UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
2024
Fall Gala Tuesday, Dec. 3 4-6:30 p.m.
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
Interested in supporting Undergraduate Research at UWRF? Our donors help directly support our undergraduate students to conduct and present their research and creative activity. Please consider making gift of support to the Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA) Program at University of Wisconsin River Falls.
Find out more at:
https://www.uwrf.edu/Give/URSCA.cfm For more information contact Molly Gerrish, Ph.D., URSCA Director 715-425-3902 molly.gerrish@uwrf.edu
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
URSCA Fall Gala December 3, 2024 Riverview Ballroom, University Center 4-6:30 p.m. URSCA Fall Gala is an annual showcase event to celebrate the research, scholarly and creative activities of University of Wisconsin-River Falls undergraduates. Campus URSCA from all areas of study is represented through research posters, short films, art exhibits, slide shows, and interactive displays. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to learn more about the hands-on research activities that are taking place every day on our campus.
Table of Contents Project presentations are listed by college, and alphabetically by the First names of all student presenters within each college. I.
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
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College of Arts and Sciences
III. College of Education, Business and Allied Health IV. Comprehensive list of research mentors V.
URSCA Office Information
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
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College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) (Students with the * next to name were funded through the URSCA Office)
Alli Matzek
Annabelle L. M Jensen
Relationship of tissue dimensions and stun placement on cadaver heads from bison (Bison bison)
Investigating Negative DIF on Tuberization of Potato With Hydroponics
Faculty Mentor(s): Kurt Vogel, Ph.D.; Karly Anderson, Ph.D.; and Ashlynn Kirk
Faculty Mentor(s): Sonja L. Maki
Animal and Food Science The bison industry in the United States has been growing rapidly. In 2023, over 75,000 bison were commercially slaughtered, but stunning methods for bison did not appear to be scientifically evaluated at the time of our study. Our primary objective was to evaluate tissue thicknesses at the frontal (FRONTAL: 2.5 cm above a line connecting the bottom of the horns) and poll (POLL: below the crest of the head at the midline and angled toward the ventral aspect of the nose) placements in bison. Secondary objectives were to assess potential for bolt-thalamus contact and determine an optimal stunning placement based on the thalamic location. 15 cadaver heads from 2- to 3-year-old bulls (HCW: 300.50 ± 27.42 kg; mean ± SD) with hide-on were obtained from a commercial slaughter establishment after being stunned with a 0.410-bore shotgun at a frontal location. The heads were shaved and measured with a digital caliper for various external features. A 0.25R-caliber Jarvis free-flight penetrating captive bolt (PCB) was applied at the POLL placement. Heads were split at the midline and soft tissue and cranial thicknesses were measured with a digital caliper. Digital images were obtained of the split head to evaluate brain and thalamic contact plane. From these images, an IDEAL placement was determined to ensure bolt-thalamic contact; for the IDEAL placement, the bolt path was in the plane of the thalamus for 14/14 heads (100.00%, 95% CI: 76.8 to 100.0%) while only in the plane of the thalamus for 11/14 heads (78.57%, 95% CI: 49.2 to 95.3%) at the FRONTAL placement and 10/14 heads (71.43%, 95% CI: 42.0 to 91.6%) at the POLL placement. The IDEAL placement is in a significantly different (P<0.05) location than the FRONTAL placement and is located 8.33 ± 0.36 cm above the base of the horns at the midline with the shot placed perpendicular to the surface of the head. Total tissue thickness was significantly greater (P<0.05) for the FRONTAL placement (75.00 ± 1.84 mm; URL: 89.31 mm) than the IDEAL (60.92 ± 1.90 mm; URL: 70.64 mm) and POLL (64.60 ± 1.84 mm; URL: 85.52 mm) placements. There was no evidence to support a difference (P>0.05) in total tissue thicknesses between the IDEAL and POLL placements. Thalamic depth at the IDEAL placement was 115.27 ± 8.36 mm (URL: 133.96 mm). Therefore, to consistently reach the thalamus and cause insensibility, it is recommended to stun at the IDEAL placement and have a penetration depth of at least 133.96 mm for PCB in young male bison.
Plant and Earth Science The potato tuberization process is important to understand for commercial purposes. Wisconsin currently has about 65,000 acres in potato production which is third only to Idaho and Washington nationwide (Vystricil, 2023). Small tubers that serve as seed potatoes are sometimes produced from lines using both hydroponics and aeroponics. The focus of this research was to investigate whether the negative DIF technique used in the greenhouse industry to reduce plant height could also be used to induce tubers in potato. DIF refers to the mathematical DIFference between day and night temperature. Plants grown at a positive DIF will be taller than plants grown at a zero or negative DIF assuming that the average daily temperature (ADT) is the same (Blanchard and Runkle, 2021). Nonchemical reduction in plant height in floriculture crops is achieved through negative DIF. Altering the daytime temperatures early in the morning so that they are lower than what plants were grown at during the night time results in decreased internode elongation and has been shown to be a result of interfering with the plant hormone gibberellin synthesis which is responsible for stem elongation (Stavang, et al., 2005). Gibberellins are also thought to inhibit potato tuber formation. We are curious about the factors that cause the tip of a potato stolon to alter it’s developmental program to form tubers. More specifically, we are curious about whether negative DIF can be used to induce potato tubers. Two potato cultivars (a white chipping variety and a red eating variety) were grown in growth chambers in hydroponic units, one with a positive DIF environment and one with a negative Dif environment. The negative DIF environment produced more tubers, especially in the white chipping variety. Blanchard, M. and Runkle, E. 2021. Temperature (Chapter 6) Ball Redbook, Volume 2, Ball Publishing, Chicago, IL., pp.64-79. Vystrcil, Ave. “Wisconsin Potato Council Promises More Research, Better Production.” The Badger Herald, 9 Feb. 2023, badgerherald. com/news/2023/02/09/new-partnership-within-uw-seed-potatocertification-program-promises-more-research-better-cropproduction/. Stavang, J., Lindga˚rd, B., Erntsen A., Lid, S., Moe, R. and Olsen, J. 2005. Thermoperiodic Stem Elongation Involves Transcriptional Regulation of Gibberellin Deactivation in Pea. Plant Physiol. 2005 Aug; 138(4): 2344–2353. doi: 10.1104/pp.105.063149 We would like to acknowledge James Spychalla, Ph.D., and Bärbel Köhm, Ph.D. (Kohm & Spychalla, LLC) for providing the white chipping variety of potato, for cultural advice on growing hydroponic potatoes and David Zlesak, Ph.D (UW-River Falls Plant & Earth Science Dept.) for discussions on potato tuberization. We also acknowledge a Dairy Innovation Hub Grant to the UW-River Falls Plant & Earth Science Department which supported acquisition of the growth chambers.
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
Anthony Fuchs Evaluation of casein micellar dissociation and functionality after applying novel processing methods Faculty Mentor(s): Grace Lewis Animal and Food Science Casein proteins are some of the most abundant proteins in milk, accounting for roughly 80% of milk’s protein. In milk, casein proteins orientate themselves into spherical micellar structures composed of hydrophobic casein subtypes found in the core, while hydrophilic casein subtypes populate the exterior. Previous research has shown that milk with the addition of emulsifying salt (ES) coupled with high-pressure homogenization (HPH) induces an unprecedented amount of casein micellar dissociation. This research aims to quantify the extent of casein micellar dissociation in milk following the treatment of ES coupled with HPH (ES+HPH) and to evaluate the functionality of these casein proteins following the treatment. To quantify the extent of micellar dissociation, skim milk solutions (20% v/v) were prepared with a varying amount of treatment (no processing, just ES (100 mM sodium hexametaphosphate), just HPH (at 300 MPa), and ES+HPH), put through varying filter sizes (0.22 µm, 0.05 µm), and analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). In the control group (20% skim milk), 9.35% ± 2.53% casein protein remained post-filtration through a 0.05 µm filter. Alternatively, 93.2% ± 7.71% casein protein was present in ES+HPH samples post-filtration through a 0.05 µm filter. These results show that applying ES coupled with HPH to milk causes a significant reduction in the size of casein micelles. One benefit of a reduction of the size of casein micelles is that it exposes more of the hydrophobic protein from the center, which, in theory, would form more stable foams. Using this knowledge, the foam expansion index (FEI) of skim milk was also tested with a varied amount of treatment (no processing, just ES, just HPH, and ES+HPH at set intervals after foaming (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, and 8 h). The control group FEI was 33.33% ± 14.43% at 0 h and 21.67% ± 2.887% after 8 h. However, milk treated with ES coupled with HPH FEI was 138.3% ± 12.58% at 0 h and 113.3% ± 5.774% after 8 h. This data demonstrates that ES coupled with HPH leads to a significant difference in the volume and stability of foam when compared to the control group. Future steps in this research would be to evaluate different applications related to these processing methods, such as digestibility.
Austin Meade Incidence and Distribution of Puccinia coronata on the Invasive Weed Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) in River Falls Parks and Surrounding Areas Faculty Mentor(s): Brandt Berghuis Plant and Earth Science Buckthorn is a highly invasive and noxious plant that is promptly spreading throughout Western Wisconsin. The increased population of buckthorn has also resulted in the spread of the pathogen Puccinia Coronata which uses buckthorn as a host for overwintering. USDA reported that farmers can lose around 1040% of their yield from a moderate infection and additional data from South Dakota State university has reported yield losses as high as 80-100%. This survey reports on the incidences of P.
coronate occurring on buckthorn with the goal to bring attention to the issue to limit the harm this pathogen can cause in the area. We collected 175 data points from willow river, 357 data points from the Kinnikinic, 144 data points from the river falls campus, and 16 data points from the remaining parks. From these locations a total of 703 buckthorn plants were surveyed, of that total 13 plants did not possess the pathogen. Currently the transmission of P. Coronata in the region is relatively undocumented however, P. coronate continues to surge due to its 98% infection rate of the pervasive buckthorn. Attention needs to be garnered to bring awareness to these issues so proper measures can be put in place to manage its spread. Limiting this expansion is necessary to preserve our fragile native ecosystems along with protecting farmers from a detrimental pathogen.
Austyn Steinhaus* Phenotypic Diversity of Puccinia helianthi (sunflower rust) in Pierce County, Wisconsin Faculty Mentor(s): Brandt Berghuis Plant and Earth Science Sunflower rust, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia helianthi, is the most economically important foliar disease of sunflower. The pathogen causes lesions on the stems, bracts, and leaves of sunflower, and yield losses of up to 80% have been reported. Despite the economic importance of the pathogen being well documented, there is limited information on pathogen virulence (race diversity) within Wisconsin. Information on virulence helps breeders to implement the most effective resistance genes and provide insight into pathogen diversity. Through field surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023 in Pierce County, Wisconsin, three isolates were collected and evaluated on an internationally accepted differential set of plants with known resistance genes. Race 304 was assigned to all three isolates, indicating that the most effective resistance genes and alleles were R2+R10, R4e, R4a, R5, R4b and R4c. To our knowledge this is the first study ever conducted in the state of Wisconsin looking at the phenotypic diversity of P. helianthi in the state of Wisconsin.
