotelearning system Baxter at theWidener University hastwo 2-finger grippersto interact with thethingsin the surroundings,which in somecasescan belimiting in performing complex tasks Research goal surrounded around replacing thetwo-finger gripperswith five-Finger humanoid Robot Handsto providemoreindependenceof movement,gripping,and complex interaction with objects Our design isbased on commercial 5-DOF robotichands expecting to completethedesign of hardwareand software interfacing and conduct lab teststo verify their functionalities Futuregoalsinclude,adding haptic sensors and moreDOFsto thehandsto achievebetter grasping performance

Ef f ect of bur ning on t he micr obial composit ion of grassland soils in NE Pennsylvania

Victoria Brown,Breah Sandre

Research Advisor:Dr.CarolineS.Fortunato

Grasslandshost a widerangeof biodiversity but arein declinedueto overgrowth of forests,agriculture,and land development Microbial communitiesof bacteria andarchaea in thesoil of grasslandsareessential for ecosystem health,such asmaintaining a healthy composition of soil for nativeplantsto houseand feed birds,insects,and mammals Thisresearch project focuses on how burning to maintain grasslandsaffectsmicrobial community diversity and composition aswell asthe environmental parametersof soil Yearly soil sampleswere taken from WanamieReclamation Area,RickettsGlen State Park,which wasburned in April 2019,and Nescopeck State Park and StateGameLands207and 300,which wereall burned inApril 2022 Collected soil wasanalyzed to determinepH,percent organic matter,and water content

ABSTRACTS

DNA wasextracted from all soil samplesand PCRwasrun to amplify the16SrRNA geneto preparethem for amplicon sequencing The16SrRNA geneisused to determine diversity and composition of microbesbecauseit ispresent and highly conserved in all prokaryotes.Currently,120 soil samplesfrom 2021-2023arebeing prepared for sequencing Soil pH resultsrevealed each grassland sitehad a distinct pH,with a rangeof 3.9 to 7.5.Sequencing resultsfrom 2018-2020 showed a decreasein Shannon diversity aswell aschangesin thetaxonomic composition of microbial communitiesat RickettsGlen Site1after burning occurred in 2019 Overall,theresultsof thisstudy may beused to provideinsight on how effectiveburning isin maintaining theintegrity of grasslandsand can beused in conservation and rehabilitation of diminished grassland regions

Pr esent ing st udent s: Megan J. Br ow n, Sher r y Poole

Development of a Met hod f or Quant if icat ion of Micr oplast ic Accumulat ion in Crayf ish (P clarkii) and Fiddler Crab (L. pugilator)

Megan J Brown,SherryPoole

Research Advisor:Itzick Vatnick

Microplasticsareplastic polymer particleslessthan 5mm in diameter and ubiquitous,persistent pollutantsof all aquatic ecosystems,including streams,lakes,and oceans. Weconducted aseriesof experimentsin which weexposed crayfish (Procambarusclarkii)and fiddler crabs(Leptuca pugilator)to two ecologically relevant concentrationsof microplastic using fluorescent polystyrenebeads (approximately 1µm)for onemonth Thissummer,we validated themethodology for measuring the concentration of thesebeadsin hemolymph and hepatopancreastissuesamplesusing spectroscopy for fluorescence.Our resultsindicateour methodswere successful and that thehepatopancreasand hemolymph samplesof both speciesaccumulated significant concentrationsof microplastic beads.Thesefindingswill becontributed to a manuscript summarizing theeffectsof microplastic beadson crayfish and fiddler crabsto be published in partnership with biologistsfrom the University of BuenosAiresand Indiana University Bloomington

Impact of Car eer -Related Classes on Undergraduate St udent s

AbbyBustraan,BrookeMorales,Adriana Moreta,Jessica Mereshensky,NicoleScharfetter,and Oli Zimmerman

Research Advisor:Dr Robin Goldberg-Glen

LGBTQ+ and neurodiverseolder adultsfaced unique challengesduring theCOVID-19 pandemic;however,no one hasexplored theenduring impact of thepandemic on thesepopulations Thismeanstheir needsand experiences havebeen ignored.Theneurodiversecommunity isoften misunderstood or misrepresented in media and everyday life Trueautism acceptanceisbuilt by hearing from the experienceof autistic individualsdirectly.Similarly, LGBTQ+ older adults' experiencesmay differ from heterosexual and cisgender populationsdueto factors including but not limited to social,economic,and healthcaredisparitiesand theintersectionality of factors including their age,race,and financial status

Thisproject,building on last year'smulti-methodsstudy examining theeffectsof COVID-19 on senior center participants,isdesigned to specifically explorefrom a qualitativeperspectivetheexperiencesof thesetwo populations Morespecifically,thisstudy isdesigned to empower and givea voiceto thesetwo groupswhile exploring areassuch asrisk and protectivefactors,social isolation exacerbated by lockdownsfurthering already experienced isolation of LGBTQ+ older adults,identifying disparitiesrelated to barriersto accessing health care, discrimination,economic fallouts,PTSD triggered by memoriesof theAIDSepidemic,long term mental health needs,advocacy,and arising social justiceand human rightsissues

Studentswill sharehow exploring and addressing these challengesthrough theresearch processensured that they weredeveloping social work competenciesthat will help them guaranteethat theneedsand rightsof these populationsareupheld in thepost-COVID-19 era and beyond

Giving lives back to t hose w ho had it st r ipped aw ay.

Carsley

ABSTRACTS

Research Advisor:Dr.Lauren Shermer

According to theNational Registry of Exonerations,3,365 exonereeshavelost morethan 29,950 combined yearsof their innocent livessince1989 If it weren? t for the InnocenceProject,thenumber of yearsthat these exonereeshad spent separated from their loved ones would besignificantly higher TheInnocenceProject Delawarewasestablished in 2018and istheonly organization focusing on claimsof innocencefor peoplein Delaware Theproject providespro bono servicesso that innocent peoplecan return to their livesand thecausesof wrongful convictionscan beremedied throughout the state Thiswork would not bepossiblewithout fundraising,so they will beholding their annual fundraising gala thisfall Working with InnocenceProject Delawarethissummer,wehavesold 195ticketsto thegala, secured 20 event sponsors,and havereceived many items for our silent auction Wehavealso secured Justin Brooks, thefounder of InnocenceProject California and author of You Might Go To Prison,Even Though You?reInnocent,asa keynotespeaker for theevent Theproceedsfrom this event will beused to elevatetheprofileof thissocial justiceagency and offset thecostsof their much-needed services

Qw irkle Self -Lear ning AI

NicholasChaves

Research Advisor:Dr Edwin Dauber

Qwirkleisa tabletop gamecombining pattern recognition and strategy,featuring 108tilesof six shapesand six colors Theaim isto form connected linesof tileswith either matching shapesor colors,striving for a higher scorethan opponents Specifically,therearetwo componentsthat, combined,find thebest movefor auser First,thereisa bot that recognizestilesand their positioning Thebot identifiesall specific tilesin an image Thebot identifies thedifferent contourswithin an imageand classifiesthem into different shapesby measuring theanglesand perimeter of theoutline Then,it sectionstheimageinto 6 different huesto separatethecolorsand measures distancesof theidentified tilesto find their correct positioning for thevirtual gameenvironment Thesecond

component constructed isa self-learning AI which currently useseleven different neural networksto decide thebest moveto beplayed at any gamestate Initially,an algorithm called ?MonteCarlo TreeSearch?evaluatesgame statesand combinesexploration and exploitation to decide which moveto play Thegamesaresaved for theneural networksto betrained on Thisallowsthetrained neural networksto emulatethebehavior of thistreesearch without needing to search through hundredsof game states TheAI createsitsown strategy,without using human knowledge,to win against previousversionsof itself Theamount of neural networksand architecture wereupdated many times Different amountsand architecturescan beused to accomplish thesamegoal; however,thischangestheaccuracy and training time needed for each neural network Theongoing work aimsto enhanceAI training and simulationsand eventually be functional for playersto useasthey experiencethegame

Examining micr oclimate in DOTA cof f ee f ields

Lys-JulienneClarke

Research Advisor:Dr.Stephen Madigosky

Climatechange,aprolonged shift of temperature,is especially impacting agricultural regionsthroughout the worldThisisespecially thecasein thecoffeegrowing regionsof Costa Rica Thevariability in climatenow observed in theimportant coffeegrowing regionssuch as Tarrazu and Dota areforcing growersto modify their operationsThesechangeshaveeconomic,social,and environmental consequencesto theinhabitantslocated in townsthat maketheir living from producing coffee Oneof thefirst stepsto addressthisproblem isto monitor the changesthat aretaking placeTo determinesuch,we deployed data loggersin threeseparatecoffeefieldsin 2020 and most recently placed two additional loggersin coffee fieldsat much lower elevationsin May of 2023 Loggers wereplaced at different elevationsabovesea level to determineif coffeeproduction isbeing moreimpacted by changing temperatureat variouselevationsWeare establishing baselinedata that will beused by farmersand producersto makebetter predictionson how coffee production will beimpacted by changesoccurring asa

