bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
POC-MON: A Novel and Cost-Effective Pocket Lemon Sniff Test (PLST) for Early Detection of Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Cruz Madison , Cruz Martin
Published: September 2023

Effective treatment of depression requires early detection. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a global health and economic concern affecting over 300 million people, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 21 million Americans experienced at least one depressive episode in 2017. A silent but deadly killer — depressive symptoms are frequently masked and therefore increases suicidal risk, resulting in about 1 million deaths annually, including teenagers. Undiagnosed and untreated depression is commonly linked to public bombings, mass killings, and school shootings in the U.S. Depressive symptoms overlap with olfactory regions, which led to several studies of the correlation between sense of smell and depression. The alarming rise of depression, its related crimes, suicides, and lack of inexpensive, quick tools in detecting early depression — this study aims in demonstrating decreased olfaction and depression correlation. Forty-two subjects (ages 13-83) underwent POC-MON (Pocket Lemon) assessment — an oven-dried lemon peel sniff test, subjected to distance measurement when odor first detected (threshold) and completed Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQ-9). POC-MON and PHQ-9 scores yielded a correlation of 20% and 18% for the right and left nostrils, respectively. Among male (n=17) subjects, the average distance of POC-MON and PHQ-9 scores produced a correlation of 14% and 16% for the right and left nostrils, respectively. Females (n=25) demonstrated a correlation of 28% and 21% for the right and left nostrils, respectively. These results suggest the correlation between olfaction and depression in diagnosing its early-stage, using a quick, inexpensive, and patient-friendly tool — POC-MON.
Assessing and Improving Machine Learning Model Predictions of Polymer Glass Transition Temperatures
Authors: Ramprasad Manav , Kim Chiho
Published: September 2023

The success of the Materials Genome Initiative has led to opportunities for data-driven approaches for materials discovery. The recent development of Polymer Genome (PG), which is a machine learning (ML) based data-driven informatics platform for polymer property prediction, has significantly increased the efficiency of polymer design. Nevertheless, continuous expansion of the ‘training data’ is necessary to improve the robustness, versatility, and accuracy of the ML predictions. Accurate prediction of polymer properties, such as glass transition temperature (Tg), is advantageous for the design of polymers, particularly for high temperature applications. We hypothesized that by adding more data with increased chemical diversity to the dataset, the predictive capabilities of the PG model would improve. In order to test the performance and transferability of the predictive model for Tg (previously trained on a dataset of 450 polymers), we have carefully collected additional experimental Tg data for 871 polymers from multiple data sources. The Tg values predicted by the present PG models for the polymers in the newly collected dataset were compared directly with the experimental Tg to estimate the accuracy of the present model. Using the full dataset of 1321 polymers, a new ML model for Tg was built following past work. The root mean square error (RMSE) of prediction for the extended dataset, when compared to the earlier one, decreased to 27 K from 57 K, thereby supporting our initial hypothesis that increasing the dataset would improve the predictions. To further improve the performance of the Tg prediction model, we are continuing to accumulate new data and exploring new ML approaches.
Factors Influencing Muon Flux and Lifetime: An Experimental Analysis Using Cosmic Ray Detectors
Authors: Samson Finsam , Du Andrew , Niedballa Michael
Published: September 2023

Muons, one of the fundamental elementary particles, originate from the collision of cosmic rays with atmospheric particles and are also generated in particle accelerator collisions. Muon flux and lifetime are usually analyzed to obtain important insights regarding time dilation and to ascertain the characteristics of the particles and processes that occur during collision. In this study, we analyzed the factors that influence muon flux and lifetime using Cosmic Ray Muon Detectors (CRMDs). We hypothesized that the positioning of cosmic ray detector scintillator plates and depth of water above such scintillator plates would affect muon flux and lifetime. Muon flux and lifetime would be affected as an increase in matter in the path of a muon would slow or stop muons passing through it. Altering liquid shielding indicated that muon flux was inversely related to the depth of water that it passed through. Altering scintillator positioning indicated that detection rates of muon decay increased with the distance between the top and bottom of the scintillator plates resulting from the scintillator plate orientation. Unlike previous studies, the effects of the shielding were noticeable at smaller scales. Overall, this study suggests that water can be used to decrease muon flux and that the scintillator orientation is a potential determinant of the volume of data collected in muon decay studies.
Differences in Reliability and Predictability of Harvested Energy from Battery-less Intermittently Powered Systems
Authors: Sampath Nithya , Islam Bashima , Nirjon Shahriar
Published: September 2023

