MAJOR CHOICE FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN**

This study investigated the impact of demographics on undergraduate major choice, with a focus on African American women at Spelman College, a private Historically Black College in Atlanta, GA. Previous research on career choice has explored factors such as personal interests, career aspirations, academic performance, and personality, but limited studies have examined the influence of demographics like gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and geographical location. An online survey study administered through Qualtrics aimed to address the unique barriers Black women face in pursuing higher education, particularly within STEM fields to enhance support structures that promote diversity and inclusivity. The researchers hypothesized significant relationships between SES and the likelihood of choosing STEM majors. Preliminary data (N=16) shows that STEM majors come from diverse SES backgrounds (9.1% = low SES, 54.5% = middle SES, 36.4% = high SES), whereas non-STEM majors were all middle SES. A second hypothesis predicted that SES would interact with whether or not students were in a STEM or non-STEM major to predict stress levels. Early data could not test the interaction, but preliminary data showed means in the expected direction with lower mean stress (M = 1.64, SD = 0.60) for high SES than middle SES (M = 2.11, SD = 0.53). Data collection is expected to be completed with about 60 participants by February 2025 which will allow researchers to better test the hypotheses. The study\u27s findings will contribute to understanding the factors leading to major choice and inform initiatives to support underrepresented groups in higher education. This research is crucial for universities and policymakers to address financial and mental strain associated with major choice and to bridge the gap between desired and current majors

AI IN THE CLASSROOM: CHATGPT\u27S PERFORMANCE IN INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS

An in-depth evaluation of ChatGPT, a large language model, within the realm of physics education is presented. The study draws on data from several introductory physics courses at SUNY Farmingdale State College, Valdosta State University, and Fairmont State University, covering both algebra-based and calculus-based curricula. By systematically testing ChatGPT with homework assignments, class exams, and final assessments from these courses, the study aimed to evaluate the AI\u27s performance across various physics topics, levels of difficulty, and institutional settings. The selection of these specific courses was driven by the desire to examine how ChatGPT engages with different physics curricula, teaching methods, and academic environments. Through a comparative analysis of ChatGPT\u27s performance, the study provides valuable insights into the role of AI technologies in the field of physics education

Changes in Morphology, Phenology, and Demography of Several Avian Species Over 18 Years at a Restored Grassland

In response to a changing climate and the loss of habitat, avian species are displaying changes in body size, migration phenology, and demography. Several species have adhered to Allen’s and Bergmann’s rules by displaying increased wing length and decreased mass, respectively, over time in response to higher temperatures. Climate change has also resulted in earlier spring migration and depending on species, either earlier or later fall migration. Finally, species affected by habitat loss often display male-skewed sex ratios and juvenile skewed age ratios. Our goal was to determine how body size, migration phenology, and demography have changed for grassland birds over 17 years. We used data from birds captured in mist-nets between 2007 and 2024 at a restored grassland, and fit generalized linear models (body size and migration phenology) and linear regressions (age and sex ratios). Contrary to Allen and Bergmann’s rules, three species displayed shorter wings and two showed greater fat-free mass over time; this is likely in response to changes in climate variability, rather than increasing mean temperatures, or it is unrelated to climate change. One species, unexpectedly, exhibited later spring migration, possibly due to longer migration distances or increased severe weather events during migration, and two species exhibited later fall migration, consistent with other literature. One species displayed a male-skewed sex ratio, possibly a result of increased predation at Panola Mountain State Park or an indication of a declining capture rate for that species. One species showed a juvenile-skewed age ratio, likely due to increased fecundity resulting from improved habitat, or mist netting resulted in a biased sample

A COMPACT MICROSTRIP BASED PATCH ANTENNA FOR MULTIBAND APPLICATIONS**

Microsctrip based microwave antenna designs are becoming an integral part for a vast range of wireless devices such as cell phones, wireless routers and satellite communication devices. Our proposed microstrip structure is based on a di-electric substrate commonly known as FR4 substrate which is sandwiched between two metallic layers. These structures are highly effective for implimentaion due to their miniature size, simplicity and low-cost. Our proposed design can find applications in telecommunication, satellite communication and defense applications

