Kidney stone (KS) disease is the most common disease of the urinary tract. Over 1.3 million individuals visit emergency departments (ED) for stone-related symptoms, which is projected to increase. Since most lab tests are misinterpreted, leading to an incorrect diagnosis, diagnostic predictive tools are useful to most accurately calculate an individual's likelihood, or risk, of having KS disease. We investigate which predictive model would yield the highest accuracy and sensitivity by extracting information from a clinical database containing patient data and utilize various machine learning and statistical analysis to analyze the performance of each model. With using confusion matrices, logistic regression, and ROC curves, it has been found that including all domains in a predictive model (demographics, laboratory tests, ICD-9 diagnoses, etc.) demonstrated the highest performance.
As the number of applications to universities across America has increased in recent years, the ability to predict which applicants intend to enroll has become integral to the success of undergraduate institutions. Using data analysis to predict matriculation enables admissions departments to make more accurate forecasts of enrollment and finances. We use machine learning techniques to estimate the likelihood of enrollment for each applicant in a given year. These probabilities of enrollment are, in turn, used to calculate the aggregate incoming class profile, allowing an admissions department to tailor their admission decisions accordingly. The study experiments with various machine learning algorithms: logistic regression, random forest and XGBoost models are all built and tested. We find that the XGBoost algorithm consistently outperforms other algorithms in predicting enrollment. We use a random subset of 2013-18 data for training, and the remainder of the subset for validation. Academic strengths, financial offers, and applicant engagement all possess predictive power on enrollment in the model. We conclude the study by applying the model to the accepted students from the 2019 applicant class. This approach serves as a proxy for predicting the profile of an incoming class profile: the model uses the application data to create predictions of enrollment without knowledge of which applicants enrolled. We then compare the predicted class profile to the actual class profile to assess the model's predictive accuracy.
A cataclysmic variable star system consists of two stars that are close enough that material can be transferred from one to the other through an accretion stream onto a circumstellar accretion disk. We observe variation in the light due to rotation of the accretion hotspots, variations of the material flow rate, and the change of view angle due to orbital motion of the binary. As part of the Center for Backyard Astrophysics (CBA), an amateur-professional collaboration, we chose high priority targets and observed them using the 0.6m telescope of El Sauce Observatory in Chile. We observed HP Lib on three nights in June and July and noted an overall brightening. We obtained photometry on NY Lup for four nights during a single week in July and detected a local minimum. Our results will be combined with those of other CBA observers and will be analyzed for variation on multiple timescales allowing a detailed interpretation in terms of physical changes of the systems.
A model was developed to predict the amount of solar radiation incident on a solar collector's surface. A Python based model tracked the sun's location and determined how much energy would strike a surface at any orientation. As a demonstration several fixed tilt angles and a tracking case were simulated for Schenectady, NY. Results followed the expected trends. Future goals for the model are to confirm its results numerically with experimental data and use it to determine optimal arrangements for bifacial solar collectors.
The Undergraduate ALFALFA Team (UAT) Groups Project is investigating the influence of the environment on galaxies in group environments. Galaxies in clusters show evidence for a variety of environmental effects. The UAT team has chosen groups from the RASSCALS sample (groups defined using the Rosat X-ray satellite, Mahdavi et al. 2000). Galaxies within 2 degrees of group center and 3 sigma of the central velocity of the group were targeted for Hα observations. We cross-matched the 52 RASSCALS groups and clusters the UAT has observed to the Tempel et al. (2017) group catalog based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey observations, finding 26 that matched within 10 arcminutes of the RASSCALS group. Here we compare properties of these groups.
With the prevalence of dementia and neurocognitive decline on the rise, older adult populations have begun seeking out non-pharmacological methods to prevent or ameliorate their symptoms. Specifically, prior research has shown greater cognitive benefits from simultaneous exercise and cognitive stimulation than exercise alone, particularly for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a pilot study to test the feasibility of a remote, home-based, exercise intervention for older adults. For three months, six older adults engaged in integrative physical and cognitive exercise via a neuro-exergame called the interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACES v2.0), which involves pedaling an under-desk elliptical while playing an interactive video game. Participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) before and after the intervention, and exit interviews were conducted via Zoom at the conclusion of the study. While participants found the neuro-exergame to be entertaining, several setup and technical difficulties arose that made their overall experience more difficult. Our findings suggest that a more effective intervention would involve more user-friendly features that allow for greater ease of use by older adults with MCI.
Dementia is a symptom of many neurodegenerative disorders that have a heavy economic burden. In this research, we are building a diagnostic model utilizing a big data approach to analyze clinical records of demographics, diagnoses, vital signs, and other clinical information. We used a large database from one hospital in which thousands of patients were admitted over a span of a decade. We extracted multiple variables which would be relevant for diagnosing patients with dementia and analyzed them through machine learning models.