Solar and radio frequency harvesters serve as a viable alternative energy source to batteries in many cases where the battery cannot be easily replaced. However, energy harvesters do not consistently produce enough energy to sustain an energy consumer; thus, both the energy availability and execution of the energy-consuming process are intermittent. By simulating intermittent systems with large-scale energy demands using specifically-designed circuit models, the harvested voltage and other parameters such as the voltages across the capacitor and the load were determined. We plotted these data, for both harvested solar and harvested radio frequency energy, to make probability plots depicting the likelihood that energy will be available now given that N number of energy events have occurred. Additionally, we designated a metric as the η-factor, which was calculated from these probability plots for the solar and radio frequency data to quantify the reliability of the power source. The η-factor for harvested solar energy was statistically significantly higher than the η-factor for harvested radio frequency energy, meaning harvested solar energy was more consistently available than harvested radio frequency energy. Finally, we collected data to determine the effects on the output voltage of various obstacles between the radio frequency transmitter and receiver. We found that obstacles like metal and people caused a more pronounced drop in the amount of energy harvested when compared to other obstacles like foam or wood. Quantifying the reliability of different harvested sources would help in identifying the most practical and efficient forms of renewable energy; determining which obstacles cause the most obstruction to a signal can aid in the strategic placement of harvesters for maximum energy efficiency.
Conversion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in a Tumor Microenvironment: An in vitro Study
Authors: Ramesh Reshma , Umrao Ankita , Rao Jyothsna , Rao Gururaj
Published: September 2023

Carcinomas grow in a complex microenvironment which consists of stromal cells, fibroblasts, immune cells, matrix proteins, and soluble proteins. This microenvironment is critical in providing signals for tumors to proliferate and produce cytokines, which create an area of immune suppression that signals inward migration of mesenchymal stem cells. It also aids in angiogenesis, metastasis and invasion of the tumor, which further enable tumor cells to proliferate and metastasize. Further mesenchymal stem cells are known to migrate into the tumor microenvironment induced cytokines released by the tumor in the microenvironment, further differentiating them to cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF). CAFs are in turn known to promote and aid tumor migration, enabling metastasis. In this study, conditioned media from the MCF7 breast cancer cell line induced a CAF like phenotype in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), indicating the potential role of stroma in the progression of cancer. We hypothesize that MCF7-conditioned media induces expression of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) when co-cultured with (BMSCs), and that this could be involved in aiding cancer metastasis and progression.
Harvesting Atmospheric Water
Authors: Greenwald Neve , Finlay Krista
Published: September 2023

Global water shortages and droughts have become more common and severe. One solution to address this shortage is the collection and use of atmospheric water, as it is sustainable, clean, and renewable. The objective of this project was to test various materials to determine which ones collect the most atmospheric water when exposed to the same environmental factors. The experiment observed the effect of weather conditions, a material’s surface area and hydrophilicity on atmospheric water collection. The initial hypothesis was that hydrophobic materials with the greatest surface area would collect the most water. The materials were placed in the same outside location each night for twelve trials. The following day the materials were weighed to see how much water each had collected. On average, ribbed plastic collected 10.8 mL of water per trial, which was over 20% more than any other material. This result partially supported the hypothesis because although hydrophobic materials collected more water, surface area did not have a significant effect on water collection. These experiment results can be used to better understand how to maximize collection of water in drought or water insecure environments.
Population Forecasting by Population Growth Models based on MATLAB Simulation
Authors: Li Jingze , Tran Hien , Li Jie
Published: September 2023

Population forecasting is a necessary effort to understand population growth, which affects various aspects of a country’s society and economy, including future demand for food, water, energy, and services. Mathematical models are commonly used to understand the interplay of the migration, birth and death rates on population growth. Mathematical models help population forecasting by capturing statistical trends from historical datasets. However, these need to be carefully compared to understand the implications of different model formulations in predicting future population, which the models have not seen or were trained on. In this work, we have compared two common population growth models, namely Malthusian law and Logistic law, using US population data from 1951 to 2019. By formulating a least-squared curve fitting problem, the birth and death rates can be estimated using MATLAB software. MATLAB simulations showed that the Logistic law of population growth yields smaller sum of squared residuals than the Malthusian law. In this case, a better population model may be beneficial in the social science, such as political science and sociology.
Money matters: Significant knowledge gaps exist about basic finance
Authors: Kumar Avinash , Kumar Shivani
Published: September 2023

The goal of this study was to assess the basic financial knowledge and money saving skills of high school students and adults. Surveys containing basic questions about investments, loans, interest rates, taxes, credit, and other common personal financial subjects were given to 50 minors and 40 adults. With this study, we had four hypotheses. Firstly, we hypothesized that subjects would answer about 30-40% of the questions correctly. Secondly, we hypothesized that adults would perform better than minors due to greater lifetime experience with financial matters. We also hypothesized that male and female minors would perform similarly. Our last prediction was that male and female adults would perform similarly. Our results indicate that the respondents had a poor understanding of financial concepts. The results obtained from this study supported all four hypotheses. Overall, the subjects demonstrated poor proficiency in financial matters with a mean correct response of 33.1%. While there was a statistically significant difference in financial knowledge between adults and minors (p < 0.05), the differences between males and females for both groups, minors and adults, were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).
String analysis of exon 10 of the CFTR gene and the use of Bioinformatics in determination of the most accurate DNA indicator for CF prediction
Authors: Carroll Peyton , Kakarla Samhith , Carroll Jason
Published: September 2023

