Case Study of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. Queen Hall and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Case Study of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Yuxi Zhan and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Case Study of the American Folk Art Museum. Joe Peterson and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Reflexology. ¹Yaeram Cho, ²Rezan Akpinar, and ³Heijing Cui. ¹Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ³Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Examining the function of STAT3 and the anti-inflammatory effects of black tea in macrophages stimulated with LPS and LTA on production of nitric oxide.. Masiel Nunez and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Identification of the Components within the Tea extract Exhibiting Anti-Inflammatory Properties. Jacqulyn Persaud and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Comparing Prioprionibacterium phages. Weiheng Jiang and Urszula Golebiewska. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Diamonds from Depth: Insights into the Mantle Composition of the Slave Craton. Megan Wuerz and Rondi Davies. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Examining the Migration of STAT3 in macrophages after Stimulation with LPS and LTA Using the Confocal Microscope. Humayra Nasita and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Identifying Polycystin, CaSR and TRPV Homologs with Potential Roles in Cnidocyte Discharge and Hydra Feeding Behavior. Kristina Dujic and Dr. Susan McLaughlin. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Phage therapy: a complementary approach to treat bacterial infections:. ¹Victoria Irizarry, ¹Monica Trujillo, and ²Ashley Jaime. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Using Wastewater to Advance Phage Therapy. ¹Ashley Jaime, ¹Monica Trujillo, and ²Victoria Irizarry. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Development & Identification of E2F4 gene Knockout cells of Human Colorectal cell line HT29 using CRISPR technique. ¹Fabiha Amber Siraj, ¹Sanjay Koul, and ²Weiheng Jiang. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Biology, QCC.

Polyaniline as an adsorbent for the removal of copper and zinc ions from aqueous solution. ¹Jalen Nicolas and ²David Sarno. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Not So Shallow: A Survey of Microbial Diversity in Local Vernal Pools. ¹Malachi M. Best, ¹Joan Petersen, ²Paige Bouderau, ²Carlos Cabrera, ²Jiamiao Chen, ²Darli W. Chit, ²Elliott Alexander Gruber, ²Jalen Nicolas, and ²Bryan Smith. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Comparison of Cytotoxic Effects of Acesulfame Potassium and Saccharin on Human Embryonic Kidney Cells.. ¹Rhian Lafargue, ¹Sarbani Ghoshal, ¹Regina Sullivan, ²Fasmin Marikar, and ²Minjae Chung. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

A Place to Grow: Finding the Optimal Conditions for Milkweed Germination. ¹Alyana Abraham, ¹Joan Petersen, ²J. Adames, ²Melannie Armaza, ²Samuel Baro Sherpa, ²Darli W. Chit, ²Fahadur Chowdhury, ²Elliott Alexander Gruber, ²Aaron Hirsch Romero, ²Yamin Nandar, ²Pretty Rahman, ²GianMichael Ruggiero, ²John Sanou, ²Bryan Smith, and ²Megan Wuerz. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Isolation and Characterization of Soil Bacteria with Antimicrobial Properties. David Tulloch and Mangala Tawde. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Analysis of Soil Near a LIC Powerplant to Assess Microbial Diversity and Heavy Metal Content.. ¹Stephanie-Marie Flowers, ¹Regina Sullivan, ¹David Sarno, ²David Maksa, ²Mangala Tawde, ²Andrew Nguyen, ³Raffaella Diotti, and ⁴Jeremy Seto. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Biology , Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ³Biology , Bronx Community College , Bronx, NY , ⁴Biology , City Tech of CUNY , Brooklyn, NY .

The Effect of the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy on the Current State of the Economy. ¹Tahjeem Ross, ¹Roumen Vragov, ²Anooja Singh, ²Pierre Kishun, ²Samiul Islam, and ²Daevion Taylor. ¹Business Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Business, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Removal of Radionuclides In Aqueous Solution Using Layered Double Hydroxides. ¹Sherlin Rosales Caamano, ¹Paul Sideris, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²Daletsi Reyes. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry Department, CUNY Queensborough Community College.

Medical Isotopes: Generation, Properties and Applications. ¹Alban Azemi, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ¹Paul Sideris, ²Manar Elnoor, and ²Sumaiya Husain. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Exploring the Sources of Background Radiation. ¹Abdullah Husain, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ¹Paul Sideris, ²Sumaiya Husain, ³John Aloi, and ⁴Susan Pepper. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³Radiological Control Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, ⁴Nonproliferation and National Security , Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Assessing Shielding Materials For Ionizing Radiation. ¹Samanta Seegopaul, ¹Paul Sideris, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²Aujeane Gordon. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry, Queensborough Community College, CUNY.

Development of an App for the Visualization of Fission Yield Data of Major Actinides.. ¹Pedrocia De-Sosoo, ¹Paul Sideris, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²Andrea Mattera. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Synthesis of Oligoether Pyrrolidinium Ionic Liquids for Optimized Battery Electrolytes. ¹Syeda Hussain, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Ieesha Ansar, and ³Martina Hove. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³City College of New York, New York, NY 10031.

Probing The Nanostructure Of Hydroxyl-Functionalized Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. ¹Ieesha Ansar, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Mehreen Mughal, ²Ho Martin Yuen, and ³James Wishart. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Synthesis and Isotopic Labelling of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. ¹Sumaiya Husain, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Ieesha Ansar, ²Maha Almaflehi, ³Gopal Subramaniam, and ⁴James Wishart. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³Queens College, CUNY, ⁴Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Attenuation of Gamma Radiation. ¹Eunji Ahn and ²Rex Taibu. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Synthesis of N-3-hydroxypropyltrichloroacetamide: Possible precursor to polyurethane. Eunji Ahn and Jun Shin. Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Forgotten in Crown Heights. Jessica Ellis, Eileen White, and Kahlil Garner. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Campus Love. Aaliyah White, Eileen White, and Kahlil Garner. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Witnessing the 2024 Solar Eclipse. Kelly Jairam, Eileen White, and Kahlil Garner. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Bundu Mask. Stacie Miller and Heather Huggins. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

QCC Theatre's Stupid F##king Bird. ¹Hana Boachie, ¹Liisa Yonker, ¹Heather Huggins, ¹C. Julian Jimenez, ²Rosa Gonzalez, ²Tavion Hamilton, and ²Omar Pichardo. ¹Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²CTMP, QCC.

Personality Recognition using Machine Learning. Brett Hirsch and Guozhen An. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Monitoring Chlorine Residual and other Quality Parameters of Water from Internal Plumbing System by Season and Water Demand. David Cen Cen, Dugwon Seo, and Ousmane Sy Savane. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Comparative Analysis of Play-Doh and Super Flex Bolus as Tissue-Equivalent Materials in Radiation Therapy Using Beta and Gamma Radiation. ¹MD Rashedul Islam and ²Rex Taibu. ¹Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Reconstructing a 3D Image from a 2D X-ray. Daniel Volin and Huixin Wu. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Evidence Analysis of Increases in Clear‐Air Turbulence Due to Climate Change. Jeremy Torres and Dugwon Seo. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Autoethnography of a Luddite: A Community College Student's Search for Authenticity. Mengrui Zheng and Victoria Tomasulo. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

When is it Necessary to Leave Home? An Autoethnography of Life After Myanmar's Military Coup. Toe Chit Lwin and Victoria Tomasulo. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Magical Realism as an Artistic Outlet. Taina Olivo and Alison Cimino. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Stephen Jay Gould's Biographical Approach to Art History. Marie Philippe and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Stephen Jay Gould on Painting: Modern Logic and Digestible Information. Carlos Ramos and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Publish or Perish in Modern Academia. ¹Alexander Zuba, ¹Matthew Lau, and ²Mohammad Pervaiz. ¹English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²English, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Reconsidering the Film "Sorry to Bother You". Amisha Mangal and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Basketball (Auto-ethnography). Abdoulaye Thiam and Chy Sprauve. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

My Cousin's Wedding: An Analysis of Mandinka Culture. Aicha Sano and Chy Sprauve. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The Mona Lisa and the Fighting Temeraire. Amro Zatar and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

HIP Poster. Meg Taraftar. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Kafka-core. Zoe Ilano and Alison Cimino. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

How Plant Based Diets Help Fight Climate Change. ¹Arina Rahimi, ¹Edward Diller Diller, ²Ayaan Efat, ²Evelyn Botello, ²Ethan Luna, and ²Amit Singh. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Is Ozempic Safe for Weight Loss?. ¹Kerry Maruna, ¹Edward Diller, ²Carrisa Buenafe, ²Lizbeth Torres, ²Dejanelle Pinero, and ²Safa Ali. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Fad Diets in the Internet Era: Critically Think for Yourself. ¹Christine Darelus, ²Edward Diller, ³Jonathan Barayev, ⁴Neeraj Kumar, ⁴Keziah Durant, and ⁵Joycy Macwan. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ³Health and physical Education , QCC, ⁴health and physical education , QCC, ⁵Health and physical education , QCC.

The Innovative Approaches to Reducing Food Waste for a Sustainable Future. ¹Phoomipatth Asawaitthipond, ¹Edward Diller, ²Ousha farquharson, and ²Gabino paz. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²QCC.

Autism and Massage Therapy. ¹Cere Coichetti, ¹Rezan Akpinar, ²Frankie Gonzalez, and ²Grace Burgos. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Public Perceptions of Massage Therapy Qualifications and the Need for Specialized Competencies in all wellness settings, including hospitals. ¹Rebecca Nunez, ¹Rezan Akpinar, and ²Nancy LeConte. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Developing a Case Study Guideline using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles. ¹Luciana Cristiano, ¹Rezan Akpinar, and ²Roan Shea. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Geriatric Massage. ¹Mia Sheppard Mckoy, ¹Rezan Akpinar, and ²Benjamin Miller. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²HPED, QCC.

Identifying, Understanding. ¹Melissa Clark, ¹Rezan Akpinar, ²Kenneth Cintron, and ²Jack Ren. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Recursive Method in Ising Model on Regular Graphs. Zebin Zhang and Wenjian Liu. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Classification of White Blood Cells using State-of-the-Art Neural Network Models. Daniel Lin and Esma Yildirim. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Extending Candlestick Encoding for Improved Stock Price Prediction. Iman Zahid and Yusuf Danisman. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Enhancing Pattern Accuracy Metric in Candlestick Pattern Mining for Stock Price Forecasting. Sabina Ruzieva and Yusuf Danisman. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Threshold-Based Pattern Mining for Stock Market Candlestick Analysis. Samuel Miner and Yusuf Danisman. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Historical Research of the Awards Received from NSF Aimed to Increase Women's Participation in STEM Education and Careers - Literature Review. ¹Ewa Stelmach, ²Yana Shvartsberg, ³Nhelissa Point Du Jour, ⁴Christina Tram, ⁴Magdalena Golder-Ryan, ⁴Emma Rose Owens, and ⁴Genevieve Grace Zorilo. ¹Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Mathematics , Pace University , ³Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ⁴Pace University .

Life's Uneven Playing Field: Social Circumstances and the Battle for Glucose Control in Diabetes.. Nayla Walters and Michelle Rossi. Nursing Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Examining Socioeconomic Factors and the Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Literature Review on Food Access, Fast Food Density, and Health Literacy.. Mekahla Simpson and Michelle Rossi. Nursing Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Finding the Heights of Two Features of the Moon. ¹Thato Sempe More, ¹Edward Sanchez, and ²Kesy Sempe. ¹Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Department of Physics, QCC.

