Case Study of the Bowne House. Julia Sims and Kat Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This case study for my fall semester Art Business class addresses the status of The Bowne House, a historical house museum based in Flushing, Queens. After thorough research surrounding the economic and social aspects of the institution, a SWOT report was conducted analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing this museum today. Overall, the goal of this project is to obtain the knowledge of why and how museums remain afloat.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Case Study. Leticia Lobato-Gaudioso and Katherine Griefen. Art and Design Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been a place that showcases the art of over 5,000 years from all over the world. Although its primary purpose is to encourage and develop the fine arts and its applications to supplement popular instruction, a lot has changed since its beginning. In 2015 the Met revised its statement to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. The Met has been progressing in the right direction towards a more inclusive institution while facing many challenges over its 151 years. This case study will look at a few examples of these challenges that have been crucial to the changes needed in this worldly known institution through a SWOT report that will analyze some of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Inositol Hexakisphosphate Kinase 1 (IP6K1) inhibition protects from diet induced obesity by enhancing browning mediated thermogenesis. ¹Sabina Piechowska, ¹Sarbani Ghoshal, and ²Mayra Wanderley. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Biological Sc and Geology, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

The evolution of mankind resulted in physical inactivities and increased access to unhealthy and calorie-rich food, leading to the global pandemic of obesity. Obesity results when fat accumulation exceeds the storage capacity of adipose tissue depots. Our research focuses on targeting IP6K1 to treat obesity and associated comorbidities. Previous research showed that genetic deletion of IP6K1 protects mice from diet-induced obesity (DIO). For this project, we reviewed extensively the effect of pharmacologic inhibition of IP6K1 by a compound called TNP on DIO. Our review identified a significant reduction in fat mass when mice were treated with TNP. Our presentation will show that this reduction of body fat is not due to less food intake, but due to enhanced energy expenditure (EE), which in turn occurs due to beiging of white adipose tissue. Enhanced EE is recognized as an effective mechanism for weight loss nowadays.

Differential Gene Expression in Lung Cancer Cells after treatment with Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes. Mira Bhattacharya, Sarbani Ghoshal, and Regina Sullivan. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Lung cancer is the third most common type of cancer in the United States, and is the leading cause of mortality in both men and women. Single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have potential biological uses due to their size, stability and configuration. Previous research work from our lab has shown that SWCNTs inhibit migration in breast cancer cell, MB468. This interesting observation led us to hypothesize whether SWCNT can show the same inhibition in lung cancer lines too. Our research plan is to treat A549 cells (lung cancer cell line) with SWCNTs, perform a wound healing assay, and conduct gene expression studies to indicate whether SWCNTs can be therapeutically effective in treating lung cancer. Our research will answer the research question, whether SCWNTs inhibitory function is specific to breast cancer only, or includes other types of cancer.​

The Essence of Leaf Senescence. ¹Aidan John Blainey, ¹Joan Petersen, ²Aaron I. Calampiano, ²Clayton J. Cayer, ²Mateo Gonzalez, ²James C. Hardat, ²Alexus Moriah Johnson, ²Alexander Lee, ²Simona Mitac, ²Andrea Elyza Rivera, ²Stephen Spiridakis, ²Claire Francine Toussaint, and ²Sky Zheng. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Phenology is the study of the timing of life cycle events of plants and animals. These events are influenced by both seasonal changes and environmental conditions. In our area, leaves of deciduous trees become senescent and eventually fall as temperature and solar exposure decrease throughout the fall season. For our class research project, we observed phenological changes in leaf color and leaf fall of several types of deciduous trees. Each week, students made observations about leaf color change and leaf fall from two plant species at their local observation areas.  We also collected leaves from these plants at different timepoints and documented the changes in pigments that occurred over time. We used paper chromatography to observe differences in leaf pigments from the various species tested, and to detect differences in the types and concentrations of leaf pigments over time. Our results showed that the diverse trees we observed varied in the timing of color changes, the types and amounts of pigments produced, and the timing of leaf fall. Over time, we observed fewer green chlorophylls and more yellow-orange carotenoids and red-purple anthocyanins as the leaves approached senescence. These changes in leaf color could also be seen in our paper chromatography results.   Leaf phenology is an important indicator of a healthy ecosystem and its natural cycles. While some trees do not experience a change in leaf pigments, those that do provide researchers with valuable information about these cycles that can serve as indicators of regional and global climate change.

Microbial Contamination on Used Disposable Face Masks. Stella Hill, Patricia Schneider, and Raji Subramaniam. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

COVID-19 is spread primarily by respiratory droplets discharged into the air by coughing, sneezing or talking. In the spring of 2020, governments around the world recommended or mandated that the general public wear face masks as a barrier to droplet transmission. It has been known for some time that surgical masks are a potential source of bacterial shedding in hospitals. This pilot study focused on isolating and characterizing bacteria and fungi on disposable face masks and assessing the relationship between mask reuse and contamination. Twenty-three used disposable masks were donated anonymously. The three-ply, non-woven, polypropylene masks were placed in sterile containers of Lauria broth for 20 minutes. The spread plate procedure was used to assess microbial contamination. Bacteria were cultivated on Lauria broth agar plates incubated at 37^oC for 48 hours to estimate bacteria levels (cfu/ml/piece). Isolated bacteria were Gram stained and selected colonies were identified with 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. All six isolates are potentially pathogenic including Staphylococcus aureus and five Enterobacteriaceae: Phytobacteria, Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella Thompson, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Pluralibacter geroviae. Lauria broth from several masks was inoculated on 3M yeast fungi (YM) Petrifilm and incubated at room temperature for 5 days for fungal counts (cfu/ml/piece). Future work will include 16S rRNA identification of the remaining bacterial isolates as well as processing of additional face masks. Establishing a direct link between reuse and contamination could lead to educational campaigns designed to increase hand-mouth cleanliness and decrease the reuse of disposable masks.

