bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Progestin-Estrogenic Contraceptive Pills May Promote Growth in Crop-Plants
Authors: Saha Sukanta , Mukhopadhyay Barnali
Published: September 2023

Recently, there has been an increase in abundance of chemicals in the environment, especially from therapeutic usages. The effects of these deposited chemicals on the environment and human functions such as the endocrine system are of growing concern. A comparative study was conducted of the combined-effects of ethinyl estradiol and the progestin norgestrel commonly present in contraceptive tablets on the growth of flowering plants. The dicotyledon Vigna radiata (mung bean) and monocotyledon Triticum aestivum (winter wheat) were treated with progestin-estrogenic contraceptive tablets at 0.150%, 0.300%, 0.450%, 0.600% w/v using distilled water as a control over a period of 6 days. Morphological growth (percentage germination, embryonic and adventitious tissue proliferation, root length, and shoot length) was measured and chlorophyll concentrations were calculated using Arnon’s equation for each group. Morphological growth was highest in V. radiata treated with the 0.150% solution and in T. aestivum treated with the 0.450% solution. Maximal inhibition of morphological growth was observed at 0.600% in V. radiata. Progestin-estrogenic contraceptive tablets enhanced morphological growth of T. aestivum at all experimental groups compared to the control. Calculated chlorophyll concentrations were higher than the control group at all experimental conditions for both the crop-plants. Maximum chlorophyll concentrations were also found in V. radiata and T. aestivum treated with 0.150% and 0.450% w/v solutions. While the impact of these chemicals on human health remains unclear, removing these chemicals from the environment is currently not cost-efficient and may either augment or diminish crop yields.
Examining the Accuracy of DNA Parentage Tests Using Computer Simulations and Known Pedigrees
Authors: Wang Eileen , Yao Hong
Published: September 2023

DNA parentage tests are widely used for identifying family in humans, as well as controlling family representation and inbreeding in animals. But, how accurate are these tests? In this study, we hypothesized that current parentage tests are reliable if the analysis involves only one or a few families. We tested the hypothesis by simulating and performing DNA parentage testing on yellow perch fish Perca flavescens with known pedigrees. We found that 100% of the offspring matched their recorded/true parents when one true family was analyzed. However, only 47.25% of offspring matched their true parents when a group of 20 families were evaluated. Our results suggest that DNA parentage tests are reliable as long as the right methods are used, since these tests involve only one family in most cases, and that the results from parentage analyses of large populations can only be used as a reference.
A novel bioreactor system to purify contaminated runoff water
Authors: Ghaderi Daniel , Rheam Christy
Published: September 2023

Water scarcity has become a global crisis and an economic burden. Environmental challenges in climate change, population growth, and urbanization have raised serious concerns for safe drinking water, food security, social stability, and public health. Current physicochemical purification techniques are costly, chemically-invasive, or ineffective. The aim of this study was to engineer an eco-friendly and cost-effective water purification system using an ex-situ bioremediation approach. The main objective was to use limestone, denitrifying bacteria, and sulfate-reducing bacteria present in the soil as natural resources. Organic compost was added as a carbon source to enhance activities of intrinsic soil bacteria. All samples were collected from mining and industrial sites in Eastern Pennsylvania. We evaluated and verified the feasibility of a novel modular bioreactor system for the effective removal of nitrate, sulfate, and heavy metals from runoff water while increasing its alkalinity. The impacts of pH and temperature on the bioremediation efficiency were evaluated, revealing ideal temperatures to be above 16°C and pH above 7. Nitrate levels dropped from 80 ppm to 0 ppm, and pH increased from 4 to above 7 consistently. Combining neutralization with bacterial bioremediation proved to have synergistic benefits within 30 minutes of treatment. Results showed a successful removal of nitrate (NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), sulfite (SO32-), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Aluminum (Al), and Lead (Pb) from contaminated wastewater. This system is a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and practical tool that opens numerous avenues for generating sustainable, portable, and fast water purification options for low-income communities. A large-scale system could be adapted for commercial or industrial purposes.
Presoaking Seeds with Vinegar Improves Seed Development and Drought Tolerance in Maize Plants
Authors: DAgate Dylan M , Lake Michael W
Published: September 2023

Climate change continues to contribute to severe drought conditions and threatens the food security of many developing countries. Maize is a very important source of food for developing nations. Climate change has contributed to the increasing annual temperatures around the world and poses a grave threat to Maize crops. Novel methods to help farmers combat drought conditions are urgently needed. Two methods proven to help combat plant drought stress effects are presoaking seeds (seeds are soaked in a liquid before planting) and the application of Acetic Acid (vinegar) to soil. The purpose of this experiment was to explore if combining these two methods by presoaking seeds with a vinegar solution can improve the seed development and plant drought tolerance of Maize plants during drought conditions. Three groups of seeds were created; Group 1 control (no presoaking), Group 2 (presoaking with water), and Group 3 (presoaking with vinegar solution). Seed development was determined by measuring the percent of seed germination and the rate of cotyledon emergence. Plant viability was measured by counting the number of viable plants and measuring final plant height. Our results revealed that presoaking Maize seeds with a vinegar solution (Group 3) was superior in terms of improving seed development and plant drought tolerance when exposed to drought conditions. We conclude that presoaking with a vinegar solution may offer a simple and inexpensive method of improving drought tolerance in Maize seeds and plants.
Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Calcium Carbonate
Authors: Prahalad Vaishali , DiMaggio Meghan , P Manzello Derek
Published: September 2023