X-Ray Absorption of Iron and Zinc. David Lee and Sunil Dehipawala. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Electronic Switch Implementation to a Data Acquisition System. Ange Compere, Corey Stalerman, and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Error Measurements of Arduino Microcontroller's Timing Measurements. Sean Tai and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Cosmic Ray Detector. Palden Bhutia and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Developing Secure Attachment: Impact of a Mindfulness-based Intervention on Attachment in School-aged Children. Cho Wing Ng and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Mystic Minds Online: Exploring the Influence of Spirituality, Esotericism, and Conspiracy Theories on Cognitive Distortions. Queen Hall and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Anorexia Nervosa: The Silent Struggle Within. Kareena Geer and Rosalinda Macaluso. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Psychological Effects of Early Morning Prayer on Cognitive and Emotional Well-being. sana naseri and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The Discursive Construction of Postpartum Depression. ¹Gilsy Perez, ¹Patrick Byers, and ²Patrick Byers. ¹Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Social Sciences, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Legal Immigrants' Preconception of Undocumented Immigrants and Crimes. Sabreen Qaisar and Celia Sporer. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Case Study of the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. Queen Hall and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

For the Fall 2024 Art Institutions and Business (ARTH 252) major course assignment, I have constructed a SWOT report on the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City. The National Museum of the American Indian is a satellite cultural institution of the Smithsonian that fosters educational programs towards indigenous populations and cultural artifacts from North, Central and South America, its mission: "[...] the NMAI has been steadfastly committed to bringing Native voices to what the museum writes and presents [...] The NMAI is also dedicated to acting as a resource for the hemisphere's Native communities and to serving the greater public as an honest and thoughtful conduit to Native cultures-present and past." A SWOT report is an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that come from internal and external forces within a museum, through the survey of their current and earlier programs, the effectiveness of current operating standards, and financial reports. Lastly, this report will explore what programs and community innovations the NMAI can participate in to extend their mission statement for the thoughtful presentation of Indigenous history, community engagement, and continued initiatives towards repatriation.

Case Study of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Yuxi Zhan and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

For my Art Institutions and Business class in the Gallery and Museum Studies program, I will present a case study of the Museum of Modern Art. MoMA is one of the most influential art museums in the world, known for its rich collection of contemporary works and its support of diverse arts from diverse backgrounds. This presentation will focus on the SWOT analysis and use it to look at MoMA's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. In addition, I will also explore how MoMA balances its role as a non-for-profit art institution with the need for commercial activities to maintain its operation.

Case Study of the American Folk Art Museum. Joe Peterson and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

As part of the Fall 2024 Art Institutions & Business course as a requirement for The Gallery and Museum Studies major at Queensborough Community College, I have completed a museum case study of the American Folk Art Museum located in New York, NY.The study will explore how the museum cares for, manages, funds, and shares its nearly 7,000-piece collection of self-taught & folk artists. Founded in just 1961 the museum stands as the only dedicated institution to folk art in the New York City museum circuit. They look to engage the public with exhibitions and publications on artists who may have worked outside of conventional art pathways, and do so guided by their mission statement:"The American Folk Art Museum engages people of all backgrounds through its collections, exhibitions, publications, and programs as the leading forum shaping the understanding and appreciation of folk and self-taught art across time and place."This report will delve into the internal positives and negatives of their current operation and lay them out alongside the external challenges and opportunities for growth the museum has in front of them. This will be formatted in what is known as a SWOT report and presented with a paper and presentation that attempts to explain the (S)trenghts, (W)eaknesses, (O)pportunities, and (T)hreats the American Folk Art Museum faces as it continues to share the national folk art tradition with all who wish to learn more.

Reflexology. ¹Yaeram Cho, ²Rezan Akpinar, and ³Heijing Cui. ¹Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ³Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Reflexology is a microsystem therapy that supports whole-body wellness. This approach involves massaging specific reflex points on the feet, hands, and head, which are believed to correspond to different parts of the body. Evidence suggests reflexology is safe and may produce both direct and indirect health benefits. Our survey seeks to assess public knowledge about reflexology, including awareness and its broader applications to other areas of the body, such as the hands and head. Additionally, we aim to evaluate general acceptance within the population. 

Examining the function of STAT3 and the anti-inflammatory effects of black tea in macrophages stimulated with LPS and LTA on production of nitric oxide.. Masiel Nunez and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Black tea is derived from the plant Camellia sinensis and has potential health benefits such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants have the ability to affect expression of transcription factors involved in the immune response, induce the suppression of proinflammatory cytokines and inhibit signaling pathways and enzymes involved with the inflammation pathway. When innate immune cells such as macrophages encounter toxins or pathogenic microorganisms, one of the first inflammatory responses is to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines to recruit other immune regulator cells. In addition to the production of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1b, interleukin-6, cyclooxygenase 2, macrophages also up regulate the inducible nitric oxide synthase 2 (iNOS 2) pathway. The function of nitric oxide (NO) is to dilate blood vessel allowing more immune cells to the infected site as well as modulating the release of various inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of black tea with its anti-inflammatory properties, on NO production by RAW 264.7 macrophages treated with gram(-) toxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which acts on Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and gram(+) toxin, lipoteichoic acid (LTA), which acts on Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR-2). NO levels will be measured using the Greiss regent. Furthermore, we recently observed that STAT3 is required for production of TNF-a downstream of TLR-4 but not TLR-2 but it is not required for the IL-6 expression downstream of both TLR-2 and -4, we hypothesize the STAT3 is required for NO production downstream of TLR-4 but not TLR2. This study will provide insights to the functions of STAT3 in macrophages and how black tea's anti-inflammatory properties work to suppress different immune stimulators.This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Masiel Nunez from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

Identification of the Components within the Tea extract Exhibiting Anti-Inflammatory Properties. Jacqulyn Persaud and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Black tea and green tea are derived from the plant Camellia sinensis, retaining many bioactive compounds with potential health benefits particularly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Amongst these compounds, polyphenols- especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)--are recognized for their significant anti-inflammatory property. This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of black and green tea polyphenols by separating tea concentrates by compound polarity and examining their activity in macrophages production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Polyphenols can interact with either nonpolar or polar compounds. Since previous work has shown that polar extraction generally has high antioxidant property because of the hydroxy groups of the phenolic compounds, we hypothesize that polar extraction of tea extract will yield the most anti-inflammatory effect of the polyphenols. We plan to employ different extraction methods using either hexane (non-polar solvent), ethyl acetate (polar solvent) and diethyl ether (semi-polar solvent) to fractionate the black or green tea. Different fractions will be used to pretreat macrophage cell line RAW264.7 cells prior to stimulation with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipoteichoic acid (LTA). The anti-inflammatory effect will be determined by measuring the expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as, interleukin-6 (IL6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFa) and interleukin-1beta. This approach will provide insights into the specific contributions of tea polyphenols to inflammatory response modulation.

Comparing Prioprionibacterium phages. Weiheng Jiang and Urszula Golebiewska. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Propionibacterium, recently reclassified as Cutibacterium, are bacteria found in human skin that can cause acne. Renewed interest in bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections has led to the development of acne treatments using phages. Considering these developments, we were interested in analyzing and comparing the genomes of bacteriophages that can infect Cutibacterium and potentially become useful for the treatment. We were using the phagesdb database. The Propionibacterium phages are placed in the BU cluster. We used phagesdb website, phamerator, DNAmaster, NCBI BLAST, Geppard and other programs to compare the genomes. Here we are going to present some insights into the mosaicity of their genomes. There are 48 members in the BU cluster. Their life cycle is lytic meaning that they kill bacteria and could be potentially used to combat infections. Their genome size is approximately 30 thousand base pairs, their GC content is 54%, and average number of genes is 45. They don't have any tRNA. From the phamerator maps we can see that they have similar genome architecture. We compared the gene content of their genomes. Morphologically they are also very similar, for example they have the same tail length which correlates with their tape measure protein size. This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Weiheng Jiang from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

Diamonds from Depth: Insights into the Mantle Composition of the Slave Craton. Megan Wuerz and Rondi Davies. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This study investigates the deep mantle composition beneath the Slave Craton, Northwest Territories, Canada, through the analysis of micro-diamonds recovered from kimberlite pipes in the Lac de Gras (LDG) area. The mantle is the thickest and largest layer of earth, and is in between the crust and the core. Kimberlitic magma forms 150- 200 km below earth's surface where the temperature and pressure are so high that carbon can crystallize in the form of diamond. Kimberlite delivers diamonds to the crust through magmatic intrusions that solidify into pipe-like structures, transporting diamonds and other mantle materials to the earth's surface. This allows a unique opportunity to examine the mantles' composition and history provided the minerals trapped in diamond remain unaltered. Diamonds from this region, some with origins up to 30 to 670 km deep, contain mineral inclusions from their time of formation, sometimes billions of years ago. Their properties and compositions provides insights into the mineralogy and conditions of ultradeep mantle environments. Fifty micro-diamonds from seven kimberlite pipes are characterized based on color, shape (growth) and resorption features using a binocular microscope. In ongoing research conducted at the American Museum of Natural History, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry will be used to calculate nitrogen content and aggregation state. In addition, Raman spectroscopy will be used to analyze inclusions within the diamonds. The nitrogen content and aggregation states will offer insights into the formation temperature and residence time of the diamonds, while inclusions will reveal the mantle's mineral composition at significant depths. This research is significant because it will enhance the understanding of the Slave Craton's deep mantle composition.

Examining the Migration of STAT3 in macrophages after Stimulation with LPS and LTA Using the Confocal Microscope. Humayra Nasita and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

STAT3 is a transcriptional factor that is involved in many cellular functions including cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. When cells are stimulated with pro-inflammatory cytokine such as, interleukin-6 (IL-6), which binds to gp130 receptor, the JAK kinases are activated, which phosphorylates the STAT3 protein. STAT3 translocate to the nucleus and turns on a number of genes involved in cell proliferation as well as pro-inflammatory cytokine production in many immune cells. Recently, STAT3 has been shown to mediate mitochondrial respiration, lipid transport and calcium signaling. We recently showed that the innate RAW 264.7 macrophages produced proinflammatory cytokines when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a gram (-) toxin and lipoteichoic acid, a gram (+) toxin. Indeed, many of pro-inflammatory cytokine production was STAT3 dependent including IL-6, IL-1b and cytooxygenase-2 (COX2). Interestingly, the production of tumor necrosis factor, TNF-a downstream toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) activated by LPS is STAT3 dependent but downstream of LTA stimulation activating TLR-2 is STAT3 independent. However, it is not known whether the location of STAT3 in the nucleus or mitochondria or both is important in this process. We hypothesize that STAT3 is differentially located downstream of LPS and LTA stimulation. The aim of this project is to use confocal microscope to detect the presence of STAT3 in the nucleus, mitochondria or endoplasmic reticulum of RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS and LTA. We also plan to stimulate wild-type or stat3-/- macrophages with other TLR's agonist such as poly (I:C) acting on TLR3, flagellin on TLR5 and CpG ODN on TLR9. The data generated from this project will give us an insight into the function of STAT3 in innate immune response. This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Humayra Nasita from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

Identifying Polycystin, CaSR and TRPV Homologs with Potential Roles in Cnidocyte Discharge and Hydra Feeding Behavior. Kristina Dujic and Dr. Susan McLaughlin. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Hydra is a fresh-water cnidarian regarded as an ideal model organism in developmental biology and neurobiology due to its unique regenerative abilities and specialized cell types like cnidocytes, which are involved in prey capture and defense. Earlier experiments implicated PKD1, PKD2 and CaSR (calcium sensing receptor) homologs in hydra feeding behaviors, including the mouth opening response and cnidocyte discharge. In Part I of this study, homologs of PKD1, PKD2, and CaSRs were identified through BLAST searches of the hydra genome. The Hydra AEP Single Cell Browser database was used to localize expression of these homologs in neurons found in the hydra's head, tentacles and/or in cnidocytes. Based on the results obtained from the said database, a CaSR and a PKD1 homolog are expressed in desmonemes, while a PKD2 homolog was found to be expressed in all three cnidocyte classes (stenoteles, desmonemes and isorhizas). In Part II, portions of the homologs will be cloned into a plasmid vector, which then can be used to produce probes for in situ hybridizations to corroborate the expression patterns indicated by the Single Cell Browser. Prior experiments have implicated TRPV channels in cnidocyte discharge in the cnidarian Diadumene lineata. A search of the Single Cell Browser identified hydra TRPV homologs expressed in cnidocytes. Part III will examine the effect of TRPV chemical inhibitors on the hydra feeding response to further elucidate potential regulatory pathways in these specialized cells. Findings from this study could expand our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying sensory function and behavior in Hydra, with broader implications for studying evolutionarily conserved sensory pathways. Long range goals include using siRNA knockdown technology to examine the role of specific PKD1, PKD2, CaSR and TRPV homologs in hydra feeding behaviors. This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Kristina Dujic from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

