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How to Improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in U.S. Schools
Get PDFThis project aims to determine solutions to improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in U.S. school buildings that can accommodate each school’s needs. This project will compile knowledge regarding common issues school buildings face that contribute to poor IAQ and possible solutions to remedy their effects while considering the cost-efficiency of said solutions. The methods of research in this project include the review of academic literature, an online survey, and interviews of students and faculty on the Binghamton University campus. The results of this project serve as guidelines to help school districts more easily determine a cost-efficient system to improve IAQ in their school buildings, therefore, improving the well-being of the students and staff. This project will be conducted via collaboration between student and faculty researchers to develop solutions to poor IAQ environments in school buildings to provide a foundation for future research.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1035/thumbnail.jp
Collections Management and Preparation at the Binghamton University Art Museum
Get PDFMuseum collections management and preparation refers to the physical and digital storage, display, record-keeping, and presentation of the objects for which a museum provides stewardship. The Binghamton University Art Museum provides student interns the opportunity to learn about these fields and conduct important work for the collection. The collections management interns each have individual projects that benefit the museum in different ways. This work ranges from researching and refining metadata on the museum’s website, identifying and processing donations and loans, accessioning objects and creating files in the museum’s database, and condition reporting. The preparator intern has the unique opportunity to learn the art of matting, framing, lighting, and presenting artworks. Performing this work enables the intern to understand how presentation impact’s a visitor’s experience intellectually and emotionally. All of the interns’ tasks help them understand museum operations, serve the institution’s goals, and provide contributions to the objects and visitors.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1046/thumbnail.jp
Sudden Removal of High Social Enrichment Affects Anxiety-Like Behaviors and Monoamine Levels in Cortico-Striatal-Thalamic Structures of the Rat Brain
Get PDFThis study evaluated a novel stress-induced animal model in adolescent male (n=28) and female (n=28) rats. All rats were first exposed to high social enrichment (frequent handling and playdates with 13 other rats). Then, experimental rats were exposed to a standard social enrichment, whereas control rats continued in high social enrichment. Behaviors assessed included grooming, rearing, arm entry in the elevated plus maze, and head poking in the hole board. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to evaluate monoamine neurochemical levels in post-mortem tissue from the prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, lateral/medial thalamus, dorsal/ventral striatum, amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus. Behavioral and neurochemical measures were affected by enrichment, sex, and age. Understanding the neurophysiological consequences of a sudden removal of social enrichment, such as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, holds translational value for the treatment of mental health issues.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1050/thumbnail.jp
Food Insecurity in Broome County & Tompkins County
Get PDFFood Sustainability is a multifaceted issue encompassing global health, environmental conservation, and social equity. This study investigates food insecurity and sustainability initiatives in Broome County and Tompkins County. The research explores the socio-economic impacts of local food initiatives globally and delves into household-level food insecurity as a central focus. By examining the historical context, economic dynamics, and healthcare access, of both counties, the study aims to understand the effectiveness of existing initiatives and identify areas for improvement. The study provides a comparative analysis of sustainable food practices between two counties using data from various sources and insights from interviews with community leaders. The findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to address food insecurity while fostering sustainable food systems for resilient communities.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1053/thumbnail.jp
Exploring the Significance of Old Books: A Case Study of
Get PDFWhy do books matter? Beyond their contents, what stories can they tell? In 1825, a fire broke out in Edinburgh, destroying almost every copy of The Knightly Tales. Instead of giving up, the printer spent great time and money painstakingly restoring the few copies so they could be sold and read. This study explores the significance of old books, using The Knightly Tales as a case study. I analyze the book’s journey from creation, to its burning and restoration, to its current state. Utilizing interviews with preservation experts, this project investigates how to restore damaged books. This research underscores the importance of preserving old books. It highlights the need for continued efforts in book conservation to ensure that future generations can access and appreciate these invaluable treasures. Ultimately, I argue that old books hold value beyond their textual content, serving as gateways to the past, a repository for cultural heritage, and artifacts of craftsmanship.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1062/thumbnail.jp