Ocean acidification poses a serious risk to marine organisms with calcium carbonate exoskeletons. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of acidification on the mass of corals and shells composed of calcium carbonate. Corals and shells composed of calcium carbonate were placed in four sets of jars with different pH levels. After six weeks, we measured the change and percentage change in mass of the corals and shells. Our results indicated that there was no significant difference in the percent change in mass for the corals and shells exposed to different pH levels. However, the corals experienced significantly greater loss of mass than the shells exposed to the same experimental conditions. This suggests that ocean acidification may pose a greater risk to corals than it does to shells. Given the role played by corals in the marine ecosystem, these findings emphasize an urgent need for mitigating and reversing the effects of ocean acidification.
Analysis of the Exoplanet HD 189733b to Confirm its Existence
Authors: Babaria Pratham , Chandra Ethan
Published: September 2023

In this study, we examined the orbital periods, photometry, and radial velocity of one exoplanet in the HD star system: 189733 b. We constructed a high caliber exoplanet transit detection tracker that acts as a means to analyze the data constituted of the Raw Science images that we obtained from a DSLR camera. We used the BATMAN Python programming package to convert our data to light curves and a radial-velocity model. The radial velocity data was taken from multiple high precision research studies, which were then converted to a sinusoidal graph portraying the radial velocity with respect to time. Chi-square tests were performed on the data in order to examine the likelihood that observation was due to mere chance. We hypothesized that the creation of a DSLR camera star tracker would produce results that support previously established studies. The results of our studies were statistically significant and supported our hypothesis and previous studies. This study demonstrates the importance of accurately using the radial velocity and photometry data from high-precision research studies.
Kinetic Monitoring and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy of the Green Oxidation of (-)-Menthol to (-)-Menthone
Authors: Surapaneni Anvi , Surapaneni Atri , Wu Jeslyn , Bajaj Ayush , Reyes Katrina , Adwankar Rohan , Vittaladevuni Ananya , Njoo Edward
Published: September 2023

Green chemistry involves reducing the production of hazardous substances in chemical processes to be more sustainable, thereby decreasing pollution and other environmental damage. Solvent is a major contributor of waste in organic synthesis, so the greenness of a chemical reaction can be improved by changing the solvent. The oxidation of (-)-menthol to (-)-menthone in different solvent systems was monitored using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Our study conducted this reaction in solvent systems of acetic acid and other solvents as replacements for acetonitrile: acetone, ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane. Solvent choice was determined based on the principles of green chemistry, and kinetics and yield of the reactions in different solvents were investigated. Through FTIR spectroscopy, the products of all the reactions were characterized as (-)-menthone. Since a limiting factor in hypochlorite-mediated oxidations of alcohols to carbonyls is the solubility of the hypochlorite salt, we hypothesize that the most polar solvent systems will give the fastest reaction rate and highest yields. Our hypothesis was incorrect, as the reaction time was shortest and product yield was greatest for the oxidation performed in ethyl acetate and acetic acid, which are less polar than acetonitrile. The green oxidation of (-)-menthol to (-)-menthone was optimized in this solvent system.
Discovery of the Heart in Mathematics: Modeling the Chaotic Behaviors of Quantized Periods in the Mandelbrot Set
Authors: Golla Anudeep , Strode Paul K
Published: September 2023

The phenomenon of small changes leading to drastic effects is fundamental to Chaos Theory. Understanding the chaos in our world could provide more control over the systems that govern the universe. Therefore, this study aimed to predict and explain chaotic behavior in the Mandelbrot Set, one of the world’s most popular models of fractals and exhibitors of Chaos Theory. We hypothesized that repeatedly iterating the Mandelbrot Set’s characteristic function would give rise to a more intricate layout of the fractal and elliptical models that predict and highlight “hotspots” of chaos through their overlaps. While a novel method of discovering miniature versions of the Mandelbrot fractal was discovered and a statistically significant transformation function was developed, overlaps of the elliptical models were not supported to exhibit higher levels of chaos. Many biological and natural phenomena such as the heartbeat, lung vessels, neurons, weather, the stock market, and more, are both chaotic in nature and can be described using fractal-based models. The positive and negative results from this study may provide a new perspective on fractals and their chaotic nature, helping to solve problems involving chaotic phenomena.
The effects of stress on the bacterial community associated with the sea anemone Diadumene lineata
Authors: Cahill Rebekah , Krueger-Hadfield Stacy , H Ryan Will
Published: September 2023

