Abstracts for 2015 Student Research Conference Abston, Summer "Architectural Reformation Of Educational Institutions" (Shahnaz Aly) Children serve as an important factor concerning the future of this world. In order to positively impact our future we must start with education by addressing daily function in schools. The aim of this research is to create an environment that is conducive not only for performance but also for health. This is accomplished by appealing to sensory elements. Studies show that by increasing natural lighting and controlling the acoustics, learning can be improved. Health is a vital aspect in producing an environment for learning. By increasing ventilation and not using hazardous materials, such as VOCs and BPAs, adverse health effects can be averted. Materials can serve a dualistic purpose of appealing through sensory perception and meeting sustainability goals. Additionally, materials can also aid in code compliance. Certain types of glass offer a myriad of benefits for regulation and security advances. Moreover, through better selection of materials, schools can improve their educational environment and prevent sick building syndrome all while becoming more sustainable and accommodating to building codes. This presentation will highlight the topics that were adopted in the design of a high school. Abston, Summer; Aly, Shahnaz; "Observational Sketching As A Platform To Improve Sketching Techniques" (Shahnaz Aly) Architecture is a very visual discipline that involves sketching and drawing as a means of visual expression. However, the computer has become the preferred design tool for most designers and architects. Through the transition of traditional to digitals drawing tools, programs have become so sophisticated that they virtually require no thought from the user, making hand sketching a thing of the past. The aim of this research is to bring together the ageless art of freehand sketching and modern digital tools to create a balance between the two; preserving the lost art of hand drawing and to realize that digital tools are here to stay by finding the best way to integrate them. Observational sketching enables a students to focus more on the task of visually expressing an observation. Being introduced to free hand sketching and drawing, one would do well to observe the form and shape of existing structures and to interpret these details through their sketches without overloading themselves in thinking of design ideas at the same time as learning the art of freehand drawing. Adams, Shelby; Anaya, Berenice; Arnold, Jessica; Lowery, Danielle; Herricks, Sarah; "Risky Business? The Effects Of Sensation Seeking Personality Traits On Performance Monitoring And Adjustment." (Brandy Tiernan) Individuals with risk-taking and sensation seeking personalities are more likely to be impulsive and make poor decisions. Such behaviors have been linked to poor error processing and attentional control. The purpose of the current study was to discover conditions under which “risk takers” become more aware of behavioral outcomes and how this awareness influences the error related negativity (ERN), a component of the event-related brain potential (ERPs) that reflects a distress-related response to control failures. We related self-report measures of risk taking and other personality traits to the ERN elicited during a variation of the Stroop task. The punishment condition resulted in the largest improvement in error processing of those measuring high on risk taking. Our results provide support that risk-taking traits affect responsiveness to errors, and the ERN reflects the influence of the extent of individuals concern with the outcome of events. Agaba, Peter "The Reality Of Being A Student Athlete (student Athletes Put More Hours On The Field Than Class)" (John Hagaman) Student athletes contribute greatly to their schools, generating revenue and publicity. They spend a considerable amount of time participating in college sports competing or training. Some people have observed that many student-athletes actually spend more time on the field than in the classroom, prompting the view that student-athletes are more of workers than students and as such should be given monetary compensation. This research paper will pursue that argument by looking at the realities of student athletes in such terms as revenue generation for their schools, work hours versus class hours, and the dim prospects of them becoming professional athletes after college. Akhtar, Saadia "Diversity Of Mycobacteriophages In Hydrologic Regions" (Claire Rinehart) The DNA from the genomes of over 700 bacteriophages, specific for the host Mycobacterium smegmatis, have been sequenced. Genomes with greater than 50% DNA sequence identity are grouped together into the same cluster. Currently there are 22 clusters. Mycobacteriophage data was taken from the official Mycobacteriophage database (phagesdb.org). The objective of this study was to compare the distribution of Mycobacteriophage cluster diversity across the 21 hydrologic regions in the United States. Mycobacteriophages were sorted into their respective hydrologic regions by their geographical coordinates of where they were isolated from soil samples. The total number of phages for each cluster within each region was expressed as a fraction of the total found in each hydrologic region. The distribution among clusters was then compared between hydrologic regions using an ANOVA. Hydrologic regions with similar distributions were identified by Post-Hoc tests. Alavi, Farshid "Robust Optimization Design For Whipping Cream Within The Framework Of Six Sigma" (Daniel Jackson) It is a project-based research. The subject is a food manufacturing company whose product is whipping cream. The problem is a high rate of nonconforming product (measured by DPMO) regarding the variation in cream viscosity and stiffness. The company has a full control over process parameters and raw materials except the blend of emulsifiers and stabilizers used as product additives. The blend is provided by few companies in that area without consistency in their products. Moreover, the supplier does not provide any information about the type and amount of emulsifiers and stabilizers used in the blend. The purpose of this research is to find the optimum combination of emulsifiers and stabilizers. To achieve this purpose, DMAIC model of six sigma has been chosen as a general framework of the project. Robust optimization design (fractional factorial design) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) have been employed to figure out the optimum combination of emulsifiers and stabilizers. The off-line quality engineering experiment has been conducted using a pilot plant to not disturb the production line and decrease the experimental costs. The independent variables are emulsifiers and stabilizers (5 to 7 factors in three levels), and the response variables consist of overrun, viscosity, and yield stress of whipped cream. Alipoorabedi, Behraz "The Risk Of Renal Failure In Patients With Diabetes Type 2" (Gretchen Macy) Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in all countries (Abd-Allha et al, 2014). To identify the risk of renal impairments in diabetic patients the other variables like age (> 45), age at the time of diagnosis of diabetes, the length of diabetes, kidney function at the time of diagnosis, the level of LDL and haemoglobin A1c (the amount of Hb is bounded by glucose in diabetic patients), blood pressure, family history, smoking and inappropriate blood sugar control must not be ignored (Burrows et al, 2014; Agarwall, 2013). Diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia show the rapid decline of renal function compare with non-diabetic patients. Slight urinary protein excretion (micro albuminuria) is the first sign of nephropathy in diabetics that can be considered as a diagnostic biomarker and predictor among high risk groups. Screening, early diagnosis, proper blood sugar and blood pressure control and low protein diet can prevent and postpone the renal failure and its negative consequences in diabetic patients (Al-Rubeaan et al, 2014). The authors suggested that the blood pressure, albumin excretion are the most important risk factors that can be modified through early diagnosis, correct monitoring and appropriate interventions (Kittipanyaworakun et al, 2013). Objectives: to describe diabetes mellitus (DM) and renal failure (RF), the harmful effects of DM, RF and its negative effects on the other organs, urinary protein excretion and its importance to early detection of RF, and understand what are the risk factors associated with DM that accelerate RF? Allison, Callie; Harris, Breanna; "Building A Community" (Helen Sterk) The presence of social media is becoming more central as a platform that engages individuals in a nontraditional manner. Social media has evolved into an important networking resource not only for today’s youth, but for organizations as well. An identity online is key in setting oneself apart professionally. Organizations are utilizing social media to increase involvement with their organization, in addition to interacting with their community as a whole. Creating a successful presence on social media requires the support of the entire community. An online platform becomes obsolete if members of the community are unable to engage effectively through the medium. One of the researchers originated the social media platforms for the Western Kentucky University Department of Communication.