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Leotia viscosa
Get PDFECOLOGY: Saprobic fungi found in small clusters growing near conifers, on decaying hardwood or humus. Also found growing near moss. Can be found between late spring and fall with a wide distribution in North America. Cap is dark green and ranges from 1-3 cm in diameter. Has a viscid cap early on, hence its Latin name “viscosa,” translates to sticky. Stem reaches up to 6 cm in height, is white in color, and turns yellow as the mushroom matures. This mushroom shares similar characteristics to L. lubrica studies suggest that the cap color is not a reliable way to determine this species, as its relatives L. lubrica and L. atrovirens are polyphyletic; therefore observation at the molecular level is needed (Zhong and Pfister 2004). ID number: 21.28.02.2021https://orb.binghamton.edu/macrofungi_eastbrookvalley/1052/thumbnail.jp
Marasmius capillaris
Get PDFSaprobic; samples collected from leaf litter in both hardwood and softwood dominant forests, ecologically distinct from morphologically similar Mirasmius rotula which grows exclusively on wood. Cap 5-20 mm, cream to light tan, often slightly translucent, pleated with a central depression; stipe dark reddish-brown to black, turning yellow near cap; wiry. Gills similar in color to cap, are even, thick, attaching to a ring around the stem; tend to grow in patches and clusters. Global distribution (Rout et al. 2020). Mating patterns are consistent among different species of Marasmius, including Marasmius capillaris. This was demonstrated by crossing monokaryotic isolates of eleven different species of Marasmius (Gordon et al. 1994). ID number: 22.30.01.2021https://orb.binghamton.edu/macrofungi_eastbrookvalley/1056/thumbnail.jp
Urban and Rural Riparian Forests: Coleoptera Communities and Soil Characteristics
Get PDFUrbanization has been shown to be detrimental to ecosystems and to negatively impact ecosystem services and biodiversity, contributing to biological homogenization. This study focused on Coleoptera communities and soil characteristics (pH and conductivity) in urban and rural riparian forests, which are streamside forests that serve as transitional zones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Urbanization in these areas can lead to habitat loss, increased pollution, excess nutrients, and altered hydrology. Beetles (order Coleoptera) in these ecosystems can be affected by urbanization and preserving their biodiversity is important since they provide essential services such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. In 2019, beetles were collected once a month from June to August in urban and rural riparian forests in the Greater Binghamton area. In 2020, soil samples were collected to determine the differences between urban and rural riparian forests. We hypothesized Coleoptera communities would be less abundant and less diverse in urban habitats. Additionally, we predicted that urban soils would have a lower pH and higher conductivity compared to rural soils. We collected 1310 beetles and 11 families were identified. Family Carabidae was the most abundant (59.8%). Results are inconclusive on trends of urbanization since we observed comparable levels of abundance and taxon richness. However, abundance and richness were, on average, higher in urban sites which could be due to excess nutrients, diverse vegetation, and other subsidies in urban riparian forests. We found that on average, pH was higher and conductivity was lower in urban soil samples. The higher pH could be due to better than previously thought buffering capacity in urban areas and low conductivity could be due to runoff over impermeable urban land cover.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1010/thumbnail.jp
The Trafficking of Men and Boys in the United States and India: A Legal Analysis
Get PDF“Trafficking may answer a demand, but the cost is too steep for this ever shrinking world to bear” (Feingold, p. 32). Human trafficking exists as an intensely globalized issue that victimizes people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, most major international and federal anti-trafficking laws have only been implemented within the past twenty years. The trafficking of men and boys certainly constitutes a minority share of this issue, but receives a disproportionately low share of attention in the fight against trafficking. This becomes especially prevalent when analyzing our international legal systems. Traffickers within the United States and India continue to harbor and transport countless victims of trafficking. As a result, both nations have unique local and regional approaches to the issue. Combating human trafficking comes with a unique set of challenges due to its clandestine nature and international component. Unsurprisingly, it needs to be addressed with a certain set of knowledge, which includes a comprehensive understanding of the exploited population. The role of gender within trafficking and anti-trafficking legislation is an important piece of the puzzle, specifically toward the treatment of males. This research will delve into that specific legislation, which will include international protocols such as the TVPA and more focused regional/national laws within each nation. The analysis will emphasize the context behind policy decisions and their ultimate ramifications as it relates to men and boys.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1015/thumbnail.jp