The bacteria found on and inside animals can play important roles in the health and function of the host individual. However, the factors that control which species colonize a host are complex. In this study, we investigated the effect of environmental stress on the composition of the bacterial community associated with the sea anemone Diadumene lineata. We grew anemones in both normal and stressful conditions and then cultured bacteria from each individual anemone and its mucus separately on R-2A agar. We found that anemones grown in normal conditions had microbiomes that were distinct from the surrounding seawater, but that the community of bacteria found on stressed anemones was more similar to that found in the seawater. Interestingly, D. lineata produces a thick mucous covering when stressed, which may play a role in controlling the microbial community during stressful conditions. We found that the mucus had a distinct community of bacteria with very few taxa present. These results were consistent with findings from corals and other sea anemones that suggested that stressed hosts are less able to control the microbes that colonize their surfaces and that mucus may have antimicrobial properties that influence microbial community assembly. The findings of this study support the use of sea anemones for further investigation of the complex interaction among hosts, microbes, and their environments. Our study also highlights the need to investigate sea anemone mucus further, both as an ecologically important substance and as a potential source for novel pharmaceutical compounds.
Physical Appearance and Its Effect on Trust
Authors: Ledesma Abril , Kraut Denisse , Quezada Rubn , Zayas Atzin , Cano-Ruiz Mara Elena
Published: September 2023

The first assessment of another person’s trustworthiness may depend on several factors, such as previous experiences, education, cultural context, and prejudices, but also on the physical attributes and appearance of the person. We hypothesized that different physical traits would affect teenagers’ initial trust of an unknown person and that they would give greater trust to women and people of similar ethnicity. To test this hypothesis, we developed a survey to determine the sets of physical characteristics that affect a person's trustworthiness, including gender, skin color/ethnicity, and facial expressions by asking teenagers to select pictures of young adults presented in pairs based on their physical appearance. For this, 52 teenage volunteers answered this survey in which each of the questions displayed two computer-generated images of people that represented hypothetical Uber drivers of the same age with different physical characteristics. The participants selected the person they preferred to have as an Uber driver based only on the images shown. Results indicated that female participants preferred women drivers, but male participants had no preference for the driver´s gender. Mexican drivers were selected less than white or black drivers, and participants trusted a smiling expression over neutral expressions. We concluded that gender and expression were the main physical traits associated with how trustworthy an individual looks, while ethnicity was also important.
Can Green Tea Alleviate the Effects of Stress Related to Learning and Long-Term Memory in the Great Pond Snail (Lymnaea stagnalis)?
Authors: Elias Madison , Cupo Janine
Published: September 2023

Stress and anxiety have become more prevalent issues in recent years and teenagers are especially at high risk. Recent studies show that experiencing stress while learning can impair brain-cell communication, thus inhibiting learning. Green tea is believed to have the opposite effect, aiding in learning and memory retention. Lymnaea stagnalis is a pond snail with a simple nervous system and easily observable behaviors, making it an excellent model organism for human neurobiology. In this study, we used L. stagnalis to explore the relationship between green tea and a stressor that impairs memory formation to determine the effects of both green tea and stress on the snails’ ability to learn, form, and retain memories. Memory was assessed using a conditioning procedure known as conditioned taste aversion (CTA), where snails are exposed to a sweet substance followed by a bitter taste with the number of biting responses being recorded. For the CTA groups, a total of 33 snails in 3 separate cohorts (Control (i.e. no stress), stressed, and stressed with green tea) was used in the trainings. Our results indicated that the best learning and memory occurred in the combination stressed with green tea group, specifically for long-term memory, although snails displayed good learning and memory during the short-term and intermediate trials. Stress was shown to be harmful to snail learning and memory for short-term, intermediate, and long-term memory. Thus, green tea not only alleviated the effects of stress, but also improved the snails’ ability to learn and remember compared to their control counterparts (not stressed) group.
An analysis of the distribution of microplastics along the South Shore of Long Island, NY
Authors: Sanderson Kaylee , Simons Mary
Published: September 2023

Plastic pollution has exponentially increased in recent years, becoming an international concern. Microplastics, or plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm in length, have consequently become ubiquitous and harmful in the marine environment, ultimately putting the biosphere at risk. Scientists recognize the importance of understanding the distribution of microplastics in the environment to develop policy and tools to combat this issue and promote sustainability. In this experiment, we sought to identify the concentrations of microplastic pollution in the sand of various locations along the coastline of the South Shore of Long Island, New York. This study involved an initial collection of sand followed by microplastic extraction with sodium chloride, filtration, and quantification via microscopy. We hypothesized that there would be a higher concentration of microplastics in the sand of the beaches that are closer in proximity to New York City whereas the locations farthest from the city would have lower concentrations of the contaminants. Based on the resulting p-value of 0.75, we concluded that there were no statistically significant differences between the numbers of microplastics collected from each sampling location. However, since microplastics were retrieved from each of these four sampling locations, there is evidence that microplastics are present along the South Shore, which is important to further research.
Down-regulation of CD44 inhibits Wnt/β-catenin mediated cancer cell migration and invasion in gastric cancer
Authors: Baek Sunwoo , Lee Woo Rin
Published: September 2023