Elayna Stirn Evaluating the Effects of Pea Rust (Uromyces viciaefabae) on the Efficiency of Photosystem II and Stomatal Aperture of Garden Peas (Pisum sativum) Faculty Mentor(s): Sonja Maki, Brandt Berghuis Plant and Earth Science Pea (Pisum sativum) is an economically important crop to India, China, and other locations around the world. In the United States, peas are increasing in popularity as a plant-based protein food. In Wisconsin in 2023, green pea production totaled 1.39 million cwt from 28,500 acres and was valued at $26.6 million while production across the U.S. totaled 5.23 million cwt (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service). A major hindrance to all pea production is pathogens. One of the most economically important diseases to pea is U. viciae-fabae, with yield loss reported as high as 30% in production regions (Eppo, 1998). Cultivars can vary in their levels of susceptibility to pathogens.
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala In this experiment, four pea cultivars (‘King Tut’, ‘Snow Max’, ‘Sugar Flash’, and ‘Masterpiece’) were inoculated with Pea Rust (Uromyces viciae-fabae). Photosynthetic efficiency and stomatal water conductance was measured using the LI-600 porometer/ fluorometer (LI-COR, INc., Lincoln, NE). In both the field and lab experiments, it was observed that the higher the disease severity, the lower the stomatal water conductance and photosynthetic efficiency was. This information can guide breeders to use this technology in tandem with visual disease ratings to reduce rater variability. Future experiments could look into how the latency period of an infection affects photosynthesis. This information could lead to recommendations for when chemical controls could be applied to reduce the infection rate. Our appreciation goes to the Wisconsin Dairy Innovation Hub for funding the acquisition of equipment that supported this research.
Elayna Stirn Characterization of a Diverse Collection of Roses for Resistance to Six Races of Rose Black Spot Disease (Diplocarpon rosae Wolf)
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Ellanora Guse* Genotype-Phenotype Association Studies of Health and Fertility Components of Lifetime Performance Index Research Collaborator (s): Allison Matzek,Faylene Troemner Faculty Mentor(s): Melkaye Melka Animal and Food Science Observing how different genes and genomes affect lifelong milk production in dairy cattle
Emilie Berner The impact of conventional and conservation tillage on soil physical quality. Research Collaborator (s): Megan Culpitt, Zachary Elmore, Heather Hatfull, Jordan Hellenbrand, Austin Meade, Elayna Stirn, Hailey Sutton Faculty Mentor(s): Holly Dolliver
Research Collaborator (s): Leah Puppe, Michelle Puppe
Plant and Earth Science
Faculty Mentor(s): David Zlesak
It is well established that tillage and land management can significantly impact soil physical properties and health. This course research project focused on measuring soil physical properties on adjacent lands managed under three different treatments: conventional tillage, conservation tillage (no-till), and an undisturbed prairie strip as a reference/control. The study evaluated bulk density, penetration resistance, water content, hydraulic conductivity (saturated and unsaturated), carbon content, and carbon dioxide flux.
Plant and Earth Science Roses are loved worldwide and are used in landscapes, as cut flowers, potted flowering plants, and for cosmetic and medicinal applications. Rose black spot disease (caused by the fungus Diplocarpon rosae) is the most problematic disease of roses grown outdoors in wet climates. The disease leads to premature defoliation and weakened plants with reduced growth and flowering. With the public’s increased hesitancy towards pesticides, much effort during the past 30 years has been devoted to breeding for increased resistance to rose black spot. Researchers are beginning to identify qualitative resistance genes in recent rose cultivars. Each gene confers resistance to a unique subset of the 13 identified races of the pathogen. The ultimate goal is to have quick DNA tests (aka markers) for each gene to efficiently develop new roses that combine multiple genes and have resistance to a greater subset or even all identified races. We grew 267 unique genotypes of roses in the UWRF greenhouse summer 2024 and used detached leaf assays to characterize their resistance to six races. If a rose was resistant to a race, we repeated the inoculation for confirmation. Unique patterns of resistance across the six selected races are able distinguish roses having recently identified resistance genes/loci (Rdr3, Rdr4, Rdr5, and Rdr6). Having a diverse panel of roses screened for resistance is a valuable resource for DNA marker validation to find the most tightly linked markers to resistance genes for use by breeders. The most tightly linked and optimum markers should have all roses containing them possessing the resistance the linked gene is effective against. About 93% of all the ~1,600 rose/race combinations are completed to date with the remainder expected to be completed by semester end. So far there are 133 roses susceptible to all six races and some with the pattern found for resistance genes: Rdr3 (n=10), Rdr4 (n=10), Rdr5 (n=8), and Rdr6 (n=5). This information has already starting to be used to validate candidate markers for genes Rdr3 and Rdr6.
Evan Zachow* Establishing a Rapid and Cost-Effective Methodology to Screen Economically Important Crops in Numerous Rust Pathosystems Faculty Mentor(s): Brandt Berghuis Plant and Earth Science Some of the most economically important diseases worldwide are caused by rust pathogens in numerous cropping systems. Incorporating genetic resistance is a management strategy that is both economically and environmentally friendly. To expedite evaluations and determine novel sources of resistance, controlled environment screenings are invaluable. One challenge to controlled environment screenings is creating a uniform and repeatable inoculation methodology that includes moisture, temperature, and light variables. By controlling these variables, pathogen infection is optimized, and screening efficacy is greatly improved. However, establishing a pathogen screening methodology can be expensive and challenging to use on numerous pathosystems. By creating a conducive environment through simplified materials, a cost-effective screening methodology can be conducted on numerous crops and pathosystems.
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
Gabe Olson-Jensen* Working Towards the Development of Diagnostic allele specific assays linked to the Type II Redflesh Phenotype in Malus domestica Borkh Faculty Mentor(s): David Zlesak Plant and Earth Science Malus domestica Borkh (cultivated apple) is an important fruit species for consumers across the world. Novel traits such as flavor and texture, are valued highly, and premiums are paid for elite or improved traits. Such traits are now being tested for at a young age using genetic markers. Seedlings without improved traits are eliminated early thanks to Marker Assisted Breeding (MAS). A breeder can detect desired traits before the tree is planted and grown. The red fleshed apple faces a dilemma in this aspect as it comes in two different phenotypes. Type I expresses red flesh and red pigmentation and Type II, which only has red coloration in the fruit. Breeders are unable to phenotype the Type II trait until after many years have been invested in the tree and fruit is visually observed. In this research, we used published sequence data to identify polymorphic regions that hold potential for KASP (Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR genotyping) DNA marker development for genotyping this novel trait with young seedlings. This was accomplished through leveraging online databases, primer software, gel electrophoresis, extracted DNA of apples of known flesh color, and qPCR. Overall, the results were inclusive, but provide insights to what to try next.
Gabe Olson-Jensen Effect of Cellulase and Gibberellins on Seed Germination of Rosa arkansana Porter Faculty Mentor(s): David Zlesak Plant and Earth Science Roses seeds (achenes) have a reputation of being challenging to germinate due to physiological and physical dormancy. Low and erratic germination have hindered propagation and restoration efforts of wild rose species along with commercial rose breeding efforts. Factors that are known to improve germination include warm stratification (a warm moist treatment) followed by cold stratification (cool moist treatment). Optimum durations of stratification vary based on the rose. Bioactive gibberellins increase during cold stratification and when externally applied can help jump start germination in some species. The effect of bioactive GAs on rose seed germination has been neutral or negligible. Soaking rose seeds in cellulase before stratification has been documented to improve germination in some roses, likely due to degrading the outer covering around the embryo to allow water to more easily penetrate. Our experiment uniquely combines cellulase with GA to ascertain if there would be a stronger effect of GA if it could reach the embryo more readily. A full factorial experimental design was used with a two-day duration of either dry seed, 0.5% cellulase, or reverse osmosis (RO) water followed by a one-day soak with 200ppm GA3, 200ppm GA4+7, 200ppm GA4+7 plus 6-benzyladenine as Promalin®, or RO water. Rosa arkansana was used for the experiment as it is a native species that is known to be challenging to germinate. Four replications of 100 seeds each per treatment were prepared and mixed with 80cc of moist peat moss. All treatments were given the same warm stratification (8 weeks room temperature) and cold stratification (12 weeks
4C) treatment followed by constant 10C in a growth chamber. Germination was recorded three times while at 10C at 5-week intervals. Promalin® led to slightly faster germination at 5 weeks, but by week 10 GA treatments were not significantly different than the water control. Cellulase and RO water pre-GA soaks were not significantly different than each other at any time interval and by week 15 both were significantly better than the dry seed treatment. This data suggests the importance of having well hydrated seeds going into stratification, confirms a neutral effect of GA on rose seed germination, suggests the 6-benzyladenine in Promalin® may slightly speed along germination, and suggests that cellulase may not significantly improve water penetration over water alone over a two day soak.
Hailey Sutton The best technique to illustrate spatial data anonymously Faculty Mentor(s): Jill Colemon-Wasik Plant and Earth Science Geospatial representation of data is a powerful tool for better understanding natural resources and activities that impact them. However, geospatial products such as maps can also make data less anonymous. In this study I aimed to answer the question of how to best illustrate spatial data that uses location specific data points anonymously. The data set used for this research was nitrate levels from wells on private farmer’s lands. UWRF conducts annual well testing for a local farmer-led watershed council, the Western Wisconsin Conservation Council (WWCC), to monitor nitrate concentrations in groundwater across Polk, St. Croix, and Pierce Counties, WI. The collaboration with WWCC is built on a foundation of anonymized data and trust. Because it is relatively simple to infer which farms are connected to which data points on a map no such data has been made publicly available. At the same time it is important to communicate science to the community and society at large. I used Arcpro to create a different GIS maps that show the data. Initially maps were made using graduated symbols but with this technique, the general location of the points was easily identifiable and required additional anonymity. Methods using interpolation between the data points make it harder to identify nitrate levels at a specific point. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) method is used for estimating values at unknown locations by using a weighted average of nearby known values. This technique interpolates the values in between the points to prevent readers from distinguishing the nitrate levels for a specific farm property well. Instead nitrate levels are displayed for general areas. The graduated symbols map and the IDW interpolation map are compared and the benefits of the IDW technique in illustrating anonymized data are presented.
Hannah Schull Evaluation of Temperate Forage Grasses, Legumes and Mixes in Northern Wisconsin Faculty Mentor(s): Yoana Newman Plant and Earth Science Cool season forages and legumes are the backbone of livestock production in the Upper Midwest from small sheep farms to large scale beef and dairy cattle operations. Knowing forage yield and nutritive value is important under varying climatic and
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala soil conditions and is critical in the decision-making process for pasture management for livestock producers. The objectives of this study were to analyze the seasonal yield production and nutritive value (not reported here) of different forages and legumes in sandy soils in NW Wisconsin. The forages grasses, legumes and mixes evaluated were alfalfa, alsike clover, bromegrass, Italian ryegrass, KY bluegrass, mix 1 (25% alfalfa), mix 2 (75% alfalfa), meadow fescue, orchardgrass, red clover, and white clover. Throughout the summer of 2023, DM yield data was collected from three cuttings (harvests; H) (H1, 13 June; H2, 19 July; H3, 16 September). Results show highest seasonal total yields for red clover (5700 lb acre-1), and Italian ryegrass (5575 lb acre-1). On the other hand, lowest yields were for KY bluegrass and white clover (2522 and 2500 lb acre-1, respectively). These results might be on account of the limited rainfall combined with sandy soils. It is important to note that the climate is becoming increasingly variable, and additional data should be collected in various locations to reflect how weather can impact forage yields.
