Dr. Garrett Lane Cohee¹ & Dr. Cora Barnhart²

The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business – Management¹, The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business – Economics², Chair, RSB Undergraduate Programs

Time: 9:20-9:50 a.m.

About

Leaders are often celebrated for quick and decisive actions. Such actions include the ability to “cut through the chaff” and make rapid decisions in fast-paced environments. However, while decisiveness is admirable, poor decision-making is not. And an increasing amount of research informs us that leaders tend to be far too overconfident about their decision-making ability. First, this presentation details several ways that leaders’ unconscious cognitive biases can cloud their decision-making ability. These biases such as attribution bias, the Dunning-Kruger effect, and jumping to faulty conclusions are particularly dangerous because everyone is infected by them—yet, because of the bias blind spot, people naturally believe they are immune. Second, this presentation details ways that leaders can “mistake proof” their decision-making process. By exercising activities like pre-mortems, speed-accuracy tradeoffs, self-regulation techniques, outside views, and decorrelation errors, leaders can impose systems and methods to help protect their decision-making against their greatest nemesis—themselves.

Dr. Greg Tindall¹, Dr. Joao Faria², & Dr. Siri Terjesen²

¹The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business – Finance, ²Florida Atlantic University

Time: 9:50-10:20 a.m.

About

Our premise is a simple one. It is confusing to have more than one boss. With the loss of focus on shareholder primacy to a concern for multiple stakeholders, the Business Roundtable in 2019 necessarily introduced confusion over a firm’s primary duty. Primacy became multiplicity to put social capital on par with the monetary type. The key highlights of stakeholder capitalism and ESG, in general, are: 1) it is a framework that helps stakeholders understand how an organization manages risks and opportunities around sustainability issues; 2) it has evolved from other historical movements that focused on health and safety issues, pollution reduction, and corporate philanthropy; and 3) it has changed how many investment and capital allocation decisions are made. This paper discusses the implications of an increasing influence of stakeholders on the stock market, in particular, and on the real economy in general.

Dr. Henry Webb, Patrick Baker, Paula Moore, & Karen Scanlon

The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business 

Time: 10:20-10:50 a.m.

About

This article considers the United States hemp industry, including how it has fared in an uncertain federal regulatory environment from the Civil War to the present, a number of continuing barriers to its success, and two proposed federal laws, the SAFE Act and the STATES Act, which are intended to remove one of those barriers – an inability to obtain traditional financing from United States financial institutions.

Dr. Michael Kolta & Dr. Marsha Guntharp

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

Time: 11 – 11:20 a.m.

About

Dr. Guntharp will show videos of students ”driving” Rover, a robotic car, in classes ranging from the liberal-arts math to calculus 2, where they drive Rovers in formation. They do so by coding a calculator that connects to Rover. Dr. Kolta will present our musical Rover; a novel lesson plan that will use Rover’s color sensor to read specially designed artwork. In this system, each color of the rainbow represents a note from the major scale. Thus, by arranging blocks of these colors, Rover drives over them and plays a melody. We have made significant improvements since last year including a louder speaker, more colors and notes, and a more modular “track” to allow the user to customize the art/melody.

Ashton E. Senti^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Biology

Time: 11:20 – 11:40 a.m.

About

Beach nourishments alter benthic habitats by burying macrofauna and altering sediment composition, potentially disrupting macrofaunal communities. This study investigated the impact of a beach nourishment event on macrofaunal populations by surveying the community one and two years post-beach nourishment. Samples of 60 specimen cores and 12 sediment cores were taken along transects off the coast of Palm Beach Island and processed in the lab at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Results showed a slight increase in macrofaunal abundance, with polychaete worms preferring finer sediments and crustaceans distributed throughout the study site. Although the increase in abundance was not significant, the findings improved our understanding of macrofaunal group distribution and sediment preference following a beach nourishment event.

Allison Cool^a,¹, Dr. Cidya Grant¹, & Dr. Christopher J. Hickey²

Department of Chemistry, Forensic Science, Oceanography, & Physics¹
School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Biology²

Time: 11:40 a.m. – 12 p.m.