ABSTRACTS

result of climatechange Preliminary resultssuggest that weather patternsarebecoming much morevariablefrom year to year than in thepast Coffeeplantsareproducing flowersand fruit at very different timesthan in the past.Thisishaving profound consequencesand iscausing economic hardshipsfor Costa Rican coffeefarmers

Revit alizing t he Mot ion Capt ur e System in ARTEMISLab

Brian Connelly

Research Advisor:Dr.Daniel Roozbahani

In theWidener ARTEMISlab,aproject wasembarked upon to thoroughly upgradetheexisting Qualisysmotion capturesystem First established in 2018,thissystem consisted of a set-up of 17mocap cameras? 16 MiqusM5in gray modeand oneMiqusM5color modecamera These camerasshould bemoved to get installed in amore concentrated spaceof 300-square-foot space,positioned at different altitudes,and organized into two loops These loopswerepowered by two power supplies,aconfiguration designed to adequately power thecamera chains The cameraswereinterconnected through a daisy-chain arrangement,using Power over Ethernet (PoE)cables As theproject started,and with thebackdrop of half adecade of uninterrupted operational usage,a widespectrum of vital renovationswasactioned A group of cameras underwent relocationsto solvethechallengeof missing markersduringoperation I wasin chargeof updating the system?ssoftware,to the2023version of QTM Every camera wasdisassembled,and thecamera cableswere gathered for a comprehensiverepair Almost 40% of the system'ssupport railsrequired relocation,a task executed with pre-planning,to ensuretheproper camera layout As theproject progressed,I wasmet with thetask of fixing and installing a seriesof cabledamagetoo With the camerasback in position,athorough re-cabling of the entiresystem wasconducted,and troubleshooting followed thesoftware'supdate Theproject reached its peak with a recalibration of thecamera system,ensuring theaccuracy of thefull platform Theupgradeof theQTM softwareopened doorsto a higher compatibility level, whereother gait analysistoolssuch asEEGand EMG devicescould beintegrated and operated with thesame

mocap software

Compar ison of t he expr ession of DMRT and msl genes in horseshoe crabs (Limuluspolyphemus) f r om embr yonic to juvenile st ages

Anna Conrad Research Advisor:FrancesE.Weaver

Horseshoecrabs(Limuluspolyphemus)arearthropodsthat areclosely related to spiders Mating season on theNew Jersey coast extendsfrom mid-May to lateJune Horseshoe crabsaresexually dimorphic;malesaresmaller than femalesand havespecialized clawsthat attach to the femaleduring mating Gametesarereleased from the gonophores Femalescan lay approximately 80,000 eggsper season Oncefertilized,theseeggsareburied in nestsin the sand Twenty-onestagesof embryonic and larval development occur beforethecrabsbecomejuveniles Juvenilesresembleadultsand takeyearsto achievesexual maturity Many invertebratesspecify their adult sexual phenotypeduring embryogenesisby utilizing gene expression Wehypothesizethat horseshoecrabsuse candidatesex determination genesfound in their genome such asdoublesex and mabrelated(DMRT),transformer 2 (tra-2)and male-specificlethal (msl) Absenceof a sex-lethalgenesuggeststhat Limulusmay not determine sex theway that fruit flies(Drosophila sp )and other invertebratesdo To study whether sex determination geneswereexpressed,Limulusembryonic stageswerefirst identified and quickly frozen Total RNA wasisolated from specific stages,and end-point reversetranscriptase-PCR wasused to determineDMRT and msl geneexpression DMRT expression wasseen in stages4/5through swimming larvae Msl expression wasdetected in stage4/5 and in stages10 and 12,but not in later stages Future research will exploretheexpression of msl in earlier stages and of tra-2throughout embryonic development and examinepotential splicevariantsof DMRT

The Benef it s of Pulse Widt h Modulat ion as Compar ed to Linear Cont r ol

GillianCruz

Research advisor:Dr John Suarez widener.edu

ABSTRACTS

Pulsewidth modulation (PWM)isa method for efficiently varying thespeed of DCelectric motors Thisisin contrast to linear electrical control which,although simpleand effective,can bebulky and inefficient Thecomponents required to enablelinear control need to withstand more power,making it harder to drivethemotor at low voltages PWM allowsa higher starting voltageaswell ascontrol over thefull speed rangeof themotor However,PWM is noisy ascompared to linear control

Thegoal of thisresearch isto explorethebenefitsof PWM and show it isamoreefficient alternativeto linear control In order to demonstratetheefficiency of PWM,a PWM controller wasbuilt using a comparator to transform the input signal into aseriesof continuously on and off pulses, wherethetimebetween thepulsesiscontrolled Then,by varying thereferencevoltagewith a potentiometer,the periodsof thepulsescan becontrolled Thesignal isthen amplified by a dual-transistor output stagein order to drivethemotor ThePWM signal isverified by viewing the pulseson theoscilloscope,showing thegapsin the pulses? a demonstration of energy savingsand increased efficiency

Pr esent ing st udent s: Ar ielys Cuevas, Kylie Beller

Labeling and shaming: The st igma of cr iminalizat ion

KylieBeller,ArielysCuevas

Research Advisors:Dr Corcoran

On any given day,theUnited Statesof America holds around two million peoplebehind bars,incarcerated.When including individualson paroleor probation,a total of nearly 55million individualsremain under Justicesystem supervision.Whilethesenumbershavebeen in decline,the United Statesstill holdsthe6thhighest incarceration rate in theworld and thesestatisticsdon? t includeother forms of punishment and social control.Another question also looms,what happenswhen someoneisno longer under supervision,but still holdsthestatedesignation of ?criminal??Criminalization differsfrom other formsof punishment becauseit placesan identity and group membership on thecriminalized individual In many ways, to becomea ?criminal?once,isto becomea criminal for life. To investigatethis,wedesigned a study focused on the

impactsof stereotypesand personal biaseson perceptions of peoplewho arecriminalized Specifically,weare interested in observing if criminalization influences perceptionsdifferentially than alternativeformsof punishment Wedesigned astudy in which participants read a vignettein which an individual committed a transgression and waspunished in oneof two ways: criminalized or alternativepunishment Weareinterested in how thisdifferenceshapesindividuals?perceptions

It All St ar t s w it h a Letter : Recr uit ing t he College of Ar t s and Sciences Class of 2027

Andrew Deegan

Research Advisor:Dr.NicoleRayfield

Over thecourseof the2022-2023academic year,Widener University invested significant human and capital resourcesinto recruiting potential first-year studentsfor the2023-2024academic year Widener?sCollegeof Artsand Sciencesparticipated in thisendeavor by making useof a $10,000 budget for recruitment outreach Thisresearch evaluated theeffortsthat thedepartment madein pursuing thegoal of increasing student enrollment and outreach and presentsthetypesof material employed to further thiscauseand themethodsand rationaleused in communicating to potential students Additionally,this project explainstherecruitment/graduation higher education cycleand underscoresan understanding that higher education student recruitment and outreach isa continual processthroughout theyear Wefound that the effortsmadeby theCollegeof Artsand Scienceswere highly successful in bringing in 305studentsin comparison to 226 studentsin thepreviousclasscycle Thisisa 349% increasein thenumber of first year studentsin theCollege of Artsand Sciencesand isthelargest incoming classin recent history

Examining senescence in ar t if icially aged induced plur ipotent stem cell (iPSC)-der ived cardiomyocy tes

Seyda Emanet,Fran DiPietro,Sneha Philip

Research Advisory:Dr Aylin Acun

Cellsundergo changesin their phenotypeand function as they age,often leading to dysfunction or disease This widener.edu

ABSTRACTS

phenomenon isparticularly pronounced in heart cells,or cardiomyocytes(CM).Ashuman lifespansextend,the incidenceof cardiovascular disease(CVD)also rises Addressing thisissuerequiresprecisestrategies,and one avenueinvolvesutilizing human-origin cells(iPSC-derived CM)that replicatetheageat which most CVD patientsare affected Unfortunately,achieving thisdevelopmental stagenaturally isa time-intensiveprocess.Our research aimsto expeditethisprocessthrough chemical means, enhancing theaccessibility of theseexperimental models for clinical studies.Weharnesstheoxidativepropertiesof hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)to thisend Weconducted experimentsinvolving two distinct groupsof iPSCs subjected to varying concentrationsof H2O2at different stagesof differentiation into CM Thesegroups encompassed different dilutionsof a H2O2solution, alongsidea control subset not exposed to thecompound. In theinitial immaturegroup,H2O2exposurecommenced for seven daysstarting on Day 9 of differentiation The second and morematuregroup?streatment began on Day 21of differentiation To evaluatetheefficacy of our methods,wequantified therateof cell senescence? cells that losetheir ability to divideand replacedamaged counterparts In CM,sinceproliferation isabsent, senescencemanifestsasaltered geneexpression and an overall declinein function,contributing to CVD risk.We assessed?-Galactosidaseactivity[AA1],which accumulates in senescent cells,coupled with theassessment of waste accumulations Our findingsdemonstrated a direct correlation between higher H2O2dosesand increased senescence AsCMsage,theaccumulation of senescent cellsoccurs,progressively impairing system function By inducing thisaccumulation using H2O2,a promising avenueemergesfor employing thiscompound asa viable reagent to artificially ageCMs,thereby constructing precisemodelsfor clinical cardiovascular research