Correlation between Arm Sales and Migration in Central America’s Northern Triangle and the United States during the Obama and Trump Administrations
Get PDFThis presentation investigates the relationship between Central America’s Northern Triangle (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) and the United States in terms of both arms sales and migration during the Obama and Trump administrations. One of the primary reasons for migration is the high rate of gun violence, and as the U.S. is the biggest contributor of arms to the region it is natural to argue that there is a direct correlation between the U.S.’s sales of arms to the Northern Triangle and the migration from the region to the U.S. This presentation also analyzes, from a historical context, the United States’ responsibility to aid the Northern Triangle, through the implementation of legislation controlling gun sales to the area. Utilizing U.S. legislation, news articles, UN resolutions, and scholarly articles, this paper explains the importance of the correlation between arms sales and migration to the United States. The sources would also be used to establish precedence as to how a form of legislative intervention would affect the migration to the United States. The Obama and Trump administrations employed different strategies to mitigate the “migrant crisis”, but neither administration made efforts to mitigate the violence in the region. By contrasting the legislative action during the administrations, this presentation helps distinguish the actions that were beneficial and harmful to decreasing migration from the Northern Triangle to the U.S. Migration from the Northern Triangle has caused controversial conversations to arise throughout the United States. This presentation aims to determine the potential consequences of legislative actions from the United States and the impact it would have on both parties. The paper develops a course of action that would best help the Biden Administration decrease the violence in the Northern Triangle and, thus, the migration to the U.S.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1022/thumbnail.jp
Deceit of the Promised Land: Sex Trafficking from the Former Soviet Union to Israel
Get PDFAround the world, there are people who suffer human rights abuses from their government and society and yearn to leave for new opportunities to create a better life. Unfortunately, there are criminal elements that use this desperation to lure people into traps, offering them passage and upon arrival, forcing them into non-consensual work situations with no recourse or exit strategy. Israel and the Soviet Union had a tempestuous relationship, especially with regard to Jews from the republics who wanted to “make Aliyah,” a concept in Judaism that they can “return” to Israel regardless of where they were born. To support this, the Israeli government offers citizenship to Jews. By abusing this law, groups were able to traffic many Soviet women into the sex work industry, turning what appeared to be an opportunity to return to their cultural homeland into an egregious human rights abuse. The overall goal is to understand what mistakes were made in the immigration pathway that made it so susceptible to trafficking, why the Israeli government was adamant about covering it up for so long, and helping the victims get justice and serve as a more universal framework for preventing these atrocities. The first steps are to review immigration information as well as anecdotes collected from official Israeli government sources as well as survivors who have had their stories told in the years following. In addition to this qualitative information, statistical data from the Israeli government and third-party human rights organizations will be collected to provide a quantitative justification. This mixture of information is critical to creating a compelling research project as it ensures that the findings are widespread enough to have practical applications while not ignoring the individual human suffering and emotional damage and support the victims in telling their story and receiving justice.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1025/thumbnail.jp
Predictive Policing: The Use of AI in the Justice System and the Future of Law Enforcement
Get PDFDefund the police. This simple mantra carried an immense weight as it rippled through the country last summer. It rallied millions together to protest the death of those victims of police brutality, such as George Flloyd and Breona Taylor. The turmoil and uncertainty opened up one glaring question: what does the future of policing look like? How will the police operate with less funding, while becoming more equitable? One answer seems to be predictive policing, which has already been implemented by the NYPD and LAPD. This method utilizes algorithms to predict when and where a crime will take place, and sends officers to the location to deter those from committing the crime. They believe that this technology will account for human bias and promote equality within the system. However, in practice it is ineffective and invasive at best and at its worst, re-entrenches racial bias and inequity. Though some discourse surrounds the issue, little legislation has been passed to govern the programs due to the obscurity and complexity of the programs and the inability to measure their effectiveness. In my research, I will breakdown how these programs work, as well as do close readings of existing laws that can be applied to these programs. I plan to determine whether or not predictive policing is the way forward, and what alternatives or corrections that can be made to make it more effective.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1034/thumbnail.jp