Cystic Fibrosis (abbreviated as CF) is a deadly disease with no cure that affects over 70,000 people worldwide every year. In this study, we aimed to discover an efficient way of diagnosing the disease and hence wanted to figure out the best predictor of a newborn’s predisposition to developing CF by comparing different nucleotide patterns in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (abbreviated as CFTR) gene. We compared nucleotide sequences from CF patients to healthy humans. We then ran string analyses over each nucleotide sequence, looking for pre-determined patterns. We then compared the patterns we observed in the diseased patients and healthy patients. The pattern that showed the most discrepancy from the diseased gene to the healthy gene was noted as the best predictor of someone’s predisposition to CF. In this experiment, we focused on sequences two to eight bases long. We hypothesized the eight-base long sequence “GGGGGGGG” would be the best predictor due to it being that of the greatest length, therefore making the respective nucleotide sequences longer. Furthermore, G is the least common base, so we reasoned that this sequence will be the least common sequence. Because this sequence is least common, a single occurrence of it would be statistically significant. This differs from the current research, as the current research focuses on analyzing point mutations, and not the whole exon. By focusing on the whole exon, we propose a more accurate determination technique because more DNA is being analyzed. We can carry this work forward by using the same code and scientific process on other exons. Overall, we found “TTCCACAG” occurs 9.13 times more in the healthy nucleotide sequence than the mutant nucleotide sequence. Hence, if we can compare the DNA of a newborn to their parents’ and the DNA string occurs “TTCCACAG” more often, we can conclude the child may have increased risk of developing CF.
Elucidating the Genotoxicity of Synthetic Food Preservatives with the SOS Chromotest
Authors: Shah Krish V , Rogers Conrad
Published: September 2023

The increased use of synthetic food preservatives makes it imperative to screen for their potential health risks. This project aimed to delineate the genotoxic potential and effects of commonly used synthetic food preservatives, specifically sodium nitrite, potassium sulfate, and hydrogen peroxide. We employed a colorimetric assay designed to test the induction of the DNA damage response using beta-galactosidase (β-gal) as a reporter. Evidence suggests these food preservatives may be genotoxic due to their ability to impair normal cellular pathways. We hypothesized that sodium nitrite would be the most genotoxic because nitrites are precursors to N-nitrosamines, a class of compounds that are carcinogenic byproducts of metabolism. Potassium sulfate and hydrogen peroxide were also initially hypothesized to be genotoxic. Two-fold serial dilutions were performed, and blue color formation was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to assess genotoxicity levels. The hypotheses were partially supported as all synthetic food preservatives demonstrated some degree of genotoxicity before and after metabolic activation; potassium sulfate was shown to be the most genotoxic. The inclusion of mammalian hepatic enzymes permitted for better correlation to humans, as results provided insight on the genotoxicity of food preservatives after normal metabolic function. These findings can inform future toxicology research to potentially prevent genetic damage and carcinogenesis.
Testing HCN1 channel dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex using a novel piezoelectric silk neuromodulator
Authors: Mathew Emilin , Joykutty Leya
Published: September 2023

Mental illnesses are prevalent in society, yet patients are widely undiagnosed and mistreated. Within this branch of diseases, schizophrenia is an underrecognized disorder that affects approximately 1% of adult patients that portray behavioral and cognitive impairments. Although no comprehensive characterization of schizophrenia exists, there is a general consensus that patients have electrical dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex. The goal of the first phase of this project was to analyze whether hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channel expression was increased in a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CAMK2) knockout (KO) mouse model of schizophrenia. Fluorescence analysis of four CAMK2 KO and one wild-type mouse validated that HCN channels were upregulated in the prefrontal cortex of KO mice compared to wild-type, which was demonstrated by high localization in dendrites. Notably, there was a statistical difference between the control and schizophrenic infralimbic regions but not between the control and schizophrenic prelimbic regions, suggesting that electrical dysfunction is localized in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex and future treatments should focus there. In the second phase, we investigated the resynchronization of neuronal firing as a treatment strategy for abnormal electrical firing, which has proven to be effective in other neurological disorders. We designed a novel piezoelectric silk-based implant and optimized electrical output through the addition of conductive materials zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum nitride (AlN). Via ultrasound exposure, we determined that the 2 M ZnO-silk composite generated the highest electrical output. With further research and compatibility studies, this implant could rectify electrical misfiring in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex.
Characterizing Quorum Sensing-Induced Bioluminescence in Variable Volumes With Vibrio fischeri Using Computer Processing Methods
Authors: Abdel-Azim Maryam G , Abdel-Azim Gamal A
Published: September 2023

