NEAR INFRARED STUDY OF HYDRATION OF AQUEOUS HYDROXIDE **

The near infrared (NIR) and visible spectrum of the hydroxide anion (OH-) has been measured in aqueous solutions. We observe broad spectroscopic bands due to hydrogen-bonded water along with relatively narrow transitions due to hydroxide. All of the observed spectroscopic transitions are due to excitation of multiple quanta of O-H stretching vibrations. We have observed hydroxide stretching vibration transitions from 0 - 3 up to 0 - 6. Including data from previous infrared and Raman experiments yields the first determination of the spectroscopic constants, we, wexe and weye wfor the aqueous OH- anion. In careful measurements in the region of the 0-3 transition of aqueous OH-, we observe a new spectral transition that we attribute to the overtone spectrum of water molecules that are strongly hydrogen-bonded to the OH- anion. In further experiments, we have observed changes in this spectrum as a function of the OH- concentration, and we attribute the change in the spectrum to be due to changes in the number of water molecules that hydrogen bond to OH-, suggesting that the hydration number (n) of OH⁻(H₂O)ₙ is not constant but concentration-dependent. These results indicate that the hydration of OH⁻ ions in aqueous solutions are more complex than previously assumed, with implications for understanding solvation and ion-water interactions

Bat Observation During a Solar Eclipse in Georgia

Eclipses are astronomical phenomena that occur infrequently enough, either spatially or temporally, that for most animals, experiencing an eclipse may only happen once in a lifetime. Thus, an eclipse can provide a unique combination of meteorological and environmental conditions, through which animal behavior can be evaluated. In this study we observed and documented bat behavior (order Chiroptera) in northwest Georgia during a partial solar eclipse in 2024. Using passive acoustic monitors at locations recognized as high quality bat habitat, we detected a single hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) 5 minutes before the solar eclipse peak. The bat was first detected via acoustic monitor and then observed by researchers. Although we only recorded activity in one individual, this observation demonstrates that eclipses may elicit unusual behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of bat activity during a solar eclipse with corroborating acoustic evidence. More research is warranted to fully understand this behavioral phenomenon

THE BIZZARE RANKINGS OF GEORGIA PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AS THEY ARE CLEANING UP THE ELITES\u27 MESS AND EDUCATING THE MASS FOR LESS

Some of the most persistent, nationwide, K-16 science misconceptions regarding the flow of energy and matter in ecosystems were found to be rooted in the intuitive beliefs of R. Feynman, a Nobel Prize laureate, graduated from MIT and Princeton and lectured at Cornell and Caltech (Said, 2024). At Georgia public universities, these misconceptions were long identified, challenged, and possible remedy measures were proposed (Said, 2009; Said and Martin-Hansen, 2019). Recently, the 2025 Best National Universities - US News Ranking, placed Georgia State University (GSU) at #4 among the nation\u27s Best Undergraduate Teaching . On the other hand, and as a result of another reputational survey by the 2025 World University Ranking (Times Higher Education), the two largest Georgia public universities, University of Georgia (UGA) and GSU, received the failing teaching scores of 42.2 and 31.3/100, respectively. Given the contradictory results of the two reputational ranking systems leaves us to question the validity of reputational surveys altogether. The academic performance at Georgia\u27s two public universities, UGA and GSU, is quantitatively assessed using the quantifiable and comparable data of official course evaluations, and the most recent reputational survey results are compared and contrasted with actual performance indicators. In 2023, GSU alone, admitted 27,610 students with an in-state cost of $10,500, compared to 16,390 admissions for the Total Eight Ivies, with costs of roughly$60,000 and $70,000. To quantitatively assess academic performance at the Nation\u27s universities, ranking systems need to rely less on perceptions and reputational surveys that reward only the rich elites, and make use of the readily available, quantifiable, and comparable data of official course evaluations; also, rankings should account for admission size and affordability