Rhomboid Proteases. Anson Yun Wo Cheung and Monica Trujillo. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Rhomboids are intramembrane proteases that are found in all kingdoms of life. They are the largest and best characterized of the enzymes that hydrolyze peptide bonds in membranes. Rhomboid proteases play an important role in fundamental processes that occur in the membrane such as signaling and secretion and release of proteins. The precise mechanism that these enzymes use to recognize their substrate is still not fully elucidated. The latest proposed mechanism is summarized and discussed in this presentation.  Rhomboid protease substrates are still being identified and understanding the mechanism through which they are recognized can help to discover other substrates. A few bacterial rhomboid proteases have been characterized but their role is not well understood. However, the crystal structure of GlpG, the rhomboid protease from Escherichia coli has been solved. Recently, gene expression studies have shown that tissue specific rhomboids are overexpressed in certain human diseases such as cancer. We will describe the mechanisms that rhomboid proteases play in certain cancers. We will also present the latest update on the development of rhomboid proteases inhibitors and their potential role as drug targets.

The Effect of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on the Behavior of Cancer Cell Migration. Brittney Aragon, Regina Sullivan, and Sarbani Ghoshal. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Abstract: Cell migration is a complex process that plays a key role in metastatic cancer. When migration occurs, the cancer cells from the primary tumor start to move to other tissues to establish more tumors in other parts of the body. Actin and tubulin are major components of the cytoskeleton and structural changes in these proteins set the migration process in motion. In cancer cells aberrant cell signaling pathways often lead to increased cell migration followed by increased metastasis. Our research focuses on Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), an aggressive type of breast cancer with limited targeted therapy options and poor patient outcomes. In order to tease out the cellular mechanisms of TNBC cell migration, we use the highly motile TNBC cell lines, MDA MB 231 and MDA MB 468. We have found that TNBC cells have reduced rates of migration when treated with nontoxic concentrations of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs). SWCNT have potential for biomedical applications because of their nanometer size, cylindrical shape, and overall stability. It is hypothesized that nanotubes enter cells and incorporate into the actin cytoskeleton. When the nanotubes are incorporated into the cytoskeleton, the dynamic cytoskeletal changes required for migration to occur may be inhibited. The use of SWCNTs can expand treatment options for TNBC. The basic mechanisms of cell migration and the use of the in vitro scratch assay in our studies will be discussed.

Investigation of Cancer cell gene Expression after treatment with Single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nancy Velasquez, Regina Sullivan, and Ghoshal Sarbani. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Abstract Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer type in US females. Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a metastatic breast cancer subtype, which does not express receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and hence has limited treatment options. In our research, we are using two TNBC cell lines, MDA-MB231 and MDA-MB 468 to explore potential new therapeutic options for TNBC. We have been investigating the use of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) for such purpose. Our preliminary data showed that SWCNT treatment of TNBC cells (MDA-MB468) inhibited migration of this highly metastatic cancer cell line in Scratch assays. This observation is very relevant, as metastasis is one of the defining features for mortality from cancer. Our research plan is to treat TNBC cell line, MDA-MB231, with different concentrations of SWCNT and investigate expression of genes, key to metastatic pathways. We plan to use real-time PCR to investigate expression of genes like MMPs and TIMPs. We anticipate our data to confirm any therapeutic role SWCNT may have in breast cancer cell migration.

GLACIAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: MINERAL PROVENANCE. Mya Potter and Rondi Davies. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

GLACIAL HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND, NY: MINERAL PROVENANCE Mya A. Potter, Queensborough Community College Long Island, New York, was formed by a process known as glaciation; the formation, movement and recession of glaciers. During the Pleistocene Epoch, the large continental ice sheet Laurentide, stretched across most of modern-day Canada and the northern United States. It's repeated advances and melting resulted in the birth of Long Island. There are uncertainties and large debate among scientists on the source of the glaciers that formed Long Island, as well as the travel direction and distance. The purpose of this study is to identify the source rocks and trace them to their origin. The methods we will use include: 1. Collecting sand from three glacial deposits on the north side of eastern and western Long Island. These deposits have not been reworked by coastal processes. 2. Sieving the sand and collecting the size fraction between 125 and 250 micron meters. 3. Washing the sand if it's coated in iron compounds. 4. Separating magnetic particles using magnetic separation. 5. Separating denser particles using density separation. 6. Measuring the abundances of heavy minerals such as garnet, rutile, magnetite, zircon, biotite, muscovite, garnet, zircon, apatite, tourmaline, magnetite. 7. Uranium-lead dating will be used to date zircons in each sample.

Regulation of host amino acid transporters by an intracellular parasite. Wai Cheung Tung and Amos Orlofsky. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan, has infected around one-fourth of the total human population. Although benign infection is more common, severe cases in immunocompromised individuals and fetus could occur. We have found that T. gondii has shown to be host cell autophagy-dependent, suggesting that host nutrients can be limiting to parasite growth. It was found that T. gondii activates the host mTORC-1 pathway, which is known to be promoted by leucine. Our focus of the study is one of the primary amino acid (including leucine) transporters, which consists of LAT1 and CD98hc. In infected L6 cells, upregulation of two amino acid transporters, LAT1 and CD98hc, was observed. However, SNAT 2, which is usually upregulated when there is increase in expression in LAT1, has shown no increase in expression in infected sample. To study the specific pathway by which T. gondii manipulates the host, we examined the possible effects of HIF-2α and c-myc, transcription factors known to upregulate LAT1 expression. We hypothesized that the level of both transcription factors is elevated by T. gondii in host. We observed 4.5-fold elevation of host c-myc mRNA expression in infected L6 cells, consistent with the unknown capacity for c-myc to upregulate LAT1 expression. Further studies is needed to determine whether LAT1 expression is c-myc-dependent in infected cells. Examination of HIF-2α expression is ongoing. However, we observed that HIF-2α mechanism is not essential for parasite regulation of host amino acid transporter expression due to no effect on LAT1 with treatment of HIF-2α inhibitor.

