Volume XI – Spring 2022

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

James B. “Jeb” Wall ’22

EDITORS

Luke T. Carter ’22
Loyal T. “Trey” Grimes ’23
Benjamin N. Hager ’23
A.W. Leighton Holm ’22
Taylor J. McGee ’23
Samuel D. McLean ’22
Coleman B. Meadows ’22
Blake A. Tullos ’25

ADVISOR

Michael J. Wolyniak
Department of Biology

Cover Photo: Our student researchers have been profoundly influenced by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As life tentatively moves towards normalcy, several of our students have sought to explore the biological and chemical underpinnings of this virus to better understanding how it has been so successful as a disruptive force to society.  One approach to better understanding SARS-CoV-2 is to use the power of bioinformatics to compare different strains of the virus to each other as well as to other closely-related viruses.  Here, Tobias A. Konieczka ’22 shares some bioinformatic output from his ongoing with comparing different strains of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS—pictured) as well as SARS-CoV-2. Besides being a “Where’s Waldo?” game for finding the mutations, illustrations such as this reflect the power of “big data” in solving complex scientific problems.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

News from the Hampden-Sydney Science Departments

Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychology
Ivo I. Gyurovski ’09, Dara Jaiyeola, Rebecca L. Jayne, Paul H. Mueller, Scott M. Starr, Hugh O. “Trey” Thurman III

“Follow the Science”–How do we consume scientific information?

A Review and Comparison of Psychological Experiments that Question the Ethics of Science
T. Russell Bowles ’23

Scientific Communication During COVID-19
Ben Jia ‘25

Is Tear Gas Truly Safe?
Richard D. Jones ‘25

A Psychological Look into The Fear of Vaccines
Josiah B. King ‘23

The Ethics of Placebo Trials
Taylor J. McGee ’23

National Policy and the Intersection of Science Within Nuclear Energy
Grant S. Paramore ‘23

Research Articles

Measuring Trailside Plant Diversity Along an Urban-Rural Gradient in West Virginia and Maryland
Jake D. Beavers ’22, D. Edward Lowry, and Rachel M. Goodman

Exploring Growth Conditions for Amanita muscaria
Henry R. Carman ’23 and Rachel M. Goodman

Redesigning Wind Tunnel for Lift and Drag Measurements on Airfoils
Eliot K. Chandler ’22, and Hugh O. Thurman III

Increasing the Sound Absorption Coefficient in Concrete
Andrew S. Cheyne ‘22 and Hugh O. Thurman

Investigating Food Plant Growth Under Martian and Lunar Conditions: Testing Extraterrestrial Soil and Light Conditions on Plant Viability
Joshua M. Fentress ’23, Michael J. Wolyniak, and D. Edward Lowry

A Psychophysical Investigation of Timbre
Mark R. Hurst ’24 and Marcus H. Pendergrass

Characterization of the ACE2 protein/SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interaction in the nasal passageway
Josiah B. King ’23 and Michael J. Wolyniak

The Isolation and Characterization of Novel Bacteriophages
Tobias A. Konieczka ’22 and Michael J. Wolyniak

The Restoration of Two Survey Networks at Hampden-Sydney College to Survey Snakes of Ranavirus
R. Paul Mahaffy ’22, Henry R. Carman ‘23, and Rachel M. Goodman

Educational/Professional Partnership in the Development of a Novel Strain of S-11 Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Brewing Yeast)
Taylor J. McGee ’23 and Michael J. Wolyniak

A Psychological Look into The Fear of Vaccines
Coleman B. Meadows ’22 and Ivo I. Gyurovski ‘09

Differences in Prejudices Regarding Gay Youth and Adults
Coleman B. Meadows ’22 and Ivo I. Gyurovski ‘09

Use of the TRAF function in Electron Spin Resonance Signal Processing
Benjamin P. Rose ’23 and Herbert J. Sipe, Jr.

Determination of the Color-Changing Product in Cannabidiol and Propylene Glycol Solutions
Benjamin P. Rose ’23 and Kevin M. Dunn

The Impact of Lifestyle Factors on Periodontal Disease
Jacob A. Siler ’23 and Michael J. Wolyniak

Making GONG Solar Data Accessible Via Afterglow
John A. Torian ’24, Vladimir Kouprianov, and Jonathan W. Keohane

Analysis of Essential Depot Seed Oils Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Mason S. Willis ’22 and Kevin M. Dunn