Bacteria use the mechanism of quorum sensing to gather information about the density of other cells in their surroundings. Quorum sensing, in which bacteria sense chemical signals that increase in concentration as a function of surrounding cell density, leads to downstream changes in bacterial gene expression. These changes may include the activation of virulence or bioluminescence. In this study, we used Vibrio fischeri as a model to study the activation of bioluminescence by quorum sensing. We inoculated the same number of bacterial cells in 3 different culture volumes (1mL or small volume, 3mL or medium volume, and 5mL or large volume) and measured luminescence of the cultures over time. Using digital image processing to determine changes in luminescence over time, we found that cultures in smaller volumes reached peak illumination densities in less time than those in larger volumes. These results suggest that V. fischeri luminesce in response to cell density information in the environment and that we can use computer processing methods to study quorum sensing-induced bioluminescence. Studying the mechanisms by which bacteria use quorum sensing to activate gene expression may facilitate the development of therapies to inhibit bacterial virulence in the context of infectious disease.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Popular Treatments for Swelling and Scarring
Authors: Benavides Maria Lucia , Marcum Amber
Published: September 2023

Swelling and scarring are expected, yet concerning, aspects of healing tissue after surgery or injury. Though many popular or specialty treatments claim to reduce swelling and scarring (e.g. Epsom salt soaks for swelling or application of commercial scar gels for scarring), it remains unknown whether these treatments are more effective than less expensive treatments (e.g. plain warm water soaks for swelling and petroleum jelly application for scarring). In this study, I compared the effectiveness of such treatments for swelling and scarring on myself after bilateral orthopedic surgery on my feet. I hypothesized that soaks in warm water with Epsom salts would reduce swelling more effectively than soaks in warm water alone. I also hypothesized that application of a commercial scar gel would yield a less visible scar over time than application of petroleum jelly. The results of this study did not support my initial hypotheses and instead suggest that there is no difference in effectiveness between each of the two swelling and scarring treatments. The results of this study highlight the importance of further and larger comparative studies on this subject, especially in a developing country such as mine, due to the widespread promotion of more expensive treatments despite equal effectiveness to less expensive treatments.
Banana-based Biofuels for Combating Climate Change: How the Composition of Enzyme Catalyzed Solutions Affects Biofuel Yield
Authors: Klein-Hessling Barrientos Hermann F , Ingram Rachel
Published: September 2023

This investigation was inspired by the ever so precarious nature of climate change and its detrimental implications on our planet and society. One alternative form of energy that shows promise amongst others in alleviating the climate crisis, is biofuel. An extensive experiment was conducted to investigate whether amylase or yeast had a more prominent role in determining the bioethanol concentration and bioethanol yield of banana samples. Given that amylase facilitates the breakdown of complex polysaccharides into simple sugars, we hypothesized that amylase would have the most significant impact on the bioethanol yield and concentration of the samples. This was determined to be the case when the fermentation batch samples received enzyme compositions of yeast and amylase independently. However, when added concurrently, the optimal enzyme composition for maximizing the bioethanol concentration and yield was the addition of amylase and yeast in a 3:2 ratio. Thus, while yeast is an essential component for producing bioethanol, the proportion of amylase supplied through a joint amylase-yeast mixture has a more significant impact on the bioethanol yield. This provides some insight into what industrial engineers would need to take into consideration when mass-producing bioethanol on the industrial scale, namely that of the optimal enzyme composition with respect to cost and the bioethanol yield. Moreover, this study provides a greater understanding of the mechanisms and implications involved in enzyme-based biofuel production, specifically of those pertaining to amylase and yeast.
Effect of Different Growth Media on Algae’s Ability for Carbon Dioxide Biofixation
Authors: Chaudhuri Shreya , Pezzi Kara
Published: September 2023

Carbon dioxide makes up 72% of all greenhouse gases produced, which makes it the leading source of air pollution. Certain green algal species such as Chlorella vulgaris fix the carbon dioxide into fatty acids present in cells in a process known as “carbon dioxide biofixation”. This project tests the effect of different algal growth media on the efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris’s carbon dioxide biofixation. In the testing process, we added Chlorella vulgaris to four bottles, each containing four different substances (distilled water, Blue Green 11 medium, Bold’s Basal Medium, and Guillard’s f/2 medium), and cultured for eight days. Each algae and medium mixture was then divided equally into three smaller bottles and rotated for three days. To compare data, we measured the change in carbon dioxide content by subtracting the carbon dioxide content of the bottles with algae to a similar bottle without algae. The results for the average change in carbon dioxide content were 59.3 ppm for Blue Green 11 medium and algae, 50.6 ppm for Guillard’s medium and algae, 22.6 ppm for Bold’s Basal Medium and algae, and 10 ppm for distilled water and algae. The Blue Green 11 medium most effectively decreased carbon dioxide content of the bottles. This supported our hypothesis that algae's capacity for biofixation can be greatly enhanced through the effective use of media, a finding that has extensive real-world benefits in reducing pollution.
Two Wrongs Could Make a Right: Food Waste Compost Accelerated Polystyrene Consumption of Tenebrio molitor
Authors: Fu Kwun Him , Yeung Cheuk Hin , Hung Sze Chit , To Andrew Ching-Yuet
Published: September 2023