Recent studies tried to find the genes that are associated with gastric cancer patient’s survival. Many studies focused on CD44, which is associated with gastric cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the mechanisms by which molecules downstream of CD44 contribute to gastric cancer cell migration and invasion remain poorly studied. The lack of information on CD44 downstream mechanism limits the development of effective therapies for patients with gastric cancer. In this study, we aimed to characterize CD44-mediated regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which promotes cancer invasion and metastasis. We hypothesized that CD44 down-regulation will inhibit gastric cancer cell migration and invasion by leading to down-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We found that CD44 up-regulation was significantly related to poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. We demonstrated the CD44 down-regulation decreased β-catenin protein expression level. Our results suggest that CD44 down-regulation inhibits cell migration and invasion by down-regulating β-catenin expression level. We determined not only that CD44 regulates the expression level of β-catenin, but also discovered a novel CD44/β-catenin pathway that regulates cell migration and invasion in gastric cancer. Our findings suggest that targeting the CD44/β-catenin pathway may be an effective therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer patients.
The effects of early probiotic supplementation on the germination of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Gambino Julia , Simons Mary
Published: September 2023

The agricultural industry uses fertilizer to produce enough food for the world’s robust and growing population. However, the use of fertilizers is associated with an increase in soil degradation, which will lead to a decrease in crop production within the next decade. This soil degradation is due, at least in part, to the long-term use of oil-based synthetic fertilizers. These fertilizers deplete the soil of nutrients and bacteria essential to plant growth. It is critical to find solutions to support crop production to sustain the robust global population. As a result, this study was conducted to investigate how probiotic bacteria, like Rhizobium leguminosarum, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens, can impact the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana when applied to the seeds. The effect of multiple probiotic genera on early root growth was evaluated through the generation of various bacterial solutions composed of different quantities and combinations of probiotic bacteria, treating Arabidopsis seeds with these probiotic solutions and placing the seeds on agar plates to germinate with the evaluation of early root growth. We hypothesized that solutions with multiple bacterial species compared to those with only a single bacterial species would promote seed germination more effectively. The results suggest that there was no statistically significant difference in the total root lengths of each group, but there was a statistically significant difference in the number of root branches. Overall, treatment groups with probiotic species of bacteria promoted root branching more than treatment groups with no bacteria. Multiple species of these bacteria, especially the groups containing R. leguminosarum, stimulated more root branching than treatment groups with one species of bacteria. Further research on how different bacterial genera affect root characteristics may support the development of alternative and sustainable bacteria-based fertilizers, which can aid in reversing the effects of soil degradation.
Statistically Analyzing the Effect of Various Factors on the Absorbency of Paper Towels
Authors: Tao Lynn , Zhang Angie , Chi Jane
Published: September 2023

The spread of SARS-CoV2 virus and COVID-19 has caused a surge in demand for paper towels, with a 264% increase in sales growth as customers enhance their hygiene efforts. Though there have been many studies on the characteristics of various paper towels, relatively little research has been performed on how different types of liquid, different fat concentrations, and different properties of paper towels impact their absorbency. In this study, we examined the effect of these factors using samples of the Bounty Select-a-Size paper towels obtained by simple random sampling, and random assignment procedure. We constructed comparative graph displays, verified the data’s normal distribution, and performed statistical analysis. A two-sample mean significance test gave us strong statistical evidence to reject the null hypotheses in favor of the alternative hypotheses at the alpha level of 0.05. We found that different liquid types did impact the absorption capability of a paper towel — milk tended to have a higher absorption amount into paper towels than water, and vegetable oil tended to have a higher absorption amount than milk. We also found to a certain degree that fat concentration tended to increase a liquid’s absorption amount into paper towels. We reported a cause and effect relationship from the paper towels’ properties (whether folded or not) and its absorbency. Our results could help restaurants and other businesses save expenses by minimizing paper towel usage according to spill types and by using paper towels in more efficient ways.
Using the COmplex PAthway SImulator, Stage Analysis, and Chemical Kinetics to Develop a Novel Solution to Lower Tau Concentrations in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Carroll Peyton , Kakarla Samhith
Published: September 2023