The Importance of Using Native Species to Restore Natural Areas. ¹Noel Beckles, ¹Joan Petersen, ²Aaron I Calampiano, ²Clayton Cayer, ²Ashley Engel, ²Erick Garcia, ²George Hua, ²Allison Mapes, ²Pablo j Pellecer Pinitu, ²Nicholas Pisciotta, ²Mya Potter, ²Ariyana Russell, and ²Joann Wu. ¹Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Non-native species introductions may occur accidentally or intentionally. Although some non-native species have properties that are useful for environmental restoration, others may disrupt natural ecosystems. The purpose of our project was to understand the relationship between native species and the restoration of natural areas. We identified plant species in several locations, including Oakland Lake Wildflower Meadow and Alley Pond Vernal Pool Restoration Site. At the Wildflower Meadow, we learned about the importance of using native wildflowers to attract local pollinators.  Our work at the vernal pool site involved observations of organisms found at each pool, as well as a survey of trees in the regions surrounding each pool. A portable GPS unit was used to record tree data, including species identification and diameter at breast height (DBH).   Our tree survey results showed predominantly native species. This, paired with our observations of the large frog population and the expanding wild cucumber indicated the restoration site was supporting a variety of native species. The wildflower meadow also showed evidence of successful restoration, as native flowers like milkweed and goldenrod are attracting native insects including monarch butterflies, bees and praying mantises. Non-native plant species like mugwort and porcelain berry were also observed at the restoration sites. Native plants that are adapted to their local environment require less maintenance, contribute food and shelter for other native species, promote biodiversity and enhance ecosystem services. Continued monitoring of the restoration areas will reveal the survivorship and expansion of native species in future years.

Glacial Movement of Long Island, NY Abstract. Tea Plummer and Rondi Davies. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

With the last Ice Age's glacial movements sediments were pushed and compiled into creating Long Island. Researchers have debated about the number of glaciers that moved over Long Island during the past 100,000 years, their direction of motion, and the provenance of glacial deposits. Our goal is to determine the travel direction, travel distance, and source rock of the glaciers that formed Long Island by dating zircons deposited in the till and outwash plains. Methods will include sample collection from the North shores of eastern and western Long Island, sieving and collecting sand of 250 microns diameter, and separating magnetic and dense minerals from the sand. U-Pb age dating of mounted zircon minerals that was separated from the sand will be used to help us identify the origin of the rocks and whether they are predominantly derived from ~1000 Ma Grenville basement to the northwest, ~500 Ma Taconic basement to the north, ~350 Ma Acadian basement to the north northeast, or ~280 Ma basement to the northeast.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Environmental Microbes towards commonly used antibiotics. Shaniakay Williams and Mangala Tawde. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Antibiotic resistance in infectious agents is a grave concern in clinical practice since more and more bacterial pathogens are becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics. One of the major mechanisms of antibiotic resistance is acquisition of resistance genes by pathogens encoding antimicrobial products or alteration of antibiotic targets. Though the acquisition process of resistance genes is not well understood, environmental microbes, including the species producing antimicrobial agents, are believed to be important sources of resistance transfer amongst species. Antibiotic producing bacteria harbor resistance elements for self-protection that are often clustered with genes coding for antibiotics. The overuse and abuse of antibiotics (for example- antibiotics in animal feed, products of daily human use) has resulted in exposure of environmental bacteria to many more antibiotics. Soil (and waterbodies) could thus serve as an under recognized reservoir for antimicrobial resistance in clinically important bacteria. Therefore, an understanding of antibiotic resistance frequencies as well as new mechanisms of resistance is highly critical. We have begun our research project with an extensive review of scientific literature to gather current knowledge in the field. Here we present the key findings from the field which will inform our research designs.

Examining Osteoclast Function regulated by STAT3 and Estrogen Hormone. Jayson Rodriguez and Andrew Nguyen. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

            Recent studies have shown that menopausal women experience low levels of estrogen due to ovaries slowing down production of hormones.   Many menopausal women are at risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition in which bones are weaken.  The main cause of osteoporosis is believed to be by a drop in body's estrogen levels. However, how estrogen causes osteoporosis is not clearly defined.   Previously, we have shown that the loss of the transcriptional factor, Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT 3), in osteoclasts affected female mice bone development more than male bone development.  We seek to understand the relationship between STAT 3 and estrogen in osteoclast functions.  We propose to use the Raw 264.7 cells and knock out the stat3 gene in these cells using the CRISPR/Casp9 method.  The goal of my project is to characterize the the specific region of stat3 gene where the guided RNA binds, sequence the amplified region and perform Real Time Quantitative PCR to analyze the gene expression and Western blot to confirm the loss the STAT3 protein.

Antimicrobial production by Streptomyces- Literature Review, screening, isolation, and Identification of new strains. Ya Ching Tsai and Mangala Tawde. Biological Sciences and Geology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Streptomycin was discovered by Selman Waksman and his colleague Albert Schatz as an antibiotic produced by bacteria Streptomyces in 1943. Since then, Streptomyces, is well characterized as a group of soil Bacteria that produce various antimicrobial compounds as secondary metabolites that are of medicinal importance-- such as antibiotics, antifungals etc. As of now, 2/3^rd of known antibiotics are produced by these bacteria. Streptomycin is part of multi-formula drug regimen to treat Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and also to treat many other infectious diseases. Many of these compounds are produced only when different species are cultured together rather than by growing them in isolation as pure cultures. Interspecies interactions among bacteria have shown to induce secretion of several novel chemical metabolites that is growing these bacteria in co-culture with other bacteria has higher potential to discover novel antimicrobial compounds. We have characterized some of the Streptomyces strains and the interspecies interactions have indicated the production of some novel antimicrobial compounds. The presentation will summarize recent findings in literature such as studies that have targeted bacterial replication process specific in topoisomerase II to prevent the bacteria in developing resistance as well as interspecies interactions and Hormone-like signaling molecules. The aim of our research project is to further investigate these interactions potentially leading to novel antimicrobial compounds and possibly mechanisms of resistance.