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a type of plastic that poses serious impact to the environment. The ingestion of EPS can kill animals and cause harm to the entire food chain. It takes one thousand years for the complete degradation of EPS in nature. Previous work showed that mealworms, the larvae of Tenebrio molitor, are capable of digesting EPS. However, the use of mealworms for EPS degradation is not popular because of the slow rate. We herein report that food waste compost (FWC) is an effective additive to accelerate EPS consumption in mealworms. In our experiment, we investigated the effect of FWC and oats on the EPS consumption rate and lifecycle of mealworms. The effect of FWC on the EPS consumption rate of superworm (Zophobas morio) and greater waxworm (Galleria mellonella) was also studied. EPS consumption rate of mealworm gained a 78% increase when FWC was added. Oats, a common feed for mealworms, increased the EPS consumption rate, but the effect was significantly lower than that by FWC. FWC and oats promoted weight gain and survival of mealworms. A stronger positive correlation between weight gain and EPS consumption was observed in mealworms that were co-fed with FWC when compared with that with oats. In addition, the larval period of mealworms fed with FWC was significantly longer than that fed with oats. Finally, we found that FWC also accelerated EPS consumption in superworm and greater waxworm, but FWC-accelerated EPS consumption by mealworms showed the highest efficiency in terms of mass-to-mass ratio. These findings shed light on a potential industrial application for degrading EPS. Not only could the method degrade EPS in a more efficient manner, it could also provide a proper use of food waste.
Inhibiting the ERK pathway and the TRPM7 ion channel in gastric and bladder cancer cells
Authors: Yang Megan , Joykutty Leya
Published: September 2023

Gastric and bladder cancers occur when the cells start to reproduce uncontrollably, starting within the innermost layer of tissue. The transient receptor potential cation subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) is an ion channel that plays an important role in the survival of both of these cancers. In addition, extracellular regulated kinases (ERKs) contribute to the carcinogenesis of many cancers including gastric cancer. Therefore, the treatments Ginsenoside Rd, NS8593, curcumin, and icariin that have the ability to inhibit TRPM7 and ERK could potentially be used as a treatment for these cancers. We hypothesized that these treatments would decrease proliferation and induce apoptosis by inhibiting TRPM7 and ERK in AGS gastric cancer cells and T24 bladder cancer cells; the data supported the hypothesis. Individually, the overall most effective treatment was NS8593 which reduced the proliferation by 81.1% and increased apoptosis by 38.5% in AGS cells compared to the negative control. Individually, the overall most effective treatment was NS8593 which reduced the proliferation by 88.4% and increased apoptosis by 78.0% in T24 cells compared to the negative control. Using all the treatments in combination was the most effective in reducing proliferation and increasing apoptosis in gastric cancer cells. There was also a correlation between the TRPM7, extracellular regulated kinases (ERKs), proliferation, and apoptosis levels. These results could pose in future more effective treatments for both gastric and cancer on top of other types of cancers that rely on TRPM7 and ERK.
A Novel Approach to Prevent and Restrict Early Stages of Cancer Cell Growth Using a Combination of Moringa and Sesame in a Drosophila Model
Authors: Ganesh Aryan , Vanamu Ganesh
Published: September 2023

Cancer is a highly prevalent disease with many causes but no cure; here, we examined the efficacy of the naturally anti-inflammatory moringa and sesame plants to prevent or restrict cancer cell growth in Drosophila melanogaster. In our previous work, we showed that sesame and moringa individually repressed eye tumor formation in D. melanogaster. In this work, we studied combinations of moringa and sesame at different proportions to compare their effects in preventing cancer cell growth. We studied D. melanogaster eye tumors which allowed easy detection of the phenotypes with simple microscopes. As we increased the concentration of sesame and moringa in the mixture, the cancer symptoms improved. We showed that a diet consisting of a combination of 10% sesame and 15% moringa can be used to effectively prevent visible tumor growth in the D. melanogaster eye, and the endpoints were close to those of healthy, wild-type flies. This data showed improved tumor growth compared to the treatments used individually. We extended the study to restrict early stages of cancer using these treatments. Progeny of Gal4-Ret cross at four different stages of the lifecycle were treated with experimental food and compared to control sample flies. Our study showed this combination of Moringa and Sesame treatments during the second instar or third instar larvae could restrict the cancer cells growth. Therefore, we concluded that a combination of 15% moringa and 10% sesame could prevent cancer and restrict early stages of cancer growth in this specific model of cancer using D. melanogaster.
Variations in Heat Absorption and Release of Earth Surfaces During Fall in Laramie, Wyoming
Authors: Ramesh Padmalakshmi , Sivanpillai Ramesh
Published: September 2023