The overarching goal of this research was to simultaneously design, manufacture, and test different mechanisms for robotic tick collection, along with designing and developing an electronics package and code that would allow the robot to behave in a semi-autonomous fashion. The tick collection mechanisms were designed with the intention of providing an optimal efficiency for physically collecting ticks, minimizing their impact on the overall maneuverability of the robot, being as cost effective as possible, and being as easy to replicate as possible. A total of seven different prototypes were developed and tested under real world conditions. Of these seven, four demonstrated very promising results regarding the functional requirements of the project. The electronics package and accompanying code are being developed with the intention of allowing the robot to autonomously navigate environments which would make manual control difficult, such as dense shrubbery that would impair a direct line of sight.
There is a dementia epidemic that is affecting the older adult population, and researchers are exploring accessible ways to ameliorate the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. Non-pharmacological interventions such as interactive physical and cognitive exercise are being investigated to understand the physiological and cognitive effects in older adults. Twenty-seven older adults were enrolled in a single-bout neuro-exergaming intervention of the interactive Physical and Cognitive Exercise System (iPACESv2.0), a neuro-exergame that consists of pedaling an under-desk elliptical while playing an interactive video game. The study explores the cognitive and biomarker outcomes in participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The intervention featured a neuropsychological battery and salivary analysis to measure changes in executive function and biomarkers associated with neuroplasticity. Analyses revealed a significant increase in executive function and salivary alpha-amylase in the MCI population, suggesting cognitive improvements occurred after the intervention. This study provides encouraging preliminary support for the use of interactive exergaming interventions as clinical treatments to ameliorate the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Nanoparticles have become common in many real world devices, including catalysts, data storage devices, sensors and solar cells. This increase in usage is due to the ability of the nanoparticles to easily assemble into two-dimensional structures with various useful optical and electronic properties. The goal of this summer project was to 1) research current applications of metal nanoparticles relevant to the gold nanoparticle-embedded nanosheets formed in our lab and 2) to use computer software to analyze atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of gold nanoparticle-embedded nanosheets formed in our lab this summer. In the lab, we are aiming to create and characterize stable planar gold nanoparticle materials, such as emulsions and nanosheets, by assembling the gold nanoparticles with peptoids at fluid surfaces. The characterization of these materials is accomplished through AFM, which is used to analyze the heights of the nanosheets and to determine whether or not they can be successfully formed both with and without gold nanoparticles. The AFM images obtained this summer were processed and analyzed using IgorPro so that the heights of the different materials could be obtained and compared. This project is based on work from the previous 2019-2020 academic year.
The high-resolution imaging of the radar/ladar system is typically obtained by transmitting the wideband waveforms. These wide bandwidth waveforms are generated by modulating signals on to a frequency carrier which requires additional hardware. To counter this, we propose a semiconductor laser system that can generate a chaotic waveform with a frequency span of a few Giga-Hertz. The generated waveforms are pseudo-random and hence can yield sharp correlation peaks. These features are essential to identify multiple hotspots in close proximity.
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Abstract
As part of our vision to enhance our diverse and inclusive campus, and in honor of receiving four National HEED (Higher Education Excellence in Diversity) Awards from Insight into Diversity Magazine, we offer a certificate course on Diversity and Inclusion for administrators, faculty, and staff.
The Diversity and Inclusion Course focuses on enhancing cultural competencies and religious fluency by empowering the participants on understanding global issues such as disability, mental health, religion, LGBTQ+, cultural competency, and gender bias. Through the Union College Division of Diversity and Inclusion, we have designed a course covering topics related to equity, social justice and implicit bias that are relevant for the academic, social, and co-curricular learning spaces.
Participants complete a final project on any of the covered diversity issues as they relate to their department, their division, or the campus.
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Abstract
The summer research program has long been one of the key elements of Union's undergraduate research program, typically bringing more than 120 students to campus for several weeks of intensive work with faculty in labs, studios, and the library. The Covid-19 pandemic prevented us from gathering in person this year, but could not completely stop our student and faculty scholars: some 86 students and 56 faculty mentors teamed up this year to work together remotely. These represent 21 different departments and programs, spanning the full range of disciplines at the college.
The posters presented here represent a small slice of this scholarship, but give some sense of the breadth and depth of the work that these students and faculty were able to carry on at a very high level, despite being scattered across the globe. We hope you'll enjoy reading and viewing the results of their hard work, and take advantage of the comments (while they're available) to ask and answer questions.