A STUDY ON HSP & EI**

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence and highly sensitive personality. It specifically aims to explore whether there is a correlation between HSP and EI within neurodivergent or neurotypical individuals. While previous research has examined sensitivity and emotionality, this study builds on those findings by incorporating neurodivergence as a variable. Using established measures by Aron and Aron, the study will survey 300 undergraduate psychology students through an online Qualtrics platform. Before beginning the survey, informed consent will be gathered from each participant in an electronic version. Each participant will be prompted to answer each set of questions from the TEI, HSP Scale, STEM and STEU questionnaires in either a multiple-choice format or a scale. Each participant will also be asked to answer a series of demographic questions regarding their executive functioning (neurodivergence v neurotypicality). A regression analysis will be used to analyze the hypotheses of emotional intelligence in relation to highly sensitive persons as well as neurodivergence in contrast to neurotypical. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how emotional intelligence interacts with personality sensitivity and cognitive diversity

INVESTIGATING THE SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF CITROSPET, CITRICIDAL, CAPRYLIC ACID, CARVACROL, LACTIC ACID AND HIGH-PRESSURE PROCESSING AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

The increasing consumption of fresh produce poses a health risk due to microbial contamination, as these products are typically consumed raw and undergo minimal processing. Microbial contamination can occur at any stage from farming to consumer consumption, so foodborne illnesses have increased because of outbreaks linked to these foods. While High-pressure processing (HPP) improves food safety and extends the shelf life of food products, it is possible that some sub-lethal microorganisms could recover during storage. To enhance the preservative effect of HPP, combining it with natural antimicrobial compounds may produce a synergistic effect against microorganisms. Providing the additional assurance of HPP, some natural bioactive compounds can be the possible alternatives. The current study investigates the synergistic impact of HPP and natural antimicrobials — Citrospet, Citricidal, Caprylic acid, Carvacrol, and Lactic Acid on the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. This study used a constant inoculum of 10^7 CFU/ml, exposed to 400 MPa pressure intensity, with 0.01% antimicrobial additives, for 0, 3, and 5 minutes at 25℃. Our findings demonstrate that Caprylic acid and Carvacrol were most effective in deactivating S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, with a reduction of 3.4-4 log CFU/ml for S. aureus and 4-5 log CFU/ml for L. monocytogenes compared to the control. These research findings suggest that HPP, combined with natural antimicrobials, can significantly reduce foodborne pathogens, offering an important advancement in food safety technology. Further research is needed to refine these methods and develop comprehensive protocols to ensure consistent and effective microbial control in food products

REFRAMING OSMOPHOBIC AND OSMOPHILIC EFFECTS**

The osmophobic effect has been an accessible phrase to introduce biochemists to ideas of how osmolytes effect biochemical processes. It was built by analogy with the hydrophobic effect, central to protein folding, and the observation that urea primarily interacts with the backbone of proteins, and less significantly with side chains. We have revisited experiments underpinning the original formulation of the osmophobic effect and found that there is at least one crucial error in the data used. This error, in combination with other experimental findings, indicates a significant role for side chain-osmolyte interactions. We compare the predictive model based on the solubilities of protein backbone and side chains (group transfer free energy model) with a model based on molecular surface types (solute partitioning model). We show that our new solubility data is consistent with vapor pressure osmometry data used to construct the solute partitioning model. We conclude that available evidence supports using models for osmolyte effects on biochemical processes that rely on exposed atomic surface types rather than on molecular functional groups. But instead of discarding useful terminology that helps newcomers more quickly grasp the importance of the topic, we propose reframing the osmophobic effect from the idea that osmolytes primarily fear the protein backbone to more broadly applicable osmophobic and osmophilic effects where osmolytes are attracted to and excluded from different atomic surface types