Ionic liquid-polymer gels for gas separations. ¹Shameir Nembhard, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ²Nicole Zmich, ³Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, ⁴Edward Castner Jr., and ⁵James Wishart. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry , CUNY Queensborough Community College, ³Chemistry, CUNY Queensborough Community College, ⁴Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, ⁵Chemistry Division , Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Ionic liquids (ILs), with their characteristic low vapor pressures and tunable properties, are potentially suitable for membrane-based separation of gases under vacuum conditions, but their viscosities are too low. Ion gels prepared from ionic liquid-polymer mixtures have shown promise as solid supports that facilitate the separation of gases while retaining IL properties. However, key attributes of ion gels are still poorly understood, and both the structure of the IL and the IL/polymer ratio need to be optimized to achieve good separation of gaseous mixtures. This project aims to develop improved and energy-efficient separation mechanisms that will reduce hazardous gas releases into our environment. We report on the preparation of selected ion gels. Ionic liquids based on tetraalkyl-phosphonium and ammonium cations and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide anions were synthesized and purified in our labs. The alkyl groups on the IL cations were selected by design to form a significant non-polar region, and thus optimized for use as gas separation membranes. The polymeric material used in the ion gels is a common battery development diblock copolymer, PDVF-co-HFP. H-1 and C-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to confirm the structure of the ILs, and they were combined with five weight percent of the di-block co-polymer to produce ion gels. Preliminary results reveal soft, gel-like materials rather than thin membranes. The IL/polymer ratio will be varied to produce membranes optimized for gas separations and the ion gels will be characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, high-energy X-ray scattering and Pulse-Gradient Spin Echo NMR spectroscopy.  

Synthesis of Imidazolium and Pyrrolidinium Thioether-Functionalized Ionic Liquids. ¹Mehreen Mughal, ¹Sharon Lall-Ramnarine, and ²James Wishart. ¹Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Chemistry Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are being extensively investigated as potential electrolytes in electrochemical devices, including rechargeable lithium cells, solar cells, and supercapacitors. However, most ILs have significantly higher viscosities than electrolytes based on conventional solvents, resulting in slower charge transport. Recent reports have shown that replacing IL alkyl side chains with short thioether side chains lowers IL viscosity significantly in imidazolium ILs, but not in pyrrolidinium and phosphonium ILs. We hypothesize that imidazolium NTf₂ ILs with polythioether side chains will exhibit lower viscosities in comparison to those with alkyl and ether side chains. Research reveals data that is largely missing from the literature on the synthesis and characterization of thioether-substituted ILs of varying structural types, particularly those with poly-thioether side chains covalently linked to the N atom of imidazolium and pyrrolidinium cation rings. We report here on the synthesis of imidazolium and pyrrolidinium thioether-functionalized ILs. The ILs were prepared by reacting methylimidazole and methyl pyrrolidine with selected thioether chlorides followed by metathesis with lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide to produce the desired ILs. The structures of the ILs were confirmed using H-1 and C-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This work is a part of a larger collaborative project where we seek to examine the atomistic origin of viscosity by comparing ILs with ether and thioether side chains. Results are expected to make important contributions to the design of ILs optimized for larger-scale use in energy storage devices such as batteries.  

Synthesis of C-2 methylated imidazolium ionic liquids. Ho Martin Yuen and Sharon Lall-Ramnarine. Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Ionic liquids (ILs) continue to attract attention as specialty liquids that can be tailored for a wide range of applications as alternatives to traditional solvents. Particularly, in the capture, storage and utilization of energy that depend on their ability to transport charge as electrolytic fluids. However, their large scale adoption is hampered by their relatively high viscosity which arises from interactions between the ions. Although many researchers focus on reducing viscosity by structural modification of IL ions much remains unclear about the intra- and intermolecular interactions between the side chains on the ions that influence IL properties. We report here on the synthesis and purification of imidazolium ILs where the hydrogen at the C-2 position of the ring was replaced with a methyl group aimed at blocking H-bonding between the side chain, the ring and neighboring ions. The imidazolium cations were synthesized to bear thioether functionalized side chains recently shown to lower IL viscosity. The ILs were prepared by reacting 1,2-dimethylimidazole with selected (alkylthio)alkyl chlorides followed by metathesis with lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide. The structures of the ILs were confirmed by ¹H and ¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This work is part of a larger collaborative project with the Johnson group at Yale University, using spectroscopic studies to assess the role of hydrogen bonding in ether and thioether functionalized ILs as a tool to control ionic liquid viscosities.

Design of Double Reactive Cyanine Dyes. Kiana Korpacz and Zhou Zhou. Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Fluorescent imaging has brought unprecedented insights into both molecular and cellular activities. Cyanine dyes are one of the most widely studied organic fluorophores owing to their photophysical properties and structural variety. The carboxylic acid group in cyanine dyes is chemically activated and covalently bonded to the target biomolecules, but the variety of this approach is limited to carbonyl chemistry. Based on a retro-synthetic analysis, a synthetic route was designed to construct cyanine dyes with both amino and carboxylic acid groups. With two reactive groups, these new dyes could offer more choices in site-specific fluorescent labeling and significantly broaden their applications. Synthetic studies in amino cyanine dyes are rare, probably caused by the reactivity of the amino group. This problem could be circumvented using a Boc-protected heterocycle during the synthesis. Within this project cycle, three general main building blocks will be synthesized, then condensed into amino cyanine dyes by using different commercially available middle pieces. These syntheses will provide three target cyanine dyes with different colors - emission at 550 nm, 650 nm and 750 nm.

Thermodynamic Study of Esterification of Propionic Acid and iso-Propyl Alcohol Using a Microwave Reactor. Lijie Wan and JUN SHIN. Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Microwave reactor is a new technology and has become an invaluable tool adopted in many areas of science laboratories due to the convenience including temperature, pressure and power controls. Application of a microwave reactor was further extended to the thermodynamic study of esterification reactions with the merit of a convenient temperature control of a microwave reactor. The equilibrium constants of the esterification reaction between propionic acid and iso-propyl alcohol at the temperatures of 40 - 80 °C were determined from the initial and equilibrium concentrations of propionic acid through the acid-base titration using a 0.5 M NaOH solution. Thereafter, the thermodynamic data (DH and DS) of the reaction were calculated from the linear relationship between the equilibrium constants obtained (lnK) and the equilibrium temperatures (1/T). The obtained data were compared to the data calculated from the esterification of acetic acid and iso-propyl alcohol which was studied in the past. This result will extend the usage of microwave reactor to a tool of the thermodynamic study which can be easily added to an undergraduate laboratory curriculum. Application of a microwave reactor will make the thermodynamic study easy, simple and faster due to the convenience of the temperature control of the instrument and its safety feature.