About

Plant-derived extracts and essential oils have been known for millennia to have therapeutic value for the treatment of various human maladies. We present evidence demonstrating that carvacrol specifically functions through the TRPM8 receptor on skin cancer cells to exert anti-cancer properties. Transient transfection methods using small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotides were utilized to knockdown the expression of the TRPM8 receptor. A non-targeting siRNA (scramble) was used in parallel as a negative control. Knockdown expression was confirmed through Western blot analysis. Next, transfected cells were treated with carvacrol (0μM and 125μM) over 72 hours. Skin cancer cells with reduced TRPM8 expression did not respond to the carvacrol treatments. In contrast, those cells expressing the TRPM8 receptor and transfected with the non-targeting siRNA did in fact respond to the carvacrol treatments. These cellular responses were examined through cellular proliferation, biochemical proliferation, and apoptosis activity assays. The data collected from this investigation supports our hypothesis that TRPM8 mediates carvacrol-induced cell death for skin cancer melanoma and serves as a possible therapeutic alternative for the treatment of skin cancer.

Michaela Alderman*

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – English Department

Time: 12:30 – 12:50 p.m.

About

Conceived and written during a time of contagion and pandemic, the Cholera epidemic of 1832 inspired Edgar Allen Poe to write a story so wildly improbable, so metaphysically impossible, that it defies interpretation and moralization. Some interpreted Loss of Breath metaphorically, while others found philosophical merit to its ludicrous machinations and plot devices. However, in light of the most recent pandemic of 2020, this story takes on new meaning as millions experienced long periods of isolation and confinement. This paper posits that the short story, Loss of Breath, explores the myriad ways in which people can be confined: away from each other, away from their communities, away from the passions that make life bearable, and even away from their own essence and peace of mind. The insights gained from this analysis carry parallels from the 19th century to the 21st, while also providing different ways of understanding the great impact of Covid-19 on the global population, as well as the fall-out that will continue to effect human society for years to come.”

*Note. Visiting Lecturer of Liberal Arts and Humanities

Brandon Butzberger^a & Dr. Angie McDonald

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Psychology

Time: 12:50 – 1:10 p.m.

About

Anxiety and depression are common mental health issues for college students, with documented prevalence rates as high as 25% (Ahmed et al., 2020). Anxiety has been found to correlate with lower levels of physical exercise, poorer academic performance, and living with family (Islam et al., 2020). Depression has been found to correlate with loneliness, financial issues, and relationship problems (Furr et al., 2001). Participants completed an online survey including demographic questions, protective and risk factors, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck & Steer, 1997; α = 0.94), and the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996; α = 0.90). Anxiety was related to social support (r = -.34; p =.00), loneliness (r = .51; p < .01), negative emotions (r = .52; p < .01), and stress from the Covid-19 pandemic (r = .42; p < .01). Depression was related to social support (r = -.43; p <.01), loneliness (r = .54; p < .01), negative emotions (r = .47; p < .01), and stress from the Covid-19 pandemic (r = .42; p < .01).

Dr. Sandra Ojurongbe

School of Nursing

Time: 1:10 – 1:30 p.m.

About

Introduction: Maternal depression can occur during pregnancy and persist in the postpartum period up to 12 months postpartum. If depression is not detected and treated it can lead to postpartum depression which results in poor outcomes for both mother and baby. Prevalence of post-partum depression is much higher in low-income and middle-income countries. Aim: To determine the proportion of women at risk for peripartum depression at the antenatal and under five clinics a hospital in Egbe, Nigeria.

Methods: A correlational research design with quantitative data collection via a demographic questionnaire and the Edinburg Postpartum Depression scale (EPDS). The cut-off score of ≥ 10 on the EPDS indicates depression. Results: The total sample N = 220 women. Antenatal n = 92; postnatal n = 128. n = 71 women were depressed with scores ≥ 10 (18 antenatal 19.6%. and 53 postpartum 40.6%). Discussion: This study revealed a high prevalence of peripartum depression in both antenatal and postpartum women. Routine screening of women for postpartum depression should be encouraged for early detection and immediate intervention.

Dr. Ellen Reinhart

School of Nursing

Time: 1:30 – 1:50 p.m.

About

Title: The Lived Experience of the Hospice Care Nurse as Primary Provider of End-of-Life Care: Phenomenological Research

Background: Quality end-of-life care is provided by a special type of nurse. The very nature of hospice work puts it at a higher level of complexity, which includes the ability to cope with death and dying daily.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to discover the essence and meaning of the lived experience of the hospice care nurse as the primary provider of end-of-life care. Prior to this research, little was known about hospice care nurses in the United States.