All Earth surfaces absorb heat at different rates and release it afterwards. If surfaces release less heat than they absorb, they will remain warmer. Heat retained by man-made surfaces and human activities are the two major contributors of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect witnessed in cities worldwide. Though the effects of UHI are well studied in summer and winter months, UHI effects are not widely studied in other seasons and smaller cities. We conducted this study to document the contributions of man-made surfaces in Laramie, Wyoming to the UHI effect. Heat absorption and release by five surfaces were measured in the autumn of 2018. We hypothesized that heat retention by all surfaces will vary throughout the fall season due to differences in ambient air temperature. We recorded temperatures of man-made and natural surfaces at early morning, mid-afternoon, and evening using an infrared thermometer. Results from this study showed that man-made surfaces retained more heat in fall than natural surfaces. The amount of heat retained by all surfaces was higher in early fall and less in late fall. Presence of smoke, haze, snow, and clouds altered the pattern of heat absorption and release. Future studies could expand to other cities, include more surfaces, and measure temperature more frequently to estimate their contribution to UHI.
One-step photochemical crosslinking of native proteins is feasible in tyrosine-rich bovine serum albumin
Authors: Liao Ying-Shao , Hsu Hsin-Yun
Published: September 2023

Hydrogels made by crosslinking biomolecules have wide-ranging applications, including pharmaceuticals and tissue engineering. Some research groups have demonstrated crosslinking polycarbonates or oligopeptides by first attaching a tyrosine crosslinker to the backbones and then initiating crosslinking among linkers. Herein, we explored an alternative approach to make hydrogels from native proteins without pre-modification. We hypothesized that it is feasible to photochemically crosslink unmodified proteins provided that the protein is naturally abundant in tyrosine groups. We chose bovine serum albumin (BSA, a protein containing 18 tyrosine residues) as the native protein and methylene blue (MB) as the photosensitizer. To test our hypothesis, we photo-illuminated a solution of BSA and MB and observed whether a hydrogel formed. After illumination, the solution became a gel-like film whereas the solution not subject to illumination remained fluidic, indicating that photochemically crosslinking unmodified proteins is feasible. Using a microscope objective lens to focus the laser beam and a stage to move the sample, we further demonstrated photo-printing finely structured hydrogels. To illustrate a potential application of the hydrogels, we showed that the structured hydrogels can incorporate a model drug (fluorescein), and can be transferred and adhered to a model skin (pig skin), acting like a liquid bandage. In conclusion, we verified the feasibility of making hydrogels from a native protein naturally rich in tyrosine without the extra step of introducing crosslinkers to the protein backbone and demonstrated photo-printing fine structures of protein hydrogels. More work will be necessary to explore novel applications of protein hydrogels.
The Effect of School Climate and Parenting Style on Academic Achievement
Authors: Myers Quinn , Scott Jason
Published: September 2023

Previous research suggests that there are positive and negative relationships between parenting style and academic achievement and that school climate can potentially mediate the effects of parenting style. Research suggests that less effective styles of parenting tend to negatively affect grades, and more effective styles tend to produce higher grades. The purpose of this study is to verify previous research and confirm those relationships in a sample of African American students in a college preparatory program. We obtained students’ perception of their school’s climate and parent’s parenting styles by conducting a Parental Authority Questionnaire and school climate survey on a sample of freshmen, sophomores, and junior high school students. We then correlated these perceptions to student grades. We found no significant relationship between school climate and academic achievement. However, permissive parenting, which is characterized by low responsiveness and demandingness, exhibited a negative relationship with academic achievement. Authoritarian parenting, a style high in demandingness and low in responsiveness, exhibited a positive relationship to academic achievement. These results suggest that while school climate has little relation to academic achievement, parenting style has a significant impact. The cultural implications for parenting styles and academic achievement are explored more in depth.
Estimating the Carcinogenic Risks of Major Pollutants Released into the Environment
Authors: Xiang Angela , Xiang Hui
Published: September 2023

Each year, large amounts of carcinogenic pollutants are released into the environment, which negatively affects human health. This study ranks the major carcinogenic pollutants that are released into the air, water, and land by both the total released amounts and the potential carcinogenic risks. We hypothesized that the carcinogenic pollutants released in the greatest quantities have the highest carcinogenic risks to human beings. Based on the available data and our preliminary analysis, the carcinogenic pollutants that are released the most include the air pollutants styrene and acetaldehyde, the water pollutants acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, as well as the land pollutants asbestos (friable) and nickel compounds. The pollutants with the highest carcinogenic risks, estimated by the total released carcinogenic doses, include formaldehyde and styrene released into the air, cadmium and formaldehyde released into water, and cadmium and cobalt compounds released into the land. The results suggest that the pollutants with the highest carcinogenic risks may not necessarily be the ones released in the greatest quantities into the environment due to different carcinogenic potency of the pollutants. This study could help to promote public awareness of the potential carcinogenic risks of environmental pollutants and help policy makers to focus on the high-risk items.
In vitro Comparison of Anticancer and Immunomodulatory Activities of Resveratrol and its Oligomers
Authors: Zhang Jeffery F , Henry Everett , Zhang L Harris
Published: September 2023