Heather Hatfull Dialing in Nitrogen Fertilizer Recommendations: Balancing Yield and Sustainability Faculty Mentor(s): Jill Coleman Wasik Plant and Earth Science Well inform nitrogen fertilizer management recommendations are critical for optimizing crop yield while minimizing environmental impact. In 2023 DATCP Provided grants to farmers to value green corn fertilizer rates across the state of Wisconsin to determine the lowest application rate that maintains optimal yield.
Isabelle Carlson* Never Ask a Well its Age…Or Maybe You Should: Using Groundwater Age Dating to Characterize Western Wisconsin Wells. Faculty Mentor(s): Jill Coleman Wasik Plant and Earth Science Much of Western Wisconsin is reliant on groundwater sources for their water supply. A region bound by cultivation, yet lifted by hills of the Western Uplands, the land is settled amongst a diverse watershed and a productive agricultural hotspot. With the western counties anchored by the St. Croix River, the maintenance of the groundwater system not only impacts the neighboring counties, but the fate of water flowing through the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Groundwater supplies in the area are bombarded by anthropogenic threats including pesticides, fertilizers, and livestock waste; with constant pressure on the health of these systems, finding ways to assess and monitor vital groundwater sources is pertinent to counteracting the stressors. This region is fruitful in both agricultural and water supplies, but the bounty has led to a fortuitous conflict. Pollutants have infiltrated the groundwater supply through farming practices, thus creating a disproportionate coexistence: successful, yet uncompromising agricultural practices but a widespread contamination of the region’s water supply. Through groundwater age dating, determinations about the area’s susceptibility to land use and management changes can be made and a new understanding
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about the dynamics of the region’s groundwater system can lead to a vast number of new research opportunities. To age the groundwater sources, a high frequency testing campaign was completed with four sites. Samples were tested for both pesticides and major ions at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Water and Environmental Analysis Lab and the University of Minnesota Research and Analytical Lab. Results from the lab analyses allow for an age determination in reference to the individual characteristics of each sample site.
Isabelle Peterson* Micrometeorites and Micrometeor-wrongs Research Collaborator (s): Andrew Lundeen Faculty Mentor(s): Kevin Thaisen Plant and Earth Science Micrometeorites are meteorites that are below 2mm in size, or roughly the size of a sand grain and smaller. A 2024 paper titled “Micrometeorite collections: a review and their current status” estimated that 2 to 4 tons of micrometeorites fall onto the surface of the Earth every year. A good amount of these micrometeorites land in urban settings. This has led to the expansion of amateur micrometeorite collectors focusing on urban settings such as rooftops, gutters, and places where sediment gathers such as drains. Consequently, these amateur collectors find many particles which they classify as micrometeorites which deserve a closer look as it is possible that improper classification is occurring within literature. Accordingly, this study has focused on things we term ‘micrometeor-wrongs’ or things that were produced by humans which can be mistaken as micrometeorites. This is currently supported by a USE grant to obtain human made particles and research them to identify whether those particles are being misidentified as micrometeorites. The precursor to this research was a poster presented at the Geological Society of America (GSA) Conference in 2023 where images of our groups collected potential micrometeorites were contrasted with literature reported micrometeorites. This comparison grew into this current research as the comparisons generated discussions at the GSA conference about other particles that resemble micrometeorites. Several contacts from that conference generously gave micrometeor-wrong samples of fly ash (from coal production) and particles from experiments melting down basalt. Our group has also sourced ash from sparklers, particles from unused roof shingles, and other particles that fit the characteristics we are looking for. Specifically, small metallic particles below 2mm in size which do not represent all micrometeorites but do represent micrometeorites easily collected in urban settings. Comparisons of literature micrometeorites and micrometeor-wrongs are being done using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images. Over 300 different particles have been analyzed using the UWRF’s SEM along with elemental analysis for easier comparison with literature micrometeorites. Growing this database of micrometeorwrongs that might be identified as micrometeorites could allow other researchers to reduce the chances of misidentifying urban micrometeorites.
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
Jenna Dedina Mango Production Practices in Puerto Rico for Export Markets – A Successful Case Study Faculty Mentor(s): Yoana Newman Plant and Earth Science The quality and consistency of fresh mangoes is important for the local market of Puerto Rico, but is critical for the export markets to the United States and abroad. These practices are monitored through proper field production and mango harvest and handling techniques. Specific Puerto Rican industry practices include correct variety and harvest maturity, keen sorting and grading of the fruit, necessary hot water and hydrocooling soaking treatments prior to shipping for export markets to control the fruit fly (USA only with 0 presence tolerance), and efficient packing techniques. Martex Farms (1000+ ha operation), in Puerto Rico, was specifically studied and reflected on for their success in fresh mangoes reaching consumers in export markets to USA and Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Netherlands). Martex Farms produces approximately four million pounds of fresh fruit for export each year. Field and packing house successful actions were observed firsthand. The predominant mango variety grown is Keitt. The mangoes are ready for harvesting at Keitt ‘mature green’ skin color which reveals high flavor quality and moderate fiber content (1-2%). Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) is a main disease. Harvested mangoes are sorted into damaged or cosmetically flawless and packed based on the different uniform sizes to fit shipping 4-kg boxes with 8 or less units per box. All these production efforts act as important quality control procedures to provide outstanding mangoes in the export markets so consumers will want to purchase again.
material likely underwent minimal particle size sorting, leading to the conclusion that these depositional environments were not channel-hosted and did not differ in depositional environments. Thus, using the knowledge that all three localities are from similar depositional environments, taxonomic and diversity comparisons can be made in greater confidence.
Maria Zillges What Makes Dairy Farms More Sustainable? Economic, Sociological, and Demographic Determinants of Utilizing Sustainable Practices in Wisconsin Faculty Mentor(s): Shaheer Burney Agricultural Economics
Katelyn Marano*
This study considers the importance of farm-and farmer-related attributes that determine the implementation of a gamut of sustainable practices including political affiliation, perceptions of climate change, strength of social networks, among others. Using data from a statewide survey of dairy farmers conducted in the first quarter of 2024, we analyze how farmers perceive climate change and its impacts and whether perceptions influence the utilization of sustainable practices on dairy farms. We find that belief in climate change is associated with demographic factors such as farm size and level of education. Economic factors such as farm profitability, and social factors such as a personal connection to the farmland have an important influence on climate change beliefs as well. We also find that climate change beliefs do not always translate to action and evidence suggests that economic motivations outweigh the impact of beliefs on utilization of sustainable farming practices. Finally, we find no significant evidence that political affiliation influences the use of climate-smart agricultural practices such as no-till or reduced-till farming, grazing, and manure management.
Reconstructing Late Pliocene and Pleistocene Paleoenvironments Using Taphonomy
Megan Culpitt*
Faculty Mentor(s): Andrew Haveles Plant and Earth Science The Meade Basin in Southwestern Kansas has a welldocumented five million year old record of mammalian diversity and paleoenvironmental change. This diversity record resulted from a culmination of taxonomic presence and absence data with consideration of depositional environments. However, there has not been a quantitative assessment of potential taphonomic biases among the Meade Basin fauna. Here, we compared taphonomic biases among three Meade Basin vertebrate faunas to assess whether differences in vertebrate diversity could be the result of differing depositional histories. We quantified microfossil size distributions that can infer channel hosted, lacustrine, and floodplain environments. Microfossil size distributions for each fauna were generated using multiple 1,000 gram samples sorted into four clast size bins: 0.5-1mm, 1-2mm, 2-4mm, and >4mm. After sorting the fossil material, a total count and weight was taken, and bones were classified based on discernable type of skeletal element. The three localities- Ripley (N=735, total fossil weight (tfw) = 0.68g), Borchers (N=9,146, tfw = 14.5g), and Cudahy (N=125, tfw= 0.3g)- showed no discernable distributions associated with a channel hosted environment. The fossil
Evaluating the Virulence of an Isolate of Puccinia helianthi Collected from a Wild Species of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in Western WI Faculty Mentor(s): Brandt Berghuis Plant and Earth Science Sunflower rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia helianthi is the most economically important foliar disease of sunflower. The most economically viable and environmentally sustainable option to manage this disease is by breeding resistance. Implementing resistance can reduce disease severity and reduce the overall pesticide usage in sunflower. Though resistance genes have been identified, this pathogen undergoes sexual recombination, which can allow it to overcome resistance. Additionally, studies conducted in the western United States has demonstrated that wild populations of Helianthus annuus can harbor pathogens virulent on numerous resistant lines. To implement the most effective resistance, phenotypic diversity of the pathogen needs to be evaluated on both wild and commercial sunflower in each production region. The internationally accepted differential set with known resistance genes/alleles were planted and 14 days after planting, plants
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
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were inoculated with a wild isolate of P. helianthi and placed in a misting chamber for 24 hours. Plants were evaluated for disease reactions of incidence and severity based on the differential set. After all differential plants from the three sets and replications were evaluated, the scores were added, and a single score for each set was presented in a triplet code, named a race phenotype. The pathogen isolate conferred virulence on lines MC90 and HAR5, which correspond to genes R1 and R4D, respectively. Evaluations were consistent among differential lines and the isolate coded to Race 304, which is a first report of a virulence phenotype from a wild helianthus species in the state of Wisconsin.
system, the cost and consumption of the two energy types that could be compatible with the system, and the labor costs needed with each type and size of system. This allows farmers to look at the tables and choose which machine concept best suits the needs of their herd and their budgets. From these tables, the engineering and design team can modify their benchtop-scale prototype as needed to suit different farmers once the true-toscale machine is released for commercial use.