Pr esent ing St udent : Nat

haniel Felicano

The Visualizat ion and Character izat ion of EEG Patter ns Over t ime

Nathaniel Feliciano

Research Advisor:Dr Xiaomu Song,Dr Suk-ChungYoon

Electroencephalogram (EEG)hasbeen widely used for the study and diagnosisof Epilepsy and itsvariousformsA typical diagnosisof an epileptic casewould need EEG recordingsfrom a few daysup to several weeks,followed by trained medical professionalsinspecting therecordings visuallyThisprocessistimeconsuming with ahigh rateof misdiagnosisIt isimportant to develop data driven techniquesto automatethedetection of epilepsy This research seeksto characterizethedynamic changesof EEG for thedetection of epilepsy by exploring time-varying correlation featuresof EEGsignalsThePython programming languagewasused to calculate,visualize, and characterizethecorrelationsbetween different EEG channelsand their changesover timeduring an epileptic seizureevent,in contrast to thesametypeof correlation measuresfrom healthy subjectsThecorrelation features arethen characterized by a Parallel Hidden Markov Model Initial resultshavebeen obtained and will befurther investigated in theFall semester

AI-Dr iven Cardiovascular Disease For ecast ing Plat f or m FacultyAdvisor: Prof.Daniel Roozbahani

Coronary Artery Disease(CAD)isthepredominant heart disease,affecting 182million Americans Given its prevalence,early and precisedetection isparamount The objectiveof thisproject,wasto combineComputed Tomography Angiography (CTA)scans,Artificial Intelligence(AI),ImageProcessing and Pattern Recognition and advanced imaging software,3D Slicer,to augment the assessment and prognosisof CAD Thedeveloped platform could decodethousandsof cardiovascular imagesfrom patientswith known conditions By tracking temporal alterationsin theseimages,theaim wasto discern subtle patternsforecasting potential cardiovascular events

Theproject'sinitiation involved familiarization with cardiac anatomy With assistancefrom theBiology department,a calf heart dissection elucidated the

ABSTRACTS

intricaciesof blood circulation and artery placement, providing a tangibleunderstanding of CAD CTA scans wereopted for,dueto their superior segmentation abilities, vividly displaying physical blockagesand plaque accretions After meticulousresearch,the3D Slicer softwarewasselected for itsvolumerendering capability, transmuting scansinto a3D portrayal Thisallowed coronary arteriesto beisolated for in-depth analysis The software,ITK-Snap,further facilitated image segmentation,providing instantaneoussupport in visualizing coronary arteries

To enhanceimageinterpretation,coding in Python was crucial Post imagesegmentation,codewasformulated for OpenCV,an imageprocessing library,to read,process,apply edgedetection,and generatenew fileswith thisdetection Theresultant imagescould then bejuxtaposed,and vessel dimensionsanalyzed to pinpoint anomaliesindicating CAD

Thisproject holdspromisefor futureresearch, contemplating abroader data set examination,refined techniqueintegration,and a profound involvement in the medical sphere It'sbeen incorporated asa capstone opportunity for Roboticsand Biomedical Engineering senior studentsthisyear

Discover y of pH Point of Zer o Charge (PZC) of Act ivated Carbon w it h Basic and Acidic Solut ions

AdrienneGordy

Research Advisor:Dr Dipendu Saha

Theobjectiveof thisexperiment wasto study and observe thepH point of zero charge(pHpzc)of activated carbon when introduced to aqueoussolutions;sodium hydroxide plussodium chloride(NaOH + NaCl),hydrochlorideplus sodium chloride(HCl+NaCl),and sodium chloride(NaCl)

With theuseof thedrift method thesurfacechargeof the heterogenousmixturesafter being shaken for a24-hour period wasdetermined ThepHpzc wasvalued at 62pH for thisindividual experiment Thispoint within therangeof recorded pH values,thesurfacearea chargeof the adsorbent material (activated carbon)wasequal to zero

When thesurfacearea chargeisequal to zero both the

initial and final pH aretheequal after being shaken for a 24-hour period

Urban mot h biodiversity in Delaw ar e County, PA

Robert Harris

Research Advisor:Dr Grant

Biodiversity isa measureof thevariety of living things found within aparticular area and isessential for ecosystem health becauseit boostsproductivity,efficiency, resilience,and sustainability Currently,global biodiversity isdeclining at an alarming ratedueto multiplefactors, especially urbanization,which induceshabitat destruction, degradation,and fragmentation,all of which usher in invasivespeciesand precipitatethelossof nativeflora and fauna Moth biodiversity isimportant to thefunctioning of ecosystemsbecausethey serveasimportant food sources for other animals,aswell asparasites,and predators This research aimsto providea greater understanding of how thebiodiversity of mothshasbeen affected by increasing urbanization Ultraviolet (UV)lights,acloth tarp,and string wereused to attract mothsso that they could be collected,and high-quality picturescould betaken of them Therewere44sampling nightsand around 1,700 moths wereobserved Thespeciesof mothsweredetermined using iNaturalist and other sourceson theinternet The pictureswerethen organized in aGoogleSlides presentation based on speciesand observation dateso frequency could bedetermined According to iNaturalist, thereare706speciesof Lepidoptera (butterfliesand moths)recorded from DelawareCounty,PA

Thr ee Dif f er ent Algor it hms to Dat a Mining

Reaksa Hun

Research Advisors:Dr Suk-ChungYoon

Data mining istheprocessof evaluating and extracting valuableinformation from a collection of data in order to determinea pattern Data mining isoften used to discover relationsand patternsfrom larger datasets Theresearch on data mining primarily focused on data mining in a consumer'sfield such astransaction at a storeor predicting one?snext moviepicked based on what was widener.edu

ABSTRACTS

previously watched Theresearch aimsto understand and simplify what someone?snext purchasewould bebased on data of other peoplewho havepurchased similar things,to best understand what pairingsarebest put together That?s not to say that data mining isonly utilized for thisspecific purpose;it issomethingthat isbeing constantly used to thisday on different projects,and thecasestudied during thissummer wasjust an exampleto best understand the logisticsof data mining Unlikeother research,therewas nothing being tested upon Thepatternsthat already exist wereread,to better comprehend how each pattern ran. Thisresearch focused on threealgorithms:Classification, Association,and Sequential Pattern Starting with Classification Pattern,when given a set of data thefirst step will beto createa concept hierarchy,which arebroad ideasthat categorizesthedata into different sectionsthus creating a decision tree.After building aconcept hierarchy, a task relevant data isdetermined which istheportion of that data which will betested upon and organized into The main idea of theclassification pattern isto sort itsdata from a larger databaseto smaller groupsthat arelabeled to identify which group iswhich Association patternsfind theoccurrencein aset of data and find what ismost frequent Theresearch investigated thisthrough a consumer'sstandpoint,whereassociation patternswould bebeneficial to determinewhich productsarefrequently bought together helping to increasesalesand efficiency Association patternsfirst start with a data set that islater sorted out into item sets;theseitem setswill belater sorted to determinewhich itemsaremorefrequently bought together Lastly,Sequential pattern istheability to determinethesequenceof which someonewould belikely to do something based on previousactions Data in a sequential pattern areorganized into tuplesand sets,those setsindicatedifferent daysand different purchases.The setsarelater compared with other buyersto discover which itemswerebought together during what days The research revealed only asmall part of data mining and its patterns,additional research in thefuturecould potentially help to codeprogramsto do thesorting,and to further understand themultiplepatternsto data mining.

A comparat ive st udy of cat ionic ef f ect s on sur face tension pr oper t ies of selected ionic liquids

Bella Kuehn

Research Advisor:Dr Kul

Ionic liquids(ILs)aresaltsthat arein theliquid phase They havea variety of industrial and medical applications such assolvent chemistry and cytotoxicity against cancer cellsThisproject isa part of a long-term research project which involvesstudyingcationic effectson thermophysical propertiesof selected ILsand their binary mixtureswith ethanol Thiswork studiesthecationic effectson surface tension (?)propertiesof selected ILs: tributylmethylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethysulfonyl)imideand 1-hexyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imideand their binary mixtureswith ethanol On theonehand,surfacetension providesa way to measurecohesiveforcesbetween liquid moleculespresent at thesurface,which aredefined asthe forceper unit length On theother hand,surfacetension data arevital to colloid and phaseinterfacial masstransfer Surfacetension data weremeasured by theWilhelmy plate method with aKrusK100 tensiometer with aprecision of±0 1mN×m-1for pureionic liquidsat atmospheric pressureand in the(29315-31815)K temperaturerange,and at atmospheric pressureand 29315K for thebinary mixtures Theexperimental data areanalyzed to determine theinfluenceof thecationson thesurfacetension of pure ILsand their solutionsasafunction of themolefraction of ILs

Human Mot ion Capt ur e Simulat ion

FelipeLafosse

Research Advisor:Dr.Daniel Roozbahani

The2020 COVID-19 pandemic madeit difficult for patients with skeletal and muscular illnessesto receive physiotherapyThisinspired usto design aremote diagnostic system that can do analysisfor medical professionalsto suggest treatment without human contact or input

Theprimary objectiveof thisresearch wasto build a real-timesimulation model of thehuman skeletal system for clinical applications,with a particular focuson widener.edu

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calculating thedynamic changesin torqueexperienced by theskeletal structureduring human movement,ascaptured by a motion capturesystem In thisproject,areal-time musculoskeletal model,commonly employed in physiotherapy rehabilitation,wasutilized whereOpensim softwareserved asthemain development platform The project'smethodology consisted of theintegration of various softwaretools,including Opensim simulation software, MATLAB Simulink,and WindowsSDK 20,whilethe Microsoft Kinect for Windowsv20 sensor acted asthe hardwarethat captured human motion.