What defines place? Typically, people, history, resources and geography comprise the identity of a location, such that visitors can glean a tenable sense of the culture. In contrast, the Adirondacks yields a multitude of identities and definitions, as its extensive and eclectic history dilutes a clear depiction of the place as a singular entity. In fact, its dualities consistently challenge itself, whether insider versus outsider legislative pressure, development versus preservation, or public versus private, the Adirondack region encapsulates contradiction. For this reason, the definition of 'wilderness' has undergone innumerable changes in turn with perception, leading to incessant battles over the land use of the Forest Preserve. Because the term 'wilderness' lacked an explicit definition, land in the Adirondacks could be manipulated for the individual perception of wilderness, as legislative mandates and decisions did not supply a concrete interpretation of the land use of 'wilderness.' Understanding the diversity of perspectives, therefore, provides the secret to the identity of the Adirondack Park. Looking at the work of two prominent citizen conservationists, John S. Apperson and Paul Schaefer, I will explore the value of preserving land in its natural state for future generations to enjoy. On the other hand, legislative mandates ultimately shape the actions of the citizenry, so understanding the history of those decisions and the evolution of the concept 'wilderness' helps to explain the everlasting discussion of land use. Finally, evaluating the current perspectives on 'wilderness' requires an investigation of the current Adirondack discussion which I will analyze through the exploits of Adirondack Wild, the Association of Adirondack Towns and Villages, the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter and the Adirondack Landowners Association. While these groups represent a few of the different interests for the use of the Park's land, they are a small portion of the multitude of groups involved in the ongoing debate. In entirety, these differing people, organizations and systems contribute to a collective definition of 'wilderness' and the resulting use of land, revealing a dynamic and conflicting battle.
This paper explores the longstanding debate over what should be done with the lands of the Adirondack Park. Within the park exists vibrant cultures of development for tourism, and conservationism. They are what determine the outcome of this debate. In order to avoid too broad a topic, my research will focus on the land allocation debate of the Adirondacks from the late sixties to the present. It is around this time, from the 50s-70s, that we notice an economic switch from resource extraction, such as timbering, to more hotel and second home development which propels the touristic economy. Over the past 40 to 50 years, the debate in the Adirondacks has been between land use restriction, and development of this touristic economy. The Adirondack Park Agency, which was formed in 1971, is in charge of two plans: one to manage state land, and the other to control how private property in the park is controlled. There are many who disagree with the APA's goals and presence. This is mainly due to the debate of whether APA's form of conservationism is democratic. Some stakeholders understandably do not like having extra restrictions on their private or public land.
This paper studies the history of how transportation and tourism affected the culture of the Adirondack Park and its full-time residents as well as how tourism in the park affects permanent park residents and seasonal residents/visitors differently.
It's no surprise that the Adirondacks has a predominantly white population with regard to both its residents and visitors. As such, there has been a recent push to bring more diversity to the area. However, this begs the question of whether or not BIPOC folks (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) are welcomed , especially since they have been written out of Adirondack history and have had troubling experiences in the area. With this in mind, it is important to talk about these experiences and the issues that BIPOC folks have faced in the past and present so that we can work toward a more inclusive and welcoming future for all people in the Adirondacks. This project is a three-part podcast that details this past, present, and future, with a specific focus on Black and Indigenous experiences. Please feel free to listen to each of the segments so that together, we can further the conversation and efforts being made to bring diversity to the Adirondacks.
Examine vaccine reticence and the history of medical exploitation/experimentation on BIPOC communities, that go beyond Tuskegee and delves into a historiographical examination.
Presentation by Margie Amodeo, Kelly Adirondack Center Coordinator discussing the photographs of Kay Flickinger at the January 7, 2019 meeting of the Galway Preservation Society, Galway, NY.
This work is an amalgamation of the subject matter of my courses over my time at Union, and my passion for the more hidden side of the value nature presents. In this paper, I will build a chronology of the ways in which our symbiotic relationship and comprehension of the natural world around us has shifted and evolved over time. Modern-day practices and policy will be examined to get a measure of how changes in our actions have reflected these changes in mindset, where they come from culturally or anthropologically, and whether or not our modern moral ecological imperative is in alignment with these world views.
Jacob Abbot will demo his online StoryMap tool for navigating the history of dams in the Adirondacks. He uses entries from The Adirondack Chronology along with historic maps from the Adirondack Research Library collection. Maryam Ramjohn will present her interactive timeline in a platform called OMEKA in which she traces the evolution of Native American life in the Adirondacks. Her project is called “The Erasure of Native American Culture in the Adirondacks,†and she looks at the history of appropriation of Native places, place names, and culture.