Alzheimer’s is a disease which afflicts 5.5 million Americans. In this study, we asked whether a Tau immunotherapy treatment, Hsp70 protein treatment, or dual treatment approach of both the Tau imunotherapy treatment and Hsp70 protein treatment leads to a greater reduction in Tau protein concentration. As a high concentration of Tau protein is directly related to Dementia and Alzheimer’s, the proposed treatment which reduces the Tau protein concentration the most is the best Alzheimer’s/Dementia treatment. We determined through our experimentation that the Tau immunotherapy treatment results in the least Tau protein concentration in early and advanced cases, less than the joint treatment and single Hsp70 protein treatment. However, the joint treatment was more effective at reducing Tau levels when initial Tau levels were consistent with those found in medium stage Alzheimer’s. The dual treatment had similar effects as the immunotherapy treatment, but with less impacts to Tau concentration. The Hsp70 treatment slowed the increase in Tau concentration, delaying the simulated progression of the disease but not stopping the disease. However, the Hsp70 treatment had the lowest standard deviation, demonstrating it is the most consistent treatment. Overall, we were able to display that the effectiveness of the treatment ultimately relies on the stage of Alzheimer’s.
Integrated Ocean Cleanup System for Sustainable and Healthy Aquatic Ecosystems
Authors: Anand Jomills Jose , Saju Srevin , Sam T L Shaji
Published: September 2023

In an attempt to find a natural alternative to the commercially used oil-spill adsorbents, we investigated natural adsorbents such as sugarcane, cotton, charcoal, and clay. It has been observed that, up to a certain limit, these materials can be used to clean up oil spills. In addition, particular combinations of these materials could perhaps increase the efficiency of the cleanup. Subsequently, we carefully tested the adsorbing efficiency of each natural adsorbent with oils of different viscosities. By prototyping with a small-scale model, we found that some materials adsorbed oil more than the others, with bentonite and activated charcoal having the highest capacity of up to 100% oil-water mixture adsorption in the first two passes and nearly 90% adsorption in the third pass. Creating different layers of different materials helped to better filtrate the oil-water mixture. Upon testing with seawater, the prototype that we developed was able to adsorb three passes of a mixture of equivalent volume with nearly 100% efficiency. This means that the natural adsorbents tested have comparable efficiency to commercially used nonwoven polypropylene, while being non-toxic to aquatic life and easier to dispose of. Here we describe in detail our studies and prototyping of an effective oil cleanup system.
Effects of an Informational Waste Management App on a User’s Waste Disposal Habits
Authors: Rao Rahul , Goyal Viraj , Singh Eshan , Shelton Dr Maura , Singh Mandeep
Published: September 2023

For several decades, the issue of mismanaged waste has been of paramount importance. While 75% of waste in the United States is stated to be recyclable, only about 34% truly is. Furthermore, one in four pieces of waste is recycled incorrectly, leading to inefficient, expensive, and environmentally detrimental impacts. The foundations of this problem lie in the lack of environmental awareness and personal knowledge about waste disposal. This project takes a stance to combat the pillars of mismanaged waste through a modern means of convenience: the TracedWaste app. The purpose of this study was to identify how individuals' waste disposal habits improved and knowledge increased (i.e. correctly disposing of waste, understanding negative incorrect waste disposal) due to their use of an informational waste management app as measured by a survey using a 1-5 Likert Scale. We surveyed 104 participants using 27 questions regarding the effectiveness and specifications of the app. A chisquared test of independence was performed for the survey data, revealing a significant relationship between TracedWaste app usage and improved waste disposal habits, (X² = 477.75, p < .001). Ultimately, this indicates that the data is statistically significant, with a confidence level of over 99%, demonstrating that the app created a positive difference in individuals' everyday lives. Therefore, the results supported our hypothesis: the TracedWaste app helped conserve abundant resources such as energy and wood, decrease carbon emissions, and minimize financial toll all through reducing individual impact.
Comparing Virulence of Three T4 Bacteriophage Strains on Ampicillin-Resistant and Sensitive E. coli Bacteria
Authors: Hudanich Lillian , Hudanich Christian , Carey James
Published: September 2023

While bacteria have demonstrated antibiotic resistance since the advent of antibiotics, the threat that these resistant microbes pose has recently gained much more attention in scientific and public communities. Antibiotics work by disrupting functions and structures in bacteria that animal cells lack. Bacteria acquire resistance to these drugs through genetic mutations that allow them to sidestep the effects of the antibiotic. When this occurs, antibiotics may not be able to treat an illness caused by resistant bacteria. An alternative therapy is the use of bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria.

In this experiment, we grew cultures of ampicillin-resistant and ampicillin-sensitive K12 strain E. coli and applied three strains of T4 bacteriophage, T4r+, T4r, and T4rIIA, to different cultures of the resistant and sensitive E. coli. After the bacteriophages had time to infect and lyse the bacteria, we determined the lysed percentage of each culture.