Methods: The semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim to capture the true essence and meaning of the hospice nurses’ experience providing care to patients and families daily.

Results: The four strong themes that emerged from this research are Feeling Attachment, Managing Workload, Lacking Support, and Providing Education. These themes clearly describe the essence and meaning of the lived experience of hospice care nurses.

Dr. Jane C. Wilson & Dr. Bri Andrassy

School of Nursing

Time: 2 – 2:20 p.m.

About

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of autistic women who breastfed.

Study Design and methods: We used a qualitative phenomenology design and a thematic analysis method. The sample consisted of 23 autistic women who breastfed their infant(s). Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a purposive sample from social media support groups for autistic adults. The interview captured one overarching question about their breastfeeding experience.

Results: Three main themes were identified including intense sensory perception, focused determination, and one size doesn’t fit all. Three subthemes helped to describe intense sensory perception: Over-stimulated, over-touched, and overwhelmed.

Clinical Implications: Autistic adults can experience social interaction and expressive communication differences. Nurses can promote positive communication and provide appropriate care through supportive action. These findings offer a guide for nurses to better understand the experiences of autistic breastfeeding women.

Peter Copan^b

School of Education & Behavioral Studies 

Time: 2:20 – 2:40 p.m.

About

What do alcoholic households and many religious Christian homes have in common? The research bears out an answer that might surprise many churchgoers: A lot. One study of Adult Missionary Kids (AMKs) found that AMKs have “almost identical problems” to adult children of alcoholics (ACAs), including fear of intimacy, emotional repression, failed marriages, and extreme protectiveness of childhood wounds—even to the point of emotionally suffocating intimate others (Winell, 2006). Though often well-meaning, many religious Christians inadvertently create family and church systems that operate in a manner surprisingly similar to alcoholic households. This pattern often flies under the radar in church contexts and Christian homes, ensuring that the “hot potato” of chaotic, alcoholic-like dysfunction and trauma often gets passed from one generation to the next. In this presentation, we will identify surprising parallels between alcoholic family systems and religious Christian systems; analyze historical and cultural forces that can leave many Christians vulnerable to (and stuck in) alcoholic-like family dynamics; and map out several helpful paths toward post-traumatic growth for those looking for healing.

Caleb Bowman^a

School of Liberal arts & Sciences – History Department

Time: 9 – 9:25 a.m.

About

This presentation will seek to shed light on recent excavation being conducted on the Syriac Christian gravesite of Ilibalyk dating from the 12th to 14th century. The presentation will highlight the discovery of large gravestones (kayrak), which led to the discovery of the site. Artifacts and human remains which have been discovered from 2016-2022 will be presented with special attention given to high-status burials. The presenter will also explain his own role and the excavation techniques he employed. In addition to presenting the excavation of the cemetery, the presentation will also focus on the discovery of one of the only known Syriac-Christian funerary chapels in Central Asia. The presenter will explain his own role in excavating the sanctuary and the discovery of intact pottery connected to Communion. This presentation will hope to demonstrate how further results and analysis from the Usharal-Ilibalyk site may provide key evidence for understanding the relationship between eastern Christianity and the expansion of the Mongolian empire.

Trinity Eldredge^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – History Department

Time: 9:25 – 9:50 a.m.

About

Today, people have a fascination with the “Viking” people and how they lived their lives. Although, this fascination has led to a misrepresentation of their culture and that is due to the Christianization of their mythology. Two of the primary sources being analyzed are the Völuspá and the Grímnismál: they give insight into what the Medieval Norse believed regarding their gods. The Grímnismál demonstrates a pre-Christian Scandinavia and an insight into what this people group believed. I will then be using the Völuspá to demonstrate how their beliefs were then Christianized. The goal of this research is to understand what the Norse people believed before the Christianization of their culture. To do this I will be comparing both the pre-Christian and post-Christian cultures by showing how the Norse viewed the divine, what their views were on the afterlife, and how it affected their daily lifestyle.

Zackary Kralikb,*

School of Ministry

Time: 9:50 – 10:15 a.m.

About

There are a growing number of Christian philosophers, theologians, and scientists who reject the existence of the soul, but few are willing to acknowledge what is lost when giving up the soul. One of these sacrifices is moral accountability. If moral accountability requires personal identity over time, then what is it that grounds the identity of an individual who commits a moral or immoral act as the same individual responsible for such act? What is needed is an adequate account of personal diachronic identity. I argue that substance dualism, which posits the soul as the grounds of personal identity, is the best account of personal identity over time.