SEXUALLY VIOLENT PEERS STRENGTHEN THE LINK BETWEEN AGGRESSION-RELATED PERSONALITY TRAITS AND SEXUAL PERPETRATION

Sexual violence is endemic on U.S. college campuses. On average, one out of three college women reports experiencing sexual violence during their college years. It is vital to understand what factors increase the likelihood of sexual violence perpetration, so we have potential targets for prevention programs. Two studied risk factors are aggression-related personality traits (e.g., psychoticism) and having sexually violent peers. Despite these two findings being well-supported, the extent to which these two factors interact to predict sexual violence perpetration remains unclear, which was the goal of this study. We hypothesized that the link between personality traits and perpetration would be stronger in men with sexually violent peers. Participants (N=696) were a nationally representative sample of male 4-year college or university graduates who answered questions related to personality traits, their peers’ and their own sexual behavior in college. Results suggest that 12.4% of college men engage in behaviors while in college that meet legal definitions of sexual assault. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between personality traits and sexually violent peers F(3,693) = 95.22, p\u3c.0001, r2= .30. Specifically, aggression-related personality traits were a stronger predictor of sexual aggression among men with sexually violent peers (b=.34, p\u3c.0001) compared to men who did not have sexually violent peers (b=.11, p\u3c0001). These findings suggest that future research and prevention programs should consider how someone’s individual traits and peer norms interact to create an environment where sexual violence is normalized. Future studies should include prospective methods to assess how personality traits and peer attitudes and behaviors co-evolve across a lifetime and whether association with prosocial peers might reduce the link between aggression-related traits and sexual violence

DEVELOPING A DECISION TREE MODEL AND PROTOCOLS FOR THE ETHICAL ACCESSION AND CURATION OF HUMAN REMAINS IN TEACHING COLLECTIONS

The existence of human skeletal remains in university teaching collections is both well-known and fraught with ethical, moral, and legal issues related to the fact that most are not donated by the decedents themselves. The utility of these collections in research and teaching is unmatched but must be weighed against the potential societal impacts. Recently, Ivy League and other R1 universities have come under media scrutiny spotlighting issues related to the retention of remains of Indigenous peoples, NAGPRA-related concerns, forensically significant cases, and those of historically marginalized and persecuted populations. We analyzed these media spotlights to determine key commonalities, including a lack of transparency with administration and students, improper inventorying, few or no accession procedures, substandard curation, and even normalized indifference to these issues. Using a subsample of human remains that had yet to be accessioned into our teaching collection as a test case, we developed a decision tree for accession, use, display, curation, and storage. The decision tree was then applied to regularly used specimens to test its efficacy. After multiple revisions, the decision tree was found to be one hundred percent effective with the entirety of the collection. Research from the media spotlights and SOPs from other institutions were used to develop rules and procedures for collection use, and the inventory was moved to a cloud-based platform for increased accessibility for faculty and researchers. We also created a shareable learning module to engage students in the historical and cultural contexts behind teaching collections. While their use cannot be divorced from the inherent ethical and moral concerns of non-donated human remains in teaching collections, we believe our decision tree, standardized procedures for use, updated inventory, and teaching module can serve as a new standard of appropriate and honorable curation

DROUGHT EFFECTS ON SOIL PHOSPHORUS OF NORTH GEORGIA**

Drought, a period in which precipitation has been low or absent, may impact our environment including the nutrient cycling that is critical to forest ecosystems. Climate change may worsen drought conditions and thus diminish microbial decomposition that produces bioavailable phosophorus. This research focuses on the effects drought may have on orthophosphate, an important bioavailable form of phosphorus, over the course of a 1 month simulated drought on lands adjacent to Young Harris College, GA. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes were installed approximately 20cm into the ground with a waterproof, clear covering to simulate drought on the soils within. PVC soil cores were subsequently brought into the lab for measurement of orthophosphate concentrations relative to control (non-drought) soils. Results will help to understand the effects of climate change, drought specifically, on soil fertility. Completion of this project will occur early in 2024

TRACK RECONSTRUCTION ON EMPHATIC SPECTROMETER USING MACHINE LEARNING

Neutrinos are the most abundant massive fundamental particle universe, but because they interact with other matter only through the weak nuclear force, we know very little about them. The weak interaction decay is very well understood, however the process of creating some of the hadrons is only understood at the 10-40% level, resulting in an uncertainty in the neutrino flux at accelerators at the level of 10%. More measurements of the particle interactions (hadron interactions) that create neutrinos can help researchers reduce the uncertainty on the neutrino flux, and will enhance the capabilities of neutrino experiments like NOvA and DUNE in a variety of measurements such as neutrino cross-sections, sterile neutrino searches, and other BSM physics searches. The EMPHATIC collaboration\u27s goal is to measure these hadron production probabilities (cross sections) using a novel compact, table-top sized spectrometer. This talk describes the development of a machine learning algorithm to reconstruct particle tracks from the EMPHATIC spectrometer