Phage therapy: a complementary approach to treat bacterial infections:. ¹Victoria Irizarry, ¹Monica Trujillo, and ²Ashley Jaime. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Phage therapy is an innovative approach to treating bacterial infections by using bacterial viruses, called phages. Phages specifically target and kill susceptible bacteria while leaving others unaffected due to their host specificity. Although antibiotics remain the primary treatment for bacterial infections, their overuse has led to serious challenges, including the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains and the disruption of the gut microbiome, which can cause secondary health issues like allergies and immunodeficiency. Phage therapy is gaining attention as a complementary solution, particularly for combating multidrug-resistant pathogens. Among these are the ESKAPE pathogens-Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species-a group of highly virulent bacteria known for their ability to "escape" the effects of antibiotics. Wastewater is a known reservoir of both bacteria and their phages. We are focusing on Klebsiella pneumoniae, the bacteria and its phages, to gain knowledge on how phage therapy could help to address multidrug-resistant strains. We are presenting preliminary results on isolation from wastewater of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and initial characterization of phages that can infect them. This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Victoria Izizarry from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

Using Wastewater to Advance Phage Therapy. ¹Ashley Jaime, ¹Monica Trujillo, and ²Victoria Irizarry. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Phage therapy is a treatment that uses viruses to combat pathogenic infections. Phages are viruses that infect/kill bacteria and have lytic and lysogenic cycles. Interestingly, phages only and selectively kill susceptible bacteria due to their narrow host range and specificity. Antibiotics are the preferred tool to treat bacterial infections. However, antibiotic resistance is an increasingly evolving issue that is limiting their efficacy. Additionally, antibiotics affect the gut microbiome composition which then triggers new health issues. In this new scenario, phage therapy is gaining interest as a complementary approach to antibiotic treatment. However, our knowledge of how phages combat specific bacterial strains is limited. Bacteriodes are a group of anaerobic gram negative bacteria most prominent in the human gut microbiome making up 25% of it. They support a strong immune system by producing enzymes that help our metabolism, strengthen the connection of our gut-brain axis , and produce nutrients our body and other friendly bacteria can use. On the other hand, they are opportunistic when the body's defense system is impaired. In instances of physical trauma, surgery, GI diseases or cancer they can travel out of the GI tract and cause ulcers within various parts of the body and even bacteremia. Wastewater represents the gut microbiome of all those that contribute to the sewershed; therefore, it is rich in Bacteroides and their phages. The aim of my research is to isolate Bacteroides phages from wastewater, extract their DNA, and sequence them using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology. Additionally, the host range of the phages will be studied. This knowledge will advance the development of phage therapy. Preliminary results from this work are being presented here.

Development & Identification of E2F4 gene Knockout cells of Human Colorectal cell line HT29 using CRISPR technique. ¹Fabiha Amber Siraj, ¹Sanjay Koul, and ²Weiheng Jiang. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Biology, QCC.

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a genetic engineering technology that allows researchers to precisely modify DNA and induce the desired changes in the genome of an organism. It's based on a natural defense system in bacteria that protects them against attacks by different viruses. When a virus infects a bacterium, the bacterium transcribes CRISPR DNA elements into RNA. The RNA then guides a nuclease (a protein that cuts DNA) to the viral DNA, destroying it. Scientists apply CRISPR technique in research, agriculture, and medicine to study genes, improve crops, and treat diseases. Here in this presentation, we demonstrate the development of E2F4 gene Knockout (KO) human Colorectal (CRC) isogenic cell line HT29. We used NCBI and EMBL databases to download the sequence of E2F4 DNA, RNA and Protein and based on that designed CRISPR primers. Using bioinformatics tools to generate gRNA's, we identified three different 15 base nucleotide sequences with PAM sequence in the first two exons of the E2F4 gene. Using lentiviral vectors, HT29 cells were targeted with the above 3 gRNAs separately in three different flasks. Three different clones from each flask representing each gRNA were isolated and cultured separately. To confirm the E2F4 knockout all the 9 clones were analyzed for the expression of E2F4 protein using Western blotting. Out of three clones from each gRNA one clone showed complete absence of the protein. These three different clones are good candidates for further investigation. This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Fabiha Amber Siraj from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

Polyaniline as an adsorbent for the removal of copper and zinc ions from aqueous solution. ¹Jalen Nicolas and ²David Sarno. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Polyaniline (PANI) is a conductive polymer with a variety of applications, including uses in drug delivery and electrochemical sensors. Amine groups on the polymer backbone are reported to bind to certain metal cations, meaning polyaniline may have uses in the remediation of wastewater. High surface area morphologies such as nanofibers can provide more active sites to interact with the ions; however, the PANI particles could pollute the systems in which they are deployed. To avoid such contamination, we confined dispersions of PANI nanofibers to dialysis tubing. Samples of the neutral emeraldine base form of the polymer (PANI-EB) were immersed in aqueous solutions of copper (II) sulfate and zinc (II) sulfate and gently stirred for one hour. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) data indicates the presence of copper and zinc in the relevant adsorbents. Mass percentages of Zn were lower than Cu. Moreover, percentages were lower in samples that were washed with deionized water after an initial filtration. Despite this reduction, the continuing presence of the cations suggests an interaction between the polymer and the metals. After exposure to 0.01 M CuSO4, certain bands in the FTIR spectra are red-shifted compared to pure PANI, indicating an interaction between the polymer and cation. Washing with water seems to return the benzenoid band to its original position, while the red-shift persists in the quinoid band. This suggests a stronger affinity between the copper ion and the quinoid functionality. Notably, FTIR spectra are not meaningfully shifted after exposure to 0.01 M ZnSO4, indicating a weaker affinity for this cation. The viability of PANI-EB dispersions as adsorbents for various cations will be determined over a range of concentrations and exposure times via SEM, EDS, and FTIR.

Not So Shallow: A Survey of Microbial Diversity in Local Vernal Pools. ¹Malachi M. Best, ¹Joan Petersen, ²Paige Bouderau, ²Carlos Cabrera, ²Jiamiao Chen, ²Darli W. Chit, ²Elliott Alexander Gruber, ²Jalen Nicolas, and ²Bryan Smith. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Vernal pools are shallow bodies of water that dry out seasonally. They provide critical habitat for invertebrates and amphibians to survive and reproduce without fish predation. We have been monitoring the environmental conditions of one natural and three constructed vernal pools within Alley Pond Park. Our main focus has been the state of the microbial community which serves as a useful diagnostic in assessing the overall health of the ecosystem. We collected soil and sediment samples from two dry pools (natural pool and Pool A) and soil and water samples from two pools with water (Pools B and C). DNA was extracted from these samples and sent to Cold Spring Harbor Lab (Brooklyn, NY) for next generation sequencing. We also isolated Actinomycetes from terrestrial samples and tested their ability to produce antimicrobial compounds. Additional analyses included an Enterolert test for fecal contamination and several other soil and water quality tests. Microbial community analysis of the DNA samples indicated that the taxonomic diversity is lower in aquatic vs. terrestrial ecosystems. Shannon diversity indices ranged from 3.63 (pool B water) to 6.45 (pool A sediment). Limnohabitans and Polynucleobacter were the two most common genera in both water samples. The two most common genera in terrestrial samples were Vicinamibacter and Usitatibacter. We successfully isolated six Actinomycetes from terrestrial samples that produce compounds that inhibit the growth of several other bacterial types. Two Actinomycetes inhibited both Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris (Gram negative bacteria), and all six Actinomycetes inhibited Micrococcus luteus and Mycobacterium phlei (Gram positive bacteria). Our results revealed a diverse and complex microbial community in the vernal pool area. Understanding the dynamics of these microbial communities can offer valuable insights into future conservation strategies, improve ecological management practices, and support the long-term health and sustainability of these vital ecosystems.

Comparison of Cytotoxic Effects of Acesulfame Potassium and Saccharin on Human Embryonic Kidney Cells.. ¹Rhian Lafargue, ¹Sarbani Ghoshal, ¹Regina Sullivan, ²Fasmin Marikar, and ²Minjae Chung. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Artificial sweeteners or nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) provide sweetness to food and beverages without adding any calories. These characteristics make these sweeteners extremely popular among those who prioritize weight loss. Aspartame, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K), Sucralose are such sweeteners which have previously been recognized to be safe by the United Stated Food and Drug Administration. However, recently there are reports of adverse effects of many of these sweeteners. The present study was conducted to compare the cytotoxic effect of Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) and Saccharin in a human cell line, Human Embryonic Kidney Cells (HEK-293). HEK-293 cells were treated with Saccharin in concentration 0.1mM, 1mM, 10mM, 15mM, 20mM, 25mM and 50mM for 24 hours to determine cell viability by MTT assay. The MTT data reveals that there was a significant reduction of cell viability from control treatment for saccharin treatments above 15mM. Microscopic analysis also revealed that most cells were dead at concentrations over 25mM of Saccharin treatment. Studies regarding safety of Ace-K are ongoing, but our preliminary data reveal that 50mM of Ace-K treatment were not able to kill the HEK-293 cells. Based on this observation, we conclude that Ace-K may be a safer artificial sweetener than saccharin. This research is conducted by stipend support provided to Rhian Lafargue from the NIH-T34 Bridges to the Baccalaureate Grant # T34GM154606.

A Place to Grow: Finding the Optimal Conditions for Milkweed Germination. ¹Alyana Abraham, ¹Joan Petersen, ²J. Adames, ²Melannie Armaza, ²Samuel Baro Sherpa, ²Darli W. Chit, ²Fahadur Chowdhury, ²Elliott Alexander Gruber, ²Aaron Hirsch Romero, ²Yamin Nandar, ²Pretty Rahman, ²GianMichael Ruggiero, ²John Sanou, ²Bryan Smith, and ²Megan Wuerz. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Milkweed plays a vital role in the life cycle of endangered Monarch Butterflies. Defining optimal conditions for milkweed seed germination is crucial for Monarch habitat restoration. Through collaboration with MAREN (Milkweed Adaptation Research and Education Network), we performed experiments with various milkweed seeds to understand factors that affect their germination rates. We determined germination rates using four temperatures: 25℃, 30℃, 33℃, and 37℃ and four different sources: cold-stratified Minnesota Prairie Moon Nursery seeds, cold-stratified wild Minnesota seeds, and both cold-stratified and unstratified New York seeds (from the Oakland Lake Wildflower Meadow). For each source, forty seeds were split into two biodegradable pots lined with paper towels. Each pot was watered and placed at each of the four temperatures for one week, and the number of seeds that germinated in each condition were recorded. We also tested the effects of salinity and light on Prairie Moon milkweed seed germination. The results indicate that milkweed seeds had the highest germination rates at 0% saline but were able to tolerate up to 3% saline. Light conditions had a moderate effect, with germination rates of 80% in darkness and 65% in light. Temperature results varied by seed type. Prairie Moon seeds achieved 100% germination at 37°C, with the lowest germination rate of 50% at 33°C. Minnesota wild milkweed seeds germinated best at 33°C with 77.5%, while the lowest rate was 45% at 30°C. New York unstratified seeds failed to germinate at any temperature, whereas New York cold-stratified seeds showed limited germination of 2.5% at both 25°C and 33°C. Our experiment provided preliminary data about the best conditions for milkweed seed germination. Future experiments will focus on determining optimal growth conditions for milkweed plants, with the ultimate goal of restoring milkweed plants in the wild to provide habitat for Monarchs.