Every-Body is Beautiful: Including Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Race in Investigations on Body Image
Get PDFAlthough body image satisfaction has been extensively examined in straight, white women, fewer studies have covered the nuanced differences that likely exist across other demographic groups. Previously, body satisfaction, appearance-pressures from the media and family, and body respect have been shown to vary across gender, sexual orientation, and race. For instance, some studies have shown that homosexual females have higher body satisfaction compared to their homosexual male counterparts, potentially due to greater appearance-based-pressure from the media. Additionally, women of color have been shown to experience more perceived family appearance-pressure than their white counterparts. However, women of color, especially queer women of color, appear to have higher body satisfaction than their white women counterparts, supporting previous studies suggesting protective factors of high group belongingness and cultures that de-emphasize thinness in queer women of color. Interestingly, the same is not evident with queer men of color, as their body respect has shown to be significantly lower than all other demographics. This study sought to examine undergraduates’ perspectives of their bodies in personal and familial contexts, as well as how the media may influence these viewpoints. Undergraduate students in the fall of 2016 and the spring of 2017 were given an online Qualtrics questionnaire asking a series of questions related to how they viewed their body along with a set of demographic questions. The results were analyzed using a multivariate generalized linear model in SPSS, which yielded important differences across gender, race, and sexual orientation. Significant differences were observed in the variables of body image, body respect, family’s influence on body image, and the media’s influence on body image. Future studies should consider investigating whether similar trends can be observed across different age cohorts and further examine body image with the nuances of sexual orientation and gender.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1055/thumbnail.jp
Parent’s Influence on Career Aspirations in College Freshmen
Get PDFFrom a young age, children are molded by their parents and their environments. By the time they move into adolescence and begin to consider their futures, oftentimes they look to their parents, either as role models or for career guidance. Studies have shown that children value their parents’ opinions, and only believe in their own career decision-making abilities to the degree to which they think their parents believe in them. Whether subconsciously or consciously, parents become one of the main influences on adolescent’s career aspirations. This convergent mixed-methods study seeks to explore how parental behaviors influence career development in college freshmen in the United States. Data were collected from participants through an online survey, with follow-up interviews to further understand how participant’s perceptions of their parental involvement, support, engagement, and interference affected their own career aspirations. We hypothesize that parent’s career-related behaviors will have a significant impact on adolescents\u27 career development and choice. These potential findings have a high latency of becoming a guide of support in navigating how to steer children in their career aspirations.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1058/thumbnail.jp
Synthesis and characterization of LiNi 0.85 Mn 0.075 Co 0.075 O 2 cathode for Li-ion batteries
Get PDFLi-ion batteries have played a very important role in the commercialization of HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and EVs (electric vehicles) in the past few decades. With major companies like Ford promising to go fully electric within the decade, research into battery materials have become more extensive. Originally, lithium cobalt oxide has been one of the main cathode materials (still used extensively in smart devices), but this material has low energy density, since it is able to intercalate only half of the Li while cycling. LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 (or NMC for short) are currently being utilized by many EVs due to their high energy density. Current battery research is more focused on increasing the Ni content in the NMCs which further increases energy density. With NMC811 recently commercialized, our studies focus on LiNi0.85Mn0.075Co0.075O2, which is the next step. In this study, we will present the synthesis process for LiNi0.85Mn0.075Co0.075O2 by co-precipitation method (adopted industrially), which is optimized very carefully with respect to pH, temperature, as well as concentration of the reactants, etc. This material has been engineered to have a better capacity and capacity retention using the optimization of the calcination temperature. This material was further characterized by PXRD (powdered x-ray diffraction), ICP-OES (inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), and electrochemical performance using galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling technique.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1074/thumbnail.jp