Volume 5, May 2026
“Black Cat” by Katie Brunton, AACC Visual Arts student. Acrylic on bristol, 2026.
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The Ethics Behind Trashed DNA and How it is Done
This literature review examines the scientific foundations, investigative value, and ethical and legal risks of using “trashed” or abandoned DNA, biological material left on discarded items such as tissues, cigarette butts, and food waste in criminal investigations. Drawing on forensic science research, case examples, and legal scholarship, the review explains how discarded DNA can be… Read more…
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An Analysis of Maryland Storm Events Through the Comparison of Various Severe Weather Indices
Extreme weather results from interactions between atmospheric instability, moisture, and dynamic forcing across vertical levels of the atmosphere. This study analyzes weather events affecting Maryland to assess how combining observational and thermodynamic data classify storm intensity. Available radar data and satellite imagery supported evaluation of storm organization, while Stüve Diagrams derived from observations taken at… Read more…
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Assessing Seed Viability and Germ-ination Potential of Native and Invasive Plant Species in Anne Arundel Community College Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are designed to filter stormwater and are typically planted with native species. However, invasive plants often establish and may disrupt the ecological balance. This study examines four rain gardens within the Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) campus, comparing native and invasive species in seed viability and germination rate. Seed viability was conducted using… Read more…
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Nature’s Secret Weapon: Identification and Classification of an Unknown Organism with Natural Antimicrobial Activity
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global healthcare issue that threatens lives by enabling pathogens to evade currently available treatment options, making the discovery or development of new therapies critical. An alternative to traditional antimicrobial drug development is surveying environmental microorganisms that produce novel antimicrobial agents. In this study, an unknown organism isolated from a shoe… Read more…
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Coffee Storage:An Analysis ofSpoilage, Acidity,and Extraction of ‘Pour-Over’ Style Coffee Brewing Based on Storage Methods and Media
The purpose of this research was to investigate, analyze, and determine how methods of storing coffee affect the pH of the coffee once it is brewed. Three different methods of storing whole bean (WB) and pre-ground (PG) coffee were tested: Ziploc bag, mason jar, and vacuum-sealed; three different temperatures were also tested: room temperature, refrigerator,… Read more…
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Quantifying the Relationship Between Distance-To-Edge and Heat Island Mitigation
Urban heat islands (UHIs) occur when developed areas exhibit significantly higher temperatures than surrounding rural or vegetated areas due to human-made surfaces that retain heat (Environmental Protection Agency, 2024). While most studies focus on large cities, our project investigates UHIs at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), on its suburban campus, building on the work done… Read more…
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An Investigation of the High Road Versus Low Road Physics Demonstration
This project investigates how effectively an Excel-based mathematical model can reproduce and predict the outcome of the high road versus low road marble track race, a common physics demonstration. Two identical balls are released from rest at the same starting height and descend to the same ending height: one along a shorter, horizontal path (track… Read more…
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From Shelf to Self: Assessing the Journey of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Survival in Various Beverages
Because of their potential health benefits, the probiotic supplement market has grown exponentially into a global multi-billion-dollar industry. Consumers use probiotics to support gastrointestinal (GI) and immune health. However, their efficacy depends on their ability to survive the harsh conditions of the GI tract, colonize the intestines, and outcompete other microbes. Understanding probiotic survivability in… Read more…
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Are Our Rivers Getting Worse? Retrospective Analysis of 17 Years of Bacterial Data
Enterococcus species are widely used indicators of fecal contamination in recreational waters. For nearly two decades, the Anne Arundel Community College Environmental Center has measured Enterococcus concentrations at dozens of sites along local rivers, providing critical information for assessing swimming safety and overall water quality. This study presents a 17-year retrospective analysis of Enterococcus data… Read more…
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IntangibleCultural Heritage in Traditional and Indigenous Art and Craft
This project examines how traditional and Indigenous arts and crafts navigate the pressures of globalization and the legacies of colonialism through a cultural anthropological lens. It centers on questions of cultural exchange, identity, agency, and ownership, while expanding the idea of cultural safeguarding to include not only tangible objects but also intangible heritage — spiritual… Read more…
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The Extent to Which a Variety of Normally Ignored Experimental Uncertainties & Variables Affect the Acceleration of a Modified Atwood Machine
For students in introductory physics labs, the modified Atwood Machine is a widely used setup for investigating Newtonian mechanics. However, several aspects of this machine can lead to significant deviations from expected results. This paper examines both optimal and suboptimal experimental techniques and identifies which components of the setup (such as pulley friction, mass ratio,… Read more…
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Iron Flocculant as a Visible Measure of Ecosystem Health
Iron flocculant (floc) is a reddish-brown sediment found in some streambeds consisting of particulate iron that cannot dissolve in streamwater. Anecdotally, floc is more often present in restored stream ecosystems that have had their degraded streams raised to reconnect the water to former wetlands. These anecdotal observations raise several questions about the potential links between… Read more…
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Factors Affecting Microplastic Detection using a Cost Effective Fluorescence Microscopy Method
With the rapid increase in microplastic (MP) documentation worldwide, techniques for detection have increased but are often costly. The focuses of this study were (1) to develop an accessible and cost-effective method to detect MP using Nile Red (NR) stain and a low-tech fluorescence microscope (FM) assembly, and (2) to quantify and identify MP collected… Read more…
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Self-confidenceand Mentorshipin the CommunityCollege Context
Self-confidence and belief in one’s abilities play a vital role in academic success. These factors may be particularly important for community college students, who often face higher barriers than their peers at 4-year institutions. Mentorship is thought to strongly influence self-confidence, but little is known about the relationship between mentorship and the beliefs of community… Read more…