Theproject started by creating acomprehensivemultibody model of thehuman skeletal system using theOpensim software Subsequently,a communication platform was madefor Opensim in MATLAB Simulink environment The next step involved establishing connectivity between the Kinect sensor and theMATLAB Simulink interface Following thesephases,several testswereconducted to ensurethefunctionality of thedeveloped platformThe resultsof thisresearch up to thisstagewerereally promising and they can beused in thefield of remotephysiotherapy and clinical diagnosticsby medical doctorsto diagnose musculoskeletal disordersand diseasesin real time

Robo-advisor r et ur ns: st ar t up vs t radit ional

ShaneLandue

Research Advisor:Dr Wei Gao

I?veconducted a statistical analysisof a comprehensive robo-advisor performancedataset report attempting to observea differencebetween theinvestment returnsof robo-advisorsfrom startup companiesto thosefrom well-established investment management companiesand investment banks I utilized dataset reportsfrom TheRobo Report by Condor Capital Wealth Management which involved four yearsof data and 142data observations The novel part of my research istheadditional variableto the dataset report,in which I categorized robo-advisorsaseither a ?startup?or ?traditional? To test apossibledifferencein investment returns,I used an OLSregression which involved thestartup variableaswell astax efficiency ratios,equity percentages,fixed incomepercentages,domestic equity percentages,theMSCI world index,theS&P 500 index,and

theU S federal fundsrateasvariables In order to help differentiatethemake-up of each investment portfolio for each robo-advisor and theimpact of that on thereturns,I included thetax efficiency ratios,equity percentages,fixed incomepercentages,and domestic equity percentages.I included theMSCI world index,S&P 500 index,and theU S federal fundsrateto observehow theseeconomic factors impacted therobo-advisor returnsover thefour-year span. Resultsof theregression displayed thestartup factor being highly statistically significant asfinancial startupshave earned onepercent lessthan traditional investment management companiesand banks,everything elsebeing equal Whilemy research included yearly returns,further research will beconducted to includequarterly returns.

Ident if ying and character izing CRISPR/ Cas9 mut at ions inZwischenferment(Zw), t heDrosophilaor t holog of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydr ogenase (G6PD)

Katharyn Mackiewicz

Research Advisors:Dr.AlexisNagengast

Glucose-6-phosphatedehydrogenase(G6PD)deficiency is themost common enzymedeficiency in humans It isa non-lethal mutation that causesacutehemolytic anemia which iswherethered blood cellsarebroken down more rapidly than they areproduced TheZwizchenferment(Zw) ortholog,which isused to study theroleof G6PD inDrosophila melanogaster,hasan alternativesplicing pattern that isconserved betweenDrosophila melanogasterand humans Thissplicing pattern resultsin threeisoformsof thegeneand leadsto two different protein productsthat vary in length and havean alternative N-terminal protein sequence Thesignificanceof these protein productsisunknown CRISPR/Cas9 screenswere previously conducted to knockout isoform A and study the functional significanceof isoform B/C PCRand sequencing wasdoneon theestablished stocksand resultsshow two stockswith atwo-basedeletion,onestock with a one-base deletion,and onestock with a one-baseinsertion These deletionsand insertionscaused frameshift mutationsthat result in an early stop codon and possibleprematureprotein products Thisproject aimsto investigatethefunction of each isoform in minimizing reactiveoxygen species(ROS) damage Futurework will test thesignificanceof the

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alternativeprotein productson minimizing ROSdamage through theuseof paraquat challenges.Thesechallenges will look at thedifferencein survival between fly lineswith and without a CRISPR-mediated mutation in hopesto better understand treatment for thisdeficiency in humans.

St udent lear ning outcomes f r om Pract icum/ Inter nships

JamieMargera,MadelineHoffman

Research Advisor:Dr.Lori Simons

Thisresearch aimsto understand thelearning experience of studentswho participateinPracticum/Internships Prior studiesexplain that studentsparticipating in Practicum/Internshipsprovideadded valueto the student'spersonal and professional development When integrating coursework,practical skillswith thestudent's field of interest may increaselearning development and enhanceinterpersonal skillssuch ascultural competence, civic engagement,and networkingUnlikea traditional collegecourse,studentsenrolled in Practicum/Internship earn coursecredit through hoursof fieldwork 60 hoursfor practicum,150 hoursfor internship,along with required assignments,essays,and weekly check inswith a program coordinator Themethod of qualitativedata wasused to analyzedetailed reflectionsfrom undergraduate psychology studentsenrolled in advanced practicum The student reflectionsdelivered feedback on thebenefitsof learning through fieldwork

Remember ing The Past : Widener Holocaust

Remembrance Day

Elizabeth Martin

Research Advisors:Dr.RichardHopkins(History Department),Dr Dana Olanoff (Math Department)

In 2005,theUnited NationsGeneral Assembly designated January 27asan annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of thevictimsof the Holocaust,calling on member statesto engagein ?remembranceand education ?In theresolution,the Assembly reaffirmed that ?theHolocaust,which resulted in themurder of one-third of theJewish people,along with countlessmembersof other minorities,will forever bea

warning to all peopleof thedangersof hatred,bigotry, racism,and prejudice.?Theresolution wasacall to honor thevictimsand prevent futureactsof genocide (UN General Assembly,60/7Holocaust Remembrance,1Nov 2005.)Following theAssembly?scall and my own interest in studying theHolocaust,thegoal of thisproject wasto develop a student-led Holocaust RemembranceDay event at Widener University.

Throughout SURCA 2023,I researched theHolocaust in scholarly works,memoirs,and documentaries I visited and worked with archivistsat thearchivesof theUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,DC,and those at theDachau Concentration Camp Memorial Sitein Germany Finally,I had theopportunity to meet and speak with a local survivor who generously shared her experience with me Each of theseexperienceshashelped meto shape thefoundationsfor aRemembranceDay event in January 2024,which will includeremarksfrom area Jewish leaders and scholarswith whom I havecommunicated,aswell as Holocaust survivorsand family members In addition, therewill bestationsset up detailing somehistorical aspectsrelated to theHolocaust such astheestablishment of theghettos,deportations,survival strategies,poetry, liberation,and therejection of truth in theform of denialism A looping documentary and audio containing survivors?storieswill beincluded,aswill alist of recommended readings Theseplanned stationswill remain throughout theentireday so that studentswho areunable to participatein themidday programming can learn through theseexhibitsand visuals

I will continueto work on planning thisevent throughout theFall,2023semester,and I intend to collaboratewith local Jewish Community membersaswell asother organizationswithin Widener University to gain adviceon how to portray thisRemembranceDay and continuethis event annually

Conversion of Styr of oam to Act ivated Carbon

Christina McCullough

Research Advisor:Dr Dipendu Saha

Expanded polystyrene(EPS),also referred to asthebrand widener.edu

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nameStyrofoam,isasingleuseplastic used in food and beveragecontainers,packaging materials,and building materials Styrofoam israrely recycled dueto thecoststo transport and doesnot biodegrade;it iswidely estimated that EPSfills25-30%of theworld?slandfillswhereit releasesmethanegasto theenvironment Because Styrofoam containsmostly air filled pocketsit isoften carried by thewind into our waterwayscausing even more damageto theenvironment Expanded polystyreneislight weight,durableand inexpensiveso it isstill widely used in many industrieswhich makesfinding better waysto reuse and recycleimportant In thisstudy,expanded polystyrene waschemically modified to createactivated carbon which can beused in air and water filtration systems,carbon fibersand many other areas Thisstudy buildson a previousstudy by Dr Saha and Brian Hoffman

Assessing t he r ole of CDH1met hylat ion in t he acquisit ion of br east cancer aggr ession