Natalie Bostrom
Faculty Mentor(s): Grace Lewis
Nevaeh Bolinger Lactose-free ice cream: Evaluation of the enzyme kinetics and physiochemical properties
Development of an Alfalfa Fractionation System
Animal and Food Science
Research Collaborator (s): Zachary Muenzner, Dakota Schmidtbauer
To properly digest lactose, β-galactosidase (or lactase), an enzyme secreted by the epithelial cells in the small intestine, must hydrolyze lactose into its component sugars: β-D-glucose and β-D-galactose. Without this enzyme, lactose cannot be broken into its component sugars in the small intestine, allowing lactose to resist digestion until the large intestine and causing a variety of uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e., lactose intolerance). With roughly 68% of the world’s population being lactose intolerant, the lactose-free dairy market is on the rise with the market size valued at 14.2 billion in 2023 and projected growth rate of 8% from 2022-2031. Despite the popularity of these lactose-free products, lactose remains a difficult component to quantify, requiring expensive and labor-intensive analytical techniques such as enzymatic methods and chromatography. This research aims to evaluate a blood glucose monitor as a potential way to monitor lactose hydrolysis by analyzing the kinetics of β-galactosidase in ice cream mix at varying temperatures (5°C, 15°C, 25°C, 35°C, 45°C, 55°C) and sucrose concentrations (0%, 12%). Ice cream mixes (13% fat, 10% milk-solids-not-fat) of differing sucrose concentrations (0 or 12%) were prepared and incubated at varying temperatures (5-55°C) with β-galactosidase (0.01% v/w). To evaluate the hydrolysis of lactose into glucose, ice cream mixes were tested every 30 min with a ReliOn™️ Premier Blood Glucose Meter over a 4 h time span. Sample replicates incubated at 5°C and 45°C were also tested with a MilkoScan™️ (FOSS Analytical, Denmark) to verify the validity of the measurements made using the blood glucose monitor. The blood glucose meter was able to monitor lactose hydrolysis at varying temperatures. With the blood glucose meter, lactose hydrolysis was found to occur fastest at 45°C, resulting in 443.7±32.5 mg/ dL glucose after 4 h for the mix with 0% sucrose. Comparatively, at 5°C and 55°C for the same mix, this hydrolysis was slower with 156.3±36.1 mg/dL and 27.7±3.1 mg/dL glucose after 4 h, respectively. The results for the MilkoScan were found to be similar to those of the glucose monitor, with lactose being hydrolyzed faster at 45°C than at 5°C. The percentage of lactose remaining after 4 h was 1.73±0.084% (0% sucrose) and 1.68 ± 0.021% (12% sucrose) for the 45°C samples, and 2.01 ± 0.079% (0% sucrose) and 1.9 ± 0.087% (12 % sucrose) for the 5°C samples. These results indicate that the ReliOn™️ Premier Blood Glucose Monitor could be used to test efficiency of lactose hydrolysis for small scale lactose-free ice cream production, although the exact concentration of lactose should be verified using a validated procedure. The next steps in this research involve the evaluation of lactose-free ice cream produced with maximized β-galactosidase efficiency as well as economic feasibility.
Faculty Mentor(s): Sierra Howry, Bob Zhiwei Zeng Agricultural Business & Agricultural Engineering This project will initiate the development of an Alfalfa Haylage Fractionation (AHF) system. This research on the AHF system seeks to address a critical challenge in Wisconsin’s dairy production: the inconsistency and inefficiency in the utilization of alfalfa haylage, a key feed component. Dairy farmers face significant obstacles due to the variability in protein and fiber content of alfalfa haylage, which fluctuates with seasonal growth patterns. This variability impacts the nutritional value of the feed, affecting both herd health and farm productivity. Existing solutions, such as dry and harvest fractionation methods, have high costs and logistical limitations, preventing their commercialization and adoption by the dairy industry. While AHF holds promise for enhancing alfalfa haylage utilization, a feasibility study analyzing consumer preference and costeffectiveness has been necessary to guide a successful design and development process. Since the feasibility study has been well on its way, our survey has given preferences and parameters of local farmers that can be used to create a benchtop-scale AHF prototype to facilitate further development, testing, and demonstration of the technology which will ultimately pave the way for commercialization and potential patenting. The methods used in this project include nutritional analysis of alfalfa leaves and stems as well as current diets fed to local dairy cow herds, farmer surveys for preferences, background information, and willingness to pay, benefit-cost analysis of our findings from our survey, data analysis, and research on specific topics. More methods used for the development of the AHF system post survey are CAD drafting of the AHF system and components, hands-on building of the prototype model, research of machines with similar components, and so much more. The results of our survey gave us a 23% moderate to high willingness to adopt the AHF system in the first two years and of those farms that were likely to adopt, the dairy cow herd size ranged from 825 to 1,500 cows. 58% of farmer survery said they would like to process 1 to 5 tons of alfalfa per day. These results as well as many others gave the parameters and information that the engineering and development team needed to finalize the conceptual design and produce their benchtop-scale prototype. Our cost analysis allowed us to come up with a series of tables that break down the cost of the two proposed sizes of the AHF
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
Nikki Hoffart*
Taylor Nielson
The “Play Pant” in Dog-Dog Communication
Dairy Product Export: Development of a Dairy Product Ideal for Exportation to Thailand
Research Collaborator (s): Hope Cerar, Collen Ross Faculty Mentor(s): Shelly Volsche Animal and Food Science Patricia Simonet, a cognitive ethologist and animal behaviorist, started her research on the “play pant” in the late 90’s to early 2000’s. She hypothesized that animals, specifically canines, are capable of functional vocalizations other than barking and growling during play in the context of handler and canine. Her reviewed research leaves the question, “Does the canine species use the play pant as a form of communication amongst themselves?” This study looked at play groups with the Falcon FETCH LLC and Metro Dogs, a doggy daycare based in Minnesota. In both environments, the handlers were asked to entice all dogs through play with toys. From there, the sessions were recorded with a condenser microphone and filmed with a camera. All sessions were analyzed through the Raven audio program. To analyze the data, we combined the audio and video together, marking every time we believed the vocalization was the correct sequence and crossing it with the video to ensure that the vocalizations matched with known play signifiers, such as a play bow, etc. 15 subjects were studied in play together, though a small population of study subjects pointed to the significance of using the play pant for intercommunication. While this study cannot be viewed without ambiguity due to the small scale study, it is the next stepping stone to understanding canine communication.
Suzanne Stevenson Myers* Tropical Legumes in Puerto Rico for Beef Production and Cover Crops Lessons from 2024 Study Abroad Trip Faculty Mentor(s): Yoana Newman Plant and Earth Science Tropical legumes are climate adapted species that provide N fixation for production in tropical areas. Tropical legumes can be used as high quality feed for livestock operations, and they can be used as green manures to increase soil fertility and organic matter. Study abroad courses allow hands on learning in an environment different than what the student is used to and allows for broader knowledge to draw from.
Research Collaborator (s): Rueben Nilsson, Samuel Galgowski Faculty Mentor(s): Grace Lewis Animal and Food Science Dairy exports are essential to Wisconsin’s economy, with dairy contributing $13.71 billion to Wisconsin’s economy and Wisconsin exporting 15% of its dairy production. However, there is potential to expand into more international markets. Successful dairy product exportation to a country such as Thailand requires careful consideration of flavor preferences and dietary restrictions, such as lactose intolerance, in the region. This research focuses on developing a new dairy product tailored to Thailand’s market. The process included refining a cheesemaking procedure, utilizing a Foss FoodScan (FOSS Analytical, Hilleroed, Denmark) for composition analysis, and conducting sensory analysis of the cheese at different aging stages (0 months, 3 months, and 6 months). Initial research identified that 84% of the population of Thailand is lactose intolerant, revealing a need to produce dairy products with minimal lactose. The initial prototype was developed using a modified asiago manufacturing procedure including pasteurizing milk (117 kg; 161°F, 15 seconds), adding 1.86g of TA 61 culture, 0.15g of LH 100 culture (Danisco, Copenhagen, Denmark), and 11.50 mL of rennet (CHY-MAX Extra), cutting the curd (3/8-1/2 inch), cooking the curd (41°C/min to final temperature of 48°C), draining the whey when curd achieved pH of 6.0, adding the cheese to molds, and pressing the cheese (0.15 bar for 12 h). The final cheese had a pH of 5.23, fat content of 31.31%, and protein content of 26.26%. Equipment is being purchased to determine lactose content. Following process optimization, this research will test various cheese marinades and rubs that complement the cheese while meeting dietary and flavor requirements (e.g., Thai chilies and peanut oil). This research aims to enhance Wisconsin’s dairy export potential by developing a unique dairy product that appeals to consumers in the Thailand region, and the findings of this work will be presented in Thailand in 2025.
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
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College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) (Students with the * next to name were funded through the URSCA Office)
Alex Schaefer* Adolescent environmental modification affects object recognition and stress-coping behaviors in C57BL/6J mice Faculty Mentor(s): Daniel Ehlinger Psychological Sciences Depression and anxiety are disorders characterized by alterations to mood, stress resilience, and cognitive faculties, as well as neural structure and function (Hercher et al. 2010). The present persistence of these disorders in adolescent populations calls to mind the influence of social environment and connection in this sensitive period, and how these factors might modulate the associated behavioral and neurological symptomologies. Mice, like humans, are social creatures, and susceptible to pronounced alterations of behavior and neural structure as a result of environmental manipulation and stress (Watanabe et al. 2022). Therefore, they offer a key avenue of inquiry for the effects of social and environmental manipulation in adolescence. Prior research has established behavioral modulations in response to environmental enrichment and stressors in mouse models (Castellano et al. 2024). To further specify these findings, I investigated how environmental enrichment and social isolation in the sensitive period of adolescence influenced recognition memory, anxiety-like behavior, and stress-coping response in both male and female mice via a battery of behavioral tests: the novel object recognition test (NOR), light-dark transition test (LDT), and the forced swim test (FST), respectively. At postnatal day (P) 28, C57BL/6J mice (N=48) were separated into one of three housing conditions: environmental enrichment (EE), social isolation (SI), and standard-reared (SR) control. Mice were then housed independently for a total of five weeks (~P28 - P56), the last of which consisting of behavioral testing (~P56 - P63). At the end of testing mice were perfused with saline and brains were harvested and stored in Golgi-Cox solution for upcoming histological processing. Preliminary data has shown a strong effect of social isolation stress in both the NOR and FST, suggesting decreased recognition memory and increased passive-coping behavior after extended exposure to stress, while environmental enrichment selectively increases activecoping behavior in the FST without affecting recognition memory. Additionally, there has been no effect in the LDT, demonstrating no variation of anxiety-like behavior between housing conditions. These findings assert a behavior-specific effect of environmental manipulation in mouse models. Further efforts will explore the neural bases of the observed behavioral modulations through analysis of dendrite morphology in the anterior cingulate cortex and other key limbic regions involved in mood regulation (Shum et al. 2007).
References Castellano, G., Da Silva, J.B., Pietropaolo, S. (2024). The role of gene-environment interactions in social dysfunction: Focus on preclinical evidence from mouse studies. Neuropharmacology, 261, 110179. 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110179 Hercher, C., Canetti, L., Turecki, G., Mechawar, N. (2010). Anterior cingulate pyramidal neurons display altered dendritic branching in depressed suicides. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 44, 286-293. 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.08.011 Shum, F.W., Wu, L.J., Zhao, M.G., Toyoda, H., Xu, H., Ren, M., Pinaud, R., Ko, S.W., Lee, Y.S., Kaang, B.K., Zhuo, M. (2007). Alteration of cingulate long-term plasticity and behavioral sensitization to inflammation by environmental enrichment. Learning & Memory, 14, 304-312. 10.1101/lm.530607 Watanabe, S., Omran, A.A., Shao, A.S., Liang, J. (2022). Social isolation model: a noninvasive rodent model of stress and anxiety. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 189. 10.3791/64567
Anthony Rohaley Perceptions of crime based on media consumption Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology Can media consumption affect people’s perception and fear of crime? I propose that the more media that is being consumed will affect how people perceive the frequency of crimes and the likelihood of becoming victims of crime. To explore this question, I analyzed peoples’ perceptions and fear of crime by sending out an online survey to roughly 1,000 university students and by posting on social media. Reports indicate that participants tend to consume a moderate amount of both social media and traditional media, which leads to participants being more conscious about crime and limiting themselves from going certain places due to the consumption. The results confirm that there is a correlation between the consumption of media peoples’ perceptions of crime and their fear of becoming victims.
