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Light Stress and Leaf Characteristics in Prairie Fleabane in a Limestone Quarry
No full textDePauw’s nature park was an active limestone quarry for 60 years and has been going through primary succession since 1977. This harsh and disturbed environment can make it difficult for plants to survive. In this study, I aimed to investigate the Erigeron strigosus (Prairie Fleabane), a native plant commonly found in open, disturbed areas. I wanted to examine how the amount of light affected leaf traits in Erigeron strigosus because I had observed and hypothesized that in sunny areas, the leaf orientation changed, and the size of the leaves was smaller, and in shady areas, the leaves would be in a neutral position, and the leaf size was larger. To conduct this experiment, I measured leaf size, photosynthetically active radiation, leaf angle, and stomatal density of 40 plants in full sun and 40 plants in partial shade in 16 different locations. While some results were not statistically significant, I did find a significant pattern in height and number of flowerheads, where sunny plants were shorter, but had more flowerheads than partially shaded plants. I also found that the leaf orientation and stem phototropism did change between the two light environments. This has led me to question whether leaf movement and orientation are indicators of stress or if they actually have a positive impact on plants that are in full sun and are an adaptation that increases the plant’s fitness. Answering these questions would be the next step if I were to continue my research, and also provide insights into how this plant survives in the harsh quarry environment.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1228/thumbnail.jp
Constraints on axionlike particles from VERITAS observations of a flaring radio galaxy in the Perseus cluster
No full textAxion-like particles (ALPs) are hypothetical particles that emerge in numerous theoretical extensions to the Standard Model. Their coupling to electromagnetic field implies that ALPs would mix with photons in the presence of external magnetic fields. As ALP phenomenology is governed by the mass and strength of its coupling, there is a subset of this parameter space in which this mixing would be expected to leave an imprint on the spectra of TeV γ-ray sources. In 2017, the VERITAS γ-ray observatory recorded the second day of a dramatic flare of the radio galaxy NGC 1275, embedded at the center of the Perseus galaxy cluster. This serendipitous locale provides a spatially-extended magnetic field of strength Oð10 μGÞ through which escaping photons traverse, making it an excellent target to study ALPs. We analyze the VERITAS data of NGC 1275’s 2017 flare with the gammapy analysis package. Extensive fitting and modeling are performed to ultimately conduct a likelihood analysis used to search for any evidence of a preference for ALPs and to explore the confidence with which constraints can be set. We adopt the CLs method for this study for its conservative approach to setting limits in regimes where the search has limited sensitivity. No evidence for the existence of ALPs is found, and no combination of mass and coupling strength can be excluded at or above 95% confidence level. We provide a map showing the strength of our exclusions in the mass and coupling parameter space. The strongest exclusions are found in the mass range 2 × 10−7 eV ≲ ma ≲4 × 10−7 eV and at the coupling strength of gaγ ≳ 3 × 10−11 GeV−1 up to 80% confidence level, which are consistent with previous studies. We find the CLs to be a trustworthy approach, and advocate for its continued usage in future studies. We note that many of the limitations contributing to the limited sensitivity seen by VERITAS in this study will be improved with next-generation γ-ray instruments, such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory
Healing Through Collective Memory: Exploring Psychological Trauma and Community in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Audre Lorde’s “The Uses of the Erotic”
No full textMy project “Healing Through Collective Memory: Exploring Psychological Trauma and Community in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Audre Lorde’s “The Uses of the Erotic”” is motivated by the traumatic images of the experience in enslavement. The symbolism that Morrison uses in Beloved through the dual role Beloved plays as both a spectator and experiencing trauma firsthand. Morrison surpasses the generic gothic tropes of the ghost through Beloved’s ghostly presence at 124 Bluestone, and later her ability to physically haunt Sethe, forcing her to confront her trauma. Beloved’s appearance collapses the past and the present, forcing Sethe to face her past in an inescapable confrontation with a bodily form. Beloved’s interference also shows how trauma is generational, as the traumatic experience of enslavement that Sethe felt, passed elements of trauma to her daughter, Denver. Beloved serves as a symbol of the trauma that Sethe experiences but in the greater picture, Beloved serves as a symbol of the unresolved trauma of enslaved individuals, as Morrison dedicates her novel to “Sixty Million and more” (Morrison). Finally, my project makes the claim that the only way to heal is through community, supported by Audre Lorde’s “The Uses of the Erotic,” where she explains how to engage unknown power through feeling in community
The Design and Engineering of the Foggara Irrigation System: from the Ancient Fezzān to Modern Algeria
No full textThrough the Forgotten Roots
Full text linkEmily Loera is a Junior double majoring in Design Studies and Asian Studies. She is on the Women’s Track and Field team and involved in many other organizations on DePauw’s campus. She loves to share her art with others, read, and hang out with her friends
AutoSpire
No full textCreating and publishing engaging Instagram content is a time-consuming and resource-intensive task, especially for individuals and businesses managing multiple accounts. From crafting compelling captions and selecting relevant hashtags to designing visually appealing images and scheduling posts, the process demands significant effort. Additionally, automating content publishing via the Instagram and Facebook Graph APIs requires technical expertise, which many users lack. AutoSpire addresses these challenges by offering an end-to-end solution for automating the creation and publishing of Instagram posts. Leveraging OpenAI’s ChatGPT for text generation and DALL-E for image creation, AutoSpire produces high-quality, theme-based motivational content. The system seamlessly integrates with the Facebook/Instagram Graph APIs to publish posts directly, eliminating the need for manual intervention. All post data is stored in Google Firebase, enabling easy management, tracking and retrieval. While initially focused on motivational content, AutoSpire’s adaptable framework allows for customization to suit various themes, making it a versatile tool for a broad spectrum of Instagram users
CustomFolderSorter
No full textCustomFolderSorter is a Python-based automation tool designed to address the persistent challenge of digital file clutter. By scanning a designated directory—such as Downloads or Documents—the tool extracts file metadata (creation/modification date, size, type, and extension) and then organizes the files into subfolders based on user-selected criteria. In addition to core functionalities, CustomFolderSorter incorporates extra features including customizable file size thresholds, an enhanced graphical user interface (GUI), and a file preview with an undo mechanism, thereby offering users an even greater degree of control over their file organization process. The application is built to be both flexible and user-friendly. Users can define what constitutes small, medium, or large files through adjustable thresholds, view a real-time preview of the sorting outcome before any changes are made, and easily revert actions if necessary. These features not only streamline file management but also reduce the risk of accidentally misplacing important documents. Overall, CustomFolderSorter represents an innovative solution to the everyday challenge of digital organization