Magdalyn McGlyn

Research Advisor:Michael Toneff,PhD

After skin cancer,breast cancer isthemost common cancer in American women,and approximately 13%of American women will develop thediseasein their lifetime Most breast cancer casesarediagnosed at a localized stage, which istheeasiest to treat However,breast cancer becomesmoredifficult to treat when thecancer cells metastasizei e,spread from theoriginal siteto other parts of thebodyCDH1isagenethat encodesfor a protein the mediatescell-cell adhesion in epithelial cells,including in breast cancer cells Lossof CDH1increasesaggression and therapy resistancein cancer DNA methylation isan inhibitory generegulatory mechanism,and CDH1issubject to such methylation Wehypothesizethat breast cancer cellsachievestableCDH1lossof expression and acquire sustained aggression through CDH1methylation Wetested thisby first comparing themethylation statusof non-aggressivemammary epithelial-derived MCF10A cells that expressCDH1to aggressiveMDA-MB-231breast cancer cellsthat do not expressCDH1using bisulfitesequencing Weobserved clear CDH1methylation in theMDA-MB-231 cells,whiletherewassomeambiguity within theMCF10A

cells Wewerenext interested in causing non-aggressive MCF10A cellsto becomeaggressiveusing TGF? and determining whetherCDH1methylation increasesasCDH1 expression isactively lost Weconfirmed CDH1mRNA loss in TGF?-treated MCF10A cellsand will assessthe methylation statusin thefuture Our next stepsareto repeat theexperiment using MCF10A cellsat different time pointsof TGF?treatment to determinewhether CDH1 methylation occursascellstransition to an aggressive state

Pr esent ing st udent : Emily McHenr y

Developing a pr ocedur e f or t he met abolic pr of iling of cancer ous cells

EmilyMcHenry

Research Advisors:Robert Mishur andMichael Toneff

Cancer demonstratesa spectrum of phenotypic traits, encompassing unchecked proliferation,metastatic aptitude,and genomic instability Amidst thisdiversity, metabolic anomaliesremain aconstant defining feature Metabolic profiling enablesthequantification of metabolites??byproductsof food,chemical,or tissue metabolism??allowing an assessment of genetic or environmental factorson metabolic changesand a precise portrayal of ongoing organismal processes Weconducted a study using two cell lines,MCF-10A,anon-tumorigenic epithelial lineascontrol,and MDA-MB-231,a metastatic breast cancer line,to establish abaselinefor metabolite distinctionsbetween non-cancerousand cancerouscells

Following culture,cellswerequantified,and metabolites extracted by vortexing in a 50%aqueousacetonitrile solution Chemical derivatization wasthen conducted to enhanceanalytical performanceby increasing stability and volatility of individual compoundswithin thesamples

Processed sampleswereanalyzed by GC-MS(gas chromatography-massspectrometry)and normalized to an internal standard and total cell count,revealing elevated amino acidslevelsin thecancerouscell linecompared to thecontrol Levelsof lactateand most TCA cycle intermediateswerenot statistically different between the two cell lines A subsequent experiment,using

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MDA-MB-231,compared threeextraction methods: vortexing in a 50%aqueousacetonitrilesolution, sonication within thesamesolution,and methanol extraction Analysisof 30 different metabolitesindicated methanol extraction asthemost effectiveextraction method for achieving a high metaboliteconcentration, whileacetonitrilewith vortexing theleast effective Future research aimsto usethistechniqueto examinecancer cell metabolic responsesto variousplatinum-based chemotherapy agents(platins)

?What Can You Br ing to t he Company??: Unveiling Gender and Racial Discr iminat ion Based on t he Per cept ion of Sof t Skills in Hir ing Pract ices

Kyla Mecate

Research Advisor:Michael J.Corcoran

Many companiesclaim to practiceequality and fairnessin thediversification of their candidatepool,insisting that their commitment to nondiscrimination alignswith the organization?svalueswhen evaluating a potential employee However,previousresearch on gender and race-based employment discrimination suggeststhat the employer?sperceptionsof applicantsisacontributing factor to partiality in hiring decisions For instance,white applicants,regardlessof their immigrant statusaremore likely to behired and preferred in gender-congruent occupationswhileracial minorities,especially black and MiddleEastern men facestronger discrimination in prototypical malejobs,possibly dueto being categorized as masculine(Di Stasio & Larsen,2020) Similarly,racially distinctivenamesinfluenceperception aswhitenamesin resumesaremorelikely to receivecallbacksfrom employerscompared to namesthat areAfrican American sounding despitehaving similar qualificationsand a higher quality resume(Bertrand & Mullainathan,2023) Whilepreviousstudiesconcentrated on gender and racial stereotypesthat affect employer perceptions,thispaper aimsto expand current findingsby investigating discrimination on thebasisof ?Soft Skills?Soft skillsare interpersonal traitsthat determinean individual?sability to effectively collaboratewith other people,demonstrating communication,leadership,teamwork,and responsibility

Becauseof thesignificanceof possessing soft skills, employersoften seek theseattributeswhen evaluating a candidateto seeif they fit the?culture?of thecompany However,soft skillscan perpetuateharmful stereotypesby assigning men and women to their perceived rolesfor the lack or excessof such qualities To further examinethe relationship between discrimination and perceived soft skills,wemanipulated perceptionsof raceand gender by utilizing imagesof black and whitemen and women, providing a brief history of their employment qualificationsfor a retail assistant manager role.In addition,amultitudeof measureswhich includethe Modern Racism Scale(MRS)and theWomen asManagers Scale(WAMS)wereadopted to evaluateperceptionsand attitudestoward bias

Experimental investigation on effect of temperature on FDM 3D printing polymers: towards 4D printing

Ryan Mendenhall

Research Advisor:Dr. Babak Eslami

4D printing is a process in which a 3D printed object is intentionally transformed in response to an external stimulus such as temperature, which is useful when the final geometry of a 3D printed part is not easily manufacturable. One method to demonstrate this is to print a part made of thin strips of material on a sheet of paper, heat the part, and allow it to cool This causes the part to curl due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the paper and plastic In an attempt to quantify the effect of different temperatures on various materials, samples of three common 3D printing filaments, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and polylactic acid (PLA), were heated at different temperatures (85°C, 105°C, and 125°C) for intervals of 15 minutes and then allowed to cool until curling stopped This heating and cooling cycle was repeated three times for each sample to determine if repeated heating and cooling influenced the curling Each sample was filmed as it was cooling, which allowed the radius of curvature to be measured by tracking the uppermost point of the part, knowing the arc length, and calibrating the video based on a known linear length After three cycles, all three materials showed a decrease in radius of curvature (tighter curl) as heating temperature increased, with PLA showing the trend much more predominantly than ABS and PETG Furthermore,

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for PETG and PLA, the radius of curvature decreased with each cycle at all temperatures with the decrease being more significant from cycle 1 to 2 than cycle 2 to 3 Conversely, ABS only shared this trend at 125°C The findings of this work can provide guidelines to users on the temperature dosage for mass manufacturing of complex geometries such as packaging, self-assembly robots, and drug delivery applications

Underst anding Long-Ter m COVID Ef f ect s on Immune Compr omised and Disabled Older Adult s: Implicat ions f or Social Work Educat ion

Jessica MereshenskyandNicoleScharfetter

Dr.Robin S.Goldberg-Glen,PhD

Thisposter highlightstheintersectionality of theSURCA experiencewith student successat developing discipline-related competenciesrequired by theCouncil for Social Work Education,social work'saccrediting body The ongoing multi-method research project focuseson long-term COVID-19 effectson immune-compromised and disabled older adults Post-COVID-19 syndrome,also known as"long Covid" or chronic COVID-19" isa multifaceted diseaseinvolving physical,functional,and psychological domains It affectsall ages However,its impact on older adultscan besignificant Disabled older adultsareespecially vulnerableto experiencing severe acuteeffectsand continuing symptomsthat severely impact their lives

Immunocompromised older adultsarealso susceptible and at risk of having lingering effectsfrom thisvirus Both groupsmay experiencesymptomsfor weeksto months, including functional decline,anxiety,depression,and other mental health challenges Thisisconcerning becausethe lifting of thepandemic last May,asa crisis,hasreduced servicesand protectivesupports,leaving vulnerable populationssuch asolder adultsleft behind and not taken seriously

Whilethisresearch istimely,theresearch processfor the studentshasunderscored theimportanceof understanding client-centered,holistic health care, advocacy,psychosocial support,cultural humility,and social justice It hasalso offered valuablelessonsand

opportunitiesfor SURCA social work fellowsto acquire most of theninecompetenciesrequired for graduation. Incorporating theseinsightsinto their formal social work training allowed thestudentsto recognizetheimportance of effective,compassionate,continuing,and informed care to older adult populationsgrappling with thelong-term consequencesof thisviruswhilealso highlighting how thisresearch processenhanced their professional and educational development

Intergenerat ional Relat ionships: SURCA and Car eer Development in Social Work

BrookeMorales,Adriana Moreta

Research Advisors:Dr.Robin Goldberg-Glen

Social work studentsmust demonstrateadequate knowledgeand meet a threshold of ninesocial work competenciesdeveloped by theCouncil on Social Work Education (CSWE)by thetimethey graduate These competenciesareused to assesssocial work students' academic and professional development and accredit schoolsof social work Thisproject involvesone undergraduate(BSW)and a five-year BSW/MSW student Theproject wasdesigned to explorehow theexperiences of SURCA and theresearch processadvancestudents' career development associal workers Theongoing study itself examinesintergenerational carerelated to post-COVID experiencesand family relationshipsof senior center participantsand grandparent assecond time around parents Grandparent kinship caregiversassume full responsibility for grandchildren 18or younger living in thesamehousehold becausethey havebeen separated from parents Studentsreport that their summer fellowship assisted them in meeting fiveof thenine competenciesrequired for graduation,including but not limited to demonstrating ethical and professional behavior,advancing human rightsand social,racial, economic,and environmental justice,engaging in antiracism,diversity,equity,and inclusivepractice, engaging in practice-informed research and research-informed practice,and engaging with individuals, families,groups,organizations,and communities The project also enhanced their critical thinking skills, improved problem-solving abilities,expanded their

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knowledgebase,exposed them to diversepopulations, grant writing,personal growth preparation for thefield, and presentation and publication skills Recommendations for theuseof SURCA asavenuefor assisting studentsto meet accrediting disciplinary requirementswill beshared.