Note. *Faculty sponsor, Dr. Brandon Rickabaugh

Alexander Akenb,*

School of Ministry

Time: 10:15 – 10:35 a.m.

About

Suffering is a universal part of the human experience, but we often wonder how to do this well. Victor Frankl’s Logotherapy asserts that a sense of meaning in one’s life can empower them to transcend suffering. Historically, the Eastern Orthodox Church has answered the question of the meaning of life with the Doctrine of Theosis, or union with the Triune God.

Bringing both these theological and psychological principles in conversation with Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7:54-60, I show that a Christian understanding of meaning, or union with the Triune God, is what empowers believers to transcend suffering.

Special attention is given to how the process of theosis has historically been achieved through Contemplative Prayer. Finally, I conclude with reflections on the practical implications of integrating theosis and Logotherapy. Through dialogue with recent clinical research, consideration is given to how contemplative prayer might inform contemporary ministerial care practices.

Note. *Faculty sponsor, Dr. Kathy Maxwell

Dr. Brandon Rickabaugh

Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Research Scholar in Public Philosophy

Time: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

About

His dissertation, The Conscious Mind Unified, won the Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award from both the Department of Philosophy and the School of Humanities (a first for the Philosophy Department) at Baylor University.

Dr. Rickabaugh’s research seeks to understand what unifies and disunifies ultimate reality and human persons. More specifically, he focuses on the nature of consciousness and how it informs our understanding of human nature, the reality and activity of God, and human flourishing. He has published several articles in scholarly journals on topics such as the nature of human consciousness and intentionality, the reality of the human soul, natural theology, interpersonal knowledge of God, neuroscience, and Christian spiritual formation. He also engages public-facing philosophy exploring how the nature of consciousness and human persons relate to emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and neuroscience. He has given talks at universities in the US and UK, including Oxford, Durham, UC Davis, UT Austin, CU Boulder, and Yale.

Dr. Fontaine Timmer¹ & Dr. Mariette Sourial²

¹School of Nursing, ²Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy

About

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of an educational session led by nursing and pharmacy on fall risk assessment for the Palm Beach Fire Rescue team (PBFR). More than 1 out of 4 older adults fall each year and falling once increases the risk of recurrent falls. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue team partnered with the CDC STEADI initiative to help prevent and decrease falls. Risk factors such as medical conditions and medications are among the top reasons why patients fall. Therefore, providing education to the fire rescue team on this initiative regarding the various medications and medical conditions is important. An anonymous survey through Microsoft Forms was provided at the end of the session. Data will be analyzed and descriptive statistics will be used to assess the impact of education.

Thomas Chesnes

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Biology

About

Seagrass communities are considered to be one of the most valuable and productive aquatic ecosystems, providing an array of important ecological and economic services for coastal communities. Of recent note, declines in seagrass abundances in eastern Florida have been linked with occurrences in mortality of the federally protected West Indian Manatee. Seagrass abundance and diversity has been documented since 2010 in Lake Worth Cove, a protected region of Lake Worth Lagoon within J.D. MacArthur Beach State Park in collaboration between the Palm Beach Atlantic University Department of Biology, Florida State Park scientists and volunteers. This historical record provided evidence of an incredibly productive system, once designated as the most biodiverse of any seagrass community in the western hemisphere. Since then, the subsequent declines in submerged macrophytes have been documented, along with the associated mortality of herbivorous charismatic megafauna. Results to date will be presented.

Emma Launsby^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Psychology

About

The following study proposes research on the topic of multitasking, its efficiency based on cognitive abilities, and the individual person. It is important to present accurate information and continuously update the research presently available, because of the misconceptions regarding this topic. Media promotes one thing, while the scientific community claims another. As a college student myself, I constantly find myself accidentally or purposefully multitasking, due to the expansive list of assignments I need to complete. However, I often hear inconsistent views on whether this is efficient, or if multitasking itself is a myth. This research topic was chosen to create clarity on the efficiency of multitasking, with the hopes of promoting efficient work and study habits in college students. Data reviewed reveals multitasking to be overall inefficient in a students life. Results also vary depending on if you are a LMM (low media multitasker) or a HMM (high media multitasker).