UW-River Falls
14 2024 Fall URSCA Gala Bryce Anderson
Chloe Hachfeld
Exploring the Potential of Large Language Models for Game Development
How Self-Esteem May Play a Role in Romantic Relationship Satisfaction Among College Students
Faculty Mentor(s): Trevor Tomesh
Research Collaborator (s): Abby Jaecks
Computer, Information, and Data Sciences
Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres
This study explores the ability of large language models (LLMs) to generate code for game development, particularly for the Pico8 fantasy console. The research aimed to assess how effective prompt engineering can be in automating aspects of game creation. Through interactive conversations with ChatGPT, simple games were developed and gradually made more complex to test the model’s strengths and limitations. Results show that LLMs can generate functional code for familiar languages but struggle with more complex game mechanics. While ChatGPT cannot directly create non-code elements like sprites or sounds for Pico8, it offers helpful guidance for creating them manually. Overall, the research suggests that while LLMs aren’t yet capable of fully automating complex game development, they show promise and could play a larger role in the future with further advancements.
Psychological Sciences
Caleb LeFevre
Physics
Evaluating the Anti-Cancer Effects of Lingzhi Mushroom Extracts on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation, Invasiveness, and Stemness Faculty Mentor(s): Cheng-chen Huang Biology Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, compelling the exploration of novel and effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we evaluated the potential anti-cancer effects of bioactive compounds extracted from Ganoderma lucidum (lingzhi mushroom) on NSCLC cells. Using the MTT assay, we assessed mitochondrial activity as an indirect indicator of cell proliferation, aiming to further investigate if lingzhi extracts reduce cell mitosis in these cancer cells. An invasiveness assay was employed to examine the impact of these bioactive ingredients on cancer cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was conducted to evaluate changes in key proteins associated with cell stemness and invasiveness pathways. Our results demonstrated that lingzhi extract significantly reduced NSCLC cell proliferation, invasiveness, and markers of cancer cell stemness. Specifically, bioactive compounds from Ganoderma lucidum inhibited the expression of stemness markers, as well as invasion-related proteins, suggesting a reduction in the aggressive and self-renewing characteristics of NSCLC cells. These findings highlight the potential of lingzhi mushroom as an adjuvant therapeutic agent in inhibiting NSCLC progression, warranting further investigation into its molecular mechanisms and effectiveness in clinical applications.
The purpose of this study was to examine the connection between self-esteem and relationship satisfaction. We explored conflict resolution techniques and tolerance of toxic behaviors within romantic relationships. We expected to find that individuals with a higher level of self-esteem would have both more effective conflict resolution strategies and less of a tolerance for toxic behavior.
Chloe Heifner Investigation of Neutron Monitor Response to Cosmic Ray Air Showers Faculty Mentor(s): Surujhdeo Seunarine Neutron monitors are ground-based detectors that indirectly observe cosmic ray flux by detecting secondary particles that reach the Earth’s surface. The electronic components within the neutron monitor can record the energy deposited and the time that has elapsed between detections in each proportional tube, the central component of the monitor. This timing information is used to examine correlations in the data as a function of cutoff rigidity and the primary spectrum. Neutron monitors can detect correlated events (observed counts originating from the same primary particle) or uncorrelated events (observed counts originating from different primary particles). Furthermore, the timing information has provided a unique opportunity to make observations of multiple detection events occurring within a 1ms time window, which we call “catch” events. Previous results show that some catch events are caused by air shower cores, while others are due to isolated particles. The current work focuses on making a definitive measurement of the response of a neutron monitor specifically to cosmic ray air showers by placing five scintillator detectors on top of the Newark Neutron Monitor. A five-fold coincidence of the five scintillators was used to restrict the analysis to events where air shower secondaries passed through all of the scintillators simultaneously, reducing the chance of uncorrelated secondaries originating from different air showers. In the case an air shower satisfies the five-fold coincidence requirement, the neutron monitor response to the event was analyzed to search for “catch” events that may have been associated with the corresponding cosmic ray air shower.
Chloe Jennifer Geibe Exploring the Diversity of Wild Yeast Isolates from Local Environments Faculty Mentor(s): Christopher Buehl Biology Yeast is a critical microorganism used in the fermentation process for food and biofuel. While the standard yeast strains used for these applications are effective, there remains potential that other yeast strains could prove more efficient for these processes.
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala By isolating wild yeasts from different plant species, we could potentially uncover novel species that could be more effective in these fermentation processes or provide alternative flavor profiles for food production. I collected different plant and mushroom samples from Evergreen Township, Wisconsin, and Lakeville, Minnesota. These samples were placed in an enrichment media that promotes yeast growth along with antibiotics to prevent bacterial growth. Individual yeast strains were isolated from the culture and identified by DNA sequencing of the ITS region. Identified yeast species were then tested for resistance to fermentation stresses such as acetic acid stress to identify potentially useful yeast strains for fermentation applications that could potentially be used in food and biofuel industries.
Emma Van Oss The Positive between Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences and Academic Anxiety and Unhealthy Behaviors in College Students Research Collaborator (s): Hallie Roschen Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres Psychological Sciences This study aims to examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and academic anxiety, drinking, and smoking/vaping through completion of a survey. We anticipate finding significant differences between participants with high and low reported ACEs. We will assess whether positive childhood experiences serve as a mediator in these relationships.
Gabrielle Bergum Perceptions of Juvenile Rehabilitation: An Exploration of Gender, Political Affiliation, and Brain Development Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology This paper explores perceptions of juvenile rehabilitation among a sample of university students and social media friends and family. As rates of juvenile delinquency increase among youth, it is important to examine juvenile rehabilitation programs and how people perceive them. In the fall of 2024, I constructed an online survey. A total of 120 people responded. Based on these responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the perceptions between juvenile rehabilitation and gender, political affiliation, and brain development.
Grace Aerts Perceptions of Parenting Styles and Acts of Delinquency Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology This paper explores the link between parenting styles and acts of delinquency among university students and social media friends and family. Juvenile delinquency is a well studied area. However, it often focuses on more extreme examples of delinquency which might result in a young person being incarcerated. A less well studied area are the less severe forms of delinquency that many
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adolescence engage in with few consequences. This research helps to fill that gap by examining the relationship between parental engagement and respondents self reported delinquent activities. In the fall of 2024, I constructed an online survey. A total of 120 people responded. Based on these responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between delinquency and how many parents they were raised by, emotional closeness to parents, parents knowledge of their location, and type of punishment by parents.
Hailey Beilke Application and Analysis of Pencil Graphite Electrodes for use in a Three Phase Electrode System to Study Perfluorinated Surfactants Faculty Mentor(s): Blair Troudt Chemistry and Biotechnology Three phase electrode systems are used to model the transfer of ionic molecules (such as drugs) across cell membranes. When a water | octanol interface is used, it can tell us about the lipophilicity and bioaccumulation of molecules. Historically, a paraffin impregnated graphite electrode (PIGE) is used; however, these electrodes can be difficult to prepare effectively and reproducibly. A graphite-based electrode made from common pencil lead could provide an alternative that requires no extra preparation. Pencil graphite electrodes (PGEs) are gaining popularity in other electrochemical studies due to their electrochemical properties and affordability. We studied the replacement of PIGEs with PGEs for three phase ion transfer studies using the electrochemical techniques, square wave (SWV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). PGEs were then used to study the transfer of per-fluorinated and non-perfluorinated ionic surfactants to estimate their bioaccumulation tendencies based on their calculated partition coefficient.
Isabella Blett College Students’ Perceptions of Political Information Research Collaborator (s): Marjorie Rodriguez-Ortega Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres Psychological sciences This study investigates how political framing and orientation impact college students’ susceptibility to misinformation, a critical issue as young voters increasingly encounter politically framed information. Previous research shows that negative framing appears more credible and influences individuals based on their political alignment (Bizer et al., 2011; Lindgren et al., 2022; Swire et al., 2017). College students will be assigned one of four fictitious articles varying by political orientation and framing style, with susceptibility to political misinformation acceptance assessed through belief evaluations and media literacy measures. Based on studies by Lecheler and Vreese (2012) and Bizer and Petty (2005), we predict that students will be more susceptible to negatively framed misinformation aligning with their political beliefs. Results could provide insights for educators to counter misinformation, focusing on framing and political alignment roles in political information processing.
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
James Kurtz
Justin Gasparas
Perceptions of Fear of Crime in Relation to Military Affiliation
Employment, Academic Habits, and Well-Being: Finding the Ideal Balance Research Collaborator (s): Desirea Szabla
Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres, Travis Tubré
This paper explores perceptions of fear of crime among a sample of university students and social media friends and family. If there can be an understanding of what raises fear of crime, then measures can be taken to reduce that fear and ease social tension within communities as well as address potentially unrealized criminal activities causing strain. This study aims to examine fear of crime in relation to military affiliation to see if there is any effect that military service has on levels of fear of crime. As military personnel are often overlooked in social research this lens provides an untapped population complete with a wholly different social construct of norms and law when compared to the civilian population of the United States. As such, the implications of this study can provide important information for policies to be introduced to address discoveries specific to the military population of the United States. In the fall of 2024, I constructed an online survey. A total of 150 people responded. Based on theses responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between fear of crime and military affiliation, gender, and political affiliation/ leaning.
Psychological Sciences Our study examined how student employment influences general well-being and several academic outcomes. In particular, we were interested in how the number of hours worked, the location of employment, and the type of shifts worked (weekends versus weekends) is associated with academic stress, academic habits, and well-being. College students completed online surveys that assessed these variables. We hypothesized that working 10-19 hours would be associated with higher academic habit efficiency, with 20+ hours being associated with lower efficiency. Further, we expected that time spent studying would be negatively corelated with time spent working. We also hypothesized that work hours will be positively correlated with self-perceptions of academic stress until 20+ hours are worked and after that, we expect a negative relationship. Moreover, we hypothesized that working more weekday shifts will be correlated with greater overall well-being. We tested these hypotheses through a bivariate correlation, one-way ANOVA, and independent-samples t-test. These results will inform students of the most beneficial balance of work, life, and academics.
Jessica Pangburn
Kaci Granroth
Perceptions of Underage Drinking on College Campuses: An Exploration of Gender, Religion, Age, and Location to College Campus
Oxidation Reactions of Pinene Derivatives
Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology This paper explores perceptions of underage drinking on college campuses among university students and social media friends and family. Alcohol-related harm is among the leading public health issues in today’s society. Young university students have been found to experience greater levels of alcohol-related harm compared to their non-university-attending peers because university life creates the social “norm” of excessive drinking. It is important to understand how college students perceive the use of alcohol on campus. In the fall of 2024, I constructed an online survey. A total of 114 people responded. Based on these responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between perceptions of underage drinking and age, gender, religion, and location to a college campus.
