John Wellspeak
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Autonomous robots are revolutionizing tasks in both commercial and educational settings. In this project, we constructed a low-cost, modular mobile robot platform based on the open-source SCUTTLE design. The primary goals were to gain hands-on experience in robotics while developing a platform suitable for learning concepts in electronics, programming, and… Read more →
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The forest community at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) provides a unique opportunity to study the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing forest composition. This study explores the effects of slope aspect and slope position on tree density, basal area, and species diversity. Surveys conducted in the summer of 2024 cataloged… Read more →
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Invasive plants in Maryland’s Corcoran Woods Environmental Study Area have been outcompeting native vegetation for many years. This mature hardwood forest provides refuge for many species, but plants like Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stiltgrass) and Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry) are threatening native populations. In 2015, nine sets of test plots in three… Read more →
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Entrepreneurship and Architecture are two academic disciplines focused on solving problems. Entrepreneurship, specifically, utilizes idea generation, creative thinking, and opportunity recognition to evaluate ideas. In the Anne Arundel Community College, fall 2024 semester students in two classes within these disciplines collaborated to develop ‘architectural’ ideas that can contribute to ‘solving’… Read more →
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This paper presents research conducted over the course of two semesters at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) by a networksecurity researcher interested in the anthropological aspects of people’s online interactions, particularly catfishing. The study explored the dynamics of catfishing, focusing on the reciprocity of non-tangible and physical items exchanged between… Read more →
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Nutrient-dense runoff and eutrophication are causing widespread harm to the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem. A solution is needed, or the problem will continue to worsen, putting more species in danger. Mycofiltration has been highlighted as an effective method for filtering heavy metals in contaminated drinking water. This study sought to design… Read more →
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Urban heat islands arise when the surrounding temperature of an urban area is warmer than adjacent rural areas. As a growing percentage of the population is exposed to heat islands from urban development expanding, more people are exposed to a range of health and environmental problems. Heat island effects are… Read more →
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The United States probiotics industry is a growing multi-billion-dollar industry. With promises of improving overall digestive health, more research is needed to assess survivability of probiotic strains in reaching target colonization sites. Understanding the survivability of probiotics throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is crucial for optimizing their therapeutic efficacy. This… Read more →
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The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) entered into agreement with the Environmental Center at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) for in-house propagation technicians (“we/us”) to grow Calopogon tuberosus orchid seed into 1,000 usable dormant corms for SERC’s Classroom Cultivation: Exploring Plant Ecology program. The cultivation was a 10-month process, involving… Read more →
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Freshwater aquaponics is an agricultural method that utilizes aquatic animal byproducts to provide nutrients to plants, typically utilizing vegetable plants that clean the water as they absorb nutrients. Atlantic horseshoe crabs (HSCs) in the Environmental Center’s aquaculture facility, saltwater organisms, produce significant waste and toxic nitrate increases that require frequent… Read more →
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This research paper investigates the distinct challenges posed by nitazenes, a potent and newly emerging class of synthetic opioids, in the context of the ongoing opioid crisis. Nitazenes, initially synthesized as analgesics in the mid-20th century but never approved for medical use, have resurfaced in illicit drug markets, presenting overdose… Read more →
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Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and a major threat to individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Currently, treatment options for C. difficile (CD) are available post-exposure after the infection has occurred. Infection control measures, such as handwashing and sterilization using alcohol and other… Read more →
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This is a technical report about the benefits of 3D printing didactic models from open-source files. It covers the costs of creating a 3D-printed model, including the cost of filament and magnets and the time associated with physically constructing the model. 3D printing an anatomical skull model that is freely… Read more →
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Will AI be a tool or will it take over? AI is described as a program that feeds from people’s knowledge through algorithms. AI generators utilize artists’ works without their knowledge, which can be seen as an unauthorized collaboration. This leads to artists not being credited or acknowledged, instigating a… Read more →
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The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is a critical source of life for many organisms along the East Coast. Its health is significantly affected by its tributaries including the Magothy River. Two creeks border the campus of Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), Mill Creek and Dividing Creek, which flow directly into the… Read more →
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Biofilms, as complex assemblies of microorganisms, presentsignificant implications in medical and environmental settings due to their role in chronic infections and antibiotic resistance. This study explores the biofilm formation of various bacterial species (Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis) and their application in the classroom… Read more →
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On the tail end of a historic series of La Niña events — starting in 2019 and ending in 2023 — opposing conditions began to coalesce in the southeastern Pacific in early summer 2023. While mechanisms are unpredictable by current understandings of the phenomenon, effects of higher-magnitude El Niño Southern… Read more →
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Legalization of cannabis in the U.S. has resulted in increased cannabis use by those with acute and serious mental illnesses. This literature review aims to examine current literature on long-term cannabis use with existing behavioral factors and the propensity for these behaviors to lead to the development of psychiatric disorders.… Read more →
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Although it is not as taboo as it was twenty years ago, most people are not aware of how psilocybin therapy (PT) works, nor if it works. That is why research done on psychedelic therapies in medical facilities and their effects on mental health disorders are vital in cataloging our… Read more →