Carmel High School

Mysterious Stone Structures of Putnam County: Historical Plausibility

  In existence there are over 72 stone structures scattered around Putnam County, New York. These structures have been around for centuries and have previously been thought of as root cellars or ancillary structures left behind by early Colonials. Other researchers claim that these structures were left behind by the Wappinger people who inhabited Putnam Valley in the 1600s. However, there is little evidence to support these claims. With little research conducted on these structures, little is known about their origin.

  The purpose of Emily’s study is to determine if the stone structures are Colonial root cellars or Wappinger people stone chambers. The principal hypothesis for the research is that the stone structures will be the Wappinger Indian stone chambers. In order to conduct this research, a historical analysis was done. This included using historical land assessment records, early documents from settlers of Putnam County, a map of the county from 1875, gathering information as well as determining the primary characteristics of stone chambers and root cellars. Next, a field analysis was conducted at each stone structure. Out of the 72 stone structures, 42 were visited and were analyzed and organized into separate sheets. The results illustrate that the structures are Wappinger Indian stone chambers due to their characteristics of masonry stones, different sized rocks, location and overall function. As well as, the correlation and proximity of stone structures to each other and the farmhouses of the county. By investigating these structures, the history of Putnam County can be enhanced and lead to the preservation of the sites as historical landmarks. Additionally, the increased research of other similar stone structures around the Northeast.

  Emily is an honor roll student and has gotten high honors every quarter of high school. She runs on the Carmel Cross County and Track & Field team, as well as compete in Irish Dancing. She has a passion for travelling and hopes to continue in her career by majoring in international relations and business.

Lie Detection and the Untrained Eye

  Deception occurs in one quarter of every conversation. During an average day, a person can hear up to 200 lies. There are two different indicators that arise when a person is telling a lie. The first indicator is verbal, such as sentence structure and length of pauses. Verbal is defined as relating to or in the form of words. The second indicator is nonverbal, such as arm movement and head movement. Nonverbal is defined as not involving or using words or speech. Lie detection is not a simple task. Individuals that are trained in lie detection perform no better than the average person does when attempting to distinguish lies from the truth.

  The purpose of Daria’s study was to determine the accuracy of untrained individuals in detecting lies. Her hypotheses were that teachers would have greater accuracy in lie detection compared to students and that participants would not be able to pick out lies based on physical indicators. The participants were asked to watch a series of videos and determine which of the videos contained a lie. She compared the accuracy scores between students and teachers at Carmel High School. She found that teachers have greater accuracy in detecting lies.  The most common reasons for why the videos contained lies were nervous voice/stuttering and lack of eye contact. Daria hopes her study will help improve law enforcement practices and school administrative practices by educating the public on the different indicators of lying.

  Outside of Science Research, Daria can be found playing on the Carmel field hockey team and working at the dentist. She volunteers at Putnam Hospital and in a second-grade classroom at MPES. Daria is currently in honors classes and loves learning Physics. Daria hopes to be a neuropsychiatrist after graduating college.

The Correlation between Levels of Air Pollution and Death from Alzheimer’s Disease across the United States: Does Foggy Air Lead to a Foggy Mind?

  Ambient air pollution is a great environmental risk to health – causing more than 4 million premature deaths every year (World Health Organization, 2016). One of the most dangerous pollutants to humans is Particulate Matter 2.5, which is microscopic and can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled through the nose and enter the blood stream. Past research has determined the effects of these particles on the lungs and heart, but little work has been completed on the effects of these pollutants in the brain. A recent study has found that various pollutants that make up PM2.5 can wear down the Blood-Brain Barrier, a semipermeable membrane surrounding the brain that serves to keep harmful substances out.

            Meghan researched the correlation between the level of PM2.5 air pollution and deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease for 46 states. She used the Center for Disease Control’s WONDER database to collect data for the number of deaths per county of each state for 1000 people and the CDC’s Public Health Tracking Network to determine levels of PM2.5 in each county. She hypothesized that because pollution wears down the Blood-Brain Barrier, areas with higher levels of pollution would have a greater number of deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease. After running a Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient test for each state’s values, the hypothesis could not be supported or refuted. However, she hopes that her research can help bring awareness to the devastating effects of air pollution and contribute to treatment of people with these diseases.

            Meghan is an honor student at Carmel High School. She takes part in many clubs, works as a teaching assistant at an after-school program, and is finishing her term as NYS FBLA’s State Vice President for District 3N. She enjoys bowling, drawing, painting, and her cats. She hopes to graduate with high honors and attended college for medicine, most likely genetic counseling.

Observational Study on the Effect of a Service Dog on High School Students with Emotional Disorders

  The use of therapy dogs is becoming more common in the United States and is starting to be incorporated in educational learning environments because of the many benefits they provide to those they are intended for. Over the last 30 years, the form of support that dogs seem to offer to children has been studied in therapeutic settings, in classrooms and hospitals (Jalongo et al.,2004), and in special-needs environments (Anderson and Olson, 2006). Fortunately, Carmel High School has acquired a service dog for its class of students who deal with emotional challenges.

  The goal of Deborah’s research was to determine if the presence of service dogs does or did not increase the amount of social interactions students have with each other. What sets this research apart is that the students in question have emotional challenges which inhibit their social skills in the high school setting. To gather observations, she would visit the same classroom during the school day to conduct her observations. The amount of interactions would be recorded between the students, the students and the teacher's observations occurred with and without the dog present in order to determine a baseline of interactions. She determined there was an increase in social interactions between the students. The dog acted as a catalyst for social interactions between the students, making it easier for them to communicate since they had a conversation topic. The results from this study support the hypothesis since a constant theme regarding the dog and the students was that once the dog was present the amount of social interactions increased.