Research Collaborator (s): Cassie Christian, Esther Lankow Faculty Mentor(s): Stacey Stoffregen Chemistry α-pinene and β-pinene are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are produced by plants and other living things. When pinenes are released into the atmosphere, they undergo oxidation reactions which can lead to formation of hydroxyl radicals. Hydroxyl radicals are important oxidants in the atmosphere that can decompose organic pollutants. This research focused on modeling the oxidation reactions of α-pinene and β-pinene and determining whether hydroxyl radicals are created. Gaussian 16 software was used to model the oxidation reactions at the ωB97X-D level of theory with the 6-31G(d) and cc-PVTZ basis sets. WebMO was used to visualize the results of the calculations. All calculations were run on the Midwest Undergraduate Computational Chemistry Consortium (MU3C) cluster. All minima were confirmed with vibrational frequency analyses and IRCs were used to confirm the structures of transition states. The relative energies of reactants, transition states, and intermediates were determined and used to assess which oxidation pathways were most favorable and will be presented.
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
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Kallan Meyer
Kelly Aultman
Exercise With and Without Green Space
Perceptions of Sexual Violence and Campus Safety: What Role Do Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Year in School Play?
Research Collaborator (s): Kaisa Luoma Anderson Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres Psychological sciences The combination of a natural environment and physical exercise, known as green-space exercise, has shown numerous benefits for an individual’s mental and physical health. We proposed a new area of study through a simulated greenspace environment, as most previous research was conducted with participants exercising in physical outdoor environments. This study examined the effect of a simulated green-space environment during a cycling workout on participants perceived rate of exertion, motivation, and intention for future exercise. We hypothesized that a simulated green-space environment would lower an individual’s perceived rate of exertion, increase mindset, and increase an individual’s intention for future exercise.
Katherine Miller* Feeding Muskellunge Fry Live Feed To Test Survival Rate and Growth Rate Faculty Mentor(s): Andrew Haveles Biology Across the US, hatcheries raise fish for stocking lakes and rivers to improve the fishery. Stocking is used as a tool for fisheries management in waters that do not have a naturally reproducing population or contain populations that require supplemental individuals. Esox masquinongy (muskellunge) is a species that gets stocked into many lakes and rivers in Minnesota. Adjusting the conditions that the muskellunge fry are raised in could potentially teach them life skills that could increase survival rate and growth rates of the muskellunge. Currently, muskellunge are raised on pelleted fish food in the hatchery and then put into growing ponds. For our study, we investigated if food type fed to muskellunge fly influences their survival and/or growth rates. There were three groups of muskies that received different feed treatments. One group received fathead minnow fry, one group received freshly hatched brine shrimp, and the third group was a control group that only received pellet feed. The groups were given the feed treatments for nine days before leaving the hatchery to be put in rearing ponds. When the fish were removed from the rearing ponds, lengths and weights were measured to compare body sizes among the three groups and survival rates were calculated for each group based on the number of fish that entered the posts and the number of fish that were removed.
Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology This paper explores the perceptions of sexual violence and campus safety among college students. Universities all across the United States continue to struggle with the issue of sexual violence and safety. In this research, I am to hoping to learn more about the gender and sexual orientation variables that affect the perceptions of sexual violence, campus safety, and knowledge of resources. Universities as well as college students may benefit if more research is done on this topic. In other words, if universities are aware of their students perceptions, they may take additional safety precautions. They can take appropriate action and lessen the fear instilled in college students and provide necessary adjustments to provide their students with appropriate safety precautions. In the fall of 2024. I constructed an online survey. A total of 84 people responded. Based on these responses, I analyzed a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between fear of perceptions of sexual violence and safety with gender, sexual orientation, and year in school.
LillyAnn Niewind Perceptions of Academic Stress and Coping Mechanisms: An Exploration of Gender, Year in School, Academic Status, and Work Status Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology This paper explores perceptions of academic stress and the coping mechanisms students employ to manage that stress. Academic stress among college students is a significant concern that can have profound effects on mental health, academics, and overall well-being. Research on gender differences in academic stress and coping strategies sheds light on how male and female students experience and manage stress in different ways. Gender plays a crucial role in both the perception of academic stress and the strategies employed to cope with it. Coping mechanisms, which can be classified broadly into problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies, are also shown to vary by gender. These variations may come from, but are not limited to, differences in socialization, emotional expression, and the expectations placed on students. In the fall of 2024, I constructed an online survey. A total of 91 people responded. Based on these responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between academic stress, coping mechanisms and gender, year in school, academic status, and work status.
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UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala
Lizzy Arrowood
Microbial Analysis of Restored Prairie and Crop Soils
melanoma cells in Lingzhi and Chinese mugwort extracts. Cell death was not commonly observable in this experiment. From these experiments, we found that Lingzhi and Chinese mugwort is not observably toxic to developing nervous and cardiovascular systems. Even in high dosages, Lingzhi and Chinese mugwort don’t appear to have any adverse effects on the body, suggesting that they are safe for clinical usage.
Lizzy Arrowood1 Kevyn Juneau1, Natasha Rayne2, Lathadevi K. Chintapenta1*
Lucy Marquez
1University of Wisconsin River Falls 2University of Wisconsin Madison
Perceptions of Death Penalty Sentencing: What Factors Lead to More and Less Support?
Of Wisconsin’s original 2.1 million acres of prairie present before Europeans arrived 150 years ago, less than 0.5% remains today. The prairies that are present are mostly restored and very fragmented. It can be assumed that the ecological function of the prairie system in the region is absent. The goal of this study is to explore microbial diversity of restored prairies and crop fields. Prairie strips were planted in the summer of 2024 in three crop fields, as the long-term goal is to observe the changes in microbial diversity and abundance. To obtain baseline information, 27 composite soil samples were collected in the summer of 2023 from a depth of 6 inches using standard soil sampling probes. Genomic DNA was isolated, and the samples were sent to Diversigen for ITS and 16s analysis. Real time PCR was performed for the dominant bacterial groups such as Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobactera, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Before performing qPCR, traditional PCR was performed to obtain the optimal annealing temperatures and ensure no contamination. Microbiome analysis shows that restored prairie sites have significantly higher percentages of nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur cycling bacteria compared to crop sites. qPCR results indicate increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Alphaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Betaproteobacteria in the following order. Results of this study will provide insight into how well a prairie ecosystem functions.
Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller
Microbial Analysis of Restored Prairie and Crop Soils Faculty Mentor(s): Lathadevi K. Chintapenta Biology
Lucy Cahn* Toxicological effects of Lingzhi and Chinese mugwort on developing nervous and cardiovascular systems Faculty Mentor(s): Cheng-Chen Huang Biology In his lab, Huang, Ph.D. has observed the beneficial properties of extracts and compounds from Lingzhi and Chinese mugwort on heart failure and cancer cells. To understand the toxicological effects of these extracts on organisms and evaluate their therapeutic potential, we conducted various experiments on zebrafish embryos to observe adverse effects, particularly focusing on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. We grew zebrafish embryos in various mixtures, being a control, Lingzhi extracts, and Chinese mugwort extracts. We observed the behavior of these embryos, and then stained them with Tubulin to observe the sensory neurons, and with ZnP to observe the motor neurons. We observed no abnormalities in the nervous or cardiovascular systems. Cells ex vivo are much more susceptible to toxins, and so we treated myoblast and
Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology This paper explores support for the death penalty. According to Pew Research Center (2019), about 60% of Americans support the death penalty for those who are convicted of murder. This support, however, varies greatly based on several factors. Three are explored here: political affiliation, gender, and geographic location. In the Fall of 2024 I constructed an online survey. A total of 98 people responded. Based on these responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between death penalty; gender, political affiliation, and their hometown.
Maddie Ridgeway TikTok Addiction and Memory Recall Research Collaborator (s): Heather Akey Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres Psychological Sciences In this study, we are aiming to answer how video length affects memory differently for people who are addicted to TikTok versus those who are not. TikTok is a video sharing app that allows users to post clips ranging from 3 to 90 seconds long. It’s been found that college students who watched multiple shorter length lectures rather than one long lecture had a significantly better performance in the course. It was reported that short videos were also significantly more entertaining than long videos among these students (Manasrah et al., 2021). Past studies have shown that excessive phone use or screen time influences attention span (Mishra et al, 2024). Our purpose is to see how excessive time spent on TikTok affects the memory of college students. College students completed an online survey where they were randomly assigned to one “long” video (5 minutes) or six short videos (ranging from 30 to 90 seconds) of the same content. After completing the video(s) the participants were asked to answer 10 questions about the content they had just watched to assess their memory for the video content. Participants then reported their experiences with TikTok through the TikTok addiction scale, which was modified from the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (Andreassen, 2012). We hypothesize that college students will be able to accurately recall more information if they are not addicted to TikTok than those who are addicted to TikTok. Participants will also be able to recall more information accurately after watching shorter videos compared to those who watch the longer videos. Finally,
UW-River Falls
2024 Fall URSCA Gala an interaction is expected such that college students that are addicted to TikTok will recall information more accurately after watching the shorter videos, compared to college students that are not addicted to TikTok.
Marjorie Rodriguez-Ortega College Students’ Perceptions of Political Information Research Collaborator (s): Isabella Blett Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres Psychological Sciences This study investigates how political framing and orientation impact college students’ susceptibility to misinformation, a critical issue as young voters increasingly encounter politically framed information. Previous research shows that negative framing appears more credible and influences individuals based on their political alignment (Bizer et al., 2011; Lindgren et al., 2022; Swire et al., 2017). College students will be assigned one of four fictitious articles varying by political orientation and framing style, with susceptibility to political misinformation acceptance assessed through belief evaluations and media literacy measures. Based on studies by Lecheler and Vreese (2012) and Bizer and Petty (2005), we predict that students will be more susceptible to negatively framed misinformation aligning with their political beliefs. Results could provide insights for educators to counter misinformation, focusing on framing and political alignment roles in political information processing.