"Online dat ing is a scam": Widener st udent s' per cept ions of online dat ing

Jayla Gore,Victoria Nitti,AlexisRosen,ColeTrone,Abby Warholic

Research Advisor:Dr.Maureen A.Coyle

Onlinedating isa trend that isonly getting bigger and bigger However,many peoplearenervousto useit because of catfishing,hookup culture,and other reasons The researcherslooked to identify,narrow down,and interpret thesereasons Participantswererecruited from thePSY 105subject pool at Widener University Thesample comprised 76studentswho reported never using online dating before Thesampleincluded 53(697%)femalesand 23(30 3%)maleswho mainly identified asheterosexual (n = 66,868%)and White(n = 52,684%) Participantscompleted an onlinesurvey asking about their feelingsand experienceswith onlinedating platforms Utilizing thematic analysis(Braun & Clarke,2006),theresponses from theparticipantswereanalyzed and coded on whether or not prevalent themeswerepresent in participants' responses Thethematicanalysisconducted wasin responseto theoverarching question:what areyour reasonsfor never using onlinedating platforms?Themost commonly reported reason wasbecausethey werealready in a committed relationship Other reasonsparticipants gaveincluded having no interest,feeling it isinauthentic, and having a fear of danger Someof thelessprevalent themesincluded feeling it wasunnecessary,having a stigma about onlinedating,and having an in-person preferencefor dating Therearemultiplereasonswhy thosein theyoung adulthood agegroup may not use onlinedating applications Futureresearch can explore differencesbased on demographical characteristics,such asgender,race,and sexual orientation Futureresearch may also focusmoreon theinfluenceof religiousand destiny beliefs

Inhibit ion of br east cancer cell aggr ession t hr ough t ransient induct ion of miR-200c does not per manent ly inhibit aggr ession

Adam Oladeji

Research Advisor:Michael Toneff

Breast cancer ranksastheprimary causeof cancer-related deathsamong women globally Whiletheinitial tumorscan often betreated,thereal problem liesin metastatic tumors that arisewhen cancer cellsdispersefrom theprimary tumor,aggressively colonizing distant sites Metastasis considerably impedeseffectivecancer treatment dueto therapy resistanceand post-treatment resurgenceof tumor cells Genesgoverning thetransition of cancer cells from dormant to aggressivestatesplay a pivotal role

Notably,ZEB1drivescellsinto an aggressivestate,while themiR-200 family of microRNAscounteractsZEB1 expression,reducing aggressiveness Forced miR-200 expression via therapy could benefit patients,but the enduring impact of therapy-induced miR-200 activation remainsunknown Our previousexperimentssuggest that transiently exposing aggressivebreast cancer cellsto variablemiR-200c levels,reversed aggression but did not yield lasting transformation towardsanon-aggressive state Thus,weused a different strategy to test whether transient miR-200 induction can sustain non-aggression

Wehypothesizethat long-term vs short-term miR-200c induction may result in moresustainableinduction of non-aggression To explorethis,weutilized a doxycycline (DOX)-induciblemiR-200c model exposing cancer cellsto a constant 100mg/mL of DOX over 4and 14-day periods

Subsequently,weisolated RNA and conducted brightfield microscopy imaging to assessaggression vs non-aggression Following this,wewithdrew DOX for 7 days,followed by another round of RNA isolation and brightfield imaging Our preliminary resultssuggest that long-term vs short-term miR-200c expression did not cause a morepermanent shift in theaggressivenessof cancer cells

Compar ing summer acclimat ion st udies dur ing summer mont hs bet w een hatcher y br ook t r out and w ild br ook t r out

widener.edu

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Evelyn Peyton

Research Advisors:Dr

David Coughlin

Brook trout (Salvelinusfontinalis)isa salmonoid species nativeto streamsof thenortheastern United Statesand Canada Dueto their nativegeographical location,they typically prefer water temperaturesof 5-20ºC Astheglobal temperaturerisesdueto climatechange,brook trout will need to thermally acclimatein nature Acclimation would involveshiftsin geneexpression that would alter brook trout physiology and improvesurvival Importantly,wild brook trout arecomposed of many independent populationswith limited geneflow between streamsand riversacrossthenortheastern United Statesand CanadaIn thisstudy,I compared geneexpression of wild brook trout from two Pennsylvania locations(Sulivan County and AdamsCounty)to previousdata collected from hatchery-raised brook trout Earlier studiesof hatchery brook trout in thelaboratory setting mimicking summer environmental temperaturesreveal a robust thermal acclimation responsein shiftsof swimming performance, musclecontractileproperties,and geneexpression In the present work of brook trout experiencing elevated summer temperatures,my resultsindicatethat thermal acclimation shiftsin generegulation aresimilar but not identical between nativeand hatchery brook trout Thissuggests differing survival ratesamongst nativebrook trout populationsasstream temperaturescontinueto risedueto climatechange Futurework continuesby comparing thermal acclimation studiesthroughout theyear during different seasonsand temperaturesof wild brook trout collected from streamsin AdamsCounty,PA

Using Apoptosis to Evaluate t he Development al Accuracy of Chemically Aged IPSC- Induced Cardiomyocy tes

HaticeSeyda Emanet,Biomedical Engineering,Fran

DiPietro,Biology

Research Advisor:Dr Aylin Acun

Cardiovascular diseasesareknown to betheleading cause of death worldwide

Themotivation behind thisstudy isrooted in thedesireto

gain adeeper understanding of cardiovascular diseases within a clinical context.Theprimary aim of this experiment isto inducechemical aging in induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytesusing hydrogen peroxide,enabling an investigation into the subsequent effectson thesecells By simulating chemical aging through oxidativestress,weaim to shed light on how thesediseasesdevelop and progress.Theexperimental design encompassesthecultivation of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytesuntil they reach confluence,followed by their categorization into two groups:immatureand mature cells,each reflecting distinct physiological states Thesecell groupsarethen subjected to controlled treatment with hydrogen peroxidefor variousdurations.To establish baselines,two control groupsareincluded in thestudy The assessment of theeffectsof chemical aging is accomplished through apoptosisstaining.Thistechnique involvestheuseof fluorescent dyesor enzyme-linked markersthat specifically highlight cellsundergoing apoptosis.By staining thecells,wecan visualizeapoptotic cellsunder a microscope Theseapoptotic cellsexhibit a vivid fluorescent signal,allowing for clear identification

Our hypothesiscentersaround theimpact of oxidative stresslevelson cellular responses Aswesubject thecells to heightened oxidativestressthrough hydrogen peroxide exposure,wehypothesizethat morecellswill enter the processof apoptosis Thisisacrucial investigation,asit could help reveal thecorrelation between oxidativestress intensity and theoccurrenceof apoptosis.

Examining t he Impact of Stonew all & Queer Act ivism on Lesbian Literat ur e Thr ough Ann Allen

Shockley?s Loving Her NataliePititto

Research Advisor:Jessica Guzman

TheStonewall Riotsin theSummer of 1969 reenergized Queer communities' senseof activism and called them to assembleto protest for equal rightsbased on sexuality

Such a momentousoccasion had a long-lasting impact on Queer communities,and isnow recognized and celebrated asPridemonth Thismonumental event undoubtedly affected Queer art,and through specific lesbian authors widener.edu

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and their works,it ispossibleto reconstruct thewaysin which thesocio-political atmosphereof thetwentieth century affectedhow lesbianswrote, published, andmarketed their work AnnAllenShockley wasalibrarianand anauthor, knownfor writingshort stories Her most famouswork,LovingHer,wasthe first lesbiannovel tocenter aroundablack lesbianprotagonist and aninterracial relationship DespiteLovingHer?smomentous achievement, bothShockley and thenovel remainrelatively unknowntomainstreamaudiences For thepurposeof thispaper, I will arguehow bothAmericansociety and Queer communities createdanimosity and isolationfor black lesbians, stuntingthe growthof lesbianfictionthat cateredtoblack audiencesinaddition tocreatingmoreobstaclesfor publishing. Further, by examining the threemonumental editionsof Shockley?sLovingHer, (Bobbs-Merrill, Avon, Naiad) I will arguehow publishersusedthis lesbiantext tocraft visionsof lesbian relationshipsthat weremore palatabletothat publisher?sestablishedreader base

An int r oduct ion to game development and AI

Gabriel Popp

Research Advisor:Edwin Dauber

From when video gamesentered the mainstream to nowadays,they?ve evolved both their own industry and the tech industry asawhole.The goal of thisproject isto gain an understanding of video gamesand artificial intelligence, and how they work together. In order to do this,one must understand how video gamesare programmed,which consisted of the beginning of the research.Such componentsinclude objects,collision masks,and rooms Thisportion of the research included building multiple smaller gamesand learning the basics Such gamesinclude a maze with itemsto collect and enemiesto avoid,and aside scrolling platformer In addition to this,the research consisted of learning how AI in enemiesworksasastart, using the Sense/Think/Act cycle The aim of these gamesis to explore different facetsof AI presented in the format of video games,and the creation of multiple typesof games/levelsallowsfor more experimentation.