Synthesis of N-3-hydroxypropyltrichloroacetamide: Possible precursor to polyurethane. Jonathan Lee and JUN SHIN. Chemistry Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Polyurethanes are prepared from polyesters, glycols, or diisocyanates which have a sequence of NNOO unit. However, the polyurethane which may be produced from the reaction of hexachloroacetone (HCA) and aminoalcohol has a sequence of NONO unit. Therefore, this different sequence unit of polyurethane may give different properties from the typical polyurethanes, and will lead to new plastic materials. In the previous project, the reaction of HCA with 2-aminoethanol gave N-2-hydroxyethyltrichloroacetamide in high yield at 0 ºC. The prepared hydroxyamide compound was further reacted with another HCA to activate the OH group of the compound in polar solvents such as DMSO, and yielded N-ethylenetrichloroacetamidotrichloroacetate, Cl₃CCO₂CH₂CH₂NHC(O)CCl₃, which can be also utilized in preparing a polyurethane. This project focuses on synthesizing the N-3-hydroxypropyltrichloroacetamide, HOCH₂CH₂CH₂NHC(O)CCl₃, and N-propylenetrichloroacetamidotrichloroacetate, Cl₃CCO₂CH₂CH₂CH₂NHC(O)CCl₃, by reacting 3-aminopropanol with one and two equivalents of HCA. The latter compound will be further reacted with 3-aminopropanol to synthesize polyurethane, [-O-C(O)-N(CH₂)₃-]_n, which is new type of polyurethane with NONO sequence unit.

Prevent catastrophic flooding during hurricane season by improving the architecture of homes.. Zircarmel Dorcely and Huixin Wu. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Many homeowners are financially and emotionally impacted when natural catastrophes such as hurricanes strike their houses. Flooding is among the effects of a storm and hurricane. This project originated after Hurricane Ida flooded numerous residences in New York, inflicting economic damage and even lives. The purpose of the project is to develop various changes to existing houses in order to reduce the impact of floods. It entails creating a model of a house and determining the height that the water from a flood may reach the house based on the various prototypes of barriers surrounding it.

Pulsatile Pipe Flow. Steven Lleshi and Dugwon Seo. Engineering Technology Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Various pulsatile flow conditions of a liquid in a rigid pipe can result in differing types of flow behaviors. A pulsatile flow, which is a flow that has a dynamic variation, can be classified as both a turbulent and laminar flow. Laminar flows are "smooth" and it flows in one set path. Turbulent flows are the opposite of laminar flows, that are rough, it flows not in one set path. The flow pattern is predictable by the Reynolds number and the transition between these two flows can be studied by varying the Reynolds number and Womersley number. The experimental setup uses a piston to generate the pulses for the flow, and a laser and camera for Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Glass particles were poured into the water of the pipe in order to be seen by a high-speed camera that was placed underneath the pipe at a vertical position, and a laser was pointed at the pipe for lighting the particles in order to collect data reliably. The data of a case at a Reynold's Number of 2000 was plotted using MATLAB and analyzed using PIVlab. The turbulent properties, velocity profiles, and Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) are analyzed in this research.

A monument in my honor: The toppling of the statue of Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Chase Regil and Carolina Chaves-O'Flynn. Foreign Languages and Literature Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In recent months, several anti-racist movements in the United States have led to the toppling of important statues related to the Civil War and its legacy in that country. Similarly, the toppling of historical statues has been a long-standing practice of resistance in Latin America. The vast majority of cases concerning the Conquest, the colonial legacy of power, and the dictatorships imposed in several countries. This presentation critically explores the debate surrounding the 1961 destruction of a statue of dictator Rafael Trujillo after the fall of his regime.

Is it history or humiliation? What does the statue of Sebastían de Belalcázar in Colombia represent?. Arelis Concepcion and Carolina Chaves-O'Flynn. Foreign Languages and Literature Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In recent months, several anti-racist movements in the United States have led to the toppling of important statues related to the Civil War and its legacy in that country. Similarly, the toppling of historical statues has been a long-standing practice of resistance in Latin America. The majority of cases refer to the Conquest, the colonial legacy of power and dictatorships imposed in various countries. This presentation critically explores the current debate surrounding the demolition of the statue of the conquistador Sebastían de Belalcázar in Colombia by indigenous communities who were outraged by its existence. The iconic monument to the Spanish conquistador fell for the second time this year after a day of widespread protests against the current administration.

Alvin Ailey Research Project. Shivam Patel and Carrie Stern. Health, Physical Education, and Dance, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

This presentation will focus on the choreographer Alvin Ailey and his contribution to, and construction of his work in dance. Alvin Ailey established himself as a pioneer of modern dance with a uniquely Black-dance-oriented movement vocabulary and a repertoire influenced by the incorporation of then new modern dance techniques and the establishment of new approaches to choreography. Ailey used inspiration from other dance styles including classical ballet, jazz, gospels etc., while creating his own style. Ailey pulled from his childhood experiences in the church adding globalized approaches. Choreographers Lester Horton and Martha Graham were massive influences on Ailey. Their ideas helped shape the direction of his choreography and dance technique. This presentation will focus on several ideas that are all a part of Ailey's dance. "Wade in The Water", a section from his work Revelations is an example that establishes the confluence of elements that make up Ailey's style. I will analyze "Wade in The Water" to illustrate specific styles, movements, and other incorporated elements of Ailey's dance. Ailey was also opinionated with his own beliefs of what/who dance was for. I will explore how these opinions influenced how he danced and spread dance. Ailey's legacy is still present in pop culture today as seen in the TV show Pose. Ailey Dance Studios, completed under the direction of Artistic Director Judith Jamison in 1989 are still very influential in training 100s of different level dancers a year to enter the dance world with Ailey's principles living in their bodies. 