Isolation and Characterization of Soil Bacteria with Antimicrobial Properties. David Tulloch and Mangala Tawde. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Soil is a rich reservoir of microorganisms with potential pharmaceutical applications, particularly in producing antimicrobial compounds. Microorganisms in close vicinity must outcompete each other for nutrients and space. The soil bacteria constantly evolve to produce secondary metabolites, with antimicrobial properties. As such antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes is on rise. So, the secondary metabolites with antimicrobial potential produced by soil bacteria such as Actinomycetes are valuable resources to fight the antibiotic resistance. We have successfully isolated and revived some soil Actinomycetes from toxic waste contaminated soils that exhibit antimicrobial activity and assessed their ability to inhibit the growth of some common gram-positive and gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. The identified strains hold promise for future secondary metabolite extraction that can be useful in the fight against drug resistance in pathogens.

Analysis of Soil Near a LIC Powerplant to Assess Microbial Diversity and Heavy Metal Content.. ¹Stephanie-Marie Flowers, ¹Regina Sullivan, ¹David Sarno, ²David Maksa, ²Mangala Tawde, ²Andrew Nguyen, ³Raffaella Diotti, and ⁴Jeremy Seto. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Biology , Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ³Biology , Bronx Community College , Bronx, NY , ⁴Biology , City Tech of CUNY , Brooklyn, NY .

Power Plants are one of the largest sources of toxic pollutants including heavy metals in the U.S. High levels of heavy metals in atmospheric air have been shown to have negative impacts on plant life, however there is a lack of studies investigating soil biomes surrounding these plants.  To assess the biodiversity of microorganisms in soil surrounding a Long Island City power plant, soil samples were obtained from various distances and conditions including soil surrounding tree beds and grass beds. Our goals were to 1) determine a profile of the microorganisms, particularly the presence of heavy metal tolerant bacteria and 2) identify the presence of heavy metals in the soil using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy.  To assess the microbiomes in the soil samples, DNA were extracted, and analyzed using nanopore sequencing. A phylogenetic profile was obtained using the freely available DNA Subway software.  Assessing heavy metals by energy dispersive spectroscopy showed abundant Zirconium, Iron, and Titanium, and the reoccurring presence of Aluminum and Silicon.  Nanopore sequencing analysis showed a wide variety of microbes including thermophiles.   The most notable organisms are members of the genus Bhargavaea, present in a sample close to the power plant. These organisms have been shown to have metabolic pathways that are involved in the removal of mercury. This is an ongoing study we will continue to analyze our data and investigate applications to bioremediation.

The Effect of the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy on the Current State of the Economy. ¹Tahjeem Ross, ¹Roumen Vragov, ²Anooja Singh, ²Pierre Kishun, ²Samiul Islam, and ²Daevion Taylor. ¹Business Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Business, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The purpose of this project is to analyze relevant economic data from the past two years and evaluate the effect that the Federal Reserve Board's monetary policy has had on the American economy. We consider data on Potential and Real Gross Domestic product and its components from the income, expenditure, and production viewpoint. We also discuss trends in the Unemployment rate and the Labor participation rate. Major attention is also devoted to inflation by discussing movements in the Consumer Price index, the Headline and Core Personal Consumption Expenditure Index, and the Producer Price index. Energy consumption and prices are also evaluated. After analyzing the trends in the economic data and assessing both the positive signs and the risks to the economy we think that monetary policy so far has had a positive effect on the US economy. We also propose that the Federal Reserve consider a pause in the decline of the target Federal Funds rate during its next meeting in order to keep the economy stable and inflation under control. .

Removal of Radionuclides In Aqueous Solution Using Layered Double Hydroxides. ¹Sherlin Rosales Caamano, ¹Paul Sideris, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²Daletsi Reyes. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry Department, CUNY Queensborough Community College.

Technetium (Tc) is a naturally radioactive element and is one of the few elements whose isotopes are all radioactive. One of the more well-known isotopes of technetium is technetium-99 which is primarily used for medical purposes such as diagnostic imaging of organs in the human body. Technetium-99m tends to oxidize to the anion pertechnetate (⁹⁹TcO₄^-) which has high mobility in aqueous media making it a high environmental risk. Safely removing pertechnetate from aqueous solutions without posing a risk to others and the environment is of great interest. In this project, a series of materials known as Mg/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) will be synthesized to determine whether they are good candidates for absorbing anions like pertechnetate. Due to the radioactive nature of pertechnetate, we will be using permanganate, an anion that is structurally similar to pertechnetate but not radioactive. The LDHs will be made with varying amounts of Al to study the effect on absorption. Previous results have shown that increasing Al amounts would absorb more than the lesser amounts of Al. Along with this we will be testing if different pH levels influence the absorbance of pertechnetate. The anion exchange experiments with permanganate will be performed at different pHs to determine its effect on absorbance. This project is based upon work supported by the NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program under Award No. NA0004162. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DOE, NNSA, or the U.S. Government.

Medical Isotopes: Generation, Properties and Applications. ¹Alban Azemi, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ¹Paul Sideris, ²Manar Elnoor, and ²Sumaiya Husain. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Medical isotopes are radioisotopes that are naturally decaying atoms. They are widely used to diagnose and treat a variety of medical conditions. When using medical isotopes to diagnose illnesses using imaging such as MRI scans, they must release enough gamma rays to escape from the body and have a half-life short enough for them to decay and not stay in the body. The radioisotope most widely used in medicine is Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) with a half-life of 6.02 hours. Its low energy gamma rays can easily escape the body while providing enough energy for a diagnostic scan. This project models the generation of short lived radio-isotopes like Tc-99m. We generated Barium-137m from Cesium 137 on an isotope exchange column and determined the half-life of the Barium-137m. We obtained a half-life of 150 seconds (2.5 minutes) for Ba-137m, which is in close agreement with the known half-life of 2.55 minutes. We also discuss the applications and properties of radioisotopes herein. This project is based upon work supported by the NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program under Award No. NA0004162. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DOE, NNSA, or the U.S. Government.

Exploring the Sources of Background Radiation. ¹Abdullah Husain, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ¹Paul Sideris, ²Sumaiya Husain, ³John Aloi, and ⁴Susan Pepper. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³Radiological Control Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, ⁴Nonproliferation and National Security , Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Radiation is present in many everyday items, often in small amounts that are usually harmless. Common sources include smoke detectors, which contain tiny amounts of radioactive americium-241. Certain glassware may contain naturally occurring radioactive materials like uranium for color. Older watches, clocks, and compasses also used radium or tritium to make their dials glow in the dark. Even bananas contain small amounts of radioactive potassium-40. While these items expose us to minimal radiation, understanding their sources helps us stay informed and aware of the invisible elements present in our daily lives. In this study, we used various detection instruments, such as a Ludlum pancake Frisker, an Identifinder, and a Ludlum Survey meter (Alpha & Beta), to measure radiation levels in everyday items. The items studied include Cat litter, Smoke detector, Sidewalk free salt, Banana, Granite, and Watch. Preliminary results reveal that the Lantern mantle contains Th-232 and emitted the highest radioactivity, while Sodium Free salt (containing K-40) and Bananas (containing K-40) emitted the lowest radioactivity. Although exposure is negligible, being aware of these sources empowers us to stay informed about the invisible elements present in our environment. Continuing and future work will focus on measuring the radioactivity from bulk quantities of materials like granite and cat litter. This project is based upon work supported by the NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program under Award No. NA0004162. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DOE, NNSA, or the U.S. Government.

Assessing Shielding Materials For Ionizing Radiation. ¹Samanta Seegopaul, ¹Paul Sideris, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²Aujeane Gordon. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry, Queensborough Community College, CUNY.

Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons are isotopes. Some isotopes contain an unbalanced number of protons and neutrons, making them unstable due to excess energy in the nuclei which is emitted as radiation in the form of particles or waves. Isotopes that emit radiation are called radioisotopes. Radiation is used in a plethora of ways to improve the quality of our lives, particularly in the health and energy sectors. Accessing the benefits of radiation responsibly requires protecting ourselves and others from exposure. Shielding materials play a central role in minimizing radiation exposure. Adhering to the principles of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) is integral to radiation protection. In this project we investigated the effectiveness of different types and thickness of shielding materials for alpha and beta particles and gamma rays, as well as the effect of increasing the distance from the radioactive source. We used radioactive sources containing Polonium-210, Thallium-204, Strontium-90, Cobalt-60 and Caesium-137 as alpha, beta and gamma sources. Radioactivity was measured using a Geiger-Muller Counter. Results verified that the most effective shielding material was lead and the least effective was plastic. We also found that radioactivity decreases as the thickness of the shielding materials increased. In addition, we verified the Inverse-Square Law, showing that as distance from the source increased the radioactive counts decreased. Future work will explore the types of shielding materials used in experiments at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This project is based upon work supported by the NNSA Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program under Award No. NA0004162. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DOE, NNSA, or the U.S. Government. 

Development of an App for the Visualization of Fission Yield Data of Major Actinides.. ¹Pedrocia De-Sosoo, ¹Paul Sideris, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²Andrea Mattera. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

In fission, a heavy nucleus splits into lighter fission products. Fission yields represent the amount of a fission product produced in this process. This project focused on experimental fission yield data of Californium-252 (²⁵²Cf), a radioactive isotope recognized for its high neutron emission. Using the Nuclear Science References (NSR) and Exchange Format (EXFOR) databases from the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC), we compiled, formatted, and corrected the data. Using Python libraries, including Dash and Plotly, we are developing an interactive app to offer a user-friendly interface for accessing and analyzing fission yield data. The application currently allows users to retrieve data and apply filters such as publication year, author, curated yields, and fission yield type. Selected data can then be visualized in a plot tab using various plot types, including bar graphs, 2D histograms, line plots, and bubble plots. Although ²⁵²Cf was the primary focus, compiled data from other actinides that play a critical role in nuclear fission research, such as Uranium-235 and Plutonium-239, could be read and modified using the app. The app is currently being tested at BNL to support nuclear research initiatives. This project was supported in part by the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Nuclear Science and Technology Department, under the BNL Supplemental Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).

Synthesis of Oligoether Pyrrolidinium Ionic Liquids for Optimized Battery Electrolytes. ¹Syeda Hussain, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Ieesha Ansar, and ³Martina Hove. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³City College of New York, New York, NY 10031.

Ionic liquids are a class of salts that have a unique ionic composition, usually containing bulky organic cations and organic or inorganic anions, packed in such a way that they are liquids at relatively low temperatures (normally below 100 °C). Ionic liquids have excellent properties including low volatility, low flammability, high thermal stability and an inherently high conductivity. These unique properties make them ideal as battery electrolytes. However, they also have a relatively high viscosity which lowers their conductivity and hampers their large-scale application as battery electrolytes. It has been shown that incorporating ether side chains in the structure creates disorder and lowers ionic liquid viscosity. In this project we are synthesizing pyrrolidinium ionic liquids with oligoether moieties (repeating ether units) in the side chains paired with bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anions. The synthesized ionic liquids will be combined with lithium salts and glyme to make specialized mixtures for low temperature battery electrolytes in collaboration with the NASA Center for Advanced Batteries for Space at City College, CUNY. We report here on the synthesis of the ether-functionalized pyrrolidinium ionic liquids. We have successfully synthesized methylpyridinium ionic liquids bearing 1-6 repeating ether units. The structures of the liquids were confirmed using H-1, C-13 and F-19 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.  