The results of this work showed that the wild type T4r+ caused the greatest amount of lysis of E. coli. There was not a significant difference in percentage lysed between cultures containing resistant and sensitive E. coli infected with the same strain of bacteriophage. These results suggest that the T4r+ bacteriophage may be the most effective in treating an E. coli infection, regardless of the ampicillin resistance of the E. coli.
Modeling the effects of acid rain on bacterial growth
Authors: Shah Divyash , McCormack Katherine
Published: September 2023

Acid rain has caused devastating decreases in ecosystems across the globe. This problem has been escalating due to the burning of fossil fuels. To mimic the effect of acid rain on the environment, we analyzed the growth of gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus epidermidis) bacteria in agar solutions with different pH levels. We tested the hypothesis that agar with higher concentrations of vinegar would inhibit growth of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. We used agar with no bacteria as the negative control to ensure that there was no contamination of the agar from the environment. After 7 days at 25°C, we measured the size and number of the bacterial colonies. Our results showed that there was growth of both bacteria in each of the different agar concentrations, while the control agar exhibited no growth. The growth of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) colony was much greater than from the Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) colony at 3 different concentrations of vinegar: 6.25% Vinegar, 12.5% Vinegar, and 25% Vinegar. 6.25% Vinegar models current conditions in lakes while 25% represents future models at the rate we are going. While both bacteria grew in all solutions, there was clear evidence that more growth was visible in the agar with less vinegar. Also, measurement of the growth of each bacterium with daily check-ups over the week-long study showed the bacteria grew quicker in the agar with no vinegar. These results show that in a given acidic environment there was a significant decrease in bacterial growth with an increase in vinegar concentration in the agar, suggesting that bacterial growth is impacted by the pH of the environment. Therefore, increased levels of acid rain could potentially harm the ecosystem by altering bacterial growth.
Machine learning on crowd-sourced data to highlight coral disease
Authors: Narayan Rithika , Pellicano Anthony J
Published: September 2023

Triggered largely by the warming and pollution of oceans, corals are experiencing bleaching and a variety of diseases caused by the spread of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Identification of bleached/diseased corals enables implementation of measures to halt or retard disease. Benthic cover analysis, a standard metric used in large databases to assess live coral cover, as a standalone measure of reef health is insufficient for identification of coral bleaching/disease. Proposed herein is a solution that couples machine learning with crowd-sourced data – images from government archives, citizen science projects, and personal images collected by tourists – to build a model capable of identifying healthy, bleached, and/or diseased coral. We collected hundreds of images of corals from open source archives, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s records and the XL Catlin Seaview Survey. The image annotation platform Labelbox was used to highlight regions of interest in each of these images and label them as “healthy”, “bleached”, “black band disease”, “dark spot disease”, “white syndrome”, or “yellow band disease”. These annotations were then used to build, train, and validate a Python-based image classification model, adapted from an open-source Mask R-CNN (region-based convolutional neural network) algorithm. Use of the model on a test set of coral images yields over 85% accuracy in distinguishing healthy versus unhealthy coral. This machine learning-based model has the potential to rapidly analyze a large and growing database of images to identify coral bleaching/disease around the world, thereby enabling effective allocation of resources for preservation of our marine ecosystems.
The Protective Antioxidant Effects of Sulforaphane on Germinating Radish Seeds Treated with Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Dasuri Venkata Siva , Churchill John
Published: September 2023

Free radical chain reactions result when atoms containing unpaired electrons bind with biomolecules and alter their biological functions, contributing to the progression of diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and diabetes. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E and sulforaphane, are effective neutralizers of free radicals and prevent cellular damage. This present study is conducted to determine the relative effectiveness of sulforaphane against free radicals generated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) compared with the known antioxidant vitamin E. In this experiment, H2O2 is a source of free radicals and germinating radish seeds are models to test the protective effects of antioxidants against free radicals. Generally, H2O2 diffuses into the cell and dissociates to form hydroxyl radicals through Fenton reactions. Based on current literature, the hypothesis is that sulforaphane is more effective than vitamin E in inhibiting free radicals from 1% H2O2 on germinating radish seeds due to its activation of different antioxidant pathways compared to vitamin E’s direct neutralization of free radicals. The 1% H2O2-treated radish seeds show lower germination rates than seeds treated with sulforaphane and vitamin E with 1% H2O2. Furthermore, the germination rate is higher in sulforaphane with 1% H2O2-treated seeds compared to vitamin E and 1% H2O2 treated seeds. In summary, these experiments show sulforaphane is more effective than vitamin E in neutralizing the free radical effects of H2O2 on radish seed germination. These results point to sulforaphane’s potential use as a dietary supplement to counteract free radical effects on cellular levels, helping to prevent the progression of certain diseases.
Estimation of Reproduction Number of Influenza in Greece using SIR Model
Authors: Skarpeti Cleo M , Skarpetis Michael G
Published: September 2023