Nhi T. Nguyen Rapid “Blebbing” Large-scale Motility observed in 2D and 3D Cultures of Breast Ductal Cancer Cells (MCF-7) Faculty Mentor(s): Timothy Lyden Biology Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and second most common in the United States (after skin cancer), with 670,000 deaths reported globally in 2022 and an estimated 42,250 U.S. deaths expected in 2024. Breast cancers result from a complex interplay between genetic backgrounds and microenvironments but is fundamentally a disease of tumor cell behaviors. Therefore, defining cancer-related behaviors and phenotypes provides an approach to understanding and addressing this important disease process. In this poster, we present preliminary results from studies of breast ductal adenocarcinoma cells, to examine motility behaviors of these cells in both 2D and 3D culture conditions. “Normal” ductal epithelial cells (MCF10A) were used as a control. The first stage of this work examined cellular cytoskeletal components actin and tubulin using fluorescent staining and immunolabeling in 2D cultures. This was followed by time-lapse photomicroscopy of similar 2D cultures seeking to correlate the labeling data with well-known cellular motility features such as filopodia and lamellipodia. Finally, we also employed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to a 3D bone matrix to
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explore evidence of motility features at the ultrastructural level and sought to correlate these to observations from the other two study approaches. Results to date in these studies show the following points: - Based on time-lapse studies, breast cancer cell motility differs from ductal cell motility in significant ways. The MCF7 cells use a recently described motion referred to as “blebbing” motility, whereas MCF10A ductal epithelial cells use more classic lamellar motility. Time-lapse studies demonstrate that speed differs as well, with blebbing motility displaying substantially faster rates of positional change and directional shifting than lamellar motility. - In the ultrastructural studies of MCF7 cells in 3D modeling on bone scaffolds, similar blebbing structures are observed along with various other filopodial structures and even some modified lamellar-like features associated with apparent matrix invasion activities. - In staining/labeling studies, actin stained the blebbing structures of MCF7 which displayed bright staining of actin in the location of and within these motility blebs. Tubulin labeling failed to mimic this pattern and does not label these blebs substantially. On the other hand, tubulin is extensively present in all lamellar-like structures observed in either cell line, MCF7 or MCF10A. These studies illustrate that MCF7 breast cancer cells display different motility patterns from normal MCF10 ductal cells and that this distinct form of cellular behavior is present in multiple culture microenvironments
Peter Bendel Morpho Blue Metamaterials Research Collaborator (s): Peter Bendel, Hunter Davis Faculty Mentor(s): Lowell McCann Physics The development of metamaterials, materials that have specific properties due to their unique structure rather than the elements they are composed of, is relatively new and fascinating field in physics. The purpose of this project was to test the viability of fabricating metamaterials at UWRF using a Hitachi SU 3800 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to perform Electron Beam Lithography (EBL). To test this viability, a simplified 2D version of the Morpho butterfly wing scale was chosen to be fabricated and analyzed. This nanostructure was successfully fabricated and did reflect a similar wavelength of blue light characteristic of the Morpho butterfly at specific angles.
UW-River Falls
20 2024 Fall URSCA Gala Sam Anderson Friendships and Sense of Belonging Research Collaborator (s): Abby Tollefson Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres Psychological Sciences Our study aims to answer the question of how peer friendships influence sense of belonging on the college campus. We will be looking at how high school friendships correlate with college friendships. The study will also be looking at how the number of friends, gender of friends, and intimacy with friends influence one’s sense of belonging, as well as looking at how one’s year in college affects number of friends, intimacy, and sense of belonging. Additionally, we will examine how friendships in high school correlate to friendships in college. To our knowledge, no previous research has been conducted on this topic. We expect that more friends in high school will correlate to more friends in college and also think that closer friendships in high school will correlate to closer friendships in college. We hypothesize that first-year students will have more friends but be less intimate with them and have a lower sense of belonging on campus, whereas sophomores through seniors will have fewer friends but be more intimate with them and have a higher sense of belonging. We think that friend groups will become more diverse in college (more mixed-gender friendships), and that all friendships will become more intimate in college than in high school.
Sarah Steele* Effects of environmental enrichment on enhanced nicotine-seeking behavior following exposure to chronic variable stress Research Collaborator (s): Katrina Steele,Ella Johnson Faculty Mentor(s): James Cortright Psychological Sciences Drug addiction is a major public health and serious economic concern in the Unites States costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually. Preclinical and clinical research indicates that individuals exposed to stress are more vulnerable to drug addiction (Koob, 2008; Ouimette et al., 2007). For example, acute stress exposure increases and reinstates nicotine-seeking behavior as measured by conditioned place preference (CPP) (Leão et al., 2009). Moreover, chronic unpredictable stress increases the response to nicotine-rewarding properties in the CPP test (Biala et al., 2018) and, more recently, we have shown the exposure to variable stress produces an enhanced, or sensitized, response to nicotine in an animal model of addiction (Cortright et al., in preparation). Contrary to the effects observed following exposure to variable stress, both running and environmental enrichment (EE) reduce CPP for cocaine (Mustroph et al., 2016). Based on the interactions observed between EE and chronic stress on learning and memory (Wright & Conrad, 2008), it is reasonable to postulate similar interactions on the rewarding properties of nicotine. To date, only one study (Biala et al., 2018) has assessed the effects of chronic stress on the rewarding effects of nicotine in the CPP model and none have measured the potential of EE in attenuating this effect. Therefore, this study will further investigate and determine whether EE can reverse, or abolish, the enhancement in the rewarding
properties of nicotine following exposure to chronic variable stress. One group of animals will be exposed to 20 days of randomized stressors either during adolescence or early adulthood. Another group of animals will be exposed to four weeks of EE. An additional group will be exposed to 20 days of randomized stressors followed by four weeks of EE. Control animals will not receive any exposure treatment. Following exposure treatment animals will undergo place preference conditioning to nicotine (0.175 mg/kg, base, i.p.). To date, data indicate that animals exposed to chronic variable stress exhibit higher place preference for nicotine compared to controls, an effect that is attenuated by exposure to EE. Further data analysis will consist of comparisons between sex and adolescence versus early adulthood stress exposure. Therefore, in addition to providing evidence of the contributions of stress and environmental conditions to successful cessation of drug-seeking, the results obtained can have important implications for the use of environmental stimulation together with pharmacological and behavioral therapies in the treatment of addiction.
Sasha Resig Methods of Foreign Election Interference and Influence: A Comparative Case Study Faculty Mentor(s): Neil Kraus Politics, Geography, and International Studies Election security and foreign electoral influence and interference have become common topics within the media and government. This paper examines methods of foreign electoral influence and interference using case studies from Russian interference in the 2016 United States Presidential Election and Chinese interference in the 2019 Canadian Election. Common methods are identified and compared in order to analyze their effectiveness in interfering with and influencing elections.
Sasha Resig* European Immigration and Interaction Frequency, 2015-Current Faculty Mentor(s): Matt Dooley Politics, Geography, and International Studies Global immigration has seen a steady increase in recent years, with 2015 being a significant year for immigration to Europe. Antiimmigrant perceptions in Europe are investigated, incorporating factors of immigrant interaction frequency and immigration rates after 2015. This paper examines possible correlations using a bivariate correlation between interaction frequency and perception of immigration using data from the 2017 and 2021 Special Eurobarometer on Integration of Immigrants in the European Union. Results suggest that there is a relationship between interaction frequency and perception of immigration, with less interaction being associated with greater concern of immigration.
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Silas Sobanja Keep it Simple: Social Media Users With Easier to Pronounce Handles Seem More Credible Faculty Mentor(s): Abigail Jackson Psychological Sciences If a social media username is easier to pronounce, are people more likely to believe claims made by that user? In this project, we investigate the effect of username fluency (ease of cognitive processing) on truth judgments. Previous research has shown that claims are judged as more believable when they are attributed to people with names that are easier to pronounce (Newman et al., 2014), and that online sellers with usernames that are easier to pronounce are rated as more trustworthy (Silva et al., 2017). However, the effect of social media username pronounceability on truth judgments has, to our knowledge, not yet been investigated. Procedure and Expected Results: Participants are asked to judge the truth of general knowledge claims (some true, some false), derived from the Tauber et al. (2013) updated Nelson and Narens normed general knowledge questions. These claims are attributed to social media accounts with usernames varying in pronounceability, some easy to pronounce (e.g., Muscle.human) and some difficult to pronounce (e.g., k.aK.0rrHaph10ph0b1.a). Usernames were identified in a pilot study where participants rated pronounceability of various social media handles. After data collection is complete, we’ll conduct a 2 (username pronounceability: easy, hard) by 2 (truth of claim: true, false) ANOVA with truth judgments as the dependent variable. Based on the existing literature, we hypothesize that claims will be perceived as more truthful if they’re made by users with pronounceable handles. Conclusions and Implications: Usernames that are easier to pronounce should be more fluently processed, making claims posted by these users seem more believable. This line of research fits within the broader literature of how metacognitive experiences (in this case, the processing fluency of reading a username that is easy to pronounce) affect memory, judgments, and decisionmaking via misattribution of familiarity (Alter & Oppenheimer, 2009). Additionally, there is potential for translation of findings from this study to applications in media communication: If a user on social media is concerned about appearing credible, they may wish to select a username that is easy to pronounce.
Sophia Symalla* The effect of adolescent social isolation stress on nicotine conditioned place preference, stress coping behavior, and dendrite remodeling.
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exposures (0.35mg/kg) during a nicotine conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. On approximately P49 (adolescent) or P74 (adulthood), stress-coping behavior was examined following a 6-minute forced-swim test (FST), and brains were processed for analysis of dendrite structure via Golgi-Cox staining. Our behavioral results show that adolescent SI mice rapidly develop nicotine CPP compared to both SR mice and adult mice, exhibit increased levels of immobility in the FST, and that prior nicotine exposure during adolescent social isolation decreases immobility in the FST. Ongoing research is further examining adult groups for behavioral comparisons and aims to assess nicotine and stress-induced dendrite remodeling (dendritic spine density; dendrite branching and length) in the brains of nicotine treated SI versus SR mice in the ventral striatum, hippocampus, and amygdala. Collectively, our results suggest that adolescent social isolation stress enhances the rewarding effects of nicotine and negatively impacts stress-coping behavior. Ongoing analyses will help determine neurological correlates of adolescent susceptibility to the negative effects of chronic social isolation stress and inform our understanding of adolescent brain development and vulnerability.
Sydney Carrell Perceptions of Male Victims of Sexual Violence Faculty Mentor(s): Paige Miller Sociology, Criminology, Anthropology This paper explores perceptions of male victims of sexual violence among a sample of university students and social media friends. For the most part, rape and sexual assault has been discussed in relation to female victims of these attacks, however, these attacks aren’t centered on to one gender. There are male victims of rape and sexual assault, but it is not widely discussed. Male victims of sexual violence experience similar victimizations involving incident conditions and their characteristics to those of female victims. This is an important issue to research and study so that we can have a greater understanding of the severity of the crimes as well as being able to implement and find programs to help prevent further attacks and to help survivors. In the fall of 2024, I constructed an online survey. A total of 91 people responded. based on these responses, I will analyze and present a series of Chi-Square tests examining the relationship between perceptions of male victims of sexual violence and gender, political affiliation, and knowledge of male victims of sexual violence.
Sydney Schultz The role of gender, psychological, physical diagnoses, and empathy on workplace judgement
Research Collaborator (s): Alex Schaefer
Research Collaborator (s): Samantha Sharon
Faculty Mentor(s): Daniel Ehlinger
Faculty Mentor(s): Melanie Ayres, Travis Tubre
Psychological Sciences
Psychological Sciences
Adolescence is a sensitive period in brain development marked by increased susceptibility to the effects of chronic stress, which may enhance vulnerability to neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression and substance use disorders. In this study, we examine the effect of adolescent social isolation stress on coping behavior, nicotine reward, and dendrite remodeling. During adolescence (postnatal day P35-P49) or adulthood (P60-74), male and female C57BL/6J mice were exposed to either social isolation (SI) stress or standard rearing (SR) conditions and four nicotine
This study aims to look at how college students use empathy towards people who have been diagnosed with a mental or physical illness. We are studying one of the many factors that are related to workplace issues and how empathy can solve issues that arise in the workplace. Participants will complete an online survey about one coworker. You are only eligible to participate if you are a current student at the University of Wisconsin River Falls.