Probing The Nanostructure Of Hydroxyl-Functionalized Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. ¹Ieesha Ansar, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Mehreen Mughal, ²Ho Martin Yuen, and ³James Wishart. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are liquid salts with melting points below 100 ℃. Their attractive properties include low volatility and flammability, high conductivity and wide liquid and electrochemical ranges. Owing to their remarkable tunable properties, ionic liquids have been working as alternative solvents in enzymatic catalysis, supercapacitors, and in many processes to afford improvements in reaction yields, separations, the efficient production and storage of energy, and access to previously inaccessible chemistry. Understanding the nanostructure of ILs provides a window to tune their properties for specific applications. Techniques such as X-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations are typically used to investigate ionic liquid structure, but they involve some inherent ambiguities in interpretation. In this project, ionic liquids capable of hydrogen-bonding interactions are being synthesized for detailed structural investigation by Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SS-NMR) spectroscopy and neutron scattering, which are techniques that take advantage of atom-specific hydrogen-deuterium isotopic substitution to probe the inter- and intramolecular interactions controlling IL nanostructure. The authors report here on the synthesis of ionic liquids comprised of imidazolium cations bearing hydroxyl side chains of varied lengths coupled with bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide anions. The correct synthesis of the ILs were confirmed using ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. Preliminary results indicate that solvent-free reactions and microwave assisted reactions produce higher yields of ILs bearing hydroxyl-terminated side chains. Conductivities are slightly lower for hydroxyl-substituted ionic liquids compared to alkyl-substitutes ones, indicating inter and intra molecular interactions impeding ionic mobility. The outcomes of this work are expected to make important contributions to the design and understanding of ILs made for specific applications.

Synthesis and Isotopic Labelling of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. ¹Sumaiya Husain, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Ieesha Ansar, ²Maha Almaflehi, ³Gopal Subramaniam, and ⁴James Wishart. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, CUNY, ³Queens College, CUNY, ⁴Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are low melting salts with melting points below 100 °C and many are liquid at room temperature. As salts, they don't evaporate easily, making them non-flammable and more environmentally friendly than many traditional organic solvents. IL properties can be tailored through slight structural changes. ILs are useful as custom-tailored alternative solvents in areas like catalysis, energy storage, and material design. In order to tailor the properties of ILs for specific applications it is necessary to understand the inter- and intramolecular interactions that give rise to their physical properties. Exchanging hydrogen (H-1) for its isotope deuterium (H-2) in the structure (particularly the imidazolium ring protons) allows us to use techniques such as solid-state NMR and neutron scattering to study the interactions between the ions in the ILs. In this project imidazolium ionic liquids with butyl and octyl side chains and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide - NTf₂ or bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide - FSI anions were synthesized. The ring protons on the imidazolium ring were then exchanged for deuterium. C-13 and H-1 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to confirm the purity of the samples and monitor the extent of isotopic exchange. Preliminary results for small scale samples indicate 80-90% deuteration of the ring protons of the imidazolium ring.

Attenuation of Gamma Radiation. ¹Eunji Ahn and ²Rex Taibu. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The primary objective of this study is to determine the attenuation of gamma radiation through various materials, using Cs-137 as the radiation source. Experiments focus on measuring attenuation coefficients by varying the number of aluminum (Al) sheets and utilizing gamma-ray spectrometry to enhance precision. Two critical metrics are employed: linear thickness, representing the physical thickness of materials, and areal thickness, which incorporates density to evaluate radiation penetration comprehensively. By comparing the attenuation properties of aluminum and lead, the study explores the relationship between material characteristics and their effectiveness as radiation shields. Future experiments will expand to include additional radiation sources and absorber materials, providing broader insights into radiation interaction and optimizing shielding strategies for applications in nuclear physics and radiation safety.

Synthesis of N-3-hydroxypropyltrichloroacetamide: Possible precursor to polyurethane. Eunji Ahn and Jun Shin. Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Polyurethanes are prepared from polyesters, glycols, or diisocyanates which have a sequence of NNOO unit. However, the polyurethane which may be produced from the reaction of hexachloroacetone (HCA) and aminoalcohol has a sequence of NONO unit. Therefore, this different sequence unit of polyurethane may give different properties from the typical polyurethanes, and will lead to new plastic materials. In this project, N-3-hydroxypropyltrichloroacetamide was prepared from the reaction of HCA and 3-amino-1-propanol in CHCl₃ at 0ºC in high yield by an exothermic reaction. The compound was further reacted with HCA in THF or DMSO to give 3-trichloroacetamidopropyltrichloroacetate, Cl₃CCO₂CH₂CH₂CH₂NHC(O)CCl₃ at room temperature. Both compounds prepared can be further utilized in preparing a polyurethane. This project focuses on synthesizing the N-3-hydroxypropyltrichloroacetamide and 3-trichloroacetamidopropyltrichloroacetate by reacting 3-aminopropanol with one and two equivalents of HCA. The latter compound may be reacted with 3-aminopropanol to synthesize polyurethane, [-O-C(O)-N(CH₂)₃-]_n, which is a new type of polyurethane with NONO sequence unit.

Forgotten in Crown Heights. Jessica Ellis, Eileen White, and Kahlil Garner. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Film is a visual medium and telling a story solely through image and sound is the well from where filmed stories emerge.  Forgotten in Crown Heights is a humorous and bittersweet meditation on city life and connection made as part our advanced production course, FMP 241, Digital Media Field Production in the Film and Media Production major. 

Campus Love. Aaliyah White, Eileen White, and Kahlil Garner. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Campus Love, a short about two college students managing life and love that shows how we find joy everywhere if we just look. The film was made as part our beginning production course, FMP 141, Introduction to Digital Media Production in the Film and Media Production major.

Witnessing the 2024 Solar Eclipse. Kelly Jairam, Eileen White, and Kahlil Garner. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime event, students in the introductory production class (FMP 141 Introduction to Digital Media Production) went out into the field to record the experiences of those watching the 2024 eclipse on the QCC campus. The footage was then edited into a short documentary by Kelly Jairam,

Bundu Mask. Stacie Miller and Heather Huggins. Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In Th154 Movement for the Actor, students create solo, duet, and ensemble performances through cycles of action research. In Spring 2024, students observed, researched, and responded to artists and their artwork by visiting the QCC Campus Cultural Centers: the QCC Art Gallery, the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center, and the Queensborough Performing Arts Center. In this powerpoint presentation, theatre major Stacie Miller will share about the immediate connection they felt with a Bundu mask during the tour of the African Art Collection at the QCC Art Gallery. Stacie's interest in the Bundu artifact led them to create a performance. Now they are expanding their knowledge about the mask through additional research and painting a work inspired by the mask.

QCC Theatre's Stupid F##king Bird. ¹Hana Boachie, ¹Liisa Yonker, ¹Heather Huggins, ¹C. Julian Jimenez, ²Rosa Gonzalez, ²Tavion Hamilton, and ²Omar Pichardo. ¹Communication, Theatre, & Media Production, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²CTMP, QCC.

Queensborough Theatre produces live performances on campus every semester. Each production is a collaboration between students, faculty, and staff. In this panel presentation, students will share about collaborating on 'Stupid F##king Bird' by Aaron Posner, based on Anton Chekhov's 'The Seagull,' directed by Associate Professor Liisa Yonker, and produced by QCC Theatre in the Shadowbox Theater in April 2024. Following an excerpt screening of the production, the panelists will reflect on their multi-month collaboration. Rosa Gonzalez will share about her experience serving as assistant director through an Independent Study in Theatre (Th-901). Three students will share their performance research from Actor's Workshop I & II (TH-122 and TH-222): Hana Boachie played the role of Nina, Tavion Hamilton played the role of Con, and Omar Pichardo played the role of Trigorin.

Personality Recognition using Machine Learning. Brett Hirsch and Guozhen An. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Personality is an often overlooked but significant aspect of our lives. It drives our everyday decision making and can even help us understand compatibility between one another. There exist many indexes for personality categorization, the most popular being the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This information can be used in a variety of different jobs and fields such as therapy, teaching/tutoring, policework, customer service, hiring managers, hospitality, and more. However, it is difficult to properly accurately detect someone's personality from the testing options that are publicly available. This project aims to predict the personality type of someone by training a machine learning to analyze speech patterns in text. The MBTI is split into four fields, each with 2 different outcomes, for a total of 16 possible personalities. The results of the best performing models for the four traits varies between 51% to 56% accuracy.

Monitoring Chlorine Residual and other Quality Parameters of Water from Internal Plumbing System by Season and Water Demand. David Cen Cen, Dugwon Seo, and Ousmane Sy Savane. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The chlorine residual present in the water used for human consumption prevents microorganisms, bacteria, and other pathogens from contaminating the water as the chlorine residual provides an extra layer of protection. The Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR) from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), requires that a detectable level of chlorine must be present in the water to disinfect it and prevent any possible recontamination that could potentially put the consumer's health at risk by diseases like dysentery or salmonella. The chlorine residual in the distribution water is significantly affected by the bulk water characteristics and the distribution system's condition. Factors such as high-water temperature, low water consumption-induced stagnation, and aging main distribution system have resulted in a significant loss of chlorine residual in the distribution water (Savane et al, 2019). This research evaluates the effects of the previously stated parameters on the internal plumbing water chlorine residual in a high occupancy institution that operates seasonally as a school. By applying Bayes' theorem, the calculation assesses which parameter contributes the most to chlorine depletion. Water samples are collected twice per week throughout the seasons from different sampling points with differing water consumption levels within the intuition. Water samples are then analyzed for temperature using HQ40D with a temperature probe, whereas chlorine and phosphate levels are measured using a Colorimeter (HACH DR900), which provides accurate readings of both parameters in the samples. According to the SWTR, a detectable chlorine level is crucial for preventing diseases caused by microorganism growth, as chlorine acts as a disinfectant while phosphate acts as the distribution system's protective agent, ensuring water remains safe for human consumption.  

Comparative Analysis of Play-Doh and Super Flex Bolus as Tissue-Equivalent Materials in Radiation Therapy Using Beta and Gamma Radiation. ¹MD Rashedul Islam and ²Rex Taibu. ¹Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Radiation plays a pivotal role in modern medicine, particularly in imaging and radiotherapy, where bolus materials are essential for optimizing treatment outcomes. These materials protect healthy tissues, enhance dose delivery to the skin, and ensure uniform radiation distribution. This study examines the gamma and beta radiation attenuation properties of the commercially available bolus material Super-flex and Play-Doh. Preliminary findings highlight attenuation behavior, including fluctuations and percentage transmission rates for various thicknesses and materials. Notably, the results indicate a significant similarity in attenuation properties between some form of Play-Doh and Superflex.

Reconstructing a 3D Image from a 2D X-ray. Daniel Volin and Huixin Wu. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Reconstructing a 3D image from an X-ray scan is a critical challenge in medical imaging and diagnostic processes. Traditional X-ray images provide just two-dimensional representations, limiting the ability to fully visualize internal structures. This project aims to develop and optimize algorithms that can accurately generate 3D models of anatomical structures, such as bones, tissues, and organs, from X-ray images. The project explores the use of deep learning techniques, specifically convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and generative adversarial networks (GANs), to evaluate and determine which algorithms produce the most accurate reconstructions with minimum error. The results of the project may provide practical applications in medical imaging and diagnostic processes such as reducing patient exposure to radiation and providing a cost-effective alternative to CT and MRI scans.

Evidence Analysis of Increases in Clear‐Air Turbulence Due to Climate Change. Jeremy Torres and Dugwon Seo. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Differences in atmospheric temperature and variations in wind patterns are key contributors to the rise in turbulence-related incidents during flights. These differences and variations are due to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions causing the average global temperature to increase. The most notable type of turbulence that has seen an increase in frequency and intensity is Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT), which is turbulence that occurs in favorable meteorological conditions. As such, CAT cannot be forecasted, thus posing a risk of dangerous and/or negative operational effects to aircraft in-flight. Regarding the dangerous and/or negative operational effects, the increased frequency and intensity of CAT can lead to aircraft experiencing higher than normal fuel consumption, emergency diversions due to turbulence-induced injuries and/or aircraft damage, higher aircraft maintenance expenses, arrival and departure delays and/or flight cancellations, and so on. The objective of this research project is to find a correlation between the increase of the frequency and intensity of CAT and climate change. As such, we will perform an evidence analysis of moderate to extreme CAT in the contiguous United States over a 30-year period from January 1993 to January 2023. The first data source will consist of archived Pilot Reports (PIREPs), which are reports generated by Pilots during flight and are used to report anomalies that may affect the safe and/or comfortable operation of a flight, to include turbulence. For this project, we will only collect PIREPs that were submitted by Pilots during the cruise phase of flight. The second data source will consist of historical NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and National Weather Service (NWS) data, and will be used to cross-reference PIREPs deemed as evidence to identify any meteorological trends. This research project will analyze the correlation between frequency and intensity of CAT and meteorological changes driven by climate change.