Emma Launsby^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Psychology

About

The following study proposes research on the topic of multitasking, its efficiency based on cognitive abilities, and the individual person. It is important to present accurate information and continuously update the research presently available, because of the misconceptions regarding this topic. Media promotes one thing, while the scientific community claims another. As a college student myself, I constantly find myself accidentally or purposefully multitasking, due to the expansive list of assignments I need to complete. However, I often hear inconsistent views on whether this is efficient, or if multitasking itself is a myth. This research topic was chosen to create clarity on the efficiency of multitasking, with the hopes of promoting efficient work and study habits in college students. Data reviewed reveals multitasking to be overall inefficient in a students life. Results also vary depending on if you are a LMM (low media multitasker) or a HMM (high media multitasker).

Dr. Jacqueline Esquiaqui, Danielle Garzon^a, Dr. Tina Batoh, & LesleyMarie Rivera^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Chemistry, Forensic Science, Oceanography, & Physics

About

Florida Red Tide is a harmful algal bloom caused by the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. mRNA precursors of enzymes involved in brevetoxin synthesis undergo an mRNA maturation mechanism called spliced leader (SL) trans-splicing, which splices a 5ʹ exon (theSL) from a small noncoding RNA (snRNA) to the 5ʹ end of pre-mRNA sequences of different genes. Details of this mechanism, particularly how SL RNA structural dynamics impact transcription and splicing, are limited and could provide insight to understanding critical steps of K. brevis life-cycle and toxin production at the molecular level. To study the structure and dynamics of K. brevis SL RNA, molecular cloning of the wild-type and a mutant version of the 22 nucleotide SL exon and the precursor 61 nucleotide exon-intron construct was conducted. RNAs were successfully cloned, amplified, in vitro transcribed, and purified for structural studies to assess how environmental factors impact spliced leader trans-splicing. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays have been successfully performed to test for the influence of various environmental factors (i.e., pH, salinity, light, and temperature) on SL RNA structures.

Anjali Bhatt^b, Dr. Mariette Sourial, Dr. Justine Latif, & Maria Gonzalez Haesler^b

Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy

About

The purpose of this study is to assess the leadership skills of student leaders in pharmacy professional organizations. To our knowledge, this is an innovative study as there is limited literature on this topic and provides an opportunity for professional growth and development of our student leaders. ACPE 2016 Standard 4 focuses on Personal and Professional Development, which includes a demonstration of self-awareness, leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship, and professionalism. The study will use a Microsoft Forms anonymous survey to the student members of each of the professional organization to evaluate the chapter president on their leadership skills. The chapter president will also be able to take the assessment and reflect on their leadership skills as well. Results will be compared and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Jade Staudt^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Biology Department

About

The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a common oyster species found throughout the eastern Seaboard of the United States. Its water filtration capabilities, main mode of feeding, has been utilized throughout estuarine systems to control sedimentation, remove excessive nutrients, provide a food source, and increase biodiversity. John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach, FL added limestone to a small section of the Lake Worth Cove estuary to encourage C. virginica recruitment. The presence of additional oysters in the park capitalizes on the filter feeding benefits of the oysters. Data was collected using quadrats on three sections of newly moved limestone to determine if recruitment of oysters was successful and if one section was preferred. Data collection began in February 2021 and continued through November 2022 with collections about every three months. Additional species have commenced recruitment on the limestone which could indicate the health of the ecosystem and explain the difference in oyster recruitment numbers, north vs south. The central section was the only one to have more live oysters than dead.

Niang Thang^a

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Department of Psychology

About

The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between racial diversity and student success whether it is academically, socially, mentally, etc. With a mixture of people from different backgrounds and cultures, the mingling of new perspectives encourages thought and innovation within the student population. In this study, data from private and public universities will be analyzed to see if there is a significant correlation between the race of students and the type of universities (private or public). From communicating with universities with diverse populations to asking students in non-diverse universities their opinions on the diversity of their school, the findings show that racial diversity poses many benefits to the environment of a campus and student life.