Infectious disease models are regularly used by epidemiologists to predict the course of diseases. However, the accuracy of such models remains hotly debated. In this study, we developed an algorithm to estimate the contact rate and the average infectious period of influenza using a Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered (SIR) epidemic model. The parameters in this model were estimated using data on infected Greek individuals collected from the National Public Health Organization. The data interval investigated spans 13 weeks of 2019 and the first 8 weeks of 2020. After estimating the nonlinear SIR epidemic model’s parameter values, we computed the theoretical influenza reproduction number and simulated the evolution of the three SIR variables over time. We hypothesized that the reproduction number would be greater than one, which means that influenza is not like other simple diseases but is an epidemic. Our model labeled influenza as an epidemic with a basic reproduction value greater than one.
Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis of seven wisconsin biosolids
Authors: Miao Qiusu , Bronner Daniel , Guedel Mathew , Ebeling Angela , Ebeling Daniel
Published: September 2023

Our research explores the use of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to better understand the phosphorus (P) characteristics of biosolids and how these characteristics can affect agricultural production. Our question was whether FTIR spectra can differentiate between the organic and inorganic species of phosphorus in biosolids by showing shifts in the peaks that indicate species of phosphorus. We obtained biosolids from five Wisconsin wastewater treatment plants (Madison, Delafield, East Troy, Mukwonago, and Fort Atkinson). From the Madison location, we obtained several samples from different parts of the treatment process — cake, final liquid (labeled as Metrogro), and composted biosolids. We compared the FTIR spectra from these samples to P standards, aiming to identify the dominant P species in each biosolid. We employed several FTIR methods: attenuated total reflectance (ATR), sodium chloride (NaCl) salt plates with mineral oil, and pressed potassium bromide (KBr) pellets. We found that the FTIR method that best shows P species differences in the biosolids was the pressed KBr pellet method. Additionally, the P standards indicated two critical wavelength regions in which the inorganic species’ FTIR peaks are shifted to a higher wavenumber than those of the organic species. This work indicated that we can use KBr pellet FTIR as a simple and rapid method to start characterizing P species in biosolids. These research findings could provide farmers useful information about P availability to crops and risk of P loss in runoff when applying biosolids to their fields.
Determination of Optimal Relevant Joint Angles for Vertical Jump Height Across Teenagers with Differing Amounts of Jumping Experience
Authors: Bahng Ingyu , Bahng Keehoon
Published: September 2023

Reaching one’s maximum jump height requires optimizing one’s jump techniques. In order to find this optimal jump technique, three high school participants with varying vertical jump (VJ) abilities recorded videos of themselves with varying degrees of maximum/minimum shoulder, knee, and hip angles—with or without respect to the horizontal—at the isometric phase of a regular countermovement (CM) VJ or countermovement jump (CMJ). We hypothesized that VJ height would increase as each joint’s angular displacement increases from its initial position. We generated six graphs—two graphs per joint and each graph with three separate lines—using the VJ height measurements with the respective independent variables to determine the optimal relevant joint angles for maximum VJ height. Results showed that the shoulder angle without respect to the horizontal (SA), knee angle with respect to the horizontal (KAH), and the hip angle with respect to the horizontal (HAH) possessed a more consistent correlation with VJ height across the subjects compared to the same respective angles with opposite relations to the horizontal. We found that the optimal respective joint angle differs across subjects with varying levels of sport and VJ experience: participants with greater relative experience showed a better capability to absorb CM force exerted from greater limb displacement from its initial position.
A Data-Centric Analysis of “Stop and Frisk” in New York City
Authors: Bhat Sachin , Bhat Dinkar
Published: September 2023

Recent incidents in the United States involving police action against people of color has created a lot of controversy and public turmoil. There have been many calls for reform in police practices and the way they are funded, and debates have reached legislative bodies across the country. However, to make any substantive changes in laws and rules regarding practices, data needs to be collected in a systematic fashion and analyzed critically to form the basis for change. In this paper, we look at one police practice: “Stop and Frisk'' in New York City, which has received a lot of coverage in the media regarding its partiality towards people of color. We examined publicly available data for 2003–2019. The data analysis clearly shows that the practice was biased until 2012 but has since improved, possibly due to subsequent legal action.
Exploring a Possible Link Between ADHD and Inattentional Blindness
Authors: Younger Zachary , Bowen Holly
Published: September 2023

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. These symptoms of inattention led us to wonder about a connection between ADHD and the phenomenon of inattentional blindness. We attempted to replicate a previous study done on this subject, and based on the results of that study, we hypothesized that people with ADHD would display more inattentional blindness in perceptually simple tasks and less inattentional blindness in perceptually complex tasks. Our results indicate that there is no significant correlation between ADHD and inattentional blindness in either type of task. This finding goes against our initial hypothesis and the conclusions from the only prior study on this topic. People with ADHD may not have the advantage of reduced inattentional blindness.
Effect of Fertilizer on Water Quality of Creeks over Time
Authors: Chen Katie , Ely Erica , Eusden Spencer
Published: September 2023