Autoethnography of a Luddite: A Community College Student's Search for Authenticity. Mengrui Zheng and Victoria Tomasulo. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

My autoethnography explores my decision to abstain from social media, linking it to an emerging subculture of Generation Z Luddites in New York City who seek to live more authentically. Through my firsthand account of my recovery from social media addiction and interviews with members of the Luddite Club, a group of Brooklyn teens who reject smartphone use and gather weekly in a public library or park, I argue that it is possible for Gen Z students to take back their agency from Big Tech. Since longer attention spans, more meaningful relationships, and increased enjoyment of reading are among the benefits of social media abstinence, Ludditism is opposed to the goals of a technocrat billionaire class who is invested in keeping citizens anxious and distracted for their own power and profit. Therefore, I make connections between our social media-addicted society and Ray Bradbury's dystopia in Fahrenheit 451, emphasizing that Ludditism can be a form of resistance to techno-authoritarianism. While many have praised all the possibilities that social media offers to create new forms of activism, many of these have proven to be divisive and polarizing. Collective unity may require that we unplug from our devices and connect with each other in physical spaces, where we can see each other without filters.  

When is it Necessary to Leave Home? An Autoethnography of Life After Myanmar's Military Coup. Toe Chit Lwin and Victoria Tomasulo. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

My autoethnography will explore my lived experiences in Myanmar before and during the military coup, the necessity of leaving home and moving to the United States, and the drastic changes in my life to adapt to life in the United States. Through this narrative, I will examine how Myanmar's political conflicts influenced my perceptions and shaped my understanding of the differences between first-world and third-world nations. My autoethnography will dig into the physical and psychological traumas created by the military coup, my departure from my home and loved ones, and my new life here in the United States. I will also include the undeniable jealousy and envy that arose within me while living here and witnessing the opportunities that I and others receive as I yearn for the same freedoms, humanitarian treatment, and protection from my country and military. Jordan MacKenzie and Michael Zhao define survivor guilt as an intelligible and undesirable feeling that arises in an individual when a certain circumstance harms others and leaves her unscathed because of luck or violation of a requirement of a solitary. I will refer to this definition when I use the term survivor guilt to describe the feelings that developed after I witnessed deaths on the first day I protested, received an invitation to my friend's funeral, repeatedly saw images of dead bodies and records of war victims in the media, left my country to continue my education in the United States, ate warm and delicious meals, and felt safe going out while the people I love are still suffering in Myanmar. I conclude by questioning the justifications for the sacrifice and loss of thousands of lives and contemplating how many more lives must be sacrificed before families can reunite, sleep peacefully at home, and see an end to violence. 

Magical Realism as an Artistic Outlet. Taina Olivo and Alison Cimino. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Using magical realism as allegory for systemic issues in artistic spaces. I would like to explore a feminist and queer allegorical lens. I am writing a short story with elements of magical realism and historical context. The idea for the project came from our ENGL 102 class where we read "Two Words" by Isabell Allende and "The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  

Stephen Jay Gould's Biographical Approach to Art History. Marie Philippe and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This presentation will consider interpretations of two well-known paintings by the eminent scientist and humanist Stephen Jay Gould. Gould evaluates Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" from the standpoint of his commitment to a premodern theory of a "living earth." This perspective gives more weight to the relationship between the figure and the background in the painting. On the other hand, Gould's evaluation of JMW Turner's "The Fighting Temeraire, tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838" puts the painting in the context of the artist's other works that demonstrate his enthusiasm for the new steam powered technologies of his day. My thesis is that while his reading of Turner has merit, Gould's ability to shed new light on a painting as famous as Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" is the more compelling of the two interpretations. 

Stephen Jay Gould on Painting: Modern Logic and Digestible Information. Carlos Ramos and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This panel presentation will consider the opening two essays in prolific science essayist Stephen Jay Gould's collection of essay, "Leonardo's Mountain of Clams and the Diet of Worms." In these two essays, Gould considers the relationship between art and science in two distinct but related ways. In this first essay, he connects Leonardo da Vinci's writings on geology to his best known work, The Mona Lisa. In the second essay, Gould considers the way in which history tends to remember artists better than scientists and inventors, despite the fact that scientific changes impact our daily lives far more than artworks do.

Publish or Perish in Modern Academia. ¹Alexander Zuba, ¹Matthew Lau, and ²Mohammad Pervaiz. ¹English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²English, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This presentation will explore modern problems with the academic publishing field, including controversies surrounding retraction of key findings in the social sciences and the problem of predatory journals. I summarize the key facts around false articles by key business professors at high level universities like Harvard (Francesca Gino) and Duke (Dan Arletty) and also report on questions being raised about the validity of more legitimate work in the field of behavioral economics. I then turn to the problem of predatory publishing and its impacts, particularly the fact that predatory journals are now as numerous as legitimate ones.

Reconsidering the Film "Sorry to Bother You". Amisha Mangal and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This presentation reconsiders the 2018 political comedy film "Sorry to Bother You," directed by Bay Area musician-turned-filmmaker, Boots Riley. Riley's film follows the career of hero Cassius Green, played by Lakieth Stanfield, and costars Tessa Thompson as his girlfriend Detroit and Armie Hammer as the diabolical corporate leader Steve Lift. I summarize key events in the film and then propose an alternative ending around Lift's offer to Green to become the "Martin Luther King of the horsepeople."

The Mona Lisa and the Fighting Temeraire. Amro Zatar and Matthew Lau. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This presentation explores Stephen Jay Gould's essays interpreting paintings in light of their historical context. In the case of the Mona Lisa, Gould emphasizes the background in the famous painting. He draws on Leonardo's modern interest in geology and his traditional worldview that sees the earth as alive. In a second example, Gould discusses the paintings of the British artist, JMW Turner. Turner's painting of the battleship The HMS Temeraire is typically seen as a nostalgic, as the famous ship from the Napoleonic era is towed to be broken up into scrap by a smaller modern tug boat. Gould sees it instead as one of a series of paintings by Turner celebrating technological progress. I found Gould's interpretation of Turner interesting and relatable to nowadays.

HIP Poster. Meg Taraftar. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

High-impact educational practices, including Service Learning/Experiential Learning, Common Read/Common Intellectual Experience, Global Diversity Learning, Undergraduate Research, Students Working in Interdisciplinary Groups/Collaborative Assignments and Projects, and Writing-intensive, play a pivotal role in enhancing student engagement, learning outcomes and retention. These practices encourage active learning, collaboration, and critical thinking, fostering deeper connections between students and their academic communities. This poster highlights and introduces each High Impact Practice, showcasing its role in equipping students with essential skills for academic and professional success.

Kafka-core. Zoe Ilano and Alison Cimino. English Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Will read this poem and have a panel discussion.Congrats, you've changed your life.Now the body is more thanA means to an end- the remnantsOf substance taking their toll. Suppose you woke& found your skin replaced With all you were meant to be& more, The outer layer of your old self,Dried & frayed and waiting to be peeled So you dig in with your fingernails,Raw & red, bloody around the quick,Until your desquamation is completed, the sloughDiscarded on the floor & you get to look in, at last,On metamorphosis. Your face,Reflected back from the mirror-Unchanged.

How Plant Based Diets Help Fight Climate Change. ¹Arina Rahimi, ¹Edward Diller Diller, ²Ayaan Efat, ²Evelyn Botello, ²Ethan Luna, and ²Amit Singh. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Climate change is one of the greatest problems facing the international community. For example, right here in New York City, a current drought is being attributed by many experts to climate change. In our Fundamentals in Human Nutrition class we've learned that animal agriculture is a contributor to climate change. Through our research we learned that a plant-based diet can be an important way to reduce the rates of greenhouse gas emissions, have a low carbon footprint,  conserve water, and preserve natural resources which can lessen the impact of climate change. Our research project encourages the Queensborough community to move towards a plant based diet which will help contribute to climate change mitigation and provide health benefits on an individual level. 

Is Ozempic Safe for Weight Loss?. ¹Kerry Maruna, ¹Edward Diller, ²Carrisa Buenafe, ²Lizbeth Torres, ²Dejanelle Pinero, and ²Safa Ali. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Ozempic, a semaglutide drug originally developed for type 2 diabetes, has surged in popularity for its weight-loss effects, with users reporting up to a 15% reduction in body weight over 16 months. Celebrities, ordinary people, and even QCC students are turning to it for quick results, but its long-term effects remain unknown; Ozempic has only been on the market since 2017, and no longitudinal studies have been completed. Although it helps control blood sugar and curbs appetite, Ozempic impacts multiple systems, including the brain, pancreas, kidneys, and circulatory system. Our research aims to evaluate these risks and encourage caution in non-diabetic use, especially QCC students.

Fad Diets in the Internet Era: Critically Think for Yourself. ¹Christine Darelus, ²Edward Diller, ³Jonathan Barayev, ⁴Neeraj Kumar, ⁴Keziah Durant, and ⁵Joycy Macwan. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ³Health and physical Education , QCC, ⁴health and physical education , QCC, ⁵Health and physical education , QCC.

In our current era of social media, influencers, and podcasts fad diets which promise rapid weight loss and health improvements is especially attractive to young audiences. Our research focused on how best to educate our peers and encourage critical thinking when it comes to information received on the Internet. Influencers, et.al., present content with personal anecdotes that often appear scientific but are not proven. Our project explores popular Fad Diets such as Ketogenic, Intermittent Fasting, and Dukan and compares them to the evidence-based Mediterranean diet. Our goal is to highlight the importance of choosing sustainable, scientifically supported dietary practices for long-term health benefits.

The Innovative Approaches to Reducing Food Waste for a Sustainable Future. ¹Phoomipatth Asawaitthipond, ¹Edward Diller, ²Ousha farquharson, and ²Gabino paz. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²QCC.

We learned in our Fundamentals of Human Nutrition class that food waste is a tremendous problem globally and locally. Our research focused on New York City and we discovered that 1.4 million tons of food is wasted each year with the average New York City household wasting $1,800 on food. Food waste is also a contributor to climate change. Our goal is to help our community learn about food waste and how they can take steps to prevent food waste. Our research aims to present food waste management ideas, innovative technologies and practices that can be employed to cut down on food waste. We will present sustainable practices and highlight resources that currently exist in our community, that can maximize nutrition and minimize waste.

Autism and Massage Therapy. ¹Cere Coichetti, ¹Rezan Akpinar, ²Frankie Gonzalez, and ²Grace Burgos. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a condition that affects the way people see and interact with the world. Conventional Western treatments for ASD often involve a multi-disciplinary approach, including behavioral management, speech therapy, and educational and school-based interventions. Therapeutic options also span occupational therapy, early intervention, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help children with ASD develop better social and communication skills. Medications may also be prescribed to help with specific symptoms like anxiety, hyperactivity, and repetitive behaviors. Massage therapy is emerging as a beneficial complementary treatment for individuals with ASD, particularly for managing sensory processing issues and stereotypical behaviors. Our survey topic is based upon research showing the many benefits of using Massage as a complementary therapy and how it can help individuals with Autism more fully integrate into society. What we hope to achieve with our survey is first to assess public awareness of the topic and then to introduce massage as a beneficial complementary therapy for this condition. Giving a parent the ability to hold their child is an amazing gift.  This will help to integrate the idea of massage therapy as a health care practice and not only a relaxation tool in the public's eye. 