Exploring the Association Between Epistemic Emotions and Engagement in Early Engineering Design Tasks
Get PDFResearch has shown that students who are interested in engineering design tasks early in their lives are more likely to become engineers. Importantly, kids tend to be more engaged with activities that elicit positive emotions (Hammond, 2014). Our purpose is to try fostering higher levels of engagement in engineering design tasks by observing how each step is associated with positive or negative epistemic emotions. We observed video recordings of six families engaged in different engineering tasks in their home environments. The videos were coded to categorize a range of different emotions throughout the activity. We hypothesize that activities involving physical engagement will be associated with positive emotions, while parts involving reading or planning will be associated with negative emotions. This research could help improve future engineering design tasks, by decreasing negative emotions and thus, increasing engagement. Designing activities to be more engaging helps attract more students to STEM.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1070/thumbnail.jp
Stories of Faith and Community: Russian Orthodox Churches in Binghamton
Get PDFBinghamton has one of the largest concentrations of Orthodox Christians in New York State. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city’s cigar and shoe factories drew immigrants from the most distant corners of Eastern Europe. Within a few short years, an Orthodox Christian community made up of various nationalities flourished in the city, but this unique history has remained largely hidden throughout the past decades. This research will shed light on the role that Orthodox churches played in creating communities among people of Slavic descent and helping them to become American. It is a story of nationalities, beliefs and integration into the society of this country throughout history. Drawing on the archives of local Orthodox churches and delving into historic newspapers, this project plans to tell the story of the lives of these immigrants and the origin of their communities.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1085/thumbnail.jp
Effects of ethanol on social-induced neural activity in a rat model of autism spectrum disorder
Get PDFThe prevalency of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States is increasing, with current estimates at 1 in 36 children, over 1 in 46 in 2018. ASD is a neurobiological disorder often characterized by social impairments, and reports suggest individuals with ASD are more likely to use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. The current study examined patterns of neural activity in vehicle and ethanol-exposed adult rats that were previously exposed to valproic acid in utero, a well-defined ASD-like animal model. We report analyses of neural activity in tissue from transgenic cFos-LacZ rats in which a colorimetric histochemical enzymatic reaction occurred in cells expressing the LacZ gene product, β-galactosidase under the control of a promoter for the immediate-early gene cfos. We report cell counts in subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, and hippocampus – brain regions strongly related to social dysfunction. We found that in utero valproic acid increased neural activity in the hippocampus independent of ethanol exposure. This finding supports the hypothesis of long-lasting changes in neural activity into adulthood. Further work is needed to evaluate activity in other brain regions related to social interaction
Lex Capitalocenae: The Dialectics of Law and Accumulation in the Capitalist World-Ecology
Get PDFThis project aims to investigate the emergence of international law as inextricably tied to the rise of the capitalist world-ecology across the long sixteenth century. Through a world-historical methodology, my project charts the interpenetration of legal doctrine and legal practice in the making of the modern world. After 1492, a transformation took place within the law of nations (jus gentium) from its determination by canonical law within the parameters of Christendom to its determination by merchant law within the parameters of a world-economy. It is the contention of this paper that this transformation was a transformation in the natural law endemic to the prevailing mode of production—its legal regime.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1104/thumbnail.jp
Cover Crops in New York State
Get PDFCover cropping is an increasingly important practice of modern sustainable agriculture. Given the various detrimental ecological effects of many modern agricultural practices, farming sustainability is a vital component of any broader movements advocating environmental health. New York State has unique risks and priorities for environmental management and our agriculture plays a key role in the environmental health of our waterways, soil, and air. Cover cropping is one practice in sustainable agriculture that has many benefits for both farmers and the broader public. Despite efforts to incentivize their use through subsidies, many farmers still do not use cover crops. What are the factors that affect cover crop usage in New York State? Why are they used at starkly different rates in different regions? These questions can be studied scientifically to inform important policy decisions. Studying this can answer the important question, “What can we do to most improve cover crop usage?”https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2024/1105/thumbnail.jp