The Goodman's Wife: A Marriage Manual of Medieval Paris. Caitlin Rushton and Emily Tai. History Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

How much agency did upper-class women in late 14th century Paris have? Common popular media often depicts stereotypes of particularly oppressive, yet pampered conditions for these women in medieval Western Europe. This presentation will discuss the 1392 marriage guide Le Menagier de Paris ("The Goodman of Paris") in which the "Goodman" directs his new bride in traditional housekeeping responsibilities (like cooking, cleaning, and gardening), religious observations, and proper social conduct. However, it also includes strong elements of this man's desire for her to fulfill an emotional caretaker role as a genuine life companion. The "Goodman" expects a high level of physical and emotional labor from his wife that defies some of the tropes of a decadent, laissez-faire lifestyle of the medieval nobility. I will examine the ways in which high-born married women asserted more hands-on control over their lives in terms their household and personal sway over their husband's affairs and in their marriages. I will be focusing on how the "Goodman of Paris" offers a more intimate perspective of a medieval marriage behind closed doors: it paints a picture of an incredibly hard-working woman who enjoyed power, influence, and autonomy.

KHC Exhibition Research-The Art of Samuel Bak. Alexander Djogovic, Marisa Hollywood, and Victoria Fernandez. Kupferberg Holocaust Center, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In this presentation, KHC Student Intern Alexander Djogovic discusses his research on the work of Samuel Bak - an artist whose paintings reflect the tragedy of the Holocaust as a survivor from Lithuania. The KHC exhibited several of Bak's paintings in 2009; however, except for the exhibition catalog, there are few resources to accompany the past exhibition. Djogovic researched biographical information of the artist to better understand his experience during the Holocaust and its influence on his artistic style, as well as explored additional exhibitions of Samuel Bak's paintings at other galleries. As a student in the Art and Design Department at QCC, Djovogic also chose three paintings from the catalog in which he further analyzed and provided an in-depth description of the artwork.

KHC Exhibition Research-The Concentration Camps: Inside the Nazi System of Incarceration and Genocide Virtual Tour Development. Alexia Wang, Marisa Hollywood, and Victoria Fernandez. Kupferberg Holocaust Center, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In this presentation, KHC Curatorial Fellow Alexia (Bin) Wang discusses her role in the physical installation of the KHC's newest original exhibition - "The Concentration Camps: Inside the Nazi System of Incarceration," where she assisted the curatorial team with tasks including lighting, artifact handling, design, and research. She also presents the research she conducted on assessing various types of virtual tours produced at Holocaust history organizations around the world.

KHC Exhibition Research-Their Brother's Keepers: American Liberators of Nazi Death Camps. Nicholas Florido, Marisa Hollywood, and Victoria Fernandez. Kupferberg Holocaust Center, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In this presentation, KHC Student Intern discusses how he developed additional resources for the KHC exhibition, "Their Brother's Keepers: American Liberators of Nazi Death Camps." Florido examined the exhibition catalog to familiarize himself with the experiences of American soldiers who liberated concentration camps across Europe. He then conducted research to find other relevant materials that could accompany the catalog, including an annotated list of selected interviews with liberators which are accessible online. After reviewing the artifacts on display for the current exhibition at the KHC, Florido explored the online collection at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for historical objects found and donated by liberators. He included images of the artifacts with detailed descriptions, along with the personal backgrounds of the liberators who donated the materials.

Integer Values of Generating Functions for Fibonacci-like Sequences. Fariya Chowdhury and Andrew Bulawa. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Associated with any sequence of numbers is a polynomial, possibly containing infinitely many terms, whose coefficients are the numbers in the sequence. This polynomial is called a generating function for the sequence. A recent paper made the observation that the generating function for the well known Fibonacci sequence {F_n} has an interesting property, namely that the function is integer valued when evaluated at ratios F_n/F_(n+1) of subsequent terms of the sequence. The paper also conjectured that such ratios are the *only* rational numbers that will produce integer values this way. This conjecture was proved true in a later paper. The goal of this research project is to extend these results to sequences more general than the Fibonacci sequence. In particular, it appears that analogous results hold true for sequences which arise as integer solutions to the so-called generalized Pell equations, my^2-x^2=d, where m and d are integers. This project will explore whether these sequences, like the Fibonacci sequence (which arises from m=5, d=4 or -4), and their associated generating functions also exhibit the properties described above.

Feature Selection for Machine Learning Based Stock Market Return Prediction. REETU SINGH and YUSUF DANISMAN. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

[Abstract] Short- and long-term prediction tasks for stock market data is an active research area in the field of financial machine learning. These tasks can be done either by predicting the direction (increase/decrease) or return (change) of a stock (closing) price. This project aims to develop innovative machine learning models to achieve better stock market return predictions. This is a regression task since the return values of stocks are the target values. Existence of extensive number of technical and non-technical indicators (features) that might affect the stock price and volatility in the stock market are the most challenging parts of this regression task. Therefore, feature selection should be done very meticulously. In this project, feature selection will be done to improve success rates of machine learning algorithms on stock market data.

Predicting the Direction of Stock Market Prices Using Dynamic Thresholds. SAMARAGYEE DHUNGEL and YUSUF DANISMAN. Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Abstract: Machine learning algorithms are used in a wide range of disciplines, including stock market forecasting. These can be accomplished by either using a classification task to predict the direction of stock prices or using a regression task to predict return values. This research attempts to create cutting-edge machine learning algorithms that can better anticipate stock market direction. This is a classification problem, and depending on the price movement, fixed or dynamic thresholds can be utilized to categorize the days as positive, negative, or flat. The success of machine learning algorithms depends heavily on determining proper thresholds. The goal of this research is to optimize thresholds for various machine learning algorithms. In this project explanatory data analysis, develop machine learning algorithms, evaluate models, visualize data using Python codes will be done.

Use of Female External Urinary Catheters and Incidence of CAUTIs: A Limited Literature Review. ¹Michelle Rivera, ¹Randelle Sasa, ²Genelyn Laygo, ²Edward Liu, ²Kaseem Mayfield, ²Laxmie Ramsudh, ²Dimpal Vaghela, ²Janessa Wallerson, and ²Melissa Totan. ¹Nursing Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Nursing Department, QCC.

