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How Age and Vocal Health Affect the Voice
Get PDFOur vocal tract ages just like our body does. This research paper hopes to bring attention to the changes that happen within the cartilages and the vocal folds located in the larynx caused by aging. There will be four age groups that will be discussed: newborn and toddlers, adolescents and young adults, adults, and senior singers. Inspired by Karen Brunssen’s book The Evolving Singing Voice, each section will go into detail discussing the biological changes that happen to the cartilages and the vocal folds during these time in our lives. A few changes that will be mentioned throughout these stages of life include hormones, growth, and ossification. Following the discussions regarding the changes in the vocal tract, the topic of vocal health will conclude this paper. It will focus on ways that singers can take precautions with their voice to make sure they are keeping their voice healthy and not aging their voice fortuitously, as well as the outside influences that harm the vocal folds. Using Dr. Laurie Lashbrook’s presentation Help! I’ve Lost My Voice: Vocal Wellness and the Music Educator, we will dive into topics such as proper breath support, overuse and tension, and proper vocal hygiene
Construction Composites of Recycled PVC and Recycled Polyolefins
Get PDFCurrent construction composites are typically only composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and recycled PVC (rPVC). This proposed project will investigate if recycled polyethylene (rPE) and polypropylene (rPP) can be used instead of PVC in those materials. Different compositions of rPE, rPP, and rPVC blends will be compounded and a T-peel test will be performed to test the adhesion
Farmland Effect on Local Water Quality
Get PDFI will be conducting water quality testing in bodies of water in the area. The goal is to determine if there is a correlation between the water quality and the proximity to farmland or if areas are equally affected by nonpoint sources of pollution despite the distance. The data collection will take place over the course of a month or less, with a more detailed schedule in the proposal. Several samples will be taken at each body of water, with 3-5 bodies of water per treatment group. I will be testing the pH, nitrates, and dissolved oxygen levels of the water using API testing kits
Exploring Natural Raw Materials for the Development of Hot Melt Adhesives for Linings of Paintings
Get PDFNatural raw materials will be explored for developing hot melt adhesives for the lining of paintings. The leading raw material is a natural resin called Damar . This resin is obtained from the tree family Dipterocaupocea in India and Southeast Asia. This material has shown promising results from initial testing. Damar, with the potential for other natural raw materials, will be combined with synthetic ingredients to create sustainable formulations. The formulations will be tested on linen to replicate the application onto paintings. The sustainability, tackiness, texture, and overall performance of each formula will be considered. Once a formulation has been selected, several methods of delivery and application will be tested as well. One of the goals is to create a solvent-free application to make sustainable and safe claims. The ultimate goal of the project will be to narrow down the search to an optimized formulation that delivers sufficient results and passes testing and standards. The motivation for this work is to provide a sustainable method for the linings of paintings and art restoration. The success of this project will benefit the community of fine arts and painting preservation, as well as sustainable polymers research
Modeling Inflation Using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)
Get PDFThis paper utilizes a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm to construct a trigonometric interpolant for the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is then differentiated and used to obtain a continuous function for “instantaneous” (i.e., month-wise) inflation, as opposed to a 12-month percent-change. Fourier coefficients are analyzed to investigate underlying periodicities in the newly constructed function. This metric does not hold significant predictive value but it may prove helpful in retroactive analysis of inflation trends
Effects of Energy Drink Additives on Crayfish Metabolism
Get PDFThe effects of caffeine and additives commonly found in energy drinks were tested on crayfish to record changes, if any, in their metabolism. Three experimental groups were studied: 1. Caffeine; 2. Caffeine + Glucuronolactone; 3.) Caffeine + Glucuronolactone + Taurine. Caffeine is a common stimulant used to improve mental awareness, headaches, memory, and athletic performance. Glucuronolactone is connected with cardiovascular issues and aggressive behavior. Taurine is said to improve mood and focus. The experiment was performed at two different caffeine levels: 600mg and 1200mg for an initial 1 hour of exposure and 10 hours after exposure used as a pseudo-baseline. This study aimed to examine the impact of energy drink additives on crayfish metabolism and recovery time by studying the changes in oxygen concentration when exposed to caffeine, glucuronolactone, and taurine. The data comparing the metabolic rates of the pseudo-control-recovery group and the treatment groups were not significantly different. Therefore, the hypothesis could not be supported at this time nor any comparison to human effects. Improvements can be made with stronger treatment groups, increased sample size, and more sensitive measurements
Microglia regulate light evoked retinal responses in the zebrafish retina.
Get PDFThe primary goal of the project is to investigate the role of the interferon regulatory factor 9 (irf8) gene in the retinal function of zebrafish. My research aims to examine and compare the retinal responses of two subject groups: wildtype zebrafish and zebrafish with the irf8 gene knocked out. This project seeks to determine if irf8 knockout zebrafish lose visual system functionality before experiencing changes in retinal morphology. The primary technique to answer this research question is the electroretinogram, a commonly used method to examine retinal function. The final outcome of this project will be a scientific paper describing the findings
Cognitive Indicators of Performance in League of Legends Players
Get PDFThis project attempts to discover the importance of several cognitive traits in esports performance, specifically League of Legends. The traits (performance indicators) measured are frustration tolerance, locus of control, self-efficacy, and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. Participants will take several existing tests to measure each trait, as well as provide their League of Legends username(s) so that their results can be compared to their in-game performance. I hypothesize a positive relationship between League of Legends rank and frustration tolerance, internal locus of control, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy. I hypothesize a negative relationship between rank and external locus of control, extrinsic motivation, and frustration intolerance. Participants\u27 scores on each measure will be analyzed for significance and compared to both their current rank as a percentile and their historical ranking. We hope to suggest a relationship between these performance indicators and long-term improvement by analyzing which indicators are most prevalent in players who are improving over time
Climate Change\u27s Effect on Flow Regime
Get PDFThis project will test to see if there is a percent increase in non-perennial streams sampled from 2003-2021. Using data provided by The Cleveland Metroparks, sampling events will be separated by date, flow regime classification, and rain data. Current literature supports the claim that many perennial streams, streams that flow year-round, will become non-perennial streams over time. This shift is predicted to be caused by a change in rain patterns. Both the interval between rain events and the intensity of rainfall per event are predicted to increase. My hypothesis is that there will be an increase in the percentage of streams with a non-perennial flow regime, an increase in the amount of time between rain events, and an increase in the amount of rain per event over time
Self-Watering Plant Device
Get PDFMany homeowners enjoy having plants around their homes. However, life can quickly become busy and stressful. This often makes it difficult to keep with their house plants. The goal of this project is to design a device that will be able to help take care of house plants. The device will be able to water the plant when the soil moisture is detected. The device will also monitor the air temperature as well as the sunlight levels that the plant is receiving. All of the collected data will then be sent via Bluetooth to a smartphone. The app will alert the user when the plant in conditions that will limit growth and when the water is running low