Stilbenoids are a group of naturally occurring phenolic compounds produced de novo in many plant species to protect against fungal infection and toxins. Resveratrol (3,4’,5-trihydroxystilbene), a stilbenoid isolated from grapes and many species of plants, is widely known for its extensive bioactivities, such as antioxidation, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Recently, many novel resveratrol oligomers have been isolated from various plants. While their structures are diverse, these oligomers are characterized by the polymerization of two or more resveratrol units. Little is known regarding the bioactivities of these novel resveratrol oligomers. We hypothesized that these oligomers might have similar or superior bioactivities to resveratrol. In this study, we designed in vitro models to compare resveratrol side by side with natural dimers (ε-viniferin and gnetin H) and trimers (suffruticosol B and C) from plants for their bioactivities. Our data showed that these oligomers, similar to resveratrol, had many activities such as downregulation of cancer cell proliferation, upregulation of normal keratinocyte growth, and the modulation of the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in immune cells. Furthermore, these oligomers appeared to have higher cytotoxicity than resveratrol in normal human blood cells; the order was the trimers (suffruticosol B and C) > dimers (ε-viniferin and gnetin H) > monomer (resveratrol). However, only suffruticosol C, gnetin H and resveratrol showed anticancer activity against human T98G glioblastoma cells at lower concentrations. No correlation between anticancer or immunomodulating effects and the degree of polymerization was observed. Our results provide some preliminary evidences that resveratrol oligomers could be potential preventive or therapeutic agents for cancers and other immune-related diseases. As far as any superiority of efficacy of these stilbenoids is concerned, more extensive studies are definitely needed.
Comparing the Dietary Preference of Caenorhabditis elegans for Bacterial Probiotics vs. Escherichia coli.
Authors: Lulla Shraddha , Chiodo Christine
Published: September 2023

The use of probiotics is on the rise as more people are learning about their possible health benefits. In this experiment, we used C. elegans as a simple model organism to observe the impact of probiotics on the human digestive system. In this investigation the dietary preference of C. elegans was tested using three different bacterial probiotics (Chobani, siggi's and Stonyfield) and the control nutrient source, E. coli. The results of the experiment showed that the C. elegans were, on average, most present in Chobani cultures. At the end of the observation period, there were, on average, about 1,207 C. elegans present in the E. coli quadrants, and about 1,314 C. elegans present in the Chobani quadrants, as compared to 1,133 C. elegans in the siggi's quadrants and 981 in the Stonyfield quadrants. There were about 8.9% more C. elegans present in the Chobani quadrants than in the E. coli quadrants. Additionally, the Chobani quadrants grew, on average, by 188 C. elegans/day, 9.3% more than the 172 C. elegans/day growth in the E. coli quadrants. While not statistically significant, these results still demonstrated that C. elegans might prefer Chobani cultures over other probiotic yogurts, which may also indicate greater gut benefits from Chobani over the other yogurt brands tested.
Evaluation of Microplastics in Japanese Fish Using Visual and Chemical Dissections
Authors: Srebnik Emma Rudy , Urquhart Sarah
Published: September 2023

Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic is estimated to be polluting oceans. Ranking as the fifth-highest plastic using country, Japan has an exceptionally high usage of single wrapped items. Additionally, as an island-nation, fish is vital to everyday life, making up approximately 40% of protein in Japanese diets. Based on these observations, I wondered how the overuse of plastic in Japan poses an ecological risk to marine species and their consumers local to Kanagawa Prefecture. To answer this question, I completed a plastic audit at a convenience store, took qualitative observations of plastic waste at three waterways, and dissected locally sourced fish to characterize ingested plastic. I found 83.4% of the convenience store’s items within the recorded sections had plastic wrapping or pieces. Additionally, each waterway observed had both plastic and marine species present. Using visual and chemical dissection, all fish had microplastics present in their gastrointestinal tract, including two species that are typically eaten whole in Japan. Out of the fourteen microplastics found through the chemical digestion method, six were classified as plastic microfibers, four were likely thread plastic, three were see-through pieces of plastic film, and one was a foam pellet. Overall, these results are concerning as previous studies have found that microplastics can carry persistent organic pollutants. Both bioaccumulation and biomagnification result in large levels of contaminants building up at the top of the food chain. It is presumed that the increasing consumption of microplastics will have negative implications on organ systems such as the liver, gut, and hormones.
Alterations of the [Fe/H] Values Modulate Light Curves by Absolute Magnitude in non-Blazhko RRab Lyraes
Authors: Park Michelle , Schroeder Dustin
Published: September 2023