Josuah Tilus^b

Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy

About

SASS implemented a student-led preventative program to equip P1 students with core soft skills in study techniques, time management, and self/stress management to improve pass rates in the first semester. Fall 2022 semester grades was compared to the Fall 2021 P1 class control cohort. A pre and post SASS survey was administered to determine perceived improvement in the SASS domains. A Chi-Square analysis was conducted for the primary outcome. The survey data was analyzed with Wilcoxon-signed rank test. A post-hoc student’s t-test analysis of final letter grade distribution per course was conducted to determine degree of academic success. The chi-square analysis found a 3.1% difference in pass rates between cohorts but was not statistically significant. The WSR analysis found no statistical significance between pre and post survey results. Post-hoc analysis of the unweighted distribution of grades showed statistical significance. Due to the inaugural nature of the study, it cannot currently be concluded that SASS will increase pass rates in the first semester. Further studies are needed to determine the true effect of SASS.

Haille Watson^a, Dr. Matthew J. Mitchell & Zachary Siggins^a

School of Education & Behavioral Studies – Department of Health & Human Performance

About

Percussion therapy (Theragun Pro, Therabody Inc, Dallas TX) has been rising to one of the most popular self-myofascial release therapies. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of 3 minutes of percussive therapy on muscle contractile properties of the gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis muscles. Surface tensiomyography (TMG) was used to non-invasively assess muscle contractile properties, including contraction time (Tc), delay time (Td), relaxation time (Tr), maximal displacement (Dm), and sustain time (Ts). For each subject one muscle underwent the percussive therapy session while the opposite muscle served as a “control” muscle. A 2×2 within-subjects ANOVA (Scheffe post hoc tests) was used to analyze all dependent variables). Dm was significantly increased following percussive therapy. No other variables were improved. The researchers concluded percussive therapy may improve connective tissue elasticity causing increased muscle belly displacement.

Sydney Timmes^a & Dr. Matthew J. Mitchell

School of Education & Behavioral Studies – Department of Health & Human Performance

About

Nine subjects that included healthy, college-aged students participated in a study to determine the effects of pre-exercise electrolytes on exercise performance and fluid loss. Before and after exercise body weight (BodPod scale, Cosmed Inc) and urine refractometry (Atago d2020 UR-1, Japan). A 2×2 within-subjects ANOVA was used to analyze all dependent variables. Both groups exhibited significantly decreased (p < 0.05) body weight (WATER: 64.56±7.61 v 64.19±7.2 kg; ELEC: 74.80±7.71 v. 64.36±7.99 kg). An interaction (group x time) was found for urine density. Post-hoc tests showed significantly lower values in the ELEC group (pre v. post). This concluded that electrolyte solution consumption before exercise may improve hydration status over simple water intake during an exercise bout.

Sophia Rasmussen^a, Kyle Paez^a , Olivia Hall^a, & Dr. Matthew J. Mitchell

School of Education & Behavioral Studies – Department of Health & Human Performance

About

The current study examined the effect of 6 weeks of a 500 mg/day of magnesium supplementation on skeletal muscle contractile speed and isometric force production of the gastrocnemius medialis and bicep brachialis. Twenty female, college-aged subjects, were placed into either a control (CON) or magnesium (Mg) supplement (SUPP) group. SUPP subjects received 500mg/day Mg supplementation (Nature’s Bounty). Surface tensiomyography (TMG) was used to non-invasively assess muscle contractile properties in the bicep brachii and gastrocnemius muscles. The TMG parameters used in this study were contraction time (Tc), delay time (Td), relaxation time (Tr), maximal displacement (Dm), and sustain time (Ts). Though Tc increased over time in the Bicep brachii, there were no significant differences between CON and SUPP. There were no significant changes in other TMG variables. Magnesium supplementation over 6 weeks was shown to have no significant effect on muscle contractile properties or force production.

London Soles^a, Dr. Matthew J. Mitchell & Kyle Paez^a

School of Education & Behavioral Studies – Department of Health & Human Performance

About

12 female, college-aged subjects were separated into two groups (LOW v NORMAL) based on resting hemoglobin (HgB) values (LOW: 11.07±0.95 g/dl, HIGH: 13.64±1.18 g/dl). Subjects engaged in a 20 minute, maximal cycle ergometer test. Muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2%) and muscle hemoglobin (THgB) were measured every 5 minutes in all subjects using Near-Infared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in the Vastus lateralis and rectus femoralis muscles. SmO2% values were significantly reduced in LOW v NORMAL subjects at 5 min (41.54±18.56 v. 57.02±17.63) and 10 min (45.62±20.71 v. 62.46±19.53) into exercise (p< 0.05). THgB was significantly reduced in LOW v NORMAL subjects at 20 min (11.51±0.23 v. 11.68±0.26). The results from this study show individuals with reduced hemoglobin levels experienced impaired oxygen usage in skeletal muscle during intense exercise, likely impairing performance.