Public Perceptions of Massage Therapy Qualifications and the Need for Specialized Competencies in all wellness settings, including hospitals. ¹Rebecca Nunez, ¹Rezan Akpinar, and ²Nancy LeConte. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

Massage therapy has become increasingly recognized as a valuable healthcare modality. However, public understanding of the specific qualifications and training required for different massage therapy settings remains limited. This study aims to investigate public perceptions of massage therapy qualifications, with a particular focus on the need for specialized competencies that lend itself well also in hospital-based settings.Through a quantitative survey design, this research will assess public knowledge of massage therapy education requirements, licensing processes, state to state requirements, and the scope of practice. By analyzing participants' responses to both closed-ended and open-ended questions, the study will identify gaps in public understanding and explore potential areas for public education and professional development.The findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of public perceptions of massage therapy and inform strategies to enhance the public's knowledge of the profession. Ultimately, this research seeks to promote public awareness of the value of specialized training and the importance of qualified massage therapists in various healthcare settings, including hospitals.

Developing a Case Study Guideline using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles. ¹Luciana Cristiano, ¹Rezan Akpinar, and ²Roan Shea. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , QCC.

As part of our massage therapy education, We developed a case study protocol that integrates principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into the practice of shiatsu. Our guideline outlines the entire process, from conducting a thorough intake to creating a personalized treatment plan and documenting and reporting findings. By incorporating key TCM concepts such as Yin/Yang, Five Elements, and Channel Theory, we aimed to comprehensively assess and address clients' needs while maintaining clear and detailed documentation. This project deepened our understanding of designing effective, personalized treatment plans that align with the TCM perspective. It also emphasized the importance of documentation for tracking progress and communicating outcomes. In this poster presentation, we will share the steps we took to develop the protocol, the TCM principles we integrated, and how this project has shaped our approach to evidence-based practice. This experience has helped us grow as a practitioner, enhancing our critical thinking and ability to provide clients with holistic, integrative care.

Geriatric Massage. ¹Mia Sheppard Mckoy, ¹Rezan Akpinar, and ²Benjamin Miller. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²HPED, QCC.

Geriatric massage offers numerous benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, alleviating muscle stiffness and joint pain, improving sleep, and enhancing mobility. For older adults facing challenges such as decreased circulation, arthritis, or general frailty, massage therapy provides a non-invasive approach to address these issues, significantly improving their quality of life. Recognizing the value of geriatric massage, we prepared a survey to assess public awareness of its benefits and to identify knowledge gaps. 

Identifying, Understanding. ¹Melissa Clark, ¹Rezan Akpinar, ²Kenneth Cintron, and ²Jack Ren. ¹Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Health Physical Education and Dance , Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Understand obstacles and issues that prevent individuals from receiving massage. Massage has proven to be therapeutic for healing and recovery while also beneficial to overall wellness. Studies have supported the argument that incorporating massage as part of a self-care routine; whether for health or relaxation, a positive effect can be achieved. By surveying and identify those who have not received or discontinued treatment, we hope to aid LMTs in developing deeper insights in what some of those reasons are. While the immediate barriers of cost and insurance are widely known, the group is certain there are other, less widely discussed reasons. Identifying those obstructions, in conjunction with examining cost and insurance, an education and awareness campaign for therapists and clients alike; with highlighted solutions, can be created. First the team will look to understand what the current demographic of clients looks like along with their reasons for receiving massage. The next step is to create a 10-15 specific question survey to quickly pinpoint the sought after demographic, assess the responses and ultimately paint a detailed picture for reference when encountering resistance to massage.

Recursive Method in Ising Model on Regular Graphs. Zebin Zhang and Wenjian Liu. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The Ising model, a foundational framework in statistical mechanics, captures the behavior of spins on a lattice and serves as a critical tool in understanding phase transitions, magnetism, and complex systems. In this work, we focus on the Ising model on regular graphs and introduce a recursive method to solve for spin correlations and thermodynamic properties. By leveraging the structural regularity of these graphs, our recursive approach simplifies the computational complexity of the model, enabling efficient numerical solutions that converge to accurate results even for large systems. We present applications of this method in studying critical phenomena and compare it with traditional methods, demonstrating significant computational advantages. This approach not only enhances the understanding of the Ising model in the context of graph theory but also paves the way for advanced applications in network science, statistical mechanics, and computational physics.

Classification of White Blood Cells using State-of-the-Art Neural Network Models. Daniel Lin and Esma Yildirim. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Human blood is composed of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. White blood cells are the defenders against infection, breaking down foreign proteins of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Methods such as complete blood count and peripheral blood smears tests are used to calculate the total percentage of these cells in blood. Any changes in the percentage values can indicate the existence of various illnesses including blood cancer. Therefore, classification of blood cell types is an important research area and can be done manually by medical professionals. Microscopic images can reveal the types of white blood cells accurately and several supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms have been used to classify them. However, it is very difficult to find labeled datasets and due to the color palette differences of digital microscopic slide scanners, a model trained on one dataset may not predict the types of cells on another dataset accurately. Our goal in this research is two-fold. First, we would like to test newer classification models using transformers (e.g. vision transformers, EANet, etc.) on classification of white blood cells and compare it to state-of-the-art neural network models (e.g. VGGNet, ResNET). Second, we would like to apply normalization methods so that the differences between the training dataset and testing dataset is minimized and develop a pipeline to automatically create a test dataset from raw microscopic images.

Extending Candlestick Encoding for Improved Stock Price Prediction. Iman Zahid and Yusuf Danisman. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Stock price predictability has traditionally been dismissed by the Efficient Market and Random Walk hypotheses, which claim that stock prices are inherently random. However, recent advancements in artificial intelligence and computational power are challenging this perspective, with emerging studies indicating that stock market behavior may indeed possess a level of predictability. This project explores the predictive potential of candlestick patterns, which visually represent stock price movements through four key values: high, close, open, and low. Traditional candlestick encoding comprises twelve distinct codes, generated by comparing these values. We propose an extension of this encoding by categorizing the relative size of the difference between open and close values as small, medium, or large, based on historical data. This refined encoding aims to capture additional nuances in stock price movement patterns, potentially enhancing the accuracy of predictive models.

Enhancing Pattern Accuracy Metric in Candlestick Pattern Mining for Stock Price Forecasting. Sabina Ruzieva and Yusuf Danisman. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Predicting future stock prices is notoriously challenging due to the influence of numerous variables. However, recent advances in pattern mining and machine learning have yielded promising results in forecasting stock market behavior. Candlestick patterns which are visual representations of stock price movements can be used to identify patterns that may indicate future trends. Current prediction methods rely on matching sequences of candlesticks to patterns with the highest "pattern accuracy" scores. However, this metric has limitations, as it can yield high scores even when patterns appear only once in historical data, reducing reliability. This project aims to improve predictive accuracy by developing a weighted pattern accuracy metric that considers the frequency and significance of patterns within historical data, ultimately enhancing the robustness of stock price forecasts.

Threshold-Based Pattern Mining for Stock Market Candlestick Analysis. Samuel Miner and Yusuf Danisman. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Pattern mining is an essential method for uncovering meaningful patterns in historical stock data. Among various techniques, candlestick analysis is widely used to capture daily stock price movements-open, high, low, and close-through a coded representation. However, small, insignificant differences in these values can impact the pattern coding and, consequently, predictions. This project introduces a threshold-based approach to encoding and pattern mining for candlesticks, aiming to mitigate the influence of minor fluctuations. By optimizing a threshold to exclude minimal price differences, we aim to improve pattern reliability and maximize returns. Performance is evaluated through backtesting, with a focus on determining the ideal threshold for enhanced accuracy in stock price forecasting.

Historical Research of the Awards Received from NSF Aimed to Increase Women's Participation in STEM Education and Careers - Literature Review. ¹Ewa Stelmach, ²Yana Shvartsberg, ³Nhelissa Point Du Jour, ⁴Christina Tram, ⁴Magdalena Golder-Ryan, ⁴Emma Rose Owens, and ⁴Genevieve Grace Zorilo. ¹Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Mathematics , Pace University , ³Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ⁴Pace University .

During the Fall 2024 semester, students from Pace University (4-year university) and Queensborough Community College (2-year university), under the mentorship of their professors, Ewa Stelmach (Queensborough Community College) and Yana Shvartsberg (Pace University), participated in independent research to analyze initiatives and consecutive grants aimed at increasing women's participation in STEM fields. This research reviews initiatives addressing gender disparity in STEM careers from 1970 to the present in the United States. The reason for this period selection is tied to the founding of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) organization in 1971. This research topic is still important because despite significant strides towards the gender equality, women remain underrepresented in STEM disciplines and leadership positions. During the independent study, under mentorship of their professors, undergraduate students were involved in the following: explaining the need for this study conducting a literature review posing research questions conducting data analysis (collection, cleaning, filtering, categorizing) performing qualitative analysis conducting quantitative analysis During our presentation, we would like to provide a platform for each of the students, who, under our mentorship, have conducted literature reviews dedicated to the following topics: the history of mathematics education literature on the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields We also encouraged students to explore biases while being cautious not to generalize based on biases that may exist in one context but not necessarily apply elsewhere. We believe this project is unique because it provided undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in analysis typically reserved for graduate-level study. By introducing key aspects of research and analysis at the undergraduate level and offering students a platform to present their findings, we aim to inspire continued research involvement. This experience will not only support their success in graduate education but also arm them with valuable skills for their future careers.   

Life's Uneven Playing Field: Social Circumstances and the Battle for Glucose Control in Diabetes.. Nayla Walters and Michelle Rossi. Nursing Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Good diabetes management entails blood glucose stability to avoid complications such as DKA, a life-threatening complication arising from prolonged high glucose levels. Socioeconomic status, access to health care, and social support are the most dominant determinants of the outcomes of diabetes. Studies show that members of the lowest socioeconomic classes often face challenges related to accessing health services and insignificantly solid support structures. These conditions increase the prospects for poor glucose control and DKA risk.In the investigation, it was determined that social factors played a major role in the management of diabetes and in the development of DKA. The hypothesis stated that the lower the income and education of the subject and the less support received, the more difficult it would be to manage the disease due to limited healthcare access and opportunities for diabetes education, and a minimal support system. Data analysis was not limited to quantitative measures of income, education, and healthcare access; rather, more qualitative insights were provided through interviews with the patients. The findings revealed that the subjects who had low income, poor education, unstable employment, and very little social support were most likely to present with uncontrolled glucose and DKA. Major complicating factors for treatment included barriers such as financial constraints, lack of health insurance, and inadequate diabetes education.The study concluded that addressing social determinants is important in improving diabetes outcomes and preventing DKA. These barriers could be reduced through targeted interventions, such as expanding healthcare access, community-based diabetes education, or building support networks. These would clearly lead to a reduction of DKA rates and improvement in diabetes management among vulnerable populations. The findings bring into focus the need for integration of social determinants into diabetes care in pursuit of equitable health.

Examining Socioeconomic Factors and the Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes: A Literature Review on Food Access, Fast Food Density, and Health Literacy.. Mekahla Simpson and Michelle Rossi. Nursing Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

CDC reports that more than 38 million Americans have diabetes and 90-95% are type II diabetes. Type II diabetes is a condition that happens when your sugar/glucose in the body is too high. Type II diabetes disproportionately affects individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This literature review aims to explore one question "Is Type II diabetes more prevalent in individuals with lower socioeconomic background?". A particular focus on critical factors such as the predatory acts on lower socioeconomic areas with densely populated fast food restaurants, health literacy, food access and its effect on Type II diabetes. Studies indicate that areas with limited access to reasonably priced, nutritious foods are extremely saturated with multiple fast food establishments. These establishments target these populations by promoting cheap, calorie packed food. Furthermore, lower levels of healthcare literacy hinder individuals' ability to make informed decisions about managing or preventing diabetes. Such an environment fosters and encourages poor dieting habits and unhealthy eating patterns, which increases the risk for Type II diabetes. The predatory placement of fast food establishments in economically disadvantaged areas is strategically lucrative for such establishments. This research will explore data from several credible databases on the correlation between the prevalence of diabetes and low socioeconomic status. Results consistently prove that lower socioeconomic individuals lack access to decently priced healthy foods, while having various fast food outlets which promote very cheap menus, which fosters the increased prevalence of Type II diabetes. This research highlights the need for interventions for these communities such as increasing access to affordable nutritious and healthy food as well as developing programs to improve healthcare literacy. Future research is vital to confirm these findings as well as to support targeted interventions that will reduce the prevalence of Type II diabetes in lower socioeconomic status individuals. 