Incidence of catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) is an important quality indicator in healthcare. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality projected that treatment for CAUTIs cost $340 to 450 million annually. CAUTIs are also the most common healthcare associated infection causing prolonged morbidity, mortality, and suffering to patients. Use of female external urinary catheters (FEUCs) only began in 2016, compared to male external urinary catheters that have been in use for decades. FEUCs have since increased in popularity since women are three times more likely than men to develop UTIs. This led the proponents to ask: "Does use of FEUCs in healthcare institutions decrease incidence of CAUTIs?" A limited literature review was conducted to answer this question. Findings from this review indicate that use of FEUCs decrease incidence of CAUTIs in healthcare institutions. However, evidence that support use of FEUCs are limited and low-level due to novelty. Further studies ought to be conducted in this regard.

Why are Healthcare Professionals Resistant to the Covid-19 Vaccines?. Nayma Akbar, Philip Nelan, Jessica Prepetit, Weina Bei, Sonja Stockton, Ekpo Ironbar Ironbar, Malgorzata Zych, and Abigail Izrailova Izrailova. Nursing Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In March 2019, the world experienced the devastating effects of a new virus called Covid-19, also know as the coronavirus or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2. To date there have been 47,471,270 cases in the United States, resulting in over 768,619 deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). No other profession was more affected by this disease as were healthcare professionals who cared for patients diagnosed with Covid-19 and placed themselves at risk for being infected with this disease. Starting in December 2020, there was a roll-out of vaccines, Pfizer- BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Janseen which helps individuals develop immunity to the Covid-19 virus and ending the pandemic. Effectiveness of these vaccines in providing immunity range from 65% to 95% and yet healthcare professionals are resistant to receiving the vaccines. WHY?

Urban noise propagation and public health. Kaila Pulley and Kim Riegel. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Noise is an experience that people are constantly having to endure, especially in urban areas. It can be described as unwanted sounds generated by sources throughout an environment. Exposure to noise effects the health of the public on a global scale. Rising noise levels across the globe are aspects of the environment people are required to endure and adapt to, which is creating a public health crisis. The effects of more frequent exposure to noise have been studied and proven to result in adverse health conditions for people. Through the mobile application developed by our research lab, we aim to collect annoyance data through a qualitative and quantitative approach to better understand the human reaction to the noises New York City residents are exposed to throughout their day. Utilizing an application, accessible via the iOS AppStore, allows for equal agency in who can contribute to the developing research of noise exposure on public health. Conclusions and correlations about the effects of noise exposure will be made upon further data collection through the mobile application.

Electronics data acquisition for cosmic ray detector. Runze Sun and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

We are building an electronics data acquisition system for a cosmic ray particle astrophysics detector. The project is programming an Arduino Mega micro-controller board to receive and process digital and analog data from a DAQ front end circuit board, a GPS receiver, and atmospheric sensors. We are resolving a problem where the Arduino interrupt function incorrectly interprets single signals as multiple signals.

Cosmic Ray/Muon Detection. Fabio Morais and Raul Armendariz. Physics Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

We are designing an electronics circuit board for a cosmic ray particle physics DAQ system. The project involves programming an Arduino Mega microcontroller board's digital input using interrupt functions to detect square wave signals; a GPS antenna and receiver are used for timekeeping.  We are trying to fix a problem in the code where the Arduino's interrupt function incorrectly interprets single signals as multiple signals. ​

The Criminal Justice System: The Effects of Personal Experiences and Exposure on Choice of Major and Career Goals. ¹Yohrdana Calle-Palma, ¹Celia Sporer, and ²John Schriner. ¹Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364, ²Library Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Criminal Justice is a very popular choice of major among college students. There has been a very notable increase in the amount of students who choose to major in Criminal Justice. Although there has been a handful of research on the increased popularity of the criminal justice major, the research never seems to go deep enough to deliver more than just a broad conceptual answer and fails to address the changing social and political environment in which students are selecting their major. With the recent events of the Black Lives Matter movement, the death of George Floyd, and other highly charged publicized events, there is little doubt that a larger portion of the population is becoming more involved with the Criminal Justice System. How and why these individuals are becoming involved is also likely changing. Many have turned to social media to advocate for equal treatment and police reformation and a greater number have gained the confidence to share their stories about their own experiences with law enforcement. Formally engaging and participation in the criminal justice system is also a component of this evolution. This study's primary research question focuses on how personal experiences and exposure to recent current events impacted students' decisions to major in Criminal Justice and how they plan to use that major in their long term career goals in order to start to understand emerging trends in criminal justice education and occupations.

What Role Does Genetics Play In Addiction - Diahann M. Perez and Dr. Patrick Byers. Diahann Perez, Patrick Byers, and Patrick Byers. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

In the U.S, there are approximately 231,034 people who suffer from addiction (Statista). The DSM-V recognizes addiction as Substance Use Disorder. The ever-growing drug abuse epidemic could have a contributing genetic factor. An individual is made up of their phenotype, which is their observable traits, and genotype, which is their DNA inherited from their family. Addiction is a phenotypic trait. This research will divulge how much of a role those genetics play in addiction. Specifically, could genes influence the function of the dopamine receptors, which is the primary part of the brain involved with addiction? Research shows addiction to be moderately to highly heritable, but there are still questions regarding the contribution of specific genetic factors.

An Investigation of Factors Influencing Personal Reporting of Communication Apprehension in Community College Students.. Sinai Gamez and Rommel Robertson. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Communication competence is important in all areas of life but especially in academic learning environments.  Effective communication requires having the knowledge and skills needed to communicate, a willingness to communicate, and being afforded adequate opportunities to communicate. Most academic environments provide students with learning experiences that foster the development of effective communication skills, yet some students experience communication apprehension. Communication apprehension (CA) refers to an individual's level of fear or anxiety toward either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons. While factors such as shyness and self-perceived communication competence have been shown to influence willingness to communicate, this study investigated the influence of factors such as gender, college major, English proficiency on college students Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA).  A total of 55 Queensborough Community College students completed 34 item survey that included 24 items from the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) scale as well as 10 additional demographic questions. Independent Samples t-test results showed no significant differences in communication apprehension with regard to gender, college major, and English proficiency. The obtained results could be due to a small sample size and the over representation of female participants in the study sample. Additional research is needed to provide a better understanding of communication apprehension in community college students. 