FTA™ Card Use for Detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in Wild Birds

Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards are increasingly accepted as an accurate method for nucleic acid detection, including testing for the presence of various avian diseases. However, the accuracy of FTA cards for detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) in wild birds has not been published. Traditional techniques for testing MG in birds include serum plate agglutanation (SPA), hemagglutination inhibition (HI), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) all of which are time consuming and require significant financial investment into specialized equipment. We tested the efficacy of using FTA cards to detect MG in wild bird carcasses collected in the Atlanta, Georgia region. MG is primarily a respiratory disease, so we extracted trachea, lung, and duodenum tissue for testing. We compared tissue samples imprinted onto FTA cards to the same tissue samples processed using traditional molecular methods. We tested 204 individual birds via 506 paired samples for a total of 1,012 samples. Our results indicated a 96.2% similarity between FTA cards and traditional tissue sampling for the presence of MG in wild birds. The use of FTA cards for sampling wild birds for diseases would increase the ease of sample collection while maintaining sample accuracy

HIP MOBILITY EFFECTS ON BAT SPEED IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL

Swing sports athletes must be capable of carrying out the motions required to hit a ball great distances. An athlete’s range of motion (ROM) in the hips is, therefore, essential for having a successful athletic career. In swing sports like baseball and softball, athletes rotate around the body’s center; thus, the hips must have an optimal ROM for force generation. The purpose of this experiment was to identify if hip mobility has an effect on bat speed in swing sports. Twenty-five swing sport athletes (20 male and 5 female) were sampled in this study. A goniometer measured the athlete\u27s internal and external hip ROM in both the lead and launch hips. The participants took five swings from a tee with a sensor attached to the knob of the bat so that an average bat speed could be calculated. Pearson correlation tests showed no significant associations between lead hip internal (p = .88, r = .03), lead hip external (p = .15, r = .3), or launch hip external ROM (p = .44, r = .16) and average bat speed. However, a significant positive relationship was found between launch hip internal ROM and average bat speed (p=.01, r = .5). Therefore, the hip\u27s range of motion has been shown to have moderate to no effect on the swing speed of baseball and softball players. However, as internal hip rotation ROM in the launch leg increases, bat speed increases. This research can be used in swing sport training to further develop athletes and allow them to make minute adjustments to be able to perform at the highest of their anatomical abilities

UNIFIED STUDY OF THE CLASSICAL HALL EFFECT

Germanium (Ge) samples with different doping types, acceptors (p-type) and donors (n-type), were studied to investigate charge carrier behavior. Carrier concentrations were found to be 1.16×10^21 m^(-3) for the p-type sample and 7.337×10^20 m^(-3) for the n-type sample. These experiments were conducted for the standard Hall effect (Hall voltage versus low magnetic field (B) values) as well as conductivity and Hall voltage versus temperature for different B-fields. The measurements versus temperature at zero-field allow us to obtain band gap ( Eg). While we investigate the conductivities for n-type and p-type doped samples, we also study the conductivity of an undoped Ge sample from which we obtained an energy gap of Eg=0.651eV which compares well with the known value of 0.67eV at room temperature. While it is commonly known that the classical Hall voltage is linear with B-fields, not so common is the behavior of the classical Hall voltage with temperature, especially for both n-type and p-type samples. Thus, we derive a general Hall voltage formula for semiconductors that unifies the understanding of both n-type and p-type carriers. Our experimental results are analyzed with the unified theory using MATLAB. An example MATLAB program is also included to perform calculations with our unified Hall voltage expression