RR Lyraes are a type of variable star known for their short periods and their periodicity can be used as standard candles to determine the distances of interstellar objects they reside in. The correlation between the composition of RR Lyraes and their light curves is not well understood. This study investigated the relationship between the metallicity and resulting changes in the light curves of non-Blazhko RRab Lyraes. We analyzed 135 images of the 15 RR Lyraes throughout nine periods of the day by remotely accessing the Canary 2 telescope at the Slooh Canary Islands Observatory. We examined the images using multiple image analysis software programs to find locator stars, determine the apparent magnitudes of the RR Lyraes, and create light curves. We observed a negative exponential relationship between the [Fe/H] and the light curve amplitudes of the RR Lyraes, and a negative linear relationship between the [Fe/H] and the periods of the RR Lyraes. These results demonstrate that we can obtain a better idea of an RR Lyrae’s composition based on solely its light curve and that characteristics of a light curve can be predicted based off of metallicity without time-consuming visual observations being required. These conclusions will assist in applying metallicity corrections to obtain more precise absolute magnitudes of the RR Lyraes so that they may be more effective standard candles.
Beeing sustainable: Honey as a bioindicator for pollution
Authors: Donnellan Sophie , Sponenburg Rebecca A , Ang Ms Kathie
Published: September 2023

Honey is a bioindicator for the environment, meaning that the pollution within honey mirrors that of its local environment. Therefore, honey can be analyzed to better understand local pollution levels. This research study investigated how Chicago’s industrialized environment impacts the traces of heavy metals found within local honey samples and the extent to which neighborhoods differ in the pollutants they contain. ICP-MS analysis was used to determine the concentrations of heavy metals within honey samples, signifying pollution levels of the neighborhoods from which the corresponding apiaries were located. There was no significant correlation between heavy metal concentrations in honey samples and their corresponding apiaries’ distance from industrial corridors. Similarly, there was no significant correlation between heavy metal concentrations in honey samples for the heavy metals tested and the number of environmental cleanup sites located within a 4 km radius of their corresponding apiaries. Although further research and action will be necessary to protect both the environment and inhabitants of Chicago, this research study has led to a better understanding of industrial pollution within Chicago that can inspire future environmental action.
The Impact of Effective Density and Compressive Strength on the Structure of Crumpled Paper Balls
Authors: Chu Hayley , Fieller Rodolfo
Published: September 2023

Crumpling is the process whereby a sheet of paper undergoes deformation to yield a three-dimensional structure comprising a random network of ridges and facets with variable density. A regular sheet of paper can be easily teared and is very flimsy, yet when a sheet of paper is crumpled into a ball, the crumpled paper becomes much sturdier and has a large compressive strength, which is a material’s maximum compressive load divided by its cross-sectional area. Scientists have extensively studied this phenomenon due to its peculiar structure; however, the physics behind paper crumpling is not yet completely understood. In this study, we investigated the structure of crumpled paper in two ways. In the first part, we explored the effective density of crumpled paper balls and hypothesized the diameter cubed of a paper ball crumpled from a square paper sheet is directly proportional to the side length squared of the paper sheet. In the second part, we studied the relationship between the number of times an A4 piece of paper is crumpled and its compressive strength. We hypothesized that the more times a paper sheet is crumpled, the greater its compressive strength. Our results supported both of our hypotheses: The first experiment demonstrated there is a directly proportional relationship between the diameter cubed of the ball and the side length squared of the sheet. We discovered in the second experiment that there was a relatively strong linear relationship between the number of times a paper sheet is crumpled and its compressive strength.
Strain-specific and photochemically-activated antimicrobial activity of berberine and two analogs
Authors: Sun Stephanie , Hamid Saira , Su Sarah , Su Andrew , Ashok Bhavesh , Njoo Edward
Published: September 2023

Berberine, a natural product alkaloid, and its analogs have been reported to have a wide range of medicinal properties, including antibacterial activity. Berberine has been shown to be a photosensitizer - photochemical excitation at the correct wavelengths generate highly reactive singlet oxygen species in situ, and this has biomedical applications in photodynamic therapy. Here, we explore the antibacterial effects of berberine and two semisynthetic berberine analogs, dihydroberberine and 8-methyl-7,8-dihydroberberine, as a result of photoirradiation across three strains of bacteria. Through two antibiotic susceptibility assays, the Kirby Bauer assay and an infused agar assay, it was determined that the antibacterial activities of berberine and two semisynthetic analogs were more potent upon photoirradiation. An understanding of the photosensitizing ability of berberine may inform the design of future compounds towards the photodynamic therapy of bacterial infections.