  Outside of science research Deborah is involved in the school’s varsity tennis team and varsity ski team. Deborah is an honors student at Carmel high school and has a profound passion for science. She plans to enter a pre-vet program in college and then go to veterinary school. She very much enjoys taking care of animals and playing tennis in her free time.

The Correlation between Radon Levels and Cancer Incidences in New York States  

  Radon acts as a silent killer, killing about 20,000 Americans each year due to lung cancer. Radon is a naturally-occurring gas produced in the ground through the normal decay of uranium and radium.​ Byproducts of radon decay attach to surfaces and air particles, such as dust, and once inhaled, can pose severe health risks. ​Radon-related lung cancer cases kill more than 20,000 Americans each year. According to the EPA, 4.0 pCi/L or higher of radon is deemed as an unsafe level of radon and poses great health risks.  ​People don’t know that they are being exposed to radon, and the effects it could have on their health.​ Julia’s study investigated whether high radon levels are associated with increased cancer incidences within counties of New York State.

  In her study, Julia determined the correlation between radon levels and various diseases to see if there was any associations between high levels of radon and high levels of disease. A correlation test was completed to determine whether stomach cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, and asthma are associated with high radon levels. The number of cancer incidences per county, asthma hospitalization rates, and radon levels were obtained from the New York State Department of Health database. Overall, the results suggest that high radon levels could contribute to high asthma and Leukemia rates among patients in New York State. Although the data suggests that radon could be associated with these diseases, it does not directly indicate that these diseases are caused by radon. Further research is encouraged to determine whether radon could be associated with these diseases, and the effects if could be having on people’s health.

  Julia is a high honor roll student, and captain of the varsity golf team. She is president of the Interact Club, Historian of FBLA, and a member of the science club, National Honor Society, and Spanish Honor Society. She is also a participant in the 1000 Girls 1000 Futures program, and the STEMU Mentoring program, sponsored by the Global STEM Alliance of the New York Academy of Sciences. As a part of the programs, the participants receive one-on-one mentoring from professional women in stem fields. Julia plans on studying multiple sciences in college, with hopes of becoming a cancer researcher.

Fentanyl: A Deadly Drug, has it Gotten Deadlier?

  In the past few years, overdose deaths from the synthetic opioid fentanyl have skyrocketed. Fentanyl abuse has been present in over fifty percent of opioid overdose cases across the United States. Forensic pathology is the study of the cause and time of death of humans. Forensic pathologists are responsible for autopsies, determining the factors around overdose deaths, and recording toxicology results. Forensic pathologists have noticed that in the past few years the levels of fentanyl found in decedents’ blood from overdose cases have been very steep, with levels high above the fatal amount.

  In Grace’s research, fentanyl level/amounts from deadly overdose cases were examined. Grace hypothesized that there was an increase in fentanyl levels over time in Dutchess County. She also expected that this increase in fentanyl levels will correlate with an increased number of fentanyl overdose deaths. Data was obtained from the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office under the supervision of a qualified forensic pathologist. She found that the blood levels did not increase over time, however, the amount of fentanyl deaths did increase. She concluded that the drug itself had not changed in Dutchess County, but the frequency of fentanyl abuse increased. Grace hopes this study will bring awareness to the high level of variance in fentanyl and its analogs (variants).

  Grace is an honors student at Carmel High School. She has a passion for science. In school, she participates in various extracurricular activities like advanced art classes and Symphony Orchestra. In her free time, Grace likes to read or draw. She hopes to one day work in a field of science.

Perceived Academic Self-Efficacy and Perfectionism Type in a Public Suburban High School

  Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to successfully complete tasks in specific situations. Those who have high self-efficacy are reflected to have greater ability and confidence to succeed in their specified environment. On the other hand, perfectionism (perf.) is a characteristic where individuals set high standards for themselves and/or others and strive for these expectations in their/others’ performances. Perf. has been identified as a multidimensional construct, divided into three components: self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially-prescribed. Perceived academic self-efficacy (PASE) and perf. type have been explored separately in academic situations from middle school to college. However, there has been few studies that have explored the relationship between PASE and perf. type, especially in a public, suburban high school.

  This study investigated if there is a relationship between PASE and perf. type. High school students attending a public, suburban high school were recruited to participate in the study. Participants completed an informed consent form questionnaire, a demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Finally, Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis was used to analyze the data. Results indicated a weak, positive correlation (r=0.32) between high PASE and self-oriented perf. Strong, negative correlations were reported between low PASE and other-oriented perf. (r = -0.80) and low PASE and socially-prescribed perf. (r = -0.81). Monica hopes the findings of the study could help further the understanding of PASE and perf. in suburban high school students and help identify students with other-oriented and socially-prescribed perf. who may be under stress and anxiety.

  Outside of Science Research, Monica is involved in the Science Club, Interact Club, Tri-M, UTC STEM U Mentors Program, the Reading Buddies Program, and volunteers at the Putnam Hospital. She enrolled in the Science Research course because of her passion and interest for science. She chose a study in perfectionism because she is a perfectionist. In the future, Monica desires to pursue a career in science.