Objective The impact of encouragement on performance has been observed in the setting of exercise, but further research is necessary in running. To compare the improvement in pace experienced by subjects of different backgrounds (from a running team, non-running sports team, or no sports team) as a result of active (verbal encouragement) and passive social facilitation, this study was conducted. Method Eighteen male high school students, age 17.3±0.75 years were recruited for this study, six from each background listed above. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: external verbal encouragement (EVE), without external verbal encouragement (WEVE), or no presence. Improvement in pace after the introduction of a social facilitator was recorded along with overall consistency in pace. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.10. Results A significant improvement in short-term pace among subjects from a running team was generated by EVE, t(1) = -5.198, p = 0.0605, and no presence generated a significant improvement in short-term pace among subjects from a non-running sports team, t(1) = -5, p = 0.0669. EVE also generated a significant improvement in long-term pace among subjects from a running team, t(1) = -5.069, p = 0.0620. A conclusion on consistency was not reached. Conclusion Verbal encouragement saw to long-term and short-term improvement in pace of subjects selected from a running team, while the lack of presence assisted the short-term performance of subjects selected from non-running sports teams. Results obtained offer potential to impact competitive long-distance running.

Iridescence, commonly found in nature, is the quality of a material to change colors depending on its interaction with light. For example, certain species of beetles distract predators with their iridescent exoskeletons that flash different colors depending on the angle the predator looks at them. Iridescent flowers, however, attract pollinators through their noticeable changes in color. Thus, it seems that iridescence can serve two contrasting purposes: concealment and attraction. The purpose of this project is to test whether different strengths in iridescence can impact its recognizability to animals and insects.  Three different iridescent diffraction grating films were experimented with: 500 lines/mm, 532 lines/mm, and 1000 lines/mm. Matte paper was used as a control. Four circular epoxy resin disks (8 cm diameter) and four square epoxy resin disks (7 cm side length) were created. Each diffraction grating film type and the matte paper was glued onto one disk of each shape. Photos of each disk were then taken at angles of 30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees in a photo booth and processed through a computer vision algorithm, the Ramer-Douglas-Peucker algorithm, to perform contour approximation. The results gathered cannot conclude that the strengths of iridescence have an impact on shape recognition and detectability due to limitations and potential errors. Nonetheless, the study can suggest that the specific usage of the Ramer-Douglas-Peucker algorithm for edge and area detection through OpenCV (an open-source computer vision library) is inadequate in imitating animal and insect visual systems when analyzing iridescence.

Antioxidants are molecules found in fruits and vegetables that have the ability to fight substances in the human body that are detrimental to cells and genetic material. There is a high need for antioxidants, and the current method for boosting antioxidants is genetic modification, which is controversial in society; however, there is a lack of research concerning increasing antioxidant concentrations in plants in a natural manner. Thus, the efficacy of an iodine water drip can be called into question. Iodine has been proven to increase antioxidant enzymatic activity in animals and certain leafy vegetables. This paper will evaluate the effectiveness of an potassium iodide enriched water drip on the concentration of antioxidants in tomato plants. potassium iodide (KI) solution was created from diluting KI crystals into water, and the tomatoes were watered every day over a three month growth period. At the end of the allotted growth period, four tomatoes were plucked from each group—the potassium iodide group, and the control group that was watered regularly. In order to calculate the increase in concentration, each tomato was mashed with an Efferdent denture-cleansing tablet so as to measure the absorbance of each sample using the blue dye from the tablet. Once obtaining the absorbance, the concentrations were found using Beer’s law. Using a 2 sample T-test for the difference in antioxidants, the increase in antioxidants was found to be statistically significant.

The FITNESSGRAM test is the most broadly utilized wellness evaluation and instrument to report the strength of understudies in physical education classes. It has been a mandated fitness assessment for students in California in every other grade from fifth to ninth. While the main purpose of the Fitnessgram is to determine whether the student is already in decent fitness for their age group. There has been a lack of research comparing students to baseline standards of upper body muscular endurance exercises. A convenience sample of male and female students in their senior year of high school was examined in order to determine if healthy habits lead to larger numerical results. The experimental design involved observing students' completion of four exercises (shoulder stretch, trunk lift, curl-up, and modified pull-up) compared to the baseline standards of the Fitnessgram as well as to similar individuals in the sample. The results of the pre-test questionnaire and experiment led to a cause and effect relationship where the students from a suburban high school that participated in at least one hour of physical activity exceeded/ met the standards of the FITNESSGRAM upper body scores, it proved my hypothesis to be false. This suggests a positive relationship between the hours of physical activity and health. This study increases the current body of knowledge of FITNESSGRAM testing, allowing for a basis of further research.

Mental health is a common topic of discussion in our society today, especially in the Bay Area. What was once viewed as a taboo by many is now at the forefront of discussion and a high priority for both schools and workplaces. As a result of this change, there has been a drastic shift in public perception towards mental health and the stigma pertaining to it. There have been many studies that address the public’s views on mental health, but have failed to address the change towards the stigma of mental health today. In this study, I will be studying the contemporary perception of mental health combined with views of its stigma and public ideas on reducing this issue. The study consists of a thematic analysis of survey responses from a group of 45 respondents that were collected online through the site, Reddit, and other social media platforms. Responses were systematically sorted into separate themes to better group respondents' views and combine similar ideas in responses. The results of this study align with initial views and show an overall view from respondents that shows the Bay Area has undergone a reduction in the stigma and is implementing better methods of addressing these problems. This study increases the current body of knowledge regarding contemporary the Bay Area’s citizens’ views towards mental health and provides additional ways to reduce this stigma, allowing for more effective methods of counseling and mental health services in the near future.