Many people use fertilizer for commercial use, but are unaware of its harmful impacts. The main two ingredients in fertilizer are phosphorus and nitrogen, which are present in fertilizers through compounds such as ammonium phosphate and nitrate. Excess nitrates are dangerous as high nitrate levels in drinking water can cause infants to develop illnesses. In this experiment, we studied the effects of fertilizer on the water quality of Saratoga Creek over time. For 4 days, we measured the total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, and nitrate levels of eight creekwater samples after three fertilizer treatments of 0.5 tsp, 1 tsp, and 1.5 tsp were added. Results showed that fertilizer had a significant effect on all 3 indicators, with TDS levels substantially exceeding the 500 ppm level suggested in the “U.S. Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels” (SMCLs) and nitrate concentrations surpassing the 10 ppm standard in drinking water set by the EPA. TDS concentrations for the 3 fertilizer treatments at 4 days exceeded the standard by around 6, 12, and 20 times respectively, while pH levels dropped below the acceptable range of 6.5-8.5. Nitrate levels spiked at two days, then gradually returned to their original levels. Although TDS does not pose as great a health risk, high nitrate levels in water can have damaging effects on people’s health if consumed, and low pH levels can contaminate the habitats of aquatic species. Therefore, we suggest that people limit their fertilizer use to protect the environment and their peers.
Synthesis of a novel CCR1 antagonist for treatment of glioblastoma
Authors: Jan Amna , Pamidigantam Ujjayi , Ayala Johan , Holloway Karisma , Nathan Emilia , Shah Rishi , Antonucci Antoinette , Merritt James
Published: September 2023

Glioblastoma is a brain cancer caused by the presence of a fast-growing, malignant tumor in the brain. As of now, this cancer is universally lethal due to lack of efficacious treatment options. C-C chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1) is a G-protein coupled receptor that controls chemotaxis, the movement of cells in response to chemical stimuli. Inhibiting these receptors could retard the growth of the malignant tumor by inhibiting chemotaxis. This research aims to synthesize potential CCR1 antagonists by coupling carboxylic acids with a triazole core. We synthesized these compounds using a simple carboxylic acid coupling and confirmed the identity of the final compounds using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Further testing of these compounds in inhibition bioassays is planned to be done when lab space becomes accessible again.
Wound healing properties of mesenchymal conditioned media: Analysis of PDGF, VEGF and IL-8 concentrations
Authors: Prasad Shambhavi , Thomas Teena Mary , Umrao Ankita , Rao Jyothsna , Rao Gururaj
Published: September 2023

Regenerative medicine has become a mainstay in recent times, and employing stem cells to treat several degenerative, inflammatory conditions has resulted in very promising outcomes. These forms of cell-based therapies are novel approaches to existing treatment modalities. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are emerging as the most versatile amongst all the existing stem cell technologies as they are multipotent and have shown promise in treating several disease conditions. The mode of action of these cells can be based on cell-cell contact or by paracrine effects. In this study, we compared the concentrations of the cytokines PDGF, IL-8, and VEGF between conditioned and spent media of MSCs to evaluate their potential therapeutic properties for wound healing in inflammatory conditions. We hypothesized that conditioned media contains higher concentrations of wound healing cytokines compared to spent media. We found that while IL-8 and VEGF were present in highest concentrations in conditioned media, PDGF was present in maximal amounts in spent media.
Optimal pH for indirect electrochemical oxidation of isopropyl alcohol with Ru-Ti anode and NaCl electrolyte
Authors: Chang Hsuan , Tu Cheng-Han , Tseng Yao-Hsuan , Ponnampalam Dino
Published: September 2023

When the levels of human waste exceed an ecosystem’s native purification capacity, pollution causes large, long-term damage. Therefore, to prevent wastewater spillage from damaging the environment and raising external cost to the society, industries are required to degrade pollutants in wastewater to an acceptable level according to local regulations before emission. This investigation uses an electrochemical system to degrade isopropanol—a common pollutant found in wastewater—and find the optimal pH level at which the highest degradation of isopropanol takes place. We hypothesized that by decreasing the pH value due to an increase in the amount of HClO (a strong oxidant) in the solution, the degradation of isopropanol (IPA) into acetone should increase. The result supports the hypothesis and shows the electrochemical system under acidic conditions has a higher efficiency than alkaline conditions. Under pH 5–6, NaCl concentration of 2%, initial IPA concentration of 500 ppm total organic carbon, and a current of 1 ampere, the electrochemical system degrades 98.6% of IPA into acetone and other intermediate compounds in under 180 minutes. Furthermore, with such a high transfer rate, the system demonstrates its potential to degrade isopropanol to generate acetone, which is a commonly-used agent found in a variety of products ranging from lab cleaning products to nail varnish.