Widener St udent s Act ivity St udy: The Associat ion

Bet w een Social Media Use and Well-Being

Angelica Reyes,Kathryn Potts

Research Advisor:Dr.Maureen

Coyle

In thepast coupleof years,we?veexperienced first-hand how a viruscan impact theworld.Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,peopleturned to social mediain their isolation In thisstudy,wewanted to examinethe association between collegestudents?social media useand their well-being,including adjustment to collegeand forming collegerelationships Our total samplewas19 Widener studentswho were19-22yearsold (M= 20.36,SD = 093) Therewere10 (526%)men,8(421%)women,and 1 (53%)did not specify A majority of our sample(n = 15, 78.9%)identified asWhite.Participantsweregiven asurvey with questionsabout subjectivewell-being,self-esteem, and school belongingnessAdditionally,participantswere asked what activitiesthey engaged in at Widener and in general aswell asquestionsabout how they usesocial mediaTheresultsshowed anegativecorrelation between social media addiction and self-esteem.On theother hand, therewasa positivecorrelation between social media addiction and timespent on social media Also,789% of participantsreported that thepandemic had affected their social media usewith most feeling that they usesocial media moreafter thepandemic Theresearch hassome limitations,including a small samplesize.However,there weresomesignificant and marginally significant trends that can beresearched further in thefuturewith more participants.

Ef f ect of Urbanizat ion on t he Number of Her ps Pr esent

Alexa Ruberte,Luigi Queirolo

Research Advisor:BruceGrant

Urbanization isarapidly growing phenomenon that has significantly impacted thenatural habitatsof various species.Thisphenomenon isdefined astheprocessof human population growth in urban areas,which resultsin theconversion of natural habitatsinto built environments Thislossof habitat hasled to a declinein global biodiversity Herptiles,also known asreptilesand amphibians,areespecially at risk,sincethey arevery dependent on their habitatsfor survival.Herptilescan be categorized into threegroups:urbanophobic, urbanoblivious,and urbanophobic Urbanophobic means widener.edu

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thesespeciesthrivein urbanized areas,urbanoblivious refersto thosewho havetheability survivein urban environments,and urbanophobic refersto thosewho cannot survivein urban areas Overall,urbanization has significant impactson herptilepopulations,and these impactscan havesignificant consequencesfor ecosystem functioning and stability,highlighting theneed for further research and conservation effortsto mitigateand understand theeffectsof urbanization on herptiles We conducted a two-part research project to better understand theeffect of urbanization on thenumber of herptile species For our field methods,weanalyzed thepresence and number of reptilian and amphibian speciesin urban parks,such asTaylor Arboretum,and on Widener campus. To do so,wedeployed 30 coverboardsat Taylor Arboretum and 13coverboardson campusby Ridley Creek Coverboards,which areflat boardsof plywood,were deployed on flat surfacesin clustersof about 5,each a few metersapart About a week after deployment,coverboards wereflipped and thenumber of herptilespeciespresent wasdocumented Coverboardswerethen checked every 1-2 weeksfor about a month and ahalf Although no herptile specieswerefound,indicator species,such ascentipedes and slugs,werefound Thesetypesof organismsindicate that theenvironment underneath thecoverboard iswarm and damp,which issuitablefor herptilespeciesto inhabit in thefutureFor thedata scienceportion of thisproject, weanalyzed thenumber of reptilian speciespresent in 10 different citiesusing atool called ?iNaturalist?.Using the program,wecounted thenumber of reptilespeciespresent within a ~50 km radiusand a ~10 km radiusencompassing a city.The50 km radiusrepresentsthetypesof speciesthat would bepresent within city limitsprior to urbanization The10 km radiusrepresentsthenumber of speciespresent within city limits.Resultsfor all citiespresented adecrease in reptiles,in someareasmorethan others

O-met hylat ion of ar omat ic alcohol compounds by a gr eener met hylat ion pr ocess

AnthonyRuggiero

Research Advisor:Dr Krishna Bhat

A new method for theo-methylation of aromatic aldehyde

compoundsusing an environmentally safeand non-toxic methylation agent,dimethyl carbonate(DMC),hasbeen developed to replacethecurrent methylation method Methyl halidesand dimethyl sulfatearethecurrent popular reagentsutilized in thesereactions,which not only poseharmful to theenvironment with their toxicity but createlargequantitiesof byproduct through their reactionsaswell.Phenol derivativessynthesized using the new o-methylation method arenot only benign,but also advantageousin comparison to thepreviousmethod by its operational simplicity,high robustness,reaction efficiency and turnover frequency Theprocedurefor undergoing the methylation of said phenolsisalso simpleto follow and providesthedesired product in high yieldswith high purity under microwaveirradiation

Gr een Chemical Appr oach To Cinnamate Esters

John Samohod

Research Advisor:Dr.Krishna Bhat

Thesynthesisof cinnamateestersutilizing green chemistry hasbeen attempted In a microwavereactor, multiplecinnamic acid reactionswith differing alcohols werecarried out under differing timeand temperature conditions Previousreactionshaveutilized reagentsthat arecomplex and hazardous,such asDMAP (4-Dimethylaminopyridine),which serveascatalyststo increasethereaction?syield Phosphoric acid and Amberlyst-15wereutilized asgreener alternatives The commercial catalyst of Amberlyst-15provided no fruitful results,whereasthephosphoric acid wasmost effectivein achieving product mixtures

Developing Epoxide and Dibr omide Pr ecursors f or use in Gr een Synt hesis of Isoxazoles

Ryan Schlosser,Elijah Whiting

Research Advisor:LoydBastin

Isoxazolesarea classof pharmaceuticalswith anti-convulsant,anti-epileptic,and anti-inflammatory properties In previousyears,Bastinet al.developed a four-step synthesisof isoxazoleswith agreen chemistry approach Thisprocedureinvolvesthesynthesisof either

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dibromidesor epoxides,often using harmful chemicalsand creating largeamountsof waste.Thissummer,many methodsfor preparing both precursorswereinvestigated, with thegoal of making thisstep moreenergy efficient, and lesshazardous.A preferred method wasfound for the bromination and epoxidation procedures,which will be used in futurework on theisoxazoleproject

Deter mining t he Sequence of Zw in D biar mipes to Deter mine t he Act ual Int r on-Exon Border

Zaireen IngridC Silverio

Research Advisor:Dr.AlexisA.Nagengast

G6PD deficiency isthemost common enzymedeficiency among humans Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD)istheenzymeresponsiblefor helping red blood cellswork properly,but alack of G6PD can causehemolytic anemia,a condition in which red blood cellsbreak down faster than their rateof production.Dueto this deficiency?sX-linked nature,G6PD deficiency ismoreoften found in malesthan females Zw (Zwischenferment)isthe genethat codesfor G6PD and hasan alternativesplicing pattern with a varying start sitebetween multipleisoforms that resultsin protein productsthat vary by 22amino acids in length.Thispattern appearsto beconserved from humansto flies In theDrosophilia speciesbiarmipes,the intron-exon border hasbeen unclear with multiple attemptsat annotating thegene.My project wasto determinethesequenceof Zw in biarmipesto determine theactual intron-exon border I isolated RNA from both femalesand males,madecDNA,and performed RT-PCR. Resultsdetected a different genecalled geminin The RT-PCRwill berepeated in thefuturewith different primersin an attempt to detect Zw in biarmipes

Mechat r onic Design and Character izat ion of Long-Range Posit ioning System f or High-Speed Dual-St age Addit ive Manufact ur ing

MateoStipe

Research Advisor:William S.Nagel

3D printing isa typeof additivemanufacturing that has becomeubiquitousin many technological areas,where

general 3D objectsareconstructed by adding thin layerson top of oneanother.Onemajor limitation of 3D printing is theamount of timeit takesto print an object isextremely unfavorable Whileprint timecan bereduced by increasing theprinter motor speeds,layer linesdeviatefrom their desired trajectory resulting in a lower quality (and potentially unusable)product Thereason for this deterioration isdueto theprinter attempting to track 2D-trajectorieswith frequency componentsbeyond the device?smechanical bandwidth Oneapproach to improvea positioning system?smechanical bandwidth isto implement theconcept of adual stageactuator,wherethe standard long-rangemotion issupplemented by highspeed short-rangesub-actuating system.However,for a3D printer?sstepper motor?scoarsemotion to work,a mechatronic system needsto bedesigned to operateon time-based trajectoriestypically found in real-timecontrol systems In thiswork,a custom dual-stage3D printer?s long-rangeactuation system isseamlessly integrated with a high-speed field programmablegatearray (FPGA).The FPGA directly controlsthemotion of thelong-range actuation system through an electronic sub-system consisting of a motor controller and a stepper motor driver. A programmableClearCoremotor controller convertsthe variousanalog signalsreceived from theFPGA into steps and direction,and a A4988stepper motor driver converts thisinto micro-stepsfor themotor to move The mechatronic subsystem consisting of theelectrical subsystem described aboveand itscorresponding mechanical componentsisthen characterized by its frequency responsecurve Thelong-rangepositioning system?sexperimental frequency responseisdetermined via aswept-sinemeasurement over a frequency range from 0 1Hz to 100Hz A linear dynamic model isthen fit to theexperimental frequency data and theperformanceof thismodel isverified with trajectory-tracking simulations in MATLAB Simulink

Development of a Humanized Robot ic Head w it h VR Headset

Sam Stock

Research Advisor:Daniel Roozbahani widener.edu

ABSTRACTS

Thisstudy followsthecreation of aHumanized Robotic Head alongsideVRGlasses,with thegoal of making roboticsmoreuseful in everyday situationsby combining virtual reality and robotics Themain aim isto smoothly connect a VRheadset and a robotic head so that therobot's movementsmatch theuser'sactions Using Unity,a well-known gamedevelopment software,a custom video gameismade,that can track VRheadset movementsin real-timeand capturevideosfrom camerason therobotic head Theinnovation comesfrom bringing thesedifferent technologiestogether.TheVRheadset recordshow the user'shead movesand sendsthisinformation to motor control software Themotor controller understandsthis input,making therobotic head movein sync with theuser, resulting in a fun interaction Thisconnection createsa morerelatableexperience,allowing usersto control the robotic head naturally through VRinteractions.This project isimportant for two reasons:it showshow useful it isto combinevirtual reality and roboticsin a practical way, making interactionsbetween humansand machinesbetter, and it provesthat wecan createcomplex systemsthat connect advanced technologieswith real-lifeuses The research'simpact reachesinto many areaslikehealthcare, education,and entertainment,sincesuccessfully bringing VRand roboticstogether leadsto moreengaging human-robot experiences.Thisstudy addsto thegrowing field whereroboticsand virtual reality meet,pushing advancesthat could fundamentally changehow humans and machinesinteract.

Pr ison Ref or m: Litt le Scandinavia

ZoeSweet

Research Advisors:Dr.JayneThompson

After having theopportunity to visit multipleprisons several timesand speak to 50+ incarcerated individuals,I witnessed firsthand a blatant disregard and lack of care and compassion for thosewho areincarcerated No matter theprison oneentersin theUS,standardssuch as sanitation,dietary options,mental and physical care,and overall treatment arelow TheUShasoneof thehighest ratesof incarceration and recidivism;despitethefact that weareleading in thosetwo issues,thereremainsadearth

of workableinitiativesand programswithin theprisonsto help rehabilitateincarcerated peoplein a respectful and practical way However,oneprison in Chester,PA,recently attempted to createchangeby creating a wing called ?Little Scandinavia.?Thiswing isbased on Scandinavian prisons, which havebeen studied for their moreprogressiveand respectful treatment of theincarcerated Residentsin LittleScandinavia aretreated morerespectfully by guards; permitted extensiveaccessto explorea common area;and given accessto productssuch asfoodsof choicefrom outsidegrocery stores,singleshowers,and acommunal kitchen for preparing food Thiswing isthefirst of itskind in theUSand encouragesa new waveof reform that can be implemented in every prison acrosstheUS.Prison reform isa critical and evolving idea aimed at reshaping the criminal justicesystem It seeksto addressissuessuch as overcrowding,recidivism,and inhumaneconditionswhile promoting rehabilitation and successful re-entry into full citizenship

Impor t ance of Repr oduct ive Healt h on a college campus

Ja?Lisa Williams

Research Advisor:Dr.Lisa

Logue

On acollegecampustherearea variety of conversations happening every day,however,how many of those conversationsareregarding reproductivehealth?Using secondary resourcesand focusing on thefollowing topics: income,period poverty,and unprotected sexual activity Positively,in thelast twenty years,thenumber of undergraduatesfrom lower-incomeareashasincreased greatly Subsequently,low-incomefamily statusincreases therateof collegestudentsin poverty Statistically 70%of collegestudentsarestressed financially,and 40% have stressregarding monthly expenses Within thesemonthly expensescan includemany things,for alargeamount of collegestudents' menstrual cyclesand theproducts associated,areoften a question with their ability to afford thenecessary supplies 30 out of 50 statesalonetax period essentials,claiming they areanon-essential good,leadings thingslikegovernment assistanceto not cover menstrual products It isshown that there?sa direct link between menstruation,economic burdens,academic decline,and depression Nevertheless,period poverty isa strong but,

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not theonly concerning thing in theworld of higher education.Research showsthat 70-90%of collegestudents aresexually active,but unprotected (about 73%)and untested student ratesareincreasing A collegesurveyed about 520 students,68%viewed that even though they werehaving unprotected sex they believed they werenot at risk to S1I/D ?Findingssuggest that school-based condom availability programsmay bean effectivestrategy for improving condom coverageand promoting positive sexual behaviors Providing freeresourcesto improve reproductivehealth will not only relieveaburden for many but allow conveniencefor an often inconvenient and naturally occurring event

Sur face Roughness Measur ement Using Radar Technology

Sarah Bachand

Co-authors:Sean Blade,MSE,Dylan Falkowski,MSE Research

Advisor:LiKangChin,PhD

For my SURCA experience,I co-authored areview paper on adipocyte(fat cell)mechanobiology that will besubmitted to a peer-reviewed scientific journal Mechanical stimuli can affect cell function and numerousbiological processes including development,homeostasis,tissuerepair,and diseaseprogression Mechanobiology isthestudy of how physical signalsaresensed,transduced,and how they regulatecell behavior.Thisisa growing area of research that integratesconceptsacrossmany disciplines,including structural engineering,biomechanics,biophysics,and cell and molecular biology.All tissuesareconstantly under static and dynamic mechanical loads Examplesinclude flow-induced shear stressthrough thecirculatory and lymphatic systemsand compressiveforceson cartilageand bone Whilethemechanobiology of cellsin load-bearing tissuesarewell-studied,lessisknown about the mechanobiology of adipocytes.However,Adipocytesare extremely activecellsthat areinvolved in cellular communication,inflammation through thesecretion of mediatorsknown asadipokines,metabolism,and systemic homeostasis Several mechanoregulatory proteinshave rolesin adipocytedifferentiation and function,such asthe Hippo pathway transcriptional cofactorsYes-associated

protein and thetranscriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif,themechanosensitiveion channels Piezo1and Piezo2,and thevolume-regulated anion channel known asSWELL1 Although their roleshavenot been completely elucidated,any dysfunction to theseand other mechanoregulatory proteinscould affect adipocyte function and behavior and contributeto diseasesuch as obesity and diabetes.Thisreview paper summarizes current knowledgeof adipocytemechanobiology

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Widener Universityhasastronginstitutional commitment totheSURCAprogram. WewouldliketothankPresident StaceyRobertson,Provost AndyWorkman,Vice Provost MarkNicosia,DeanDavidLeaman,former Assistant DeanSarah Williamson,AssociateDeanCatherineFeminella,JessicaPrince,JessicaLista, JamesGulick,Dr CynthiaSarnoski,andJeanineSnow

Wethankour weeklysessionfacilitators: (1)Widener alumni speakersJulie Abrams,TheresaCash,AndrewDevany,Dr PhillipLewis,JohnMason,andMadison Smith;(2)Dr HarryAugensen,Prof JohnConte,andMartySchultzwhohosted StarsandSmores;(3)Janet LongfromWidener?sCareer DesignandDevelopment Office:(4)President Robertsonwholedasessiononbelongingandbeingokaywith makingmistakes,and(5)our facultycolleaguesDr.CarolineFortunato,Dr.Robin Goldberg-Glen,Dr.JessicaGuzman,andDr.Michael Corcoran,and(6)Widener alum AlecLynchwhocuratedatriviagame

Aspecial thankyoutoNicoleCarrera,JessicaMiller,Carol Rufo,MonicaConnell, AndrewDeegan,andDanielleMorganfor their helpplanningtheSURCA Symposium! Andfinally,aspecial thankyou,toour judgesfor helpinguswiththe impossibletaskof selectingthebest postersfromanimpressivegroupof posters.

Sincerely,

Dr LoydBastin,Co-Director SURCAProgram&Coordinator of Undergraduate Research,andDr AngieCorbo,Co-Director SURCAProgram

Widener University

Summer UndergraduateResearch andCreativeActivitiesProgram