UW-River Falls
22 2024 Fall URSCA Gala Tori Gehling A Pulsing Erbium-Doped Fiber Ring Laser Using Passive Mode-Locking Faculty Mentor(s): Lowell McCann Physics Ultrafast pulsed lasers are a desired tool in research and development with their ability to achieve high peak powers and low average powers. These types of lasers are used in laser cutting and engraving, eye surgeries, tattoo removals, and precision measurement applications. In this research, a pulsed laser was created using passive mode-locking and dispersion compensation to manipulate the phase and speed of different frequencies. By including these components in a laser cavity, pulses centered at 1550 nm were created with a pulse repetition interval of 39.52±.32 ns, a pulse duration of 1.0707 ± .0067 ns, and a peak voltage of 4.475±.021 V when pumping the laser with 196±11 mW of 980 nm light.
Will Johnson* ChatGPT for Enhanced Enemy AI for Roguelike Games Faculty Mentor(s): Trevor Tomesh Computer, Information, and Data Sciences This research investigates the application of ChatGPT as a control mechanism for enemy AI in roguelike games, focusing specifically on the open-source game Pixel Dungeon. By providing ChatGPT with a defined set of valid enemy actions and specific goals each turn, the model selects and outputs an action, which is subsequently executed within the game. We examine the advantages and limitations of leveraging language models for game AI, highlighting both the potential for enhancing gameplay interactivity and the current constraints. While LLM-driven AI has clear limitations today, ongoing advancements may pave the way for more adaptive, immersive, and engaging gameplay experiences in the future.
William Gray Investigating the Molecular Basis of NAD Metabolism
Imbalance and its Therapeutic Applications in Fanconi Anemia Faculty Mentor(s): Cheng-Chen Huang Biology Fanconi anemia is a genetic disorder resulting from the mutation of one or more of the proteins in the Fanconi anemia (FA) repair pathway, which resolves interstrand crosslinks and DNAprotein crosslinks. Fanconi anemia patients often experience microcephaly, bone marrow failure, and early onset leukemia. It is the most common inherited bone marrow failure disorder that lacks effective pharmaceutical intervention. Much research into this disorder has focused on the impairment of interstrand-
crosslinking repair and resolution of DNA replication stress via the FA pathway. In recent years, mitochondrial dysfunction was also identified in FA patients due to several FA proteins’ involvement in mitochondrial homeostasis. FA cell lines are sensitive to reactive oxygen species and their precursors, including formaldehyde, which is metabolized into formate via ADH5 and ALDH2. Among formaldehyde metabolism, DNA damage signaling via PARylation, and mitochondrial fitness via sirtuin deacetylases, NAD is a rate limiting metabolite. The objective of this study is to determine whether FA deficiency results in an imbalanced NAD metabolism and its biological pathways including PARylation of PARPs, sirtuin deacetylation, and formaldehyde metabolism via ADH5/ALDH2, which may contribute to genome and mitochondrial dysfunction within FA cell lines. If so, we hypothesize that supplementation of the NAD precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) could alleviate the stress placed on key NAD consuming enzymes in the DNA/ mitochondrial damage and formaldehyde clearing responses. To test NR’s potential to alleviate stress placed on the DNA damage response/repair machinery, we treated FANCD2 deficient and rescue patient cell lines (PD20) with varying concentrations of formaldehyde as well as varying concentrations of NR and observed the DNA damage response and replication stress via quantification of RPA32 and 53BP1 foci via immunofluorescence. We found that treatment with 1mM NR decreased DNA damage response, showing a potential for NR supplementation as a treatment for Fanconi anemia.
Zachary Stefanich Digital Arms Race: Can ChatGPT Create 3D Printable Firearms? Faculty Mentor(s): Trevor Tomesh Computer, Information, and Data Sciences This study investigates the feasibility of using large language models (LLMs), specifically ChatGPT, to generate 3D models of firearms designed for 3D printing. Leveraging OpenSCAD, a script-based 3D modeling software, we applied prompt engineering and iterative design techniques to create these models. Our objective was to assess the capabilities and limitations of publicly available LLMs in generating complex and potentially sensitive 3D designs. This research provides insights into the current abilities of LLMs for technical model generation and emphasizes critical ethical and regulatory considerations surrounding their use in additive manufacturing.
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College of Education, Business and Allied Health (CEBAH) (Students with the * next to name were funded through the URSCA Office)
Breanna Anderson*
Laura Klein
Patient Experiences of Grief in Autoimmune Conditions
Title
Research Collaborator (s): Emmaline Weist, Ryan Jorke
Research Collaborator (s): Miranda Meinen , Monet Zientara , Jack Sonnek, Callie Sisel, Arianna Strand
Faculty Mentor(s): Courtney Wells
Faculty Mentor(s): Mari Kline-Kluck
Social Work
Health and Human Performance
This research focuses on the experiences of grief among adults living with autoimmune conditions, highlighting grief as a significant but underexplored element of chronic illness. Using a Grounded Theory approach, this study explores how grief and depression intersect in patients’ lives, particularly as they manage the emotional responses associated with chronic illness. Seven key themes emerged: loss and transformation of identity, loss of control, impact of illness on relationships, experiences of the healthcare system, emotional responses, coping and adaptation, and the journey of finding acceptance and meaning from 60-minute interviews with 14 patients. This research demonstrates how systemic healthcare challenges and emotional responses in denial, adaptation, and resilience, guide patients toward acceptance and finding meaning. The research responds to a significant gap in grief literature, which overlooks nonbereavement grief, instead focusing on grief as it relates to death. Ultimately, this research aims to lay the foundation for developing a model describing the lived experiences and adaptation processes of those managing life-altering chronic conditions.
String Theory is a modern/contemporary dance piece that reflects the idea of the Invisible String Theory: that we are all connected and affected by the interactions we have throughout our life.
Mira Meinen Crossroads Research Collaborator (s): Monet Zientara Faculty Mentor(s): Mari Kline-Kluck Health and Human Performance In this piece we want to highlight the complexity of a relationship in early adulthood. The ups and downs of relationships themselves, while figuring out who we are as people. Happiness, toxicity, tension, love, heartbreak; we want to take the audience on a journey with this piece.
UW-River Falls
24 2024 Fall URSCA Gala URSCA Office The office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA) supports students and faculty mentors in a variety of exciting and innovating projects and endeavors. It is our honor to uphold the incredible precedent for undergraduate scholarly engagement on this campus. Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity is one of the many high impact practices that UWRF is proud to support on our campus. The URSCA office was able to collaborate with faculty and students from all colleges and many content areas. Working closely with students and faculty to prepare the highest quality research, scholarly, and creative activities is a hallmark of our office. Molly Gerrish, URSCA Director Brittany Skarhus, URSCA Administrative Assistant
URSCA Council The URSCA Council is an administrative committee whose charge it to guide decisions for the URSCA Office, advise the URSCA Director, promote URSCA, establish evaluation procedures and criteria for funding undergraduate research and creative proposals, approve procedures for applying for URSCA funds, review URSCA grants and application, support URSCA celebration events and other means of dissemination results of URSCA projects. URSCA Council blind reviews student USE grant proposals every semester in a completive review process the URSCA council grants students research process. Thank you to our URSCA Council Members. Francis Dzikpe, Economics, CEBAH Courtney Wells, Social Work, CEBAH Anna Schick, Teacher Education, CEBAH
Melanie Ayres, Psychology, CAS Daniela Goldfine, Modern Language, CAS Michael Loper, Mathematics, CAS
Kevin Thaisen, Plant and Earth Sciences, CAFES Yoana Newman, Plant and Earth Sciences, CAFES Grace Lewis, Animal and Food Sciences, CAFES
SURSCA Each year since 2013, A select of undergraduate students serve as The Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities (SURSCA)Students from all fields of study are welcome and do not need research experiences to join SURSCA. SURSCA’s primary responsibilities are to peer-review student-authored Falcon Travel Grant submissions and support the URSCA Fall Gala. The peer-review process of Falcon Travel Grants is overseen by the URSCA Director to ensure that this important grant program is fair and in compliance with state and system regulations. Thank you to our SURSCA Council Members. Hailey Beilke, SURSCA President ( Fall 2024) Hayden Banks, SURSCA Vice President (Fall 2024) , President ( Spring 2025) Esther Lankow, SURSCA Vice President (Spring 2025) Faylene Troemmer, SURSCA Treasurer Nhi Nguyen, SURSCA Secretary
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URSCA Mentors We would like to acknowledge the efforts of Faculty and Staff Mentors, whose dedication allows our campus URSCA to thrive. We deeply appreciate their contributions in support of the university’s commitment to undergraduate research, scholarly and creative activity. Thank you! Below is a comprehensive list, by college, of all of the URSCA Mentors who have students presenting projects at 2024 URSCA Fall Gala.
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Ashlynn Kirk
Karly Anderson, Ph.D
Shaheer Burney, Ph.D.
Bob Zhiwei Zeng Ph.D
Kurt Vogel, Ph.D
Shelly Volsche, Ph.D.
Brandt Berghuis, Ph.D
Holly Dolliver, Ph.D.
Sierra Howry Ph.D.
David Zlesak, Ph.D.
Kevin Thaisen, Ph.D.
Sonja L. Maki, Ph.D.
Grace Lewis, Ph.D
Melkaye Melka, Ph.D.
Yoana Newman, Ph.D.
Jill Coleman Wasik, Ph.D
College of Arts and Sciences Abigail Jackson, Ph.D.
Paige Miller, Ph.D.
Paige Miller
Andrew Haveles, Ph.D.
James Cortright, Ph.D.
Stacey Stoffregen, Ph.D.
Cheng-Chen Huang, Ph.D.
Lathadevi K. Chintapenta, Ph.D.
Surujhdeo Seunarine, Ph.D.
Daniel Ehlinger, Ph.D.
Matt Dooley, Ph.D.
Timothy Lyden, Ph.D.
Christopher Buehl, Ph.D.
Melanie Ayres, Ph.D.
Travis Tubré, Ph.D.
Lowell McCann, Ph.D.
Neil Kraus, Ph.D.
Trevor Tomesh
College of Education, Business and Allied Health Courtney Wells, Ph.D.
Mari Kline-Kluck
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Questions? For additional information about upcoming events, grant funding, trainings, and presentation opportunities, visit the URSCA webpage at www. uwrf.edu/URSCA/, contact the URSCA Office by phone at 715-425-3902, or email us at the addresses listed below. Molly Gerrish, Ph.D., URSCA Director 213 Rodli Hall 715-425-3902 molly.gerrish@uwrf.edu
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY
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28 2024 Fall URSCA Gala Share your photos and experiences on social media using #2024URSCAFallGala Follow and connect to the URSCA Office:
@URSCAatUWRF
@UWRFURSCA 213 Rodli Hall 410 S. 3rd St., River Falls, WI 54022 P: 715-425-3902
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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH, SCHOLARLY AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY