Archive
2025 Capstone Winners

Best Social Sciences Paper Award
Delaney Cheyenne Winterdove Narron
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed & Abby Wightman
Type of Presentation: Paper
Paper Category: Social Science/Criminal Justice
Project Title: Conservation Officers’ Perspectives on Tribal and Environmental Law

Best Humanities Paper Award
Cloey Mazingo
Project Supervisor: Dr. Mary Hill Cole
Type of Presentation: Paper
Paper Category: Humanities/History
Project Title: “A National Park Near the Nation’s Capital”; The Dirty History of the Foundation of Shenandoah National Park

Visual and Performing Arts Award
Sophie Wilkins
Project Supervisor: Dr. Kerry Cooke
Type of Presentation: Paper
Paper Category: Visual and Performing Arts
Project Title: The Seasons and the Languages Change

Best STEM Poster Award
Amelie Yanes Urrutia
Project Supervisor: Katherine Low
Type of Presentation: Paper
Paper Category: Humanities
Project Title: Applying Care Ethics to Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal

Best STEM Poster Award
Lauren Byrnes
Project Supervisor: Dr. Maria Craig
Type of Presentation: Poster
Poster Category: STEM/Chemistry
Project Title: Effects of Lipid Raft Depleters on LL-37 Uptake into Human Monocytes

Best Q-Award
Gretchen Lutz
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Presentation: Poster
Poster Category: STEM/Biology
Project Title: Implications of the Cerebellar Posterior Lobe Volume and Activation on Memory Performance

Best High-Impact Practice Award
Natalie Rader
Project Supervisor: Lora Cantwell
Type of Presentation: HIP
Project Title: Wearing the Weight: Understanding First Responder Culture and Mental Health

Best High-Impact Practice Award
Zayin Battle
Project Supervisor: Clayton Smith
Type of Presentation: HIP
Project Title: AUS Project

Best High-Impact Practice Award
Breann “Anna” Long
Project Supervisor: Clayton Smith
Type of Presentation: HIP
Project Title: JournEase with AUS: Personalized Itineraries for Seamless Airport Navigation
2024 Capstone Entrants

Matt Nocco
Project Supervisor: Dr. Amy Diduch
Type of Project: Social Sciences
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Pitch Clock, Bigger Bases, and Banned Shifts; Analysis of MLB’s 2023 Rule Changes

Isabella O’Bannion
Project Supervisor: Dr. van Assendelft and Dr. Diduch
Type of Project: Social Science
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Are Lieutenant Governors Less Likely to Win the Governorship?

Chris Nguyen
Project Supervisor: Robin Hopkins
Type of Project: Social Science
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Praise to Progress: The Effects of Praise on College Students

Sebastian Tanguay
Project Supervisor: Robin Hopkins
Type of Project: Social Science
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Video Games’ Effect on Visual Working Memory

Kaley Kuhaneck
Project Supervisor: Dr. Pual Deeble
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Effects of the Pesticide Acephate on PG19 Mouse Amelanotic Melanoma Cells

Kate Thoele
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Deeble
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Effects of CBD on Seizures in Epileptic Drosophila

Ellis Gonzalez
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Deeble
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells Induced with Epinephrine and Forskolin Differentiation Agents to Estimate Cell Migration

Sade Brown
Project Supervisor: Kadrin Anderson
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Chicken Cleaning Effects on Potential Bacteria Recovery

Lukas Brown
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Measuring the Effects of Temperature

Juliana Villamizar Suesca
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Alternatively Differentiated IL-4 Macrophages and Their Involvement in the Innate Immune Responses to Pollen

Mercedes Munet-Orcha
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Toxicity of Red #40 Dye on Fly Gut Microbiome

Lauryn Faulkner-Sitton
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Callo
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Factors Affecting Cryptosporidium Infection in Cattle

Savannah Gibbs
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Callo
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Impact of Mercury Contamination on Avian Malaria Prevalence

Ashlea Stone
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Callo
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Effect of Human Constructed Pathways on Carabid Beetle Movements

Cierra Murphy
Project Supervisor: Kadrin Anderson
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Comparing the Effectiveness of a FRAC 11 Group Fungicide and Lemongrass Essential Oil Against Rhizopus stolonifer

Carlie Shoemaker
Project Supervisor: Dr. Maria Craig
Type of Project: STEM (Chemistry)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Effect of Palmitic Acid on LL-37 Expression in Human THP-1 Cells

Anastasia Bunting
Project Supervisor: Dr. Maria Craig
Type of Project: STEM (Chemistry)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: LL-37 (CAMP) Gene Expression Induced by Vitamin D3

Neriam Melendez
Project Supervisor: Dr. Maria Criag
Type of Project: STEM (Chemistry)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Induced Expression of LL-37 CAMP Gene Facilitated by Sodium Butyrate

Katelin Whitcomb
Project Supervisor: Dr. Peter Ruiz-Haas
Type of Project: STEM (Chemistry)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Effects of Flavoring Chemicals in E-Cigarettes

Chloe Beasley
Project Supervisor: Dr. Peter Ruiz-Haas
Type of Project: STEM (Chemistry)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: An Alternative Approach to Air Quality Measurement and Analysis Through the Development of a Mobile Arduino Multisensor

Gisel Martinez
Project Supervisor: Dr. Peter Ruiz-Haas
Type of Project: STEM (Chemistry)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Determining the Lead Concentration in Paint at Ӱ Through Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

Grace Hearns
Project Supervisor: Chris Harnish
Type of Project: STEM (Excercise Science)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Comparison of Average Critical Power and Lactate Threshold in Steady State in a 15 Minute Interval Training Session

Olivia Gagne
Project Supervisor: Anna-Rose Wolff
Type of Project: STEM (Math)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Effects of Kernel Functions on Support Vector Machines for Handwritten Digit Recognition

Noah Knick
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: STEM (Biology)
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Effect of Vorinostat on TGF-Beta and TGIF Expression in Murine Subcutaneous Fibroblasts

Haley Roberts
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Cell Proliferation Response to miRNA 342-3p Expression in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Quentin Hart
Project Supervisor: Bruce Dorries
Type of Project: Social Science
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Transforming Efforts of Social Media Fundraising and Partnerships To Better Support The Youth – An Integrated Marketing and Communications Campaign for Action Sports

Akeilah George
Project Supervisor: Dr. Katherine Turner
Type of Project: Social Science & Humanities (Humanities)
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Hiding from Reality Wearing Armani Suits: An Examination of American Psycho through a Feminist Lens

Leah Weatherford
Project Supervisor: Laura van Assendelft
Type of Project: Social Science & Humanities (Social Science)
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Through the Lens of Race, Gender, and Intersectionality: Loyalty of African American Women Within the Democratic Party

Annabella Gonzales
Project Supervisor: Dr. Robin Hopkins
Type of Project: Social Science & Humanities (Social Science)
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Timing of Henderson Instructions on Juror Sensitivity

Grace Gardner
Project Supervisor: Dr. Calvin Chung
Type of Project: Social Science Paper
Type of Presentation: Social Science Paper
Project Title: Sustainable Evaluation of the Staunton Augusta Arts Center

Maia Adolphs
Project Supervisor: Lise Keiter
Type of Project: Visual & Performing Arts (Music)
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: The Musical Style of Jason Robert Brown as Demonstrated in the Songs Performed by the Female Characters

Teegan Lewis
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: Social Science
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: A Comparative Analysis of the Awareness and Utilization of Department-Provided Mental Health Resources Amongst Sworn Police Officers

Ki’Jah Wilburn
Project Supervisor: Dr. Calvin Chung
Type of Project: Social Science & Humanities (Social Science)
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Unveiling the canvas: flooring, the mosaic of Race ,Class, and Education in Museum Attendance
Musical, Theatrical or Other Artistic Performances

Maria Sarri
Project Supervisors: Lise Keiter and Jessica Long
Type of Project: Visual and Performing Arts (Music)
Type of Presentation: Musical, Theatrical or Other Artistic Performance
Project Title: Love and Longing Through Different Musical Genres

Juan Martinez
Project Supervisor: Lise Keiter
Type of Project: Visual and Performing Arts (Music)
Type of Presentation: Musical, Theatrical or Other Artistic Performance
Project Title: The Agrarian Music of Mexico

Kallie Parsons
Project Supervisors: Lise Keiter and Olivia Rominiyi
Type of Project: Visual and Performing Arts (Music)
Type of Presentation: Musical, Theatrical or Other Artistic Performance
Project Title: Singing Through Time: Musical Styles through Different Eras

Charlotte Bradley
Project Supervisor: Drea Howenstein
Type of Project: Visual and Performing Arts (Visual)
Type of Presentation: Musical, Theatrical or Other Artistic Performance
Project Title: Roots Reimagined: A Visual Exploration of African-American and Filipino Narratives
High Impact Practice

Teegan Lewis
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: FUEL Program

Brianna Allen-Thompson
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Community Resources for At-Risk Youth

Grace Gardner
Project Supervisor: Drea Howenstein
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Hunt Gallery Internship: Cultivating a Broader Community

Amber Kappes
Project Supervisor: Lora Cantwell
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Point-In-Time (PIT) Count

Autumn Stipe
Project Supervisor: Lora Cantwell
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Passion Project: Mental Health Curriculum Working With Low Income Teenagers
2023 Capstone Entrants

Meagan Cuomo
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: Honors Thesis
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Domestic Violence Rates in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Gerardo Escalera Cardoso
Project Supervisor: Laura van Assendelft
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: When Logic Trumped Anger: A Case Study of Political Rhetoric’s Impact on the Outcome of NAFTA Renegotiation

Elizabeth McGlaughlin
Project Supervisor: Maria Craig
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Induced Expression of LL-37 (CAMP) Gene Facilitated by Vitamin D

Zachary Zintak
Project Supervisor: Nadine Gergel-Hackett
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Designing an 8-bit Magnitude Comparator with Material Implication Using Memristors

Joshua Henson
Project Supervisor: Katherine Turner
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Marxist Americana: Political Echoes in Walden

Louis Altman
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: Honors Thesis
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: How Mary Baldwin’s Liberal Campus Affects Non-Liberal Men’s Attitudes Towards Criminal Justice Issues

Heather Korzun
Project Supervisor: Jinyoung Kang
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Workplace Gender Inequality in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Savanna Underwood
Project Supervisor: Katherine Turner
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Surviving the Monster: Abuse, Assault, and Trauma in Dracula

Ty (Taylor) Mynes
Project Supervisor: Bruce Dorries
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: More Than A Number: Integrated Marketing Campaign for the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center

Ty (Taylor) Mynes
Project Supervisor: Bruce Dorries
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: More Than A Number: Integrated Marketing Campaign for the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center

DeAnna Williams
Project Supervisor: Laura van Assendelft
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Putting Sex on the Agenda: Agenda-setting Theory and the Decriminalization of Sex Work

Lauren Phillips
Project Supervisor:Dr. Amy Tillerson-Brown
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: All Aboard or All Alone: Orphan Trains and Protestant Conversion through Philanthropic Efforts in Nineteenth Century New York City.

Jaliyah Bryant
Project Supervisor: Professor Molly Seremet
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Drama as Therapy: Theatrical Therapeutics for the Black Woman

Courtney Rosenstadt
Project Supervisor: Kadrin Anderson
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Paper
Project Title: Climatic Influences on Phlox buckleyi Populations within Shenandoah National Park

Abigail Adams
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Callo
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Mycosporine-like Amino Acids: A Vital Defense Mechanism Against Ultraviolet Radiation in the Painted Sea Urchin Lytechinus pictus

Anna Fisher
Project Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Harnish
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: What the World Cycling Hour Record Data Tells Us About Aging and Sex

Maelyn Sutliff
Project Supervisor: Lori Wall
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Modern Applied Behavior Analysis: A Look Into ABA, the 7 Dimensions, and Evidenced Based Practices Within the Field

Alexandra Wright
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Antiviral Potential of Cyclosporine A Against Human Adenovirus 5

Victoria Peterson
Project Supervisor: Dr. Rebecca Haberman
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Investigating the role of the Hippo Pathway in Cellular Proliferation

Jamie Solis
Project Supervisor: Paul Deeble
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The effect of dual photosensitizer-mediated photodynamic therapy on glioblastoma cells

Sara Wisher
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Callo & Professor Kadrin Anderson
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Invasive Impacts on Genus Fraxinus understory regeneration

Nadia Martin
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Deeble
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Effects of Curcumin on Drosophila melanogaster Models of Alzheimer’s Disease

Atlas Carter
Project Supervisor: Robin Hopkin
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: The Impact of Supposed Learning Style and Stimuli Congruency on JOLs

Abigail Schmitt
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paul Callo
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Pollination in Lilium superbum and Lilium canadense (Liliaceae): Implications for the Coevolution of Floral Traits

Owen Marshall
Project Supervisor: Amy Diduch
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Poster
Project Title: Name, Image, and Likeness: Market Structure, Ease of Entry, and Profits
Musical, Theatrical or Other Artistic Performance

Naomi Ritchie
Project Supervisor: Jim Sconyers
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: Toad Talks: How to Be a Little Less Afraid

Shaion Ury
Project Supervisor: Dr. Anne Wick
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: The Connection of Musical Technique Through Time and Style

Monique Ford
Project Supervisor: Dr. Anne Wick
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: Classical, Gifted, and Black: A Comparative Glance at Black Composers throughout Time.

Kijah Wilburn
Project Supervisor: Professor Molly Seremet
Type of Project: Honors Thesis
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: Directing Medea :The Power of Feminine Rage Through an Intersectional Lens

Grace Gardner
Project Supervisor: Jim Sconyers & Martha Saunders
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: Invasion of Space: Invasive Species and Their Impact

Brianna Monet Parker
Project Supervisor: Martha Saunders & Jim Sconyers
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: How it Feels to be The Colored Me

Georgia Anne Foster
Project Supervisor: Martha Saunders
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: Iconography

Sydney Velandria
Project Supervisor: Martha Saunders
Type of Project: Senior Project
Type of Presentation: Musical, theatrical or other artistic performance
Project Title: Reflections
High Impact Practice

Meagan Cuomo
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: A Proposal to Implement a Youth Court Program in the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Locality as a Restorative Justice Opportunity for Juvenile Offenders

Heather Korzun
Project Supervisor: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Deming Studio Sustainability

Kaitlynn Michelle George
Project Supervisor: Dr. Paige Reed
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Pathways program resource guide visual: primary, secondary, and tertiary Sources

Kryslyn Fehr
Project Supervisor: Lora Cantwell
Type of Project: High Impact Practice Project
Type of Presentation: High Impact Practice Project
Project Title: Learning to See the Whole Person: from Textbook to Practice

Claire Josefson
Project Supervisor: Dr. Kerry Cooke
Type of Project: Musical, Theatrical and Other Artistic Performance
Project Title: Dehumanized Constructs: Puppets as Conduits and Shields for the Actor
2022 Capstone Festival Keynote and Awards Ceremony
Congratulations, 2022 Award Winners

Best Paper Award: STEM
Stella Remigio
Title: Neuroendocrine Cell Conditioned Media Effect on Prostate Cancer Cell Migration: LNCaP and PC-3
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Paul Deeble

Best Paper Award: Humanities
Corrina Hunter
Title: The Black Queer Neighbor
Faculty Sponsors: Dr. Mary Hill Cole and Dr. Amy Tillerson-Brown

Best Paper Award: Social Science
McKenna “McK” Mollner
Title: Cell Phones, Risk, and Day Hikers: An Analysis of the Potential Impact of Cellphones on Search and Rescue Trends in Shenandoah National Park
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Amy Diduch

Best Quantifiable Research Award
Brionny Brown
Title: The Effect of Caffeine on sAPPα and the Lifespan and Climbing Ability of Drosophila melanogaster Models for Alzheimer’s Disease
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Paul Deeble

Best Science Poster Award
Haley Schwarz
Title: Abundance, Diversity and Growth Rates of Entomopathogenic Fungi Along an Elevational Gradient
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Mary Jane Epps

Best High Impact Practice (HIP) Presentation Award
Mary Moran
Title: The Experience at the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Paige Reed

Best Visual & Performing Art Award
Marquis Brunson
Title: Imitation of the “Sacred Art of the Ori”
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Jim Sconyers
Senior Project Fellowships for Current Juniors
- Abigail Adams (Biology: Dr. Paul Callo)
- Jamie LaGrange (Biology: Dr. Rebecca Haberman)
- Anna Burkholder (Exercise Science: Christopher Harnish)
2022 Capstone Festival: May 2-6
The annual Ӱ Capstone Festival celebrates the scholarly and creative achievements of graduating Ӱ seniors. All students, faculty, staff, and the greater Staunton community are invited to attend. The format of the 2022 Capstone Festival will be hybrid. Members of the Ӱ community can attend in person in Grafton Library. Friends and family members can attend virtually.
Questions? Please email capstone@marybaldwin.edu
2021 Capstone Festival Winners
Top Honors
Papers I and Quantitative Award
Elyse Levens, A Mass Cytometry Application of a Community Structure Generating Algorithm Derived from a Combination of Leiden and Girvan-Newman Methods
Papers II
Kylie Stottlemyer, Understanding the Complexity of Community Policing and the Implementation when Assisting Victims
Posters
Jessa Balough, Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol-F by Hydrogen Peroxide
Artistic Portfolio
Felicia Maziarz, There’s an Armadillo in my Living Room
ABV Fellowship Awardees for 2021-22
Haley Schwarz
Madison Kelly
Brionny Brown
Stella Maris Remigio
Katherine Keegan
2020 Capstone Festival Winners
Top Honors:
Extended Abstracts:
Rebecca Balzan, The Nullification Crisis: A Constitutional Battle or a Personal Feud?, Project Advisor: Clayton Brooks; Academic Advisor: Mary Hill Cole
Posters I and Art Portfolio:
Emileann Quick, The Abundance of Escherichia coli in Local, Organic Poultry vs Commercially Produced Brand
Project Advisor: Paul Deeble; Academic Advisor: Susie Schmeissing
Capstone Poster PDF
Capstone Abstract PDF
Posters II:
Victoria Moore, The Effect of Levonorgestrel on Breast Cancer Progression, Project Advisor: Melissa Scheiber; Academic Advisor: Paul Deeble
Capstone Poster PDF
Capstone Description PDF
Quantitative Award:
Elizabeth Fitzer, The Influence of the C5a Receptor on Ovarian Cancer Progression, Project Advisor: Melissa Scheiber; Academic Advisor: Paul Deeble
Capstone Poster PDF
Capstone Abstract PDF
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