Finding the Heights of Two Features of the Moon. ¹Thato Sempe More, ¹Edward Sanchez, and ²Kesy Sempe. ¹Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Department of Physics, QCC.

The Moon has many features that cover its surface. These features include basalt plains, mountain ranges, sinuous channels, and impact craters. Some craters are a result of volcanic activity and some are formed by asteroids and comets traveling in space that impact the surface of the Moon. When an asteroid or comet strikes the Moon, it bounces up to form a mountain-like peak. The height of this peak can be calculated using a technique first developed by Galileo. His technique must be conducted when the Moon is in its first or third quarter. Additionally, the peak to be measured must lie close to the terminator, which is a line that runs along the length of the Moon and separates it into one side that is lit by the Sun and another side that is hidden from sunlight. Using corresponding right triangles and basic geometry from Galileo's technique, we calculated the height of central features from two lunar impact craters (Agrippa and Godin) located near the southeastern corner of Mare Vaporum. This calculation required measuring the length of the features' shadows and the distance of the features from the terminator. The height of the central feature found in the crater Agrippa is 3.03 kilometers. The height of the central feature found in the crater Godin is 4.25 kilometers. 

X-Ray Absorption of Iron and Zinc. David Lee and Sunil Dehipawala. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) is an essential technique for probing the structural and electronic properties of unknown materials. It provides detailed insights through two distinct regions of the absorption spectrum: X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS). XANES, located near the absorption edge, reveals critical information about the oxidation state and concentration of specific elements. In contrast, EXAFS, extending beyond the edge, provides precise measurements of bond distances, coordination numbers, and the types of neighboring atoms around the absorber.These experiments require tunable, high-intensity X-ray sources, available only at synchrotron facilities. In New York State, synchrotrons are located at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell University. By leveraging the advanced capabilities of the synchrotron to perform XAS studies, data was able to be uncovered for the absorption edges for zinc and iron. This presentation presents preliminary results from investigations of the iron and zinc absorption edges, demonstrating the power of XAS in better understanding the atomic-scale structure and electronic environment of materials. These findings underscore the value of synchrotron-based XAS in advancing our understanding of complex materials.

Electronic Switch Implementation to a Data Acquisition System. Ange Compere, Corey Stalerman, and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The City University of New York (CUNY) Cosmic Ray Muon Detector Array refers to a network of detectors that will be set up across CUNY campuses, specifically designed to detect cosmic ray muons. At Queensborough Community College, the physics department is building a cosmic ray detector for undergraduate research. They aim to create an array of detectors in multiple sites across New York. Every detector consists of three main components: a polyvinyl toluene plastic scintillator plate to detect a charged particle by converting its energy to a flash of faint light, a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to convert the light flash into an electrical pulse, and a data acquisition (DAQ) board to record the time when a particle hits the detector. Basically, the muon detector uses sheets of specialized plastic with fluorescent hydrocarbon molecules. Charged muons that pass through these sheets ionize the molecules which emit photons. These photons can be detected using photomultiplier tubes, which convert the muon energy to electrical pulses. The DAQ electronics box contains various components including a perforated electronics breadboard, GPS receiver, an Arduino Mega, Raspberry Pi, 20V to 5V DC-DC buck converter that convert the received electrical pulses into a voltage that is read by the Arduino. The DAQ electronics box and photomultiplier tubes are powered from the same power supply. However, each component requires a different voltage. The DAQ box needs a fixed 15V. In contrast, the PMT requires a variable voltage to function correctly, as any fluctuation could affect its performance, which is critical for its sensitivity and reliability. The Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and GPS receiver on the other hand, need to be turned off whenever there is a change in its software or GPS complication. To manage this, a switch is installed to separate the PMT circuit and Arduino circuit.

Error Measurements of Arduino Microcontroller's Timing Measurements. Sean Tai and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

I am measuring the error on timing measurements of an Arduino microcontroller using a pulse generator, oscilloscope, and a C++ software Arduino interrupt function. The Arduino has a 16 MHz oscillator, and 16-bit timer function that can count up to 2^16 = 65,536. Theoretically, the number of TNCT1 counts between consecutive pulses is equal to: (pulse period from function waveform generator)/(period of Arduino board oscillator). However, high frequency pulses which have short periods, result in significant errors in TNCT1 counts. To find the reason causing the error I looked into the maximum baud rates of the cable, Arduino Board, computer and the code. The shorter the pulse period from pulse generator requires higher baud rates in communication between the computer and Arduino. Increasing the baud rate reduced the error. I graphed the error of pulse period measurements and baud rates to determine how they correlate and visualise the pattern.

Cosmic Ray Detector. Palden Bhutia and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Cosmic Rays are high energy particles that travel through the universe created from supernovas, blackholes, and other extreme astrophysical phenomena. These particles when entering Earth's atmosphere interact with the molecules in the air creating a cascading effect or an air shower. In these showers, secondary particles are present and only a few make it to the ground, specifically the Muons. The research, conducted with Professor Armendariz and Professor Stalerman, aims to take the weak electrical signal generated by a muon and process it through a custom designed circuit board. This research builds upon previous iterations of the circuit board focusing on resolving signal inconsistencies through testing and switching out components for better ones. These changes in the current circuit board must be also implemented on the schematic design and accurately updated using the design software called Altium Designer. Our research plan focuses on analyzing and identifying the optimal components needed to process the signal which will be used to update the schematic for the PCB manufacturer. Our future work will require testing out the new circuit board. If all components function as expected, the circuit board will enable accurate detection and analysis of muons, contributing to the study of cosmic rays and advancing the development of particle detection systems.

Developing Secure Attachment: Impact of a Mindfulness-based Intervention on Attachment in School-aged Children. Cho Wing Ng and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Attachment is a crucial foundation of social, cognitive, and emotional development starting in early childhood. There are 3 types of insecure attachment: anxious, avoidant, fearful (disorganized). Children who developed insecure attachment styles are more vulnerable to psychological difficulties and physical illness. Although the attachment style formed during infancy typically remains stable throughout adulthood, recent studies suggest that individuals with insecure attachment may become more secure over time, and Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been proposed as a potential means to reduce the negative effects of insecure attachment. Since there is a significant gap in the literature regarding how children can develop secure attachment, especially under specific conditions, this study aims to investigate whether MBIs conducted with parent(s) at home can help reduce the negative impacts of insecure attachment and assist school-aged children in developing a more secure attachment style using an experimental design.

Mystic Minds Online: Exploring the Influence of Spirituality, Esotericism, and Conspiracy Theories on Cognitive Distortions. Queen Hall and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

For the Summer Intensive Research Program, I have constructed a Research Proposal that aims to identify and explore the overlap of Spiritual and Esoteric ideologies disseminated through social media platforms, and how these factors can lead to cognitive distortions and dissonance in content creators, and audiences. The Research Question asks, 'Are spiritualists online adopting conspiracies (spiritual, racial, cosmic, political) that enable cognitive dissonances and distortions. This study will focus on the participation from individuals with the Black and African Diaspora who actively engage with information and content on social media. Utilizing pre-established  Scales and Questionnaires for Cognitive Distortions, Conspiracy Mentality, and Paranormal Belief the research will further identify the prevalence of conspiratualism within a marginalized community often negative impacted by racialized spiritualist conspiracies.

Anorexia Nervosa: The Silent Struggle Within. Kareena Geer and Rosalinda Macaluso. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

My presentation provides an overview of anorexia nervosa, which is an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain and leads to restrictive eating behaviors and extreme weight loss. Additionally, it will examine the impact of the disorder on physical, emotional, and social health. My goal with this presentation is to increase awareness and emphasize the importance of a comprehensive approach to recovery.

Psychological Effects of Early Morning Prayer on Cognitive and Emotional Well-being. sana naseri and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In premodern times, the biphasic sleep cycle was a very common sleep pattern for societies. Individuals would intentionally wake up in the middle of the night to pray and engage in religious practices, after which they would  begin their day. The routine of waking up before sunrise for prayer has significant spiritual and historical importance in many cultures and religions. In Islam, the Tahajjud prayer, a voluntary night (nafl) prayer performed in the last third of the night, is considered a deeply spiritual act that offers moments of attentiveness and deep connection with God. Research has indicated that early morning prayer, such as Tahajjud, triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to relaxation by reducing sympathetic nervous activity. Studies also show that prayer and meditation, especially when performed during early morning, positively affect emotional stability, mindfulness, and cognitive function, and reduce stress. This study aims to explore the mind-body connection through early morning prayer practices, specifically focusing on the Tahajjud prayer in Islam, while also considering other religious beliefs. The research will examine how these practices, performed before beginning daily activities, help enhance emotional regulation, mental clarity, cognitive function, and overall well-being. The study will also assess the physical, verbal, language and psychological benefits associated with setting intentions (niyyah) and practicing mindfulness during these early morning rituals. The study will employ surveys and questionnaires distributed to Muslim students and practitioners of other faiths to gather data on how early morning prayer impacts their emotional and cognitive states. Participants will be asked to evaluate their emotional stability, memory, focus, and stress levels before and after engaging in early morning prayer. The findings are expected to show that early morning prayer practices, such as Tahajjud, have a significant positive effect on emotional regulation, attention, and memory.

The Discursive Construction of Postpartum Depression. ¹Gilsy Perez, ¹Patrick Byers, and ²Patrick Byers. ¹Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Social Sciences, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

There is a dual existence of psychological conditions like postpartum depression (PPD) as discourse-independent reality and discourse-dependent language. Discourse-independent facts about mental disorders aren't always a sufficient guide to how the latter are constructed in discourse, or to how individuals place themselves relative to the disorders (e.g., as suffering from the disorder or not).  So, this project seeks to expand our vision of PPD by looking at these discursive processes in online discussion forums on the disorder. It is clear from the early findings of this study that: (1) The current collective cultural meanings of PPD are reinforced/reaffirmed as an extension of diagnosed individuals' attempts to make their experiences feel different and extraordinary, relative to specific collective cultural meanings. And (2) objectification of PPD is a rhetorical tactic by which participants have the choice to identify as experiencing or not experiencing the disorder: For instance, people with symptoms consistent with PPD might object to the diagnostic labeling by saying that they "feel depressed after giving birth but do not have PPD."

Legal Immigrants' Preconception of Undocumented Immigrants and Crimes. Sabreen Qaisar and Celia Sporer. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This research focuses on the perceptions of illegal/undocumented immigrants in the United States by legal immigrants, focusing on the relationship to crime. The study aims to understand whether legal immigrants perceive undocumented immigrants as contributors to rising crime levels and to explore the underlying attitudes shaping these views using survey methods the Immigration Attitude Scale (Hovey et al., 2024). The IAS is a validate measure for assessing attitudes towards immigration policies and undocumented individuals. The survey will recruit a diverse sample of those who identify as legal immigrants on the college campus and beyond. The data collected will provide insights into social and psychological factors influencing perceptions of undocumented immigrants, focusing particularly on their perceived connection to crimes. The responses will help to identify patterns and potential misperceptions regarding the relationship between undocumented immigrants and crime rates among the immigrants, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of the concepts of immigration and crime. It is hypothesized that those who identify as immigrants will have a more accurate understanding of the relationship between crime and immigrants and their perceptions will lean towards an understanding that the two are not connected in any meaningful way. "Research suggests that there is no meaningful real-world connection between crime rates and undocumented immigrants, media coverage of this group almost exclusively portrays them as criminals" (Figueroa-Caballero & Mastro, 2019). Findings are expected to highlight how media portrayals and society influence perceptions in this area. The study results will contribute to ongoing discussion about immigration reform, challenging common stereotypes that link undocumented immigrants to criminal behaviors. Furthermore, it aims to provide insights into how perceptions of undocumented immigrants shape social attitudes and constructs. The findings will serve as a foundation for further research and advocacy encouraging a shift toward more informed and empathetic disclosure surrounding immigration.