THE ROLE OF ADENOVIRUS PROTEIN E4 11K IN P BODY PROTEIN RELOCALIZATION**

Adenoviruses (Ad) can cause diseases, such as the common cold and conjunctivitis. E4 11k is an important viral protein that regulates late gene expression. E4 11k has been shown to disrupt cellular function by relocalizing processing body (p body) proteins to cytoplasmic aggresomes. Aggresomes are sites of misfolded protein storage and only arise when there is cellular stress. The scaffolding p body protein, Ddx6, has been shown to colocalize with E4 11k in aggresomes during a wild-type Ad infection. Ddx6, however, was not relocalized to cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-induced aggresomes. This suggests that E4 11k is necessary for the relocalization of Ddx6. We observed the localization of additional p body proteins (Lsm1, Edc3, and Pat1b) in human lung (A549) cells following wild-type Ad infection and CdCl2 treatment. Lsm1 and Edc3 were relocalized to both infection- and chemically-induced aggresomes. Pat1b, however, was not relocalized to either infection or chemically induced aggresomes. Additionally, we infected A549 cells with three E4 11k-expressing viruses: E4 11k (wild-type), L103A mutant, and D105A/L106A (DL) mutant viruses. The L103A mutant cannot oligomerize but has the ability to dimerize, while the DL mutant virus displays some form of multimerization. Current observations indicate that E4 11k is necessary and sufficient to relocalize Ddx6 to the aggresome and that the level of protein folding present may affect certain functions of p body relocalization. Using these mutant viruses, we hope to determine if the oligomerization from E4 11k is required for aggresome formation. In addition, we want to observe the different p body proteins to determine if their localization during mutant virus infection is altered. We hope to better understand the dynamics of p body and aggresome formation in human cells

STREAM CHARACTERISTICS AND MACROINVERTEBRATE MONITORING THROUGH SEASON CHANGE**

Organisms are susceptible to a wide variety of abiotic environmental changes such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrate and nitrite concentrations. These environmental factors may especially impact macroinvertebrates that live within rivers differently across seasons. Many of these macroinvertebrates serve as food sources for other organisms and are therefore essential to the integrity of the ecosystem. The presence and relative abundance of macroinvertebrates has been used as a proxy to indicate the water quality of stream systems. We hypothesized that there would be changes observed within the populations of macroinvertebrates and abiotic water quality parameters monitored over seasons. Weekly, from August until November 2024, we surveyed macroinvertebrate populations using methods from Georgia Adopt-a-Stream and took abiotic measurements of water quality parameters in a section of the Little Tennessee River near Dillard, Georgia. Of the parameters tested, only water temperature significantly influenced macroinvertebrate presence and relative abundance (p \u3c 0.05). These results could show how changes in temperature due to global warming might affect aquatic ecosystems such as the Little Tennessee River. The lack of significance from other variables may indicate that we should focus conservation efforts on maintaining current water temperature of streams. Future studies could investigate the impact of different substrates within the streams and their effect on water temperature across seasons

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIP AND KNEE ANGLES AND THE JUMP FORCE PRODUCED

In the world of sports and human movement, not many aspects capture our fascination as much as the power and explosive force generated by athletes during dynamic actions like jumping, sprinting, and cutting maneuvers. While several factors influence force generation, the relationship between hip and knee angles and generating force is gaining attention today. This research study investigated if a hip and knee angle of 100° was optimal to generate maximum force during various physical activities and exercises. Understanding the ideal knee joint position that yields the highest force output is crucial for improving performance in sports, rehabilitation, and overall health. Seventeen collegiate baseball players participated in this study. The participants performed three countermovement jumps at their desired angles. The results were recorded using a force plate, and the hip and knee angles were recorded using a goniometer while the athlete was stationary in their preferred jump position. Statistical analysis included a Pearson r-test to calculate a correlation between the knee angles and the force produced and regression analysis to show the strength and significance of the relationship between knee angles and force produced. A Pearson’s R test was conducted to indicate if a correlation exists between hip joint angle (p = .17, r = .36) and knee joint angle (p =.29, r = .29) with the jump force produced. No statistical significance or strong correlation was found. The hip angle that produced the most force (on average of the 3 jumps) was 90°. The knee angle that produced the most force (on average of the 3 jumps) was 116°. Therefore, the hypothesis that an approximate hip and knee angle of 100° will produce the maximum force was rejected. These results indicate athletes should participate in form-specific training to gain increased force production, optimizing a smaller hip-over-knee angle ratio