Dr. Matthew J. Mitchell & Brooke Schoch^a

School of Education & Behavioral Studies – Department of Health & Human Performance

About

A total of seven (n = 7) subjects participated in this study. The participants had an average age of 20.43 ± 0.98 years average height (cm) of 173.45 ± 9.92 and an average weight (kg) of 80.29 ±16.73. Subjects performed two trials. For Trial 1, subjects consumed 250mL of Juice Performer Beet Juice with B12, 24 hours prior to performing a 30-second anaerobic Wingate Cycle ergometer test. Muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2%) and muscle hemoglobin (THgB) were measured every 15 seconds (60 seconds total) post-exercise using Near-Infared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in the vastus lateralis and rectus femoralis muscles. For trial 2, the same protocol was performed without prior beetroot supplementation. A two-way within subjects ANOVA revealed a significant effect of time (F(3,18)=14.396, p = <.001), a significant effect of supplementation (F(1,6)=22.838, p= 0.003) and no significant interaction between time and supplementation on SmO2 levels (F(3,18)=2.657, p = 0.080). Subjects taking beetroot supplements showed quicker returns to normal muscle oxygen saturation values, likely indicating improved oxygen uptake in the muscle.

Dr. Chandrima Powers, Dr. Ryan Corser & Dr. Raymond Voss

Palm Beach Atlantic University¹, School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Psychology, Vanderbilt University², Purdue University Fort Wayne³

About

Our studies examined the interaction between one’s mindset (maximizing vs satisficing) and numeracy on risky choices using the Columbia card task (CCT) and binary gambles with 50/50, 25/75, and 40/60 probabilities. For the CCT, a maximization mindset significantly increased risk-taking among the highly numerate. High numerates also significantly preferred riskier 50/50 gambles in a maximization mindset. However, for non-50/50 gambles, high numerates risk more in a satisficing mindset.  Conclusion?

Shelby Braun^a, Lydia Christensen^a, Cambria Davis^a, Cindy Hugel^a, Nicole Merendino^a, Brianna Rivas^a, & Dr. Angie McDonald

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Psychology

About

Misogynistic standards that have long minimalized women in society still exist in our modern era. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) posits that girls and women repeatedly experience societal sexual objectification, which can result in a myriad of mental health issues. Recent studies have found the presence of a sexual double standard (Marks et al., 2019) to be positively correlated with feelings of guilt and shame (Gilchrist et al., 2020) in young women. Further, messages from the Evangelical Purity Movement have perpetuated a sexual double standard by placing female virginity and purity on a pedestal (Estrada, 2021). This study sought to further research on how factors of emotional intelligence, religiosity, and individual self-concept interact with the sexual double standard.

David M. Compton

School of Liberal Arts & Sciences – Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience

About

Since the 1990s, there has been an increased expectation at “teaching institutions” that faculty engage in academic scholarship and empirical research activities. The present study explored faculty perceptions of undergraduate students as research partners and the factors that motivate faculty-driven scholarship at a Christian university that, until the mid-2000s, has been predominantly an undergraduate-serving college. In particular, the current research focused on the experiences of early, mid- and later-career faculty who have been charged with facilitating both undergraduate and, to a lesser extent, graduate students’ learning and emersion in the research enterprise. The study addressed 1) what factors influence faculty to include students in their work actively; 2) how faculty, with heavy teaching loads, organize their professional and scholarly lives incorporating research generally and student collaborations specifically, and 3) from the perspective of participating faculty, how campus factors both fiscal and institutional may hamper or support faculty efforts. Faculty in the allied health sciences endorsed more favorable attitudes than those in the natural sciences in humanities/liberal arts disciplines. Intrinsic factors such as peer recognition differed by both gender and academic discipline. Additional gender and discipline-associated differences were also detected in consideration of extrinsic factors. Differences in research and teaching orientation factors were observed, as were different experiences with funding success. Collectively, the faculty did not receive any discussions of research expectations during interviews. Last, a hierarchical regression model accounted for 62.3% of the variance in the faculty research motivation measure. The results are discussed in terms of the challenges associated with conducting research at universities with heavy teaching loads generally and, specifically, the issues that confront faculty employed at Christian institutions with research funding restrictions.