Undergraduate Research Day 2024
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Item A Balancing Act: An Empirical Analysis of Unions and Monopsony Power in US Labor Markets(2024) Delavan-Hoover, Logan; Kaplan, EthanThis paper empirically examines the intersection of recent literature regarding the effect on wages of both labor market concentration and unionization, using a fixed-effects model controlling for both occupation and geographical area, applied to a combination of 2016 Current Population Survey data and labor market concentration data derived from the universe of online job postings in the United States. This paper found a positive effect of the interaction of unionization and concentration on wages in most model specifications, consistent with similar literature in other countries, but failed to produce significant results in the most granular model, likely due to attenuation bias exacerbated by large double fixed effects.Item Addressing Health Disparities in Neurorehabilitation: Aphasia Assessment for Spanish-English Bilingual Speakers(2024) Morales Contreras, Marcia; Choi, Da Yeon; Lopez, Camila; Faroqi-Shah, YasmeenThis study addresses the need for accurate language assessment of Spanish-English bilingual speakers with aphasia. Aphasia is a condition of language impairment due to brain injury (stroke or neurodegeneration), causing challenges in understanding and speaking and impacting brain representations for words (lexicosemantics) or grammar (morphosyntax). There are only normed aphasia diagnostic assessments for monolingual speakers, not bilingual speakers. Since ⅕ of the U.S. population is bilingual, with Spanish-English as the largest proportion, improper diagnosis of bilinguals with aphasia causes a health disparity in neurorehabilitation for Hispanics/Latinos. We test 4 aims to address limitations in current assessments: (1) adequately detect aphasia, (2) detect morphosyntax (grammar) deficits, (3) detect lexicosemantic (words) deficits in Spanish-English speakers with aphasia, and (4) verify if the Quick Aphasia Battery (QAB) will identify those at risk for word level and grammatical level difficulties. Participants were tested on Spanish and English language tasks over Zoom for 5 hours. 115 neurotypical and 18 aphasic speakers’ scores were compared. The mean % accuracy of neurotypical speakers was more than that of aphasic speakers for all three batteries indicating that the assessments are sensitive to the effect of brain injury on language abilities. Aphasic participants’ QAB scores correlated with morphosyntax and lexicosemantic task scores were moderately strong. We will determine cut-off scores for aphasia diagnosis stratified by language proficiency, sensitivity/specificity, item difficulty, and the influence of cognates. We hope to test classification accuracy for bilinguals with primary progressive aphasia and make a computer-based adaptive language assessment in English with equity for bilinguals.Item Age-related Differences Regarding Spontaneous Reasoning about Social Exclusion(2024) Moore, Sophia V.; Holloway, Hannah J.; Rumberger, Jonquil; Forbes, Marley B.; Kilby, Elena; Killen, MelanieDevelopmental science research has demonstrated age-related changes in children’s use of social and moral reasoning in contexts of intergroup social exclusion. Intergroup social exclusion refers to rejecting someone because of their group identity such as gender, race, and SES. Prior research has identified these patterns by individually interviewing children about their evaluations of different forms of social exclusion. What has not yet been examined is how children spontaneously reason about intergroup social exclusion in classroom-wide discussions. The present study addressed this gap by audio-recording teacher-facilitated classroom discussions that followed the use of an online tool depicting hypothetical intergroup exclusion scenarios once a week for eight weeks. Participants were ethnically and racially diverse 8- to 11-year-old elementary school students attending U.S. public schools in the Mid-Atlantic region, N = 522, N = 30 classrooms. The present study uses a smaller subset of the original sample, N = 6 classrooms. Three reasoning categories were analyzed for this project: moral (fairness, equity), group identity (ingroup preferences, group functioning) and psychological (personal choice). Preliminary analyses suggest age-related differences in children’s reasoning during discussions about race-based exclusion. Fifth graders referenced psychological reasons more often than third graders, who referenced mostly moral reasons. Quantitative analyses will elaborate further on these findings in the poster. These novel findings have broader implications for reducing prejudice and improving intergroup relations in childhood using school-based interventions.Item AI and Ted Bundy: Exploring Artificial Intelligence usage in criminal profiling(2024) Mor, Abigail; Tomlinson, Tracy; Ellenberg, MollyWe have seen a meteoric rise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) creation and usage; yet little attention has been paid to using AI for societal benefits. To leverage AI in new ways, this study focused on integrating AI in criminal profiling. We assessed the accuracy of AI-generated profiles by modifying well-documented criminal cases with a known, and convicted, perpetrator to compare to published perpetrator data created by (human) experts. Using profiling inputs from the crimes of infamous serial killer Theodore ‘Ted’ Bundy, we prompted ChatGPT 3.5 to create profiles for the first eight attacks Bundy committed and compared the accuracy of the outputs to the known information. Initial results show AI creates vague but detailed, and fairly accurate, profiles compared to known information from cases and can find patterns between crimes. But, these profiles were created with specific prompts and the prompt type impacted accuracy. Our findings suggest that using AI in profiling warrants further research and consideration in ongoing investigations, potentially saving time and lives. Caution is advised given the limitations regarding specificity of details and we do not yet know if human-generated profiles are more accurate as we only compared the AI profiles to known information. Future research should compare AI-generated profiles with human-generated profiles and explore paid versions of AI that might reveal further capabilities which might be useful in law enforcement, where costs of using AI may be nominal, especially in relation to the savings of lives and in manpower hours.Item Alterations in Retinal Blood Flow Autoregulation in Human Subjects with Early Glaucoma as measured with Laser Speckle Imaging (2024) Porwal, Yash; Gill, Amrik; Ventimiglia, Mary; Mansoor, Shaiza; Sinha, Avigyan; Rege, Abhishek; Saeedi, OsamahItem An observational study on the impact of caffeine and anxiety in college students.(2024) Williams, Stephanie; Tomlinson, Tracy; Johnson, SamanthaObserving students on a college campus, it is not hard to see signs of anxiety in students. College students’ have the compounded stress of numerous classes, assignments, jobs, and maintaining relationships, which may lead to losing sleep and turning to caffeine to help. Caffeine is a substance commonly used in an attempt to alleviate anxiety and exhaustion, particularly in young adults (Hughes, 1996). However, some side effects of caffeine can mimic or amplify the symptoms of anxiety (Sawyer et al., 1982). The goal of this research was to assess if there is a positive correlation between observed caffeine intake and anxious behaviors. This study was conducted through a naturalistic observational design where participants (N = 60) were observed in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union and McKeldin Library. Participants were coded on the seconds spent drinking from their caffeinated beverage and seconds spent exhibiting an anxious behavior such as leg bouncing, playing with hair, and zoning out. We found that students exhibited significantly greater amounts of anxious behavior when their time spent drinking caffeine increased. These findings indicate that students may benefit from being made aware of this negative effect of caffeine consumption and educated on caffeine alternatives, such as adequate sleep, hydration, or meditation instead. However, keeping in mind this was an observational study, we can not assess causation and this was an observational design that had a limited definition of caffeine consumption and anxious behaviors. To better assess these effects, future research should assess participants in an experimental environment.Item Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance: Tracking the Global Threat(2024-04-14) Malhotra, Riya; Plenz, Uma; German, JenniferItem Antimicrobial Resistance in Urban Agriculture Environments(2024) Zeng, Qingyue; Lam, Kevin; Salcedo, Autumn; Konsen, Derek; Blaustein, Ryan; Blaustein, RyanBiological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAOs) are widely used in urban agriculture to improve soil health. Although BSAAO use is regulated in the United States due to food safety risks, impacts on antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria are not well established. We aimed to explore impacts of BSAAOs, among other factors, on AMR bacteria in leafy vegetable production environments across urban farms and community gardens in the Washington D.C. area. Samples of leaf tissue (LT), root zone soil (RZS; amended soil in crop beds), and bulk soil (BS; soil along site perimeter) were collected and analyzed for concentrations of total heterotrophic bacteria (THB). Isolates of AMR strains and coliforms were further screened for multi-drug resistance (MDR) phenotypes. Across-site variation in AMR bacteria in RZS and LT samples broadly reflected land use history and crop management and within-site variation demonstrated effects of specific amendment sources, as well as vegetable type and variety. Overall, our findings demonstrate that promoting soil bacteria activity in the urban landscape has potential implications for managing AMR.Item Assessing Porcine Gastric and Trachea Mucin Antimicrobial Activity Against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa(2024) Sokol, Zoe; Yang, Sydney; Duncan, GreggMucus is present throughout the human body, lining all wet epithelia, making it a native, familiar material to the innate immune system. The biocompatibility of mucus opens the possibility for therapeutic applications. Existing research has shown that exposure to mucus triggers the downregulation of virulence genes in some bacteria species and rapidly disintegrates biofilms. The aim of this project is to test the innate antimicrobial activity of porcine gastric mucin (PGM) and porcine trachea mucin (PTM) against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We examined the antimicrobial activity of mucins by quantifying bacteria growth and viability at numerous time points after mucin treatment. To test this hypothesis, PAO1 cultures were grown in LB broth overnight. Mucin was added to the planktonic PAO1 cultures at various concentrations, 8%, 4%, 2%, 1%, and 0.5% w/v, with each concentration tested in triplicates. At the 3 hr, 6 hr, and 24 hr timepoints after mucin addition, samples were taken from each culture, diluted, and spot-plated. The plates were grown overnight and counted the next day to calculate the colony-forming units. Preliminary results suggest that increasing mucin concentration correlates with decreased bacterial growth, as hypothesized. Additionally, PGM possibly shows a greater degree of antimicrobial effect than PTM. This research has a great potential impact. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen often developing antibiotic resistance making it extremely difficult to treat and a high priority for novel treatment development. Therefore, a novel treatment method against P. aeruginosa can have broad implications and improve bacterial infection treatments.Item Assessing the Need for Youth Spaces: Perspective from Baltimore City Public School Graduates(2024) Heydy, Herbert; Butler, JamesBaltimore City was one the first cities in the US to enact redlining policies, which restricted where certain minority groups could live. Ultimately, this led to the proliferation of vacant houses, uninhabitable due to abandonment or lack of owner investment that exerted a heavy cost on neighborhoods and the City as a whole. Importantly, there are significant public health costs associated with vacant properties such as lead poisoning, asthma (from mold, vermin, and droppings), and poor mental health outcomes. All of which have an enormous impact on the resident’s quality of life.Further, redlining has contributed to the unhoused crisis and a lack of youth empowerment via recreational centers within Baltimore City. As such, the active recreational centers are not up to date, and the ones that are privately owned, in most instances are located in areas that make it difficult for youth to attend. A possible solution for the issue of vacant properties and to improve community health is repurposing these vacant properties into youth spaces for Baltimore city students. Some of the services that these Baltimore City Youth Spaces (BYCS) would provide are extracurricular activities such as art, technology, gardening. Additional services would be tutoring and emotional/mental health support for youth who might need it. Before the establishment of BYCS, we will survey and interview current Baltimore City Public School alumni to assess their interest in and feedback on the components of youth spaces.Item Associations Between Infant Self-Regulation and Socio-Emotional Development(2024) Erkan, Cansu; Fox, Nathan A.; Kanel, Dana ShayInfant temperament can predict later attention. Irritable infants, who show low threshold for frustration, are more likely to develop attention problems. Irritability and ADHD are also comorbid later in life. Less easily soothable infants are also shown to develop attentional problems later in childhood. It is unclear whether temperament as early as 4 months, including irritability and soothability, can predict later attention. The current study explores relations between infant irritability and soothability with later attentional development.Item Attention! Data Helps Diagnoses: A machine learning approach to predicting ADHD(2024) Navaleza, Irene; Coutts, JacobAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often dismissed as a “childhood condition”, since easy-to-identify features (e.g., hyperactivity) are more prevalent in children. Yet, for almost half of diagnosed individuals, the effects of ADHD persist through adulthood, impacting important areas such as jobs/academic performance and relationships. These implications make early diagnoses and effective treatments salient issues for medical professionals. However, as ADHD affects brain development, symptoms often greatly vary person to person. Further, research suggests that the high comorbidity of ADHD with other disorders compounds this issue, explaining why many diagnoses do not come until adulthood. One solution to more accurate diagnoses is machine learning, a class of models that have become increasingly prevalent in research. However, few researchers have developed models to predict ADHD diagnoses. In this study, we performed a secondary data analysis from a study on 103 anonymous participants (51 diagnosed with ADHD, 52 clinical controls). We employed a K-nearest neighbors algorithm to identify key features of ADHD (e.g., prevalence of comorbid disorders) that can accurately predict one’s diagnosis. The results of our analysis suggest: 1.) Objective metrics like this may improve ADHD diagnoses, since current methods are subjective and vary by physician, 2.) Some comorbidities are more predictive than others, and 3.) Research should continue in this area to include more predictive features. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.Item Auditory Deprivation Leads to Shrinkage in Low Best Frequency Nucleus Magnocellularis Neurons(2024) Abouelseoud, Nada; Carr, CatherineDuring development in barn owls (Tyto furcata), the interaural time differences (ITDs) circuit undergoes a progressive augmentation. At the core of the ITD detection mechanism lies the nucleus magnocellularis (NM) and nucleus laminaris (NL). NM and NL neurons together orchestrate precise auditory localization. The plasticity of the brain prompted an exploration into how the experience of barn owls influence the modulation of their ITD detection circuit. Auditory researchers have long suspected the dependence of NM neurons on auditory input. Since complete auditory isolation leads to significant changes in the morphology and physiology of NM cells, an investigation into mild acoustic deprivation could show the degree of auditory dependence NM cells require to develop. A methodological approach involving the rearing of owls with unilateral ear inserts was designed to dampen the acoustic signal on one side. Upon reaching maturity, examination of the owls' brainstem revealed that NM cells situated ipsilateral to the earplug exhibited a decrease in size by approximately 7% compared to their contralateral counterparts. However, this only confined to regions corresponding to low frequency tonotopic domains. The rostral NM remained unchanged in size despite such alterations. Notably, the overall roundness or form factor of neurons within both caudal and rostral NM remained unaltered.Item Authenticity and Resilience: A Study of Video Game Live Streamers(2024) Papasava, Elli; Hassidi, Noa; Tomlinson, Tracy; Tomlinson, TracyResilience is an active process defined as, “skills, attributes, and abilities that enable individuals to adapt to hardships, difficulties, and challenges.” (Alvord & Grados, 2005). Resilience is critical, as throughout our lives, encountering challenging situations is inevitable. Acting in accordance with one’s true self could potentially decrease dissonance between one’s actions and values. This study aims to better understand the relationship between authenticity and resilience through a naturalistic observational study of video-game live streamers. Gamers who took ownership of their mistakes were classified as authentic, as a common trait of authentic individuals is being true to oneself (Vannini & Franzese, 2008). We hypothesized that video game players who verbally take ownership of their in-game mistakes would have higher resilience scores, as measured by the number of optimistic statements, compared to those who do not take ownership. The results indicate that taking ownership of our mistakes could potentially make us more resilient. Further, these results give validity to examining resilience and authenticity in other domains beyond video games through an experimental design. Taking ownership of mistakes helps foster resilience and therefore it has implications for school-based programs and for parents to encourage their children to be transparent about their faults.Item Automated Workflow for Advanced Single Cell and Bacterium Tracking in Host-Pathogen Interactions(2024) Augenstreich, Jacques; Poddar, Anushka; Belew, Ashton T.; El-Sayed, Najib; Briken, Volker; Briken, VolkerIn the study of intracellular pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, time-lapse microscopy is a valuable tool for understanding dynamic cellular processes involved in host cell defense. Quantification of signals at localized compartments within the cell and around bacteria can provide even deeper insight into interactions between bacteria and host cell organelles. However, existing quantitative analysis at a single-bacterial level remains limited and dependent on manual tracking methods. We developed a near-fully automated workflow that performs unbiased, high-throughput cell segmentation and quantitative tracking of both single cells and single bacteria/phagosomes within multi-channel, z-stack, time-lapse confocal microscopy videos. We took advantage of the PyImageJ library to bring Fiji functionality into a Python environment and combined deep-learning-based segmentation from Cellpose with tracking algorithms from Trackmate and visualization within ImageJ. Following both cell and bacteria tracking, our workflow provides a versatile toolkit of functions for measuring relevant signal parameters at the single-cell level (such as velocity or bacterial burden) and at the single-bacteria level (for assessment of phagosome maturation). Ultimately, our workflow’s capabilities in both single-cell and single-bacteria quantification can help decipher the virulence factors of pathogens and pave the way for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. The customizable nature of the methods extends the applications of the workflow far beyond the field of mycobacteria and presents opportunities for advancement in host-pathogen interaction research in a variety of systems.Item Big Eyes in the Ocean(2024) Clermont, Letsky; Johnson, LenaCoral reefs are the central hub in supporting diverse marine life and are facing escalating threats from global warming and human activity. Reefs are important to human life as they provide protection from coastal storms, and are a source of food and scientific insight. The increased need for motoring the life reefs necessitates cameras capable of capturing reef conditions over time in shallow to deep water. This research proposes a novel approach of combining insights from the visual biology of tarsiers with previous work that created affordable depth cameras for high-fidelity imaging. Tarsiers are remarkably small primates with a length of 9–16 cm and have the largest eye-to-head ratio of any mammal. Tarsiers’ vision systems utilize their eye size to take in a large quantity of light allowing them to efficiently hunt insects in low-light conditions. Applying this heightened depth perception to ocean imaging cameras can help improve image quality at depth with low light. The standard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration advises for reef research and restoration utilizes large-area imaging to create 3D topographic representations of the reefs using structure-from-motion software. Previous research at Disney Research found a method of modifying the software of low-cost depth cameras to create detailed 3D representations of reefs. Adapting this vision system to depth cameras can augment the resolution, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of coral reef imaging. By contributing to more affordable reef imaging cameras, more communities can contribute to the comprehension and monitoring of coral reef ecosystems amidst mounting environmental pressures.Item Building Connections(2024-04-17) Tavelli, Gian Carla; Neel, Maile Jowita Wyszomirska; Sham, Foon; Wyszomiska, JowitaThe Amazon basin is a region that is constantly under threat and its forest cover shrinks in size daily by 10,000 acres. In 2021, over 4.8 million acres of Amazon rainforest was destroyed. Although most people think of Brazil when they hear about the Amazon, the central lowlands of my home country, Bolivia, is part of this imperiled ecosystem. The project entailed collecting Idiria leaves and branches, and Isigo tree sawdust from the Madidi National Park in eastern Bolivia to be processed by me and participating community members into natural dyes and pigments. The end goal of this project was to develop a robust art work product based on ethnobotanical and cultural resources. The initial stage focused on producing a background for each of the art pieces and eco prints that were developed using fallen foliage and flora of the surroundings in Madidi. The second stage incorporated natural dyes processed by me with local plant species previously mentioned. The third and final stage will be part of my thesis which includes presenting an art installation that uses natural dyes with a thematic focus on conservation. Once presented at the UMD and possibly other venues, I hope this will engender discussion about natural dyes and how they are a renewable and eco-friendly resource in fragile ecosystems much like the Madidi National Park.Item Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy System Design for Astrochemical Studies(2024) Ganley, Shannon; Howard, Thomas; Dodson, LeahCavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) is a highly sensitive technique that allows for the detection and analysis of extremely dilute chemical species. This tool is particularly useful for the collection of high-resolution spectra of molecules of astrochemical interest, which can be used to assist molecular detection efforts and improve our understanding of the chemistry that can occur in space. We present two iterations of a near-IR (1.5 µm) continuous-wave CRDS system which has been under development at the University of Maryland. HCN is chosen as a test molecule for each of these systems due to its importance in astrochemistry and its well-studied—experimentally and theoretically—spectra in the infrared. The rovibrational spectrum of the first overtone of the C-H stretch is analyzed on each system at room temperature, and in our newest system at cryogenic temperatures. The rotational temperature of HCN is calculated from this spectral data, and will be used in future work to quantify the rotational energy of neutral gaseous species for kinetics studies.Item CerviCare: A Point of Care Screening Device for Cervical Precancer(iGEM, 2024-04) Bansal, Navya; Firdaus, Sarah; Jocić, Mia; Meyer, Jonathon; Valdés, Trinidad Cubillos; Wu, Jonathan; Jaranson, Renee; Zhang, Kevin; Ferguson, Graham; Adu-Osei, Krista; Namputhiripad, Aditi; Harel, Dana; Lu, Rebecca; Hussain, Haider; Wang, Miranda; Gadigi, Aditri; Senthilkumar, Abhi; Kahn, Jason; Eisenstein, EdwardCervical cancer remains a significant health burden, especially in regions with limited access to diagnostic facilities. To combat this, the UMaryland iGEM Team is developing an inexpensive point-of-care cervical precancer screening tool. Utilizing red fluorescent protein (RFP), this tool will provide a reliable color-based output upon detecting specific miRNAs (miR-21, miR-199a, and miR-155-5p) associated with cervical precancer. Our detection approach combines toehold switch and novel synthetic RNA technologies. Toehold switches serve as recognition elements, enabling target miRNA detection with high sensitivity and specificity. Our synthetic RNA ribozyme device will utilize both a novel miRNA sensor and self-cleaving properties to achieve similar sensitivity and specificity. Utilizing two cell-free devices in tandem will allow us to increase the accuracy of our screening device, which will be a paper assay system. Finally, through careful design and optimization, we aim to produce this device at low-cost and simplify it to require minimal training, enabling its use in resource-limited areas.Item Children’s Reasoning about Race- and Wealth-Based Exclusion(2024) Holloway, Hannah; Rumberger, Jonquil; Kilby, Elena; Forbes, Marley B.; Killen, MelanieDevelopmental and social psychological research has explored strategies to mitigate intergroup biases. Intergroup contact, or positive contact with individuals perceived to be part of an outgroup, has emerged as a prominent approach. A robust literature has examined children’s evaluations of intergroup social exclusion (i.e., when someone is excluded based solely on their group identity). Findings reveal that race-based exclusion is viewed as more wrong than wealth-based exclusion. Yet, little research has investigated children’s reasoning about intergroup exclusion as it spontaneously occurs during classroom discussions. The current study addressed this gap by audio recording teacher-facilitated classroom discussions once a week for eight weeks as part of a school-based program to reduce prejudice and bias. Discussions followed the use of an online tool which depicted hypothetical intergroup peer encounters. Participants were 8- to 11-year-old elementary school students attending U.S. public schools in the Mid-Atlantic region, N = 522, N = 30 classrooms, ethnically and racially diverse with no majority group. The current study used a smaller subset of the original sample, N = 12 classrooms. A theoretically-derived coding system was applied to the discussions; categories included moral (fairness), group identity (ingroup preferences) and psychological (personal choice). Preliminary analyses suggest that children used moral reasoning more often when engaging in classroom discussions about race-based exclusion compared to wealth-based exclusion. These results have implications for school-based interventions aimed at reducing prejudice and promoting fairness in childhood.