Children on the Move and in the News: Reports of Child Emigres in New York State Media, 1853-1929. Tsz Wa Ellen Chu and Amy Traver. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

From 1853-1929, the Children's Aid Society (CAS), a protestant child-saving organization, emigrated thousands of New York City dependent children to family farms across the United States. Notably, many of these children were placed with Upstate New York farm families. In this presentation, findings from a content analysis of 79 years of New York State newspaper articles published in 17 counties on the CAS' child placement work related to New York State will be used to augment historical-sociological literatures at the intersection of childhood, social welfare, mobility, place-based, and urban/rural studies. Among four recurring significant themes observed in this study, the theme of home placement advertisements will be the focus for this presentation.

Just Get Over It? How Relational Bullying Leaves Long-Lasting Depression in Young Adults. Irene Amoh and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Bullying is an imbalance of power between the bully and victim and is defined as the act of intentionally harming, intimidating, or coercing the victim repeatedly. Three types of bullying are physical, verbal, and relational. Relational bullying is the social exclusion and spreading of rumors about the victim, often associated with girls. Bullying is still seen as an issue of less importance with minimal consequences when it can significantly affect mental health. Mental health disorders such as depression, in young adults negatively impacts their quality of life and adolescent relational bullying can be a factor, posing as a serious risk and threat to the health of many young adults. This proposed study will examine how relational bullying during high school adolescence affects adolescent development and relationships with others that trigger depressive symptoms in young adulthood. Queensborough Community College student will be recruited.  Participants will be asked to complete an online survey that includes questions about demographic variables, depressive symptoms, social support, and history of relational bullying during high school. It is expected that relational bullying during high school will be associated with depressive symptoms. It is also expected that decreased social support will be associated with increased depressive symptoms. The results of this study can be used to identify, and raise awareness for, mental health symptoms associated with adolescent relational bullying. Future research can examine other mental health disorders stemming from adolescent relational bullying and the importance of seeking mental health treatment.

Through the Mind's Eye: Mental Health Symptoms Following Cataract Diagnosis and Treatment. Gabriel Fattakhov and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Cataract is a clouding of the clear lens of the eye. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is a bit like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. Luckily there's a treatment known as cataract surgery which replaces that cloudy lens with an intraocular lens (IOL) transplant. The success rate of the procedure is about 99 percent. Patients begin to develop cataract around the age of 40 but the vision impairment usually begins around 65 where the doctor may begin to recommend the procedure. The main focus of this study is to determine the psychological effects of receiving a cataract diagnosis, finding out they need cataract surgery, and how they feel after the procedure. Participants will be recruited through a participating ophthalmology practice which has given permission to the researcher to recruit current patients. No identifying information will be collected, and all data will be coded and kept confidential. Questions will assess participants' feelings after having received a diagnosis of cataracts and after learning of the required treatment. For those participants who previously had the surgery, questions will be asked measuring their feelings about the surgery. Data will be analyzed to examine the relationship among the variables. It is hypothesized that patients will report various and mixed feelings regarding the diagnosis and surgery. The results of this study will contribute to the literature on patient feelings towards both the diagnosis of, and surgery for, cataracts.

Anticipating the Effects of Technological Change: Lessons of the past. Melanie Jerez de Rodriguez, Patrick Byers, and Patrick Byers. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

Since the dawn of the 21st century, technology use has been on the rise worldwide. Research data has demonstrated a dramatic increase in the use of digital devices and social media platforms leading to questions and concerns regarding the effects of these subsequent revolutions in technology. While the research is compelling, historical evidence concerning the effects of previous technological advancements and the ways these were understood is fundamental to understanding the changes currently underway. Plato, writing in 370 BC, expressed concerns toward the transition from orality to literacy. While valid, his concerns reveal a significant lack of awareness to the new ways of life that literacy would bring about. It also bears a striking resemblance to current assessments of the effects of digital technology and social media, suggesting that our contemporary understanding of these emerging technologies and the changes occurring today is conceivably limited.

Impact of Covid 19 on EMS Workers. Aysha Asif, Celia Sporer, and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

There have been a number of research studies that have been undertaken during the COVID 19 pandemic. Many of these studies have focused on the mental health and wellbeing of frontline and healthcare workers. These studies have focused on anxiety, depression, burnout, suicidal ideation and overall stress. These studies seem to suggest that these workers are at greater risk for negative mental health consequences and suggests that the impact pack may be both short and long term. This study proposed to examine the current mental health of EMS providers who were active during the height of the pandemic. The goal of the study is to determine if these individuals continue to show heightened level of negative mental health symptoms and how they compare other health care and front line workers. A sample of these workers will be recruited to complete an online survey and it is hypothesized that they will continue to be negatively impacted by COVID and EMS providers will show higher level of negative symptoms compared other groups.

The Effects of Remote Learning on Academic Resiliency. Cymone Grant and Jody Resko. Social Sciences Department, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY 11364.

When it comes to COVID-19, it took the entire world by surprise. This has been the most tumultuous year for the majority of people. It is no surprise, however, that the pandemic has been incredibly challenging for college students worldwide. By the spring semester of 2020, colleges were forced to adjust their operations from learning in person to entirely online. This shift to online learning has impacted students academically, mentally, and financially. During this time students not only faced adversity, but they also faced the stress of having to adapt to this new way of learning. Academically, many students were simply burned out and overwhelmed. This study will 1) identify the effect of remote learning on student resiliency in a community college; and 2) determine the relationship between resiliency and remote learning. Students from Queensborough Community College who attended the college during the pandemic will comprise the sample. Students will complete a brief demographic survey as well as questions that measure their resiliency as far as how they were able to adapt with regard to remote learning and how they did academically throughout the pandemic.